woodcut of England's coat of arms, 1609 ❧ By the King.  
¶ A Proclamation touching Fishing.  
JAMES by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the faith, etc. To all and singular persons, to whom it may appertain, Greeting. Although we do sufficiently know by our experience in the Office of Regal dignity (in which by the favour of Almighty God, we have been placed and exercised these many years) as also by the observation which we have made of other Christian Princes exemplary actions, how far the absoluteness of Sovereign power extendeth itself, And that in regard thereof we need not yield account to any person under God, for any action of ours, which is lawfully grounded upon that just Prerogative: Yet such hath ever been, and shallbe our care and desire to give satisfaction to our neighbour Princes, and friends, in any action which may have the least relation to their Subjects and Estates, as we have thought good (by way of friendly premonition) to declare unto them all, and to whom soever it may appertain, as followeth.  
Whereas we have been contented since our coming to the Crown, to tolerate an indifferent and promiscuous kind of liberty to all our friends whatsoever, to fish within our Streams, and upon any of our Coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, and other adjacent Islands, so far forth as the permission or use thereof might not redound to the impeachment of our Prerogative Royal, nor to the hurt and damage of our loving Subjects, whose preservation and flourishing estate we hold ourself principally bound to advance before all worldly respects: So finding that our connivence therein, hath not only given occasion of over great encroachments upon our Regalities, or rather questioning of our Right, but hath been a means of much daily wrongs to our own people that exercise the trade of Fishing, as (either by the multitude of strangers, which do preoccupy those places, or by the injuries which they receive most commonly at their hands) our Subjects are constrained to abandon their Fishing, or at the least are become so discouraged in the same, as they hold it better for them, to betake themselves to some other course of living, whereby not only divers of our Coast-Townes are much decayed, but the number of Mariners daily diminished, which is a matter of great consequence to our Estate, considering how much the strength thereof consisteth in the power of Shipping, and use of Navigation: We have thought it now both just and necessary (in respect that we are now by God's favour liveally and lawfully possessed, aswell of the Island of Great Britain, as of Ireland, and the rest of the Isles adjacent) to bethink ourselves of good and lawful means to prevent those inconveniences, and many others depending upon the same. In the consideration whereof, as we are desirous that the world may take notice, that we have no intention to deny our Neighbours and Allies, those fruits and benefits of Peace and friendship, which may be justly expected at our hands in honour and reason, or are afforded by other Princes mutually in the point of Commerce, and exchange of those things which may not prove prejudicial to them: So because some such convenient order may be taken in this matter, as may sufficiently provide for all these important considerations which do depend thereupon; We have resolved first to give notice to all the world, That our express pleasure is, that from the beginning of the month of August next coming, no person of what Nation or quality soever, being not our natural born Subject, be permitted to fish upon any of our Coasts and Seas of Great Britain, Ireland, and the rest of the Isles adjacent, where most usually heretofore any Fishing hath been, until they have orderly demanded and obtained Licenses from us, or such our Commissioners, as we have authorized in that behalf, Viz. at London for our Realms of England and Ireland, and at Edinburgh for our Realm of Scotland; Which Licenses, our intention is, shallbe yearly demanded, for so many Vessels and Ships, and the Tonnage thereof, as shall intend to Fish for that whole year, or any part thereof, upon any of our Coasts and Seas as aforesaid, upon pain of such chastisement, as shall be fit to be in flicted upon such wilful offenders.  
Given at our Palace of Westminster the sixth day of May, in the seventh year of our Reign of Great Britain, France and Jreland.  
God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. ANNO DOM. 1609.