IT is a great part of Our Royall care, like as it was of Our Royall Father of blessed memory deceased, to maintaine and in­crease the Trade of Our Merchants, and the strength of Our Nauie, as principall Veines and Sinewes for the wealth and strength of Our Kingdome. Whereas therefore the Society and Company of Our Eastland Merchants, trading the Baltique Seas, haue by the space of fifty yeers at the least, had a setled and constant possession of Trade in those parts, and haue had both the sole car­rying thither of Our English Commodities, and also the sole bringing in of all the Commo­dities of those Countreys, as namely, Hempe, Yarne, Cable-Yarne, Flaxe, Pot-ashes, Sope-ashes, Polonia Wooll, Cordage, Eastland Linnen Cloth, Pitch, Tarre, and Wood, wher­by Our Kingdome hath been much enriched, Our Shippes and Mariners set on worke, and the honour and fame of Our Nation and Kingdome, spread and enlarged in those parts.

And whereas for their further encouragement, the said Company haue had and enioyed by Letters Patents vnder the great Seale of England, in the time of the late Queene Elizabeth, Priuiledges, aswell for the sole carrying out to those Countreys of all Our En­glish [Page]Commodities, as also for the sole bringing in of the aboue-named Commodities of the sayd Countreys, with generall Prohibitions and Restraints of others not Licensed and authorized by the sayd Letters Patents, to traffique or trade contrary to the tenour of the same Letters Patents.

Wee minding the vpholding and continuance of the sayd Trade, and not to suffer that the said Society shall sustaine any violation, or diminution of their Liberties & Priuiledges, haue thought good to ratifie and publish vnto all persons, as well Subiects as Strangers, the sayd Priuiledges and Restraints, to the end that none of them presume to attempt any thing against the same.

And We doe hereby straitly charge and command all Our Customers, Comptrollers, and all other Our Officers at the Ports, and also the Farmers of Our Customes, and their Depu­ties, and Wayters, that they suffer not any Broad Cloth, Dozens, Kerseys, Bayes, Skins, or such like English Commodities, to bee shipped for exportation to those parts, nor any Hempe, Flaxe, dressed or vndressed, Yarne, Cable-Yarne, Cordage, Pot-ashes, Sope-ashes, Polonia-wooll, Eastland-Linnen-cloth, Pitch, Tarre, or Wood, or any other Commodi­ties whatsoeuer of those Forreyne parts and Regions, wherein the sayd Company haue vsed to trade, to be Landed, except onely such as shall be brought in by such as are free of the said Company. Prouided alwayes, that the Importation of Corne and Graine bee left free and without restraint, Any thing herein conteined to the contrary notwithstanding.

Furthermore, whereas there hath been in ancient time diuers good and politique Lawes made against the shipping of Merchandize in Strangers Bottomes, either Inward or Outward, as namely the Statutes of 5. Rich. 2.4. Henr. 7.32. Henr. 8. which Lawes of later yeeres haue been much neglected, to the great preiudice of the Nauigation of Our Kingdome: Wee doe straitly charge and command, that the said Lawes be from hencefoorth duely put in execution, & that none of the said Company, nor any other, be permitted to Export or Import any of the aboue-mentioned Commodities in other then English Bottoms, vpon the Paines in the said Statutes contained, and vpon paine of Our high indignation and displeasure to­wards all Our Officers and Ministers which shall bee found slacke and remisse in procuring and assisting the due execution of the sayd Lawes.

Giuen at Our Court at Whitehall the seuenth day of March, 1629. in the fift yeere of Our Reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.

God saue the King.