"Whereas, by the first article of the Treaty of Union, as the same hath been ratified and approved by several Acts of Parliament, the one made in our Parliament of England, and the other in our Parliament of Scotland, it was provided and agreed that the ensigns armorial of our Kingdom of Great Britain be such as we should appoint, and the crosses of Saint George and Saint Andrew _conjoyned in such manners as we should think fit_, and used in all flags, banners, standards and ensigns both at sea and land; we have, therefore, thought fit, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to order and appoint _the ensign described on the side or margent hereof_, to be worn on board all ships or vessels belonging to any of our subjects whatsoever; and to issue this, our Royal Proclamation, to notifie the same to all our loving subjects, hereby strictly charging and commanding the masters of all merchant ships and vessels belonging to our subjects, _whether employed in our service or otherwise_, and all other persons whom it may concern, to wear the said ensign on board the ships or vessels." After creating the _Ensign_, which was to be used by all ships, warning was given, so that Her Majesty's ships might be the more easily distinguished, against the using of the single Jack, or of any of the distinctive flags of the Royal Navy, without permission. "And whereas, divers of our subjects have presumed on board their ships to wear our flag, Jacks and pendants, which, according to ancient usage, have been appointed as a distinction for our ships, and have worn flags, Jacks and pendants in shape and mixture of colours so little different from ours as not without difficulty to be distinguished therefrom. We do, therefore, with the advice of our Privy Council, hereby strictly charge and command all our subjects whatsoever, that they do not presume to wear in any of their ships _Our Jack, commonly called the 'Union Jack_,' nor any pendants, nor any such colours as are usually worn by our ships without particular warrant for their so doing from us." The proclamation then stated that no other ensign was to be used, and that it was to take the place of the ensign red up to that time used by merchant ships: "And to hereby further command all our loving subjects that without such warrant as aforesaid they presume not to wear on board their ships _any other ensign_ than the ensign described on the side or _Margent hereof_, which shall be _worn instead of_ the ensign before this time usually worn on merchant ships. "Given at our Court at Windsor, the 28th day of July, in the sixth year of our reign. "_God Save the Queen._" [Illustration: 25. THE RED ENSIGN IN "THE MARGENT," 1707.]