❧ By the queen.  
A proclamation to repress all piracies and depredations vpon the Seas.  
FOrasmuch as it is come to the queens majesties understanding, by means of certain complaints, as well by her own subiectes as others, that there are sundry persons vpon the narrow Seas, of diuers nations, and some born within her majesties dominions, having ships armed in warlike maner, who partly at the first went manifestly to the Seas in maner of merchants, & haue afterward by sinister means changed their trade, and armed themselves for the war: some others haue secretly stolen out of obscure places, with a pretence in these troublesone times, that are seen as well eastward betwixt the kingdom of denmark & Sweden, and their adherents, as westward in the dominions of france, both lamentable to behold, to serve on the Seas either on the one part or the other, and yet in deed haue at length directed themselves from all lawful service of warres, to live as pirates, robbing and spoiling al maner of honest merchants of every nation without difference, whom they are able to subdue. For remedy whereof, although her majesty hath of late time given certain straight orders through all her ports, that no maner of persons, other then known merchants, should be suffered to sell or distribute any maner of wears or merchandises in any her ports, nor that any within her realm should victual, or otherwise relieve any maner of person any wise to be suspected of piracy. Yet now vpon these new complaints, her majesty finding that thereby hath followed no such full remedy as was looked for: for that purpose her majesty hath thought meet to devise & publish by her proclamation some further effectual remedy. And therfore doth straightly charge & command al maner her subiectes, to forbear from aiding or receiving of any pirate, or any person having not lawful authority from her majesty, or not being a known merchant by contractyng, buying, selling or exchaungyng or by vittaylyng of them or any of their company, whereby they or any of them shal be the more enabled to return to the Seas to commit any piracy or disorder, vpon pain for so doing to be punished presently, as the principal offenders and pirates ought to be. And furthermore, whosoever shall hereafter arm o● prepare any vessel to the sea, except it be such as shall by her majesties authority be specially appoynted to keep the Seas, as her majesty now is occasioned to do for some other respects, or such as shall haue express licence and permission by her majesty: the same shall give knowledge to the officers of the ports of their whole furniture, who shal duly search and visit the same, to the intent to stay such persons as apparauntly shal be so furnished for the warres, and not for merchandise or fishyng. And if there shal be any maner of suspicion, that the said person though he shall pretend to trade for merchandise or fishyng, hath or may haue any intent by his provisions or furniture, otherwise then to use the trade of merchandise, or fishing: that in such case of suspicion, the officers of the ports shall stay, and no wise suffer the same to pass to the Seas, without good bands by sufficient sureties first had, to use nothing but a lawful trade of merchandise or fishyng. And yf the officers shall suffer any person otherwise to repair to the Seas then above is mentioned, they shall not only answer for any piracies which any such person shall chance thereafter to do vpon the Sea: but shall suffer imprisonment until the offenders may be apprehended, if they shalbe living. And generally her majesty declareth and denounceth all such pirates and rovers vpon the Seas to be out of her protection, and leefully to be by any person taken, punished, and suppressed with extremity.  
given at her majesties palace of Westminster, the. xxvii. day of April, the. xi. year of her majesties most noble reign. God save the queen.   

❧ Imprinted at London in Powles Church yard by richard jug and John Cawood, Printers to the queens majesty.  
Cum privilegio Regiae Maiestatis.