¶ By the queen. A proclamation to admonish all persons to forbear traffic in the king of Spaynes countreys, with other advertisements for aunsweryng of a general arrest made in the low countreys by the Duke of Alua.  
commaun-dement of the Duke of Alua, as governor in the low countreys belonging to her majesties good brother the king of spain, al maner her merchants and other her subiectes inhabytyng in the town of Andwerpe, were arrested & put under guard of certain companies of soldiers, and their goods and marchaundizes also seized, about the xxix. of the last month of December, and since that time the like arrest is made generally in the said low countreys: A matter very strange, and heretofore in no time used betwixt the crown of england and the house of burgundy, without some maner of former conference precedyng, and intelligence had of the minds and intentions of the Princes themselves on both sides. whereupon her majesty hath thought good, to give warning to all her subiectes that haue any cause to traffic in any of the countreys of the said king, that they shal forbear the same, until further knowledge may appear of the mind of the said king himself howe he shall allow hereof: which being known to her majesty, shalbe notified to her said subiectes. And in the mean time, her majesty willeth and commandeth all maner her officers, of all to wnes, burghes, cities, ports, and all other landyng places within any of her dominions, that they do cause all and every person born under any part of the obedience of the said king of spain, or living in his countreys and professyng obedience to the said king, and their goods, marchaundizes, stirs, and vessels, to be arrested and stayed, to be forth coming and answerable, as well for the indemnity of her majesties subiectes already, without any just cause detained, as for other necessary consequencies: and that also in all towns, havens, and dwelling places, where any merchants born or professyng the obedience of the said king, shall found to be suspected for converting or conveying of their goods, by any maner of fraud or colour of bargain, from the arrest and seizure therof: there the principal officers of that town or place, with assistance of others Iustices of peace, shal proceed to the inquisition therof by all maner good means, and shal commit to ward as well the parties, of what nation soever they be, that haue or shalbe privy or aiding to any fraudulent colouring, except they shall first confess the same, as also the others that haue so coloured the same, and the goods to be also put in safety. And yet because her majesty hath no other meaning herein, but to haue the persons of the said kings subiectes and their goods put in safety by this arrest, for the preservation of her own good subiectes and their goods, and to be respondent for such other disordered actions as may ensue of these so strange and hasty attempts: she willeth and chargeth all maner her officers, ministers, and subiectes, that no violence be used to the hurt of the persons of any the said kings subiectes by reason of this arrest, without they shall by manifest wilful resistance provoke the same, neither that any spoil, waste, or damage be done to their goods and marchaundizes, but only to cause them to be put in good guard and safety. And yf any of the said kings subiectes shall challenge to be exempted out of this arrest by reason they be denizens, her majesty in dede having no meaning to impeach them therof, and yet for the time not knowing howe in like cases her subiectes being naturalised in the said kings countreys, are or shalbe used: is pleased that the said persons being in deed denizens, shall but finde sufficient sureties to be forth coming, with their goods: and yf they so will not, then they shalbe committed to the custody and guard of some other english merchants, and due inuentories taken of their goods, until knowledge may be had howe her majesties subiectes be or shalbe used on the other part. And considering also her majesty understandeth that a number of artificers and other forts of people, haue since the beginning of the late inward troubles in the low countreys, resorted hither into her realm for avoiding of the said troubles, as well for their consciences, as for the dangers that properly follow such civil troubles: her will and pleasure is, that in all places where such shalbe found to be( being of honest and quiet conversation) and except they shal be participiant to the colouring of other merchants goods, the same shall not be molested either in their persons or goods, otherwise then where to the officers of the place it shall so seem needful, and there they shall give bonds one for another to be worth coming, and suffer inuentozies to be n●●de of their goods.  
