By the King, A PROCLAMATION To Prohibit His Majesty's Subjects to Trade within the Limits Assigned to the Royal African Company of England, Except those of the Company.  
JAMES R.  
WHereas Our Dear Beloved Brother the late King of ever Blessed Memory, for the Supporting and Managing of a Trade very beneficial to this Our Kingdom, and Our Foreign Plantations upon the Coasts of Guiny, Buiny, Angola, and Other Parts and Places in Africa, from the Part of Sally in South-Barbary inclusive, to the Cape De Bona Esperanza inclusive, by His Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England, bearing Date the Twenty seventh day of September, in the Four and twentieth year of His Reign, did Incorporate divers of His Loving Subjects, by the Name of the Royal African Company of England; and did thereby Grant unto the said Company the whole, entire, and only Trade into, and from Africa aforesaid, and the Islands and Places near adjoining to the Coast of Africa, and comprehended within the Limits aforesaid, with Prohibition to all other His Majesty's Subjects to Trade there: And that in pursuance to such Grant, the said Company have Raised a very Great Stock sufficient to Manage the Trade thereof; and have since been at great Charges and Expense in Fortifying and Settling divers Garrisons, Forts and Factories for the better Securing of the said Trade, whereby the same began to flourish, to the great Commodity of this Kingdom, and Our Foreign Plantations, until of late disturbed by several ill disposed Persons, who preferring their private profit before the Public Good, have contrary to the said Royal Grant, and the Express Proclamation of the King Our Dear Beloved Brother, bearing Date the Thirteenth day of November, in the Six and twentieth year of His Reign, in a Clandestine and Disorderly manner, Traded into those Parts, to the apparent danger of the Decay and Destruction of the said Trade, and in manifest Contempt and Violation of the undoubted Prerogative of the Crown, whose Right it is by the known Laws of these Our Realms, to Limit and Regulate such Foreign Trades into those Remote Parts of the World; We taking the same into Our Princely Consideration, Do not only give Leave and Direct, That the Persons who have so Contemptuously Violated the said Companies Charter, and the said Proclamation, be Prosecuted in Our Name a Law, in order to their Condign Punishment according to their Demerits: But for the Prevention of the like evil Practices for the future, We have thought fit, with Adv ce of Our Privy Council, to Publish and Declare Our Royal Will and Pleasure to be, And We do hererby strictly Prohibit and Forbid all and every of Our Subjects whatsoever, except the said Royal Company and their Successors, and such as shall be Employed or Licenced by them, at any time or times hereafter to Send or Navigate any Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels, or Exercise any Trade to or from any of the Parts or Coasts of Africa from Sally, to Cape De Bona Esperanza, or any of the Islands near adjoining thereunto as aforesaid, or from thence to carry any Negro Servants, Gold, Elephants Teeth, or any other Goods and Merchandizes of the Product or Manufacture of the said Places upon Pain of Our High Displeasure, and the Forfeiture and Loss of the said Negroes, Gold, Elephants Teeth, and all other Goods and Merchandizes, and the Ships and Vessels which shall be taken or found Trading in any Place or Places upon the Coast of Africa aforesaid, within the Limits aforesaid: And We do hereby also strictly Require and Command all Our Governors, Deputy-Governours, Admirals, Vice-admirals', Generals, judges of Our Courts of Admiralty, Commanders of Our Forts and Castles, Captains of Our Royal Ships, justices of the Peace, Provost-Marshals, Marshals, Comptrollers, Collectors of Our Customs, Waiters, Searchers, and all other Our Officers and Ministers Civil and Military, by Sea or Land, in every of Our said American Dominions or Plantations, to take effectual Care That no Person or Persons whatsoever, within their respective Limits or jurisdictions, (except the said Company and their Successors, and such as shall be Employed or Licenced by them) do Send or Navigate any Ships or Vessels, or Exercise any Trade from any of Our said Dominions or Plantations, to any Part of the said Coast of Africa, within the Limits aforesaid; Or from thence to Import any Negro Servants, Gold, Elephants Teeth, or other Goods of the Product of any of those Parts, into any of Our said Dominions or Plantations in Amer●ca; And if any Person or Persons shall presume to Act or Do in any wise Contrary to this Our Royal Proclamation, To the end Our Will and Pleasure herein may be the better Observed, We do further Will and Require and strictly Command all Our said Governors, Deputy-Governours, Admirals, Vice-admirals', Generals, judges of Our Court of Admiralty, Commanders of Our Forts and Castles, Captains of Our Royal Ships, justices of the Peace, Provost Marshals, Marshals, Comptrollers, Collectors of Our Customs, Waiters, Searchers, and all other Our Officers and Ministers Civil and Military, by Sea or Land, in every of Our said American Dominions and Plantations, That as often as need shall require, They be Aiding and Assisting to the said Royal African Company, their Successors, Factors, Deputies or Assigns, to Attach, Arrest, Take, and Seize all such Ship or Ships, Vessel or Vessels, Negro Servants, Gold, Elephants Teeth, or Goods, Wares and Merchandizes wheresoever they shall be found, for Our use, according to Our Royal Charter Granted to the said Company, upon Pain of Our High Displeasure, and as they will Answer the Contrary at their Perils: And We do hereby Require and Command all and every of Our Subjects who are or reside in Africa aforesaid, within the Limits aforesaid, or who are upon the Sea in their Voyage thither, Except such who are Employed or Licenced by the said Company, That they do within Four months' next ensuing the Date hereof, Depart thence, and Return into this Kingdom, upon Pain and Peril that may fall thereon.  
Given at Our Court at Whitehall, the First Day of April, 1685. In the First Year of Our Reign.  
GOD SAVE THE KING.   

LONDON, Printed by the Assigns of John Bill deceased: And by Henry Hills, and Thomas Newcomb, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1685.