AN ART OR METHOD FOR IMPROVING, GRADUATING, AND BETTER PERFECTING METALS AND THEIR OARES BY PREPARED SALTS, SULPHURS, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS, VNDER A PROPER REGULACON, AND CAN THEREBY EXTRACT OR PRODUCE MUCH MORE SILVER FROM LEAD AND ITS OAR THAN HATH BEEN ACCUSTOMED BY THE COMMON METHODE OF SHELFING AND REFINING NOW IN VEB
Year: 1730

page_text: these presents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS GEORGE ROBERTS, of our city of London, Chymist, has by his
peticon humbly represented vnto vs that he has, by great study and industry,
long experience, and many expensive tryals, discovered "AN ART OR METHOD
FOR IMPROVING, GRADUATING, AND BETTER PERFECTING METALS AND THEIR OARES
BY PREPARED SALTS, SULPHURS, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS, VNDER A PROPER
REGULACON, AND CAN THEREBY EXTRACT OR PRODUCE MUCH MORE SILVER FROM
LEAD AND ITS OAR THAN HATH BEEN ACCUSTOMED BY THE COMMON METHODE OF
SHELFING AND REFINING NOW IN VEB;" that the petičoner humbly conceives
the said discovery will be of general vse and profit to the kingdome, not only
in regard that our silver coin, and thereby the riches of the nacon, will be
much increased, but many lead mines will on this account be wrought, and
made to yeild considerable profit, which at present lyes neglected by reason of
their poverty, wherefore he hath humbly prayed vs to grant him and his assignes,
vnder the vsual number and restriccon, our royal Letters Patents, vnder'our
Great Seal of Great Britain, of the sole vse and exercise of the said Invention
for the terme of fourteen yeares, according to the statute in that case made
and provided; wee, being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inven-
tions that may be for the publick benefit, are graciously pleased to gratify him
in his request.

page_text: KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, of our especial grace, certain
knowledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these presents,
for vs, our heires and successors, do give and grant, vnto the said George
Roberts, his executors, administrators, and assignes, our especial lycence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that he, the said George Roberts, his
exccutors, administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by himselfe and
themselves, or by his and their deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or such
others as he, the said George Roberts, his executors, administrators, or assignes,
shall at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of yeares herein expressed, shall and lawfully may exercise,
work, vsc, and enioy his said new Invenčon or method for improveing,
graduating, and better perfecting metals and their oares, as above described,
within that part of our kingdome of Great Britain called England, our dominion
of Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed, in such manner as to him, the
said George Roberts, his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them,
shall in their discrecons seem meet, and that he, the said George Roberts, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, shall and lawfully may have and
enioy the whole profit, comodity, benefit and advantage, from time to time
comeing, growing, accrewing, and ariseing by reason of the said Invencon,
for and during the term of yeares herein mentioned, to have, hold, exercise,
and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages herein-before
granted or menconed to be granted vnto the said George Roberts, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, for and during and vnto the full end and term of
fourteen yeares from the date of these presents next and immediately ensueing,
and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the statute in such case made
and provided. And to tho end that the said George Roberts, his executors,
administrators, and assignes, and every of them, may have and enioy the full
benefit and the sole vse and exercise of the said Inventon, according to our
gratious intention herein-before declared, wee do by these presents, for vs, our
heires and successors, require and strictly command all and every person and
persons, bodies politick and corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever,
of what estate, quality, degree, name, or condičon soever they be, within that
said part of our kingdome of Great Britain called England, our dominion of
Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, that neither they or any
of them, at any time dureing the continuance of the said term of fourteen
yeares hereby granted, either directly or indirectly, do make, vse, or put in
practice the said Inventon, or any part of the same so attained vnto by the
said George Roberts as aforesaid, or in anywiso counterfeit, imitate, or
resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addicon thereunto

