WILLIAM by the Grace of God, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, To Macers of Our Priv [...] Council, Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally, specially Constitute; Greet­ing. Forasmuch as, It is requisite and necessary, That during this present War, which so much concerns the Defence and Security of the Protestant Religion, and of Our Kingdoms, Rules and Orders be set down for Recruits, Levies and Deserters, whereby fre­quent Disorders and Oppressions may be prevented, and unfit men may not be Engaged, and none may be Troubled upon the head of Desertion, but such as are truly Deserters: There­fore, We with Advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, Conform to the Thirty third Act Fifth Session of this Our Current Parliament, Entituled Act for the Levies: Do Hereby Appoint and Ordain, that no Officer, either at Home or from Abroad, offer to Take on, or Press any Free Leidge to be a Souldier, unless the Man be Taken on by Agreement, own­ed by him in presence of the Judge of the Bounds. And if any Officer shall Contraveen this Order, and Press or Compel any Man contrair to the Rule hereby Established, that it shall be reckoned Oppression, and the Transgressor punished by the Fyne of a Months Pay, and fur­ther by Imprisonment, or Breaking and Casheering, as the saids Lords of Our Privy Council shall think sit. And further, We with Advice foresaid, Do strictly Prohibit and Discharge all Our Officers which have come for Recruits from Flanders, to Seize upon any persons as Deserters, but such as have Deserted from Our Scots Regiments in Flanders since they were there, and none others: And allows the Officers of Our Forces in this Our ancient Kingdom, to Seize upon none upon the head of Desertion, but such as have Deserted from one or o­ther of the saids Regiments, of which they are at present Officers: And Discharge any per­son to be Seized upon, on pretence of Desertion before our Accession to the Crown. And for preventing any Mistake anent Passes, given to such as have been Souldiers: We with Advice foresaid, Do herby Appoint and Ordain, That no Pass be sustained for any Souldier from Our Forces in Flanders, or out of this Kingdom, unless the same be Subscribed at least by the Collonel of the Regiment, to which he belonged. And that no Pass be sustained for any of the Souldiers of the standing Regiments of this Kingdom, unless the same be Subscri­bed by the Collonel of the Regiment, or by one of the Field-Officers, Commander of the Regiment for the time, to which he belonged; and Declares, that the Passes Signed in man­ner foresaid, shall free the persons in whose favours they are granted. And further, We with Advice foresaid, Do hereby Ratify and Revive, all former Acts and Proclamations, made anent Recruits, Levies, or Deserters, except in so far, as the samen are hereby Innovat or Altered. Our Will is Herefore, and we Charge you strictly, and Command, That in Continent thir Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and remanent Mercat-Crosses of the Head-Burghs of the several Shires and Stewartries within this Our [...]ingdom, and There in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make Intima­ [...] [...]hereof, that none may pretend ignorance. And Ordains Our Sollicitor to Transmit [...]rinted Copies hereof, to the Sheriffs of the several Shires of this Kingdom, to be sent [...]y them, to the Ministers of the several Paroches within their respective Shires: and Ap­points the Ministers of the Paroches, to cause Intimat these Proclamations in their Paroch Churches where they are Ministers, immediately at the Dissolution of the Congregation, and that either from the Pulpit, or at the Church-Doors. And Ordains these Presents to be Printed and Published.

GOD Save the King.