DIEV ET MON DROIT  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
CHARLES R. Right Trusty and Well-beloved, We greet you well.  
WHereas Our Royal Father of Blessed Memory, did in the Year One thousand six hundred thirty and two, Constitute and Establish a Society of Fishers, and declared, That He was resolved by all good occasions, favourably to Assist, and graciously Accept the forwardness of all those that should express their Zeal to His Majesty's Service in so general and public an undertaking, It being then Resolved and Concluded by His Majesty, that it was very honourable and necessary for this Kingdom. Now that the true Managing, and most advantageous prosecution thereof, is by experience discovered by Philip late Earl of Pembroke and Mountgomery, and his Associates, who did cause sundry Fishing-Vessels to be provided and built, which employed many Families in making of Nets and other Provisions (one Vessel employing Twenty Families in work) besides the breéding of Country-Youths to be made serviceable Mariners in short time, as by the Book called The Royal Herring Buss Fishings presented unto Us, doth plainly appear. And whereas We are informed, that the Nation doth abound with great numbers of poor Families and Vagrants, who for want of employment are like to perish, unless some speédy care be taken for their relief; and that the several Wards and Suburbs of this Our City of London, and Hamlets adjacent, are burdened with multitudes of poor people, not only which are born in the said places, but such as come out of sundry Countries to seék Relief. For redress whereof, We do hereby recommend unto the care of you Our Lord Major of the said City, to advise with each Alderman, and cause his Ward-moot Inquest to give in a particular of all the poor Inhabitants within his Ward, what their employment is, and how many are without employment, and present the same to the rest of the Inhabitants in his Ward, with a Copy thereof, and excite them to a freé Subscription for raising a stock to buy Hemp and Clap-boards to make Herring Fishing-Nets and Barrels, for the furnishing and fitting out of one Buss or Fishing-Vessel to belong to the said Ward; which will give all the Poor and Vagrants employment, the said Ward husbanding the same to their best advantage. The which We shall in like manner recommend to all the Counties, Cities, and Towns within Our Dominions, whereby to make it a National employment for the general good, and will give all fitting assistance unto the Undertakers for their encouragement; that so when Provisions shall be made ready, and Storehouses built in commodious places about the River of Thames, (where breaches have been made) and the like, in the several Ports; Magazines may be fitted with Nets, Cask, Salt, and all things in readiness, the Busses may all go forth to Our Island of Sheetland as their Rendezvous to keép together in their Fishing, according to certain Orders prescribed in the aforesaid Book; and to take that privilege of the Fishing-grounds which belongs to Us before all Nations whatsoever. And so We bid you heartily farewel.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehal this Three and twentieth day of July, in the Twelfth year of Our Reign.  
By His Majesty's Command. Ed. Nicholas.  
To Our Right Trusty and Well-beloved, the Lord Major of Our City of London, to be Communicated to the Court of Aldermen.   

London, Printed by John Bill and Christopher Barker, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1661.  
At the KING'S Printing-House in Blackfriars.