CERTAINE COMMODIOUS INSTRUMENT CALLED A BACKSTALL, BACK FRAME, OR BACK SKREENE, FOR THE EASE AND RELEIFE OF SUCH SICK PERSONS AND OTHERS AS ARE OR SHALBE DISTEMFERED OR TROUBLED WITH HEATE OP THEIRE BACKES THROUGH CONTINUALL KEEPING OR LYEING ON THEIRE BEDDES
Year: 1620

page_text: come, greeting.
WHEREAS wee are informed that our welbeloved subiect JOIN DICKSON,
Gentleman, by his owne industrie and invenĉon hath devised a "CERTAINE
COMMODIOUS INSTRUMENT CALLED A BACKSTALL, BACK FRAME, OR BACK SKREENE, FOR
THE EASE AND RELEIFE OF SUCH SICK PERSONS AND OTHERS AS ARE OR SHALBE
DISTEMFERED OR TROUBLED WITH HEATE OP THEIRE BACKES THROUGH CONTINUALL
KEEPING OR LYEING ON THEIRE BEDDES:" And whereas wee are given to vnder-
stand that the said instrument, back frame, or skreene is the proper devise and
invenĉon of the said John Dickson, and hath not beno by any others att any
tyme heretofore devised, made, or published in any our realmes or dominions.
KNOWE YEE THEREFORE that wee, being graciously minded aswell in
some convenient measure to rewarde the industrie and paines of the said John
Dickson, in and about the premisses, by appropriating to him for some terme
of yeares the fruite and benifitt of his said Iuvenčon, as alsoe hereby to give
incouragement to other our subiects to imploye themselves and theire studies
in the investigation and findeing out of such honest and lawfull invenčons as
may tende to good vse and service in theis our realmes, and for divers other
good causes and consideracons as herevnto especially mooveing, of our especiall
grace, certaine knowledge, and meere motion, have given and graunted, and
by theis present for vs, our heirs and successors, due give and graunt vnto
the said John Dickson, his executors, administrators, and assignes, full and sole
power, priviledge, licence, and authoritie to make, frame, vtter, sell, or putt to
sale within our realme of England and dominion of Wales the said instrument

page_text: back stall, back frame, or back skreene, by him devised, framed, or made,
and hereafter to be published and putt to sale as aforesaid; and wee doe
further for vs, our heires and successors, authorize the said John Dickson, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, to have, take, receive, and enioy all such
somme and sommes of money, and all other benefitte, profitte, and advantages
whatsoever as shall thereof or by meanes of the said premisses from tyme to
tyme be lawfullie had, made, acquired, or gotton, for and during the terme of
yeares by theis presente menconed and expressed; to have, hould, perceive,
receive, take, and enioye the said power, priviledge, and authoritie of makeing,
frameing, contriveing, vttering, selling, or putting to sale of the said instrument,
backstall, or back skreene as aforesaid, and all and everie summe and summes
of money and other profitte, benefitte, and advantages thereof or thereby
ariseing, or to be by meanes thereof lawfully had, made, acquired, or gotton vnto
the said John Dickson, his executors, administrators, and assignes, to his and
theire owne proper vse, benefitt, and behoofe, for and during the terme of one
and twentic yeares from the date of theis our Letters Pattente next and
imediatly ensueing, and fully to be compleate and ended, without yeilding,
rendring, or makeing to vs any accompte, recompense, or any other thinge for
the premisses other then the yearely rente or summe hereafter in theis Presente
reserved; and to the intente that the said John Dickson, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, may the better receive, have, and take, for the
terme hereby graunted, the full and whole benefitt of his said Invencon as wee
intende him by theis Presente, wee doe therefore for vs, our heires and
successors, declare and signifie our expresse will and royall pleasure to be and
doe hereby straightly chardge, prohibite, and commaund all and everie our
loving subiectes, of what estate, degree, or condiĉon soever, and all and everie
other person and persons whatsoever, that they nor any of them shall, during
the terme hereby graunted by any waies or meanes, either directly or indirectly,
attempt, practize, or presume to make, frame, contrive, vtter, sell, or putt to
sale in our said realme of England and dominion of Wales, or otherwise importe
or bring or cause to be imported and brought from any the partes beyonde the
seas into our said realme or dominion of Wales, or any parte thereof, any of
the said instrumentes, frames, backstalle, or skreenes, for the purposes afore-
said, made and framed by the viewe, sight, or in imitacon or resemblance of
the said devise and Invenĉon of the said John Dickson, nor that they nor any
of them shall or may during the terme aforesaid counterfeite, frame, or make
any such instrument for the purposes herein-before mentioned and declared in
imitation or resemblance of the said instrument soe devised or made, framed,
and to be published by the said John Dickson, or whereof or from which

