WHereas the Lords and Commons in Par­liament now assembled have received information that divers ships and other Vessels, warlikely appointed, equipped, and furnished, belonging to the Rebels in Ireland, have been of late set out from the Port of Wexford, and other Ports and places in that Kingdome, and have com­mitted and done many depredations, spoyles, and piraticall acts upon the ships and goods of his Majesties good sub­jects, friends and allies, and doe thereby very much disturb, infest, and annoy the publique commerce, intercourse, and trade between this and other Nations; And whereas the Lords and Commons aforesaid have further been infor­med, [Page]That not onely many supplies of Victuals and Armes have been, and daily are carried to the said Rebels, by French, Dunkerkers, and others, but also many ships and goods belonging to his Majesties loyall Subjects, have been taken and spoyled by them under colour of Commissions from the said Rebels, contrary to the Law of Nations, and practice of Princes in amity in the like cases; And whereas divers of his Majesties wel-affected Subjects, out of their pious and charitable disposition towards their distressed brethren, his Majesties Protestant subjects in the Realm of Ireland, as also out of their loyall respect to his Majesty, and detestation to that rebellion, and to reduce the rebels in the said Realm of Ireland to their due obedience, and as much as in them lieth to prevent and hinder all such sup­plies as shall be sent unto those rebels, have lately made known to the said Lords and Commons their voluntary disposition and readinesse to set forth some Ships and Pina­ces, warlikely appointed, equipped, manned and victualled, so that in recompence of their charge and adventure there­in, they may have, and enjoy to their owne uses, all such Ships, Goods, Moneys, and Merchandizes, which they shall take and surprise by Sea or by Land, belonging to any the said Rebels, or to any other that have carried, or they shall take carrying any supplies to the Rebels, Which being wel approved by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, as a good means to weaken the said Rebels, and so to reduce them to their due obedience, do commend the same for a pious and laudable undertaking, and are willing to give it all the encouragement and advancement that may be, to bring it to a good and successefull issue, as tending very much to the honour of the King, and the speedy and effe­ctuall suppressing of the rebellion aforesaid; And therefore for the better enabling the performance of this so free and commendable undertaking and enterprize, It is ordered, [Page]established, and ordained by the Lords and Commons as­sembled in this present Parliament, and by the authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawfull for any of his Majesties good and loyall Subjects of this Kingdome of England, to be approved, and thereunto appointed by the Commissioners of the Admiralty established by the Parlia­ment, in warlike manner to equippe and furnish for the said intended imployment, such and so many Ships and o­ther Vessels as they shall thinke fitting, and to place in them, competent numbers of Souldiers, Marriners and Gunnersd with necessary Armes, and provisions for that service; an to appoint over them such Commanders, Captaines, and Officers as they shall thinke fit; And the same Ships and o­ther Vessels so manned, equipped, armed, and provided to set forth to the sea, and with the same to seize, surprize, and take all, and all manner of Ships, Vessels, Goods, and Mer­chandize belonging to the said rebels, or any of them, or unto any person or persons that they shall finde or under­stand to have aided the said rebels, or any of them, with Armes, Amunition or Victuals by Sea or by Land; And also to seize and surprise all manner of Ships and other Vessels, having on board them Armes, Amunition, or Victuals, bound there with to the Kingdom of Ireland, or any the Do­minions of the same, not having on board them a pasport or licence from the Cōmissioners of the Admiralty appointed by the Parliament, as aforesaid, or from the chiefe Gover­nour or Governours of Ireland, for the time being, appointed by his Majesty, with the consent of both Houses of Par­liament, being to carry the same thither; And to invade the said Rebels in any Ports, Harbours, Creeks, Havens, Islands, Castles, Forts, Towns, or any other places in the possession of the said Rebels, within the said Realm of Ireland; And the Rebels therein to take, surprize, vanquish, destroy or kill, and to sacke and pillage any such place or places, and [Page]further to surprise and take all, and all manner of Pirats and Sea rovers, of what Nation soever, and their ships and goods whatsover. And for the better incouragement of all such Ad­venturers in the said enterprise, It is by the Lords and Com­mons likewise Ordered and Ordeined, that the said Adven­turers shall have and enjoy as their proper goods, All Ships, Goods, Monies, Plate, Armes, Munition, Victualls, pillage and spoyle, which shall be seised or taken by any persons by them to be imployed, by force and vertue of this Or­dinance, which by proofe of witnesse upon Oath made in the high Court of Admiralty, and the definitive sentence to be given in that Court, shall be pronounced at the time of the taking or seizure thereof to have belonged to any Irish Rebell or Rebells, or any person or persons whatsoever that hath supplyed those Rebells, or any of them with Victualls, Armes or Munition, or shall be taken having on Board them Armes, Munition or Victualls bound there­with to the Kingdome of Jreland, or any the Dominions of the same, not having on board them such a pasport or Licence as aforesaid, or to belong to any Pirat or Sea-rover whatsoever, and the same to have and enjoy to their own use without any accompt whatsoever thereof to be made, reserving the tenths accustomed in such cases to be paid to the Admirall to be disposed of by Order of both houses of Parliament.

