dieu ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  partial image of the royal blazon flanked by the English lion on one side and the Scottish unicorn on the other  
CHARLES The Second, by the Grace of God KING of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all and singular Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Arch-Deacons, Deans, and their Officials, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and all other Spiritual Persons; And also to all Justices of the Peace, Mayors, Sheriffs, bailiffs, Constables, Church-wardens, Chappel-wardens, Headboroughs, Collectors for the Poor, and their Overseers; And also to all Officers of Cities, Boroughs, and Towns Corporate, and to all other our Officers, Ministers and Subjects, whatsoever they be( as well within Liberties as without) to whom these presents shall come, Greeting.  
Whereas a great number of our Good Subjects peaceably following their Employments, at Sea, have been lately Taken by the Turkish pirates, under whom they now remain in most cruel, and inhuman Bondage; who by their Friends and Relations have humbly besought Us to take their miserable and deplorable Estates into Our Princely consideration, and that We would be graciously pleased to grant unto them Our Letters Patents under Our great Seal of England, to licence, and authorize them to Ask and Receive the alms and Charitable Benevolence of all Our loving Subjects, within this Our Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon tweed.  
Whereupon, Out of Our tender Compassion of their Sufferings We readily referred the same to a Committee of Our Privy Council, to take the Premises into more particular consideration, and to represent to Us the most effectual means for the Redemption of Our said distressed Subjects from Slavery: Which said Committee, upon the Seven and twentieth of July last past, at Our Council-Board( Our Self being present) did Report unto Us, That as well by several Certificates of the several Ships taken, of approved Authority and Truth, as by several Letters from the respective Masters, Officers, and Sea-men now in Slavery, to their Friends and Relations here in England, it doth evidently appear, That the said Poor Christian-Slaves, Assaulted by these inhuman Thieves and pirates, did in their several Fights behave themselves with Remarkable Valour and Courage, to the great Honour of their Country, and their Religion; divers of them not yielding to the Enemy till they had been often Boarded, and the Enemies Slain upon their Decks, and till their own Ships were Fired about them; when being forced to cast themselves into the Sea, to avoid the Devouring Flames, were Seized on by these Barbarous Enemies, with whom they now led a Life much Worse than Death; bought and sold like Beasts in the Market, held to most insupportable Service, and Fed only with a slender Allowance of Bread and Water; many of them Chained to their Work, and Beaten daily with a certain number of Stripes( as their accustomend Cruelty is) upon the sols of their Feet; and Evil entreated by many other Acts of Turkish Cruelty, which the Fierceness of their Natures, and the Bloody Principles of their Religion prompt them to: But above all, that accursed Tyranny used towards the Souls of these miserable Wretches can never sufficiently be Bewailed, who are daily Assaulted by these Professed Enemies of Christ, to turn Apostates from the Christian Faith; and to Deny that only Name given under Heaven by which they can be Saved: Whereby they lye under a continual Temptation to Abandon their Religion, that they may obtain their Liberty. And it appearing also, by several Lists and Accounts produced, That the Number of these Poor Slaves is so Great, and the Demands of their several Unreasonable Taskmasters so High, that the Money needful for the Accomplishing their Redemption, is represented by the said Committee, to Amount to the Sum of Thirty Thousand Pounds; which Sum our said Distressed Subjects are utterly unable to procure of themselves. And further Representing to Us, That the most probable Way for a Speedy Procuring and Collecting the same, will be by Recommending this most Christian and Chatitable Work to all our loving Subjects of this Kingdom, whose Hearts God hath touched with a Fellow-feeling of their Brethrens Afflictions, by Our Letters Patents appointing Extraordinary ways and Rules for Collection of the same upon such an Extraordinary Occasion, We taking the Premises into Our Princely consideration, out of Our tender Commiseration of Our poor Christian-subjects sufferings Abroad, and the inevitable Misery and Poverty that will befall all their helpless Families at Home; And for a just Encouragement to all Our goods Subjects, to continue with Courage and Perseverance in the Profession of the true Christian Faith, against all Implacable and Barbarous Enemies of the Same, are graciously pleased to condescend to their Petition.  
Know Ye Therefore, That of Our especial Grace and Princely compassion, We have given and granted, and by these Our Letters Patents, under our Great Seal of England, Do give and grant unto our said poor Distressed Subjects, the Captives aforesaid, or to their Agents, or other Persons, who shall be lawfully authorized on this behalf, full Power, licence and Authority, to Ask, Gather, Receive, and Take( according to the Rules hereafter specified in these presents) the alms and Charitable Benevolence of all Our loving Subjects( not only House-holders, but also Servants, Strangers, and others Inhabiting within all and every the Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Towns-Corporate, Cinque-Ports, privileged places, Parishes, Chappelries, Towns, Villages, Hamlets, and all other places whatsoever in our Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales,& Town of Berwick upon tweed, for and towards the redemption and relief of the said poor Captives.  
