THE Queenes Maiestie being certainely informed, through the manifold and dayly complaints made to her Highnesse, aswell by her owne Subiects, as others, of the continuall Depredations and Piracies committed on the Seas, by certaine lewde and ill disposed persons, pretending to make warre against the enemies of her Maiestie, and of this Estate; And finding that the ordinary Proceedings helde of late times for the suppressing of these enormities, and offences, haue wrought lesse reformation then was expected; In her princely care to preserue Iustice, as one of the maine pillars of her estate, and for the speedier repressing of al such Piracies and Depredations, crimes most hateful to her minde, & scandalous to her peaceable gouernment, And for the better continuance of amitie with al other Princes and States, not enemies to her Maiestie: Hath with the aduise of her Priuie Counsel not only bene at charges some few moneths since, to send out a Pinnace of her owne now in the Straits to search those seas for such offenders, and to vse all good meanes by force, or otherwise to take and bring home all such of her Subiects, as be­ing Pirates doe robbe and spoile the Subiects of her friendes, not any way caring to obey any Lawes, or other Orders lately published vpon the growing on of these fowle crimes, and Piracies, coloured by other Uoyages; But also for pre­uention of any more such lewde purposes in any that are to goe foorth, Hath set downe certaine Articles hereafter fol­lowing, Which her Highnesse commandeth all her Officers whom it may concerne, of what degree soeuer, to see duely executed: Wherein if any maner of person shalbe found culpable, or wilfully negligent, Her Maiestie declareth hereby, that punishment shalbe inflicted vpon him or them with such seueritie, as the example thereof shall terrifie all others from committing any so odious crimes.

FIrst, That no man of warre be furnished, or set out to Sea, without licence vnder the great Seale of the Ad­miraltie, vpon sufficient bonds with Sureties, first giuen to the Iudge of the high Court of the Admiraltie, or to his Deputie, for the good behauiour of themselues and Company, towards her Maiesties friends and Allies, according to the purport and limitation of the said Bonds with their Conditions, and the true mea­ning of them, vnder paine of death, and confiscation of lands and goods, not onely to the Captaine and Mar­riners, but to the owners and Uictuallers; Besides the satisfying to the partie damnified of all his losses, costes and da­mages, if the Company of the said Shippe shall commit any Piracie, Depredation, or murther at the Sea vpon any of her Maiesties friendes.

ITem, That if any person whatsoeuer, shall vpon the Seas, take any Ship that doeth belong to any of her Maiesties friends, and Allies, or to any of their Subiects, And after knowledge had, that the saide Ship doeth belong to her friends, doeth not forbeare to stay the same, vnlesse it shalbe laden with goods of her Maiesties enemies, or with mar­chandizes of such nature or qualitie, as may serue to furnish the King of Spaine his Armies, or Nauies, and going into the kingdomes of Spaine and Portugall, Or shall take out of it any goods belonging to her said friends, except goods of the aforesaid nature or qualitie, bound for Spaine, or Portugall; He or they so offending shall suffer death with confisca­tion of lands and goods, according to the Law in that case prouided.

ITem, That all Admirall causes (except the causes nowe depending before the Commissioners for causes of Depreda­tions) shall bee summarily heard by the Iudge of the high Court of the Admiraltie, without admitting any vnnecessa­ry delay.

ITem, That no appeale from him be admitted to the defendant or defendants, in causes of Depredation, either against the offenders, or their Accessaries, before or after the offence committed, Or those in whose possession the goods spoyled are found; Unlesse first by way of prouision, the summe adiudged, be payed to the plaintife vpon Sureties to repay it, if the Sentence shalbe reuersed.

ITem, That no prohibition in such cases of Spoile, and their accessaries, or dependances be granted hereafter.

