Dec] 



CHRONICLE. 



131 



sons exercising or assuming to 

 exercise the powers of Govern- 

 ment in such provinces or parts of 

 provinces, and that divers others 

 of our subjects are about in like 

 manner to enter and enlist them- 

 selves ; and whereas such prac- 

 tices are highly prejudicial to, and 

 tend to endanger the peace and 

 welfare of our crown and domi- 

 nions : we do therefore hereby, 

 by and with the advice of our 

 Privy Council, strictly charge and 

 command all and every of our da- 

 tural-'born subjects, of what de- 

 gree or quality soever, not to serve 

 in any such military forces or ships 

 Df war as aforesaid, and not to 

 enlist or enter themselves to serve 

 therein, and not to go beyond the 

 seas or embark, in order to serve, 

 bf with intent to enter, or enlist 

 themselves to serve in such mili- 

 tary forces or ships of war : and 

 it is at the same time our royal will 

 and pleasme, and we do, by and 

 with the advice aforesaid, hereby 

 also strictly charge and command 

 all and every of our said subjects 

 not to serve or enlist, or enter 

 themselves to serve in any of the 

 military forces or ships of war 

 raised or set forth, or to be raised 

 or set forth, by his Catholic Ma- 

 jesty, and not to go beyond the 

 seas, or embark, in order, or to 

 the intent to serve, or enter, or 

 enlist themselves, to serve in such 

 military forces or ships of war : it 

 is nevertheless our royal will and 

 pleasure, that nothing herein con- 

 tained shall be deemed or taken to 

 prohibit any of our subjects who 

 are engaged at the time of the 

 date of this our proclamation in 

 serving in the military forces of 

 his Catholic Majesty with our 

 leave or license, fi*om continuing 



tb serve therein, provided that 

 such our said subjects do not serve 

 with the military forces of his 

 Catholic Majesty when employed 

 in Spanish America : and we do 

 hereby, by and with the advice 

 aforesaid, strictly require all our 

 said subjects duly to conform to 

 our commands herein contained, 

 under pain of our highest displea- 

 sure, and the utmost forfeitures, 

 penalties, and punishments, to 

 which by law they will otherwise 

 be liable. 



Given at our Court at Brighton, 

 the 27th day of No%-ember, IS 17, 

 in the 58th year of our reign. 

 God save the King. 



3 1 . The kingdom of Sicily has 

 been divided into Intendancies 

 which are organized like the 

 French departments. There hare 

 been established provincial and 

 communal councils, who have re- 

 duced to insignificance the autho- 

 rity of the feudal jurisdictions. 

 The Intendancies are to the num- 

 ber of seven, namely, Palermo with 

 405,231 inhabitants, Messina with 

 236,784, Catania 289,406, Gir- 

 genti 288,877, Syracuse 192,710, 

 Trapani 145,712, and Calata Ni- 

 setta 155,225 — making, in alU 

 1,648.955 inhabitants. 



The vessels for exploring the 

 northern regions have begun to 

 be eq\upped. Two are to endea- 

 vour to penetrate through Davis's 

 Straits, and two to reach the 

 North Pole, if possible ; by which 

 means it rs expected to ascertain 

 whether Greenland is an island, or 

 part of the continents of Asia or 

 America. The vessels are to be 

 stored with every requisite in pro- 

 visions, nautical instruments, &c. 

 The crew, it is said, will consist 

 of 50 men, including officers, in 



K 2 each 



