AN ENGINE WHEREBY ONE MAN, OR MORE, MAY CONTINUE AND WORKE VNDER, FOR ABOUT THE SPACE OF A QUARTER OF AN HOURE, VPON ANY WRECK OR WRECKS, WITH GREAT FREEDOME AND CLEARNESSE OF SIGHT, AND, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ANY PERSON OR PERSONS THAT CAN SWIMME, MAY RECOVER AND TAKE VP, WITHOUT DIVEING, ANY BULLION, PLATE, GUNNS, GOODS, OR MERCHANDIZES WHATSOEVER, LOST VNDER WATER, AND THAT THE SAID ENGINE WAS NEVER BEFORE MADE OR PRACTISED BY ANY OTHER
Year: 1692

page_text: WILLIAM AND MARY, by the grace of God, &c., to all to whome these
presents shall come, greeting.
WHEREAS our trusty and welbeloved MICHAEL ROSSE and JAMES JOHN-
STONE, have, by their humble peticon represented vnto vs that they have, with
long practise, great charge, and experience, found out and invented "AN
ENGINE WHEREBY ONE MAN, OR MORE, MAY CONTINUE AND WORKE VNDER, FOR ABOUT
THE SPACE OF A QUARTER OF AN HOURE, VPON ANY WRECK OR WRECKS, WITH GREAT
FREEDOME AND CLEARNESSE OF SIGHT, AND, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ANY PERSON
OR PERSONS THAT CAN SWIMME, MAY RECOVER AND TAKE VP, WITHOUT DIVEING,
ANY BULLION, PLATE, GUNNS, GOODS, OR MERCHANDIZES WHATSOEVER, LOST VNDER
WATER, AND THAT THE SAID ENGINE WAS NEVER BEFORE MADE OR PRACTISED BY
ANY OTHER;" and have humbly prayed vs to grant them our Letters Patents
for the sole vse and benefitt thereof.
KNOW YEE THEREFORE, that wee, being graciously pleased to conde-
scend to that their request, and willing to encourage the inventers of such arts
as may be of publick vse and benefitt, of our especiall grace, certaine know-
ledge, and meer močon, have given and granted, and by these presents for vs,
our heires and successors, doe give and grant vnto the said Michael Rosse and
James Johnstone, their executors, administrators, and assignes, speciall lycence,
full power, sole priviledge and authority, that they, the said Michael Rosse and
James Johnstone, and either of them, their and either of their executors, admi-
nistrators, and assignes, and every of them, by themselves, or his or their deputy
and deputies, servants, or agents, or such others as the said Michael Rosse

page_text: and James Johnstone, or either of them, their or either of their executors,
administrators, and assignes, and every of them, by themselves, or his or their
deputy and deputies, servants or agents, or such others as the said Michael
Rosse and James Johnstone, or either of them, their or either of their exc-
cutors, administrators, or assignes, shall at any time agree with, and noe
others, from time to time and at all times dureing the terme of yeares herein
expressed, shall and lawfully may make, vse, exercise, and enioy the said
Invention within any part or parts, place or places whatsoever, of, in, or
belonging to our kingdome of England, dominion of Wales, and towne of
Berwick-vpon-Tweed, and all and every or any of our kingdomes and domi-
nions whatsoever, in such manner and according to such reasonable and
lawful rates and lymittačons as to them, the said Michael Rosse and James
Johnstone, their executors, administrators, and assignes, or any of them,
shall in their discretions seeme meet; and that they, the said Michael Rosse
and James Johnstone, their executors, administrators, and assignes, shall
and may have and enioy the sole benefitts, profitt, comodity, and advantage,
from time to time comeing, growing, and ariseing by reason of the said Inven-
tion, for and durcing the full terme of yeares herein mentioned, to have, hold,
exercise, and enioy the said lycence, powers, priviledges, and advantages
herein-before granted, or mentioned to be granted, vnto the said Michael
Rosse and James Johnstone, their executors, administrators, and assignes,
for and dureing and vnto the full end and terme of fourteen yeares from the
date of these presents next and immediately ensueing, and fully to be com-
pleate and ended, according to the statute in this case made and provided;
and to the end that the said Michael Rosse and James Johnstone, and either
of them, their and either of their exécutors, administrators, and assignes, and
every of them, may enioy the full benefitt, and the sole makeing, vse, and
exercise of the said Invention, according to our gratious intentions herein-
before declared, wee doe by these psents, for vs, our heires and successors,
require and strictly command all and every person and persons, bodies poli-
tique and corporate, and all other our subiects whatsoever, of what estate,
quality, or degree, name or condičon soever they be, within all and every our
kingdomes and dominions, that neither they nor any of them, at any time
dureing the continuance of the said terme of fourteen yeares hereby granted,
either directly or indirectly doe make, vse, or put in practise the said
Invention, or any part of the same, soe attained vnto by the said Michael
Rosse and James Johnstone as aforesaid, nor shall in anywise counterfeit or
resemble the same, nor shall make or cause to be made any addition thereto
or substracčon from the same, whereby to pretend themselves the inventers or

