A CORDJALL FOR THE CALENTVRE AND Those other diseases which distempers the Seamen OR A DECLARATION DISCOVERING AND ADVISING HOW ENGLANDS SEA HONOVR May be regained and maintained as in the happy Raigne of Queene ELIZABETH Of famous Memory WITH The saving of Two Hundred and Fifteen Thousand One Hundred twenty two pounds a year one year with the other This Myrrour shewes you at how dear a Rate Selfe-love sells publike danger to the State LONDON Printed in the Year 1648. To that Conspicuous and Right Trusty Pillar which supports the South Aspect of Londons Royall Exchange The humble Petition or Declaration of Andrewes Burrell Gentleman sometimes a Servant in Englands Navie Sheweth THat your Orator being conscientious of the Nationall Covenant In March 1643. presented divers Parliament men with papers intituled Englands Out-Guard surveyed and lamented c. A complaint then now very seasonable yet so distaistfull to some in the Committee of the Admiralty that from that time to this day your Orator hath been extreamly traduced and hath not found that freedom which is called the Liberty of the Subject answerable to his affectionate desires for the peace and Safety of Englands Common-wealth The truth is for speaking of the truth your Orator hath been extreamly scandalized by those which seeking themselves delay and indeed betray the Peace of Englands Common-wealth However after many cavaling meetings before that superlative Authority your Orator was forced to publish those expostulations that were agitated before them in a short Remonstance to the Honorable House of Commons which being distasted by the wise Officers of the Navie occasioned the Commissioners of the Navie to publish a learned Legend in opposition to those truthes which your Orator had presented to the Honorable House of Commons But since that time to shew the fulnesse of their integrity to the House and their weak sence of Englands rotten Navy The Officers of the Navy not knowing which Built is most serviceable That is which Ships are nimblest I say since that time the Officers of the Navie have caused seven great Frigots to be built for the Service of the Parliament which Frigots are so heavie in regard of the ordinary Built of Frigots That they are indeed seven Spanish Ships But before your Orators survey The Officers of the Navie never indeavoured to build or send forth any nimble Ships Pinnaces or Frigots But instead thereof at dear rates for selfe-ends hyred Collyers and some that were the worst of Gollyers * This Service though slighted is very Remarkable yet now they are so taken with a Spanish Fancy That like fantasticall Taylors they indeavour to change Englands sluggish Navie into the Spanish Fashion which in the times that are past would have been a fault of a Crimson Colour the truth is they have betrayed the Kingdom by that new device For in Queen Elizabeths dayes the best of the Spannish Frigoâ—s were not to be compared with the worst Pinnace in Englands Royall Navie And which is very considerable The Officers of the Navie misleading the Master Shipright of the Navie have wilfully disabled those Spannish Ships that have been lately built which mischiefe your Orator did foresee and complained of it in his Survey of Englands Navie c. before they began to build them In the second Book of Haklayths Book of voiages Page 170. line 38. Captain Middleton in a very good Saylor That is in a nimble Pinnace waited threâ— dayes upon a Spannish Armada Anno. 1591 To discover their Forces and to give the Lord Thomas Howard advice of their Approach which service he performed faithfully but could not have effected it if his Ship had not been nimbler then all those Spanish Ships and Frigots In the 171. page lines 52 and 53. Captain Whiddon in the Pilgrim was hunted like a hare by the same Armada at the 15. line of the next page you have the number of the Hounds In plain English Captain Whiddon in the Pilgrim was hunted like a Hare by the same Armada At the 15. line of the next page you have the number of the hounds in plain English Captain Whiddon in the Pilgrim was chaced by the nimblest of fifty three Spanish Ships and Frigots But being nimbler then the nimblest of them he escaped and secured himself by running from them When the French besieged Dunkerk the Off cers of the Navie were offered for lesse then Five Thousand pounds Seaven of the best Frigots that were then belonging to Dunkerk which if the Officers had accepted at that time they had not only advanced the Parliaments Service in Treasure and strength but they had thereby so disabled the Malignant party that the contemptable Irish could never have appeared in Englands Seas formidable as now In the 13. line and 27. page of the Legend which was published