[1587/7/47]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
†Forasmuch as one of the special causes of dearth proceeds from the exorbitant customs and impositions laid upon victuals, corns and goods coming to markets, free ports or harbours without any warrant and whereof they have not been in use and custom past memory of man, which is an oppression of the people and a cause of increase of dearth, therefore our sovereign lord, with advice of the three estates of parliament, forbids and discharges through the whole realm all such customs and impositions whereof there is no warrant, neither have the intromitters and lifters thereof and predecessors been in use and possession thereof past memory of man, under the pain of [...],† and ordains the takers of the said exorbitant impositions to be called thereof and whatever they have taken up to be judged to render the same to the king's majesty's use, and they further to be punished in their persons and goods as oppressors of the people, according to the laws of the country; and that no custom be taken hereafter but according to our old laws and acts of parliament and whereupon the lifters have special warrant, at the least been in possession thereof past memory of man as said is.