WHereas in the Reigne of Our most deare and Royall Father, King IAMES of blessed memory, & since Our accesse to the Crowne, seuerall Proclamations haue been made and published concerning Tobacco, Yet notwithstanding all the care and prouidence which hath hitherto been vsed, We finde the vnlimited desire of gaine, and the inordinate appetite of taking Tobacco, hath so farre preuailed, that Tobacco hath been continued to bee planted in great quanti­ties, in seuerall parts of this Our Realme, and a vast proportion of vnseruiceable Tobacco made and brought from Our Colonies of Virginia Summer Ilands, and other Our Forreigne Plantations, besides an incredible quantity of Brasill and Spanish Tobacco imported hither, and secretly con­ueyed on Land. And it is now come to passe, That those Our Forreigne Plantations, that might become vsefull to this Kingdome, lingering onely vpon Tobacco, are in apparant danger to be vtterly ruined, vnlesse Wee speedily prouide for their subsistence; The bodies and manners of Our people are also in danger to bee corrupted, and the wealth of this King­dome exhausted by so vselesse a Weede as Tobacco is; which beeing represented vnto Us by the humble Petition of Our louing Subiects the Planters and Aduenturers in Virginia, and also by the like humble Petition of the Retailers and Sellers of Tobacco in and about Our Cities of London and Westminster, Wee haue thought it worthy of Our Princely care, as a mat­ter not only fit for Our profit, & the profit of Our people, but much concerning Us in Our ho­nour and gouernment so to regulate the same, and compell due obedience thereto, that Our Forreigne Plantations and Colonies may bee supported and encouraged, and they made vse­full to this Kingdome, by applying themselues to more solide commodities, that the healths of Our Subiects may be preserued, the wealth of this Kingdome enlarged, and the manners of Our people so ordered and gouerned, that the world may not iustly taxe Us, that these are at once endangered only by the licentious vse of Tobacco. And therfore hauing seriously adui­sed hereof, Wee, by the aduice of Our Priuie Councell, haue now resolued vpon, and published these Our Commands following concerning Tobacco, which Our Royall will and pleasure is, shall be in all things obserued vpon paine of Our highest displeasure, and of such paines, pe­nalties and punishments, as by Our Court of Exchequer, and Court of Starre-Chamber, and by any other Courts and ministers of Iustice, or by Our Prerogatiue Royall can be in­flicted vpon the offendors.

[Page] And first, Our will and Command is, that no person whatsoeuer doe at any time here­after plant, preserue, or maintaine any Tobacco, which is, hath been, or shall be planted in Our Kingdomes of England or Ireland, or Dominion of Wales, or in the Islands of Iersey or Guernesey, but that the same bee vtterly displanted and destroyed, and that none presume or aduenture to Buy, Sell, or vtter any such Tobacco, the same being vtterly vnwholesome to bee taken.

And further, that no Tobacco whatsoeuer be from hencefoorth imported into these Our realms, or any Hauen, Port, Creeke or place therof, which is, or shal be of the growth of any the parts or places beyond the Seas, belonging to, or vnder the obedience of any foreine King, Prince, or State whatsoeuer; But such, and so much thereof onely, as Wee shall specially allow to be imported, vntill it shal be fully setled betweene those Forreine Princes and Us, according to those Treaties which are betweene Us, that Our Subiects may not vnthriftily vent the solide Commodities of Our owne Kingdomes, and returne the proceed thereof in Smoake.

And further We will and command, that no Tobacco of the growth of any of Our English Plantations in Virginia the Sommer Islands, Caribee Islands, or other Islands or places in America, or the Coasts thereof, be at any time hereafter imported or brought into Our Kingdomes of England or Ireland, or Dominion of Wales, at any other Port then at, or in Our Port of London onely, and the same duely entred in Our Custome-houses there, nor that any greater quan­titie thereof bee imported there, then Wee by the aduice of Our Priuie Councell shall hold fit, and vnder Our Priuie Seale, shall declare to bee competent for the expence of these Our Kingdomes, Wee not thinking it fit to admit of an immeasurable expence of so vaine and needlesse a Commoditie, which ought to bee vsed as a Drugge onely, and not so vainely and wantonly as an euill habite of late times hath brought it vnto.

And these sorts of Tobacco which shall be thus brought from Our owne Colonies, Wee will take present order shall bee well ordered and made vp, and so certified to bee, vnder the hand of the Gouernour of that place, and when the same shall be brought hither, shall bee a­gaine Searched, Tryed and Sealed, that Our Subiects be not abused by corrupt Tobacco.

And Our expresse Command is, that whatsoeuer Tobacco shall be taken, which shall be imported contrary to this Our Proclamation, the same shall be forfeited and confiscate, and by the Officers of that Port or place where it shall bee taken, shall be immediatly burnt.

And for the ordering and gouerning of the expence and vse of Tobacco when it shall be im­ported, Wee, by the aduice of Our Priuie Councell, shall speedily direct such a course as Wee shall hold fit, which Wee expect shall be also in all things obserued.

And Wee straitly charge and Command all Our Customers, Comptrollers, Searchers, and all other the Officers and Ministers of Our Ports, that they and euery of them in their seuerall places, doe carefully and faithfully obserue Our Royal Command, in, and concerning the premisses; and if any of them shall be found remisse or negligent therein, or to conniue at a­ny such offender, that hee or they shall for such their fault, without any remission be remooued from the place or places of his or their attendance on Our seruice.

And to the end Our pleasure and Command hereby published, may be the better executed, Wee doe hereby will, require and Command, all Maiors, Sheriffes, Iustices of peace, Bay­liffes, Headboroughs, and other Our Officers and louing Subiects whatsoeuer, to be aiding and assisting, and so much as in them lyeth, to take care that the premisses herein mentioned, be duly put in execution, as they tender their duetie and allegeance to Us, and will answere the contrary at their vttermost perils.

Giuen at Our Court at Whitehall the sixt day of Ianuary, in the sixt yeere of Our Reigne.

God saue the King.