passages in that Chapter fit for these present times By the blessing of God these glorious Beginnings of this Parlament will have as an auspicious and happie end and finishing to the great contentment of your Highness and all the good people of your several large Dominions to the terror of your Enemies and the frustrating of many Spanish designes that were and are hatching here under specious pretences of several mens Interests and Discontents These mens Eggs were buried no doubt in India Gold but by the good guidance of God the Spaniards Eggs will prove addle He is so subtle by the Counsel of his Jesuites casting themselvs into all shapes for hee doth most of his work by the Jesuites who sow and foment new Doctrines amongst us that have bewitched and cracked the heads of many men in these Nations which do the Spaniards and Papists work and know it not VVhen your Highness Navies sailed to the VVest-Indies You caused them to bee sheathed with Planks Pitch and Hair that the worms which breed in those Seas might do no hurt or prejudice to the hull or bulk of their Ships Great SIR England Scotland and Ireland may well bee compared to three Roial Ships and the Dominion of Wales to a most Princely Frigot Your Highness by the grace of God being Protector General and Admiral Your Highness hath now a Warr with Him that stiles himself the Emperor of the Indies This Prince is Master of a Metall that is as dangerous to all Princes in Christendom their Persons Countries Lands and Territories as the Worms in the Indian Seas are to the Merchants ships No Iron barrs can bee made so strong but this Metall like Aqua fortis will eat thorough It is called Gold and Silver it is so subtle that it will incorporate like Quick-silver almost with all metalls Men of all Professions all Ages rich and poor young and old none but are taken and corrupted with it as hee is a Natural man But God hath appointed a Remedie against this Poison to some persons through his mercie the pretious balsom of his restraining Grace but this hee grants but to a few whose spirits are elevated above Gold and Silver this world or worldly things God hath appointed another Balsom for these Nations against the Poison of Spanish Gold and Silver and that is to bless these Nations with your Highness victorious PERSON beeing assisted with your supreme Counsell the Parlament Upon my knees I most humbly say As you sheathe your Ships you send to India for fear of the VVorm so your Highness must sheathe the Cinque-ports and Creeks of your HIGHNEss Dominions you must fortifie and garrison the Sea-ports of this Nation and the People bee alwaies readie both in hand and heart all as one man to fight for our Religion Countrey our Lives Wives and Children Lands and Estates and without this bee done wee shall not have a Beeing Estates or Proprietie this is the one thing necessary and chiefly to bee lookt after to fortifie and secure the Nation against home-bred Traitors and forain Forces And if any should presume to assault us wee may bee afore-hand and by our Navies destroy their Ships Vessels in their own Seas let their Land be died with their Spanish blood let their barren Countrey bee fatned with their own Carkasses and as they give in their Monies the Sheaf of Arrows as a remembrance of the great Victories they obteined by the Valor of the English so now for their Ingratitude the Spaniards may cry as they did in Queen Elizabeths time to Philip the Second King of Spain and his Counsel SIR Let us have Peace with England and Warr with all the World And if they did so when this Nation had but one Drake and a small Fleet in comparison of what your Highness hath wee having now many score of Drakes which if they bee impowered with your HIGHNESS Commission and Gods Blessing thereupon they shall never bee able to bring home their Treasures from the VVest-Indies and though our Fleet wait long no doubt the Vigilancie of your Admirals will make the Spaniards pay for their attendance About sixteen years ago God out of his secret Judgment struck the Crown of Spain with a dead Palsie on one side by the revolting of the Portugals their right heir and true King assumed the Crown viz. the Duke of Bragantza so that now your Highness fights but with one half of the King of Spain as hee was formerly the other half the Portugal will assist You in all his Dominions both in Christendom Africa East and West Indies to destroie the Spaniards So that as God hath raised your Highness to this Greatness admirably to have the Soveraignity and Dominion of these Nations so by this rent and division of Portugal from Spain God hath facilitated and made the way easie for your Highness to cut down and pluck up by the roots this barren Tree the Spaniards And those Nations in the West-Indies which at this day live under the Spanish Tyranny and are now fed with the chaff and bran of Popish Superstition may bee by the blessing of God fed with the pure manchet of the Gospel and at once bee delivered from bodily and spiritual slavery My daily praier to God is to keep us unanimous in this Nation of England as wee and our Predecessors were in famous Queen Elizabeths daies that it may bee the study of every good Protestant in this Nation with heart hand and purse to destroy the Spaniards greatness The King of Spains Power is now not half so much as it was before Portugal revolted from him and his Power is now farr more in shew then substance his Territories and Dominions are at such a distance one from another they stand like the haires of King James's beard scatteringly as if one was afraid of another the charges of Garrisons and to keep his Dominions under his Obedience doth cost him in some Countries farr more to keep the bare Title then the Revenues of the Countries amount unto witnesse our next Neighbour Flanders and the like is for many other of his Dominions that yearly cost him many hundred thousand poundâ— hee holds a VVolf by the ears and if the King of Spain could bee well rid of them both Hee and his Counsel no doubt wishes both Flanders and Holland drowned in the Seas they have been the Spunges that have sucked up all his Treasure yearly There was wont of old to bee a saying No Fishing like the Fishing in the sea No service like a Kings so I humbly say No Warr like a Warr with Spain No service like a Protectors service If wee can but light on the King of Spains Indian Fleets stop that Course your Highness and these Nations by Gods assistance will turn the scales of all the Affairs of Christendom and make your Highness appear the true Defender of the Faith in these Imperial Dominions and the Sword and Buckler of all the Protestant Churches
Ostend 5 The Steersman Peter Naut hearing what I had declared in flinging the writings over-board asked mee Whether or no I had given in such testimony to which I answered I had and would justifie it whereupon the said Steersman Peter Naut struck mee on the face that I bled and so the said Steersman went out of the room without further denying the truth thereof 6. Peter Naut the Steersman brought on shore from the Sampson a parcel of silver about the bigness of a Sugar-loaf which hee knew belonged to Daniel Ferrine a Master of a Ship in Amsterdam I. D. Jacob Eliares Dated March 21. 1652. Wee underwritten do witness That the above Articles were affirmed to bee true by the said Jacob Eliares who subscribed the same in our presence I. Carleton Will. Reymes Jonathan Symonds THO. VIOLET A true Copie There was many score of thousand pounds stoln out of these Ships while the silver lay in the River by Dutch and others and had it not been unladen but by the State left on ship-board before this time it would all have been in all likelyhood stoln away The Testimony of Richard Scot taken this 15 of December 1652. WHo saith That in September last there lay a ship called the Prophet Elias belonging to Horn in Amsterdam and to his best knowledg bound for Holland the Skipper of the same ship died at Cales and being dead the Deponent saith That the Owners of this ship being part owners of the Sampson did sell the said ship to some Spanish merchants at Cales at which time here was taken out of the ship the Elias by the men and boat of the Sampson a parcel of money containing fifteen or sixteen bags and four or five bags of Cocheneel and brought it on board the Sampson where so farr as this Deponent knoweth it is still remaining Richard Scot. Witness James Reynolds Jonathan Symmonds I. D. THO. VIOLET A true Copy BArnard Claeson of Groeningen in Westfreyzland saith That hee is 20 years old and that hee hath been aboard the Sampson nine moneths and ninteen daies and that hee came first aboard at Talloon shee being taken by French-men and from thence to Genoa where shee took in most part of her Lading and from thence went to Lighorn where they took in a small parcel of Goods more And that their end in going to Lighorn was to look for two Holland men of Warr there to conduct them to Cales where they lay three or four moneths for the silver Fleet And that at Cales hee knows there were taken in Dutch goods by the Skippers acknowledgment but after the â—umor of the Warr between England and Holland the Skipper said That hee had sent a shore all the Dutch goods but to this Deponents best knowledg there went not above three or four parcels on shore And saith that hee supposeth these Goods were pretended to be sent on shore upon the accompt of our Differences And hee further saith That when they were in Cales before they were Laden they said they should go for Holland but after they had taken in the silver then they gave out that they were bound for Ostend And hee further saith That most part of this silver was taken in by night in small parcels And saith That the Goods they took in at Genoa were delivered at Cales And saith That there was a very great quantity of Goods aboard the said ships when they were reported to go for Holland And that hee knoweth not that the said Goods were laid on shore again December 20. 1652. Bernard Clason Thomas Angel The substance abovesaid is verbatim acknowledged by Tho. Angel In presence of us James Reynolds Jonathan Symmonds THO. VIOLET A true Copy April 18. 1653. The Testimony of Barnard Clason about the age of 22 years SAith Hee was taken aboard the Sampson Otto George Master at Tolloon in France and sailed with him from thence to Genoa and to Allicant so to Malaga then to Cales where at first hee gave it out hee went for Amsterdam and not onely the Captain but the Steersman said the same Hee further saith That hee heard a Merchants man say to the Steersman hee had two Barks of Ox or Cow hides that were to go for Amsterdam and asked the Steersman if their ship was bound for Amsterdaam to which the Steersman answered Yes they were bound for Amsterdam but after hearing of the Warrs between England and Holland then they gave it out they were bound for Ostend I. D. Barnard Clason THO. VIOLET A true Copie The Certification or Information of John Perrin one of the Ships company of the Vice-Admiral of the Ships now under arrest which pretend to bee of Hamborough called the Salvador as followeth IMprimis The said John Perrin being about 32 years of age doth certifie That hee being an English man born at Tonge neer Sittingbourn in the County of Kent That hee beeing about his occasions at Cades in Spain where the aforesaid ship Laded hee was entertained by â—he master of the said Salvador for wages as they pretended â—o go for Ostend and coming homewards as the Ships company was at prayer one Thomas Thomason an Italian Passenger in the said ship demanded of a Spanish merchant Whither the said ship was bound to which the â—aid merchant replyed That they intended for the Downs â—here to take in a Pilot And said that they would from â—hence go to Ostend And that the most part of the goods were to go for Amsterdam Also that at the same time when the said Salvador came from Cades there were seven ships more came from thence with her And that â—he masters mate of the great Sampson told him the said John Perrin that three of the said ships were going to St Mallows and four of them to Ostend whereof five of the said seven ships are here in the River of Thames This John Perrin lives at Feversham in Kent when hee is in England per me John Perrin This Paper was delivered to mee December 14. 1652. by Mr Richard Pitts of the Tower In the presence of I. D. John Reynolds THO. VIOLET A true Copie The Declaration of Philip Brown concerning the Ship Sampson said to bee of Lubeck Nov. 2â— 165â— SAith that hee was shipt in the said Ship at Talloon about the beginning of the summer from whence the Ship sailed to Genoa and from thence to Lighorn where they expected to bee conveyed by two Hollanders who were gon the night before they got thither which should have conducted them to Cales where when they arriveâ— they lay seaven weeks and this deponent saith that in that time hee took in by night for 16. or 17. nights together several parcels of silver and hee saith further that being one night walking upon the deck with the Masters mate the said Brown askt him whether or no the said ship with her lading would not bee Prize to this State in case it should bee taken by any of the Parlaments Fleet Hee answered that hee
the value of one thousand three hundred and odd pounds Besides many of my Papers and Accompts of great concernment to the Commonwealth and as yet I cannot come to the knowledg who hath them But this I am sure of If there had been any thing in them that could have made against mee there had then use been made of them 2. My mother had at another time a Privy Seal taken from her wherein the late King acknowledged hee owed me for my expences in discovering the Transporters of Gold and Silver ninteen hundred threescore and eight pounds which money I laid every penny out of my own purse to do the late King and Commonwealth that service and I caused the transporters of gold and silver to be fined in the Star Chamber at Twenty four Thousand pounds besides several Merchants and gold and silver Refiners viz. Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs Mr Peter Fountain and others Upon their Petition to the late King and paying well for it had their Pardon under the Great Seal of England for several abuses practised by them in their Trades and complained of at Whitehall to the late King by Sr Henry Mildemay Master of the Jewel-hous and by som of the Wardens and Company of Goldsmiths as will appear by the Order of the Counsel-table 25 Jan. 1634. 