ART OF MAKEING BY WAY OF TRANSLOCACON A FINE METTALL, BOTH WHITE AND YELLOW, KNOWNE BY THE NAME OF THE NUREMBURGH METTALL, WHICH INVENTION IS PECULIERLY CAPABLE FOR BEATING INTO LEAFE (WHEREBY THE EXPENCE AND WAST OF MUCH. GOLD AND SILVER FOR GILDING MAY BE PREVENTED)
Year: 1691

page_text: Presents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS JOHN STAPLETON hath, by bis humble petion represented vnto
vs that he hath by his great industry and expence in forreigne parts, and
particularly at Nuremburgh, in Germany, attained to the "ART OF MAKEING
BY WAY OF TRANSLOCACON A FINE METTALL, BOTH WHITE AND YELLOW, KNOWNE
BY THE NAME OF THE NUREMBURGH METTALL, WHICH INVENTION IS PECULIERLY
CAPABLE FOR BEATING INTO LEAFE (WHEREBY THE EXPENCE AND WAST OF MUCH.
GOLD AND SILVER FOR GILDING MAY BE PREVENTED)" and for other uses,
the same may be applyed vnto for publique benefitt and advantage, and hath
not been knowne or practised by any of our subiects in this our kingdome
before the same was introduced by the said John Stapleton, and therefore he
hath prayed vs to grant him our Letters Patents for the sole vse and benefitt
thereof for the terme of fourteen yeares, according to the Statute in that case
provided.
KNOW YEE, THEREFORE, that wee, being to cherish and encourage all
laudable endeavours and designes of such our subiects as liave by their
industry found out vsefull and profitable arts, mysteries, and inventions, and
that the said John Stapleton may accordingly reape some fruit and benefit of
his labour and charge in and concerning the premisses, of our especiall grace,.
certaine knowledge, and meere močon, have given and granted, and by these
Presents doe give and grant vnto the said John Stapleton, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, especiall lycence, power, priviledge, and au

page_text: thority, that he and they, by him and themselves, and by his and their deputies,
servants, agents, and workmen, and such others onely as he, the said John
Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, shall agree with, shall
and may, from time to time and at all times hereafter dureing the space of
fourteen yeares next ensueing the date of these Presents, at his and their owne
proper costs and charges, erect, vse, teach, exercise, and put in practice the said
new Invention soe by him contrived and found out as aforesaid, in any place
or places within our Kingdome of England, Dominion of Wales, and Towne of
Berwick-vpon-Tweed, and alsoe shall and may receive, take, and enioy all the
benefitts, profitts, comodities, and advantages of and by the said new Invention to
be had, made, acquired, or gotten to his and their owne proper benefitt, vse, and
vses, to have, hold, vse, exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges,
and authorities, and all other the premisses by these Presents granted or men-
coned to be granted vnto the said John Stapleton, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, for and dureing and vnto the full end and terme of fourteen yeares
from the day of the date of these psents next ensueing, and fully to be compleat
and ended, according to the Statute in that case made and provided. And to
the end the said John Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
may the better enioy the full and whole benefitt, and the sole vse and exercise
of his said new Invention, wee doe by these psents, for vs, our beires and
successors, streightly charge, require, and command all and every person and
persons, bodies politique and corporate, of what quality, degree, name, or
condicon soever they be, within our said Kingdome of England, Dominion
of Wales, and Towne of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, that neither they nor any of
them, dureing the said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted, either
directly or indirectly, doe vsc, exercise, or put in practice the said new In-
vention soe by the said John Stapleton invented and found out or introduced
into this our kingdome as aforesaid, nor doe nor shall counterfeit, imitate, or
resemble the said new Invention, or any materialls or ingredients thereunto
belonging, nor doe nor shall make any addition thereunto or substraccon
therefrom, whereby to pretend themseves the inventers or devisors thereof,
without the lycence, consent, or agreem² of the said John Stapleton, his
executors, administrators, or assignes, in writeing vnder his or their hands and
seales first bad and obteyned in that behale, vnder such paines and penalties
as can or may be inflicted on the offender or offenders therein for the contempt
of this our royall command, and further to be answerable to the said John
Stapleton, his executors, administrators, and assignes, according to the vtmost
rigour of the law, for his and their damages thereby susteined. And further,
wce doe by these our Letters Patents, for vs, our heires and successors, will,