by the Commissioners of the Navie they to excuse their not buying of those Dunkerk Frigots tell the Parliament that they wanted mony but in the eight page and 10. pages of Mr. Greenes Declaration he confesseth that from August 1642. to the begining of 1647. They did spend one Million five Hundred Twenty five Thousand six Hundred and tenn pounds And in the 12. page that at the printing of his Declaration in 1647. The state was for the service of the Navie Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand pounds in debt or thereabouts which together is Three Hundred Fifty five Thousand one Hundred Twenty pounds a year one year with another * Before those sluggish Ships which are complained of in this Petition were sent to encounter the Nolanders Englands Navie thus maintained and Englands Seas were better guarded for Thirty Thousand pounds a year what ere they spent they refused those Frigots and since that time have caused seven others to be built which instead of Five Thousand have cost Englands Common-wealth Thirty Thousand pounds or more mony and which is very remarkable Those costly Frigots which they have caused to be built are so ill built and so ill contrived that they dare not keepe the severall weathers and cannot sayle so nimbly as the contemptable Jrish They have plowed with my Heifer but they have not found out my Riddle In a Manuscript which your Orator dedicated to his Excellency in February 1647. your Orators principle endeavour was to demonstrate to his Excellency the sluggish condition of Englands rotten Navie It being an undeniable Maxim that if a Ship be not nimble she cannot be serviceable But the Ships of Englands Navie are not nimble therefore the Ships of Englands Navie are not serviceable In the 19. page of their Legend the Commissioners of the Navie tell the Parliament that no Prince in Christendom hath so many brave Ships as the Kingdom of England yet after your Orator had complained of the sluggish condition of Englands despicable Navie the Officers of the Navie did delusively cause Seaven great Frigots to be built Carved and Garnished with Gold * Englands Gold is wasted but if there
were no greater wast then that on the Frigots there would not be so little left for honest men to relieve themselves and those that do depend upon them But slighting all their fair shewes and specious pretences they abuse Englands Common-wealth by their counterfeit practices and by many dangerous misinformations telling the Parliament all is well when in truth all is naught Your Orator hath inquired with much diligence but cannot here that any one of the Parliaments new Frigots by chasing the inconsiderable Pyrates hath incountred and taken any one of them which is very seazeable if those Officers which are in Authority did understand the misery of the Ship-weights Art as well as they know how by power to defend the fallacies which your Orator doth complain of There belongeth to Waterford and Wexford at this present foureteen Sayle of able men of Warre which have thriven so well of late in their wicked Designes that the Relator told Thirty three Prizes lying by the Walles in one Harbour as not valuable besides all those that were otherwise trifled away by this losse your Readers may perceive how unable the present Government is with the expence of Three hundred Fifty five Thousand one hundred twenty two pounds a year to clear Englands Seas of Irelands Pyrates * The first page of your Orators Remâ—nstrance did tell the Parliament that the Guarding of the Seas did cost Three hundred and Fifty Thousand pounds in one year which Information was very offensive to the Chairman of the Navie But force that expostulation his Worship hath decâ—ared that scandall to b pure truth and hath added five Thousand one Hundred twenty two pounds a year one with another unto my Report besides all the oddâ— shillings and pence c. In the 19. page of their Legend the Commissioners of the Navie in Aprill 1646. tell the Parliament That his Majesty had then but half a dozen men of Warre and that the most of them were of so small Force that they were not considerable Since which time by Mr. Greenes Declaration with a proportionable allowance for this present year 1648. There hath been one Million threescore and five Thousand three hundred sixty six pounds spent to guard the Seas that is to reduce half a dozen inconsiderable Pyrates but notwithstanding that vast and insupportable wast those Pyrates are not reduced neither are the Seas Guarded with strength equivolent to halfe the charge or necessary to the safety and honour of the Land The present Government cannot reduce half a dozen inconsiderable Pyrates They have suffered his Majesties inconsiderable half dozen to increase