THe Kings most Excellent Majesty, taking into His Princely consideration, the deadness of Trade in Cloath, and other Woollen Manufactures of this Kingdom, by reason of the present War, and late dreadful Contagion, and that great quantities of Wool­len Clothes do at present lie upon the hands of many poor Clothiers; His Ma­jesty therefore out of His Clemency and tender Compassion to the necessities of His Subjects, doth by the Advice of His Privy Council, and with the free consent of the Company of Merchant-Adventurers of England, hereby give free Liberty and Licence to all and every person and persons whatsoever, as well Natives and Denizens, as Strangers and Foreiners, from the day of the Date hereof, until the Five and twentieth day of December next, to Transport and Carry out of this Kingdom, all Woollen Manufactures whatsoever, to any Port or place beyond the Seas, lying within the Limits and Bounds of the said Merchant-Adventurers Patent. (Except the Mart Towns of Dort and Hamburgh) Yet His Majesty would not hereby be thought to have a light esteem of the Services of that Company to Himself, and the Crown in former times, nor of their usefulness towards the Advance and Increase of the Trade of this Kingdom; nor doth His Majesty by this Temporary Dispensation intend to lessen the Authority of their Charter, as to the Government of that Society, either at home or abroad. And His Majesty doth hereby Require and Command, That during the time of this Licence and Dispensation, due Payment be made of all Duties for Licensing the Exportation of White Clothes, according to former use and practice.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall the 15 ^th day of April, 1666. in the 18 ^th year of Our Reign.

God save the King.