444 C. 6. Anno quinto & fexto Edwardi VI. A. D. 1552. Stretching of XXXIII. And for the further Avoiding of much Untruth practifed by ftretching of Clothes, be it enacted, Clothes. That bo Perfon or Perfons fhall after the faid Feaft ftrain or ftretch, or caufe to be {trained or ftretched, any Cloth above one Yard in Length, and one half Quarter in Breadth, upon Pain to. forfeit for every fuch De- fault five Pounds. The Penalty for XXXIV. And be it further enacted, That no Perfon which fhall after the faid Feaft keep, have, ufe or Br,n E a T^ n . tcr occupy any Tenter, (hall have, ufe or occupy any Wrinch, Rope or Ring with the fame Tenter, or fhall y-o corRin"' u ^ e an y otner Engine, unlawfully to ftrain or ftretch any Cloth or Clothes, upon Pain that every Offender that fhall ufe or occupy any Tenter, or other Engine to the contrary, fhall forfeit twenty Pounds. Tranfportingje- XXXV. And be it alfo enacted by like Authority, That if any Merchant fhall by any Means tranfport p ftlvc ,S' oth ' or carry over into the Parts beyond the Sea, any Cloth, Kerfie, Frize or Cotton, which fhall be found de- theretu'ningde- f e &> ve or faulty, either in Length, Breadth or Weight, or elfe fhall have any of the Faults aforefaid, that fc-aive Cloths, then the Merchant, or other Perfon which fhall fo tranfport the fame, fhall return again the fame Cloth fo &c by 4& 5 found defective, into England, at the Cofts and Charges of the Clothier or Clothmaker that fold the fame Ph. & M. c. 5. Cloth ; (2 ) the fame Cofts and Things to be recovered againft fuch Clothmaker or Clothier, by Action of »' Debt, Bill, Plaint, or Information in any of the King's Courts ; any Promife or Bargain to the contrary notwitbftanding: (3) Upon Pain that every Merchant, or other Perfon which fhall not fo return fuch faulty or defective Cloth (if through Misfortune by Tempefts, Pirates or Enemies he be not letted) fhall forfeit and lofe the Value of the Cloth fo (hipped and tranfported, and not returned as is aforefaid; the one Moiety thereof to the King, and the other Moiety to him that will fue for the fame by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information ; in which Action no Effoin, Protection or Wager of Law fhall be admitted for the Defendant. XXXVI. And to the Intent that it may be perfectly known which Clothes are perfectly dreffed, dyed and prefTed with the cold Prefs, without Fraud, Covin and Deceit, as well within the City of London as elfewhere, and have fufficient Workmanfhip : Two Searchers XXXVII. Be it further enacted, That as well the Mayor of the City of London, and Aldermen, or the ft all be appoint- mo ft p art f them for the Time being, as all and every other Mayor, Bailiff, and other head Officer or Of- Boroueh r &c"of ^ cers or " e very City, Borough or Town Corporate within this Realm, fhall have full Power and Authority Cloth, ana their by Virtue of this Act, to nominate, depute and appoint, from Time to Time as Occafton fhall ferve, and Authority. fhall fo from Time to Time nominate, depute and appoint two or more honeft, difcreet and expert Perfons,
- & 3 Ph. & M. which fhall from Time to Time upon their Oaths view and fearch all and every Cloth and Clothes that (hall
c " lz ' be dreffed, dyed or preffed with the cold Prefs, within every fuch City, Borough, Town Corporate or Port Town, (z) and view and fearch whether the fame Cloth and Clothes be well and fufficiently dreffed, and preffed with the cold Prefs, without putting thereto Flocks, Sollace, Chalk, Flour, or any other de- ceitful Thing ; (3) and alfo whether the fame fhall be well and fubftantially dyed with good and perfect Colours, without any deceiveable Thing, or whether it fhall be ftretched or ftrained any more than is above fpecified ; (4) and fhall have full Power and Authority by Virtue of this Act to enter into all and every Perfon's Houfe orHoufes, where they fhall think meet, to fearch and to feize all and every fuch Cloth or Clothes as they fhall find defective in the Premiffes, as forfeited, in whofe Hands foever they fhall be found : The Moiety of which Forfeiture fhall be to the Ufe of our Sovereign Lord the King, and the other Moiety to the Ufe of the Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London, or to the Ufe of every City, Borough, Town Corporate, Port-Town, or Market-Town where the fame fhall be feized. A 'Remedy for XXXVIII. And be it further enacted, That every Perfon or Perfons in whofe Hands and Poffeffion fuch the Lofer where defective or faulty Cloth, either by evil or deceivable Dying, Dreffing or Preffing, as is aforefaid, fhall be fe e it Cl0th '" found and feifed, as is aforefaid, fhall have his, her, or their Remedy by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint, In- y " formation or otherwife, in any of the King's Majefty's Courts of Record, wherein no Effoin, Protection or Wager of Law fhall be admitted or allowed for the Defendant, againft all and every fuch Perfon or Per- fons, by whofe Defaults or Negligence fuch Cloth fhall fo be found faulty, (2) and fhall thereby recover all fuch Cofts, Loffes and Damages as he fhall fuftain by Occafion thereof. A Seal of Lead XXXIX. And be it further enacted by the fame Authority, That as well the faid Mayor of the City of orate 70 WnC ° r " London, as every other Mayor, Bailiff, Portreeve, or other head Officer of every City, Borough, Town
- ' ' Corporate, or Port-Town, fhall on this Side the faid Feaft caufe to be prepared a Seal of Lead, wherein
as well the Arms as the Name of every fuch City, Borough, Town Corporate, and Port-Town, fhall be graven, which the fame Searchers fhall caufe to be fixed to every Cloth that they fhall find after the (aid Feaft well and fufficiently dreffed, dyed, and preffed with the cold Prefs, without any of the Deceits afore- faid, (z) and fhall have for their Pains and Travels therein to be taken by the Owner thereof, for the Seal- ing of every Oloth, ij.d. The Seal of XL. And be it further enacted, That if any Searcher or Searchers fo to be appointed, do after the faid faulty Cloth. Feaft find any of the Clothes, being coloured or dyed, fo made after the faid Feaft, either cockely, purfy, bandy, fqually or rowy, or evil burled, or wafted in the Mill, or full of Holes or Bracks, That then the fame Searcher or Searchers fhall, befides the Seal of the City, Borough or Town Corporate, where the fame Cloth fhall be found, put another Seal of Lead at every End of the faid Cloth, wherein fhall be gra- ven the Letter F. and fhall alfo fet a Mark in the Lift, right againft fuch Place where any of the Faults aforefaid fhall be, with the Print of a Letter or Mark of an Inch Compafs at the leaft, whereby every Buy- er may well know what and where the Fault is. Forfeiture where XLI. And be it further enacted, That if any of the Searchers aforefaid fhall fet the Seal of any City,. Cloth not fuffi- Borough, Town Corporate or Port-Town, to any coloured Cloth, which fhall not be fufficiently dreffed, ciently dreflVd. dyed, preffed and wrought as is aforefaid, That then the Mayor and Commonalty, or Bailiffs or Commo- nalty, or other Corporation of the Townfhip, by whatfoever Name or Names they fhall be incorporated, where fuch Cloth fhall fo be fealed, fhall forfeit and lofe the whole Value of the Cloth lb fealed. XLIL And
