of this Business Upon the peril of my life this your Highness will finde to bee the true condition upon examination of many members in the long Parlament many Committee-men many Farmors of the Customs many Commissioners for Delinquents Lands many Purchasers of Lands many Excize-men many Commissioners for Prize-Goods and many other persons of all callings and conditions that have had imploiment for the publick and have fingred the publick Treasure ever since the year 1640. of every condition great numbers who amongst them have stoln and cozened the Common-wealth of above twenty millions of money May it pleas your Highness I have ever esteemed that man a bad Bailiff or Steward that desires to keep a confederacie and correspondencie with his Lords Tennants and Debtors that so they may keep their Landlord and Master in ignorance never to know the value of his estate nor when nor how to make his improvement but when casualties fall to pocket up the profits themselvs and defraud their Lord and keep him alwaies poor that so they may bee alwaies held usefull and necessary by their Lords and Masters when indeed they are but jugling Knaves and are the bain and dishonor of their Lord and Master both in his Estate and Reputation I most humbly say that if there bee any against the discovery of these Abuses your Highness will upon examination finde them parties or near of affinity to them that have cozened your Highness and the Common-wealth I humbly upon my knees beg your Highness's pardon for these my plain and loial expressions which proceed from the heart of one that daily praies to God for your Highness's peace safetie and prosperitie Your Highness 's most dutifull and loyal Subject THO. VIOLET May it pleas your Highness I Requested Mr Kelleway to deliver into your Highess's own hand this Business in a written parchment and a written sheet of paper annexed thereunto it conteining a Business in this conjuncture of time very necessarie for your Highness's perusal and observation as your Supplicant humbly conceiveth praying your Highness to signifie your pleasure to your Supplicant thereupon by your Servant Mr Kelleway And your obedient Supplicant and Subject as in dutie bound shall daily praie c. April 1. 1656. Your Highness 's most dutifull and obedient Subject THO. VIOLET May it pleas your Highness AN Act of Parlament now so effectually made and so effectually prosecuted as this Act in Richard the Seconds time was would bring your Highness in many hundred thousands of pounds if the care of the mannagement of this great Business bee left to men of unbyassed Interests that will see to the strict examination and punish of the offenders great and small it will eas the people in general of many of their taxes A few Laws well executed is better then a multitude of Laws and the execution neglected And this Act in King Richard the Seconds time appoints the Pillars of the Land to see to the due execution and punishing the offenders And the wisedom of that Parlament would not appoint Commissioners of a meaner degree least through fear or for reward Justice might bee blinded and over-awed as many times it is when ordinary persons have the execution thereof Great Trust in mean mens hands is subject to miscarriage May it pleas your Highness I Have delivered in to your Highness Commissioners for discoveries at Worcester hous in writing the 30th of May 1656 these Discoveries annexed amounting to about the summ of four hundred thousand pounds which your Highness and the Commonwealth have been defrauded of I have humbly desired their direction to mee thereupon and that I might have a Copie of their Commission that so I might bee informed whether these my Discoveries on the Termes and Conditions I have presented them bee comprised therein and whether any incouragement is to the Discoverer for so doing My most humble Sute to your Highness is that I may bee impowered to inspect all and every such papers books warrants accompts and orders as may conduce to make my discoveries And further to examine upon Oath all such persons who can and will prove the aforesaid Frauds The whole premises as I have humbly stated it to the Committee I present to your Highness and most humbly beg your Highness to vouchsafe your Highness gracious perusal it beeing as your humble Subject conceiveth verie much for yovr service and to bee pleased to signifie your gracious pleasure therein And as in dutie bound your Supplicant shall dailie pray c. 30. May 1656. Your Highness most humble and faithfull Subject THO. VIOLET Here followeth the Copy of the Writing I delivered in to your Highness's Commissioners To the honorable the Committee for Discoveries sitting at Worcester Hous May it pleas your Honors I Am certainlie informed by those that are learned in the Lawes That all Sequestrators Treasurers Receivers and all such who have the States Tenths upon Reprisals in their hands Committee men and all other persons whatsoever in whose hands any Monies Jewels Plate Goods or Merchandize or other things of value whatsoever belonging to the late King the Parlament his Highnes the Lord Protector or the Publique The said persons their heirs executors and administrators and their and every one of their lands goods tenements c. into whose hands soever they bee converted and do come and all other lands tenements goods and chattels which any other then had in Trust or for their Use or which at any time or ever after they had power to dispose of Are all liable for the paiment and answering of the said publique Debts and Accompts of the said Treasurers Receivers Sequestrators and such as have the States Tents in their hands concerning all Reprisals of Ships And their heirs executors administrators Tertennants and all others into whose hands the said goods lands monies Jewels Merchandise c. do by whatsoever means come Are all accountable for and must pay and satisfie the same to his Higness May it pleas your honors This being granted a Truth the old Maxime of my Lord Cook 's will now at this day prove true That whosoever eats the Kings goos the feathers at one time or other will stick in his throat And that all persons whomsoever whether Committee-men Sequestrators Treasurers or any other persons whomsoever his and their Estates their Heirs Executors and Administrators are alwaies chargeable with Debts due to his Highness and the Commonwealth without his Highness's gracious pardon And that this is Law there are many Judgments and Presidents in the Exchequer which if there bee occasion to satisfie your Honors I will caus some learned Gentleman in the Law to produce to you Presidents and Statutes And I also desire your patience to read my Ensuing Queries thereupon Viz. May it pleas your Honors I Humbly present these Queries to you and desire to receiv your Judgements thereupon that so I may know whether my Discoveries are within Cognizance of your Commission when they are Discoveries
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