Furthermore her majesty hearing by report, that the arrest of her subiectes on the other side the seas, should 〈◇〉 vpon a pretence, for staying of one ship and three or four small barks, lately come into certain her ports of ●e● realm, wherein certain money was: hath thought good briefly to notify the circumstance of that pretence, whereby may be seen manifestly, that the same is gathered without just cause, and the devisers and promoters of the 〈◇〉, whosoever they were, to haue proceeded bnorderly and unadvisedly. Her majesty was first informed by her officers in certain her ports in the West country of this realm, that three or four small barks, called Zabras, were come out of spain into certain ports there, having in them a quantity of money belonging to sundry merchants of italy and the low countreys, and that diuers ships of france in warlike maner were vpon the came coasts, attending to surprise the said spanish bessels and treasure, if they should pass to the seas, and that it was also to be feared, that they would enter into the very ports, and take them away by force. whereupon her maiesfie did send straite commandment by special letters, to all the ports in those West partes, that the merchants and owners of those vessels should haue knowledge thereof, and that they and all other the king of Spaynes subiectes, should be assisted and defended against the attempts of the french, by all means possible. After which done, the spanish ambassador here now resident, made like request to haue new order for maintenance and assistance of the said vessels and treasure against the said french, which was also granted to him, and several letters patents to that effect were delivered to his own messengers. And a while after this, he requiring of the queens majesty, to understand her pleasure, whether she would be content that the owners and conductor of the said treasure might be either conducted by sea or by land to dover, pretending the money to appertain to the king his master: her majesty granted to him, that which soever of these two ways he would desire, should be forthwith directed for him, whereof he thanked her majesty, saying that he would stay until he might send into the low countreys, and haue word from the Duke of Alua, which of those two ways he would haue ●t transported. In the mean time, her majesty was informed that the french had secretly in the night entred into one of her havens in the West, where the said treasure was, and had attempted the surprise thereof, but were only repulsed by such force as her majesties officers had in readiness for that purpose: a matter notorious to all the partes where the said ships were assaulted, and well reported also to the ambassador. whereupon, considering howe doubtful and there with chargeable a matter it was, from time to time to preserve the same lying abiode in the havens: it was thought best even for the honour of the realm, that the said treasure should be taken en land, and there safely preserved in the sight and presence of them that had the charge thereof, without touching or withdrawing any part of the same. And being then certainly known to belong unto merchants, it was also thought, after the due preservation thereof from the peril of the seas, not an unreasonable motion, nor against the honourable usage of princes in their own dominions, to treat with the owners with their good contentation, and not otherwise, to borrow it or some part therof, vpon like good assurance and conditions, as her majesty hath oftentimes borrowed of other merchants, subiectes to the said king in his own low countreys, and as other princes haue done lately in the very like cases. The like maner was used to wards a ship lying near Southampten laden with wolles, and wherein also treasure was, and in apparent danger of Frenchmen hovering vpon that cost, who had made great offers to the officers there, only to withdraw their defence: for which purpose, her majesty sent her captain of the Isle of Wight for security, to haue the same likewise preserved from the french, and to be taken on land: as if it had not ben, the french had taken it within four and twenty houres after, which also was known to belong unto merchants, and so is to be notoriously proved. And before the said captain had taken care to see the same preserved, it is known what sums of money were offered to him, to haue only left the ship wherein the wools were, after the money taken on land, remaining to be vndefended: which the said captain would not suffer, but armed certain souldiers to very great charges by sea, which presently yet do continue to guard the said ship. And during this time, whilst this was in ordering, the spanish ambassador came to her majesty about the .xxix. of December, bringing with him from the Duke of Alua a short letter, only of credence, & thereupon required, that the vessels and money stayed in the ports might be put to liberty, as belonging to the uyng his master. To whom her majesty answered, that she had in her doings( if it were the kings) shewed him great pleasure to save it from the french, she wing him therein some particularities of the diligence of her officers, but she was informed that it belonged to merchants, and herein within four or five dayes she should understand 〈…〉 be herein done, that in reason should miscontent 〈…〉 ●er good 〈…〉 or siue dayes at his next coming. And so be 〈◇〉, not 〈◇〉 but to allow of the a●●●were. And her majesty in the mean time having according to 〈◇〉 expectation 〈…〉 from the west country, whereupon she intended to haue satisfied the ambassador at his 〈◇〉( which she 〈…〉 to her appointment) not only for the delivery of the said ships and trea●●●, for such portion 〈◇〉 might appear to belong to the said king: but also to haue performed her first o●●●e to 〈…〉 con●●uct for the s●me by land or by sea. The first intelligence brought to her majesty( without any 〈◇〉 of the ambe●●adour) was, that all her subiectes, goods, marchaundizes, and ships, were arrested, taken, 〈…〉 at 〈◇〉 as 〈◇〉, the very same present xxix. day that the ambassador was with her majesty, so 〈…〉 salleth out to every mans understanding, that howsoever her majesty had then satisfied the ambassador 〈◇〉 same xxix. day, all her subiectes and their goods had ben nevertheless arrested, as they were at Indwerpe the 〈◇〉 day. whereupon her majesty now leaveth it to the judgement of all the world, to consider not only whether 〈◇〉 a pretence was sufficient to cause so sudden, so violent, and so general arrest to be made with force, in such ma●●●, and at the time it was: but also in whom any default shalbe found, whatsoueuer may follow hereof, her ma●●● having had no intention to miscontent the king of spain, nor to possess any thing belonging to di●●ub●●●s, otherwise then with their good will, vpon just, reasonable, and usual con●●tions. And thus much● her 〈◇〉 hath thought convenient to notify to all persons, for testimony of her sincerity, and for maintenance of tractions, whatsoever they shal be, whereunto she may by this means be provoked.  
At Hampton Court the vi. of January, the xi. year of her majesties reign, and the year of our lord. 1568.  
God save the queen.   

❧ Imprinted at London in Powles Church yard by richard Jugge and John Cawood, Printers to the queens majesty.   

Cum privilegio Regiae Maiestatis.