Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	country_n	great_a	time_n	3,204	5	3.1404	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44605	Royal institutions being proposals for articles to establish and confirm laws, liberties, & customs of silver & gold mines, to all the king's subjects, in such parts of Africa and America, which are now (or shall be) annexed to, and dependant on the crown of England : with rules, laws and methods of mining and getting precious stones, the working and making of salt-petre, and also, the digging and getting of lead, tin, copper, and quick-silver oars [sic] ... / by Thomas Houghton ...; Royal institutions	Houghton, Thomas, Gent.	1694 (1694)	Wing H2935; ESTC R8964	13,512	140

Royal Institutions Being Proposals for ARTICLES To Establish and Confirm Laws Liberties Customs OF Silver Gold Mines TO ALL The KING's Subjects in such Parts of AFRICA and AMERICA which are Now or Shall be Annexed to and Dependant on the CROWN of England With Rules Laws and Methods of Mining and Getting of Precious Stones The Working and Making of Salt-Petre And also The Digging and Getting of Lead Tin Copper and Quick-Silver Oars in Any or Either of those Countries Whereby Navigation and Trade with the Subjects Interest and Riches together with the CROWN 's Revenues would be greatly Encreased in a little Time Most Humbly Offered to the Consideration of the King 's most Excellent Majesty this Present Parliament By Thomas Houghton of Lime Street Licensed DANIEL POPLAR LONDON Printed for the Author 1694. TO THE KING's MOST Excellent Majesty Together with the Present PARLIAMENT Assembled this Thirtenth Day of February 1693 4. Great Caesar and Senators In all Humility most Humbly I inform You THere is nothing more Certain and True Than that there are many extraordinary Rich Veyns Mines and Mineral Countries in some Parts of America which are now Annexed to and Dependant on the CROWN of England the Experience and Truth of which nothing but want of Skill in Mineral Affairs and Incredulity can or will deny which Veyns and Mines if they was Sought for and Set to Work by any that understands them would undoubtedly in a little Time prove as Rich as any the Spaniards have in Peru or on the North Side of the Aequinox in New-Spain and in a few Years would produce and raise great Quantities of Silver Gold Copper and other Valuable Things to the great Content and Satisfaction of the English provided there was any Regular LAWS RULES and METHODS Settled for Working and Carrying on the said Mines by which LAWS the Enterprisers or Undertakers thereof might Enjoy and Secure their Rights Interests and Properties therein to Them their Heirs and Assigns after they have been at the Cost and Charges of Finding and Discovering the said Mines But as the Royalties thereof stand at present in their respective and separate Grants from the CROWN to a few PROPRIETORS who formerly hath not at present doth not nor hereafter in all Probability will not use any effectual Ways and Means to Work an Discover the same whereby this excellent Undertaking hath hitherto been Neglected and Slighted and is yet rendred Impracticable to all English-Men and so will remain to Posterity by which many Rich Veyns and Mines have been are will be of no Benefit but continue Void and utterly Lost unless some further Care be taken than yet hath been for Settling and Methodizing the same The evil Circumstances of which hath been is and will be if not remedied an unvaluable Loss to the English Nation in Neglecting to give all due Encouragement to improve this Honourable Enterprize which would greatly encrease the Revenues of the CROWN and advance the English Nation 's Interest to an unspeakable Degree in a little Time Therefore that the King 's most excellent Majesty in his Princely Wisdom together with this Present Parliament would be Graciously Pleased to take it into Consideration and amend this Mischief by making the following ARTICLES or some such other as the Government shall approve off for Standing LAWS and CUSTOMS to be Observed and Practised by all the KING's Subjects in America whereby the Enterprize would become National to the English Posterity and every Free-Born Subject have Liberty to Seek Find and Enjoy the Fruit of his Labours Paying to the CROWN the Duties and Reservations here-after mentioned Is the sole Desire and earnest Request of Your most Humble Most Dutiful and most Obedient Petitioner Thom. Houghton ROYAL Institutions Article I. THAT it is the Right and Prerogative of the CROWN to Elect and Choose an Officer and Officers for the Management of the Royal Treasures when and where Occasion doth or shall require to take the Care and Charge of the KING's Part in all Royal Mines and also in all Mines of Base Metal where the Royalties yet remain annexed to the Crown Which Officer and Officers shall be Sworn to do Right and Justice as much as in Him or Them lieth according to the best of his or their Skill and Knowledge between his Soveraign Majesty the KING and the Miner Maintainer or Venturer and also between Miner and Miner and Miner and Maintainer of such Mines and shall either Himself or by his or their Lawful Deputy or Deputies duly Execute and faithfully put in Practice amongst the Miners and Adventurers and all other of the KING's Subjects these ARTICLES as Rules Laws and Customs fit to be kept and observed in all Parts of Africa America or the West-India Islands where any Silver