DIEV ET MON DROIT   royal blazon or coat of arms  
At the Court at Hampton-Court the 28th day of July 1681.  
Present 
 

The Kings most Excellent Majesty,  
Lord Archbishop of Canterbury  
Lord Precedent  
Lord Privy Seal  
Earl of Clarendon  
Earl of bath  
Earl of Craven  
Earl of Halifax  
Earl of Conway  
Lord Viscount Fauconberg  
Lord Viscount Hyde  
Lord Bishop of London  
Mr. Secretary Jenkins  
Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer  
Mr. Seymour  
Mr. Godolphin.    
HIs Majesty by His Order in Council of the One and twentieth of July instant, having been Graciously pleased to refer a Memorial presented to His Majesty in behalf of the distressed Protestants abroad, to the Consideration of the Right Honourable the Lord's Committees of this Board for Trade and Plantations, with directions to Report their opinion thereupon; And their Lordships having this day made their Report to His Majesty in Council, His Majesty upon due Consideration thereof had, was pleased to Declare, That He holds Himself obliged in Honour and Conscience to comfort and support all such afflicted Protestants who by reason of the Rigours and Severities which are used towards them upon the Account of their Religion, shall be forced to quit their Native Country, and shall desire to shelter themselves under His Majesty's Royal Protection, for the preservation and free exercise of their Religion; And in order hereunto His Majesty was pleased further to Declare, That He will Grant unto every such distressed Protestant who shall come hither for refuge, and reside here, His Letters of Denization under the Great Seal without any charge whatsoever, and likewise such further privileges and immunities as are consistent with the Laws, for the Liberty and free exercise of their Trades and Handicrafts; And that His Majesty will likewise recommend it to His Parliament at their next Meeting to Pass an Act for the General Naturalisation of all such Protestants as shall come over as aforesaid, and for the further enlarging their Liberties and Franchises granted to them by His Majesty, as reasonably may be necessary for them. And for their encouragement, His Majesty is likewise pleased to Grant unto them, That they shall pay no greater Duties in any case then His Majesties own Natural born Subjects, and that they shall have all the privileges and immunities that generally His Majesty's Native Subjects have, for the Introduction of their Children into Schools and Colleges.  
And His Majesty was likewise pleased to Order, and it is hereby Ordered accordingly, That all His Majesty's Officers both Civil and Military do give a kind reception to all such Protestants as shall arrive within any of His Majesty's Ports in this Kingdom, and to furnish them with free Passports, and give them all assistance and furtherance in their Journeys to the Places to which they shall desire to go. And the Right Honourable the Lord's Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury are to give Orders to the Commissioners of His Majesty's Customs, to suffer the said Protestants to pass free with their Goods and Householdstuff, whether of a greater or a smaller value, together with their Tools and Instruments belonging to their Crafts, or Trades, and generally all what belongs to them that may be Imported according to the Laws now in force, without exacting any thing from them. And for the further relief and encouragement of the said necessitous Protestants, His Majesty hath been pleased to give Order for a General Brief through His Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick, for Collecting the Charity of all well disposed persons, for the relief of the said Protestants, who may stand in need thereof. And to the end that when any such come over, being Strangers, they may know where to address themselves to fitting persons to lay their requests and complaints before His Majesty: His Majesty was Graciously pleased to appoint the most Reverend Father in God, his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Right Reverend Father in God, the Lord Bishop of London, or either of them, to receive all the said Requests and Petitions, and to present the same to His Majesty, to the end such Order may be given therein as shall be necessary.  
PHI. LLOYD.   

LONDON, Printed by the Assigns of John Bill, Thomas Newcomb, and Henry Hills, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1681.