IT having pleased Almighty God to make Us the happy Instruments of Rescuing these Nations from Great and Imminent Dangers , and to place Us upon the Throne of these Kingdoms , We think Our Selves obliged to endeavour to the uttermost to Promote the Welfare of Our People , which can never be effectually Secured , but by preventing the Miseries that threaten them from abroad .

When We consider the many unjust Methods the French King hath of late Years taken to gratifie his Ambition , that he has not only Invaded the Territories of the Emperor , and of the Empire now in Amity with Us , laying waste whole Countries , and destroying the Inhabitants by his Armies , but Declared War against our Allies , without any Provocation , in manifest Violation of the Treaties Confi●med by the Guaranty of the Crown of England ; We can do no less than joyn with Our Allies , in opposing the Designs of the French King , as the Disturber ot the Peace , and the Common Enemy of the Christian World.

And besides the Obligations We ly under by Treaties with Our Allies , which are a sufficient Justification of Us for taking up Arms at this time , since they have called upon Us so to do , the many Injuries done to Us , and to Our Subjects , without any Reparation , by the French King , are such , that ( however of late years they were not taken notice of , for Reasons well known to the World , nevertheless ) We will not pass them over without a Publick and Just Resentment of such Outrages .

It is not long since the French took Licences from the English Governor of New Found-Land , to Fish in the Seas upon that Coast , and paid a Tribute for such Licences , as an acknowledgment of the sole Right of the Crown of England to that Island ; And yet of late , the Encroachments of the French upon Our said Island , and Our Subjects Trade and Fishery have been more like the Invasions of an Enemy , than becoming Friends , who enjoyed the Advantages of that Trade only by Permission .

But that the French King should Invade Our Charibbee Islands , and possess himself of Our Territories of the Province of New-York , and of Hudson's Bay in a Hostile manner , seizing Our Forts , burning Our Subjects Houses , and enriching his People with the Spoil of their Goods and Merchandizes , detaining some of Our Subjects under the hardship of Imprisonment , causing others to be inhumanely kill'd , and driving the rest to Sea in a small Vessel , without Food and necessaries to support them , are Actions not becoming even an Enemy ; And yet he was so far from declaring himself so , that at that very time he was Negotiating here in England by his Ministers , a Treaty of Neutrality and good Correspondence in America .

The Proceedings of the French King against Our Subjects in Europe , are so Notorious , that We shall not need to enlarge upon them ; his countenancing the Seizure of English Ships by French Privateers , forbidding the Importation of great part of the Product and Manufactures of Our Kingdom , and imposing exorbitant Customes upon the rest , notwithstanding the vast Advantage he and the French Nation reap by their Commerce with England , are sufficient Evidences of his Designs to destroy the Trade , and consequently to ru●ne the Navigation , upon which the Wealth and Safety of this Nation very much depends .

The Right of the Flag , inherent in the Crown of England , has been Disputed by his Orders in Violation of Our Sovereignty of the narrow Seas , which in all Ages has been Asserted by Our Predecessors , and We are resolv'd to Maintain , for the Honour of Our Crown , and of the English Nation .

But that which must nearly touch Us , is his unchristian Prosecution of many of Our English Protestant Subjects in France , for matters of Religion , contrary to the Law of Nations , and express Treaties , forcing them to abjure their Religion by strange and unusual Cruelties , and Imprisoning some of the Masters and Seamen of Our Merchants Ships , and condemning others to the Gallies , upon pretence of having on Board , either some of his own Miserable Protes ; tant Subjects , or their Effects , And lastly , as he has for some Years last past , endeavoured by Insinuations and Promises of Assistance , to overthrow the Government of England ; So now by open and violent Methods , and the actual Invasion of Our Kingdom of Ireland , in support of Our Subjects in Arms and in Rebellion against us , he is promoting the utter Extirpation of Our good and Loyal Subjects in that Our Kingdom .

Being therefore thus necessitated to take up Arms , and Relying on the Help of Almighty God in Our Just Undertaking ; We have thought fit to Declare , and do hereby Declare War against the French King , and that We will in Conjunction with Our Allies , vigorously Prosecute the same by Sea and Land ( since he hath so unrighteously begun it ) being assured of the hearty Concurrence and As ; sistance of Our Subjects in support of so good a Cause : Hereby Willing and Requiring Our General of Our Forces , Our Commissioners for Executing the Office of High Admiral , Our Lieutenants of Our several Counties , Governors of Our Forts and Garisons , and all other Officers and Souldiers under them , by Sea and Land , to do and execute all Acts of Hostility in the Prosecution of this War against the French King , his Vassals and Subjects , and to oppose their Attempts , willing and Requiring all Our Subjects to take Notice of the same , whom We henceforth forbid to hold any Correspondence or Communication with the said French King or his Subjects . And because there are remaining in Our Kingdoms many of the Subjects ot the French King , We do Declare and Give Our Royal Word , That all such of the French Nation as shall demean themselves Dutifully towards Us , and not Correspond with Our Enemies , shall be fate in their Persons and Estates , and free from all Molestation and Trouble of any kind .