W R  
DIEV ET MON DROIT  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
By the King, A PROCLAMATION For a Public Thanksgiving.  
WILLIAM R.  
WHereas it hath pleased Almighty God in His great Goodness to put an end to the late War, in which His Majesty and His Allies were Engaged against the French King, by the Conclusion of Peace betweéns His Majesty and the Princes and States in Confederacy with Him and the said French King, upon such a Foundation as, by the Blessing of God, may prove effectual to procure a Firm and Lasting Tranquillity to Europe: His Majesty therefore adoring the Divine Goodness, and duly considering that such great and public Blessings do call for public and solemn Acknowledgements, hath thought fit (by the Advice of His Privy Council) to Issue this His Royal Proclamation, hereby Appointing and Commanding that a General Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for these His Mercies, be Observed throughout this Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed, on Thursday the Second Day of December next. And for the better and more orderly Solemnising the same, We have given Directions to the most Reverend the Archbishops and Right Reverend the Bishops of this Kingdom, to Compose a Form of Prayer suitable to this Occasion, to be Used in all Churches and Chapels and other Places of Public Worship and t● take Care for the timely Dispersing of the same throughout their respective Dioceses. And We do strictly Charge and Command that the said Public Day of Thanksgiving be Religiously Observed by all our Loving Subjects as they tender the Favour of Almighty God, and upon Pain of suffering such Punishment, as We can justly Inflict upon all such who shall Contemn or Neglect the same.  
Given at Our Court at Kensington the Seventeenth Day of November, 1697. In the Ninth Year of Our Reign. 
 God save the King.   

London, Printed by Charles Bill, and the Executrix of Thomas Newcomb, deceased, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1697.