Your loial Subject did present unto Your Highness's said Commissioners at Worcester-hous about the last day of May the names of several persons who had been entrusted and employed as Accomptants and Treasurers to receiv and finger the publick Monies Lands and Marchandise Very many of these persons have made the Commonwealth's Money Lands Goods and Merchandise which they were entrusted with so like their own that to this day it stick 's in these men's hands and is in their private possession to the great dammage of the Nation And many of them upon examination will bee found to have at this time vast summs of money in their hands and possessions amongst them all to the value of many hundred thousand pounds Likewise your loial Subject hath most humbly presented your Highness how strict Queen Elizabeth was to have all her Receivers called to a just accompt never sparing her great Officers and Favorites by which means shee lived and died rich never finding want in her Exchequer nor her Chests without Treasure Your faithfull Subject finde's now upon his Inquiry many of these Gentlemen that were Treasurers and Accomptants to wonder and make it strange that ever they should live to see the day that any persons should call them in question upon their accompts and that a just and true accompt should bee ever expected by the State from all persons that have received and possessed themselvs of the publick Moneys Lands and Merchandise c. May it pleas your Highness your humble Suppliant saie's That that opinion of these Gentlemen for to have a perpetual Indempnity and to escape scot-free as hee most humbly conceiv's is not grounded upon any just or true reason for there bee hundreds of Orders Ordinances and Acts to enable them and thousands of people now living to bee Collectors of Subsidies Committee-men Treasurers Excise-men Commissioners of the Customs Trustees for the sale of the King Queen and Prince's Lands Bishop's Deans and Chapters and other Delinquents Lands Receivers Sequestrators and Collectors of the monthly Taxes Collectors for Charitable Uses and all and every one of these persons by the fundamental Laws of this Nation their bodies lands and estates from the time and hour they became Debters to the Common-wealth their Persons Heirs Executors and Administratorâ— their and every one of their Goods Tenements into whose hands they are sold converted or do com And all other Lands Tenements Goods and Chattels which any other person then had or now have in trust for their use or which at any time ever hereafter shall have power to dispose of are all lyable to the due and true accompting paying and answering your Highness and your Successors the monies lands and goods c. they have received and this is by many Statutes known to be the law of England And many of them before they were admitted to act as Trustees Sequestrators Committee men or Treasurers took an Oath not to act contrary to the several Rules Limitations and Instructions given them by several Acts and Orders of Parlament and Council of Sate as appeareth by the Journal books and printed Acts and Ordinances of Parlament and Council of State likewise many of the abovesaid persons upon strict examination will bee found wilfully perjured which makes the Offenders lyable to fine and ransom for the breach of their Oaths The Lawes now in force to bee duely and truely executed for to have an exact accompt will bring your Highness and the Common-wealth in milions of money there is not any one of the aforesaid persons can shew any Order Ordinance Act of the Council of State or Act of Parlament that when they were made Committee-men or Treasurers to give them or any one of them a privilege or indempnity to cozen and defraud the State or to licence any one of them to pocket up the Wealth and publick Treasure of the Nation which they have fraudulently converted to their own use And when they can shew no such privilege nor so much as a pardon they need not make it strange as many of them do at this day That they should bee forced to give the Common-wealth a just strict and true Accompt or els their Bodies and Estates as also their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns to bee lyable till they shall have justly and truly accompted Your Highness's humble subject delivered in Wâ—iting to your Commissioners at Worcester-Hous certain Queries for his better direction to proceed in this service and most humbly desired their judgments thereupon that so hee might know whether his discoveries were within the cognizance of their Commission All which hee humbly presented unto them as being verie materiall both for your Highness and the Commonwealths service and hee told the Commissioners that hee intended to make their judgment thereupon to him to bee his Rule either to proceed or desist in these discoveries to avoid unnecessary expence and trouble to himself and others May it pleas your Highness in June last your Supplicant left with your Highness servant Mr Kelleway the true copie of the Writing hee did deliver to the Commissioners at Worcester-Hous and most humbly besought him to present the same unto your Highness And his most humble petition to your Highness was That you would bee graciously pleased upon your Highness's perusal to signifie your pleasure thereupon to your humble and loyal subject concerning the premisses that so hee might know how to proceed but Mr Kelleway having no covenient opportunitie to get your Highness to peruse the same by reason of your Highness other great and weighty affairs thereupon your Supplicant received back the said writing again from Mr Kelleway and hath now printed the same The true reason wherefore your humble Subject hath forborn to attend the Commissioners at Worcester-hous to receiv their order and direction concerning the premisses is becaus your most humble and loyall subject intends to put in the same Writing into the Parlament and there will humbly wait for your Highness's and the Parlaments gracious Commands and directions therein And the results of that most high and honorable Court upon the premisses what your Highness and your high Court of Parliament in your great and profound wisdomes shall judg fit to bee don for the glory of God and good and eas of the nation concerning all the premisses May it pleas your Highness your loyal Subject hath in som things enlarged himself more then in his writing hee left with your Highness hee hopes it is for the honor of God the benefit of your Highness and the eas of the good people of this nation in generall His daily praiers to God is That the publique Treasure that is in private mens hands may by a gracious Act of this ensuing Parliament bee ordered converted and turned into the right Channel to save the publique Taxes which will bee as a sweet smelling Perfume in the nostrels of the good people of this nation when they shall see those Caterpillers that have not
onely eaten the leavs but barked the trees of this Common-wealth using all opressions and fraud to grow rich bee made to restore it No doubt the work is pleasing and acceptable to God and all good men and then manie men who have made their religion a cloak to cozen the Commonwealth may bee made to restore their unjust deteined Treasure and Lands Many men under the shaddow of sanctitie having made gain to bee great godliness instead of godliness to bee great gain May it pleas your Highness your most humble and loyall Subject at your Highness's feet imploreth to bee relieved having been imprisoned almost four years in the Tower of London viz 1643. to 1647. and two years and nine moneths of that time kept close prisoner his estate in lands houses offices goods and moneys being taken from him to his dammage of eleven thousand pounds there being then at his bringing up the late Kings letter from Oxford in December 1643. no known law or publique Ordinance to prohibit him to bring up the said letter to the Lord Maior and Citie of London and hee had a Pass from the hous of Commons to go to Oxford as appears by the Journals in the Parlament-hous and hee had at the same time a Warrant from the Lord General Essex to go to Oxford procured by Mr Theophilus Ryley then Scoutmaster of of the Citie of London May it pleas your Highness by Gods Law Rom. 4. 