page_text: the grounde, platforme, or patterne shalbe had or taken by the viewe or
descripcon of the saide instrument, frame, or skreene by the said John
Dickson soe made, contrived, devised, and to be published as aforesaid,
without the speciall licence of the said John Dickson first had and obteyued in
that behalfe, and that vnder paine and the losse and forfeiture of all such
instrumente, frames, and skreenes, as against the tenor and purport hereof
shalbe made, framed, published, vttered, sould, putt to sale, or brought from
any the partes beyonde the seas as aforesaid, and alsoe vppon and vnder the
penalties of the forfeiture to vs, our heires and successors, of fortie shillinges
of lawfull Englishe money to be paide for everie such instrument, frame, or
skreene, by the transgressors and offendors of this our royall prohibicon soe
often as any of them shalbe founde to offende in the premisses, the one halfe
of which said forfeiture to be from tyme to tyme to vs, our heires, and succes-
sors, and thother moytic thereof to the said John Dickson, his executors and
administrators, or to such other person or persons as shall search, finde out,
and discover the same offence and offendor; provided allwaies, that this our
present graunt shall not extend any further then to and for such instrument,
frame, or skreene onely as whereof the said John Dickson is or hath bene the
first inventor and devisor as aforesaid, yeilding and payeing therefore yearely
vnto vs, our heires and successors, att the receipt of our Exchequer att
Westmynster, the yearely rent or somme of twentie shillinges of lawfull money
of England for and during the said terme of one and twentie yeares att the
Feast of Saint Michaell thArchaungell yearely to be paide. And further, wee,
of our more abundant grace, certaine knowledge, and meere mocon, doe by
theis presente, for vs, our heires and successors, give and graunt full power
and authoritie to the said John Dickson, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, and his and theire deputies, with the assistaunce of a constable or any
other lawful officer, in any cittic, towne, place or places, as well within liberties
as without, within this our said realme of England and dominion of Wales,
att convenient tyme and tymes, to have accesse and to enter into any howse,
shopp, cellar, workehouse, or other place or places where they shall probably
suspect any of the premisses shalbe made, framed, contrived, or otherwise
laide vpp and intended to be vttered or putt to sale, contraric to this our
graunt, and there to make search for the same and the said premisses or
any of them there founde, in the name of vs, our heires and successors, to'
seize and take to and for the vses and behoofes herein-before menconed.
And for the better effecting and executing of this our graunte according to our
gracious intent and meaning toward the said John Dickson, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and the better to discover those whoe shall make

page_text: or vtter any back skreenes or backstalls made in imitacon and resemblance of
the inventon of the said John Dickson, his executors, or assignes, wee doc
hereby for vs, our heires and successors, authorize the said John Dickson, his
executors, administrators, deputies and assignes, to have and keepe a stampe,
seale, or marke, for the sealing, marking, or stampeing of all such backstalls
or back skrcenes as shalbe by him or them made or putt to sale as aforesaid.
And further wec will and requier the Treasorer, Chauncellor, and Barons of the
Exchequer of vs, our heires, and successors for the tyine being, and wee doe
straightly chardge and commaunde all and everie the justices of peace, mayors,
sheriffes, bayliffes, constables, and all other the officers and ministers what-
soever of vs, our heires, and successors, that they and everie of them be from
tyme, aideing, helping, and assisting to the said John Dickson, his executors,
administrators, deputies, and assignes, in the execuĉon of theis Presente doe as
hee or they may have and take the benifitt wee intende vnto him and them by
this our present graunte. And wee are further pleased, and doe for vs, our
heires and successors, of our especiall grace, certaine knowledge, and meere
mocon, graunt to the said John Dickson, his executors, administrators and
assignes, that theis our Letters Pattente, or thinrollment thereof, shalbe taken,
construed, and adiudged in all and everie our courtes of justice to be most
avayleable, good, and effectuall in the lawe for the said John Dickson, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, against vs, our heires, and successors,
notwithstanding the not perticuler or certaine descripcon of the kinde,
manner, forme, or fashion of the saide instrument, frame, or skreene, to be
by the said John Dickson, his executors, administrators, or assignes, published
as aforesaid, and notwithstanding any other defectes or incertainties in the
same, or any statutes, act, ordinaunce, provision, proclamacon, or restraint:
Provided alwaies, that if the said yearely rent or somme of twentie shillinges
hereby reserved shall be behinde and vnpaide by the space of forty dayes after
the saide feast day in which the same ought to be yearely paide as aforesaid,
that then the said John Dickson, his executors, administrators, and assignes,
shall forfeite and pay to vs, our heires and successors, six shillinges eight pence,
noie pene, for everie such defaulte as aforesaid, although expresse mencon, &c.
In wittnes whereof, &c. Wittnes our selfe att Westminster, the Fifte
day of July.