to more then a whole dozen they have suffered them to increase to more then a whole dozen of uncontroulable Pyrates some say to more then three dozen however this is most certain one of them about the midst of February last did in one day take three small Ships and one Pinnace which together were worth Nine Thousand pounds or more mony and which hath no Redemption when those Ships were lost one of them indeavouring to defend themselves lost their Master with one of his Mates and five of the common men In which conflict besides the losse of those seaven there were others wounded wherefore being much weakned and wounded the Ship to leeward and not able to save her selfe by runing they were forced to yeald in this place your Orator humbly moves this Query if the present Government with the expence of ten hundred threescore and five thousand three hundred sixty six pounds cannot reduce halfe a dozen inconsiderable Pyrates in three years space * That famous service which was performed by Queen Elizabeths Royall Navie in the year 1588. did not cost Englands Common-wealth threescore and tenn Thousand pounds How will Englands Common-wealth be wasted if the French the Danes the Dutch or all of them shall infest Englands Seas or at once invade this distracted Kingdom I say if the present Government with that insupportable sum of Treasure which hath been spent within these last three years cannot subdue and anihilate halfe a dozen inconsiderable Pyrates what strange confusion and extream beggery will those profuse wasters bring upon this already too much impoverished Kingdom if the neighboring Princes should invade this Island with powerfull Armadoes that is with Fleetes of warlike Ships By this discourse your Readers may perceive how vainly the Kingdoms Treasure how carelesly Englands Common-wealth is wasted it is shamefully wasted and which is most considerable in the times when Englands Treasure was wasted as not valuable even then the honour of Englands Seas was lost and shamefully lost And which adds to this complaint the Kingdoms sufferings as now are not only insupportable but endlesse for though the Common-wealth hath payed an unknown price of Treasure and blood for a more then necessary Reformation no Reformation is or can be expected unlesse this or some other Pillar which hereafter may be famous promote this or the like complaint to those Worthies which unfainedly desire the Kingdomes Peace For this is most certaine some in authority do not see and some in Authority will not see and when those that are in Authority will be blind what can be expected but confusion and conclusively desolation These great and growing mischeifs your Orator doth see and therein doth perceive the perverse condition of Flesh and Blood your Orator doth plainly see how desperatly the present powers do slight Petitions tending to the peace and safety of this famous Kingdom * The Petitioner complained first to the Lord high Admirall of England to the Lord Say to the Earl of Warwicke to the Earle of Essex to severall members of the honorable house of Commons to the House of Commons to Lieutennant Gen. Crumwell and to his Excelency Englands Victorious Generall For these Reasons your Orator thinks it duty in him to complaine to thee O Pillar and would have thy Readers know that he is so confident of his experience in the misery of the Shipwrights Art that he dares enter into any engagement to make the greatest halfe of those old sluggish rotten ships which the Officers of the Navie call Englands Royall Navy saile as swiftly as the lest of the Parliaments new Friggots Your Orator is likewise willing because he knoweth how to build a ship of the fourth ranck that shall saile about the nimblest of the Parliaments new Friggots These services your Orator can and is willing to vndertake upon the striktest Obligations that can be invented And if he faile to performe what he doth promise your Orator shall most willingly as deservedly vndergoe the highest Censure that may in justice be inflicted upon him These are the reall thoughts and earnest desires of your humble Orator who by his owne Proposalls expects no particular Emolument untill he hath performed the intended Services And then cast himself at the feete of those Worthies which shall effectually promote this humble Petition But passing these thoughts give your Orator
