Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1694 97. 407

                    A Proclamation          Lib. H. D.

                                               Maryland ss

                ffor a publick thanksgiving

     fforasmuch as it hath pleased God (of his infinite mercy) Whitehall

   to Grant to the fforces of his most sacred Maty (this last year) p. 324

   great prosperity & success against his Enemies the ffrench as

   well by Land as sea, and more especially considering the

   joyfull & happy News of his Mats safe arrivall in England,

   the Almighties continued goodness in the protection of

   his Royall person under all those dangerous hazards &

   Attempts his Maty hath vndergone, during this warr; All

   which inestimable blessings Require our publick thanksgiving

   & acknowledgmts; Have therefore thought fit, and by the

   advice of his Mats honoble Councill & House of Burgesses (in

   a Generall Assembly now Convened) do hereby appoint &

   Command that a generall thanksgiving to Almighty God for

   these Rich Mercies & ffavours, be observed on thursday next,

   by the sd Genll Assembly & all the Inhabitants & others then

   Residing within this Port, and (in the severall Counties &

   places within this province) on the ffrst thursday in June next;

   And I do strict!y Charge & Command that the said publick

   days of thanksgiving be Religiously observed by all his Mats

   loving Subjects within the same; requiring all persons to go

   out of Mourning and to abstain from servi!e & Corporall

   labor on those days, and that the Ministers of the severall

   parishes do then Read divine service and preach, as they will

   Answer the contrary: And to the end due Notice hereof may

   be given, I do further Command the severall Sherriffs of the

   province to make proclamation hereof in all Churches, Chap

   pells & other publick places of Meeting within their respec

   tive Counties; Given at the Port of Annapolis vnder the

   Broad Sea! of the province, this ffifth day of May (being

   Munday) Anno 1696, and in the Eighth year of his sd Mats

   Reign

                 God Save the King. ffr: Nicholson

                    May the 6th 1696.

     The Counci!l again Sate & were prsent as before with the Whitehall

   Addition of the honoble Coll John Addison & Thomas Brook,

   Esq.

            Came Coll St. Leger Codd, who being appointed p.

   frombeingof upon the Commission of Review inter Lingan &

   the Commis- Crauford, humbly prays to be dismissed, saying

  Review, that his indisposition of body is so great tht he has

          obtained like favour from the House of Burgesses

   to retire home; Ordered that he be dismissed accordingly,