3. The Committee of Essex put mee out of Possession of the Mannors of Battells and Patan-Hall in Essex as appears by their Warrants Of which Lands I had an Extent to the just value of One thousand pounds and one Mr Elconhead received my rents ever since 1643 Mr Philip Cage being in possession for my Use 4. The Committee of Shropshire seized in my sisters hands in London three Bonds due to mee in two thousand pounds for the payment to mee Thomas Violet one thousand pounds by the Lady Anne Waad Edmond Lenthal Phillip Cage and Charles Mordent Esqrs as appears by the Bonds restored unto mee back from John Corbet Esq r 24th of May 1656 by vertue of your Highness and your Counsels Order of 21 of March 1655. And I have put these Bonds in suit according to the power given unto me by your Highness and your most honorable Counsel For which Justice I most humbly am bound to give to Colonel Syddenham my Lord Strickland and Col. Jones most humble thanks humbly trusting in God that they will bee honorably pleased to move your Highness and the Councel to take that order the rest of my Estate under Sequestration shall bee justly restored Or that I shall have the summ to bee made up Eleven thousand pounds paid mee according to the faithfull promise of the Councel of State 1652 for staying and intituling the State to the aforesaid Three hundred thousand pounds in silver which the Commonwealth onely by my means had every penny of it 5. I had the Leas of ten severall Houses at the Posterne in Little Moor-fields and the Tennants owed mee when I was committed to the Tower in arrears for rent above one hundred pounds And for these Thirteen years I received no Rent of them But one Mr Elconhead hath received the Rents of them ever since 6. I had the Office of sealing and surveying of all gold and silver Thread and Wyer which prevented the making of all sleight and adulterate gold and silver Thread and Wyer granted to mee under the Great Seal for three Lives from the late King which Office cost mee Fifteen hundred Pounds to the Lord Treasurer Juxon L. Cottington Sr John Cook Secretary of State and Sr. John Bankes the late Kings Attourney The necessity of keeping up that Office to prevent the dayly Cosennages and frauds of divers Silkmen Wyerdrawers and Refiners in their making Cours sleight and deceitfull Gold and Silver Wyer and Toread I shall at the later end of this book shew at large having about three hundred Assayes of adulterate and cours gold and silver Wyer Thread Spangles Oes c all made and sold contrary to the Lawes and Statutes These Assayes are in my custody under the Hand and Attestation of Mr Alexander Jackson Assay-master of Goldsmiths Hall and the several Silkmens names and shops and dayes of the Moneth in which they sold this cours adulterate gold and silver Thread and Lace Spangles Wyer c. to the great deceipt of the Nation in generall And upon the Discovery of these notorious Cheats the late King and his Counsel appointed mee Surveyor and Sealer of the said Manufacture I caused all the abuses to bee laid aside I Indicted som offenders imprisoned som caused others to stand in the Pillory and made many of them that wrought adulterate cours silver run away out of London By which means I angred many cheating Wyer-drawers Silkmen and Refiners and the late Kings Councel and Commissioners setled such Rules and Orders during that Regulation the Manufacture was all made of good silver and the Coin and Bullion of this Nation preserved and your Supplicant was bound to the late King to warrant all the Manufactures either of gold or silver Wyer or Thread which hee sealed or surveyed in the Office to bee good silver and to make it good to any party grieved in the Nation as appears by my Patent under the Great Seal of England For which Assurance Surveying and Sealing I was allowed to demand and take an half penny for every once Troy in Wyer Spangles Oes ctc. I suveyed and 4 pence for every pound weight Vennice for all the Gold and Silver I sealed with the Seal of my Office being the Rose and Crown 7. I had a Grant from the late King under his Signet to bee Master-worker of the Mint in the Tower of London for my life with the Fee of five hundred pound a year for executing that place which Grant was taken from my Mother out of her Custody when I was sent to the Tower 8. I had one quarter part of the Lady Willers Farm at the Custom-hous for the Importation of all gold and silver Thread Hatbands Lace and Copper thread throughout England and Wales which costmee a little before I was sequestred above seven hundred pounds And if the making gold and silver thread was put down in England the Custom of gold and silver thread imported would make a far greater Revenew then now it doth by the Excise and the manifacture if it bee made here ought to bee kept to a strict Regulation 9. I spent in my Imprisonment in the Tower for almost four years above seven hundred pounds and could never get to be heard though I petitioned to the Parlament as aforesaid many years to come to a Triall knowing my self to bee innocent both by God's Law and the Laws of the Land and above all by the testimony of a good Conscience which hath ever supported mee in and thorow all these troubles All this Estate was and is Sequestred but my three aforesaid bonds to this day besides my Dammage for my four years Imprisonment 10. Since I came out
of the Tower by order of the Counsel of State 1652. and since I laid out in the Prosecution of the silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George above the summ of five hundred pounds as appears by the Oaths of severall persons which I emploied in this Discovery as you may see in this book Fol. 50 51 52 53 54 55. I borrowed every penny of this money paying Interest for it at this day And by my Protest against the Discharge of these silver Ships Sampson Salvador and George and my Discoveries thereupon by many good and legal Witnesses Passengers and others in these Ships I caused all the Silver to become the States All which services I did upon the faitfull promise of the Counsel of State in December 1652 to restore mee to all my Estate or the full value of Eleven thousand pounds being Required to do this Service by severall Warrants from the Counsel of State and at the Entreaty of Doctor Walker as appears in this Book And no other man in England besides my self did ever at one time save the State three Hundred thousand Pounds which if it had not been for mee the State had been cozeâ—ed of every penny of it as appears by this and my former Narrative Here followeth the Copie of the late Kings Letter to the City of LONDON To Our Trusty and Wel-beloved Our Lord May or and Aldermen of Our City of London and all other Our wel-affected Subjects of that City Charles Rex TRustie and Well beloved wee greet you well When wee remember the many Acts of Grace and Favor Wee and Our Royal Predecessors have conferred upon that our Citie of London and the many examples of eminent Duty and Loyaltie for which that City hath been likewise famous Wee are willing to beleev notwithstanding the great defection wee have found in that place That all men are not so farr degenerate from their affection to Us and to the peace of the Kingdom as to desire a continuance of the miseries they now feel And therefore being informed That there is a desire in some principal persons of that City to present a Petition to Us which may tend to the procuring a good understanding between Us and that Our City whereby the peace of the whole Kingdom may bee procured Wee have thought fit to let you know That wee are ready to receiv any such Petition and the Persons who shall bee appointed to present the same to Us shall have a safe conduct And you shall assure all our good Subjects of that Our City whose hearts are touched with any sense of Duty to Us or of Love to the Religion and Laws established in the quiet and peaceable fruition whereof They and their Ancestors have enjoyed so great Happiness That wee have neither passed any Act nor made any profession or Protestation for the maintenance and defence of the true Protestant Religion and the Liberties of the Subject which wee will not most strictly and religiously observ And for the which 〈◊〉 will not bee alwaies ready to give them any security that can bee desired And of these Our gracious Letters Wee expect a speedy Answer from you And so Wee bid you farewell Given at Our Court at Oxford in the nineteenth year of Our Reign December 26. 1643. By his Majesties Command GEORGE DIGBY I do most humbly desire the Common Council of the Citie of London to certifie your Highness if ever amongst all their Records since the foundation of their City they finde such a sad President as mine is And whether that any Messenger from any former King of England suffered the loss of his Estate to his damage above eleven thousand pounds for bringing them or any their Ancestors the like Letter as I did from the late KING And at that time viz. in December 1643. there was sent and came from Oxford the Writs weekly under the Great Seal of England without any Countermand My hard usage After-ages will hardly beleev had I not Printed it to Posterity I Sufferd Imprisonment in the Tower almost four years for bringing up the aforesaid Letter from Oxford to the Lord Mayor and Common Council of the City of London in December 1643 although I had an Order from the Hous of Commons as appears by their Journal Book and a Pass from the Lord General Essex to go to Oxford which were both procured for mee by Mr Theophilus Ryley Scout-master General of the City of London who was authorized to execute that place by the then Parlament and Common Council of London and I was authorized by the said Mr Ryley to do the same Mr Ryley being impowered by the then Parlament and Common Council of London to hold Intelligence in any the Kings Quarters as by his Orders hee shewed me Mr Ryley was a man of a known approved Integritie and in great esteem with the then Parlament and Citie of London at that time and would not have acted any thing but what was just and for the Parlaments service according to his Trust If hee had thought it otherwise and hee might have gotten a hundred thousand pounds upon my Conscience and that made mee to act this Business to bring up the Kings Letter upon his Intreaty as hee confessed upon his Examination and I justified my doing thereof by his Order hee being a publick minister and impowered to do it as hee told mee And also the Committee of both Nations was made acquainted with my going to Oxford for the bringing up the said Letter which I brought from the late King by Sir David Watkins Knight I desired him to make them acquainted therewith before ever I went to Oxford and to have their approbation which Sir David Watkins after hee had spoken with them told mee I had their approbation to go to Oxford And all this was done before any Law or Ordinance was made or declared to forbid mee or any other to do the same that ever I heard of And I humbly say That before a law made there is no transgression neither by Gods law nor Mans law And I was not to question Mr Ryleys power abilities and trust considering hee acted as a publick minister but to act according to his direction so long as hee was in the said Office of Scout-master I having his Warrant and approbation for doing what I did I have never read nor heard of so heavy a punishment as your Supplicant doth suffer under before a Law made to give a man warning And by the Statutes of 9. Hen. 3. cap. 29. 5. Edw. 3. cap. 9. and 28. Edw. 3. cap. 3. No person of what estate oâ— condition soever hee bee shall bee put out of Land or Tenement nor taken nor imprisoned nor dis-inherited without being brought to answer by due process of the Law which I have petitioned for by a legal trial many years but could never obtain the same May it pleas your Highness Had there been a Proclamation or Act of Parlament at that time to have
approved of by the Commissioners of his Highness's Treasurie or others to bee appointed for that service by his Highness and Counsel Then the full Charge of every County shall bee put at the foot of each mans Accompt that hath been a Receiver And every Receivor's Estate and Person to lie lyable till hee hath perfected his Accoumpt justly and truly in the Exchequer according to the good known Laws of the Land 14. And if this cours bee strictly looked after and taken Whosoever hath any of the Commonwealths monie in his hands it will bee found out For if any Treasurer or Collector hath a Charge given him by the Countrie Citty Town Corporation or hundred for the monies hee hath received Every Receiver and Treasurer must discharge themselves by known legal Acquittances and Warrants from such as were legally impowered to give them and from the day any Accomptant of the Commonwealths money till the time hee shall have a just and legal Discharge upon a just and true Accompt not a feined forged or Averian Account I most humblie say Every Receivers and Accountants Bodie Lands and Estate whatsoever their Heirs Executors and Administrators are all and every one of them Lyable till they have justly Accounted and gotten their Legal Quietus est And this is the known Law of the Nation and constantly hath in all ages been practised in the good old way of the Court of Exchequer at Westminster The Whole Premises upon my knees I humble tender at Your Highness and the Parlaments feet and implore your gracious and benigne Acceptance of your Supplicant's loyal endeavor for Your Highness and the Commonwealths Service To His Highness OLIVER LORD PROTECTOR OF England Scotland Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging The humble Petition of THOMAS VIOLET of London Goldsmith Humbly sheweth THat great quantities of Plate Bullion and the heavy currant Silver Coynes of this Nation as Shillings Sixpences and Half-Crowns and Five shilling pieces have been formerly and are at this day melted down for the making of Gilt and Silver Thread and Wyer Spangles Oas Purl c. to the great waste of the Stock of this Nation By which evil Practices many mischiefs and damages have been and are daily put on the Common-wealth which ought strictly to bee prevented most especially in this conjuncture of time when wee have Warrs with Spain That your Highness would bee graciously pleased for the future not to suffer either Refiner Goldsmith or Wyer-drawer to melt the Coyn or Plate of the Nation to make Gold or Silver Wyer or Thread but that all Silver imploied or spent in this manufacture bee bought or contracted for beyond Seas upon the produce and returns of Commodities And that none of the Coyn or Plate of the Nation be spent or wrought in this manufacture upon the severest penalties can bee inflicted on the Offenders That the late King and his Counsel in Anno 1635. taking into their consideration the great loss hee sustained in his Customs by suffering this manufacture to bee in England did cause a Duty to bee imposed on Gold and Silver Wyer which was made into Silver Thread Spangles Purls and Oas the summ of Six pence the ounce Troy which is not two pence upon the ounce Venice upon Gold and Silver thread commonly so called but it is truly gold and silver Silk for the Silver is all spun on Silk May it pleas your Highness the Book of Rates in the Custom-house laies eight groats upon one pound Venice which upon accompt is above six pence the ounce Troy in Wyer as upon Examination before the Counsel of Trade your Petitioner shall make it clearly appear That if your Highness do continue the making of gold and silver wyer and thread here That your Highness will bee pleased to recommend it to the Committee for Trade to take especial caâ—e to prevent the frauds and dammages now daily done and practised in this manufacture And to make such Orders and Rules for the Trade that there may bee a thorow Reformation of false sleight and deceitfull stuff upon very strict penalties And for the due execution of the same the Committee of Trade to consider and settle such Officers and their Fees for their paines as they shall deem fiting to prevent the by-past Abuses And to report the same Regulation to your Highness and your Counsell for Confirmation That if your Highness continue this manufacture here That then as great an Excize bee laid on it here as is laid on the Custom and Impost of Gold and Silver thread imported from Millan Venice or other Forain parts For the making of silver thread here hinders the importation of so much Silver as would bee brought in on that manufacture which Silver will increase the stock of the Nation And this manufacture being made here as it is now made without order or Rule both for fineness and weight of Silver and without consideration had what your Highness and the Common-wealth loseth in the Customs by suffering it to bee made here and the waste of the Coyne Plate and Bullion of the Nation without a due regulation of this manufacture it is far better for the Commonwealth to have the making totally put down May it pleas your Highness Much may bee alledged and pleaded for the making this manufacture here so it may bee justly made as that it keeps and maintains a lively hood for many thousand persons and families in and about the City of London which would perish if this manufacture were put down A just and strict regulation will bee better for the Work-men and the Trades-men such as are honest and would not adulterate their Lace Ribbons Spangles c. in this manufacture And bee greatly advantagious to the wearers The Coyn and Bullion of this Nation will bee preserved and your Highness Revenue much increased If the draught for the just and due regulation of the manufacture of Gold and Silver wyer and thread which your Petitioner herewith most humbly presents to you Highness bee put in due execution with such alterations and additions as the Committe for Trade in their great wisedoms shall think fit for your Highness and the Common-wealths Service Your Petitioner humbly praies That the premisses may by your Highness bee recommended to the Committee for Trade and they Ordered 1. To consider Whether it bee fit at this conjuncture of time to continue the making of this manufacture here in England 2. If they conceive the manufacture still may bee made here for the relief and imployment of the Poor That then the Committee of Trade bee Ordered by your Highness to set down such Rules and Waies as they in their Judgments shall think fit to prevent all former Frauds and Abuses put upon the Coyn of this Nation And that asmuch Excize may bee laid on the Silver Wyer and Thread as is paid to your Highness and the Common-wealth in the Custom-house if the Silver Thread were imported from beyond Seas into this Nation