15. Where there is no Law there is no Transgression and by the known Laws of this nation such and such Actions are declared Crimes and lawes and rules set for the degree of punishing And hee most humbly conceaveth it is not in any just Judges power to exceed the punishment for any offence more then is prescribed and set down by the Law And it is expresly provided for in Magna Charta that no Free-man shall bee taken imprisoned or distressed of his free-hold or liberties or any other waies destroied but by lawful judgment of his Peers or by the Law of the Land That no man should bee deferred or denied Justice or Right Whereas your Supplicant after he was out of the Tower petitioned for six years constantly at the Parlament doors the members and at the Counsel of State to have a legal Trial by the Parlament or els by the common Law And to that end delivered several Petitions to several members of Parlament yet your Supplicant could never have Justice Som of the members of the then Parlament after his many years constant attendance and great expence to com to a trial told him Had hee been guilty hee should never needed to have petitioned the Parlament for a Trial the Parlament would have granted him a Trial without petitioning for it May it pleas your Highness This is your most humble Subjects sad condition groaning under and having so heavy a sentence as the loss of almost all his estate to his dammage above eleven thousand pounds almost four years Imprisonment in the Tower when there was no law made at his acting this Business nor at the time of his Commitment for either punishing of him or any other for acting the same thing which was bringing up the late Kings letter to the City in December 1643 but Ordinances and Orders made after hee had brought up the King's Letter for the Confiscation of his Estate and Imprisonment of his Person and a great part of his Estate given to private and particular men Now with Tears and Sighs hee appeal's to Your Highness for restoring him to his Estate and just Reparation being oppressed and undon for a Pretended Crime when there was no Law no not so much as the Breach of the Good Behaviour made against it in December 1643 either to Prohibit him or any other to do the same Hee hath printed this Business with the several Houses Offices Bonds and Mony taken from him To which hee doth most humbly refer himself And Your Suplicant was daily faithfully promised by som worthy Members of the Long Parlament and Counsel of State who pittied Your Supplicant's sad Condition seeing his willingness to serve the Commonwealth to have Justice and Reparation and that held up his Spirits and kept him alwaies to bee willing to the uttermost of his power and strength-beyond the abilities of his Estate to engage both his time and estate for many years to do the then Parlament many and great services as appears by Your Loyal Subject sprinted Narrative 1653. The several Particulars were to his Charges and Expence of many Hundred Pounds as by many Witnesses hee can and hath proved Besides One most Remarkable Service to the Nation in General Your Supplicant did by the Command of the then Counsel of State which shall and ought to stop the mouths of every one and all his Adversaries that have or shall maliciously traduce him as a Malignant for a man disaffected to the State or to the true happiness of the Nation in General Your humble Subject did this service when Van Trump was in the Downes It was no small hazard his venturing to deliver in a Paper to the Counsel of Srate in December 1653. which Writing was by the Counsel of State referred to the Committee for Forrain Affairs Wherein Your Supplicant discovered the fraudulent Practises of the Spanish Embassadour and Duke Leopoldus and his Agents to defraud the Parlament of a Vast Summ of Treasure above three hundred Thousand Pounds which was broughâ— up into the River as a Prize in three Ships viz. The Sampson Salvador and George And this hee did at the same time when the Lord Embassador of Spain with many other Agents of Duke Leopoldus and Licensiados of the King of Spain 's living at Antwerp did all of them affirm both to the Judges in the Admiralty the Counsel of State and to the Parlament in November and December 1652 that all the Lading both Silver and Marchandize in the said Ships did appertain to the King of Spain and his Subjects and none other May it pleas Your Highness I was far more troubled to finde out the frauds of the Spaniaâ—ds Claims to the Silver in these Ships and to bring it forth to bee proved by good and Lawfull Witnesses as I have here out of the Admiraltie to Intitle the State to the Silver in these Ships Then I shall bee troubled to finde out the Frauds and Deceipts of all the Accomptants in General of this Nation if once I bee but impowered by your Highness to have an Inspection on the Accompts and such Rules followed and executed as by the Laws and Statutes of this Nation hath been formerly put in practice and the whole Charge of this Discovery will not stand the State in 12d the pound to bring the Monies into the Exchequer And it may bee so managed not Six pence Charge upon the Pound The Spaniards in the Court of Admiralty by their Counsel pleaded that they ought not to have the Onus probandum cast on them being their
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
misprisions found in the other courts places officers and ministers aforesaid and in all the other Articles and points above named and every one of them And also all other defaults misprisions excesses falcities deceipts extorsions oppressions damages greviances don in prejudice damage and distresse of him and of his crown and the Estate of his realm in generall or speciall above not specified nor expressed to amend correct repair redress reform and put in due and good estate and establishment And also to hear and receiv all manner of complaints and quarrels of all his leiges which will sue and complain them aswell for our soveraigne Lord the King as for themselvs before the said Counsellors officers of all maner of duresses oppressions injuries wrongs misprisions which may not be well amended nor determined by the cours of the common law of the land before used and thereof to make good and due remedy and recovery aswell for our said soveraign Lord the King as for his said Leige people and all the things aforesaid and every of them fully to discusse and finally to determine and thereof to make full execution according as to them best shall seem for the honor and profit of our said soveraigne Lord the King and of his estate and reintegration of the rights and profits of his said crown and better governance of the peace and laws of his Land and relief of his said people Willing also that if diversitie and variance of opinion rise or happen between the said counsellors and officers that the Indgement or opinion of the greater partie have force and hold place as in the said letters patents is fully contained Whereuppon our said soveraign Lord the King willing that the corrections and redresses of the defaults and misprisions aforesaid may bee for the profit of him and his said Realm in the form aforesaid put in due execution without being broken or disturbed by any of the assent of the Lords and Comons of his said Realm in this present parlament hath ordayned and established that every one of his said Leiges greater or less of whatsoever estate or Condition that he be shall bee atendant and obedient in how much that toucheth the Articles aforesaid and every dependancie thereon to the said counsellors and officers in the form aforesaid And that every person that shall bee judged before them and convicte of any the defaults or misprissions aforesaid shall take and receiv without debate making such correction as shall bee judged to them by the said counsellors and officers in the form aforesaid And that no