page_text: or substraction from the same, whereby to pretend himselfe or themselves
the inventor or inventors, devisor or devisors thereof, without the lycence,.
consent, or agreement of the said George Roberts, his executors, adminis-
trators, or assignes, in writing vnder his or their hands and seales first had and
obtained in that behalfe, vpon such pains and penalties as can or may be
iustly inflicted on such offenders for their contempt of this our royal com-
mand, and further to be answerable to the said George Roberts, his
executors, administrators, and assignes, according to law, for his and their
damages thereby occasioned. And moreover, wee do by these presents, for
VS, our heires and successors, will and command all and singular the
justices of the peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs, constables, headboroughs, and
all other officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors,
for the time being, that they or any of them do not, nor shall at any time
hereafter during the said term hereby granted, in anywise molest, trouble,
or hinder the said George Roberts, his executors, administrators, or assignes,
or any of them, or his or their deputies, servants, or agents, in or about the due
and lawfull vse or exercise of the aforesaid Invention, or any thing relating
thereto. Provided always, and these our Letters Patents are and shall
be vpon this condition, that if at any time during the said term hereby granted
it shall be made appeare to vs, our heires or successors, or any six or more
of our or their Privy Council, that this our grant is contrary to law, or
preiudicial or inconvenient to our subiects in general, or that the said
Invention is not a new invention as to the publick vse and exercise thereof
in that said part of our kingdome of Great Britain called England, our
dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, or not invented
and found out by the said George Roberts as aforesaid, then vpon signifi-
cation or declaration thereof, to be made by vs, our heires or successors, or by
the lorde and others of our or their Privy Council, or any six or more of
them, vnder their hande, these our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, deter-
mine, and be vtterly void to all intents and purposes, any thing, herein before
contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding. Provided' also,
that these our Letters Patents, or any thing herein contained, shall not extend
or be construed to extend to give priviledge vnto the said George Roberts,
his executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse or imitate
any invention or work whatsoever which hath, heretofore been found out
or invented by any other of our subiects whatsoever, and publickly vsed
or exercised in. that said part of our kingdom of Great Britain called
England, our dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed afore-
said, vnto whom like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already

page_text: granted for the sole vse, exercise, and benefit thereof, it being our will and
pleasure that the said George Roberts, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, and all and every other person or persons to whom like Letters
Patents or priviledges have been already granted as aforesaid, shall distinctly
vse and practice their several inventions by them invented and found out,
according to the true intent and meaning of the same respective Letters
Patents and of these presents. Provided likewise, neverthelesse, and these our
Letters Patents are vpon this expresse condičon, that if the said Georgo
Roberts, his executors or administrators, or any person or persons which shall
or may, at any time or times hereafter during the continuance of this grant,
have or claim any right, title, or interest, in law or equity, of or to the power,
priviledge, and authority of the sole vse and benefit of the said Invention
hereby granted, shall make any transferr or assignment, or any pretended
transferr or assignement, of the said liberty and priviledge, or any share or shares
of the benefit or profit thereof, or shall declare any trust thereof to or for any
number of persons exceeding the number of five, or shall open or cause to be
opened any book or books for publick subscripcons, to be made by any number
of persons exceeding the number of five, in order to the raising any sume or
sumes of money vnder pretence of carrying on the said liberty or priviledge
hereby granted, or shall, by him or themselves, or his or their agents or
servants, receive any sume or sumes of money whatsoever of any number of
persons exceeding in the whole the number of five, for such or the like
intents or purposes, or shall presume to act as a corporate body, or shall
divide the benefit of these our Letters Patents, or the liberty and priviledges
hereby by vs granted, into any number of shares exceeding the number of
five, or shall cōmitt or do, or procure to be cōmitted or done, any act, matter, or
thing whatsoever, during such time as such person or persons shall have any
right or title, either in law or equity, in or to the said premisses, which would
be contrary to the true intent and meaning of a certain Act of Parliament,
made in the sixth year of the reign of our late royal father King George the
First, intituled (An Act for the better securing certain powers and priviledges
intended to be granted by His Maiestie by two charters for assurance of ships
and merchandizes at sea, and for lending money vpon bottomry, and for
restraining severall extravagant and vnwarrantable practices therein menconed),
if these our Letters Patents had not been granted, or in case the said power,
priviledge, or authority shall at any time hereafter become vested in, or in
trust for, more than the number of five persons or their representatives, at any
one time (reckoning executors or administrators as and for the single person
whom they represent, as to such interest as they are or shall be intitled to in

page_text: right of such their testator or intestate), that then and in any of the said
cases these our Letters Patents, and all liberties, priviledges, and advantages
whatsoever hereby granted, shall vtterly cease, determine, and become void,
anything herein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise notwith-
standing. And, lastly, wee do by these presents, for vs, our heires and suc-
cessors, grant vnto the said George Roberts, his executors, administrators, and
assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or the inrollment or exemplification
thereof, shall be in and by all things good, firme, valid, sufficient, and effectual
in the law, according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be
taken, construed, and adiudged in the most favourable and beneficial sense for
the best advantage of the said George Roberts, his executors, administrators,
and assignes, as well in all our courts of record as elswhere, and by all &
singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our heires and successors,
in that part of our said kingdome of Great Britain called England, our
dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick-vpon-Tweed aforesaid, and amongst
all and every the subiects of vs, our heires and successors, whatsoever and
wheresoever, notwithstanding the not full and certain describing the nature
or quality of the said Invention, or any of them, or of the materials thereto
conducing and belonging.
In witness for Winsen salsa at Westminster the Somonth dose of