Wherefore, We require and command all and singular the Arch-Bishops, and Bishops of all and singular the Provinces and dioceses within Our said Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, that they, and every of them, do give a particular Recommendation and Command to all the Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, of all and every the Parishes within their respective dioceses, for the Advancement of this so Pious a Work; Unto whose Paternal care and inspection we chiefly Recommend the pursuit of these Our Letters Patents, not doubting but they who lately after Our happy Return, of their own free Motion, and at their great Charge, did so Worthily Redeem all Our poor Subjects out of Turkish-Slavery, taken in the time of the late Usurpation, will be ready with all Zeal, and Powerful Importunity, to Exhort others to follow their good Example: And especially to Stir up their inferior Clergy to give effectual Arguments to their Flocks, both by Exhortation and Example, for a Liberal Contribution towards the Redemption of these Miserable Wretches, whose Cases are much more Deplorable than theirs who ordinarily seek for Relief by Collections of this nature, having not only lost their Goods and Lively-hoods by the Rapine of the Enemy, but are also Bereft of their Liberty, and Groan under most Cruel Bondage, destitute of all Necessaries for their support, and daily Tortured by the Merciless Cruelty of these pirates, thieves, and Infidels, who endeavour and design not only their Temporal, but the Eternal ruin both of their Souls and Bodies. And the said Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, upon the next Lords Day after that the true Copies of these Our Letters Patents shall be delivered unto them, Deliberately and Effectually to publish and declare the tenor of these Our Letters Patents unto our said loving Subjects, and Earnestly to Exhort, persuade, and Stir them up in the Bowels of Jesus Christ, as fellow-feeling members of the same Mystical Body, to extend their Liberal Contributions towards the said Pious and Charitable purposes. And the Church-wardens are also Required upon the Week-days following the said Lords Day, to Ask, and Receive, from all the parishioners, as well Masters, and Mistrisses, and Servants, as others in their Families, their Christian and Charitable Contributions: And to take the Names of all those which shall Contribute thereunto, and the Sum or Sums by them given respectively fairly Written; and after such Collection made, they are also in the presence of the respective Inhabitants, on the next Lords Day following, to Subscribe the whole Sum upon the said Briefs under their Hands; and also to enter them into Books of Accounts for the said Parishes and Chappelries respectively, together also with the Names of the Persons contributing, and the Sums contributed, within the Counties, Cities, Towns, Parishes and Chappelries respectively, where-in, and the time when such Sums are gathered: And they are also to deliver the same to the said Parsons, Vicars or Curates respectively, who are to take care that the Church-wardens do their Duties in the premises, or otherwise to certify their Neglect to the Bishop of the diocese, that the same may be Transmitted to Our Council, who will take care that the Offender be Punished according to his De●ert. And the said Parsons, Vicars, and Curates respectively, are to sand the said moneys with a Duplicate of the said Accounts, unto the respective Bishops of the several dioceses, by such means as they shall Direct, to be by them disposed as herein afterwards is declared. And for the better performance of this so Charitable a Work, the said Parsons, Vicars, and Curates respectively, are desired( where conveniently they may) to accompany the Church-wardens in Asking and Receiving the said Contributions, or procure some other of the chief Inhabitants in the said Parishes respectively to do the same. And Our further Will and Pleasure is, and We do hereby, for the better advancement of these Our Pious intentions, Will, Require, and Command, the Bishops, and all other Dignitaries of the Church, that they do make their contributions distinctly, to be returned in the several Provinces to the respective Arch-Bishops of the same. And also that all the Judges and Officers of all and every Our respective Courts, and the Professors of the Law, both Common and Civil; And all Students of the inns of Court and Chancery, by their several Bodies and Societies, shall contribute their Free and Charitable benevolence in such Manner and Order as shall be directed and appointed by ourself in Council.  
And Forasmuch as the Merchants of this Our Kingdom, and the several Traders at Sea, who are chiefly concerned in the accomplishing this Charitable work, cannot conveniently contribute among themselves, by reason they are not United in any distinct Bodies and Societies: Therefore, that no means may be omitted that may help towards the Redemption of Our said Subjects from their miserable Captivity, We do earnestly Admonish, Exhort, and Recommend, that Our said Merchants and Traders at Sea, in their several places of their abode, do not only Advance, and by all means promote this Pious wo k among their Neighbours and Friends, but also that they themselves in an Exemplary, and Extraordinary proportion, manifest their own charity in this behalf. To which purpose We further Will and Require, That the several Parsons, Vicars, and Curates, in drawing up the Accounts of the Collections before Directed, do always observe to set the Contributions of the several Merchants and Traders at Sea, within their respective Parishes, distinct by themselves, at the head of their Account, with their Names, and their Sums so contributed by each of them, to be returned up with the rest to the several Arch-Bishops and Bishops as aforesaid. And to the end that all possible Encouragement in this behalf may be given to the said Merchants, and all other Our loving Subjects of this Kingdom of what Dignity, Degree, or Quality soever, We further declare, that We ourself are graciously pleased to Contribute distinctly: And that Our Council, and all Our Court shall do the like towards the accomplishing of this Pious and Charitable work, so acceptable to God and all good Christians.  
And Lastly, Our will and pleasure is, and We do hereby Recommend to the care and circumspection of all and singular the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of the said respective Provinces and dioceses, that it be so ordered, that the Collection and return of the said moneys may be without Charge, or any Deduction to be made out of the contributions collected for the same. And also, that the moneys collected by virtue hereof, be returned by the said Arch-Bishops and Bishops, and other Our Officers and Ministers, who are hereby Impowred to receive the same, with all the Copies and Accounts subscribed under their Hands, into the Chamber of Our City of London, to be employed for the Redemption of the said poor Captives, according to such Orders and Directions as ourself in Council shall give for the disbursing and disposing of the same. And that the Court of Aldermen do hold diligent Correspondence with the Bishops, and the several Countries concerning the returning, and truly paying in of the aforesaid moneys; which said Court of Aldermen, are also further from time to time as need shall require, to give an Account to us in Our Council, of all Passages and Proceedings concerning the Premises, for the more speedy and effectual Prosecution of the ends of these Our Letters Patents. Any Law, Statute, Act, Ordinance, or Provision heretofore made to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding.  
In Witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patents for the space of Two whole Years next after the Date hereof to endure, and no longer.  
Witness ourself at Westminster, the Tenth day of August in the Two and Twentieth Year of Our Reign. daw. 
 God Save the KING.   

London, Printed by Thomas Milbourn dwelling in Jewen-Street, Anno. Dom. 1670.   

With Priviledg●