THE MODELLS OF SEVERALL NEW ENGINES FOR THE CUTTING NEW RIVERS, AND FOR THE DEEPNING, CLEARING, AND REMOVING SANDS, GRAVELL, STONES, AND OTHER EARTH IN RIVERS, AND IN MAKEING THOSE NAVIGABLE THAT ARE CHOAKED VPP, WHEREBY THEY ARE RENDRED NOT SOE BENEFICIALL TO OUR SUBIECTS AND SERVICE. IN OUR THREE KINGDOMES AS WERE TO BEE WISHED MIGHT BEE EPPECTED FOR THE PUBLICK BENEFITT, WHICH BY THE SAID ENGINES AND MEANES TO BEE VSED BY THE SKILL AND INDUSTRY OF THE SAID SAID EDWARD LEE MIGHT BEE DONE
Year: 1672

page_text: come, greeting.
WHEREAS EDWARD LEE, Esq', by his humble peticon, informing vs that
hee had invented and presented vnto our entirely beloved cousin and counsellor
Prince Rupert "THE MODELLS OF SEVERALL NEW ENGINES FOR THE CUTTING NEW
RIVERS, AND FOR THE DEEPNING, CLEARING, AND REMOVING SANDS, GRAVELL,
STONES, AND OTHER EARTH IN RIVERS, AND IN MAKEING THOSE NAVIGABLE THAT
ARE CHOAKED VPP, WHEREBY THEY ARE RENDRED NOT SOE BENEFICIALL TO OUR
SUBIECTS AND SERVICE. IN OUR THREE KINGDOMES AS WERE TO BEE WISHED MIGHT
BEE EPPECTED FOR THE PUBLICK BENEFITT, WHICH BY THE SAID ENGINES AND MEANES
TO BEE VSED BY THE SKILL AND INDUSTRY OF THE SAID SAID EDWARD LEE MIGHT
BEE DONE," hath besought vs to grant him our Letters Patents for the sole vse
and benefitt of the said Invenčons.
KNOW YEE, that wee, being willing to cherish and encourage all laudable
endeavours and designes of such our subjects as shall find out vsefull and
profitable arts, mysteries, and invencons, by granting and appropriateing vnto
them for some terme of yeares the fruite and benefitt of theire labour and
industry, whereby theire studies and expences in the attainement thereof may
bee recompensed and rewarded vnto them, of our especiall grace, certaine
knowledge, and meere močou, have given and granted, and by these presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, doc give and grant, vnto the said Edward
Lee, bis executors, administrators, and assignes, especiall license, power, privi-

page_text: ledge, and authority, that hee and they, by him and themselves, and by his
and theire deputies, servants, agents, and workmen, and such others onely
as hee, the said Edward Lec, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall
agree with, shall and may from tyme to tyme and att all and every tyme and tymes
hereafter, durcing the terme and space of fourteene yeares next ensucing the date
of these presents, att his and theire owne proper costs and charges,.vse, practice,
teach, or putt in vre the said new Invenčons by him contrived and found out,
as aforesaid, for the cutting new rivers, and for the deepning, cleareing, and
removeing sande, gravell, stones, and other earth in rivers, and makeing those
navigable that are choaked and stopt vpp within our Kingdomes of England
and Ireland and Dominion of Wales; and also shall and may have, take,
receive, and enioy all the benefitt, profitt, comodity, and advantage in and by
such new Invenčons; or the vse of the said engines, or any of them, to bee had,
made, acquired, or gotten, to his and theire owne proper vses and behoofes; to
have, hold, and enioy the said license, priviledge, power, and authority, and other
the premisses by these presents granted or menconed to bee granted, and every of
them, vnto the said Edward Lec, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
for and durcing and vnto the full, end and terme of fourteene yeares from
henceforth next ensueing, and full to be compleate and ended, according
to the forme of the statute in that case made and provided, yeilding and
paying therefore yearely and every yeare. durcing the said terme into the receipt
of our Exchequer att Westminster, to and for the vse of vs, our heires and
successors, the rent or summe of twenty shillings of lawful money of
England, att the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangell onely in every yeare;
and to the end the said Edward Lee, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, may the better enioy the full and whole benefitt, and the sole vse
and exercise of his said Invenčons, wee doe by theis presents, for vs, our
heires and successors, streightly charge, require, and comand all and every
person and persons, bodies politique and corporate, of what quality, degree,
name, or condicon soever they bee, that neither they nor any of them during
the said terme of fourteene yeares hereby granted, either directly or indirectly,
doe vse, exercise, or putt in practise the said Invenĉons soe by the said Edward
Lee invented and found out as aforesaid, nor doc nor shall counterfaite, imitate,
or resemble the said engines so by him made or invented as aforesaid, nor
any of them, nor doe nor shall make any addicon thereunto or substraccon
from the same, whereby to pretend themselves the inventors or devisors thereof,
without the license, consent, and agreement of the said Edward Lee, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, in writeing vnder his and theire bands
and seals first had and, obteyned in that behalfe, vpon paine of forfeiture and

