Year: 1617

page_text: come, greetinge.
WHEREAS our welbeloved servaunt, NICHOLAS HILLYARD, Gent., our
principal drawer for the small purtrait and imborser of our medallies
of gold, in respect of his extraordinary art and skill in drawing, graveing,
and imprinting of pictures and representacons of vs and others, which he
durst not hitherto shewe and publishe, as he can doe, for feare his workes would
be counterfeited by others, whereby he should receave both losse and discreditt,
hath made his humble suite vnto vs that we would be graciously pleased to
graunt him sole priuilege for some tyme for makeing, graveing, and imprynting
such of the said pictures as he should hereafter make and invent.
-KNOWE YE, that we, of our especiall grace, certeyne knowledge, and meere
močon, have given and graunted, and by theis psente for vs, our heires and
successors, doe give and graunt vnto the said Nicholas Hillyard, his executors,
admynistrators, deputies, servante, and assignes, full, free, and sole lycence,
power, privilege and authority, for and dureing the terme of twelve yeares
hereafter in theis Psente graunted, within this our realme of England; or any
other our realmes and domynyons, to invent, inake, grave, and ymprint any
picture or pictures of our image or other representacon of our-pson, with such
alteračons or addičons as to him and them shall seeme most convenyent, as
well in paper and parchment as in any other thinge, or thing whatsoever fitt and
necessary for the better shewing of his skill and invencon in this-art or mystery,

page_text: and to that ende and purpose to cause to be made, framed, erected, and set
vpp any presse or presses, or other instrument or instrumente whatsoever fitt
for the imprynting of our pictures, or any other thing not repugnant to our
lawes and statutes, as freely as any others doe lawfully and vsually ymprint
without the lett, trouble, or molestačon of vs, our heires or successors
o: 2ny the officers or mynisters of vs, our heires or successors, or any
ty or bodies politique or corporate, company or companies, or other pson or
psons whatsoever, and the same pictures and representačons soe made, graven,
and ymprinted to vtter, sell, or otherwise dispose of to the best profitt and
advantage of the said Nicholas Hillyard and his assignes. And to the ende
this our graunt may take the better effect, we doe hereby, for vs, our heires
and successors, straightly charge, restrayne, prohibitt, and forbid all and all
manner of pson and psons, of what estate, degree, or condičon soever the same
be, that none of them shall or may hereafter, att any tyme or tymes durcing
the aforesaid terme of twelve yeares, counterfett, make, ymprint, or sell, or
cause to bo counterfeited, made, graved, ymprinted, or solde, any picture or
Psentacon, plate, worke, or invenčon to the said Nicholas Hillyard, his
executors and assignes, hereby privileged and licensed, nor grave to prynt
any more pictures of our image or representacons of our pson then have
already beene graven, without the approbacon of the said Nicholas Hillyard,
his executors or assignes, or our special warrant or cōmaund, vpon
payne of forfeiture of all such pictures, representacons, plates, or workes
soe counterfeited, ymitated, made, sould, or sett vp to be sould, contrary
to the true meaneyng of theis psente. And further, upon payne of our.
bighe indignacon and displeasure, and of such paynes, penalties, punyshment (;
and ymprysonment as by the lawes and statutes of this realme can or may be
inflicted vpon offendors for breach and contempt of this our royall comaunde-
ment, the one moyety of all which forfeitures to be to vs, our heires and suc-
cessors, and the other moyty thereof we do hereby, for vs, our heires and
successors, give and graunt vnto the said Nicholas Hillyard and his assignes,
without accompt or any other thinge therefore to vs, our heires or successors,
to be rendred, made, or done. And for the better execučon of this our.
graunt we doe by theis sente, for vs, our heires and successors, give and
graunt vnto the said Nicholas Hillyard, his executors and assignes, full power,
liberty, and authority, at all tymes and from tyme to tyme within the terme of
yeares hereby graunted, in due and lawful manner, takeing with him or them
a constable or other officer abideing in or neere to any place, whcare he or they
shall search, to enter into any howse, cellar, warehowse, shopp, or other place
or places whatsoever which they or any of them shall thinke good, as well

page_text: within liberties as without, and there try out and search for any such pictures,
representacons, plates, or workes as shall be counterfeited, imytated, made,
graven, imprynted, sould, or sett vpp contrary to the true meaneyng of theis
Psente, and the same and every of them to seize, take, carry away, and detayne
to the vses before in these psente menčoned, to have and to holde the said
licences, powers, authorities, and other the pmisses before, in, and by theis
Psente given and graunted vnto the said Nicholas Hillyard, his executors,
admynistrators, and assignes, for and dureing the terme of twelve yeares next
ensueing the date hereof, yealding and paying therefore vnto vs, our heires
and successors, the yearely rent or some of thirteene shilling and fower pence of
lawfull money of England, att the receipt of the Exhequer of vs, our heires
and successors, att the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangell, or within forty
dayes after, dureing the terme before by theis psente graunted. Wherefore
we doe hereby, for vs, our heires and successors, straitly charge and comaund
all and singuler justices of peace, maiors, sheriffe, bayliffe, constables, com-
panyes, corporacons, and all officers, mynisters, and subicct of vs, our heires
and successors, to whome it shall or may appertayne, that they and every of
them doe not onely quietly pmnytt and suffer the said Nicholas Hillyard, his
deputies and assignes, to have and take the whole benefitt of this our graunt,
but alsoe be ayding and assisting to hym and them in the due execučon of the
same; and theis our Letters Patente, or the inrollment thereof, shall be vnto
them, and every of them, a sufficient warrant and discharge in that behalf;
provided alwayes, and our will and pleasure is, that this our graunt or licence,
or any thinge therein conteyned, shall not extend or construed to extende to
debarr or hynder any pson or psons whatsoever to vse theire science and
faculties of prynting in, of, and for theire olde plates, and the like of them, as
formerly they have done, not being in imytacon of any of our said servante
setting forth, or of any other new portraite of vs, any thinge in theis psente
contayned to the contrary notwithstanding, although expresse mencon, &c.
In witnes whereof, &c. Witnes our selfe att Westmynster, the Fift
day of May.