BY HIS HIGHNES council IN SCOTLAND, For the GOVERNMENT thereof.  
IT having pleased the Lord to visit our Brethren and Neighbors of the United Provinces with the Pestilence; And the Council observing, that notwithstanding the said Visitation, the Trade and Commerce with those Ports, and from them, is not at all lessened; whereby the Infection may be brought into this Nation, which God in his mercy hath hitherto preserved from it; They have thought fit to endeavour, as much as in them lies, the prevention of the said Ill, hoping that the Lord in the use of the Means in Faith, will grant the desired End. They have therefore agreed upon the following Rules, which they Order and Appoint to be pursued in all the Ports in Scotland, and all the Creeks and Members of the said Ports, by all persons therein concerned, who are hereby strictly Charged and Required to give all due obedience thereunto.  

I. That no Ships from any foreign parts be permitted to come into any Port or Harbour of this Nation, or land any Persons or Goods, without Warrant from the Magistrates of the place, or some one of them, with the Collector of the Customs and excise, or of some other Officer of the Customs and excise, where no Collector is present.  
II. That no Magistrate, or Collector, give any such Warrant to any Ship coming from the United Provinces of the Netherlands, unless the Skipper bring Certificate from what place he came, specifying, whether the same were infected or not; and in case it were not infected, that then the Magistrates, and Collectors, or other Officer of the Customs, as aforesaid, do not give such Warrant, as aforesaid, until after their stay in the Road for the space of Twenty dayes; and if from any Infected place, not till after forty dayes: And after those dayes are expired, that the Magistrates, and Collector, or some other Officer of the Customs, as aforesaid, before landing, sand a physician, or other person, to search the Ship, and if any person be found aboard sick and infected, then to stay forty dayes longer before they land either Person or Goods, except in case of Leak, or when there is Evident danger, and then the Magistrates of the place, and Collector of the Customs, or other Officer of the Customs, as aforesaid, are to take care they separate and set apart both Goods and Persons in some fit places, where None may have commerce with them, until the dayes aforesaid be completed, lest otherwise the Infection might be spread in the Country.  
III. That before such time, no Ship be permitted to land any Goods, or Persons, or enter in to any Harbour; And all Persons of this Nation, are prohibited to entertain any Persons or Goods, contrary to the Premises: And in case any Person shall presume to come a-shore, or land any Goods contrary hereunto, The Magistrates of the Place are hereby authorised and required, to commit and secure in safe custody, without Bail or Mainprize, not only the Persons of such as shall so come a-shore, but also the Persons of those who harbour them, and to give an account thereof with speed to the council, to the end such Persons may be condignly punished.  
IV. That the Magistrates of the respective Port-Towns take care to afford such persons aboard the Ships during the time of staying in the Road under trial, such Provisions for their money as they shall stand in need of.  
V. The Magistrates of the Port-Towns are hereby authorised to give notice hereof to all Ships coming in to any Road within their respective Bounds, to the end they may comform themselves accordingly.  
VI. The Magistrates of the respective Port-Towns, are required to give the council, or whom they shall appoint from time to time, notice of what Ships comes in from the said United Provinces, and to report the state of them.  
VII. In Towns and Places where there are Governours of Garrisons, the Governours respectively are authorised and desired to join with the Magistrate or Officer of the Customs of those places in what they are directed by the foregoing part of these Rules; and the Governours Warrants, or Orders concerning the Premises, is to be as valid as the Magistrates.  
VIII. All and every of these Rules are to be observed by the respective Persons therein concerned, until further Order from the council.   
Given at Edinburgh the Seventeenth day of October, 1655. Signed in the Name, and by Order of the council. BROGHILL, President.   

Wednesday the 17. day of October, 1655. At His Highness Council● in EDINBURGH,  
ORdered, That the Order and Rules, above mentioned, be forthwith Printed and Published.  
EMANUEL DOWNING, Cl. of the council.   

EDINBURGH, Printed by Christopher Higgins, in Harts-Close, over against the Trone-Church, 1655.