WHereas by one Act Made and Passed in the last Session of Parliament, Intituled, An Act for the further Remedying the ill State of the Coin of the Kingdom, all His Majesties Re­ceivers, Collectors, and other Officers concerned in the Receipt or Collection of any Aids or Taxes, are Impowered and Required to Take and Receive in Payment from any of His Majesties Subjects all such Hammered Silver Coin as should be by them Ten­dred, before the First Day of June next, to such Receiver, Collector or other Officer, for or in Discharge of any future Aid or Tax at the Rate of Five Shillings and Eight Pence for every Ounce of such Hammered Silver Coin so Tendred; and the Tender or Payment of every Ounce of such Hammered Silver Coin should be as good a Discharge to the Person Tendring or Paying the same, his Heirs, Executors or Administrators for the Sum of Five Shillings and Eight Pence, as though the said Sum of Five Shillings and Eight Pence had beén Tendred or Paid in the Lawful Current Coin of this Kingdom. And whereas by another Act of the same Session, Intituled, An Act for Granting an Aid to His Majesty, as well by a Land Tax, as by several Subsidies and other Du­ties payable for One Year, it was Declared, That it should and might be Lawful to and for any Person or Persons, at any time before the First Day of June, One thousand six hundred ninety seven, to Satisfie and Pay to the respective Collector or Collectors in such Hammered Silver Moneys at such Rate, as aforesaid, all or any of the said Month­ly Payments Assessed upon him, her or them, by Virtue of the said Act, for the said whole Year, or for any Months thereof before hand. And by another Act made in the same Session, wherein there is Granted to His Majesty an Additional Aid of Twelve Pence in the Pound upon Land and other things, it is Provided, That every Person liable to pay the said Rate or Duty of One Shilling in the Pound or Double Duties by that Act Charged, should have the same Advantages and Privileges as in the like cases any Person or Persons ought to have by Virtue of the Act last before mentioned, for the Aid of Three Shillings in the Pound thereby Granted, as by the said several Acts of Parliament, Relation being thereunto respectively had, may more fully appear. And whereas great Complaints have beén made by His Majesties good Subjects in several Parts of this Realm, That the Receivers and Collectors of the said Aids or Taxes are very Negligent in Demanding, and Difficult in Receiving such Aids or Taxes, as by the Acts of Parliament before mentioned may be Paid in Hammered Moneys, at the Rate aforesaid, till the said First Day of June next; after which time such Hammered Moneys are not to be Received at that Rate for the said Aids or Taxes, or any of them: We have thought fit, by and with the Advice of His Majesties Privy Council, to Issue this Proclamation, strictly Charging and Requiring all and every the said Receivers General, and their Deputies, and all and singular the Collectors of such Aids or Taxes, which by the said Acts, or any of them, may be Paid to His Majesties Use in Hammered Silver Mo­neys, at the Rate of Five Shillings and Eight Pence an Ounce, until the First Day of June, as aforesaid, That they and every of them do forthwith Proceéd in their respective Receipts and Collections with their utmost Dili­gence, so that all His Majesties Loving Subjects who are desirous, before the said First Day of June next, to make their Payments in such Moneys at the Rate aforesaid, may not be Deprived of the Benefit and Advantage intended to them by the said Acts; and that the said Receivers, Deputies and Collectors, and every of them, be Careful in their respective Stations, not to Refuse such Hammered Silver Moneys as they ought to Receive pur­suant to the said Acts, as they Tender His Majesties High Displeasure, and would Avoid such Pains and Pe­nalties as by Law may be Inflicted for such their Neglect or Refusal.

Given at the Court at Whitehall the Sixth Day of May, 1697. In the Ninth Year of His Majesties Reign.

God save the King.