A ART AND WAY OF PREPAREING AND WHITENING HEMP AND FLAX BY THE HELP OF LIQUORS AND ENGINES, A BETTER, SPEEDIER, AND MORE VSEPULL WAY THEN HATH YET B PRAC OUR, CLOATH WITHOUT THE CHARGE OF PASTE OR OTHER STIPNING, OR THE TROUBLE OF BOYLING, WHICH WASTS NEARE A QUARTER OF ITS SUBSTANCE,,,D, BY THIS ART BEFORE IT BEE SPUNN, THE WHITENING ITT WHOLLY IN CLOATH ROTTING AND ALMOST SPOYLING IT BEFORE IT COMES TO BE VSED
Year: 1678

page_text: WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved CHARLES HOWARD, Esquire, by
his humble peticon bath represented to vs that hee hath attained "A NEW
ART AND WAY OF PREPAREING AND WHITENING HEMP AND FLAX BY THE HELP
OF LIQUORS AND ENGINES, A BETTER, SPEEDIER, AND MORE VSEPULL WAY THEN
HATH YET BEEN PRACTISED IN ANY OF OUR DOMINIONS, AS BY EXPERIENCE IS
MANIFESTED, AND THAT BY THIS NEW WAY OF ORDERING HEMP AND FLAX THE
NATURALL STRENGTH AND GOODNESSE OF IT IS SERVED, SOE THAT CABLES AND
ALL SORTS OF CORDAGE MAY BE MADE THEREOF CONSIDERABLY LESSER, LIGHTER,
AND YET STRONGER THEN ANY NOW IN VSE, AND THAT IT MAY ALSOE BEE SPUNN
FINER, STRONGER, AND SOE SMOOTH AND COMPACT THAT IT MAY BE WOVEN INTO
ALL SORTS OF CLOATH WITHOUT THE CHARGE OF PASTE OR OTHER STIPNING, OR
THE TROUBLE OF BOYLING, WHICH WASTS NEARE A QUARTER OF ITS SUBSTANCE,
SOE THAT THE CLOATH THUS MADE WILL BE THICKER, STRONGER, AND FINER,
AND THEREBY FITTER FOR SAYLES, FINE LINNEN, AND THREAD, BEING HALFE
WHITENED BY THIS ART BEFORE IT BEE SPUNN, THE WHITENING ITT WHOLLY
IN CLOATH ROTTING AND ALMOST SPOYLING IT BEFORE IT COMES TO BE VSED,"
and hath therefore humbly besought vs to grant him the sole licence of exer-
ciscing and vseing the said Invenčon for the terme of fowreteene yeares,
according to the statute in this case provided; and wee being informed that the

page_text: Invenĉon may be of publique comodity to our subiects, are gratiously pleased
to condiscend to his said request.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, being willing to give due encourage-
ment to all ingenious and vsefull arts & invenčons, and pticularly that the
said Charles Howard may reap some recompence for his great paines and
expences in the premisses, and for divers, other good causes and consideracons
vs herevnto especially moveing, have given and granted, and by these presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, doe give and grant, vnto the said Charles
Howard, his executors, administrators, and assignes, speciall licence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that hee, they, or any of them, by him
or themselves, or by his and their deputys, servants, & agents, and such persons
as hee and they shall agree with, and noe other, from time to time and att all
times dureing the terme hereafter menconed, shall and may lawfully vse
exercise, continue, and put in practice the said art or Invenčon before pticu.
larly described, and shall and may enioy the whole profitt and advantage
thereby ariseing, within any place or places whatsoever within our realme of
England, dominion of Wales, and towne of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such
manner and according to such rates, and limitačons as to him, the said Charles
Howard, his executors, administrators, or assignes, in his or their discrečons,
may seem most meet, to have, hold, exercise, and, enioy the said licence,
powers, priviledges,, profitts, and advantages herein-before menconed, vnto him,
the said. Charles Howard, his executors, administrators, and assignes, for and
durcinge and vntill the full end and terme of fowreteene yeares, according to the
said statute. And to the end that the said Charles Howard, bis executors,
administrators, and assignes, may enjoy the full benefitt and the sole vse and:
exercise of the said art or Invencon according to our gratious intenčons above
specifyed, wee doe by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, require
and streightly charge & comand all and every person and persons;. bodys
politique and corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of what estate,.
quality, degree, name, or condičon soever they bec, that they nor any of them;.
att any time dureing the said terme of fowreteene yeares hereby granted,.
either directly or indirectly, doe vse or put in practice the said art or. Invenčon,
or any part thereof, so attained vnto by the said Charles Howard as aforesaid,.
nor shall make or cause to be made any addičon thereto or substraccon_from
the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any instruments, engines, or
other materialls whatsoever touching or relateing to the said art or Invenčon;.
nor shall convert or cause to bee converted from or out of any former, shape or
fashion any engine, matter, or thing whatsoever, whereby the art or Invencon
aforesaid may be put in practice, nor shall in anywise counterfeite or resemble.