person of what estate or condition that hee bee grater or less shall give to the King privily or apertly counsell exhortation or motion whereby the King should repeal their power withing the time aforesaid in any point nor doe any thing contrary of his said grant or of any the said articles And if any person of what estate or condition that hee be doe against the Ordinance and Establishment aforesaid or procure or doe any thing in any manner whereby the said Counsellors bee disturbed in any point upon the exercise of the said power Or which exciteth or procureth our said soveraign Lord the King to do or comand anie maner of thing whereby the power of the said Counsellors and Officers or the execution of their said Iudgments awards to bee made in the same bee in any point aforesaid defeated and that duly proved by good and true witnesses which be notoriously holden of good fame and condition not suspected convenably examined before the King and the counsellors and officers aforesaid any of the Iustices of the one Bench or other taken to them or other discreet and Learned in the Law such as pleas the said Councellors and officers shall have such pennance that is to say at the first tyme hee shall bee so convicted hee shall forfeit all his goods and chattles to the king and nevertheless hee shall bee imprisoned at the king's will and if any person bee duly attainted in the form aforesaid of councel excitation or motion given to the King or of doing the contrary of his said grant as aforesaid albeit the king do nothing by such councell excitation or motion yet he shall have such pennance as afore And if it happen which god defend that hee so bear him afterward that he bee another time attainted as afore of any the said defaults or misprisions then the same person so convicted or attainted shall have at the sâ—cond time the penance of life and of member saveing alwaies the dignity pontiffical and priviledges of holy Church Clerical in all the things aforesaid And that this Satute hold force effect during the said Comission only and therefore wee Command thee that thou do the said Statute openly to bee cryed and published in Citties Burroughs Towns and fairs markets other notable places within the Baily-wick within franchises and with out according to the tenor and form of the same Dated c. The Statute of 6 Hen. 4. Chap. 3. Made against the frauds of escheators alnagers customers and other acountants that defraude the King ordains comissions to bee directed to the most lawfull and discreet persons in every County to enquire into all frauds of accountants who have deceitfully concealed the Kings dues in case they shall bee attainted they shall forfeit treble damages and their bodies to prison c. May it please your Highness PEradventure some upon the sight of this Act may alledg this Statute was made in the Reign of a weak and unfortunate Prince to restrain the disorders of his Hous and to bring to Justice evil Counsellers and will say God bee thanked wee have a wise and victorious Protector and a provident and frugal Counsel and provident Officers and Ministers under them I grant this a truth and I thank God for it But this I humbly say Amongst the exactest model that ever was upon earth which was Christ and his Disciples there was a Judas amongst the twelv May it pleas your Highness upon examination of some of the Transactions of the long Parlament concerning money matters some particular members with some of their Committees and many of their Agents and many great persons imploied in the Common-wealth at this very day there will appear to your Highness above one Judas in twelv taking in all that were members of Parlament with their Committees and Agents some of them being in great places of Trust at this day Many of them being provident Theevs getting from the bottom of baseness and beggerie by fraud dissimulation and cozenage in every Countie Citie and Corner of the Nation vast and great possessions both in money lands and goods Many of these men being near of kin and condition to the Unjust Steward in the Gospel who when his Lord called him to accompt becaus hee could not dig nor delve joins with his Lords Debtors to cozen his Lord and Master and this is the true stare
Gentlemen in this Nation Accomptants Treasurers and others have in their hanâ—s and possessions or have converted the same to their own private Uses And all the aforesaid persons ought to bee accomptable for the Lands Tenements Debts Collections Assessments Merchandize Goods and Chattels to the full value they have received And at this day the aforesaid persons have in their hands the particular Summs aforesaid which they still with hold from his Highness most of them contrary to their Trust being the Parlaments and his Highness's servants and receiving their Sallaries and Wages of the Parlament and his Highness for their Attendance in the Excise Office Custome-hous Drury-hous Goldsmiths-hall Treasurers for the monethly Taxes and Treasurers for several other Assessments monies collected for several charitable uses for Redemption of Slaves from Argier Tunis Tripolis c. Commissioners for sale of all Prize goods c. who all have had great Fees and Sallaries and therefore ought by the Law to make a true and just Accompt upon Oath And every of them have got the Publique monies and by that means have unduely enriched themselves with great and vast Possessions in Lands and Treasure And they withhold to this day the just Rights and Dues which appertain to his Highness and the Commonwealth And in regard there is a Fifth part to the first Discoverer that shall make it appear by sufficient proof that any have Monies Lands Houses Goods and Merchandize or any other thing of Value in their hands appertaining to the State Thereupon I put in my Claim and Charge all the aforesaid persons to have in Severall Commissioners at Drury-hous have by undue Practises contrary to their Trust damnified and defrauded his Highness of above Sixty thousand Pounds The several Commissioners names the particular Summs and the particular Charges I humbly crave leav to have liberty hereafter to insert referring my self to my 9th Query I herewith presented to the Commissioners at Worcester-hous their Custodies the aforesaid monies Lands houses goods and Merchandize to the values aforesaid and desire of your Honors that I may bee admitted to make my Proofs against such of the said persons as I do and shall desire to charge and that I may have a view and inspection into all such Books and papers which are conducing to the making of every particular Charge and to examine witnesses upon Oath thereupon And that all persons which stand in Contempt may by your warrant bee Attached My humble desire is That these Discoveries bee Registred and the day when I delivered the same and this Charge with my several Queries annexed I desire also they may bee kept at Worcester-hous as a Record to manifest the true grounds and reasons why I deliver in this Charge 26. May. 1656. Your humble Servant THO. VIOLET May it pleas your Highness THe High Court of Parlament being shortly after summoned by Your Highnes I did thereupon forbear for a time to proceed further in this Business with the Commissioners at Worcester-hous being resolved by the assistance of God humbly to present these humble Propositions with some additions unto your Highness and that Supreme Court the Parlament desiring of God so to direct mee in this Business that what I most humbly propound may bee for the glory of God and good of the Nation and that my Labors in this Business may bee accepted of by your Highness and the Parlament as proceeding from an humble loyall and true English Heart May it pleas your