WHereas Our most deare Father, of blessed memory, deceased, for many weighty and important reasons of State, and at the humble suit of his Commons in Parliament, did heretofore publish two seue­rall Proclamations▪ the one bearing date the nine and twentieth day of September, in the two & twentieth yeere of his Highnesse Reigne of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the eight and fiftieth, and the other the second day of March then next following, by both of them vtterly prohibiting the importation & vse of all Tobacco, which is not of the proper growth of the Colonies of Virginia, and the Sommer-Ilands, or one of them, with such Cautions▪ and vnder such Paines and Penalties, as are in those Proclamations at large expressed.

And whereas Our sayd Father, by another Proclamation bearing date the thirtieth day of De­cember, in the seuenteenth yeere of his Highnesse Reigne of England, did straitly charge all and euery person or persons, of what degree or condition soeuer, that they should not from the second day of February then next following, presume to Sowe, Set, or Plant, or cause to be sowen, set, or planted within this Realme of England, or Dominion of Wales, any sort or kinde of Tobacco whatsoeuer, and that they, or any of them should not maintaine and continue any old Stockes or Plants of Tobacco formerly sowen or planted, but should foorthwith destroy and roote vp the same.

And wheras We, finding the said Proclamations to be grounded vpon many weighty reasons and considerations, did since Our Accesse to Our Crowne, by Our Proclamation lately publi­shed, renew and confirme the said former prohibitions: Neuerthelesse, because the immoderate desire of taking of Tobacco hath so farre preuailed in these Our Kingdomes, as that it can­not on a sodaine bee vtterly suppressed, and the difference, or, at least, the opinion of difference betweene Spanish or forreine Tobacco, and Tobacco of the Plantations of Virginia, and of Our owne Dominions, is such, that Our Subiects can hardly be induced totally to forsake the Spa­nish Tobacco; whereby it commeth to passe, That where Wee were willing to haue suffered losse in Our Customes, so as the sayd forreigne Tobacco might haue been kept out, the same is secretly, and by stealth brought in in great quantities, and many great quantities of Tobacco are set and sowen within this Our Realme of England and Dominion of Wales, and so the mischiefe, intended to be redressed, is not auoided, and yet Our Reuenue in Our Customes is much diminished.

Wee therefore, taking into Our Princely consideration, as wel the present estate of these times, and how many important necessities doe at this instant presse Us, that by all good meanes Wee should husband Our Reuenue to the best, and also considering the many inconueniences which doe and will arise, both to Our selues and to Our Subiects, by the secret importation of Spa­nish Tobacco, and planting of English Tobacco, whereby diuers of Our Subiects haue taken liberty to themselues, for the desire of priuate gaine, without respect to the publique, to make such frequent sale of the same, as that thereby not onely Our Plantations abroad are much hindered, but Our Customes also are much impayred, Wee haue thought fit, by the aduice of Our Com­missioners [Page] for Our Reuenue, as Our first part of proceeding concerning Tobacco, to restrain [...] wholly the planting of Tobacco within these Our Realmes, or any the Iles thereto belonging, and to forbid the importation of forreine Tobacco. And yet to giue way to the infirmitie of Our Subiects for the present, by the allowing the importation of some smal quantity of Spanish or for­reine Tobacco, not being of the growth of the English Plantations, not exceeding the quantitie of fiftie thousand weight in any one yeere to bee brought in by Our owne Commissioners onely, and to Our owne particular vse onely, and not otherwise.

And to the end that the extraordinary liberty now taken, may be restrained, the said Colonies or plantations not hindered, nor Our Selfe deceiued in Our Customes, Wee haue likewise by the aduice aforesaid, thought it requisite, to imploy some persons of trust and qualitie to be Our Commissioners in this Seruice, to, and for Our owne proper vse, and vpon accompt to be giuen to Us for the same.

Wee doe therefore hereby publish and declare Our Royall will and pleasure, that, notwith­standing the seuerall Proclamations before mentioned, We are well contented to giue way to the importation and sale of so much Spanish and forreine Tobacco, as shall not exceede the quanti­tie of fifty thousand weight in any one yeere, as aforesaid, and that the same shall bee Our owne Merchandise and Commodity, and be managed and disposed of by Our owne Commissioners, or such as they shall appoint for Our vse, and not otherwise.

And, because that no man shall presume, by colour of this Our Licence or toleration, to import any other, or greater quantity of Spanish or forreine Tobacco, nor vtter or put the same to sale, to the preiudice of Our Seruice hereby especially intended, and to the ouerthrow of Our Colo­nies and Plantations abroad, Wee doe hereby straitly charge and command, that no man, other then Our owne Commissioners, for Our owne proper vse, presume to import any forreine To­bacco into Our Realmes of England or Ireland, or any parts thereof.

And for their better assistance therin, and the preuention of all abuses, Wee haue thought fit, and so ordaine, and doe by these presents publish Our Royall pleasure, That all Tobacco that shall from hencefoorth be imported into this Our Realme of England, whether it be Spanish, or of the growth of Virginia, the Sommer-Ilands, or the West-Indies, or other adiacent Ilands, beeing English Plantations, shall be brought into Our Port of London onely: Also that there shall bee three seuerall Seales kept by Our Commissioners in some conuenient place, where they shall appoint, vnder three lockes, whereofthree of Our Commissioners shall keepe three seuerall Keyes, wher­with both all such forrein Tobacco, as shalbe so imported, as aforesaid, as also such other Tobacco of the growth of Virginia, and the Sommer-Ilands, and other the said Plantations as shall be impor­ted, shall be sealed, That is to say, for that of Virginia, and the Sommer-Ilands, a Seale engrauen with Our Armes, and for that of the other English Plantations, a Seale engrauen with a Lion and a Crowne, and for the other forreine Tobacco, a Seale engrauen with a broad Arrow and a Portcullice, without paying any thing for the sealing of the Tobacco of Virginia, and Sommer-Ilands, and other the said Plantations, but onely what the parties themselues shall thinke fit to allow for the sealers paines, waxe, and threed.

