WEE CHRISTINA by the Grace of GOD, Queen of the Swedes, Gothes and Vandales, great Princess of Finland; Dutchess of Eastland, Carelen, Bremen, Verden, Stetin, Pomeren, Cas­suben, and Venden; Princess of Ru­gen; Ladie of Ingermanland and Wis­mar; do make known, That where­as most grievous complaints have several times com to us, from divers of our Dominions and Kingdoms; how viz. the means of livelyhood of our Kingdom, and of our faith­ful Subjects, are intercepted; but especially, how the liber­tie of Maritim Navigation beeing disturbed, they are forced at this time to sustein all kindes of losses, dammages and dangers, partly by Pirats, who, under pretence of the di­sturbance of a publick War, beeing often altogether un­known, do infest the Seas with a promiscuous and undis­cerning storm; partly by other Frigots, who, under divers sorts of Commissions, and covering themselves under the co­lor of a prosecution of a lawful Enemie, do often invade and spoil in open Sea, and in their free cours the Merchant ships of our Subjects, and do take and carrie away many of them; which afterwards, contrarie to all moderation, bee­ing [Page 2] deteined, are much misused. Therefore, both the equitie and the faithfulness of Roial Protection (on which our faith­ful Subjects do repose their trust and relief) requiring it, wee have therein diligently used our endeavors for the utter re­moving of such damages and hinderances from our King­dom, and the Subjects thereof; Which troubles, as from the beginning of this dangerous War by Sea, between the Com­mon-wealths of England, & of the Ʋnited Provinces of the Ne­therlands, wee did easily fore-see should happen to such as go to Sea; so wee then used our due and provident care, not onely be­times to remove the same, but further also wee freely and seri­ously did strive, by amicable waies, to quench the burning flames of that bloodie War. Moreover, as to this day wee have been willing carefully and sincerely to maintein the amitie, which hath been of old between our Kingdom of Sweden and the Confederate and friendly States, so wee hope to have still the same confidence of mutual amitie equally en­terteined between them. And therefore, least Wee, or our faithful Subjects, should have that Character put upon us, as if, under pretence of amitie and free Navigation, wee would cover the ships and goods of one or the other of the two Common-wealths in enmitie, and thereby give occa­sion to the suspitions objected to Us and our Subjects; by reason of which, many of our ships, not onely of such as sailed to any one of the said respective Enemies, but also of such as were bound for neutral places, have been interrupt­ed: And in particular, least our ships and goods, and of our faithful Subjects, have reason to fear the violence and force either of the Pirats, or of the Frigots aforesaid; Wee could finde no better, nor more convenient waie, to provide unto the sincere integritie and securitie of our said ships, then by commanding a Squadron of our men of War to attend and remain in som of our Ports towards the West, especially at Gothemburg, which shall have a more accurate inspection, for the preventing of all frauds; and accordingly shall law­fully defend, in their free cours, all our ships and goods against all unjust attempts. For which end, and that this our design might bee the better signified and promoted, wee desire that the under-written Articles might bee taken for a [Page 3] rule, by such as are concerned therein; and do graciously command all such as are bound to obey our will, to observ the same, without any kinde of neglect.

1. Our men of War, which upon occasion shall bee by us appointed for the foresaid Convoys, shall abide at Gothem­burg, or thereabouts; that, when required, they might bee ready to conduct, through the Western Seas, the Merchant's ships, which shall com out of the Sound, and shall have need of their Convoy.

2. When any Merchant-Ship shall com and desire the said Convoy, the same shall be strictly visited, least any other Ships or goods, but such as properly belong to our Subjects, or per­haps to such as are neutral, might bee received under the pro­tection of our Convoys. For which end, all the Passes and Certificates of the Merchant's goods shall bee diligently exa­mined, and a strict inquirie made, by the Admiral, or the chief Commanders of the said Convoys. And in particular if it happen's that som neutral Towns shall desire their Ships and Goods to sail under our Convoys, wee can see no sufficient reason, why wee should deny it: But yet in that case, they shall bee obliged to give full and sufficient securitie to our said Convoys, by the Testimonial Letters of the Magistrates of the Towns, from whence they set forth, concerning the proprietie of the Ships and goods, least, under the said Ships and goods of the said Towns, any fraud lie hid and covered; becaus the Officers of our said Men of War shall have such a care, that if they meet at Sea with any Fleet, either great, or small, they might have a cleer and sincere answer to give them.

3. If any be so bold, against this our severe Command, to abuse any of our Convoys, thereby intending to cover his frauds, and the same, either presently after, or afterwards in progress of time, shall happen to com to knowledg, the said goods and wares, or their true value, without any mitigation, shall bee forfeited to us and to our Crown, if the said goods, or the defrauder himself, or any part of his other goods, then, or­hereafter at any time, be found in our Kingdoms, Dominions, or Ports. And further, the Skipper, if hee bee convicted to have been conscious of the fraud, so that hee bee not able to cleer himself of it, besides the goods so concealed, shall lose the [Page 4] part, hee may have in the Ship; or if hee hath none, then hee shall bee arrested, until he redeem's himself with 500 crowns.

