England's royal coat of arms, 1625 
HONI SOI QVI MAL Y PENSE   
¶ By the King.  
¶ A Proclamation for the better encouragement and aduancement of the Trade of the East-Indye Company.  
THE Kings most Excellent majesty, graciously taking into His Princely consideration the great honour His majesty and His royal progenitors and this whole kingdom haue for diuers years received by the erection of the Company of Merchants of London, trading into the East Indies, being incorporated by His dear Sister the late queen Elizabeth, and the said incorporation confirmed by His late dear father King james of famous memory, whereby the native Commodities of this kingdom are exported, and trade and commerce maintained with the remotest Estates and Countries, the kingdom furnished with rich and necessary commodities at cheaper prizes then in former times, His majesties revenue increased in his customs and Subsidies, the number of great and serviceable Ships much multiplied, and many of His majesties Subiects of all trades set to work and employed in manufactures wrought thereof, and a Staple of those Indian commodities settled in this kingdom, and from hence to the further increase of Trade and employment of Shipping transported in other foreign parts: And His majesty being now informed, as well by the governor and others employed in principal places of trust for the said Company, as by the Farmers of His majesties great customs, That many abuses are lately crept into the said Trade by the practise of Officers, Seruants and others employed by the said Company and their Confederates, in aiming at their own profits, by driving a secret underhand Trade, whereby the said Companies general affairs are of late much declined and deca●ed, and the adventurers therein much discouraged, and that the same is induced by the said secret and underhand Trade aboard the ships both outward bound to the East Indies, in the East indy, and homeward, laden from thence for the said Company in the Narrow Seas and other places vpon the Confines of this kingdom, either after the said Ships outwards bound are discharged out of the Harbours of this kingdom, or before the said ships homeward bound can come into any Harbour or other place near any of His majesties custom houses, where the particular goods freighted and laden in the said ships may be entred, and the customs and Duties payed, whereby His majesty is defrauded of his customs and Subsidies, the said Company of their fraught and goods, and whereby the said Trade is disparaged and brought to disreputation, and the adventurers therein discouraged: All which His majesty conceiveth to be offences tending to the dishonour of himself and this His kingdom, the diminution of His revenue, and to the overthrow of so famous a Trade and eminent a Company, and to deserve severe Censure and exemplary punishment.  
And His majesty not intending to suffer or pass by such abuses, being of so dangerous consequence, doth hereby straightly charge and command, vpon pain of incurring His Highnesse displeasure, and to be punished as contemners of His majesties royal Proclamation, that no particular man of the said Company nor any of their officers or Seruants, or any other, which now are, or hereafter shall bee employed in any of their ships, trading into any of the said Easterly parts, or any other person or persons whatsoever, shall from henceforth drive any underhand Trade, as aforesaid, either to, in, or from the Indies aforesaid, but such as shall be licenced by the said Company, as by their Acts and Orders in that behalf grounded vpon their Letters patents is allowable, and such goods and commodities as shall be so imported, not to bee disposed of until the said Company shall haue received an account and given allowance therof, and until that their Ships shall haue arrived at, or in the Port of London within this kingdom; nor that any person or persons whatsoever vpon the pain aforesaid, shall presume to buy, contract, bargain or barter for, or receive or take any of the goods, wears or merchandises, which shall be laden aboard any of the said Ships, so homeward bound, as aforesaid, until such Ship or Ships so homeward bound as aforesaid, in, or out of which such goods, wears or merchandises shall be so bought, sold, delivered, contracted or bartred for, be first brought into the said Port of London, and there by the allowance of the said Company be duly entred, and the goods thereout discharged, nor shall give any assistance, help or encouragement for the unlading of any such goods at any other place, or in any other manner, nor shall otherwise offend in any thing, contrary to the true meaning of these Presents. And His majesty being so sensible of the inconveniences that attend vpon the said abuses before mentioned, and intending to haue an absolute reformation thereof, doth therefore hereby straightly charge and command all Admirals, Vice-Admirals and other Officers of the Admiralty, and such as haue admiral jurisdiction; And all Maiors, Portreiues, Sheriffes, bailiffs, Customers, controllers, Searchers, and all other His Officers whom it may concern, that they and every of them be careful to prevent the said offences, and to inquire of such as shall offend therein, and to return their names to the Lords of His majesties most Honourable privy counsel, and to give true and timely intelligence thereof to the governor of the Company for the time being, that such course may be taken for the prevention of such abuses, and for the severe punishment of all such, who shall presume to contemn or neglect this Our royal Commandement, either in the Court of Star-chamber, or otherwise, as shall be thought fit. And if it shall at any time hereafter be discovered and made to appear, that any of His majesties said Officers haue been Actors in these abuses, or any of them, or haue conniued at the offences of others, or haue been negligent in the execution of this His Command and royal Pleasure; His majesty doth hereby declare, that He will not onely extend the pain of his heavy displeasure vpon them, and cause them to be punished severely, as aforesaid, but will also hold them unworthy to serve his majesty in any of those places of trust concerning His revenue.  
given at Our Court at Whitehall, the fifteenth day of February, in the third year of Our reign of Great britain, France, and Ireland.  
God save the King.   

❧ Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton, and John Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent majesty. M.DC.XXVII.