arms of Charles II 
C R  〈…〉 dieu ET MON DROIT By the King. A PROCLAMATION.  
CHARLES R.  
WHereas the Safeguard and Protection We owe to such of Our own Subjects, and to all others in League and Amity with us, as pass and repass the Seas belonging to these Our Kingdoms, hath been always a Principal part of Our Royal Care and Concern; And We ●●nding that the Freedom and Security of Navigation and Commerce to and from Our Ports in times of Hostility between Our Neighbour Princes hath been much disturbed, nay the Reverence due to Our Ports, Harbours, and other Places under Our immediate Protection, hath been violated by the Piratical Practices, Depredations, and insolences of Private Men of War, and others pretending Commission for the present Hostilit●es; We have thought fit, by the Advice of Our Privy Council, after an exact view first taken of the Rules, Ordinances, and Provisions made upon the like occasions by Our Royal Progenitors, and ourself, to Revive, Establish, ratify and Publish to all the World, these Rules and Ordinances following. Our Royal Will and Pleasure therefore is;  
I. That within Our Ports, Havens, Roads and Creeks, as also in every other Place or Tract at Sea, that may be reasonably construed to be within any of those Denominations, Limits, or Precincts, there shall be an Inviolable Truce and Cessation of all Hostilities between all Persons and Parties whatsoever, and that no Force, Violence, surprise or Offence shall be done therein, either from Man of War to Man of War, or from Man of War to Merchant, or from Merchant to Merchant, that happen to be in Hostility the one against the other; but that all, of what Nation or Party soever, so long as they shall be within Our Ports, Harbours, or other Places reputed to be within Our more immediate Protection, and where Our Commanders and Officers are accountable for the public Peace, shall be understood to be under Our Special forefeet, and must keep the Peace inviolably each with other. And We do further Declare, and hereby Denounce, That the Ships and Goods of all Aggressors, Actors, and Offenders whatsoever against the true meaning of this Our Ordinance and Proclamation, are and shall be ipso facto Confiscate, and proceeded against in Our High Court of Admiralty, to Sentence and Condemnation, according to Law, notwithstanding any Commission of War, or Letters of rakehells such Offenders may have, or pretend to have for their justification.  
II. We Will and Command, That all Our Officers and Subjects by Sea and Land, do as much as in them lies, Prohibit the Roving and Hovering of Men of War so near the Entry of any of Our Harbours, or Our Coasts, as that Merchant-men home-ward or outward-bound, to or from any of Our Ports, shall apprehended their Passage to be unsafe, or their danger of being Set upon and surprised apparent, to the hindering and diverting of Trade and Commerce from Our Ports. And We do straitly Charge and Require Our said Officers and Subjects to Rescue, Succour and Defend all Merchant-men, and others that shall happen to be Set upon or surprised so near Our Coasts, or the Entry of Our Harbours, as may be easily construed to be under Our more special Care and Protection, and that they apprehended and Seize all Offenders in this kind, in order to bring them to Condign Punishment, for Disturbing and hindering the Trade and Commerce between Our Subjects, and those of Our Neighbours and Allies.  
III. That where it happens that a Man of War of the one Party come into any of Our Ports where there shall be a Merchant-man( one or more) of the other Party, such Merchant Ship or Ships, if they desire it, shall be suffered to depart the Port two Tides before the Man of War, to the intent they may get themselves out of his reach and pursuit; And if it happen that any Man of War( one or more of the one Party do come in while any Man( or Men) of War of the other Party are in Our Ports or Roads, none shall be suffered to go out to Sea the same Tide with his Enemy, but those that are most likely to Pursue and Engage as soon as they are out of Our Ports, shall be stayed and detained two Tides after those of the adverse Party are put to Sea.  
