By the King a proclamation for the better furnishing of the nauy, and increase of shipping.

❧ By the King. ¶ A Proclamation for the better furnishing of the Nauy, and increase of Shipping.

WHereas the small allowance of Pay to the Sailers seruing in the Kings Shippes, is obserued to be a chiefe occa∣sion why the said Shippes haue not beene, nor could bee so spee∣dily and so well Manned as is requisite, both for His Maiesties seruice, and the good of the State, especially in these times, when they are to be imployed for the repressing and pursuing of forreine enemies, infesting the Coasts, and endammaging His Maiesties Subiects, as also in regard of other important seruices, Which being propounded by the Lord Admirall to the rest of the Lords of His Maiesties Priuie Counsell at the Board, and it being mooued by his Lordship, that with their approbation His Maiestie might bee mooued, that the Medium of allowance for euery Sayler might be Twentie shillings a Moneth, where∣as now it is but fourteene shillings, By which meanes there will accrue to euery ordinary man Fourteene shillings a Moneth, besides an allowance out of it, of foure pence to a Prea∣cher, two pence to a Barber, and sixe pence a Moneth to the Chest, whereas the ordinary men haue now but Nine shillings foure pence a Moneth, and no allowance at all giuen to a Prea∣cher, Out of the surplusage of which proportion now mooued to be increased, all Officers wages would be likewise respectiuely raised, and allowance also might be giuen for a Lieuete∣nant and a Corporall. Which motion so made by the Lord Admirall, the rest of the Lords hauing taken into their serious consideration, and well weighed both the proportion and the reasons whereupon it was grounded, did thinke it very fit that His Maiestie should be mooued therein, to the end His Maiestie might bee pleased to Command that the same might be accor∣dingly put in execution.

And His Maiestie, being thereupon mooued by the Lords of His Priuie Counsell, out of His gracious disposition to encourage the poore Saylers cheerefully, and faithfully to serue Him, Hath beene well pleased to enlarge the Entertainement, and Allowance heeretofore gi∣uen to the Saylers; And doeth hereby publish and declare, and doeth also promise and vn∣dertake, That from hencefoorth euery Sayler, which shall be imployed in any of His Ma∣iesties Ships, shall haue such allowance made, and duely payd vnto him, as was propounded by the Lord Admirall, as aforesayd. And His Maiestie, by the like aduice of His Priuie Counsell, doth straitly charge and command, That no Merchants, or Owners of Ships, shall draw away any Saylers, by enhaunsing of their pay, lest thereby His Maiesties Ser∣uice, and the Seruice of the Publique, doe suffer preiudice: Neuerthelesse, His Maiestie is very well contented, That they who trade into very remote Countreyes, as into Muscouia, and more particularly, they of the East India Company, (who cannot alwayes furnish their Shippes with men at ordinary Rates, for Voyages of that length and danger) may haue libertie to vse meanes for the accommodating of themselues in that behalfe, in the best manner they can.

And lastly, whereas in the time of the reigne of the late Queene Elizabeth of famous me∣morie, for the better encouraging of the Ship-masters, and Merchants, to build Ships, there was an Order made, for the allowance of Fiue Shillings a Tunne to euery Ship aboue the burthen of one hundred Tunnes, which should afterwards be built: Which Order was vp∣on the same reason reuiued by His late Maiestie of euer blessed memorie, King Iames; His Ma∣iestie being desirous to giue all encouragement, for the encreasing of the number and strength of the Shippes of this Kingdome, by the like aduice of His Priuie Counsell, Is well pleased, and doeth hereby publish and declare, and doeth promise and vndertake, That His Maiestie, for and vnto euery Ship, which shall from hencefoorth bee built, of the burthen of two hun∣dred Tunnes or vpwards, shall and will giue, and duely pay an allowance of Fiue Shillings for euery Tunne.

Giuen at His Maiesties Court at White-Hall, the foure and twentieth day of Aprill, in the second yeere of His Reigne.

God saue the King.