they were pardoned of might have their Pardons under the Great Seal of England for what offenses and abuses in their Trades they had done contrary to the Laws of this Nation and Mr Attournie Generall by order of the King and Counsel to stop his Proceedings against them and the rest of the Refiners both in the Exchequer and Starr-Chamber The Refiners Alderman Wolastone and Alder. Gibbs thereupon offer to pay his Majestie six pence the ounce for all Wyer that should bee disgrossed and spent in that Munufacture And they drew in six other Refiners to bee their fellow Partners and Monopolists and to pay the Rent of a fair hous above one hundred and twenty Pounds a year to pay Clarks wages and other incident charges And this Office they did execute several moneths in the year 1635. before the King would give Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs their pardons for their offenses And much adoe then they had to get their Pardons for when their pardons were at the Signet Office Sr Henry Mildemay got the King to stop their pardons And this Sr John Cook the Secretary of State told me That Sr Henry Mildemay had presented to the late king how grosly both Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston had abused the Commonwealth contrary to the Law and how they had surprised the King in getting their Pardons and that they deserved to bee made exemplar I am sure according to the usuall way of the Court Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs could not remove such obstructions but with great summs though the particular summs I never knew And I was desired by Mr Secretry Cook at Oatlands on Sunday after Diner to go presently to London to Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston which accordingly I did to let them know from him their Pardons were stopped by the King and that they should attend him about it which accordingly Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston the next morning did I was well acquainted for I had paid for it what the meaning of such a message was to bee sent by me to Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston And I did believ that they had not come up to a full price nor paid so much as was expected and I knew that was the main stop of their Pardons Upon this Offer of the Refiners to pay the King six pence the ounce beeing asmuch again as the Gold-wyer-drawers had offered by their Petition the Gold-wyer-drawers were laid aside with their Petition and Propositions by the late King and his Counsel as inconsiderable persons And the Refiners Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston by their craft getting to bee great with the Attorney General Bankes Secretary Cook Sir William Beecher and other Courtiers got to bee the onely men to carry on this Project for being the Kings Agents to furnish One hundred thousand pounds a year for this manufacture And the late King to gratifie the Refiners who had bid him so roundly granted Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs their pardons under the great Seal of England the rest of the Refiners being then but young men were esteemed as rascal Deer they had not wool on their Backs nor had committed sins enough for to have their pardons under the great Seal of England and so got dismissed by Order of the Lords of the Counsel in the Court of Starr-Chamber And the King appoints the Refiners viz. Alderman Wollaston Alderman Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniel Stalworthy William Haward Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowel and Walter Hill under the great Seal of England to bee called by the name of his Majesties Agents for the refining of One hundred thousand pounds Gold and Silver a year for this Business And they had not a bare title onely of that name for the late King allowed them to share with him and to tax the People in their prizes to sell their gilt silver Wyer two pence upon every ounce and the silver Wyer one penny upon every ounce more then divers Goldsmiths of London offered to sell the Wyer-drawers And this was offered several times by Captain Williams the late Kings Goldsmith a man of a great and vast Estate Mr Footer Mr Symonds and divers other able rich men And good securitie offered to the late Kings Commissioners and at the Counsel Table at Whitehall for the performing of Covenants But this would not bee granted by the late King or his Counsel And this gave the great Offence in Parlament 16â—0 it being found by the Parlament upon Examination that so great and numerous a company as the Company of Goldsmiths and Gold-wyer-drawers are should bee debarred so great a branch in their Trade as this is For it will be justified and credibly demonstrated to your Highness and the Parlament that these aforesaid eight Refiners whereof Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston had one half of the Trade and stock as appears by the Monopolie got more for their own particular profit by monopolizing to themselves the sale of all Gold and Silver Wyer for this Manufacture being one hundred thousand pounds a year then all the Goldsmiths in London which are many hundred families did get at that time by selling all the new Plate in London And I am confident all knowing Goldsmiths will calculate it so which was and is the principal part of the Goldsmiths Trade The Duty reserved to the King in lieu of his Customs was nothing so odious to the Wyer-drawers in comparison as the Refiners Monopoly was The Wyer-drawers constantly affirmed to the King and his Counsel and to the Kings Commissioners that the Refiners Monopoly was contrary to Law and upon a dispute at the Counsell Table the King called the Refiners Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston his Sheep and the Wyerdrawers he called his Goats but in the conclusion both these Refining Aldermen proved the Kings Majesties Sheep biters And the late King pressed the Wyer-drawers at his Counsell Table to conform themselvs to the Regulation but some of the Wyer-drawers told the said King They would submit to the Law but not to the Refiners Monopoly and that it was against the Law that Freemen of the City of London should bee restrained a Free Market to enrich private men and to make them Aldermen Besides the Gold-wyer-drawers were compelled upon great penalties as appears by their Bonds to buy no Silver wyer for their manufacture but of the said Alderman Wallaston Alderman Gibbs and the other six Patâ—ntees joined with them and oftentimes the Refiners Gibbs and Wollaston pressed the Commissioners to cause searches and complaining they were at great charges paying Clerks wages and Hous-rent and therefore desired searches and seisures of such Wyer-drawers silver which did not buy of them And they forced all persons to pay them two pence the ounce for all gilt wyer and a penny the ounce for all silver wyer more then they ought or needed to have done had the Wyer-drawers been permitted to have had a free market And the Goldwyerdrawers paid this for divers years together as is
ounces Two penny weight Fine upon the pound The Assayes follow viz. The particular Originall Reports I have readie to produce to the Counsell of Trade wherin they will see the great Cheats put upon the Nation by some Refiners Wyerdrawers and Silkmen At the bottome of the original paper this followes viz. These are the severall Assayes of the silver Spangles plaited Wyer and silver Thread made and Reported by mee Alexander Jackson They being all under Starling and against the Laws of the Kingdom Some part of these Assayes I made by the appointment of Sr Henry Mildemay Knight in the year 1635 and some part of which falsified and defective silver Thread flatted Wyer and Spangles were brought to mee by Mr Tho Violet in the year 1638. By mee ALEXANDER JACKSON the sworn Assay-master to the worshipfull Company of Goldsmiths London By Order of the Lords of the Counsel I Tho. Violet paid Mr Jackson Five pounds for this Service And this silver Thread Wyer Spangles c. was one hundred and odd several parcels made contrarie to the oath of every Goldsmith Wyerdrawer and Refiner when they are made free at Goldsmiths Hall I humblie leav it to bee considered on whether this manufacture ought not strictly to bee looked after and duelie regulated when neither Oaths nor bonds will keep them to work good â—â—lver For executing of my Office justlie and strictlie to hold the Refiners and Wyerdrawers to a Rule to make all their wyer and thread of good silver and punishing the Offenders manie of them I brought to Justice And I shewed the King how hee was cozened in the Mint of Three thousand Pounds a year which caused Alderman Wollaston secretly to hate mee mortally And hee caused mee to bee clapt up by his incensing some members of Parlament against mee in the Tower in Januarie 1643. when hee was Lord Major of London And the Parlament kept mee close prisoner there Nine hundred twentie eight daies and Fourteen Moneths more in which I had libertie to go at large in the Tower upon the pretence I was a Malignant when the truth was Alderman Wollaston vented but his private malice against mee Upon this occasion viz. Alderman Wollaston having put up to the Parlament in the year 1640 a Petition slighting the Kings mercie and goodness towards him in giving him his Pardon when I saw Alderman Wollaston's carriage in that Petition hee presented to the Parlament I then told the King in the year 1640. that Alderman Wollaston joining with some of the Officers of his Mint had made a fraudulent agreement to melt all the silver in the Mint which was to make monies and hee to have from the King the allowance of 16 grains upon the pound Troy which is 2 pence the pound weight Troy for all the silver hee melted in the Mint This agreement was made without either the King 's or the Lords of the Counsells knowledg or approbation nor was there anie allowance or power under the Great Seal of England for him to receive these fees or the Officers of the Mint to grant them to him By which fraudulent bargain the King was defrauded of neer upon three thousand pounds a year from the year 1630. to the year 1640. And Alderman Wollaston put up all this monie in his own particular purse the King nor Lords never knowing any thing of this blinde bargain Alderman Wollastons place in the Tower being so inconsiderable in the eie of the State and in the reputation of the world the melter of the mint being but the Master workers servant that Alderman Wollaston never had a Patent for it under the Great Seal whereas the Master worker of the Mint hath a Pattent the Warden the Assaie-master the master of the Irons the Engraver the Comptroller the Teller and several other Officers of the Mint have all of them their several Pattents under the Great Seal of England for their several places Now Alderman Wollaston's place was worth every year to him more monie then all the aforesaid Officers of the Mint twice told for every year hee cleared near three thousand pounds a year as I proved to the late King and I can prove it to your Highness the Parlament and your Counsel whensoever you pleas and all the Officers Fees in the Mint did not amount to one thousand pounds a year A strange fraudulent trick that a servant for in the Mint Alderman Wollaston was but the master workers of the mints servant should get six times more then his master and three times more then all the Officers in the mint It was the profits of this Place raised him principally to bee an Alderman But this is no great wonder when the masters of the mint for many years are and have been ignorant of the mysteries and perquisites of their places to the great dammage of the Nation in many particulars In former times it was not so Goldsmiths and Artists were masters of the mint that knew the course of Exchanges and held Correspondence with Forrain Bankers and merchants no Age can shew afore this a Doctor of Physick master worker of the mint and had not I stopped at one time three hundred thousand pounds of silver the Irons in the mint would have been rustie I caused more money to come to the mint at one time 1653 then hath been coyned this seven yeare besides that money Upon this my Information to the King hee presently sent for Mr Andrew Palmer the Assay-master of the mint and Mr Henry Cogan the Comptroller of the mint and examined the business about Alderman Wollastons Place in the Tower and commanded mee to bee by and to declare before them what I had told his Majestie concerning Alderman Wollastons Place of melter in the mint And when they heard what I said they confessed it to bee a truth that Alderman Wollaston had in ten years beeing esteemed but as a servant by the condition of his Place in the mint to the Head-Officers the master Worker and Warden of the mint gotten more by his melting of the Silver in the mint then all the Officers of the mint put them all together had done Whereupon the King was wonderfull angry with them they beeing his Officers in the Mint that they would suffer such a thing and not acquaint him or his Counsel with it And asked If my Lord Treasurer or Lord Cottington or the Lords of his Counsel allowed him to have such Fees and allowances or knew that Wollaston made such Gaines in the Mint by being Melter of the Gold and Silver They told his Majestie No they did believe none of them knew it nor any others but the Officers of the Mint for that it was a mysterie and few did know it Thereupon the King sworâ— his Officers of his Mint must either bee Knaves or Fooâ—s to let such an one as Alderman Wollaston gull him of three thousand pounds a year and to give such a Place of Profit to any without his consent or the
