WHereas We have beén Informed, That a False, Scandalous and Trai­terous Libel, Intituled, An Inquiry into the Causes of the Miscarriage of the Scotch-Colony at Darien, or, An Answer to a Libel, Intituled, A Defence of the Scots Abdicating Darien, has beén Printed and Dispersed, the Design of which Libel was to Create a Misunderstanding betweén Our good Subjects of England and Scotland, and to Stir up Sedition and Rebellion, and is Injurious to, and Reflects on the Honour of both Nations: And whereas the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses in Parliament Assem­bled, have humbly besought Vs, to Issue Our Royal Proclamation for Discovering and Apprehending of the Author and Printer of the said Libel; We therefore (with the Advice of Our Privy Council) have thought fit to Issue this Our Royal Proclamation, hereby Requi­ring and Commanding all Our Loving Subjects whatsoever, to Dis­cover and Apprehend the Author and Printer of the said Libel, to the end they may be dealt withal and proceéded against according to Law. And we do hereby Promise and Declare, That who­soever shall Discover or Apprehend the Author of the said Libel, so as he may be brought to Iu­stice, shall have and Receive, as a Reward for such Discovery and Apprehending, the Sum of Five hundred Pounds: And that whosoever shall Discover or Apprehend the Printer thereof, so as he may be brought to Iustice, shall Have and Receive, as a Reward for such Discovery or Apprehending, the Sum of Two hundred Pounds; Which said respective Sums of Five hun­dred Pounds and Two hundred Pounds, the Commissioners of Our Treasury are hereby Re­quired and Directed to Pay accordingly. And We do hereby further Promise and Declare, That if any Person (other than the Author himself) who was any ways Privy to, or Instrumental in the Printing and Dispersing the said Libel, shall Discover or Apprehend the Author thereof, the Person making such Discovery, or Apprehending the said Author, shall not only have the said Sum of Five hundred Pounds, as aforesaid, but also Our Gracious Pardon for his Offence. And We do hereby strictly Charge and Command all Our Loving Subjects (as they will answer the contrary at their Perils) that they do not any ways Conceal, but Discover and Apprehend the Author and Printer of the said Libel, to the end they may be Proceéded against with the ut­most Severity according to Law.

Given at Our Court at Kensington, the Twenty ninth Day of January, 1699. In the Eleventh Year of Our Reign.

God save the King.