AS it hath euer beene held a principall Office of Christian Kings, to seeke by all pious meanes the aduaucement of Christian Religion; so the consideration thereof, hath beene a speciall motiue vnto Vs, from time to time, as often as cause hath required, to further, by Our Royall authority, the good disposition of any of Our well affected Subiects, that haue a will to attempt the discouering and planting in any parts of the World, as yet sauage and vnpossessed by the Subiects of any Christian Prince or State. And now for that, by Gods sacred fauour, there is likely to ensure great ad­uancement of his glory, Our Crown, and State, by reason of Our grant heeretofore made to the Counsell for the managing of the affaires of New England in America, being in breadth from forty degrees of Northerly lati­tude from the Equinoctiall line, to forty eight degrees of the sayd Northerly latitude, and in length by all the breadth aforesayd, thorowout the maine land from Sea to Sea; We cannot but continue Our speticall respect and fauour vnto them in their endeuours, and exercise Our Royall authority against the hinderers thereof. Wherefore, hauing receined certaine information of many and intolerable abused offered by sundry interlopers, irregular and disobedient persons, that seeking principally their present and priuate profits, haue not only impeached some of the Planters there, of their lawfull pos­sessions, but also taken from them their Limber without giuing any satisfaction, as in iustice they ought to haue done: and not there with contented, haue rined whole woods to the vtter ruine of the same for euer after; as also, by casting of their ballast in the harbors of some of their Ilands, haue al­most made them vnseruiceable: And yet not so contented, by their promiscuous trading, aswell Mar­riners as Masters with the Sauages, haue ouerthrowne the trade and commerce that before was had, to the great profit of the Planters, and which were in deed their principall hopes for the aduance­ment of that plantation, next vnto the commodities that coast affords of Fishing: Neither heerwith satisfied, but as if they resolued to omit nothing that might be impious and intolerable, they did not forbeare to barter a way to the Sauages, Swords, Pikes, Our kets, Fowling peeces, Match, Pow­der, Shot, and other warlike weapons, and teach them the vse thereof, not only to their owne present punishment (diuers of them being shortly after slain by the same Sauages, whom they had so taught, and with the same weapons which they had furnished them withall) but also to the hazard of the liues of Our good subiects already planted there, and (asmuch as in them lay) to the making of the whole attempt it selfe (how pious and hopefull soeuer) frustrate, or so much the more difficult. We, for reformation and preuention of these or the like euils heereafter, and for the more cleare decla­ration of Our Kingly resolution and iust intents, both to maintayne Our Royall grant already made, and to vphold and encourage by all wayes and meanes the worthy dispositions of the vnder­takers of those designes, haue thought fit, and doe heerby straitly charge and command, That none of Our Subiects whatsoeuer, (not Aduenturers, Inhabitors or Planters in New England) presume from hencefoorth to frequent those Coasts, to trade or traffique with those people, or to intermedle in the woodes or freehold of any the Planters or Inhabitants (otherwise then by the licence of the sayd Counsell, or according to the orders established by Our Priuy Counsell for the releefe or ease of the transportation of the Colony in Virginia) vpon paine of Our high indignation, and the confiscati­on, penalties and for feitures in Our sayd Royall grant expressed: Leauing it neuerthelesse, in the meane time, to the discretion of the sayd Counsel for New England, to proceed against the foresayd offen­ders according to the same, especially, seeing We finde the armes of the sayd Counsell to bee open to re­ceiue into that plantation any of Our louing Subiects, who are willing to ioyne with them in the charge, and participate in the profits thereof.

Giuen at Our Court at Theobald, the sixt day of Nouember, in the yeere of Our Reigne of England, France, and Ireland, the twentieth, and of Scotland the sixe and fiftieth.

God saue the King.