and furious carreer of Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston while they were the Kings Agents in the Kings time but to save their skins when the times altered they could presently change their notes put on sheep-skins and would appear as Lambs they would be full of godlie expressions in Guild-hall Goldsmiths-hall and many other places in the City and bee highly for the Covenant and amongst their Brethren storm at the oppression of the Times and at Projectors and Monopolizers when there was none greater then themselvs as appears by this Monopoly They have said at a common Hall in Guild-hall when I was sent to the Tower that I was the Monopolist and Pattentee for this Manufacture when truly I neither had heart or hand in it nor any manner of waâ—â—s concerned in the buying or selling the silver Wyer for this Manufacture If I would I could not for the aforesaid Indâ—â—ture between the King Gibbs and Wollaston sets forth that onely eight Refiners were the Pattentees and none others enjoy notwithstanding the Statute made in the fourth year of Hen. 7th cap. 2. and notwithstanding the Statute made in the 5th and 6th years of Edw. 6th cap. 19. intituled The Penaltie for Exchange of Gold and Silver And notwithstanding the Statute of 18 Eliz. cap. 15. or any other Act Statute Law Ordinance Proclamation Provision or restriction whatsoever to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding And his Majestie for Him and his Heirs and Successors did will ordain and declare that during the continuance of this his Grant his Majestie his Heirs and Successors will not give or grant any libertie licence or power or authoritie to any person whatsoëver other then unto such as have already served or shall hereafter serve as Apprentices wholly and only to the Art of Refining and parting Gold and Silver by the space of seven years as the said John Wollaston William Gibbs and other the parties before named have done to bee made expended and imploied in or about the making gold or silver thread or any the several Manufactures herein before mentioned And the afore-said persons every one for himself did covenant and promise to and with his Majestie his Heirs and Successors that from time to time during the terme granted to perform their best endeavors in and by all lawfull waies and means for the promoting and advancing of his Majesties benefit and service in the premisses And his Majestie for him his Heirs and Successors during the term thereby granted did Covenant to vouchsafe his and their assistance to the said Agents and the Survivors of them for the better performance and discharging of the said Agencie and all other the premisses so by them undertaken according to the tenor and true meaning of the said Grant In witness whereof to the one part of this Indenture remaining with the said Agents Our Sovereign Lord the King hath caused the Great Seal of England to be put And the other part remaining with his said Majestie the said John Wollaston William Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniel Stallworthy William Haward Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowell and Walter Hâ—ll have set their hands and Seals the day and year first above written Anno Dom. 1636. Witness Our Self at Westminster the 7th daie of May in the twelfth year of our Reign I have the Copie of this Monopoly of the Refiners verbatim at large sworn and attested ready to bee produced if required May it pleas your Highness THese are the chief Heads of the Monopolie granted by the late King Charles 1636. to Sir John Wollaston Alderman and Alderman William Gibbs and others Refiners of the City of London This monopolie was complained of to the late King and his Counsel by some of the Wardens and Companie of the Goldsmiths in Anno 1636. and since oftentimes to the late King and his Commissioners both by several Goldsmiths and Wyerdrawers as being a great loss and abuse to the whole Company of Goldsmiths in Annis 1637 1638 and 1639 and is against the Statute of 21. Jac. cap. 3. and several other Acts of Parlament and against the Common Law of the Land and the Charter of the City of London By this monopoly they ingrossing into a few particular mens hands for their private lucre and gain under the specious pretence of the Kings service which was the ordinary mask used by Pattentees and Monopolists of that time the lively-hood and subsistance of many hundred Goldsmiths and Wyerdrawers which by the Charter of the Company of Goldsmiths ought not to have been debarred and by the custom of the City of London were legally impowered to refine Silver and Gold aswell as the said Refiners were And though this was oftentimes offered it was alwaies denied and opposed by the Refiners who had got this monopoly in their Iron clutches and would not let go their hold till their monopolie was put down by the Parlament upon the Petition of the Gold-wyer-drawers as aforesaid I have left with the honorable Committee for Trade in Aug. 1656. several humble Proposals for the just and due regulation of this Trade of Refining and Gold and Silver-wyer-drawing If they bee put in execution the Manufacture will bee again justly and truly made the Coyn and Bullion of the Nation preserved and your Highness Revenue augmented But as the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread c. is now made the wearers thereof are many of them cozened and the Coyns and Plate of the Nation melted to the great dammage of the Nation and every day new Cheats are invented to deceive the Wearers by Wheels or Engines Therefore I most humbly pray for either a due Regulation of Gold and Silver Thread and Wyer c. or the making to bee put down in England especially at this time now wee have a Warr with Spain strictly to look that none of the Coyns of the Nation or Plate bee melted down for any of these Manufactures 8. That within these three months in June last Mr Alexander Jackson the Assaie-master of Goldsmiths-hall beeing desired to go to the Excize-Office to make an assay of some Silver that was made into Wyer for this manufacture seized on an Ingott of course Silver about 30l. which was thirteen penny weight worse then the Standard And weekly upon strict examination it will bee found that great quantities of course silver hath been made into these Manufactures This Silver as I am informed belongs to a Refiner and it is both contrary to the Law and a breach of his Oath to prepare any such Silver for any Manufacture I have many Assayes under Mr Jacksons hand the Assay-master of Goldsmiths-hall where four ounces of Copper hath been mixed and put into eight ounces of Silver and sold for good Silver by some Silkmen and Wyer-drawers to the intolerable deceipt of the Wearers of gold and silver Lace And whereas all persons should make gold and silver Thread to hold six ounces Silver to three ounces of Silk it hath been ordinary and at this day
is made to six ounces of Silk but three ounces of Silver the Silk many times heavy died the Wearers many of them are cozened and their garments spoyled And many other Cheats and frauds I could particularize 9. When I delivered an Accompt of these gross deceipts to the King and Lords and upon examination they finding these Abuses to bee so frequent both amongst Refiners Silkmen and Wyer-drawers The King and Lords of his Councel having often imployed mee in these Discoverics of the fraudes of the Wyerdrawers They ordered mee Thoms Violet Anno 1635. to bee Surveyer and Sealer of all these manufactures for three lives under the Great Seal of England And to have and receiv to my own use One Halfpenny the Ounce for Wyer and 4 Pence the pound Venice for all gold and silver Thread I Sealed and Surveyed And prohibited all persons to put silver or gold Thread to Sale before it was warranted by the Seal of my Office being the Rose and Crown In consideration of this Fee aforesaid I Covenanted and put in Securitie to the late King in the Exchequer That if any gold or silver Thread Spangles Purls Oes or Wyer should bee Surveyed and Sealed or passed out of my Office either by mee or my Deputie which was cours or adulterate silver under sterling or not justlie made the Thread with a due proportion of silver at the least five ounces silver to three ounces silk I was bound and am bound to this day to answer and pay all Damages to any person grieved or wronged in the Nation concerning the Premises And neither the Wyerdrawers nor Silkmen could in Parlament produce one parcel of silver thread that I sealed in the Office or that was sealed by my Officers to be cours silver or under the Standard And for five years I caused this Manufacture to bee made so exactly as the money and Plate of the Nation is now made and the best gold and silver Thread in the world Without my Fees which were allowed mee under the great Seal of England I could not bee at the Charge of searching and Sealing and without my Sealing and Surveying I cannot warrant this Manufacture of gold and silver Thread and Wyer c. to bee good and truely made both for the fineness of the silver and a due proportion of silver to a due proportion of silk and without this Regulation everie workman is left to do what hee list both for the fineness of the silver and the due proportion of silver to silk And at this day for want of my Office many frauds and deceipts are put on the Nation and all them that wear this Manufacture which I am bound to prevent or make good the Damage to the Nation or to any that shall bee deceived Which cannot bee exspected from mee unless I receiv my Fee to defray my Charge and hazzard I run in warranting all this Manufacture to bee good and justly made And of the justice and Equity of this I conceiv there can bee no dispute May it pleas your Highness NOw at this day the Manufacture of gold and silver Thread Wyer Spangles Oes c. is under no Rule nor Regulation either for the Fineness of the silver or the just and due making the silver thread with a due Proportion of silver to a due proportion of true died silk but it is left to every one to do what hee lists and to Cozen the Commonwealth and to cull and melt down the Coins of the Nation And if the Refiners can get but the Goldsmiths to melt down the heavie Coins as shillings sixpences and halfcrowns which they do at this day and as they are wont to do ever when silver is above the price of the Mint or when wee have Wars with Spain then generally silver is dearer then the Price of the Mint The Refiners think themselves clear and the Law cannot touch them if they buy heavie shillings and sixpences melted into Ingots And by this way all the heavie currant silver monies and Coin of this Nation is melted down This heavie English silver monie for the greater part is called and weighed by Goldsmiths in Lumbard-street who keep people purposely to cull and weigh the heavie shillings and sixpences of this Nation when silver is dear May it pleas your Highness Wee shall not have monie to buy and sell nor to hold Commerce nor pay Rent or publick Duties if this mischief bee not stopped When I was an Apprentice I delivered with mine own hands for one Mr Eman's Account who was my Master to Alderm Gibbs above thirtie thousand Pounds of heavie shillings sixpences and halfcrowns which hee bought of my Master Mr Timothy Emans a Goldsmith in Lumbard Street The said Mr Emans then being a publiuqe Cashier for severall Marchants and receiving their monie and keeping their Cashes by which means hee culled and caused to bee culled and melted everie year in heavie shillings and sixpences above Thirtie thousand pounds a year from the year 1624 to the year 1630 into Barrs or Ingots And there was many Goldsmiths in Lumbard street at that time everie of these years did melt as much heavie English monie and some of them more then Mr Emans did And English silver was at that time so scarce one could hardlie get white monie Anno 1629 for gold but now almost all the silver and almost all the gold is gon the silver melted down for gold and silver Lace The gold almost all Transported that in a payment of ten thousand pounds one shall not receiv Ten shillings in gold Alderman Gibbs would never have these shillings sixpences and halfcrowns from Mr Eman in Kinde but the propeâ—â—ie altered and melted into Ingots though hee knew and bargained for English monie by the name of Swarg to bee melted without fraud being a common word amongst the Goldsmiths for heavie English monie Whereupon my Master commanded mee to put in everie Ingot so much Copper as the silver wasted which was about a farthing the ounce For Mr Eman selling the heavy shillings halfcrowns and sixpenses to other Refiners and Silver-smiths in Kinde without melting would not bear the waste of melting Mr Gibbs 's English money into Ingotts But Alderman Gibbs finding my Masters Silver a farthing in five shillings courser then other Goldsmiths in Lumbard Sreet Silver was who melted down Mr Alderman Gibbs had a pair of Assay Ballances in his closet and when hee questioned mee about this Business hee weighed above sorrie severall Assayes of my Master Eman's silver with the Standard Piece and all of them fell out one penny weight short and then hee took about forty other Assayes of one Mr Bradshaw's Silver as hee told mee and Alderman Gibbs said to mee This is heavy English mony in Ingots which I have and do daily buy of Mr Bradshaw and weigh your Masters Assayes against his So I did and found my Masters Silver all one penny weight short of Mr Bradshaw's Silver Thereuppon Alderman Gibbs was
surely next to God's gracious protection her Safetie was built as Solomon's Throne was shee was supported by XII Lyons a grave and prudent Counsel the number of her inward Privy Counsellors not much exceeding that number By her prosperous Conduct and Management of her Affairs all Christendom esteemed England to have a glorious Prince a wise Counsel of State and the People happy in general I have read that my Lord Chancellor Bacon in a Speech of his in Parlament had this saying Sure I am saith that golden mouthed Orator that the Treasure that cometh from the Commons to her Majestie is but as a vapor which ariseth from the Earth and gathereth into a Cloud and stayeth not there long but upon the same Earth falleth down again And if som few drops fall upon France and the United Provinces it is as a sweet odor of Honor and Reputation to the English Nation throughout the World Elegantly expressing the relief that the English afforded both to France and the Low-Countries against their then common Enemy the Spaniard In her glorious Reign the Counsells that were then in Parlament tended ever to the individual prosperitie and the safety and preservation both of the Queen and People And like Christ's coat without seam all their Counsels were of one piece the equal prosperitie of both And after 44 years reign this glorious Queen dyed rich in Jewells rich in Money and Plate the Lands of the Crown and above all rich in the Love and Estimation of her Loyal People after shee had contended with the King of Spain by invading him in Spain in Portugal in the Indies firing and burning his Ships and Carrakes in our narrow Seas and made her Commanders so terrible on the Spanish coasts that the children when they cryed their parents would fright them with garda el Draco which is Bee quiet have a care here is Drake I pray God and hope to see the same fear fall on them by the Virtue and Valor of Your HIGHNESS's Admiral Blake not onely to fright their Children but their Natives when they are men making them to cry garda el Blaco as well as their Fathers said garda el Draco This great Quarrel at the first was undertaken by the Queen for the relief of the miserable poor distressed Dutch Protestants the States of the United Provinces in the Low Countries they had no other title in her Reign I hope they will for ever acknowledg the Curtesies of English men's blood and money that hath made them now the High and Mighty Lords the States and a free State I wish it bee not now in their Greatness blotted out of their remembrance Queen Elizabeth's VVarrs in Ireland were very expensive and also her Relieving of France both with Men and Money And at the foot of the accompt for all these great undertakings to leav her Successor her Kingdoms in great wealth peace honor and safety and her People happy make's up the mâ—â—acle Towards the setting of this glorious STAR som sons of Belial laid the foundation of the Hellish Powder Plot and at latter end of her glorious Reign the Anabaptists and Sectaries begin like Snakes to engender but her Successor King James by his prudence shook them off as St Paul did the Viper by several waies and means First as the Physition let 's som blood out of the bodie to preserv the whole Secondly as Sea-faring men in a storm cast's som goods over board to save the Cargasaon Thirdly as a good Husbandman that will afford som feet of ground for hedging and and ditching to fortifie and secure the rest Fourthly as a good Gardiner that would have his garden plants grow pluck's up the weeds by the roots So King James used all these Remedies to the Sectaries som of their mouths hee stopped with preferment som hee committed to the rigor