laws against images / patterns and licences 1563

For as much as through the natural desire that all sorts of subjects and people both noble and mean, have to procure the Portrait and Picture of the Queen's Majestie, great nomber of Painters, and some Printers and Gravers, have already, and do dayly attempt to make in divers maners portaietures of her Majestie, in paynting, graving, and prynting, wherein is evidently shewn that hytherto none hath sufficiently expressed the naturall representation of her Majestie's person, favour, or garce, but for the most part have also erred therein, as thereof dayly complaints are made amongst her Majestie's loving subjects, in so much that for redress hereof hir Majestie hath lately bene so instantly and so importunately sued unto by the Lords of hir Consell and others of her Nobility, in respect of the great disorder herein used, not only to be content taht some speciall coning payntor might be permitted by access to hir Majestie to take the naturall representation of hir Majestie, whereof she hath bene allweise of hir own right disposition very unwylling, but also to prohibit all manner of other persons to draw, paynt, grave, or pourtrayit her Majestie's personage or visage for a tyme, untill by some perfect patron [pattern] and example the same may be by others followed. Therefor hir Majestie being herein as it were overcome with the contynuall requests of so many of her Nobility and Lords, whom she cannot deny, is plaesed that for their contentations, some coning person, mete therefor, shall shortly make a pourtraict of her person or visage to be participated to otheres for satisfaction of hir loving subjects, and furtdermore commandeth all manner of persons in the mean tyme to forbear from paynting, graving, printing, or making of any pourtraict of hir Majestie, until some speciall person that shall be by hir allowed shall have first finished a pourtraicture thereof, after which fynished hir Majestie will be content that all other painters, printers, or gravers, that shall be known men of understanding, and so thereto licensed by the hed officers of the plaices where they shall dwell [as reason it is that every person should not without consideration attempt the same], shall and may at their pleasures follow the said patron or first portriature. And for that hir Majestie perceiveth that a grete nombre of her loving subjects are much greved and take offence with the errors and deformities allredy committed by sundry persons in this behalf, she straitly chargeth all hir officesr and ministers to see to the due observation hereof, and as soon as may be to reform the errors already committed and in the mean tyme to forbyyd and prohibit the shewing or publication of such as are apparently deformed, until they may be reformed which are reformable.

The progresses and public processions of Queen Elizabeth / John Nichols / on authority of Strype