HIS MAIESTIE taking notice of diuers abuses which had beene practised by Commanders, Officers, Seruants, and others im­ployed by the Gouernour and Company of Merchants of London, trading into the East Indies, for their owne priuate vse in the Ships of the said Gouernour and Company, in the third yeere of His Reigne, by His Highnesse Proclamation then published, did straightly charge and command, that no particular man of the said Company, nor any of their Officers or Seruants, or any other which then were, or then after should be imployed in any of their Ships trading into the sayd Easterly parts, or any other person or persons whatsoeuer, should from thencefoorth driue any vnderhand Trade, either to, in, or from the Indies aforesayd, but such as should be Licensed by the sayd Company; And that such Goods and Commodities as should bee Imported, should not bee disposed of vntill the sayd Company should haue receiued an account, and giuen allowance thereof, and vntill that their Ships should haue arriued at, or in the Port of London, within this Kingdome, nor that any person or persons whatsoeuer, should presume to buy, contract, bargaine, or barter for, or re­ceiue, or take any of the Goods, Wares, or Merchandizes which should bee laden aboard any of the said Ships bound homeward, vntill such Ship or Ships so homeward bound, as aforesaid, or out of which such Wares or Merchandizes should be so bought, sold, deliuered, contracted, or bartered for, were first brought into the said Port of London, and thereby the allowance of the said Company were duely entred, and the Goods thereout discharged, nor should giue any assistance, helpe or encouragement, for the vnlading of any such Goods at any other places, or in any other manner, nor should otherwise offend in any thing contrary to the true meaning of the said Pro­clamation, as thereby more at large it doth and may appeare.

[Page] And although the said Gouernor and Company for the better encouragement of all such per­sons as should be employed by them in their Ships and Voyages, as Commanders, Factors, Captaines, Masters, Officers, Mariners, or Souldiers, besides the extraordinary great wages which they are accustomed to pay in their employments, haue giuen Licence vnto all & euery such person and persons as aforesaid, to aduenture and trade for their proper and priuate accompts, either to, in, or from the said Indies, in any ship or ships, wherein they or any of them were, or should bee personally employed, in such wares and merchandize onely, and in such quantities and proportions thereof, as in a Declaration of Orders made by the said Gouernour and Com­pany, and allowed by His Maiestie, are set downe and expressed, and as hereafter follow­eth, viz.

The wares or Merchandize which are licenced to bee exported, are Perpetuanoes, Drapery Pewter, Saffron, Woollen-stockings, Silke-stockings, Silke-garters, and ribband Roses', edged with gold-lace, Beauer-hats with gold and siluer bands, Felt-hats, Aquauite, and all other sorts of Strong-waters, Kniues of all sorts, Spanishleather-shooes, Iron, and Loo­king-glasses;

The Wares which are licensed to bee brought from the East-Indies into England are, Long-Pepper, white Pepper, white powdred Suger, preserued Nutmegs, preserued Ginger, preserued Mirabilons, Bezer-stones, Drugges of all sorts, Aggat-beads, Bloodstones, Muske, Aloes Soccatrina, Ambergreece, Rich Carpets of Persia and Cambaia, Quilts of Satten, and of Taf­fitey, and of painted Callicoes, Beniamin, Damaskes, Sattens, and Taffities of China, Quilts of China imbroydered with gold, Quilts of Petauia imbroydered with silke, Galls, Wormseedes, Sugercandy, China dishes, and Puslaines of all sorts.

And whereas, each particular man imployed as aforesaid, might heretofore lade and aduen­ture, for his owne priuate and proper Accompt, in the Wares and Merchandizes aforesaid, and not otherwise, so much onely as could bee packed in one Chest of foure foot long, one foot and halfe broad, and one foot and a halfe deepe, and such as were Commanders, Factors, Captaines, Masters, Pursers, and Masters mates of euery Ship, might haue a double proportion, that is to say, two Chests of the said length, depth, and breadth, free from charge of freight; His Maiestie finding that the said Proclamation hath not as yet produced that good effect as was intended thereby: Neither hath the fauour and liberall allowance of the said Company taken such effect, but that the Officers, Factors, and Seruants imployed in the Voyages aforesaid, for their owne priuate gaine, though to the common dammage of the said Companie, haue aduen­tured both outwards and homewards, and also in the Indies, to carrie, buy, sell, and barter di­uers other goods, wares, and merchandizes.

And beeing informed, that the said Company are content to giue them further allowance, viz. To Commanders, Captaines, and Factors foure such Chests a piece, to Masters three such Chests a piece, to euery of the Pursers mates, Masters mates, Boatswaines, Carpenters, Gun­ners, Stewards, to such, two Chests a piece; Doth therefore straightly Charge and Command all such as are, or hereafter shall bee imployed in any Voyages for the said Gouernor, and Company, whatsoeuer they bee, to yeeld due obedience in all things to the said Proclamation, vnder the [Page] paines and penalties therein contained, and such further paines as may bee inflicted vpon the of­fenders by the Lawes of this Realme; Willing, requiring, and authorizing the Gouernour and Company aforesaid, to depute vnder their Common Seale, sufficient and able persons, to goe on board and search all and singuler their Shippes and Vessells, either outward or home­wards bound, aswell vpon the Seas, as in the Port of London, and in all other Ports, Hauens, Rhodes, and places both in the Realme, as in the parts of India, and other places in the passage, or abiding of their Ships:

And if they shall finde any goods, wares, or merchandize to bee carried or put to sale con­trary to the said Proclamation, and not tolerated by the Order of the said Company as afore­said, or otherwise allowed by them, to take and seize them for the vse of the said Gouernour and Company. And all those that shall be found contrariant and rebellious, to take, arrest, impri­son, and detaine in prison, vntill they shall be deliuered according to Our Lawes; And to cause their names, and the qualitie of their offences to bee deliuered to some of His Maiesties learned Councell, whom His Maiestie doeth also hereby command and require, to exhibit one or more Informations in His Highnesse Court of Star-chamber, or in any other His Maiesties Courts of Iustice, to the end that such as shall be found Delinquents, may receiue condigne punish­ment for their offences iustly deserued.

And His Maiestie being so sensible of the inconueniences that attend vpon the said abuses be­fore mentioned, and intending to haue an absolute reformation thereof, doth therefore hereby straightly charge and command all Admirals, Viceadmirals, and other Officers of the Admi­raltie, and such as haue Admirall iurisdiction, and all Maiors, Portreeues, Sheriffs, Bayliffes, Customers, Comptrollers, Searchers, and all other his Officers whom it may concerne, that they and euery of them be carefull to preuent the said abuses, and to be ayding, helping and assisting to the said Gouernour and Company, their Officers or seruants, to be employed in the due execu­tion and performance of this His Maiesties Command, as they or any of them will answere the contrary at their perills.

Giuen at the Court at Whithall, the nineteenth day of February, in the seuenth yeere of the Reigne of our Souereigne Lord King Charles of England, Scotland, France, and Jreland, Defender of the Faith, &c.

God saue the King.