of the Law which cost them their lives others to Prison And after the Dispute at Hampton-Court hee put down his peremptory resolution by Proclamation which I humbly call his hedg to keep out the little Foxes that spoil the Vineyard of the Church Requiring a conformity to the same by all Persons upon strickt penalties which proved a good temporary Remedy May it pleas Your HIGHNESS to read but one touch more of the splendor and glory of this great Queen Elizabeth shee was not without her Eclipses with troubles and fears many waies to shew the uncertainty of worldly glory even from her nearest Kinswoman Mary Queen of Scots who while shee was Queen of France by her Husband's perswasion took upon her the stile and title of Queen of England from which sprung all her troubles in Scotland when shee returned a widow out of France and this was done by Queen Elizabeth and her Counsel's instigation These troubles by her Scotch Rebels drove the Scotch Queen into England whither shee fled for refuge but it proved otherwise for upon that score shee was catch't in the net of death and so much the sooner by reason of her impatience not brooking the delayes of her Deliverance which thrust her head-long into so many Treasons that Queen Elizabeth could not let her live and bee in safety her self for Queen Elizabeth was often times heard to say Either strike or bee stricken and so shee struck first and cut off her head and by that means removed her Capital Enemy It is a certain truth It is a dangerous thing for a supreme Magistrate to have the patience to stay to bee first striken but to put an end to those plots which were daily plotting and hatching against her Crown and Dignity for the Queen of Scots had real plots for both having found in her Study the Keys of above fifty several Characters for several people shee held Intelligence with both Forain and English Traitors Queen Elizabeth's grave and wise Counsell would not let her play an after game They had the Queen of Scots tryed by a Jury of English Noblemen many of them being Catholicks her own friends and neerest relations and had they not found her guilty many of their heads had gone off for which very reason many that the Scotch Queen took to bee her friends were her greatest enemies But doing that business so effectually the Queen wincked at many Noblemen for many of her Jury that had been hatching and acting with her Queen Elizabeth buried their faults in oblivion But Abington and Babington scaped not so well being both hanged drawn and quartered and their Estates annexed to the Crown There were others as Somervill Parry Savage and many more that sought this glorious Queen's death but shee vvas still protected by the Watchman vvhich slumbereth not and dyed gloriously and in peace May it pleas Your HIGHNESS vvhen King James came to the Crovvn a Powder Plot vvas laid for him his Vine and Olive-branches being to bee about him attended by his Nobles and third Estate in Parlament who were all designed in the twinckling of an eie to have been brought
assistance taken on You the Government of beeing PROTECTOR of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging You ought and are bound both before God and to these Nations to the uttermost of your power to give Protection and equal Justice to all the good people of these Nations that are willing to live under your Protection and to defend them with all your might strength and to use the power God hath put into your hands for those ends to keep your People in peace and safetie against all factious spirits In pursuance thereof You are asmuch as in you lieth to keep from power or publick Imploiment all such as You and your Counsel shall know to bee publick or secret undermining Enemies of the peace welfare of this Common-wealth by what pretences titles or callings soever whether Civil Militarie or Ecclesiastical You and your great Counsell upon my bended knees I say are to have a special care of some men who under the pretence of the Priviledges and Rights of the people in Parlament would upon that popular score vent their own discontents and put all again into a confusion with what spirits some old Members came to serve the Nation in this Parlament was visibly seen to all men that wished the peace of this Nation in some Counties upon their election and in their ordinary conversation and deportment The scope and drift of some mens designes was to make division and faction between the Parlament and your Highness between the City and your Highness and put all things into a confusion this present day to make way for the publick Enemies of your Highness and this Nation This was by some particular persons no doubt intended and all men that studie and love the peace of their Countrey might see it under such cunning undermining questions as was by some discontented spirits set on foot the last Parlament craftily to undermine the very Body and Beeing of the Government and sliely to strike at both your Highness and your Posterities Life Fame and Fortunes and to pluck up by the roots your Highness Counsel and the established Government which your Highness by the Advice of your Counsel had setled witness the many Libells of all sorts and tempers to stir up commotions in several Parts and Parties the Ingredients beeing prepared for all Interests to incense and infuse a hatred and detestation of the present Government and without Gods mercie the intentions of som would have before this time burst out into tumults and insurrections my hopes and praiers are that God by your Highness prosperous government hath prepared better things for this Nation That some factious Cocks which crew so loud in the Countrey now they are kept out of the Pit may return home to their Houses Countrey Capons and sleep quietly in their roosts it will bee a happiness both to themselvs their Countrey their Wives and Children their Friends Tennants Servants and Neighbors if they do so and their not doing of it may bring disturbance on the Nation and a certain ruine upon themselvs their Wives and Children It is an old trick Divide and Rule and many that have had the power will leave no stone unturned to get again into play so they laugh they care not if the whole Nation cries There are many good People who have been misled upon the notion of Libertie and Freedom And if your HIGHNESS and your Supreme Counsel the Parlament do not give a stop by your power and vigilancie even at this juncture of time without Gods mercie things may run into great Disorders Therefore your HIGHNESS and the Parlament I most humbly upon my knees say must build the walls of our Jerusalem England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging as Nehemiah did that of the Jews Your Highness and the Parlament have many Samballats that envies your Building and scorns your Reformation there are many of the Children of Separation and Division in these Lands When a wise man would keep his House from falling that is rent shaken with great tempests he props it up with timber cramps it with Iron bolts and barrs and it may be upon the propping of it to set it upright cracks the seiling and fret-work of the best and stateliest room in his House surely if either the Wife or the Children or the Servants should come and complain to the Owner what dammage this beautifull room hath received the Master of the House and his Workmen have at hand a readie Answer which is Should hee not have propped and crampt the House with Iron bolts and barrs the whole fabrick would have fallen and the House have been made a heap of rubbish both hee and they would have had no place to keep them from the weather By this my propping and cramping up my House saith the wise Master and his VVorkmen I have secured and got my Esse I have kept my beeing when my House is new tiled and tyte to keep out the weather you shall have your desire I will give you all content I will cause Plaisterers to repair and garnish that seiling which you are so much offended with the cracking of I will new gild it and make it more beautifull then ever it was provided you will put to your hands to sweep down the Cob-webbs and carrie away the rubbish and so cleanse and clear my House do this I promise you I will do the other No doubt but a wise and dutifull familie will do it chearfully with thanks for their Esse and beeing hath been preserved through the Master of the families Providence May it pleas Your HIGHNESS I humbly say The good people of these Nations under your protection ought at this juncture of time earnestly to pray to God that the foundations of their Happiness may bee so laid this Parlament as to secure firmly their beeing that they may have an Esse and then comes the Bene that it may bee as firmly setled upon as sure a foundation as a Rock against whom no divisions or force can or shall prevail For the effectual Security of these Nations that this Parlament would bee pleased to erect a high Court of Justice to sweep down the cob-webbs remove the rubbish clear the house and by Justice restrain and if incorrigible cut off unruly and violent spirits Wise men cut their coats according to their cloth and will bee sure to keep themselvs warm before they buy Lace to trimm them Vpon my knees I humbly desire your Highness to put the Nation in a posture of defence against home-bred Traytors and forain Force and then bee pleased to garnish the People with rich and stately Priviledges Security ought to bee provided for before Ornament The Divisions at home are farr more destructive and dangerous than any forain Force or Invasion can bee to this Nation God bee thanked the Sea is a hook in our Enemies nostrils they may bee numerous but they are at a distance I hope this
in Christendom It is a Rule amongst Gaimsters Winn at first lose at last and great Undertakings are not to be effected but with great Difficulties If it please God to put it into your Highnesses and this Parlaments hearts vigorously and vigilantly to pursue the VVarr in the VVest-Indies all the Protestants in Christendom will bee bound to bless God and pray for your Highness and this glorious Parlament and by the Blessing of God You and your Armies and Navies will cut the King of Spain in the jugular vein as the Dutch man saith Kill him as dead as a herring which must bee done by the unanimous Power of these three Nations This Course vvill make great Brittany and Ireland and their several and respective Ports Havens and Harbors thereof to act and do Cadis and St Lucars work our Brittish and Irish sea-port Towns by the prosperous conduct of your Highness Admirals and Generals to be the Bancks Magazins and Scales for Return of Indian Treasure Jewels and precious Merchandize The Drumm and Trumpet encourages Horse and Man to Battell The word India and to bee master of the Treasure as Gold Silver and other good things of that new VVorld no doubt is and will bee more inducing to many noble spirited Gentlemen Merchants and Mariners of this Nation then Drumm and Trumpet to Souldiers But when the Land-souldierie shall be likewise interessed in the Purchase and Honor of this noble Undertaking and the praiers and purses of the good people of this Nation in general and an Act of this Parlament for setling a way for th◠vigorous prosecution and maintenance of this just VVarr for the Good and Peace of Christendom to goe along in this glorious Action Then surely it will bee a voice of thunder and terror to the Spaniards they have seen their best daies and the Massacres and Cruelties they have committed in the Indies confessed by their own Countrey-men now calls them to a strict accompt for the sins of their Fore-fathers All good people of these Nations may justly say your Highness is sent by God as a Blessing of God to Christendom and as a second Joshua to our Israël to fight the Lords Battels And by your most valiant Generals Admirals Land and Sea-souldierie to put the People of these Nations into possession of the West-Indies There is a sort of wilfull People in these Nations that repine and murmur and will not see your Highness make these Nations happie I humbly say Your Enemies shall see this glorious VVork done by your Highness which shall cause some men to burst with anger God hath appointed the Valor of this Nation to bee a terror and scourge to the Spanyards By this means the Spanish Greatness will go out like the snuff of a Candle and all Christendom that hath been disturbed and put into Garbles confusions and Tumults by their Ambition and Pride to the slaughtering and murthering of millions of men wasting whole Kingdomes and Nations their wounds and scarrs lye bleeding at this day in several places May it pleas Your HIGHNESS The West Indies is the King of Spain 's sting as Sampson 's strength lay in his Hair so doth the strength of the King of Spain lye in his Indies Clip but off his Trade of Returns from the Indies Your Highness will finde him as weak as water and so poor that hee shall not bee able to pay for a Poore-John or a Pilcher You will hit him in the Ball and White of the Eye If you take the Indies from him by the valour of Your People the English may make his Castilianians grinde Sugar Canes in the Barbadoes and use them as Sampson was used in the Prison-hous and keep the Spaniards so poor that the Hair of their heads shall never grow again to disturb Christendom God still for ever keep the spirit of Vnion in these Nations in general that every man in his Calling may have a heart and hand to build up our Breaches that both Your Highness and your People may as one man seek the Individual Prosperity the one of the other even as it is the study and care of every goo◠Husband and good Wife to please and content one another And this is no more then I most humbly say Prudence requires at this time for the Adversaries of our Peace are vigilant and leave no stone unturned to break in upon us and to make a division either in hearts or hands at this conjuncture of time may hazard and disturb the whole Nation Now the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob which never slumbereth nor sleepeth direct your Highness and this glorious Parlaments Counsels and Actions for his Honor and the Safety and Peace of all these Nations over whom your HIGHNESS by the Grace of God is PROTECTOR That as Your Highness is great and glorious in this World you may bee also great and glorious in the VVorld to come So prayeth Your HIGHNESS 's most loyal dutifull and obedient Subject THOMAS VIOLET LONDON Sept. 24. 1656. To His Highness OLIVER LORD PROTECTOR OF England Scotland Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging May it pleas Your Highness HAving formerly in November 1655 and April 1650 last most humbly presented Your Highness in writing with som humble PROPOSALS for Your Service in relation to the calling to a true and just accompt all persons that have directly or indirectly in their Custodies the publick Monies Lands Plate Jewels Merchandise or any other thing or things of value and also the Statute made at Westminster in the tenth year of the Reign of Richard the Second which excellent Law was made to bring to a strict accompt all such as had defrauded the King and State The then Parlament in making that good Act was so carefull to have all persons brought to accompt that had received the publick Treasure and all such as had defrauded the King and Realm that they made it a premunire and loss of a man's Estate besides imprisonment for any of what degree soever that perswaded or gave counsel unto the King to have the said good Law defeated And they found the strict and due execution of that Law to bee the onely Balsom to cure the great distempers and debts of the Common-wealth and ease the good people in general of great outrages oppressions and insupportable charges These are the very words of that Statute Upon the delivery of this Writing Your most humble Subject received Your Highness's gracious pleasure by Mr Kelleway that Your Highness did approve of those his humble and loial endeavours for Your Service and that they should bee taken into consideration May it pleas Your Highness Your humble Subject finding that on the 26 of May 1656. a Commission was issued our under the Great Seal of England to certain persons for to make enquiry and discovery concerning all persons that have in their hands or possessions Moneys Goods Plate Merchandise or any thing of value appertaining to the Common-wealth c. Whereupon