Highness I Do most humbly offer to your Highness and the Parlament these further most humble Proposals for your Highness and the Common-wealth's service which I most humbly present on my knees at your Highness's and the Parlaments feet and do likewise humbly pray that these my most humble Proposals may bee confirmed by an Act of this Parlament with such alterations and additions as shall bee conceived by your Highness and the Parlament most for the honor of God and the benefit of the good people of this Nation by easing them in their Taxes and calling to accompt the Common-wealths Debtors 1. According to the Statute of Rutland made May 24. in the tenth year of the Reign of King Edw. 1. Anno Dom. 1282. touching the Recovery of the Kings Debts And the Statute of 6. Hen. 4. cap. 3. made against the frauds and deceipts of divers Sheriffs Escheators Aulnagers Customers Comptrollers and others in these words following viz. Item Whereas divers Sheriffs Escheators Aulnagers Customers Comptrollers and other the Kings Officers accomptable in many parts of the Realm do fraud and deceive our said Lord the King yearly in their unlawfull and untrue accompts concealing and reteining to their own use the greater part of that which rightfully ought to appertain to the King to his great dammage and loss Out said Lord the King by the Advice and Assent aforesaid hath ordained That presently after every finall accompt given and made by the Officers and Customers aforesaid before the Barons of the Exchequer of our Lord the King The tenor of the Accompt of every the said Officers from time to time shall bee sent into the Counties where the same Accomptants bee Officers together with CoÌ„missions directed to the most lawfull and discreet persons to enquire and certifie the profits which the said Accomptants have received within the said Counties in the name and to the use of our said Lord the King by them in the manner aforesaid upon their said Accompts or deceitfully concealed and received to their proper use and profit And in case that the said Accomptants bee attained of their said fiauds and deceipts they shall incurr to our Lord the King the penaltie of the Treble of the same whereof they shall bee so convict and their Bodies to Prison untill they have made fine and ransom to our said Lord the King according to the discretion of his Judges These excellent Laws to bee put in execution for the strict and just taking up all the Accompts of Sequestrators Treasurers Collectors Committee-men Excize men and Collectors of Customs Surveyers who have returned fals surveys and then bought the Lands according to the value of their fraudulent surveys or received Bribes for making these fraudulent surveys for some particular persons profit these I humbly say being strictly examined will bring your Highness in many hundred thousand pounds Here followeth many Laws of excellent use for the furthering of this business of calling the Accomptants of the Nation to a just accompt THe Statute of 33. Hen. 8. cap. 39. Provides that all Bonds and Specialties made to the King shall bee in the nature of a Statute of the staple and also all Process Judgments Executions c. That the King his Heirs and Successors shall not bee debarred or delaied his just debts and duties against any as heir or heiâ—s to any person endebted to him albeit the word heir bee not comprised in the Cognizance Obligation or Specialty That the King in all his
most excellent Waies and Rules were setled in the Court of Exchequer in all Kings Reigns by the great care of many Ages And the Sages of the Law know there was not a more exact method in the world then the Court of Exchequer was for the just accompting and paying the Kings Dues I have heard my Lord Cottington say in the Exchequer Chamber That no Prince in Christendom had the like exact way as the King of England had by the course of the Exchequer if the Rules set down by the Court bee by the under-Officers duely executed so that whatsoever summ comes in there bee it a million of money must bee duely paid and accompted for or else hee could finde it upon the foot of the accompt if ever it came in charge into the Pipe And if the course of the Exchequer had not been disturbed and the payments of the publick money thrust out of the old Channel it had been impossible to have had so many Treasurers cozen the Common-wealth so grosly and shamefully as they have done And in order and pursuance of calling all Accomptants to a just true and strickt Accompt your Supplicant most humbly presents these ensuing Proposals to your Highness and the Parlaments view and consideration and humbly prayeth that the same may bee put in strickt execution with such alterations and additions as your Highness and the Parlament shall conceive fittest for the good of the Nation in general to ease the people of their Taxes For God defend that the generalitie of the people should contribute their monies and pay it to Treasurers that shall make themselves great and their private posterities after them out of what they have cozened and defrauded the Common-wealth of Therefore I humbly petition your Highness and the Parlament 1. THat an Act of Parlament may bee made and a Proclamation thereupon go forth commanding and requiring all Committee-men Sequestrators Trustees for sale of Delinquents Estates Commissioners of Excize Commissioners of the Customs Treasurers of the publick Plate and all other Treasurers Receivers Collectors and all other Accomptants and persons whatsoever that have been imploied to collect and receiv and have collected and received any the publick monies goods chattels plate c or other things of value throughout England and Wales ever since the beginning of the year 1642. shall within three moneths next after the date of the said Act and Proclamation make up and deliver according to the Laws and Statutes of this Nation made for Accomptants and Accompts into the Exchequer or other place your Highness shall appoint their several just and true Accompts of what Monies Goods Chattels Plate c. or other thing of value they or any for them have received And how and by what warrant they have paid and delivered out the same The same Accompt to bee delivered in upon the particular oath of every such person Accomptant that the same is a just and true Accompt And upon every particular accompt so made to pay in the money remaining in his hands upon his said Accompt if any there bee into the Exchequer or other person and place your Highness shall appoint to receiv the same And upon failer of bringing in their several and particular Accompts according to the said Act and Proclamation that then all such monies goods chattels and other things of value which shall bee found and proved upon Inquisition they have received for the Common-wealth whereof they have not accompted for shall bee levyed and taken upon their estates and their persons imprisoned untill they have justly and truly accompted And if any person or Accomptant aforesaid shall bee dead then the Heir and Executor or Administrator of such person so dying or being dead shall duely accompt for the partie so dying or being dead according to the Laws and Statutes of this Nation 2. That an Act of Parlament may bee made and sent throughout England and Wales to require and impower four of the next Justices of the Peace or such other Commissioners your Highness shall appoint to call a Jury in every Parish of substantial Free-holders or other discreet honest men either of the same Parish or Parishes next adjacent and to call to their assistance all other discreet persons that can and will give them true information concerning any of the premisses in charge And the said Jury so impannelled