"His Majesty strictly charges and commands all his subjects, that from henceforth they do not presume to wear _His Majesty's Jack, commonly called the Union Jack_, on any of their ships or vessels, without particular warrant for their so doing from His Majesty, or the Lord High Admiral of England. And His Majesty doth further command all his loving subjects without such warrant they presume not to wear on board their ships or vessels any Jacks made in imitation of His Majesty's, or any other flags, Jacks or ensigns whatsoever, than those usually heretofore worn on merchants' ships, viz., the flag and _Jack white_, with a red cross, commonly called St. George's cross, passing quite through the same, and the _Ensign red_ with the like cross in a canton white at the upper corner thereof next to the staff." The distinctive order of the flags was this time arranged to be: A.D. 1663. THE ROYAL NAVY-- "His Majesty's Jack," commonly called "The Union Jack." ALL MERCHANTMEN-- I. The "Jack White," or plain St. George Jack. II. The "Ensign Red," or red flag, with the "Jack White" in the upper corner. From the time of this proclamation of Charles II. the Jack of King James regained its officially authorized position, but only as a single flag, and even then was ordered to be used only on the royal men-of-war. The merchant ships, however, began again so frequently to fly this Jack instead of their single-cross Jacks, that in the reign of William III., and again in the reign of Queen Anne (prior to the creation of her own two-crossed Jack), it was found necessary to issue special proclamations reiterating the official restriction of this two-crossed Jack of James to the ships of the Royal Navy, and forbidding any other ships to use it. Although the merchantmen were not always using the single St. George Jack, which had been restored to them, and it had given way in the Royal Navy to the two-crossed Jack, yet it had always continued to be used in the Ensign Red referred to in the proclamation. The creation of this Ensign Flag, in 1648, is told in the next chapter, and in this form the restoration of the English Jack was extended for a further period to 1707, and reserved for a special further honour in later times. In the British Navy of the present day the St. George Jack has become, and is ordered to be, the distinctive flag of an Admiral. According to the mast upon which it is raised his rank is indicated, and the ship on which it is carried is termed the "Flag Ship." These flags are displayed as follows: ADMIRAL St. George at main. VICE-ADMIRAL St. George at fore. REAR-ADMIRAL St. George at mizzen. Thus has the English Jack been once more restored, and being the signal of command in the British Navy, it is a continuing memorial of the prowess of the seamen of England, whose ships so early won the sea command for the united empire. CHAPTER IX.