WHereas the making of the best and finest sorts of Writing and Printing Paper hath been by great Charge and Industry brought to perfection, whereby many thou­sands of Our Subjects who are destitute of Imployment, and are Burthensom to the Parishes wherein they live will be set on Work, and vast Sums of Money which are daily sent abroad for Foreign Paper, preserved in this Our Kingdom. And whereas the Governor and Company of White-Paper-Makers have made it appear to Ʋs, That (to their great Loss and Discouragement) several evil dispo­sed Persons, Foreigners and others, designing to destroy the said Manufacture, and to hinder its Establishment here, have endeavoured to Corrupt, and as well by promises of Reward, as by Menaces, to withdraw the Companies Servants from their Service, and have lately conveyed several of them beyond the Seas: For the preventing of such and the like Designs and Practices for the future, and for the Encouragement of so good and profitable a Manu­facture in this Our Kingdom, We of Our Princely Care have thought fit to give the said Governor and Company all possible Encouragement, and to take them into Our Royal Potection; And We do by this Our Royal Proclamation, by and with the Advice of Our Privy Council, Strictly Prohibit and Forbid all and every Person and Persons, of what Quality, Degree or Nation soever, to Corrupt, Withdraw, or Iutice away, or attempt by any ways or means to Corrupt, Withdraw, or Iutice a­way from the said Company, any Person or Persons whatsoever who now are, or at any time hereaf­ter shall be Imployed in their Service, upon pain of Our highest Displeasure, and of being Punished with the utmost Severity, as Violaters of Our Laws. And for the better and more speedy Discovery and Apprehending of Offenders in this kind, We do hereby Grant unto the said Governor and Com­pany, and their Successors, full Power and Authority under their Common Seal, from time to time to Constitute and Appoint a fit Person at each of their respective Mills, who shall have Authority to Apprehend and Carry any Offender or Offenders, before some one of Our Iustices of the Peace, in or­der to be proceeded against according to Law. And as a further Encouragement to the said Company, We have Prohibited, and do hereby Prohibit the Exportation of all Linnen-Rags, Glovers Clippings, Parchment Shreds, Calves Pates, and Waterpieces, being necessary Materials for the said Manu­facture; And We do hereby Charge and Command the Commissioners, and every of the Officers of Our Customs to see the same duly Executed; And We do hereby also strictly Charge and Command all Mayors, Sheriffs, Iustices of the Peace, and all other of Our Officers and Ministers whatso­ever whom it shall or may concern, at all times, and upon all occasions, to be Aiding and Assisting to the said Governor and Company, and their several Officers, Agents and Servants, in the due Ex­ecution of this Our Royal Will and Pleasure herein before Declared, and in the Apprehending, Seizing and Punishing of all Offenders touching the Premisses, as they tender Our Pleasure, and will answer the contrary at their utmost Perils.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall the Nine and twentieth Day of April, 1687. In the Third Year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.