leave once more to tell your Readers the ships of Englands Navy are sluggish and therefore unserviceable * Seâ— the 12. page of a Iornall publisht by Iohn Denton Minister in the Admirall of the Silly Fleet Anno. 1637. being the best service that any part of Englands Navy hath performed this 46. yeares The Captains and Marriners are generally discouraged and the Common Seamen so disheartned and discontented for want of their thirds and full allowance of wholsome dyet the lumps of fat which grow in the shouldiers and codds of the Oxen with many chines and choice peices of the bâ—st Beefe and Porke seruptitiously exposed to sale and trifled away in bribes to the quantity of three Oxen in every Twenty six Oxen little more or lesse besides all that which is stollen and fool'd away in pretended fees By which extream abuses the Seamen are not only shortned of their just allowance of Beefe and Porke but they are deprived of their Brewis which to many especially to those that are ancient was as good as their Beefe especially in a long voyage * When twenty shillings is due to each Seaman for his third some shipps companies have received but tenne shillings others not halfe so much some not a penny for a pound In Queen Elizabeths dayes every Seaman was allowed one pound of Beefe for every Beefe meale and fat for his Brewis but since this blessed reformation foure men are allowed but three pounds of beef and many times not so much They are also much disheartned for want of due incouragment when they performe extraordinary services I say and will averre it the Seamen are so discouraged that no good service can be expected or performed though the Shipps Pinnisses and Friggots were as serviceable as they ought to be And these these are the true causes why the Seamen revolt and oppose the present Government In the Remonstrance which your Orator did present unto the Honorable House of Commons in May 1646. your Orator did compaire Englands slugish Navy to Englands lazy horses which in Englands peacefull daies were wantonly fed in the Mews near Charing-cross And heare without offence give me leave to aske you Readers what good service they can expect from the best troop of horse now in England if the ryders be unskilfull cowards or unwilling to serve I say if the Ships Pinnaces and Frigots which now spend three hundred fifty five thousand one hundred twenty pounds a year were as nimble as Art and Industry can make them if they were as nimble as they ought to be There is so much discontent wilfully and perniciously inforced upon the Seamen that no good service can be expected from them untill the faults which your Orator hath complained off be mended * This Declaration hath been extant in a Manuscript above six months and doth now prove it selfe by the Seamens Revolting from the Parliament T is thus and they that make it thus in your Orators opinion deserve to be understood and rewarded accordingly Your Orator doth wish that your Readers would seriously consider these truthes these great and serious complaints whicvh at this time are obscured by divers malignant Petitions lately exhibited to the Honourable House of Commons your Orator doth wish that by your care and providence you would occasion a Reformation in Englands almost lost Navie occasion it before it fall into a more contemptable condition before it fall into a lost condition past recovery To stop this issue which doth wast a great part of Englands life blood and to recover Englands Sea honour your Orator hath prepared a design which hath in it a full Sea and fayre Gayle of Honour and Renown for those that shall cherish and promote it it is able to bear up and carry on a reall Reformation in Englands despicable Navie by promoting it your wel-affected friends may glad the hearts of all the honest Seamen in England which at this time are not Revolted from the Parliament I am afraid I may say from the King and Parliament They will have the prayers of all the honest Land-men in England they may recover Englands Sea-honour they may support and highly advance their own Reputations and they may save Englands Common-wealth two hundred and fifteen thousand one hundred twenty two pounds every year These Inducements your humble Orator presents unto the view and most serious consideration of all your wel-affected Merchants and Seamen as most considerable and more then necessary Humbly desiring That in regard this Petition concernes not only the Trade of this Honorable City by Sea but the peace and safety of the whole Kingdom This remarkable Pillar according to the Trust reposed on it will be pleased to hold forth and present unto all the wel-affected this humble Petition or Declaration intended principally for their good and for the good of Englands Common wealth timely moving them to consider the many mischiefes which may suddenly fall upon this Renowned City and the whole Kingdom If Englands Seas be no better Guarded and the Revolted Ships by force reduced to the present Government And as in Duty bound c. How bould how mad how desperate is the Treason That sligts all faithfull Councell Truth and Reason FINIS