royal blazon or coat of arms C R HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE BY THE KING. ΒΆ A Proclamation concerning His majesty's NAVY. WHEREAS we by Our gracious Proclamation, bearing date the tenth of November now last past, freely offered Our Grace, Favour, and Pardon to all Seamen, sailors, Mariners and other Watermen, who having been formerly seduced by some traitorous and Seditious Persons, were this last year used as Instruments, to detain Our Ships from us; yet under this Proviso nevertheless, that they did speedily return to their Obedience and Loyalty, and did not from thenceforth presume to serve in any of Our ships detained from us, or otherwise to serve against us by Sea or Land, or by Loane, Contribution, or otherwise to assist the Army raised against us, or to Assemble or Muster themselves in arms, without authority derived from us, or enter into any Oath of Association, for opposing us or Our Army, as by the said Proclamation more at large may appear. And whereas afterwards, We by another Proclamation, bearing date the tenth of February now last past, did again admonish all Our Subjects of the quality before mentioned, and also all Our Officers, Victuallers and Servants of all sorts belonging to Our Ships or Navy, that they should from thenceforth, forbear to intermeddle in the Graving, Rigging Furnishing, Manning, or Serving of, or in Our ships, by the direction of Robert Earl of Warwick, or any other, without Our special direction and Warrant, upon the pains, in the said last Proclamation mentioned, as by that Proclamation it may also at large appear. And whereas We have been informed, that some wicked & seditious Persons intending to seduce Our good Subjects, and with falsehoods to abuse them, that they not knowing the truth, might still be misled (as formerly they have been) to serve the Wicked designs, and Treasonable practices of such as are in Rebellion against us, have given out and published, That whatsoever is intended for the preparation and setting out of the Navy in the Spring now approaching, is done by Our special direction and express Warrant, which is utterly false, We not having any purpose or reason to trust our Navy, or any of Our Ships in their hands and power who have given so clear a testimony of their former disloyalty unto us, and of their endeavours to destroy us and Our Kingdom: We do therefore hereby Publish and declare, That we have not given, nor do intend to give any such command, direction or consent, that any of Our Ships, or any other Ships of this Our Kingdom, shall be Prepared, Victualled, Rigged, manned, or set to Sea, by, or under the Command or Conduct of the Earl of Warwick, or any other Person or Persons whatsoever, by any pretended authority from one or both the Houses of Parliament, without and against Our consent and express Command. And We do further give notice hereby to all Our Subjects, whom it may any ways concern, that as We are and ever shall be careful to the utmost of Our Power to protect Our Good Subjects from the Malice of Ours and their Enemies, either at home or abroad, and to that end shall use all the just means We possibly can to restore them to their former Peace, whereby they may enjoy the comfort of the true Protestant Religion in the integrity thereof, the freedom of the known laws, the Liberty of their Persons, and Propriety of their Estates, and just privileges of Parliament, whatsoever is maliciously and slanderously suggested to the contrary, so We will by the due course of Law, vindicate Our Honour with a just indignation against and upon all those who from henceforth, after so many gracious admonitions and offer of Free Pardon for what is past, (which We do now again graciously and freely renew) shall wilfully and maliciously presume to give assistance in any thing to the said Earl of Warwick, or any other, who upon any specious, but false pretences, shall endeavour in this year now ensuing, to Prepare, rig up, victual, Furnish, man, or set forth any of Our own ships, or any other ships of war, appertaining to any others, without Our Warrant under Our hand and seal; We being well assured, that under the pretence of making a defence for the kingdom against some imaginary foreign Enemy (where in truth We know not of, or have cause to suspect any such) the purpose of the Contriver of these Rebellious Actions, is manifest to be in the first place wickedly and traitorously to convert Our Navy, and the Navy of the Kingdom to the destruction of us and of Our Crown, and good Subjects, and to make themselves Masters thereof, if they can therein prevail (as We hope by God's blessing they shall not) and if they prevail not, then by the Convoy of those Ships to convey themselves and those who go with them into some foreign parts, with a purpose that neither themselves nor those who serve them shall return to their native Country, to whom they have been so professed Enemies, and by this means to rob the Kingdom of the Shipping which is the defence thereof; And that these are the undoubted intentions, if the former Acts of Hostility against us performed the last year, by some of those Ships set out under the name of the said Earl, and by the authority of the two Houses of Parliament, were not sufficient to satisfy us and all others, The late barbarous Actions of, and by some of those Ships, within a very few days now past at Burlington Bay in Our County of York, to the hazard of the life of Our dearest Consort the Queen, at the time of Her landing there (if God in his great mercy had not protected and delivered Her) not casually but purposely committed, will give sufficient testimony thereof to all the World, to the perpetual shame of the Actors and Abettors thereof, For which in due time they must expect their just reward. Given at Our Court at OXFORD, the sixth day of March, in the eighteenth year of Our reign. 1642. God Save the KING. Printed at Oxford by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the University. 1642.