IT is a great part of our Princely care, to maintaine and increase the trade of Our Merchants, and the strength of Our nauy, The one being as the Veines whereby wealth is imported into Our estate, and the other as principall sinewes for the strength and seruice of Our Crowne and king­dome. Whereas therefore the society and Company of Our Castland Merchants, trading the Balticke Seas, haue by the space of forty yeeres past, at the least, had a setled and constant possession of trade in those parts, and haue had the sole bringing in of all the commodities of those countries, as namely, Hempe, Flaxe, Dot-ashes, Soape ashes, Poloma wooll, Cor­dage, Yearne, Eastland linnen cloth, Pitch, Tarre and Wood, whereby Our Kingdome hath beene much enriched, Our shippes and Matriners set on worke, and the honour and fame of Our Nation and Kingdome spread and enlarged in those parts: And whereas, for further encouragement, the sayd Company haue had and enioyed by Let­ters Patents, vnder the great Seale of England, in the time of the late Queene Elizabeth, priuiledge for the sole bringing in of the sayd commodities, with generall prohibitions and restraints of others not licensed and authorised by the sayd Letters Patents, to traffique or trade contrary to the tenor of the same letters Patents; We, minding the vpholding and continuance of the sayd trade, and not to suffer that the sayd society shall sustaine any violation or diminution of their liberties and priuiled­ges, Haue thought good to ratifie and publish vnto all persons, aswell subiects as strangers, the said priuiledges and restraints, to the end that none of them presume to attempt any thing against the same: And doe heereby straitely charge and command all Our Customers, Comptrollers, and all other Our Officers at the Ports, and also the Farmers of Our Customes and their Deputies and Wayters, That they suffer not any hempe, flaxe, pot-ashes, soape-ashes, Poloma wooll, cordage, yarne, Eastland Imnen cloth, pitch, carre, or wood, nor any other commodities whatsoeuer, brought from any the forraine parts or regions wherein the sayd Company haue vsed to trade, to be landed, except onely such as shall be brought in by such as are free of the said Company: Prouided alwaies, that the importation of corne and graine be left free and without restraint: Any thing heerein con­tayned to the contrary notwithstanding.

Furthermore, whereas there hath beene in ancient time diuers good and politicke Lawes, made against the shipping of merchandises in strangers bottomes, either inward or outward, as namely the Statutes of 5. Richardi 2.4. Henrici 7.32. Henrici 8. &c. which Lawes of latter yeeres haue beene much neglected, to the great preiudice of the nauigation of Our kingdome; Wee doe straitely charge and command, that the sayd Lawes be from hencefoorth duly put in execution, vpon the paines ther­in contayned, and vpon payne of Our high indignation and displeasure towards all Our Officers and Ministers, which shall be found slacke and remisse in procuring and assisting the due execution of the sayd Lawes.

Giuen at Our Court at Theobalds, the one and twentieth day of Iuly, in the twentieth yeere of Our Reigne of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the sixe and fiftieth.

God saue the King.