And We doe hereby will and Command, that no person or persons whatsoeuer, whether Deni­zen, or Stranger, or borne within any of Our Realms or Dominions, doe presume, attempt, or goe about to counterfeit the said Seales, or any of them, and that no person or persons whatsoeuer, other then Our Commissioners, their deputie or deputies doe presume, attempt, or goe about to import any Spanish or forreine Tobacco whatsoeuer, or to buy, vtter, or sell any Tobacco, of what sort soeuer, but such as the Roule thereof shall be sealed with one of the Seales aforesaid, or to import any other, or greater quantitie of Spanish Tobacco, then the said fiftie thousand weight onely in any one yeere, or to sowe, set, or plant, or cause to be sowen, set, or planted in any of his, or their grounds, any Tobacco whatsoeuer, within Our Realmes of England, or Ireland, or Domi­nion of Wales, or any Isles or places belonging thereto, or permit, or suffer any old stockes for­merly set to continue, vpon paine of forfeiture vnto Us, of all such Tobacco as shall be imported, set, sowen, planted, suffered, vttered, or put to sale, contrary to the true meaning of these presents, and to haue the same English Tobacco vtterly destroyed, in whose hands soeuer the same shall be found, and vpon such further paines and penalties, as by the Lawes and Statutes of this Our Realme of England, or by the seueritie, or censure of Our Court of Star-chamber, or by Our Pre­rogatiue Royall may be inflicted vpon the offenders for their contempt of this Our Royall Com­mand, the one moitie of all which fines to be imposed vpon any the said offenders, Wee are graci­ously pleased shalbe bestowed vpon the persons that shall informe against them for the same; and that such person or persons as shall discouer any planting of Tobacco within Our Realme of England, or other Our Realmes or Dominions, shall haue his charges expended in following of Suite against the offendors, allowed out of Our part of the fines to be imposed, besides his moitie aforesaid.

[Page]And further, that euery person or persons, that shall discouer the falsifying, or counterfeiting of any the Seales aforesaid, shall haue an hundred Crownes for such his discouery out of Our part of the fine to be imposed for the same, besides the one moity for himselfe, as aforesaid.

And for the better execution of Our will and pleasure, We doe hereby Command, all and sin­gular Customers, Comptrollers, Searchers, waiters, and other Officers, attending in all, and euery, or any of Our Ports, Creekes, or places of lading, or vnlading, for the taking, collecting, or receiuing of any Our Customes, Subsidies, or other duties to take notice of this Our pleasure.

And We doe hereby command, and giue power and authority vnto Our said Commissioners, and those whom they shall thinke fit to imploy in Our said seruice, and euery, or any of them from time to time, and at all times when they shall thinke fittest, with a Constable, or other officer, for their assistance to search any ship, or other vessell or bottome, riding or lying within any Port, Ha­uen, or Creeke within their seuerall charge and place of attendance, for all Tobacco, imported contrary to the intent of this Our Proclamation, and the same being found, to seize and take to Our vse, as also to take notice of the names, and apprehend the bringers in, and buyers of the same, to the end they may receiue condeigne punishment for their offence.

And further, to take speciall care, that no more of the said Spanish, or other forraine Tobacco, shall be imported, then the said fifty thousand weight onely, in any one yeere, and that the same be brought into Our Port of London onely, as aforesaid, vpon paine that euery of the said officers that shall be found negligent, corrupt, or remisse herein, shall lose his place, and entertainement▪ and vn­dergoe such paines and penalties, as by the Laws, orthe censure of Our said Court of Star cham­ber may be inflicted vpon them for the same.

And likewise We doe hereby ordaine, will and appoint, that it shall and may be lawfull, to and for Our said Commissioners, authorised, as aforesaid, to import the said fifty thousand weight of Spanish or other forraine Tobacco, by him, or themselues, or his, or their deputy or deputies with a Constable, or other officer, for their assistance, to enter into any suspected place or places, at such time or times, as they shall thinke to be most conuenient, and there to search, discouer, and finde out any Tobacco, imported, vttered, plan [...]ed, set, sowed, sold or vented, not marked, or sealed, as afore­said, contrary to the true meaning hereof, and all such Tobacco so found to seize, take away, & dis­pose of & the owners thereof, or in whose custome the same shal be found, to informe, and complaine of, to the end they may receiue punishment, according to Our pleasure herein before declared.

And further, We doe by these presents, will and require, all and singular Mayors, Sheriffes, Iustices of peace, Bailiffes, Cōstables, Headboroughs, Customers, Controllers, Searchers, wai­ters, and all other our Officers, and Ministers whatsoeuer, that they, and euery of them, in their seuerall places and offices, be diligent and attendant in the execution of this Our Proclamation, and also ayding and assisting, to our said Commissioners thereunto by Us appointed, or to be ap­pointed, and to their Deputies, as well in any search for discouery of any act, or acts to bee performed, contrary to the intent of these presents, as otherwise in the doing, or executing of any matter or thing for the accomplishment of this Our Royall Command.

And lastly, Our will and pleasure is, and We doe hereby, charge and command Our Atturney generall, for the time being, to informe against such persons in Our Court of Star-chamber, or Exchequer-chamber, as the case shall require from time to time, whose contempt and disobedience against this Our Royall Command, shall merit the censure of these Courts.

Giuen at Our Court at Whitehall, the seuenteenth day of Februarie, in the second yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland.

God saue the King.