of this nature as these in my Queries I set down All which I humbly present unto you as being very material both for his Highness's service and for myself As for my part I intend to make your Judgments thereupon to bee my Rule either to proceed or desist in these following Discoveries to avoid unnecessary expence and trouble both to my self and others My humble Queries are these following 1. WHen Comissioners are or have My Copy is not perfectly exactâ—◠〈◊〉 in soâ—e one or two small particulars it may â—â—â—fer from the Originall which I put up to the Commissioners at Worcester hous been appointed either by Ordinance of Parlament or Order of the Councel of State or under the Great Seal of England for to take the Care and Charge of the Sale of all Prize Ships and Merchandize brought in by any of the men of Warr of the late Parlament or of his Highness's and the States Shipping and all and every one of the said Commissioners having allowance of Poundage or yearly Fees from the State for that Service for their care and pains in the sale of all or any Merchandize Gold Silver Jewels Plate Ships and all other goods whatsoever brought in for the Use of the Publique Which Commissioners have been appointed by Parlament Counsel of State or his Highness And by vertue of that Power Commissioners have acted being all of them obliged and tied to make a true and just Accompt upon oath unto his Highness of all summs of money they receiv and the just and true value of all Merchandize and Goods they have been intrusted with the Sale without any fraud or mentall reservations saving onely their just Fees and Sallerie appointed to each of the Commissioners by the Parlament or his Highness And these Commissioners having failed in their Trust whether according to the Statute 6 Hen. 4. Cap 3. this bee within the Cognizance of your Commission to punish the Offenders and to cause them all to make a just and true Accompt upon oath and to pay the Commonwealth what they have defrauded the State for what remains in their hands 2. Whether these Commissioners when they had their Commissions have Covenanted jointly or severally with the State to give a just and true Accompt to his Highness and the Parlament And whether they bee guiltie all of them that were put into one Commission if I prove the offence of some of them Or whether onely such of the Commissioners as are proved guilty and the other Commissioners though their power was all of one date and they acted together shall not bee accomptable but every man for himself severally to answer for his own particular actions and no further 3. That if I shall prove some of the Commissioners for the States Prize Goods HAVE sorted out Wines Sugars Oyles Wools Fruit silks Linen Cloth of Gold and Silver Jewels Pearl Civer Bezer Stones and any sorts of Commodities in anie Cellars Ships Warehouses or other Places within this Nation either by themselves servants Coopers Brokers Porters or anie other skilfull persots in Merchandize and when this sorting picking garbling is one to reserve a quantity more or less of this sorted picked and garbled Merchandize for the Commissioners themselves either one or more of them viz. If the Commissioners or Sub-commissioners for the State make a sale of thirty thousand Poundes of goods and merchandize more or less there having been before Ten thousand Pondes of this merchandize sorted and garbled out for the Commissioners As in one Instance Suppose 300 Tunnes of French Wines are the whole Parcell of Wines the State hath by their Commissioners to Sell and 200 Tunns of this Wine is exposed to Sale by the States Commissioners and sold by the Candle as the usuall way is publiquely to every man And one hundred Tunns of this French Wines being picked out of the choicest and principall of the whole Parcell is reserved for a Commissioner or Commissioners for the sale of Prize goods and these Commissioners shall pretend this small Parcell of 100 Tunns of Wines is not worth the trouble to make a new Sale by the Candle And thereupon these Commissioners or Sub-commissioners being intrusted to sell these Wines by the State having a Fee or Sallary for the same do contrary to their Trust either by themselves in their own name or names or get friends and use the names of others to buy the said 100 Tunns of Wines but so that still the Commissioners have the profit of the said Wines so sold when in truth this 100 Tunns of Wines picked and sorted out of 300 Tunns was realy worth in the Market as much as the 200 Tunns sold publiquely by the Candle for 15l 16l 20l the Tunn and sometimes more And some of the Commiseioners for Prize goods have bought for their own uses the Hundred Tunnes of the choisest and pick'd Wines at the rate of 15l 16l 20l the Tunne and sometimes more which Wines have been by the said Commissioners sold to the Vintners and others at 30l 35l and 40l a Tunn ready money when the State hath had but 15l and â—0l allowed and put down on their Accompt This demonstration serves for all their Wines Sugars Tobaccoes Silks Linnens Salt Civet Bezer-stones Pearls Jewels Wools Oyles Fruit and Spice and all other Commodities brought in any the States Prizes These merchandises sorted garbled and pickt from the gross bulk may bee better in the true value then the gross quantitie of merchandise sold usually by the Candle sometimes 20l. 30l 40l in the hundred and sometimes where goods are perishable half in half there is so much difference in the sorting And whether these Commissioners being intrusted to sell the States Goods at the best rate could underhand buy these Goods themselvs after they have been picked and sorted or go partners with any that did buy and that much under the true value as will bee found upon examination by my discovery 4. Whether these things being duly proved the Commissioners for Prize-goods and every one of them are not lyable to make a true accompt to his Highness and to stand charged with all the surplusage of Monies they have made of all or any the Prize-goods belonging to the State and his Highness which they have not as yet duely and truely accompted for and to bee ordered to deliver in upon their several oaths a just and true accompt of all the Merchandise Jewels Diamonds Pearls Civet Beazar-stones c. that have come into their custody and what Prize Ships or Goods they sold and had a share in themselvs of the true value of all merchandise that hath come to their hands and whether I may not cause to bee viewed all Books and Papers which I know can evidence the same and thereupon produce any person or persons to bee examined to finde out the bottom of the fraud and whether any person or persons nominated to bee examined as witnesses touching the premisses shall bee
Suits for Debts shall recover his Costs and Dammages That the Kings Suits shall bee preferred and his Debt first paid and satisfied Magna Charta cap. 18. That Lands entailed shall bee liable to the payment of the Kings Debts And the King may recover his Debt against the Executor of his Creditor How the Kings Debt shall bee levyed when his Debtors Lands shall come to severall mens hands and possessions The Statute of 7. Edw. 6. cap 1. Provides several Penalties and Forfeitures to bee inflicted upon all Officers and Accomptants that shall conceal any Duty and not pay the same in due time And that Officers and Accomptants shall upon notice delcare what money they have received and not accompted for and upon commandment make payment of the same within ten daies next after notice upon pain or forfeiture of loss of their Offices The Statute of 34. Hen. 8. cap. 2. sets down the Forfeitures of High Collectors and general Receivers of Fifteens and Subsidies and all other Loans and Taxes that do not pay the money by them received to the Kings use to such person and at such time as hee shall bee appointed And that the King shall at his pleasure charge the said Collector or Receiver and their Heirs Executors and Administrators A Proclamation from his Highness to require all Accompatants to deliveâ— in a perfect accompt upon their oaths of their Receipts and Payments within a certain time or els to suffer the penalty of the Law and select persons to bee nominated to inspect these Accompts and by what Orders all monies were paid with four shillings the pound for every moneth the said monies shall bee laid out by them for profit but deteined and not paid within three moneths next after the receipt The Statutes of 13. Eliz. cap. 4. and 27. Eliz. cap. 3 Provides that Treasurers Receivers and Accomptants Lands shall bee liable for the payment of their Debts to the Queen her Heirs and Successors And that the Queen her Heirs and Successors may sell and dispose of their lands c. and against whom the same sale shall bee good and how the Queen her Heirs and Successors may use the lands of the Treasurers Receivers and Accomptants indebted which hee or they hath or have purchased in the names of other persons c. The Statute of 1â— Eliz cap. 7. Provides that the Statute of 13. Eliz. cap. 4. shall extend to under-Collectors Receivers and Accomptants of Tenths and Subsidies of the Clergie to make their lands goods c. liable for satisfying of such monies as they have collected and received and not paid and accompted And that every such under-Collector and Receiver shall accompt in the Exchequer for his Receipt as other Collectors and Receivers do The Statutes of 52 Hen. 3. cap 23. and 13 Edw. 1. cap. 11. Provides that all Accomptants that do withraw themselvs and have no Lands c. whereby they may bee distrained Then their bodies to bee attached and imprisoned and caused to make their Accompts And the punishment of the Sheriff or Goaler that letteth an Accomptant Committed escape May it pleas your Highness AT the beginning of our late troubles some men having designed unto themselves to make themselves great in the midst of the common Calamities and to fish in troubled waters disturbed the most excellent cours of the Exchequer and to compass their fraudulent designs which they had craftily laid erected Private Treasuries as Goldsmiths hall Gourney hous Worcester hous Haberdashershall Weavers hall Drury hous Custom hous Excise Office Treasuries for the Publique Plate of the Nation at Guild hall and infinite other places throughout this Nation were erected and pettie Exchequers where the publique monie was kept and the publique Accounts by that means interwooven one with another and almost all of them managed by persons equally guilty and excessively covetous as well City Commissioners and Treasures as Country Commissioners and Treasurers So that ordinary Clarks and slight fellows being crept into imployment to finger the publique monies some by buying of the Goldsmiths light and clipped monies and then puting the said light and clipped monies amongst the publique Treasure It was observed by all that paid moneis in to the Treasurers that the Tellers would not receiv a clipped shilling and when they paid it away for the State their Payments were full of clipped money which clipped money they bought of Goldsmiths to the value of many score of thousand pounds and this was twenty times cull'd over and over and now they are fain to take it in the Country or to receiv none The clipped monie was like a hors in a mill it went round the Treasurers would receive none but bought it of the Goldsmith the Goldsmiths would melt no clipped money they bought but sell it to the Treasurers and Cashiers this was paid to the Army they paid it for their Quarters the Farmer payes it to his Landlord the Landlord brings it up to London and sells it to the Goldsmith at 15l 20l 25l in the hundred loss thinking it is melted and hee shall never more bee tronbled with it but the Goldsmith sells it as aforesaid and at my Gentleman's next quarter payment his money is paid him again so that the Nation by this trick hath been mightily cheated by publick Cashiers and they have many of them gotten great Estates some Five thousand some Ten thousand some Fifteen thousand some Twenty thousand some Thirty thousand some Forty thousand Pounds apiece And if these pettie Varlets which were but servants and underlings have gotten such vaste and great Estates by their craftie and fraudulent actions being but young sucklings in comparison of many of the great Treasurers their masters what have these great Treasurers then gotten whose ravening paunches have devoured the wealth and substance of the Nation May it please your Highness I could name them by scores but that I forbear at present till Justice do personally single them out for in every County City Corporation and almost in every Parish in England and Wales there is very few Parishes in the Nation without some of these Unjust Stewards Committee-men Sequestrators and Treasurers I most humbly beseech Almighty God to put it into Your Highness 's and the Parlaments hearts to say particularly to every unjust Treasurer Committee-man Sequestrator Excise-man Commissioner of the Customes Commissioner and Trustee for the Sale of Delinquents Estates Treasurer for the publique Plate and every other person that shall bee proved to have the publick monies in his hands as was said to the unjust Steward in the Gospel How is it that I hear this of thee Give an accompt of thy Stewardship for thou mayest bee no longer Steward Your Highness and the Parlament may see by the former recited Laws and Statutes what care all former ages had to see the Kings Debts and Rents duely paid and accompted for and that no fraud should bee put upon them their Heirs or Successors To prevent all frauds