to make true Inquisition of all such neighbours and persons aforesaid of these particular things following viz. 3 That the Jurie bee impowered to enquire and present all persons men and women and their degree and qualitie that have been sequestred in each respective parish within every County of this Nation and the dayes of the moneth and year when this was done Also they are to enquire and present what stock of Cattel Money Plate houshold stuff c. or other things of value they had taken from them and to set down the particular values thereof Also to set down the values of the Houses Lands and Tenements Woods c. sequestred and into whose hands the same came And to set down the parcels and values distinctly and the several time and times when this was done and by whose order warrants and directions and who received the monies 4. They are to enquire and present in every Parish what Committee-men and Sequestrators and Treasurers are in every Parish their distinct names and qualities who of them are dead and who bee their Heirs and Executors or Administrators And if any Sequestrator Treasurer or Committee-man bee removed out of their ancient abiding places since 1642. to set down to the best of their knowledg or information they can get where every such Sequestrator Committeeman and Treasurer doth live in what Countie and place within this Nation or elswhere 5. They are to enquire in what Places of the Countie the Committee for Sequestrations did usually sit and to certifie the same And that diligent search bee made for all Books of Orders of everie particular Committee That in every Parish twelv able and discreet persons upon oath shall make strict inquisition who received all Rents and Profits of all Lands and Houses of Delinquents in the said Parish and how long every Delinquents lands were under Sequestration before they were compounded for or sold and to present all persons that shall bee proved to have the publick money in their hands and what quantity And this all Juries in every Parish shall swear to do without favor or affection and that some considerable penaltie may bee inflicted on such Juries or the Parties offending amongst them that shall wilfully perjure themselvs in wilfull making false Returns and in wilfull concealing any frauds to the prejudice of the Common-wealth through their connivance or willfulness when the Evidence for the State hath by good and legal witnesses sworn the fact positively and clearly and yet the Jury will not make their Returns according to their Evidence to set a penalty upon all Offenders of this
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
to ashes and dispersed by the four Winds the hellishness of that Treason is beyond the expression of vvords That many Treasons have been plotted in other Countries and on other Princes as vvell as ours to Catholicks as well as to Protestants and have taken effect They were but plotted with us but by God's providence prevented beyond Sea really acted witness the two great Kings of France Henry the Third and Henry the Fourth one stabbed before Paris in the face of his Army and the other King by a rascally Votary a fellow conjured into the spirit of a Quaker by such a base hand died Henry the great King of France in the streets of Paris and the Prince of Orange murthered in Holland being a Protestant Prince by the same kinde of villanous hands These perils are common in all ages to good Princes and bad Princes Protestants and Catholicks And seeing these daily practices are and have been by God's permission suffered to bee done what manner of men ought all Princes and supream Magistrates to bee considering more than other men they may have their glory extinguished in a moment and that by base and unworthy hands Som men in all ages being possessed and instigated by the power of the Divel who possesseth them and put 's into their mindes that a private man may by a dagger or pistol judg and execute a Prince if they conceiv him a Tyrant And these delusions many times prevail vvith these incarnate Divels whereby they act Tragedies and shake vvhole Nations and thus do supream Magistrates too frequently becom by these ill-principl'd Miscreants upon the matter but meer Tennants at will of their Lives and Dignities May it pleas Your HIGHNESS there is a Pestilent Plague that reigns amongst us which I humbly say ought by the pruning-knife of the Law to bee lopped off from the vvholsom Tree of this flourishing Common-vvealth and that is the Treasonable Libeller vvhich of late hath increased openly every week producing daily monstrous births of Villany against the State Great SIR I humbly say That these things ought not to bee despised but rather lookt into for every Libel is a knock at a carefull Magistrate's door to awaken and caus him to stand upon his Guard especially in such Times as these when many men's brains are apt being like Touchvvood to take fire with the least spark of Sedition And therefore even as the Plague and sundry other filthy diseases are obnoxious and troublesom to both the minde and body so are all scurrilous Verses and libellous Pamphlets with their divellish Authors in a higher degree more infectious and hurtfull to both Church and Common-vvealth Now all diligence should bee used to bring the Offenders to Justice and by that means to terrifie others I have seen som questioned but I did never see exemplary Justice done upon the Offenders for these many years by-past Som Juries in this Nation will not believ the ill Consequence of this fire till without God's great mercie all will bee in a flame for one Villain may bring a Plague into a City as well as an Army and one Conspirator or one Libeller one Naples Massanello against a Prince or State may bee like a Thunderbolt that strike's upon the sudden and can hardly bee discerned there is no defence nor preparation against them one Felton in a moment extinguished the Greatness of a Duke of Buckingham May it pleas Your HIGHNESS amongst just Princes in the deadliest warr assassinators and poisoners of Princes have ever been accounted execrable and the Actors and Plotters to bee taken off from the face of the earth And for all these new Doctrines abroad within this Nation all true Subjects without distinction or degree I most humbly conceiv owe faith and service to the supream Magistrate which give 's them protection And it is Treason for any Subject in this Nation of what degree soever I humbly conceiv to bee privy to any forain Invasion Rebellion or Sedition or any private Practices to alienate and estrange men's hearts against the State and so prepare them to burst out into Tumults and Commotions in these dangerous Times Most humbly I shall conclude That as Your HIGHNESS by Divine Providence hath gotten the Supremacy of Power and to bee Protector of these Nations so it is ballanced with the supremacy of Cares You must watch when others sleep for Your ascent to Greatness hath brought on You a great proportion of cares and troubles And those men whomsoever they bee that look to gather their fruits and live under the shadow of Your Protection and would bee partakers of the beneficial Advantages which daily must descend from Your HIGHNESS beeing the Supream Magistrate if they will not in requital of Your Protection bee true and faithfull to Your HIGHNESS and the Common-wealth Such men I humbly say let them pretend what Religion they pleas without God's infinite mercy may bring both upon themselvs and the Nation in general great mischiefs to the destruction both of themselvs and many other particular persons May it pleas Your HIGHNESS Queen Elizabeth and her prudent Counsel would never stay to bee first strucken either by a Forain Prince or home