page_text: Jossc of all such engines, and also vpon such paines and penalties as can or
may be inflicted on such offenders for the contempt of this our comand in
that behalfe; and further, to bee answerable to the said Edward Lee, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, according to law and justice, for his
and theire damages thereby susteyned. And further, wee doe by these presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, give and grant vnto the said Edward Lee, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, full power and authority that hee,
they, and every of them, his, theire, and every of theire deputies, agents, and
servants, haveing first obteyned a warrant in that behalfe from the Lord
Cheife Justice of our Court of King's Bench for the time being, with the
assistance of a constable or any other lawful officer, as well within liberties
as without, att convenient times in the day dureing the terme aforesaid, and
in lawful manner, shall and may enter into and make search in any houses
or other places where there shall bee iust cause of suspicion, for discovering
and finding out of all such persons as shall imitate, make, or vse, or cause to
bee imitated, made, or vsed the said engines soe by him, the said Edward Lec,
found out and invented as aforesaid, or any of them, that soe such offenders
may be proceeded against and punished according to their demeritts. And
further, wee doe by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, will
authorise, require, and comand all and singuler iustices of the peace, mayors,
sheriffes, bayliffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers
of vs, our heires and successors. for the tyme being, that they and every of
them respectively, from time to time dureing the said terme granted, in their
respective places, bee favouring, helping, ayding, and assisting vnto the said
Edward Lee, his executors, administrators, and assignes, and to theire deputies,
agents, and servants, in and by all things in and about the accomplishing
of our will and pleasure herein declared, and in the exercise and executon
of the powers, priviledges, and authorities herein and hereby given and
granted, or menconed to bee given and granted as aforesaid; and, moreover,
that they nor any of them doe not att any time molest, hinder, or interrupt
the said Edward Lee, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or his or theire
deputies, agents, or servants, or any of them, or in any matter or thing
concerning the same: Provided alwayes, that if att any tyme durcing the said
terme of fourteene yeares itt shall bee made appeare vnto vs, our heires and
successors, or any six or more of our or theire Privy Councell, that this our
grant is contrary to law,-cr preiudicial or inconvenient, or not of publique vse
or benefitt, or that the said Invenčons are not new Invenčons of the said
Edward Lee, then upon significacon and declaracon to bee made by vs, our
heires or successors, vnder our or theire signett or privy seale, or by the

page_text: lords and others of our Privy Councell, or any six of them for the tyme
being, in writeing vuder theire hands, of such preiudice or inconveniency, these
our Letters Patents and every thing therein contained shall from thenceforth
cease, determine, and bee vtterly void, any thing herein-before conteyned to
the contrary notwithstanding; and our will and pleasure is, that the said
Edward Lee, his executors, administrators, or assignes, doe enroll these
presents, or cause the same to bee enrolled before the Clerke of the Pipe
within six moneths next after the date hereof. And lastly, wee doe by these
presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said Edward Lec,
his executors, administrators, and assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or
the enrolment thereof, shall bee in and by all things good, valid, suflicient,
and effectuall in the law, according to the true intent and meaneing of these
presents, and shall bee taken, construed, and adiudged most favourably and
beneficially for the benefitt and advantage of the said Edward Lee, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, aswell in all our Courts of Record, as clse-
where, notwithstanding the not full and certeine describeing or menconing the
manner and quality of the said Inventons, or of the said severall engines or any
of them, or of the materialls, way, or manner of the makeing, vseing, and exercise-
ing thereof, or of the certeine vse and benefitt thereof; and notwithstanding
any other defects, incertainties, or imperfeccons in these presents contained, or
any law, act, statute, ordinance, proclamacon, provision, or restricton, or other
matter or thing whatsoever to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
In witnesse, &c. Witnesse our selfe att Westminster the Six and
twentieth day of February.