[1] Two treaties had been recently entered into, viz.: "Articles of
Peace between Great Britain and Tunis, concluded October, 1662. Renewed
and confirmed February 4, 1674/5," and "Capitulations and Articles of
Peace between Great Britain and the Ottoman Empire, September, 1675"
(_Several Treaties of Peace and Commerce_, London, 1686, pp. 157, 203.
See also Playfair's _Scourge of Christendom_, pp. 115-119). One of
the clauses of these treaties required that all Englishmen traveling
in foreign ships should be provided with passports. A proclamation of
December 22, 1675, ordered that all passes issued before 1675 should
expire on May 1, 1676, and that all new passes, except those for Guinea
or the East or West Indies, should be in force for only one year.
Another proclamation of January 28, 1676, explained that the passes
referred to as expiring on May 1 concerned only the Mediterranean trade
(see proclamation calendared in Lord Crawford's _Tudor and Stuart
Proclamations_). The proclamation above printed was issued to determine
the expiration of passes granted for the English colonial trade.
1676, October 27.
[Suppressing the Rebellion in Virginia.]