❧ By the queen. A Proclamation against the maintenance of Pirates.  
THE queens majesty understandeth, that although by her former commandments notified by proclamation to all her subiectes, and namely to her officers in her ports, for the staying, ceasing, and suppressing of all occasions of piracies: yet some numbers of vessels armed with certain disordered persons mixed of sundry nations, do still haunt the narrow seas, and resort secretly into small creeks and obscure places of this realm for relief of victuals, and such like: And for their better defence to escape apprehension, do colourably pretend that they be licensed to serve on the seas, and are not to be accounted culpable as pirates. For remedy whereof, and to the intent no maner of pretext shall serve either such persons to commit piracies, or any other that shall relieve them for private gain or favour by feigned colours or pretence of ignorance: Her majesty straightly chargeth and commandeth all maner officers and ministers, having rule and charge within any Port town, or having authority to make deputies under them in any Creeke or landing place wheresoever the same be, that from henceforth no maner of person coming from the sea, be suffered to haue any victual, munition, or any other relief for himself, his company, or vessel, except it be such as are notoriously known to appertain to merchants ships, passengers, or fishermen, having need thereof. neither that any person do bye or receive any wears or goods of any person directly or indirectly coming from the seas, until the same wears or goods be brought and landed openly according to the laws of the realm in places accustomend, with consent of the officers of the customs, and that all dueties be first paid for the same, according to the usage of merchants, upon pain that whosoever shall do the contrary, or be consenting thereto, shal be upon due information committed to prison, there to remain without bail, until inquisition be made( according to the laws of this realm) of them and their facts, as in cases of piracies, and to be adiudged and executed as pirates, as by lawe shalbe ordered. And whosoever shall give information hereof against any officer of the customs, or any their deputies, and shalbe able to prove the same, if any wise the Infourmer be meet to exercise the same office, they shall enjoy the same, or otherwise shal be duly and liberally recompensed according to their demerits.  
Furthermore her majesty willeth and commandeth all maner her officers, and specially Wardens of ports, Uiceadmiralles, Constables, or captains of Castles vpon the seas, and al other having any office in Port towns or places of landyng, that they shall forth with, as they will answer at their uttermost peril, to do their uttermost in their jurisdictions to inquire, lay wait, and thereby apprehend al maner of persons that do haunt the seas with any kind of vessels armed, being not an apparent merchant, and utterly to stay all others making preparation thereto, and their vessels, other then such only as shal be openly known to be ordinary merchants, passengers, or usual fisshermen: And not from henceforth to allow or admit any allegation of licence to sail vpon the seas with any vessel armed, but such as are notoriously belonging to her majesty, and may be sent to the seas for keeping the same free from pirates. And if any maner of person shall herein be found culpable, or manifestly negligent: her majesty letteth them certainly to understand, that their punishment shalbe pursued against them with such severity, as the example thereof shall hereafter remain for others to beware howe in such cases to offend.  
given at Otelande the thyrde day of August, 1569. in the eleventh year of her majesties reign. God save the queen.   

❧ Imprinted at London in Powles churchyard, by richard jug and John Cawood, Printers to the queens majesty.