or Gold Mines or any other Mines of Tin Lead Copper Quick-Silver Precious Stones and Salt-Petre shall be Found Dug Made and Discovered hereafter which Officer shall be called the Bar-Master and shall remain Overseer and Superviser of the Royal Mines and other Mines of Base Metal for the KING's Part during his Majesty's Pleasure Article II. THAT all or any of the KING's Subjects of what Degree Quality or Estate soever they be shall have full Power free Liberty to Dig Delve Work Mine and Break up Ground in any of the Countries afore-said to seek for Silver Gold Lead Tin Copper Quick-Silver Precious Stones and Salt-Petre in any Part or Place whatsoever Houses Orchards Gardens and Enclosures of Sugar-works excepted upon the Terms and Conditions following That is to say He or they who findeth them or any of them shall pay to the KING's Officer for the Use of the KING in Oars ready drest and cleansed from the Earth Stone and Rubbish made fit for Smelting Melting and Refining Of all Gold and Silver Oars one Sixth Part And of all Lead Tin Copper Quick-Silver-Oars and Precious Stones one Twelfth Part And of all Salt-Petre every Twelfth Tunn For Payment of which Sixth and Twelfth Parts as afore-said every Miner Maintainer or any of the KING's Subjects shall have free Liberty to Dig Work Break up Grounds in any of the Countries afore-said except in such Places as is before excepted Art III. THAT all Rakes or Veyns of Silver or Gold Lead Tin Copper and Quick-Silver and all Pipes and Flat-Works of Precious Stones or Salt-Petre shall in three Days Time next after they or any of them are found be possest with one pair of Stowes or more by the Owners of first Finders thereof and Notice shall be given or sent to the KING's Officer by Word of Mouth or Writing concerning the same within three Months Time next after such Veyn or Veyns Rake or Rakes Pipe or Pipes Flat-Work or Flat-Works are Found and Discovered and for want of such Officer to the Minister of the Parish or the next Magistrate or Justice of the Peace or Governour of the Place where such Mines are Found who shall immediately go

Method and Progress of Digging Working and Carrying on of Mines from the first Beginning or Breaking of Ground to the Melting Refining and Making the Oars into Metal shall be clearly Taught and Described together with all the Work-Tools Instruments and Materials Used in and about the Mines As also what Incidents or Accidents Prejudicial or Profitable hath doth and may attend the same as far as Art or Nature hath Discovered these things to Humane Reason In all which I may say without Boasting I have had long Experience and am as capable to Acquaint Posterity with as any Person extant having for Six and Twenty Years past been universally concerned in Mines in all or most of the Mineral Countries of England not only as a Partner Master or Owner of them but in the Practick Part of their Workman-ship from the Beginning to the End In which Book I will describe the Method of these Buddles and Landers for Hushing and the most proper Way of taking up and gathering of Gold with many Useful and Beneficial Directions and Instructions in and about the Mines and Mineral Countries of England and other Places shall be fully set out and described In the Interim If this small Book should fall into the Hands of any Detractors who through Ignorance or Envy shall exclaim against any thing herein mentioned or hereby intended I shall only give such Persons this modest Reproof Quis nisi mentis inops oblatum respuat aurum and he may well be reckoned a weak Man if not a Fool that will censure slight or condemn any thing in which he never acquired sufficient Knowledge to be a competent and fit Judge Gentlemen I would not have You or any of You think or believe that Gold and Silver or the Oars of any other Metals lyes in the Earth in such Plenty or in such a Manner as to discover themselves to every vulgar or unskillful Eye however it is certain There is great Plenty and many Rich Veyns to be Found in the English Territories for what I have mentioned before concerning a Plate-Fleet coming Yearly into England if Liberty and fit Encouragement be given I will Undertake to Effect and Perform it And if any of You desires further Information in this Affair I am ready to Acquaint You with it when You Command me and to Shew You how where and by what Ways and Means the same may be Effected so that if Liberty and Encouragement may be given I doubt not but to have Five Hundred Miners at Work in Two Years Time by which with some Negroes and other Persons that I will Cause to be brought to them in Two Years Time more I question not but to make the Mines flourish to a greater Degree than I shall now Speak of To Conclude All that I seek herein is That the King 's most Excellent Majesty and this August Assembly of Parliament would be Graciously Pleased if in their great Wisdom it may be thought fit to take away and remove all those Obstructions which hitherto have Ruined this Honourable Enterprize and that for the Future they would Settle and Confirm either the afore-going ARTICLES or some other Fundamental LAWS and CUSTOMS for the Mines before-mentioned whereby all Free-Born Subjects of the CROWN of England may have Liberty and full Power of Using their Endeavours to improve their own Interests together with the Revenues of the CROWN Which is the most Humble Desire and Petition of a Well-Wisher to his KING and Countrey Thom. Houghton FINIS