Which will increas your Highness Revenue some thousands of pounds yearly And that your Petitioner may bee Ordered by your Highness to attend the Committee for Trade with his draught for the regulation of this Manufacture And as in duty bound your Petitioner shall pray c. THO. VIOLET Whitehall May 8. 1655. HIs Highness referreth this to the Consideration of the Committee and Counsel for Trade to enquire into the particulars and certifie their opinion Nath. Bacon May it pleas your Highness THe late King Charles and his Privy Counsel would never suffer that the silver courrant Coins or Plate of the Nation should bee wastâ—d in this Manufacture for the making of gold or silver Thread What the Refiners and Wyerdrawers did spend of the Plate and Coin in these Manufactures it was and is against the Laws of the Land And by the very Monopolie that the King granted to Alderman Wollaston and Aldermam Gibbs An. 1636. for to be his onely Agents for refining one Hundred thousand pounds a year of Forrain Silver for making this Manufacture yet in that Project of Gibbs and Wollaston they Covenant with the King not to Refine or caus to bee melted down any the Courrant Coin or Plate of the Nation and that they should melt none but Forrain Bullion which shall be Imported for the making this aforesaid Manufacture And many of the Privy Counsel then were for the total putting down of the making and wearing this Manufacture here in England as causing an excessive Expence to all Sorts and Conditions of people as being a Vanitie that the Nation might well bee without But then it was considered by the King and his Counsell the multitude of Women spinsters and other people that had their subsistance out of it and in that regard the Manufacture was continued but under strict Rules for the due Regulation and that all the Workers should conform to the same and they did promise an humble conformity and I Thomas Violet was appointed under the Great Seal of England to take the care and Charge of Sealing and Surveying all these Manufactures to prevent the former cheating and Cosennage both of Wyerdrawers Silkmen and Refiners The several frauds I clearly proved under the hand of Mr Jackson the sworn Assay-master of Goldsmiths hall and I cut and defaced all sleight cours and deceitfull gold or silver Thread Spangles wyer c. which Office I did justly and faithfully execute for almost Five years and prevented all former Abuses and caused the workmen to work their silver for these Manufactures as exactly and justly as the Plate or Money of the Nation is made during the time I regulated the Manufacture by my sealing of it This I have proved under the hand of many hundred Spinsters who petitioned for the Restoring mee to my Office again Your Petitioners most humble prayer to your Highness is that the Honorable Committee for Trade now having this Business under their examination and having the particulars in this Petitition in consideration may bee by your Highness ordered to make their Report and to take care for the preservation of the Bullion and Coins of the Nation And that all Silver made for this Manufacture bee melted at a Publique place and Viewed and Registred that so none of the Coins or Plate of the Nation bee melted down for any of these Manufactures And to appoint such Officers as they shall conceiv may bee fit for the regulating of all Abuses in the Manufacture and for the best advantage of your Highness The honorable Committee for Trade have given the wyerdrawers and Refiners several dayes for the propounding of wayes for regulating of the said Trade and to prevent the abuses by-past and to preserve the Coin and treasure of the Nation But instead of that the Wyerdrawers have presented the Draught of a Corporation to the Committee of Trade which if it should bee granted unto them in that way they have presented the same They would melt and caus the Goldsmiths to melt for their use in a few years all the heavie Gold and Silver Coin and Plate of this Nation And indeed they are come to that confidence that they think to cozen all people that wear Gold and Silver And to get a Charter for the doing thereof that so they may work Iniquitie by a Law May it pleas your Highness THere was a Complaint made to the late King Charles and the Lords of his Privy Counsel January 25. 1634. And an Information given by some of the Wardens of the Company of Goldsmiths touching the detriment and dammage which ariseth by the undue Practices of some Refiners and Gold-wyer-drawers of London by melting the currant Coynes and Bullion of the Nation And several Depositions against the Refiners of London were presented to the King and his Counsel at White-hall of very high and heynous Crimes by some of the Wardens and Company of Goldsmiths and no doubt but the Company of the Goldsmiths have the Copies of these Papers in their Hall There-upon Mr Attorney General Bankes received a Command from the said King and Lords to prosecute the Statute of 4. Hen. 7th against such Refiners and Gold-wyer-drawers as hee should finde to bee Offenders and to see the Penalties might bee recovered And upon further examination of these most heynous Offences an Information was put into the Starr-Chamber by the Kings Attorney General Bankes against Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs for melting and procuring several Goldsmiths to cull and melt the currant Silver Coynes of the Nation And for the unlawfull buying and refining of the said heavy currant English Monies and for unlawfull buying and refining Gold and Silver and for several other Abuses practised by them contrary to the Laws and Statutes of the Nation as appeareth at large by the Kings Attornies Information in the Starr-Chamber against them Some of the Wyer-drawers of London seeing the Winde blow at that Corner to prevent the danger approaching on them petition the said late King in the behalf of themselvs and divers other Wyer-drawers of the City of London the second of April 1635. In which Petition they set forth that there are many Abuses daily practised and done in the said Trade of Gold and Silver-wyer-drawing and the manufuctures thereof and that their Trade was under no Government That they desired his Majesties most gracious care in suppressing the promiscuous use by ordering them into a Government Therefore they pray That such as have served for the Trade or such as they should deem fit to use the same and one or two Refiners that may refine Gold and Silver to bee used in the Trade may bee made a Corporation with a non obstante of the Statute of 4. Hen. 7. or any other Statute or Proclamation And that they may bee Incorporated and have two Wardens and twelve Assistants and to have a fitting Officer for their Company and raising money for necessary Charges And that no Gold or Silver thread may bee put to sale
well known to many hundred persons in London Hereupon the Wyer-drawers petitioned against this Monopoly of Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston to the Parlament in 1640. and therein set forth that this Monopoly was contrary to the Common Law and against the Statute of 21. Jac. concerning Monopolies and contrary to the Liberties of the City of London And that this monopoly was for the excessive profit of the Refiners for that they could buy their silver at a moneths time 3 pence an ounce cheaper then they were forced to pay the Refiners ready money And this was affirmed in Parlament by Thomas Joles Robert Patrickson Laurence Whalley NathanaeÌ„l Seabourn and several other Gold-wyer-drawers Upon Examination of this Business by the Parlament the Patentees Alderman Wollaston Alderman Gibbs c were commanded to bring into the Hous their Monopoly and then the Wyer-drawers got quite free from it by Parlament The Refiners Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs to avoid the punishment which might justly have been imposed on them by the Parlament according to the Statute of 21. Jac. cap. 3. concerning Monopolies When they saw they could hold their Monopoly no longer and that the Parlament was called they petition to have their Pattent of Agencie dissolved as if it had been put on them by force and against their wills alledging That they were sued in the Starr-Chamber and that to avoid a sentence there being terrified by the example of the Soap-boilers and the Vintners they accepted of beeing his Majesties Agents When the truth was they accepted of being the Kings Agents for the sole refining and vending of One hundred thousand pounds silver a year for this Manufacture out of a covetous desire to enrich themselvs and unjustly did exclude all Goldsmiths and Wyer-drawers that had served their time to the Trade and by their undertaking this Monopoly they got their Pardons under the great Seal of England for many great as may appear upon view of their Pardons That they were sued in the Starr-Chamber it is very true For such Crimes that had the Cause proceeded and witnesses then been examined and the Court given Judgement against them they had been both undone To my knowledg this was their chief Plea in Parlament and so they flung dirt in the Kings face for his mercie towards them by their Petition which they presented to the House Though before the Parlament they would neither let Goldsmiths nor the Wyer-drawers to have a free market but stiffly insisted on it ever when it came to a dispute That the Refining and preparing Gold and Silver wyer did absolutely belong to the Refiners and so excluded the Goldsmiths of London And by their Monopolie excluded all other persons from the Trade but onely eight persons the Kings Agents and Pattentees These Agents laid out of their own purses Two hundred eightie and two pounds three shillings for repairing the Office which they gave me a Bill of under their own hands and desired mee to move Secâ—etarie Cook to get the King to allow it them I did so but the King returned them answer That if it had cost them ten times as much hee would not allow one penny for hee had Ordered Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs to have their Pardon and that in that hee had given them Ten thousand pounds I have the Original Bill by mee Several times this Monopolie of the Refiners was opposed and argued oftentimes at the Counsell Table and before the King Commissioners in Little Brittain and at Mr Attornie General Bankes Chamber both before Alderman Wollaston and Ald. Gibbs got their Monopolie and after they had their Pattent some of the Wyer drawers and some of the Goldsmiths and Silkmen chiefly Sir George Binion a Silkman for the Silkmen and the Wardens of the Companie of Goldsmiths for the Goldsmiths and all the chief Wyer-drawers in behalf of themselvs and their Fellow Wyer-drawers opposing Sir John Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs Monopolie and desiring to have a free market to buy their Silver But the Refiners still made such potent friends no doubt their Gold flew plentifully amongst the Courtiers or else they could not have carried it that neither VVyer-drawers nor Goldsmiths could buy of them or sell either silver or wyer for any the manufactures aforesaid but all must bee bought of Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs and others the Kings Agents and Pattentees till 1640. that that the same was overthrown in Parlament May it pleas your Highness DUring the Prosecution and Contest of this business between the Goldsmiths Gold Wyerdrawers Refiners and Silkmen about the frauds and abuses committed in their Trades each man putting it of from one to another The King and Lords of the Counsel cast about How to bee truelie informed of all these abuses and to search into the bottom of all this Knavery and Cheating Several wayes were propounded At last the Lords of the Counsel Ordered a private Search and Inspection into all Silkmens and Gold Wyerdrawers shopps And afterwards the King and Lords impowered mee Thomas Violet under the Great Seal to make these Searches frequently to prevent srauds in Wyâ—rdrawers and silkmens shops and in any other places where I conceived slight and bad Silver and Gold Thread and Wyer was and to seaze the same and if I found it bad to deface it and to certifie their names to the Kings Counsel or the Attourney Generall And the Lords of the Counsel at that time Ordered Sr Henry Mldemay to send several persons to buy small parcels of Gold and Silver Wyer and Thread Spangles Purls Oas c. in almost all the Silkmens and Wyerdrawers shops in and about London That so they might bee truely informed upon an Assay by the sworn Assay-master at Golsmiths Hall Mr Alexander Jackson what manner of gold and silver Wyer and Thread Spangles Oes and Purl and the Standard of the Silver was made and vented for good silver I do verily believ There was never a fuller or clearer Discoverie of Frauds and Cheatings in the world then was discovered at that time For Mr Jackson the Assay-master of Goldsmiths Hall hath Reported everie particular Assay by it self and Master Humfrey Worthington Mr Thomas Johnson and Mr Leonard Welsted have set down the dayes of the moneth and the year the Silkmen and Wyerdrawers shopps and their names where they bought this cours adulterate Silver Thread and Spangles and that they bought it and paid for good silver I have both the original Certificates ready to be produced The Title of the several Assayes is TRialls made by me Alexander Jackson sworn Assay-master of the Right Worshipfull the Company of Goldsmiths for his Majesties service of certain Quills of gold and silver Thread Spangles Plait and Wyer for and by the apointment of the Right Worshipfull Sr Henry Mildemay Knight as followeth being first burnt and melted and assayed brought by Sr Henry Mildmay the 9th of July 1635. to Goldsmiths Hall The Kings Standard for Starling silver is Eleven
consent of his Privy Counsell or any of his great Officers And then the King solemnly protested He would have an accompt satisfaction for this Business And that hee would not allow Alderman VVollaston Thirty thousand pounds for that hee could have done for One thousand pounds This was about ten daies before the King went from London and had hee ever came again in peace in my conscience this business had been called to a strickt accompt and the King thereupon gave mee Thomas Violet the place of Master of the Mint and to have the fee of five hundred pounds a year And that I should execute Alderman Wollastons place of melter without any fee upon account of the Masters fee and no more I was to melt the Gold and Silver upon oath not to have any benefit but only my fee of five hundred pound a year as master worker of the Mint Alderman Wollaston came to hear of this business afterwards in all likelyhood by Mr. Palmer or Mr. Cogan and this was the true cause of Sr John Wollastons getting mee to bee sent to the Tower when hee was Lord Maior of London One other chief reason of my sending to the Tower was som Marchants of London and others that had transported vast quantities of Gold and Silver out of the Nation had melted down many score thousand pounds of heavy currant English money for gold and Silver wyer and plate finding that I was commanded by Mr Pym and Mr Hamden and other honorable members of Parlament to attend the hous about passing an Act of Parlament in the hous to question all such as had transported Gold or Silver without licence The order for my prosecution of this business against the Transporters of gold is in the Journal book of the Parlament 18th of March 1640. As will thereby appear and the severall orders and transactions thereupon Therefore the transporters of Gold and Silver and the cullers and melters of the heavie silver coyn of the Nation fearing if I was not clapt up in the Tower or some other place they should bee questioned for their transporting Gold and Silver These men cryed mee up in the Citty and to the Parlament for a malignant and incensed som worthie members of Parlament against mee that did not know these mens true reasons nor the bottom of their malice so I was sent to the Tower But in the mean time what mischief the Common-wealth hath gotten by not passing the Act against the transporting of Gold which I was ordered by the Parlament to prosecute as appears by the Journals in Parlament as I before said 18th of March 1640. The not passing this Act hath given an opportunity that all the Gold is sent out of the Nation And now many propound the only remedy is to raise Gold Not considering the great mischief and loss that attends raising Gold or Silver The like mischief will suddenly fall by suffering Goldsmiths to bee the publick Cashiers they by that means cull and melt down the heavy monies of the Nation And when all is culled and melted down and transported as I have often times said then there will bee a proposition for the raising of Silver to the unspeakable damage of all Landed Gentlemen and the Nation in generall will bee impoverished so much as you rais Gold or Silver This mischief hath com by suffering Goldsmiths to becom exchangers of Gold and Silver and fortaign Coyns whereas that doth only Properly by the Law of the Nation belong to your Highness And till an exchange bee set up by your Highness and the Goldsmiths upon great penalties restrained only to their working of Plate and gold Rings and Iewels and selling them It is a thing impossible to prevent the transporting of Gold and Silver as I have formerly shewed which the Counsell for Trade will finde upon examination to bee true To which I humbly refer my self May it pleas Your Highness I Had at this day kept these Trades Refiners Gold-wyer-drawers Silkmen Weavers and Button-makers for so much as concerns the Silver in that good order by my Office of Surveyer and Sealer that no course Silver should bee made or spent in these manufactures And I humbly say I doubt not but I shall receive thanks from this Parlament and the Counsel of Trade for my care in discovering so many of these deceipts and frauds in these Trades As I shall particularly make appear before the Counsel of Trade upon examination of this Business it will save the Nation and the wearers of Gold and Silver many thousand pounds a year My true end of doing this is that the Trade may bee regulated and my place of Surveyer and Sealer restored and I authorized as I was formerly under the Great Seal of England to search survey and seal all these manufactures and to see them justly made and to have such a just Fee as may support my expence and in some reasonable proportion pay for my paines and hazzard I undergo by warranting the manufacture of Gold and Silver thread c. to bee all good to the Nation and made according to the Standard The wearers will have this benefit they shall bee secured of good Commodities that doth last as long again as the greater part of the manufacture doth now and when it returnes to the melting-pot it will make them in some sorts of lace as much again as it doth now and it will save many thousand pounds a year which is brushed and rubbed away if the silver thread bee duely made with a due proportion of Silk according to the just Rules as I setled formerly in my Office There are several unlawfull Engines called Wheels that twist the Silver on the Silk so sleightly that all those that wear Silver spun by these Wheels are meerly deceived The women Spinners being some thousands have from time to time complained of them both at the Counsel Table and at the former Counsel of Trade and the Kings Commissioners by several Orders put down the Wheels I most humbly desire the women Spinners may bee heard at the Counsel of Trade concerning that and other abuses in this manufacture They will acquaint them that whereas good Gold and Silver thread should hold six ounces of silver and three ounces of Silk ought to bee the due proportion for the making Needle gold and silver and five ounces of silver to three ounces of Silk of the sleightest now the manufacture is ordinarily made for some sorts of silver thread six ounces silk to three ounces silver and so the wearers are cozened half in half besides the silver lace is so sleightly made for many sorts thereof being both cours and adulterate and so thinly covered that it loseth the colour is bruised and rubbed off from the Silk and little returns to the melting-pot These particulars will clearly bee proved before the Counsel of Trade upon examination by hundreds of witnesses when it comes to bee examined And it is a great Abuse put on
