VVHereas the sole Trade to the East-Indies, by divers Royal Grants, as well of the late King Our Dearly Beloved Brother of ever Blessed Memory, as other Our Noble Progenitors, hath beén heretofore Granted to the Governour and Company of the Merchants of London, Trading to the East-Indies, with express Prohibition to all other their Subjects to Trade there, and that such Trade by the great Industry, Charge and Expence of the said Company, hath for several years last past, been maintained and carried on to the great Honour and Profit of the Nation, till of late that several ill disposed Persons preferring their peculiar Gain before the Profit and Repu­tation of the Nation, and to the utter decay and overthrow of so beneficial a Trade to this King­dom, which cannot be Supported without the joynt Assistance and Managery by a Company, have in a Clandestine and Disorderly manner Traded into those Parts, in express Disobedience, not onely to the several Prohibitions contain­ed in those Letters Patents, but to divers Royal Proclamations set forth for that purpose, pursuant to the undoubt­ed Prerogative of the Crown for Licencing, Limiting, and Regulating such Foreign Trade into so remote parts of the VVorld. And whereas the late King Our Dearly beloved Brother, out of his abundant Grace and Tenderness to his Subjects, was Graciously pleased to permit his unquestionable Prerogative in that point, to be Argued and Disputed at the Common Law, to the intent his Subjects might be without any excuse for their Disobedience, which having received a publick Decision and Determination in Our Highest Ordinary Court of Common Law; VVe do expect from all Our Loving Subjects an intire Obedience thereunto; And at the humble Petition of the said Compa­ny, VVe do give Leave, and Direct, That such Offenders, who contrary to the said Letters Patents and Procla­mations, have Contumaciously Invaded the said Trade, in Contempt of the Crown and Dignity of Our late Bro­ther, be proceeded against at Law, in Our Name, to the intent they may be Punished according to their Demerits. And to the end all Our Loving Subjects may for the future avoid the Forfeitures and Penalties, which may be incur­red by their Disobedience in this behalf; VVe have thought fit, by and with the Advice of Our Privy Council, to Pub­lish Our Royal Pleasure to be, and VVe do hereby strictly Prohibit and Forbid all and every Our Loving Subjects whatsoever, Except the said Company and their Successors, and others Trading by the said Companies Licence; to Trade into, Visit, or Haunt the said East-Indies, or any Port, Creék, Haven or Place within the Limits in the said Company's Charter, Granted to them by Our late Brother in the Thirteenth Year of His Reign, upon Pain of Our High Displeasure, and of being Proceeded against as Contemners of Our Laws and Royal Authority, and also of incurring the Forfeiture and Loss of the Goods and Merchandises, and the Ships and Vessels with their Furniture, when and so often as they shall be taken or found Trading or Navigating within any of the Ports, Rivers, Creeks, Havens or Places within the Limits of the said Company's Charter, or beyond the Cape of Bona Speranza: And to the end Our VVill and Pleasure herein may be the better Observed and Executed, VVe do hereby also strictly Require and Command Our Governours, Deputy Governours, Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Generals, Iudges of Our Courts of Admiralty, Commanders of Our Forts and Castles, Captains of Our Royal Ships, Provost-Marshals, Marshals, Comptrollers, Collectors of Our Customs, VVaitors, Searchers, and all other Our Officers and Mini­sters, Civil and Military by Sea or Land, in all and every Our Foreign Dominions and Plantations, and also all and singular Captains and Commanders of Ships, and all other Persons imployed or to be imployed in the Service of the said East-India Company, to be aiding and assisting to Attack, Arrest, Take and Seize for Our Vse the Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels with their Furniture, Goods, VVares, and Merchandises, of all and every Our Subjects, o­ther then the said Company and their Successors, and such as shall be Imployed or Licensed by them, which they shall find on Sea or Land, within the Limits of Our said Charter Granted to the said Company, according to the Tenor of the said Charter Granted to the said Company, and to proceed to Condemnation thereof in any of Our Courts in Our said Foreign Dominions and Plantations, upon Pain of Our High Displeasure, and as they will Answer the Contrary at their Perils: And VVe do by this Our Proclamation Require and Command all and every of Our Sub­jects except such who are of the said Company, or Imployed or Licensed by the said Company, who are or reside with­in any of the Parts and Places in the East-Indies, or within any of the Limits of the said Companies Charter, or are upon the Seas in order to their Voyages thither, that they and every of them do within the space of Eight Months next ensuing after the Date hereof return into this Our Kingdom upon Pain and Penalty that shall fall thereon.

Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the First Day of April 1685. In the First Year of Our Reign.

GOD SAVE THE KING.