FOrasmuch as it is manifestly seene to all the world how it hath pleased Almightie God of his most singular sauour to haue taken this our Realme into his speciall protection these many yeres, euen from the beginning of our reigne, in the midst of the troubled estate of all other kingdome next adioyning, with a special preseruation of our owne person, as next vnder his Almightinesse supreme Gouernour of the same, against many malicious and violent attempts: for which cause it behooueth vs in very dutie, first to continue our owne perpetuall thanks to his goodnesse for so wonderful a fauour, and next to employ all the forces of those his good people which he hath committed to our rule and gouermnent, in defence of themselues and all our Realms and dominions, against such our Potent and violent enemies, as onely for the maintenance of our selues and our Subiectes in the profession of his holy Gospell, haue these many yeeres made open warres against vs, and consquently also not to be negligent, but to foresee and pro­uide by all good, politike, and lawfull meanes, that our sayde enemies bee not ayded, strengthened, and made more able to encrease and extend their forces against vs and our people, by sufferance of prouisions for the warre, as Corne and other uictu­all, munition of sundry kindes of Artillerie, Shot, and Powder, and other furniture for shipping to bee caried out of any our domini­ons, or from other Forreine partes through our narowe Seas by wilfull sufferance, into Spaine, Portingall, and other dominions of the king of Spaine, who of any Monarch or Prince in Christendome, is at this day the onelyenemie to our state, and hath longest continued in mortall warre against vs, manifestly violating the treaties of Peace, and refusing to liue in such peace with vs, as hath bene by solemne con­trats and Leagues aunciently established and continued betwixt our Predecessors and his, and specially betwixt the two Princes in this lat­ter age of most noble memorie the Emperor Charles, and King Henrie the eight our Fathers: notwithstanding we euen at the beginning of our Raigne, did offer by a noble Ambassade to haue faithfully obserued & confirmed the same, which by the said king was refused. For this purpose cosidering that our Realmes & dominions are plentifully blessed by Gods singular fauour, with the plentie of Corne and all other Victuall, and with furniture of sundrie kindes of munition meete for the sustentation and defence of our owne people against all Forreine enemies, and also for maintenance and furniture of our Armies both by Sea and Land, which we are constrained to prepare and hold against his violence. And that it is most manifest that the sayd king, though he haue abundance of treasure by his Indian Mines, yet he hath in his owne Coun­try great wanes of such kind of Victuall, specially of Corne and munition for the warre, and of Mariners and other furniture for his Hause, a whereof our dominions haue by Gods goodnesse, plentie, for the recouerie whereof he is forced to expend great treasures to get Corne, ship, ping, and other necessaries for shipping, yea Mariners out of the East countries of Almaine, and hath attempted to corrupt some of our Sub­iects, and some Strangers also inhabiting our Countries, to procure the conueiance of such kindes of his wants, either directly by stealth to knowne Countries, or indirectly and coulourably first to some other Countries adiacent to his, and from thence to be conueied to his owne. We doe therefore by our Royall authoritie, and as in Princely prouidence we are bound to doe, most straightly charge and command, and so we will it to be published and knowen, that no person either naturally borne within any of our Realmes or residing within the same, do from hencefoorth carrie or cause to be carried, or bee assisting to any that shall carrie, or that shall bargaine or contract for carriage of any kinde of some or Graine, or of any Ordonance, Brasse, or Iron, Shot, Powder, or any Cordage, Tackle, or any thing belonging to the surniture of any Shipping out of our Realme into Spaine, or into any Dominions of the king of Spaine, or to any adiacent countreyes from the which the same may be colourably caried into the king of Spaines Dominions, nor that any person suffer any of the aforesaid kindes which he may say, to be caried to the said countreys of the said king as long as he shall vse and exercise any warre against vs or our subiects: vpon paine that all and euery person so offending in any poynt afore mentioned, shall be taken, vsed, tryed, iudged, and executed as traitors to vs & our contries. Ind further we will and commaund, that no maner of Corne or graine, nor any ordonance of Brasse or Iron, be caryed out of any our do­minions to any other forreine Countries, besides the king of Spaynes countreys, without our speciall licence, vpon paine that whosoeuer being owner of the Corne or Ordonance shall so doe, or shall be assisting thereto, and the Owner and Master of the vessels shalbe committed to dose prison, and there to remaine one whole yeere, and further also, vntill they haue made fine, and answered the same to the quadruple va­ [...] of the Corne and Ordonance caryed. And because it hath pleased almightie God, to graunt this yeere to our contrey such plentie of Corne, [...] it is likely, that diuers of our people neere the Sea coasts, shall be desirous to haue cause to vent some parte of that which they shall haue of their owne growth, for lacke of sale within our realme: For remedie thereof, We doe first aduise, and earnestly require, the principall per­sons of wealth, both in Townes corporate and other places (in such a time as this is, so needfull to restraine caryage of graine to our ene­ [...]ies, or out of our Realme, whereby our enemies may be relieued) to buy in the markets of the countries neere the Sea coast, such quanti­ [...] of graine as the owners cannot forbeare, but shall be constrayned to sell for their necessitie: And the same to keepe in store to serue the mar­ [...]ets in the latter ende of the yeere, before the comming of new Corne to vse.

And if by such good meanes (which we desire greatly to be vsed) the necessitie of them that shall be constrained to sell their graine, cannot [...] satisfied without such venting out of our Realme, vpon certificate to be made to our Counsell, from those which shall haue commission as [...]ath bene accustomed to restrayne the carying of Corne out of the Realme, of such necessitie to haue the same vented out of the Realme, There tall be order and power giuen from our Counsell, to the same Commissioners, vpon their certificates, that ioyntly with the the warrant of our treasurer of England, to the officers of the portes, such as be the proper owners of such Corne, and not Marchants, shall passe by sea with such quantitie onely as shall manifestly appeare, may be spared to be transported in English shippes into the Countreys, with whome we are in [...]ood amitie, and not into any other, with such bonds and conditions as the enemie may not be relieued thereby. And lyke wise order shall be [...]iuen to the foresaide Commissioners, that where any iust cause shall be to cary and Corne from one port of this our Realme to another, for [...]eliefe of our people in partes where there is lacke of Corne, There shall be by consent of the saide Commissioners, authoritie giuen to our of­ [...]cers of our portes, to suffer such quantitie to be caryed to the ports of the Countreys where neede shall be. And yet with such caution, as if a­ [...]y portion shall by colour thereof, be caryed out of the Realme, besides the forfeiture of the bonds that shall be taken by our officers, the owners [...]f the Corne, and the Masters and Owners of the Ships shall suffer imprisonment for one whole yere, and further vntill fine be made to vs, [...] the quadruple value of the Corne. And this our order, we command to be duely executed by all maner our officers, ministers, and subiects, there default shall or may be found, vpon paine of our indignation, and of such paine as may thereto belong.

Giuen at the Castle of Basing, in [...] Countie of Southhampton, the xvi, day of September, in the xxxiii, yeere of our reigne. 1591.

God saue the Queene.