C R  
HONI SOIT x MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  BY THE KING. 
❧ A Proclamation prohibiting the payment and receipt of customs, and other Maritime Duties upon the late pretended ORDINANCE of both Houses of Parliament.  
We have made so many Declarations of Our royal Intentions concerning the preserving of the Religion and laws of this Land, That we think it not fit often to repeat, Though by God's grace We seriously intend never to decline or depart from the same. But this seems most strange unto Us, that whilst (especially at, and about London) Our just and legal Commands are not obeyed, other Orders and Ordinances, (for which there is no legal foundation) which not only discountenance, but overthrow the laws of the Land that settle Religion, and were the fences of the Subjects property, are submitted unto and obeyed by many of Our weaker Subjects: And amongst these a blind obedience hath been yielded unto the pretended Ordinance, for settling customs without an Act of Parliament, when an Act this Parliament (received from Us, and so understood by Us, as one of the greatest graces the crown ever conferred on the Subject) declares, no custom is due without an Act; and all such Persons as receive the same incur the forfeiture of a praemunire. This We thought would not have found obedience from the Merchant, who understood what his own benefit was thereby, and could not be ignorant how penal it was in him to break this Law; especially when he found he paid his custom for support of an unnatural war against his Prince, and to foment an intestine and civil dissension which hath already, and may in the future produce so many evils upon this poor People. But upon the menances and usage some received that denied it, We find since a more general Obedience in such as Trade, than We expected, though We understand by it the Trade of the Kingdom is much lessened. Nevertheless We thought not fit until this present, by any of Our Proclamations to prohibit the same, because We hoped before this time, We having so often and by so many means endeavoured the same, some happy understanding might have been between Us and both Our Houses of Parliament. But at present finding that the moneys arising from these Duties, are a great part of the fuel that maintains this fire, and supports this unnatural Rebellion against Us, and heightens the Spirits of such as have no Spirit to Peace, unless they may destroy Us, Our Posterity, and the settled Government both of Church and State; We do hereby Declare and proclaim to all Our People of what sort soever, That whosoever henceforward shall, by virtue of the pretended Ordinance of Parliament, pay any moneys for custom or other duties therein mentioned, other than to Our proper Ministers, what is due to Us by the known laws of the kingdom, That We will proceed against him or them in due time, as an ill-affected person or persons to the Peace of this kingdom, and as such as endeavour (as much as in them lies) to hinder a true Intelligence betwixt Us and Our People. And for such person, or persons as shall continue to require or receive the same contrary to the Statute made this Parliament, We shall likewise proceed against them according to the penalty in the said Act, And because (though the Law ought to have been every man's prohibition) We did not, until this time, forbid the same, We do hereby grant Our free Pardon to all such as formerly having either paid, or received these customs, shall henceforth refuse the same, And to no other.  
¶ Given under Our sign manual at Our Court at Oxford, the sixteenth day of December, in the Eighteenth year of our reign. 
 God save the King.