W R  
DIEV ET MON DROIT  
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
By the King, A PROCLAMATION, Prohibiting His Majesty's Subjects to Enter into the Service of Foreign Princes and States.  
WILLIAM R.  
WHereas the Kings most Excellent Majesty hath been Informed That divers of His Majesty's Natural born Subjects, as well Mariners as others, have, and daily do depart this Kingdom, and betake themselves to the Service of Foreign Princes and States, without Licence had and obtained in that behalf from His Majesty, in manifest Contempt of His Royal Authority, tending to the Disservice of His Majesty, and Prejudice of His Kingdoms, Dominions and Countries; for Redress whereof for the present, and for Preventing the like Mischief for the future, the Kings most Excellent Majesty, by this His Royal Proclamation, by and with the Advice of His Privy Council, doth strictly Prohibit and Forbid all and every Person and Persons of what Quality, Degreé, or Condition soever, being His Majesty's Natural born Subjects, from Entering into, or Listing themselves in the Service or Pay of any Foreign Prince or State; And doth hereby strictly Charge and Command them and every of them, upon their bounden and known Duty and Allegiance, that they or any of them, do not from henceforth withdraw him or themselves or depart from this His Majesty's Kingdom of England, or any other His Majesty's Realms or Dominions, for, or in order to the Entering or Listing him or themselves into Pay, or otherwise betake him or themselves to the Service of any Foreign Prince or State, either by Sea or Land, without due Licence first had and obtained in that behalf: To all which His Majesty will Expect, and doth Require due Obedience and Conformity, and doth hereby Publish and Declare, That all Offenders to the contrary, shall not only Incur His Majesty's Just Displeasure, but be Proceeded against, according to the utmost Severity of the Law.  
Given at Our Court at Kensington the Twenty eighth Day of January, 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.