page_text: devisors thereof, without the lycence, consent, or agreement of the said
Michael Rosse and James Johnstone, their executors, administrators, or
assignes, in writeing vnder their, or some or one of their, hands and seales
first had and obtained in that behalfe, vpon such paines and penalties as can
or may be iustly inflicted on such offenders, for their contempt of this our
royal command, and further, to be answerable to the said Michael Rosse
and James Johnstone, or either of them, their or either of their executors,
administrators, and assignes, according to law, for his or their damages thereby
occasioned. And moreover, wee doe by these presents, for vs, our heires and
successors, will and command all and singular our justices of the peace,
mayors, sherriffs, bayliffs, constables, headboroughs, and all other officers
and ministers whatsoever, of vs, our heires and successors, for the time being,
that they, or any of them, do not nor shall at any time hereafter, dureing
the said terme hereby granted, in anywise molest, trouble, or hinder the said
Michael Rosse and James Johnstone, or either of them, their or either of
their executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of their or either of their
deputies, servants, in or about the due and lawful makeing vse or exercise
of the aforesaid Invention, or any thing relateing thereto Provided alwaics,
and these our Letters Patents are and shall be vpon this condičon, that if at
any time dureing the terme hereby granted, it shall be made appeare to
vs, our heires or successors, or any six or more of our or their Privy Councill,
that this our grant is contrary to law, or preiudiciall or inconvenient to our
subects in generall, or that the said Invention is not a new invention as to the
publick vse and exercise thereof within this our kingdome, and not invented
and found out by the said Michael Rosse and James Johnstone, as aforesaid,
then, vpon signification and declaraton thereof, to be made by vs, our heires
or successors, vnder our or their signett or privy scale, or by the lords and
others of our or their Privy Councill, or any six or more of them, vnder
their hands, these our Letters Patents shall forthwith cease, determine, and
be vtterly void to all intents and purposes, anything before herein contained
to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding: Provided alsoc, that these our
Letters Patents, or anything herein contained, shall not extend, or be con-
strued to extend, to give priviledge vnto the said Michael Rosse and James
Johnstone, their executors, administrators, or assignes, or any of them, to vse
or imitate any invention or worke whatsoever which hath been heretofore
found out or invented by any other of our subiects whatscever, and publickly
vsed or exercised within our said realmes and dominions, or any of them,
vnto whome like Letters Patents or priviledg priviledges have been already
granted, for the sole vse, exercise, and benefitt thereof, it being our will and

page_text: pleasure that the said Michael Rosse and James Johnstone, their executors,
administrators, and assignes, and all and singular other person and persons
to whome like Letters Patents or priviledges have been already granted as
aforesaid, shall distinctly vse and practise their severall inventions by them
invented and found out, according to the true intent and meaning of the
same respective Letters Patent and of these presents. And lastly, wee doo
by these presents, for vs, our heires and successors, grant vnto the said
Michael Rosse and James Johnstone, their executors, administrators, and
assignes, that these our Letters Patents, or the inrollment thereof, shall be
in and by all things good, firme, valid, sufficient, and effectuall in the law,
according to the true intent and meaning thereof, and shall be taken, con-
strued, and adiudged in the most favourable and beneficiall sence, for the
best advantage of the said Michael Rosse and James Johnstone, their exc-
cutors, administrators, and assignes, aswell in all courts of record as else-
where, and by all and singular the officers and ministers whatsoever of vs, our
heires and successors, whatsoever and wheresoever, notwithstanding the not
full and certain describeing the nature or quality of the said Invention, or the
materialls thereunto conduceing and belonging.
In witnesse &c Witnesse ourselves att Westminster, the Twenty
fourth day of March.
By Writt of Privy Seale.