page_text: the same, nor shall doe any other act whereby to pretend themselves the
inventors or devisors thereof, without the licence; consent, or agreement of the
said Charles Howard, his exccutors, administrators, or assignes, in writeing
vnder his, their, or some of their hands and seales; first had and obteyned in
that behalfe, vpon such paines and penaltys as can or may be inflicted on such
offendors for their contempt of this our royall comandment; and, further, to
be answerable to the said Charles Howard, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, according to the vtmost rigour of the law, for his and their damages
thereby susteyned. And wee doe of our further speciall grace, certeine know-
ledge, and meere mocon, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said
Charles Howard, his executors, administrators, and assignes, by these presents,
that hec, they, and every of them, his and theire deputys, agents, and servants,
haveing first obteyned a lawfull warrant from the Lord Cheife Justice of our
Court of King's Bench at Westii for the time being, and with the assistance
of a constable or any other lawfull officer, att convenient times in the day
dureing the terme hereby granted, and in lawful manner, may enter into and
make search in any houses, tenements, places or places whatsoever, within
our said kingdome of England, dominion of Wales, and towne of Berwicke,
where there shall bee iust cause of suspicon for and in order to the discovery
and finding out of all and every such person and persons as shall imitate or
cause to be imitated, or shall vse or put in practice the said art or Inventon,
or any part thereof, soe atteyned vnto as aforesaid, that soc such offender or
offenders may be proceeded against and punished according to his and theire
demeritts, and his and theire pretended invenčons and works then and there
found may be seized vpon and broken in peices and defaced, and the materialls
thereof left in the hands and custody of some constable or other officer, to be
disposed in such manner and forme as wee, our heires and successors, shall
from time direct and appoint. And further, wee doe by these our Letters
Patents, for vs, our heires and successors, authorize and comand all and
singuler iustices of the peace, mayors, sheriffes, bayliffes, constables, head-
boroughs, and all other officers whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors,
now and for the time being, to whom itt may concerne, that they and every of
them be from time to time dureing the terme hereby granted, in their
respective offices, and according to theire and every of their best skills and
endeavours, favouring, ayding, helping, and assisting vnto the said Charles
Howard, his executors, administrators, and assignes, deputys, agents, and
servants, in and by all things in and about the accomplishment of our royall
will and pleasure herein-before declared. And moreover, wee doe by these
presents, for vs, our heires and successors, will and comand that our said

page_text: respective officers and ministers before menconed, or any of them, doe not nor
shall att any time hereafter durcing the said terme hereby granted, in anywise
molest, hinder, or trouble the said Charles Howard, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assignes, deputys, servants, or agents, in or about the vse or
exercise of the aforesaid art, experiment, or Invenčon, or any part thereof, or
anything relateing therevnto. Provided always, and these our Letters Pattents
are and shalbe vpon this condičon, that if att any time dureing the said terme
of fowreteene yeares hereby granted, it shall be made appeare to vs, our
heires or successors, or any six or more of our or their Privy Councell, that
this our grant is contrary to law, or Piudiciall or inconvenient to our subiects
in generall, or that the art or Invencon before menconed is not a new invencon
as to the publique vse and exercise thereof within these our dominions as
aforesaid, and not attained to and found out by the said Charles Howard as
aforesaid, then vpon significačon and declaračon thereof, to be made by vs,
our heires or successors, vnder our or their signett or privy seale, or by the
lords of our or their Privy Councell, or any six or more of them, vnder their
hands, of such preiudice or inconveniency, these our Letters Patents shall
forthwith cease, determine, and bee vtterly void to all intents and purposes,
any thing herein-before contained to the contrary notwithstanding: Provided
alsoe, that these our Letters Patents, or any thing therein contained, shall not
extend, or be construed to extend, to give priviledge vnto the said Charles
Howard, his executors, administrators, or assignes, to imitate any invenĉon or
worke whatsoever which hath been heretofore found out or invented by any
other of our subiect or subiects whatsoever, and publiquely exercised within
our said kingdome of England, dominion of Wales, and towne of Berwicke
aforesaid, vnto whom wee have already granted our like Letters Pattents of
Priviledge for the sole vse, exercise, and benefitt thereof, itt being our will and
pleasure that the said Charles Howard, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, and all and singuler other person and persons to whom wee have
already granted our like Letters Patents or priviledges, shall distinctly vse
and practice their severall arts, experiments, and invenčons, by them invented
and found out, according to the true intent and meancing of the said respective
Letters Pattents and of these presents. And lastly, we doe hereby, for vs, our
heires and successors, grant to the said Charles Howard, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or the inrollment
thereof, shallbe and continue in all things a good, firme, valid, and effectuall
grant in the law of the licence, powers, and priviledges hereby granted, not-
withstanding the not describing or ill describing the said art, experiment, or
Invenĉon, or any part thereof, or of the true nature or vse thereof, or of

page_text: any the instruments, materialls, or other matters or things thereto belonging,
or any defect, incertainty, or imperfeccon in these presents, or any act, statute,
pelamačon, pvision, or restricčon heretofore had or inade, or hereafter to bo
had or made, or any other matter, cause, or thing whatsoever to the contrary
notwithstanding.
witnesse, &C. Witnesse our selfe att West, the Six and twentieth
day of March.
By Writt of Privy Seale.