WILLIM by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; To [...] Macers of Our Pri­vy Council, Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjuctly and severally, specially Constitute, Greeting: For asmuchas, through the Goodness of GOD in the last seasonable Harvest, there wants not sufficiency of Victual for sub­sisting of all Our Liedges at reasonable and easie Rates, if on the one hand, the Exporting of Victual to Forraign Places, and on the other hand, the ill Practices of Forstallers and Regraters, do not hinder so great a Benefite. Therefore, and for preventing these Inconveniencies, We with Advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, hereby most strictly prohibit and discharge the exporting forth of this Kingdom by any Person whatsoever, either by Sea or Land, All, or any Kinds of Victual, ei­ther Meal, Wheat, Rye, Oats, Pease, Barley or Bear, Malted or not Malted, or any other Grain or Victual whatsoever (Ex­cept what shall be found necessary to be exported for the use of the COMPANY trading to AFRICA and the INDIES) after the Day and Date of these presents, under the pain of forefaulting the Victual offered to be exported, for the use of the Poor of the Bounds where the samen shall be Attacted and Seased, or the value thereof, when the same is proven to be Exported, and of the Horse, Ship, Boat, or other the Veessels whreeby the samen shall be attempted to be exported, with the Sum of Ten Pounds Scots for each Boll that shall be proven to be exported, or seased when transporting, to be payed by the Owner, Skipper, or Transporter; And We hereby Require and Command all Sheriffs, Stewarts, Baillies and their Deputs, Ma­gistrats of Burghs, Justices of Peace, or other Officers of the Law, to see and cause these Presents to be put to strict Execution, in all Points as they will be answerable, And farder, We hereby Authorise and Require Our Customers, and all Collectors, Survey­ers, Waiters, and other Officers at Sea-ports, and generally all Our Liedges, to discover and sease the Victual that shall be Ex­ported, or offered to be Exported, Promising and Allowing them the half of the pecunial Pains above-mentioned for their Re­ward, and that they themselves shall be subject to the like Pains as the Skipper or Owner for the Victual that shall be found ex­ported through their Default, Neglect or Connivance. And farder, We with Advice foresaid, for the more effectual disappoint­ing of the foresaid ill Practices of Forestallers and Regraters, do hereby permit and allow the importing of all sorts of Forraign Victual, whether by Natives or Strangers from any forraign Kingdom or Countrey whatsoever, and that ay and while this pre­sent License shall be discharged or Recalled. Our Will is herefore, and We charge you strictly, and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat cross of Edinburgh, and remanent Mercat-crosses of the haill Head-burghs of the seve­ral Shires and Stewartries within this Kingdom, and to all the several Sea-Port-Towns within the same, and make Publication hereof, and Appoints Our Solicitor to transmit a sufficient Number of Copies hereof to the Sheriffs of the several Shires, Stewarts of Stewartries; Baillies of Regalities, their Deputs or Clerks, to be published at their several Burghs, and likeways sent by them to the Magistrats of the several Sea Port Towns, there to be published by them under the Certification foresaid; As also Appoints Our Solicitor to deliver a sufficient Number of Copies of thir presents to the Taxmen of Our Customs, to be sent by them to the several Ports and Places of this Kingdom, where they keep Offices for collecting and in bringing of Our Customes, to be published thereat by the Collector or Surveyer residing there for the time, and Ordains these Presents to be Printed that none pretend Igno­rance.

God save the King.