a public notice given of anything of which the king thinks proper to advertize his subjects.

Proclamations are a branch of the king's prerogative*; and have then a binding force, when (as Sir Edward Coke observes) they are grounded upon and enforce the laws of the realm. For, though the making of laws is entirely the work of a distinct part, the legislative branch of the sovereign power, yet the manner, time, and circumstances of putting those laws in execution, must frequently be left to the discretion of the executive magistrate. And therefore his constitutions or edicts, concerning those points which we call proclamations, are binding upon the subject, where they do not either contradict the old laws, or tend to establish new ones; but only enforce the execution of such laws as are already in being, in such manner as the king shall judge necessary. Thus the established law is, that the king may prohibit any of his subjects from leaving the realm: a proclamation therefore forbidding this in general for three weeks, by laying an embargo upon all shipping in time of war, will be equally binding as an act of parliament, because founded upon a prior law. But a proclamation to lay an embargo in time of peace upon all vessels laden with wheat, (though in the time of a public scarcity), being contrary to law, PROCULUS, furredname Diadochus, a Greek philosopher and mathematician, was born in Lycia, and lived about the year 500. He was the disciple of Syrianus, and had a great share in the friendship of the emperor Anastasius. It is said, that when Vitalian laid siege to Constantinople, Proclus burnt his ships with large brazen speculums. This philosopher was a Pagan, and wrote against the Christian religion. There are still extant his Commentaries on some of Plato's books, and other of his works written in Greek.