WHereas it hath pleased Almighty God in His great Goodness to put an end to the late War, in which His Majesty and His Allies were Ingaged against the French King, by the Conclusion of Peace betweén His Majesty and the Princes and States in Confederacy with Him and the said French King, upon such a Foundation as, by the Blessing of God, may prove effectual to procure a Firm and Lasting Tran­quility to Europe: His Majesty therefore adoring the Divine Goodness, and duly considering that such great and publick Blessings do call for publick and solemn Acknowledgments, hath thought fit (by the Advice of His Privy Council) to Issue this His Royal Proclamation, hereby Appointing and Commanding that a General Thanksgiving to Al­mighty God, for these His Mercies, be Observed throughout this Kingdom of England, Do­minion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, on Thursday the Second Day of De­cember next. And for the better and more orderly Solemnizing the same, We have gi­ven Directions to the most Reverend the Archbishops and Right Reverend the Bishops of this Kingdom, to Compose a Form of Prayer suitable to this Occasion, to be Vsed in all Churches and Chapels and other Places of Publick Worship and t [...] take Care for the timely Dispersing of the same throughout their respective Dioceses. And We do strictly Charge and Command that the said Publick Day of Thanksgiving be Religi­ously Observed by all our Loving Subjects as they tender the Favour of Almighty God, and upon Pain of suffering such Punishment, as We can justly Inflict upon all such who shall Contemn or Neglect the same.

Given at Our Court at Kensington the Seventeenth Day of November, 1697. In the Ninth Year of Our Reign.

God save the King.