4. If our ships of Convoy do meet perchance with, ei­ther many, or few, or one Ship, of whatsoëver Nation they might bee, they shall bee bound to require nothing els of them, but good correspondence; to declare all manner of friendship with any of them; and to take heed, not to give any lawful or just caus of mis-understanding or quarrel. And wee are further content, that if any Fleet of men of War doth, in a just manner, require it of them, they might shew our Powers or Passes, and declare what Ships have been received under the protection of their Convoy. But, by all decent way, they shall decline, either to bee themselvs, or any in their compa­nie, particularly searched; but, as they are gon out with full securitie, lest any fraud should bee concealed; so likewise wee desire they might bee credited, that they might go on in their Voyages, without let or molestation, with all the Vessels in their companie.

5. If our Convoys meet with any Caper, and bee not trou­bled by him, they shall forbear to meddle with him. But, if they observ him to intend any violence, wee will have our Men of War diligently to mark from whence such Caper did set forth, and then seriously to warn him of the debate and accusation like to insue before his own Magistrate. And if for all that hee doth not desist, and if necessitie forceth there­unto, Ours shall, as much as in them laie, by force repuls violence, both from themselves, and from their companie.

6. As wee finde that no lawful suspition can bee had of our free Ships, when they are once past the Channel between England and France; so wee will not have our Men of War to conduct them farther then the Ports within the said Chan­nel. In particular, for som special causes, wee will have our Men of War now at the begining, to direct specially their Convoys to such Ports, as are neutral in this War between England and the Netherlands, until wee do otherwise declare our minde thereupon: But yet so, as it might bee free to a­ny of our Subjects to go either into England or into the Ne­therlands to exercise their free Commerce, if without our fur­ther Convoy they will do it.

[Page 5] 7. When our Men of War shall have so safely brought the said Merchant-Ships through the said Channel, and left them in safetie, they shall indeavor forthwith to return to Gothem­burg: Or, if there bee any Ship that bee willing to return into the Western Seas, they shall exspect them at Roscow in lit­tle Brittany in France, and having examined the same, after the waie before prescribed, they shall bring them back again safe.

8. That a more exact regard might bee had of the time when our Men of War shall bee bound to set forth from Go­themburg for Convoys; Wee thought fit that at least the same bee don once in a month, when there shall bee any Ship rea­dy to bee conducted. But otherwise whensoëver 10 Mer­chant-Ships shall bee ready at Gothemburg to bee convoyed, they shall do it without regarding the time. And in particu­lar, they shall observ this, that when the number of Merchant-Ships is less then 10, they onely shall want one Ship of Convoy; but if they bee above 10, to the number of 20, two Ships of Convoy shall bee granted them. And, if there bee yet more in number, the Admiral shall power to deter­mine how many Convoys they shall have.

9. Becaus hereby wee onely intend to provide to the se­curitie of the navigation of our faithful Subjects; therefore our will is, that all such as do inhabit our Dominions, King­doms, or Provinces, who are willing to enjoy the free navi­gation towards and through the Western Seas to neutral places, should forbear, during the present unsafetie at Sea, rashly to go further then Gothemburg, but should remain there and look for Convoys; that so much the better wee might undertake their protection. And if any, slighting this our gracious precaution, doth put himself in danger, hee is to exspect to bee brought by us to condign punish­ment for his temeritie.

10. Lastly, that the charges required for the maintaining of our said Men of War, bee not meerly and solely born by Us and our Crown, and yet not becom grievous to those who shall make use of the said Convoys, wee have thought good to impose a certain Tax, which wee will shortly pu­blish, with our gracious Command, that whosoëver shall bee [Page 6] willing to use the said Convoys, might paie the same in our Chamber of Duties at Gothemburg; which don, they shall not bee further molested.

And therefore hereby wee do friendly, and as it be­cometh, intreat both the aforesaid Common-wealths now in publick War, and all our Friends and Allyes, that, seeing wee hereby strive, as much as in us lie's, to hinder and prevent all kindes of fraud and collusion, which might hap­pen by occasion of our free navigation, wherein wee seek for nothing els, but what may bee admitted in all natural E­quitie and Reason, they would mutually vouchsafe to issue out more serious and full Commands to all their Officers and Servants, both by Sea and by Land, as also to all private Men of War, that go under their Commissions, or are any waie subject unto them, not to undertake any thing against our Men of War or friendly Convoys and their companie, but what may bee agreeable to the confidence of a mutual friendship; the which wee exspect, and are willing freely to acknowledg by the same waie. And as to those who are bound to obey our Commands, and are willing strictly to observ them, wee severely command them, specially the Ad­mirals and Captains of our said Convoys, and any other be­longing to them, as well Merchants, as Skippers and others, who intend to injoy this our gracious protection, or any way do apply themselvs thereunto, to bee diligently cautious, before all things, not to give the least appearance of fraud or collusion, nor to give occasion of any just quarrel arising from thence; but to bee punctually obedient to this our gracious Ordinance; as they do tender the avoyding of our Royal revenge. In witness whereof, wee have set our hand, and caused our Royal Seal to bee put to these presents. Dated at our Castle of Stockholm the 16. of August 1653.