page_text: authorize, require, and command all and singular justices of the peace, mayors,
sheriff's, bayliffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers and ministers
whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors, now and for the time being
whome it may concerne, that they and every of them respectively be from
time to time durcing the terme hereby granted in their respective offices,
and according to their and every of their best skills and endeavours, ayding
helping, and assisting vnto the said John Stapleton, his executors, adminis-
trators, and assignes, deputies, agents, and servants, in and by all things in
and about the accomplishment of our royall will and pleasure herein-before
declared, and in the executon of the severall powers and priviledges hereby
granted as aforesaid.
And moreover, wee doe by these Presents, for vs,
our heires and successors, will and command that our said respective officers
and ministers before mentioned, or any of them, doe not, nor shall at any time
hereafter durcing the terme hereby granted, in any wise molest, trouble, or
hinder the said John Stapleton, his executors, administrators, or assignes,
deputies, agents, or servants, in or about the vse or exercise of the aforesaid
Invention, or any part thereof, or any thing relateing thereto. Provided
alwaies, and these our Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condicon,
that if at any time dureing the said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted,
it shall be made appeare to vs, our heires or successors, or any six or more of
our or their Privy Councill, that this our grant is contrary to law or preiudi-
cial or inconvenient to our subiects in generall, or that the Invention before-
mentioned is not a new invention as to the publique vse and exercise of the
same, and not invented and found out or introduced into this our kingdome by
the said John Stapleton as aforesaid, then, vpon significacon and declaracon of
such preiudice or inconveniency to be made by vs, our heires or successors,
vnder our or their signet or privy seale, or by the Lords or others of our or their
Privy Councill, or any six or more of them, vnder their hands, these our Letters
Patents shall forthwith ecase, determine, and be vtterly void to all intents and
purposes, anything herein-before conteyned to the contrary notwithstanding.
Provided alsoe, that these our Letters Patents, or anything therein conteyned,
shall not extend or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said
John Stapleton, his executors, administrators, or assignes, to imitate any In-
vention or worke whatsoever which hath been heretofore invented or found
out by any other of our subiccts whatsoever, and publickly exercised within our
kingdome or dominion aforesaid, to whome wee have already granted our like
Letters Patents of priviledge for the sole exercise and benefitt thereof, it
being our will and pleasure that the said John Stapleton, his executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, and all and singular other person and persons to

page_text: whome wee have already granted our like Letters Patents, shall distinctly vse
and practise their severall Inventions by them respectively found out, according
to the true meaning of such our Letters Patents and of these psents.
Provided that nothing in these our Letters Patents conteyned shall extend to
give any lycence or priviledge to the said John Stapleton, his executors, admi-
nistrators, or assignes, or any other persons, to make, worke, or spinne vpon
silke any wyre or plate made of the mettall aforesaid, but vpon thread or incle
onely, any thing herein-before conteyned to the contrary notwithstanding. And
lastly, wee doe hereby, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said.
John Stapleton, his exccutors, administrators, and assignes, that these our
Letters Patents, or the enrollment thereof, shall be and, continue in and by
all things good; firme, valid, and effectuall in the law, according to the true
intent and meaning of the same, notwithstanding the not full and certain:
describeing or menconing of the said Invention, or of the materialls, in-
gredients, wayes, or meanes of makeing, vseing, or exerciseing of the same, or
of the certaine vse or benefitt thereof, or any other defect, incertainty, or
imperfeccon in these psents, or any other mattor, cause, or thing whatsover to
the contrary in anywise notwithstanding.
In witnesse, &c. Witnesse ourselves at Westin, the Seaventh day