IV. And We do hereby Charge and Require all Vice-Admirals, Customers, and other Our Officers in Ports and Maritime Places, That they Visit all Ships and Vessels belonging to Our Subjects, that shall Victual, Furnish, or Recruit themselves for Voyages at Sea, and that they stay and detain all such as they shall suspect by the Provision or Furniture to be designed for any other than Trading or Fishing Voyages, until further Order from us, or Our Lord High-Admiral, or Our Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High-Admiral for the time being in that behalf.  
V. And We do further straitly Command and Require all Governours and Officers in Ports, and other Maritime Places, not to suffer any Private Man of War Sailing by a Foreign Commission, and having any prise or Prizes( that he may have taken) in his power and possession, to stay above Twenty four hours in any of Our Ports or Harbours, unless he be thereto constrained by contrary Winds, Blocking up by Enemies, or other Distress; Yet so that during his stay, he do not break Bulk, Sell, Barter, or leave behind him any of his Prize-Goods, upon any terms or pretence whatsoever. And We further Require Our Officers and Subjects not to interpose or meddle in the Affairs and Proceedings of such Men of War as put into Our Ports upon any Distress, with Foreign Commissions, but to suffer them to carry away their Prizes whither themselves think fit; Provided they have not the Goods or merchandises of any of Our own Subjects on Board such Prizes: Which if they happen to have, Our meaning is, That they be upon due proof taken out and restored to the true Proprietors.  
VI. We do straitly Require and Command, That none of Our Subjects, of what degreé or condition soever, do presume to Buy, Contract, or Deal with any Foreign Men of War, their Officers, or Company, or with any other person coming from Sea, not being a known Merchant, for any wears, merchandises, Victuals, Ammunition, Tackle, Furniture, Provisions or Goods whatsoever, not brought in by the Course of merchandise, and the Custom and Duties upon them first paid, upon pain of forfeiting all such wears and Goods as Bona Piratarum ought to be, and of being further Proceéded against and Punished in Our High Court of Admiralty, as Abetters and Complices of pirates, and as Receivers of pirates and their Goods ought to be by the Laws and Customs of the Sea in that behalf.  
VII. And whereas divers of Our Subjects out of their inclinations to Rapine, and Licentious Courses, rather than to Trading Voyages, and other honest Employments at home, do engage some of the one side, and some of the other, in the Quarrels of Our Neighbour Princes now in War, without Our Leave or Permission; We do hereby straitly Command and Require, That no Officer or master whatsoever, being Our Subject, do presume to put himself into the marshal Service of any Foreign Prince or State, or accept of and execute any Commission of War, or Letter of mark, or reprisal, from any such Prince or State, or go in any Merchant or Fishing Voyage, in any other Ship or Vessel than such as belong to Our own Subjects, without leave from ourself, or Our Lord High Admiral, or Our Commissioners for Executing the Office of Lord High Admiral for the time being, in due form first obtained. And We do hereby Charge and Command all Officers, Mariners, and Sea-faring Men whatsoever, that are now in any such Service, to leave the same forthwith, and to get their Appearance, and Return to their Native country Recorded in Our High Court of Admiralty, or before some of Our Officers thereunto empowered, upon pain of being Reputed and Punished as pirates. And in case any Officer or master neglecting to return upon these Our Summons, happen at any time hereafter to come into any Port or Place of Our Dominions, We do hereby Charge and Require all Vice-Admirals, and Our Officers in Ports and Maritime Places, to apprehended and Seize such Person or Persons, and him or them so Seized, to Commit to the next Gaol, there to remain until further Order, and the Certificate thereof to return with all speéd into Our High Court of Admiralty, to the end that the Offender or Offenders may be Proceéded against according to the Laws of this Our Realm in that behalf provided.  
Given at Our Court at Newmarket the Twelfth day of March, In the six and thirtieth Year of Our Reign, 1683/ 4.  
GOD SAVE THE KING.   

LONDON, Printed by the Assigns of John Bill deceased: And by Henry Hills, and Thomas Newcomb, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1683/ 4.