Rebel when shee saw there was just occasion shee would alwaies bee before-hand with them by which her Vigilancy shee kept her Self and People in safety being much feared by her Enemies and honored and admired both at home and abroad by all her Friends May it pleas Your HIGHNESS I most humbly desire Your gracious perusal of these my humble following Proposals for calling the Accomptants of this Nation in general to accompt and of Your Princely Benignitie to vouchsafe to pardon what You in Your great Wisedom shall see in this Book amiss if it bee my error it is an error of the right hand and flow's from a Loial heart out of my humble zeal and affection of your Highness Safety Honor Peace and Wealth and for the good and ease of the Nation in general of some of their Taxes by calling some unjust Stewards Committee-men and Treasurers to accompt according to the Lawes of the Nation and that your Highness and the Parlament would be pleased to make such Orders Ordinances and Rules for the due and just making of Gold and Silver Thread VVyer Purle Spangles c. that the former Deceipts and Frauds daily practised and put upon the Nation may bee prevented And that an Act may bee made against all persons that have or shall hereafter cull and melt down the currant Coynes of the Nation for the making of any of the aforesaid Manufactures or for any use whatsoever And that an Act against Transporters of Gold and Silver out of this Nation may bee forthwith passed to prevent these great mischiefs to the Common-wealth which daily arise through the Covetousness of particular persons to the great dammage weakning and impoverishing of the Nation in general The long Parlament hath particularly excepted all these offences concerning the Coyn and Bullion
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
Personages and will give your HIGHNESS the Parlament and Counsel just satisfaction The like I most humbly say for those honorable and worthie Gentlemen that are gone down into their Countries no doubt many upon their private occasions to settle their Business and return to do the Parlament and Nation Service May it pleas your HIGHNESS there is a saying Hee is more mercifull that prevents a man from falling then hee that takes him up after hee is fallen and could have staid his falling it shews an aboundance of bowels of mercie that your Highness would not let some men run their desperate course that they when they were entangled in the net of their own inventions might have enriched your Coffers by their Confiscations and ruined their families God hath put it into your heart to save them as a brand out of the fire for had they been let alone they had some of them burnt their wings If they reade the Historie of former Kings Craft as King James used to call it they constantly made Risings and Tumults an advantage unto them by Confiscations and Forfeitures to augment the Revenues of the Crown And no doubt many a man for the very covetousness to get his Estate some Kings have hatched and revived old Treasons themselvs to get and ensnare sometimes Innocents and sometimes heedless Traitors Histories both divine and profane have such examples God send some men never to forget your Highness goodness for when they had runn their course as some Gentlemen in the North and West have done some would have com to untimely deaths others to banishment and all to ruine and infamie to the break-heart of their Wives Children and relations and some others with sorrow teares and unfeigned repentance to have begged for their lives and peradventure not obteined it being cut off in their prime strength before half their daies are runn out Their Wives Children and Relations of some Families in this Nation are bound to bless God for ever that put it into your Highness heart to prevent some men in this Nation that they should not forfeit their lives nor estates a great mercie with reverence bee it spoken in imitation of the great God of Heaven that hath said I will not the death of a sinner and with long suffering and patience beareth with sinfull man whose breath is in his nostrils and lighter then the dust in the balance What are the private male-contents of this Nation in your Highness hands so long as you make God your Shield and Buckler Vnder Gods safegard and tuition mighty Kings and Common-wealths have not been able to resist the force of your Armies and Navies witness Holland Denmark Portugal c. that God that hath delivered you from the Bear and the Lyon will deliver you from these uncircumcised Philistins if you put your trust in him The Blessing of him that spake out of the burning Bush bless your Highness and your High Court of Parlament and direct all your Counsels that this Parlament may prove a Blessing to this Nation And that your Highness and the Parlament may bee as Moses and Aaron to the Children of Israel the Deliverers of these Nations out of the Land of Egypt And that God would send the spirit of Courage Love Concord upon all your Persons bless the Counsels and Acts of this Session of Parlament That your Highness may bee a Nursing-father and with compassion ease the Griefs and Oppressions of your People many of your good and loial Subjects at this day suffering much wrong and oppression amongst whom your humble Supplicant is not the least beeing oppressed contrary to Gods Law and the Laws of the Nation Your Supplicants daily praier is That God of his mercie will blast and scatter all inventions plots that are or shall be hatching against your Highness and the high Court of Parlament either of forain Foes or native Rebells And that God would turn the Counsels of some of the malicious Achitophels of this Nation that are sequestred and laid aside and some others that have maliciously deserted their Trusts into Foolishness And if they do maliciously wilfully and foolishly persist still to seek the disturbance of these Nations over which God by his divine Providence hath made your Highness Governour and PROTECTOR that then your sword of Justice may fall on some of them to terrifie others or which is worse that some of them may if they do not repent of this malicious sin to God and your Highness for what they had maliciously designed they may serve themselvs as Achitophel did 2 Sam. 17. 23. And when Achitophel saw that his counsel was not followed hee sadled his ass and arose and gat him home to his own house to his Citie and put his houshold in order and HANGED himself and was buried in the Sepulchre of his Fathers Let this bee the end of your Highness's malicious and implacable Enemies others that erre through mis-information or difference in Judgment I pray God to shew them a sight of their sins and give your Highness a mercifull heart so freely to pardon them as your Self would expect Gods pardon that so through the great mercie and protection of our God these three Nations after so manie Earth-quakes Overturnings and most famous and memorable Revolutions may bee firmly grounded and setled on the foundations of Libertie and Freedom Truth Mercy and Peace to the astonishment and amazement horror and confusion of home-bred Traitors and forain Nations your Highnesses and our Nations Enemies VVhen they shall see their hopes disappointed many of them promised to themselvs viz Uproars Tumults and Commotions Fire and Blood every man ready to sheathe his sword in his Neighbors bowels the rocks to rend and the Starrs of our Firmament to fall our Sun to bee darkned and Moon to bee turned to blood through the divisions and private discontents amongst us in Parlament But BEHOLD by the good guidance of God this glorious Parlament running its course as the Sun in his strength to the joy and comfort of our Friends both at home and abroad and confusion of our Foes in all parts that see this Parlament sit in Glorie and Peace in Love Union Order and Concord in that form as was wont to bee in Glorious Queen ELIZABETH's daies every Member making it his studie to get good Laws Liberties and Priviledges for the Counties Cities and Burroughs they served for and for these Nations of England Scotland and Ireland in general for the individual Safetie Prosperitie VVelfare and Honor of Protector and People all their Interest to goe hand in hand together And your Highness acting Queen Elizabeth's part studying alwaies to enlarge your Self to give these Nations all just and due Satisfaction and large Immunities Your Highness and the Parlament building up this Common-wealth as Nehemiah did the walls of Jerusalem Nehem. 4. every Builder to have his sword girded by his side and so they builded there are several other remarkable