And it is further Ordered and Ordeined, That there shall be true and faithfull inventories taken of the Ships, Monies, Goods, Plate, pillage and spoyle which shall be taken by vertue and authority of this present Ordinance, & a true appraisment made of the same, and the same toge­ther with all papers and writings found in any Ship or o­ther vessell by them to be taken shall be carefully preser­ved, and two or three of the Officers of every Ship or o­ther Vessell so taken shall be examined before the chiefe [Page]Officer of the next Port within any of the Kings Domi­nions, And the said examinations with the papers inven­tories and appraisments shall be sent into the Registry of the High Court of the Admiralty aforesaid, to the end that the taking of the said Ships may thereby be justified, or restitution by the said Adventurers (if there shall be just cause) there made; And more particularly it is hereby Ordered and Ordeined by the Lords and Commons afore­said, and they doe by vertue of this Ordinance give unto the persons to be set forth to the service as aforesaid, and to every of them, power authority and warrant, that if they shall happen upon the Seas, or in any port harbor or creek to meete with any Ship or Ships, that shall not willingly yeild themselves to be visited, and proved by Law and Justice, but will defend themselves by force and violence, Then they shall by all meanes possible and with all force compell them to yeild, and submit themselves to reason and Justice, although it do fall out that by fighting with them, one or more of them be maimed hurt or slaine in the resistance; And it is further Ordered and Ordained, that the Captaine, Master, and two or three other of the Prin­cipall Officers of every of the Ships, and Pinnaces so to be set forth upon the said enterprise, shall before their going to Sea enter into a bond, in the high Court of Admiralty, in the sum of two thousand pounds unto the Speaker of the Commons House of Parliament for the time being, to the use of the Common-Wealth, and to be disposed of as both Houses of Parliament shall appoint to the use of the Kings Majesty, That the said Ships or Pinnaces respective­ly, nor their Captaines, Masters, or any of their Company under collour or pretence of this Ordinance shall rob spoile or endammage any of the Kings Subjects, Friends, or Al­lies, other then such particular persons of His Majesties sub­jects friends or allies as shall be found to have aided and re­lieved [Page]the said Rebells, or shall be taken carrying Armes, Victualls, or Munition for Ireland without licence or autho­rity as aforesaid, or shall have committed piracy, And that true inventories and appraisments shall be taken of the Ships and Goods before the same shall be vended or dis­posed, and the same together with the papers found aboard any such Ship, and the examinations of the chiefe Officers of the same Ships as is before declared returned into the Registry of the High Court of the Admiralty aforesaid; And lastly it is hereby further Ordered and Ordained that this Ordinance, nor any benefit thereby shall extend to the setters forth of any Ship, or other Vessell upon the enterprise aforesaid, where bonds shall not be given as is before expressed, And a Certificate under the Admi­ralties Seale obtained of the putting in of such Cau­tion.