The copy amongst the Penn papers in the British Museum which Granville Penn followed is a draft with no signature whatever.

It is possible therefore that they were never signed.

In all probability they were completed by James early in 1673 for the coming campaign, but had not actually been issued when, in March of that year, the Test Act deprived him of his office of lord high admiral, and brought his career as a seaman to an end.

What orders were used by his successor and rival Rupert is unknown.
Of even higher interest than this last known set of the Duke of York's orders are certain additions and observations which were subsequently appended to them by an unknown hand.

As it has been found impossible to fix with certainty either their date or author, I have given them by way of notes to the text.