ITem, That no Prizes taken shalbe disposed of, till adiudication giuen by the saide Iudge, and order giuen by him, for the disposing thereof, vnder paine of confiscation of Ship and goods: And the parties who shal buy, take or receiue any part thereof so disposed before Sentence, to bee fined to her Maiesties vse, and their bodies imprisoned during her Maiesties pleasure.

[Page] ITem, That the Uiceadmirals, or Maiors, Bailifs, or other chiefe Officers of euery Port, Admirals of themselues, shall not suffer any Man of warre to put to sea, without such licence from the Iudge of the Admiraltie, as aforesayd, neither suffer any Man of warre to dispose of or vnlade (without vrgent necessity, and in that case to be safely kept and cellered) any goods taken at fea, till such iudgement and order by the sayd Iudge, as aforesayd, vnder paine to euery Uiceadmirall, or other such Officer, transgressing this Article, to forfeit to her Maiestie one hundred pounds, for a fine, for euery such offence, besides the satisfying to the party damnified, of all his losses, costs and dammages.

ITem, That no bond be taken of any Man of warre, but by the sayd Iudge of the Admiralty, that the same may be al­wayes foorth-comming in the Office, to answere all complaints: And the sayd bondes to be taken to the vse of the Lord Admirall, which he is to assigne ouer to the parties damnified, vpon iust complaint.

ITem, That no ship or goods taken from any her Maiesties friends, shalbe deliuered by any other order, then vpon proofe made in the sayd Court of the Admiraltie, before the sayd Iudge of the Admiraltie or his Deputie, to the end that a Re­cord may be kept of all such restitutions made to Strangers, to serue when occasion shall require.

ITem, That the sayd Iudge of the Admiraltie, vpon sufficient notice giuen to him in the Office of the Admiraltie, of any Man of warre gone to the Sea without licence from him vnder the great Seale of the Admiraltie first obtained: Or of any, who haue disposed, solde, or alienated any ship or goods whatsoeuer, taken at Sea, before such iudgement, as afore­sayd, giuen by the sayd Iudge, shall proceed against the sayd ship, goods, or partie, according to law in that case prouided, within the space of three moneths next following, vpon paine to incurre her Maiesties heauy displeasure.

ITem, That for the better information of the sayd Iudge, euery Uiceadmirall is enioyned by this Proclamation (where­of he shall take notice at his perill) to certifie into the sayd Court of the Admiraltie, euery quarter of a yeere, what Man of warre hath gone to the Sea, or returned home, with any goods taken at Sea, or the procedue thereof, vpon paine to lose to her Maiestie (by way of fine) for euery such default, twenty pounds of English money, to be answered into her Maiesties Receit of the Exchequer, by Certificate from the sayd Iudge of the Admiraltie vnder the great Seale of that Office, to be directed to the Lord Treasurer, and Barons of the Exchequer.

ITem, That no ship or vessell furnished to Sea in warlike maner, shall enter into the Streits, or Mediterranean Sea, vpon paine to the Offenders, of confiscation of goods and lands, and of whatsoeuer there taken, and further, to suffer as in case of Piracie.

LAstly, It is straitly prohibited to all English Men of warre that shall go to the Seas, that they, nor any of them (vn­der paine of death to the Offenders as in cases of Piracie, and to the Owners, confiscation of their ship or ships of war) shall sell, alienate, or dispose of any goods taken at Sea, either in Argier, Tunis, Zant, Petrasse, or any other place in Barbarie, Greece, or Italie, or elsewhere, but in the kingdome of England only: Neither shall any of her Maiesties subiects, residing for the time in Barbarie, or places adioyning, or any other place out of England, dare to buy or receiue, directly or indirectly, any such goods taken at the Seas, vnder paine of confiscation of his owne proper goods, chattels, and lands here in Eng­land, and such other punishment, as by the Law may be inflicted vpon a contemner of her Maiesties Edicts and Procla­mations. Giuen at her Maiesties Manour of Richmond, the twentieth day of March, in the foure and fortieth yeere of her Highnesse reigne.

God saue the Queene.