WHereas the safeguard and protection We owe to such of Our own Subjects, and to all others in League and Amity with Vs, as pass and repass the Seas belonging to these Our Kingdoms, have beén always a principal part of Our Royal care and concern; And whereas We find already, that the freédom and security of Navigation and Commerce to and from Our Ports (in this time of Hostility between Our Neighbour Princes and States) hath beén much disturbed, nay the Reverence due to Our Ports, Harbours, and other Places under Our own immediate protection, hath beén violated by the Piratical Practices, Depredations, and Insolen­cies of Private Men of War, and others pretending Commission for the present Hostilities; We have thought fit (by the advice of Our Privy Coun­cil) after an exact view first taken of the Rules, Ordinances, and Provisi­ons made upon the like occasions by Our Royal Progenitors and Our Self, to revive, establish, ratify and publish to all the World, these Rules and Ordinances following. Our Royal Will and Pleasure therefore is,

I. That within Our Ports, Havens, Roads and Creéks, as also in every other Place or Tract at Sea, that may be reasonably construed to be within any of those Denominations, Limits or Pre­cincts, there shall be an inviolable Truce and Cessation of all Hostilities betweén all persons and parties whatsoever; and that no Force, Violence, Surprize, or Offence shall be done therein either from Man of War to Man of War, or from Man of War to Merchant, or from Merchant to Merchant, that happen to be in Hostility the one against the other, but that all of what Nation or Party soever, so long as they shall be within Our Ports, Harbours, or other Places reputed to be within Our more im­mediate protection, and where Our Commanders and Officers are accomptable for the publick Peace, [Page] shall be understood to be under Our special safe conduct, and must keép the Peace inviolably each with other. And We do further Declare, and hereby denounce, That the Ships and Goods of all Aggres­sors, Actors and Offenders whatsoever, against the true meaning of this Our Ordinance and Procla­mation, are and shall be ipso facto confiscate, and proceéded against in Our High Court of Admiralty to Sentence and Condemnation according to Law, notwithstanding any Commission of War; or Letters of Reprizals such Offenders may have, or pretend to have for their justification.

II. We will and command, that all Our Officers and Subjects by Sea and Land, do, as much as in them lies, prohibit the roving and hovering of Men of War so near the Entry of any of Our Har­bours or Our Coasts, as that Merchantmen homeward or outward bound to or from any of Our Ports shall apprehend their passage to be unsafe, or their danger of being set upon and surprized ap­parent, to the hindring and diverting of Trade and Commerce from Our Ports; And We do strictly charge and require Our said Officers and Subjects, to rescue, succour and defend all Merchantmen and others, that shall happen to be set upon or surprized so near Our Coasts, or the Entry of Our Harbours, as may be easily construed to be under Our more special Care and Protection; and that they apprehend and seize all Offenders in this kind, in order to bring them to condigne punishment, for disturbing and hindring the Trade and Commerce betweén Our Subjects and those of Our Neighbours and Allies.

III. That where it happens that a Man of War of the one party come into any of Our Ports, where there shall be a Merchantman (one or more) of the other party, such Merchant Ship or Ships, if they desire it, shall be suffered to depart the Port two Tides before the Man of War, to the intent they may get themselves out of his reach and pursuit; And if it happen that any Man of War (one or more) of the one party do come in while any Man or Men of War of the other party are in Our Ports or Roads, none shall be suffered to go out to Sea the same Tide with his Enemy; but those that are most likely to pursue and engage assoon as they are out of Our Ports, shall be stayed and detained two Tides after those of the adverse party are put to Sea.

IV. And We do hereby charge and require all Vice-Admirals, Customers and other Our Officers in Ports and Maritime Places, that they visit all Ships and Vessels belonging to Our Subjects, that shall victual, furnish, or recruit themselves for Voyages at Sea; And that they stay and detain all such as they shall suspect by the provision or furniture to be designed for any other then trading or fishing Voyages, until further Order from Vs, or Our High Admiral, or Commissioners for execu­ting the Office of High Admiral.

V. And We do further straitly Command and Require all Governors and Officers in Ports, and other Maritime places, not to suffer any Private Man of War, Sayling by a Foreign Com­mission, and having any Prize or Prizes (that he may have taken) in his power and possession, to stay above Twenty four hours in any of Our Ports or Harbors, unless he be thereto constrained by contrary Winds, Blocking up by Enemies, or other Distress; yet so, that during his stay he do not break Bulk, Sell, Barter, or leave behind him any of his Prize-goods, upon any terms or pretence whatsoever. And We further require Our Officers and Subjects, not to interpose or meddle in the Affairs and Proceedings of such Men of War as put into Our Ports upon any di­stress with Foreign Commissions, but to suffer them to carry away their Prizes whither them­selves think fit; provided they have not the Goods or Merchandizes of any of Our own Subjects on Board such Prizes, which if they happen to have, Our meaning is, that they be upon due proof taken out and restored to the true Proprietors.

[Page] VI. We do straitly Require and Command, That none of Our Subjects, of what degree or con­dition soever, do presume to buy, contract or deal with any Foreign Men of War, their Officers or Company, or with any other person coming from Sea, not being a known Merchant, for any Wares, Merchandises, Victuals, Ammunition, Tackle, Furniture, Provisions, or Goods what­soever, (not brought in by the course of Merchandise, and the Customs and Duties upon them first paid) upon pain of forfeiting all such Wares and Goods, as Bona Piratarum ought to be, and of be­ing further proceeded against, and punished in Our High Court of Admiralty, as Abettors and Complices of Pirats, and as Receivers of Pirats and their Goods ought to be, by the Laws and Customs of the Sea in that behalf.

VII. And whereas divers of Our Subjects, out of their inclinations to Rapine and Licentious Courses, rather then to Trading Voyages, and other honest Employments at home, do engage some of one side, and some of the other, in the Quarrels of Our Neighbor Princes and States now in War, without Our leave or permission, We do hereby straitly Command and Require, that no Officer or Mariner whatsoever, being Our Subject, do presume to put himself into the Martial Ser­vice of any Foreign Prince or State, or accept of, and execute any Commission of War, or Letter of Marque or Reprizal, from any such Prince or State, or go in any Merchant or Fishing Voyage, in any other Ship or Vessel, then such as belong to Our own Subjects, without leave from Our Self, or Our High Admiral of England, or Commissioners for executing the Office of High Admiral for the time being, in due form first obtained. And We do hereby charge and command all Officers, Mariners, and Sea-faring men whatsoever, that are now in any such Service, to leave the same forthwith, and get their Appearance and Return to their native Countrey Recorded in Our High Court of Admiralty, or before some of Our Officers thereto impowred, upon pain of being reputed and punished as Pirats: And in case any Officer or Mariner, neglecting to return upon these Our Summons, happen at any time hereafter to come into any Port or Place of Our Dominions, We do hereby Charge and Require all Vice-Admirals, and other Our Officers in Ports and Maritime places, to apprehend and seize such person or persons, and him or them so seized, to commit to the next Gaol, there to remain until further order, and the Certificate thereof to return with all speed into Our High Court of Admiralty, to the end that the Offendor or Offendors may be proceeded against according to the Laws of this Our Realm in that behalf Provided.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall the 26^th day of May, In the Eight and twentieth year of Our Reign. 1676.

GOD SAVE THE KING.