out of the general Pardon in Anno 1651. and all the Offenders are at this day liable to bee severely punished There is the draught of an Act of Parlament against all these Offences and Offenders twice read in the House and amended and appointed by the House to bee reported by Mr Augustine Garland in the month of April 1â—53 VVhich Act if once finished as it is now drawn doth appoint Commissioners to examine and finde out both the Offences and Offenders according to former Presidents in Parlament And upon the effectual prosecution I humbly say the Offenders may finde the old Proverb true that Sweet meat must have sowr sawce Their exemplary punishment will terrifie others for the future from practising such mischiefs against the Common-wealth I have humbly presented to your Highness a further Narrative of my prosecution against the Silver ships Sampson Salvador and George in the Court of Admiraltie The several witnesses beeing many of them Passengers in these ships confess the Silver and Lading was consigned for Amsterdam And many other remarkable Proceedings for to vindicate the Honor and just Proceedings of the then Counsell of State and Parlament who stayed those Ships and Silver as Hollanders Silver and merchandize ships and goods only upon your Supplicants information and prosecution against them The Hamburgers Spaniards and Lubeckers had their ships and goods restored by the Judges of the Court of Admiraltie May it pleas Your HIGHNESS I had more trouble to intitle the State to this Silver in these ships and to disprove the Spanish Ambassadors Claim to this Silver then I shall have to finde out the frauds of the Accomptants of this Nation And if I bee impowered to bee your Highness's Remembrancer and to have an inspection into the Accompts of this Nation by the assistance of God if your Highness and the Parlament will strictly and effectually proceed in this Business it will bring your Highness in millions of money for the ease of the good People of the Nation in general God defend the Commons of this Nation should pay their Taxes and Assessments to particular persons who shall not give a just accompt to the Common-wealth according to the Lawes and Statutes of this Nation All good people I most humbly say ought to part with some part of their Fleece for the Safety of the Nation when it is legally assessed and justly and truly accompted for but not to pay their monies to private Treasurers and Committee-men that by these Imploiments many of them have gotten vast possessions from the bottom of beggerie and baseness by fraud dissimulation and Cozenage May it pleas Your HIGHNESS These men have not moderately shorn the Sheep of these Nations but they have rent and torn their pelts and skins from them and they ought I most humbly say to pay for the mending of them and to serve some of these men as Dudley and Emson were served in King Henry the Eighth's time would bee a pleasing sight and acceptable to the good People of the Nation My most humble Suit to your Highness is That none of the Accomptants of the Nation may escape in the croud from giving up a just true and perfect accompt and that Commissioners and Auditors of approved integritie and trust to your Highness may bee impowered to view and inspect into all Orders and Warrants that have or shall bee produced by any Treasurer or Accomptant for all summs of money they pretend for their discharge and where any VVarrant hath been pretendedly or really paid and not legally impowered for the payment of any summ of money all such VVarrants may bee suspended for the view and inspection of your Highness's Commissioners of the Revenue or such other honorable persons your Highness shall appoint for that service And every Treasurer and Accomptant of this Nation his Body Goods and Lands his Heirs and Executors to bee liable till they have duly accompted according to the Lawes of the Nation or obteined your Highness gratious Pardon and Discharge May it pleas Your HIGHNESS Thus farr I proceeded in this my most humble Epistle at the first day this Parlament fate being Sept. 17. and your Supplicant beeing resolved to wait some time to see how God would dispose of the Counsels of your Highness Supream Court I did for some daies acquiess in this Business May it pleas Your HIGHNESS It is a reverent Tradition and Priviledg granted to the Members of the high Court of Parlament that many things may bee spoken by the Members of the high Court of Parlament within the House which are not communicable abroad and punishable for themselvs to speak out of that Place There are some things which God doth many times put into a mans heart which is no Member of Parlament but an humble loial Subject which are for the good and benefit of the Nation which one man knoweth and peradventure another man that is farr wiser and more learned than hee doth not know May it pleas Your Highness In a ship an ordinary Boy thereof is asmuch bound to discover a Leak or a Conspiracie in the said ship as the Boson or Pilat and hath as good interest to do it because his life is endangered in the concealing of it and a poor mans life may bee as precious to himself as a rich mans the same thing ought every man to doe that is a faithfull Subject on Land in any Nation where hee hath protection and much more his Countrey for preventing all Conspiracies to his power and if hee make a Discovery of what the Supreme Magistrate knows before hee may therein shew want of Judgment but not want of dutie or affection to the Supreme Magistrate or Government where hee liveth I humbly say That man sinneth against God and his Conscience if it bee for the honor of God the good of the Nation and the safetie of the Supreme Magistrate if hee do not discover it and all men formerly were bound by their Oaths of Aliegiance and Supremacie to bee true to the King For hee that hides and conceals that which God would have revealed puts Gods light under a Bushel most especially if it bee incumbent upon a mans spirits and such notions dictated unto him by the spirit of God which hee never had before for the doing it and upon resisting that spirit may never have hereafter This beeing my present condition upon my knees I beseech your Highness to be graciously pleased to grant your favorable perusal of this Epistle and Book beeing far larger then at first I intended proceeding from a most humble dutifull and loial heart for your Highness Securitie Peace Honor and Safety Had Caesar perused what was writ to him before hee went into the Capitol hee had not died as hee did The Duke of Guyse in France and many others in all ages that have sleighted information and intelligence have had the same sad fate Great SIR I most humbly say your Highness having by Gods gracious and favorable
unless it bee sealed with This Restraint ought now to bee carefully looked after and to make the melting down of Shillings Sixpences half Crowns and five Shilling pieces Felony And strictly to forbid upon severe Penalties all Goldsmiths not to presume to bee Cashiers and Receivers of Merchants monies by which means they have formerly and do at this day cull and melt down the heavy English money The Goldâ—miths have by buying and selling English Gold above the currant price bought and sold all the Gold out of the Nation to the unspeakable dammage thereof And now there is no other Remedy to get Gold back in the Nation but by raising of it as some would have it shortly wee shall have no Silver Coyn left in the Nation and then wee must raise that to get back our Silver again And by this means all setled Revenues and Landlords will lose so much in their estates as you raise Gold and Silver the Seal of the Company And upon these Conditions they offered to pay his Majestie his Heirs and Successors for ever One thousand pounds yearly and over and above two pence the ounce for all Forain Bullion that shall bee used in their Trade And humbly petition That his Majestie would bee pleased to publish his Proclamation to forbid any to practise any the said Trades or Manufactures or Drawing or Spinning of Gold or Silver Thread or Wyer other than such as should bee Incorporated Upon this Petition his Majestie granted this following Reference viz. 2 Aprill 1635. HIs Majestie referreth this Petition to Mr Attourny General To take the same into consideration together with the Earl of Holland's Petition and certifie his opinion R. Freeman This Petition I have readie to bee produced Sr John Bankes Attournie general certifies back to the late King to this effect viz. That hee did not discern any inconvenience that the Gold Wyerdrawers who offer his Majestie upon their voluntary Petition One thousand pounds a year and two pence for everie ounce of Bullion which should bee used by them should bee incorporated for their better government according to their Petition so that they bee tied to some certain Conditions amongst which they were not to work any of the currant heavie Monie of this Nation nor any of the Plate of the Nation for any Manufacture of Gold or Silver Thread or Wyer they were not to use any Silver in their trade but Forrain Bullion and no more than yearlie should bee imported by their means and the Manufacture made according to the Standard or better Hereupon the Refiners Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs c. seeing themsellves exposed to the Law by the information of some of the Wardens and Company of the Goldsmiths informing against them and Mr Attournie General Banks by Order of the King and Lords prosecuting them in the Starr Chamber for high Crimes and Misdemeanors the Refiners viz. Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs c. Petition the late King in An. 1635. for his grace and mercy and making their humble Application to the then Attournie general Bankes and Sr J. Cook Secretary of State and to Sr William Beecher and several others whom they paid and gratified with great sums of money to get their pardons I being privy thereunto and desired and requested by them to use all my endeavors to keep Sr John Wolaston off from being indighted upon high Crimes and Offenses which Alderman Wolaston was charged with by Sr Henry Mildemay and some of the Wardens of the Company of Goldsmiths which I did by Secretary Cookes power and I did assist them to get their Pardons and spent my money and used all my endeavors and interest freely And at the earnest entreatie of Alderman Gibbs who with many tears besought mee to do it for Gods sake I having a little before made my peace and paid to the King two thousand Pounds for my pardon for Transporting Gold and Silver and by that means being intimately acquainted with Sr John Cook then Principal Secretary of State and Mr Attourney General Bankes and Sr William Beecher Clark of the Counsel I could and did get for Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs great favour of them I managed their business so amongst them that the edg of Justice was blunted and Sr Henry Mildemay's Commission revoked and all his endeavors to undoe Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs I disappointed by the power of the aforesaid persons And I am confident they paid them well for it for in those times there was nothing done by Courtâ—ers for Cittizens without money and I am sure I in my particular found it so But I never would accept or take of Alderman Wolaston or Alderman Gibbs for my expenses and pains one farthing though they often times then offered mee their pretended great acknowledgments And this I do say is true as I shall answer before God I did it freely upon the account of Frendship I bare unto Alderman Gibbs And how well and justly Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston requited mee for getting them their Pardons of the King in 1636. the Common Counsel of London and many honorable members of Parlament know and heard at a common Hall in January 1643. when Alderman Wolaston beeing Lord Major and Alderman Gibbs were the chief Informers against mee in Guild Hall and incensed many honorable members of Parlament and the body of the Citie of London against mee as a malignant and vicious person And this Alderman Gibbs did by along winded Speech openly at Guild Hall And som few daies before they abused and villified mee before a Committee of Parlament at Goldsmiths Hall and procured mee to bee sent to the Tower through their unjust Information But God in his good time will finde their iniquity out for since it hath been proved what Alderman Wolaston hath been to the Government and that makes him uncapable to bear Office in the Commonwealth How God will dispose of Alderman Gibbs this Parlament that time will present And what Service I have don to this Nation I most humbly leav it to the considerations of all true English men I saved the Nation at one time three hundreed Thousand Pounds in the year 1652. A summ of money more then all the Goldsmiths and Refiners are worth put them all together And in doing that service I most humbly say I clearly shewed my Dutie and Affection to this Nation and shewed I was no Malignant When Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs do so much for this Nation I shall take them to bee better men then now I do After many dayes Attendance of Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs at the Counsel-table and at the Attourny General Sr John Banke's Chamber Upon condition that Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs Their Pardon 's under the Great Seal of Enland will shew the offences they were guilty of for men need not take a Pardon if they be not guilty and faulty I refer my self to the paticulars in their Pardons what offenses