We will and command you, That, under our said Great Seal of England, in your custody being, you cause these our letters to be made forth Patents, in Form following: _William the Third_, by the Grace of God, etc., To all to whom these Presents shall come, or may in any wise concern, Greeting. Whereas upon divers Complaints and Informations to Us made, That _Thomas Too_, _John Ireland_, _Thomas Wake_, _William Mace_, alias _Maze_, and divers other our Subjects, Natives or Inhabitants of _New England_, _New York_, and elsewhere in our Plantations in _America_, had associated themselves with divers other wicked and ill-disposed Persons, in order to commit, and did frequently commit, many great Piracies, Robberies and Depredations, upon the Seas in the Parts of America, and in other Parts and places; in Violation of the Laws of Nations; to the Obstruction and Discouragement of Trade and Navigation; and to the Loss and Prejudice of our Subjects, and the Subjects of our Friends and Allies; and also to the Dishonouring of our Royal Authority, in case any of our Subjects, guilty of such great and detestable Enormities, should go unpunished; We did, by our Commission under our Great Seal of _England_, bearing Date the 26th Day of _January_, in the Seventh Year of our Reign, in order to bring the said Pirates, Free-booters, and Sea Rovers, and their accomplices, to Justice, give and grant full Power and Authority to Captain _William Kidd_, Commander of the Ship _Adventure Galley_, and to the Commander of the said Ship for the Time being, to apprehend, seize and take into Custody, the said _Thomas Too_, _John Ireland_, _Tho Wake_, and _William Maze_, and all other Pirates, Free-booters, and Sea Rovers, of what Nation soever, whom he should find, or meet with, upon the said Coasts or Seas of _America_, or in any other Seas or Parts, with their Ships and Vessels, and all such Merchandise, Money, Goods, and Wares, as should be found on board of them; and, in case of Resistance, to fight with, and compel the said Pirates, Free-booters, and Sea Rovers, to yield; and them to bring or cause to be brought, to a legal Tryal, to the end they might forthwith suffer condign Punishment, according to their Demerits: And we did also, by the same Commission, require the said Captain _William Kidd_ to keep an exact Journal of his Proceedings, in relation to the Execution of our Royal Pleasure in the said Premises; and therein to set down the Names of such Pirates, and of their Ships and Vessels, as he should, as aforesaid, seize or take; and also to specify the Quantities and Particulars of the Arms, Ammunition, Provision, and Loading, of such Ships, and the true Values thereof: And whereas the said Ship _Adventure Galley_ was, with our Knowledge, and Royal Encouragement, fitted out to Sea, for the Purposes aforesaid, at the great and sole charges of our right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin _Richard_ Earl