¶ By the queen,  
WHere the ancient intercourse of marchaundizes betwixt our Countries and the low Countries of the king of spain our good brother, hath ben of late interrupted by sundry prohibitions made in the said low Countries, as well against the carrying of the commodities of our realm into those parties, as for the bringing certain commodities of those low Countries, and many other, through the same into this our realm, whereby at the beginning such hyndraunce appeared likely to ensue to the subiectes on both partes, as it was motioned and thought meet by us both that a metyng and diet should be devised and accorded within some convenient time, for the redress of such matters as were pretended to be the causes of the said prohibitions. And now by process of time it is become manifest that although the foresaid prohibitions were of their own nature hurtful to the subiectes on both parti●s, so as therof depended an expectation of a redress for both our subiectes: yet the usage and maner of execution of the same prohibitions, on the other side, do now directly and notoriously benefit and enrich only the subiectes and inhabitants of the said low Countries, and directly and notoriously hurt & injury our proper subiectes, not only by the plain stopping and restraynyng of our merchants from their ancient trade accustomend into those Countries: but by the continual haunting into our realm of them only of the low country, and by stuffyng and burdenyng our realm with all superfluous and vnnedefull wears even contrary to their own prohibitions, and consequently by carrying away the treasure & moneys out of our realm. For although by general words of their prohibitions, the wollen clothes of our realm are utterly forbidden to be brought thither, vpon a pretence of infection, and likewise other commodities whereupon our handicrafts people should labour, be straightly forbidden to be brought hither by any person out of the said low Countries: Notwithstanding it is well known, that the greater part of those commodities, come originally from high Almayne and other Remote Countries, and haue as it were but their passage through those low Countries, yet a great number of people of the same low Countries, either as contempnyng their own prohibitions, or having by special labour some secret licences, do daily carry, as they haue all this summer also used to do, all such clothes, without any scruple of infection, as they can by any means with favour, and sometime without knowledge of officers, obtain to be transported out of our realm, and likewise cease not to bring great quantities of all kind of wears, and specially such as are most superfluous into this our realm, returning for the same, as experience doth prove, moneys and plate from hence in all the secretest maner that they can. whereupon although we haue born herewith very long, yet now we are necessarily compelled to provide speedy remedy for our loving subiectes, according to the natural care which we are bound to haue of the public estate of our said subiectes, in matters so manifestly sought to undo them. For the relief whereof, we are also daily sued unto by the company of our merchants adventurers, who haue not shipped any clothes out of this realm, as they were accustomend, into those low Countries, by the space of these thirteen months, being thereby sore charged with the commodities remaining vpon their hands: That although vpon long expectation of some common order to be taken betwixt us and the counsel of our good brother rulyng for him in the said low Countries, they haue to their great charges, remained without trading any kind of marchaundizes, either into, or out of those Countries: yet it might please us to haue compassion of them, and to permit them with our favour, and without further delay, to carry their clothes which were shipped five months passed, into some other places and countries meet for them, considering they see neither liberty, nor surety to resort into the low Countries, as they were accustomend. And further, that this unordinate usage of the merchants of the low Countries 〈…〉 permitted to be continued in our Countries, by the● 〈…〉 intent to overthrow and impoueryshe all other 〈…〉 vpon this urgent necessity, first licensed our said merchants, 〈…〉 any other convenient place where they shall think best, being out of these low Countries as we back 〈◇〉 but their commodities shall for their proper valves and estimate, be desired in very many places. And next, we do ordain and straightly charge and command, that until these late great disorders and interruptions of the intercourse by these prohibitions, and specially by the notable partial misvsage therof shal be reformed and repaired( whereunto for our parte we are so willing as we will refuse no reasonable means) no maner commodity, wears, or marchaundizes, growing, wrought, or provided in the said low Countries, or coming through the same, shal be from the publication hereof, by any maner of person, transported from the said low Countries, hither into this our realm, or into any Port or creak therof, vpon pain of forfeiture of the same, the one half therof to us, and the other to any person that shall give due information therof either to our privy counsel, or into our Exchequer, as other informations are given, within two months after the offence committed against this our Proclamation.  
given at our Castle of windsor the .xxiii. day of March .1563. in the sixte year of our reign.  
God save the queen.   

¶ Imprinted by Richard jug and John Cawood, Printers to the queens majesty.  


Cum privilegio Regiae Maiestatis.