WHereas, at the humble suit and request of sundry Our louing and well disposed Subiects, intending to deduce a Colony, and to make a plantation in Virginia Wee, for the inlarging of Our Gouernment, increase of Nauigation and Trade, and especially for the redu­cing of the sauage and barbarous people of those parts to the Christi­an faith, did incorporate diuers Noblemen, Gentlemen and others, ad­uenturers in the sayd Plantation, and granted vnto them sundry Pri­uiledges and Liberties; amongst which, for their better helpe and assi­stance to raise some competent summes of money to prosecute the same Plantation to a happy end, Wee did grant them licence to set foorth, erect, and publish Lotteries, to continue for one yeere after the opening of the same, and further, during Our pleasure; which liberty hath been by the same Company put in vse diuers yeeres past. Now forasmuch as We are giuen to vnderstand, that although Wee in granting the sayd Licence, had Our eye fixed vpon a religious and Princely end and designe, yet the sayd Lotteries, hauing now for a long time been put in vse, doe dayly decline to more and more inconuenience, to the hinderance of multitudes of Our Subiects.

Wee whose care continually waiteth vpon the generall welfare of Our people, haue thought it expedient, for the generall good of Our Subiects, to suspend the further execution of the saide Lotteries, vntill vpon further deliberation and aduisement, We shall be more fully informed of the inconueniences and euils thereby arising, and may ordaine due remedy for the same, without any conceit of withdrawing Our fauour in any degree from the said Company or plantation, and good worke by them intended.

And therefore We doe heereby expresly charge and command the sayd Company and their suc­cessors, and all their Officers, Ministers, and Seruants, and all others, That from hencefoorth they desist and forbeare, to vse or execute any manner of grant or Licence from Vs for the keeping and continuing of any Lotterie, or to keepe or continue any Lotterie, within this Our Realme of England or the Dominions thereof, vntill such time as Wee shall declare Our further pleasure therein. And Wee likewise require all Iustices, Officers, and Ministers whatsoeuer, from hencefoorth, diligently and carefully to see this Our pleasure executed, and to punish the infrin­gers thereof, as contemners of Our Royall command.

Giuen at Our Palace of Westminster the eighth day March, in the eighteenth yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.

God saue the King.