Commissioners or anie three of them impowered to examine upon oath all such person persons as they shall have information that can and will discover the several practises and frauds that all or anie the above said persons have acted concerning your Highness and the publick monie of this Nation Prize ships and Prize Merchandize And that the Commissioners may bee impowred to send for witnesses and all accompts books papers which may any wayes conduce to prove the said frauds and misdemeanors according to a pattern of an Act of Parlament in the 10th year of Richard the second and 6. Henry 4. Chap. 3. And that your Highness would bee pleased to keep a carefull eye on this business and to command of your Commissioners for this great business an exact and true accompt without all favor or affection of all the several frauds and misdemeanors against your Highness and the Common wealth which they shall finde proved unto them and all the severall names of the offenders and their particular frauds and offences which shall or may bee proved to your Highness Commissioners concerning all the premisses May it pleas your Highness for the Commissioners of the Customes I humbly say if they knew of Colonel Harvies deceitfull and fraudulent practises and did not discover them then they are parties in the same Condemnation with him And if the Commissioners say they did not know it nor could apprehend the same then I must humbly say they are ignorant and not fit for their trust and places For they ought all of them to have an equal inspection every week what summs of money came in for your Highness accompt and what is issued out And I must humbly say they receiv their pention for that end and not to stand as Cyphers in their Office If your Highness give a Command for a strict and Exact prosecution of this business It will bring you in a feâ—â— moneths manie hundred thousand pounds May it pleas your Highness I have formerly presented these humble proposals to the Parlamenâ— but there was nothing don for the discovery of these offences The reason why they did not proceed will on examination bee clearly discovered I shall inlarge these humble proposals for your Highness service if I receiv your further direction and commands to proceed therein humbly submitting them and my self at your Highness feet Your HIGHNESS's most humble Loyal and obedient Subject THO. VIOLET Amongst the names of many Worthy Persons I most humbly presented unto your Highness that to my particular knowledg if they were impowered could make great Discoveries unto your Highness of the Frauds of the Accomptants of the Nation concerning the publick Treasure Your Highness took especial and particular notice of one namely Gabriel Beck Esquire and your Highness commanded mee to finde him out and that you would signifie your pleasure to him what you would have done in this Business which I did accordingly March 23. 1655. MAy it pleas your Highness I am credibly informed that one Maj. Will. Jervis for the good of the Common-wealth and for your Highness service hath presented several frauds and misdemeanors practised by several Commissioners at Drury-hous and other places upon the sale of Delinquents estates Deans and Chapters Lands the Kings Queenes and Princes Revenues forging of Debenters and several other practises to the great loss and prejudice of your Highness and this nation And that by your Highness appointment there are several persons of qualitie and integritie appointed for the hearing and finall determination of all matters concernning the aforesaid frauds presented by Major William Jervis I most humbly desire for your Highness service that the Commmissioners appointed by your Highness may have under their care and charge the humble Proposals I have formerly presented to your Highness on the 8th of November 1655. and that your Highness would bee graciouslie pleased to appoint mee Thomas Violet the Remembrancer to your Highness's Commissioners for the discovery and prosecution of the offenders with such allowance for my paines as your Highness shall think fit And that your Highness would bee pleased to read an Act of Parlament made in the tenth year of King Richard the Second of which I most humbly present you with a true Copie for the discovering of all abuses and frauds of this Nature as I most humbly have petitioned to have redressed for your Highness's profit and honor and good of the Nation If your Highness bee pleased to read the Act it is made for the redress and punishment of all the deceipts and fraudes of these present times The wisdom of that Parlament found this a Cordiall to enrich the King and ease the people in generall of great outrages and oppressions and insupportable charges the very words of the Statute and the Parlament was so carefull to have all persons brought to punishment that had defrauded the King and Realm that they made it a premunire and loss of any mans Estate and imprisonment of what degree soever that perswaded or gave Counsell unto the King to have the said Law defeated and for the second offence to move the King to do contrary to this Act hee shall lose his life and member as appears by the said Act. c. Here followeth at large the Statute of Richard the Second This is the STATUTE Made at Westminster in the tenth year of K. Richard the Second Viz. KNOW yee that at the Reverence of GOD and for to nourish peace unity and good accord in all parties within the Realm of England and especially for the comon profit and eas of our people and good governance of the same of our Realm of England which wee soveraignly desire Of the assent of the Lords and Comons assembled in Parlament holden at Westmiâ—ster the first day of October last past wee hav don to bee made a Statute aswell to the amendment of the said Governance as for the comon profit of the said Realm in the form following WHEREAS our soveraign Lord the King perceiveth by the greivous complaints of the Lords and Comons of this Realm in the present Parlament assembled that the profits rents and revenues of this Realm by singular insufficient counsel evil governance aswel of some his late great officers as of divers other persons being about his person be so much withdrawn wasted eloyned given granted aliened destroied and evill dispended that hee is so much impoverished and void of Treasure and goods and the substance of the Crown somuch diminished and destroied that his estate and the estate of his hous may not honorably bee sustained as pertaineth nor the wars which daily aboundeth and inviron his Realm maintained nor governed without grate and outragious oppressions and insupportable charges of his said people And also that the good laws Statutes and Customes of his said Realm which he is bounden to hold and observ bee not nor have not been duly holden nor executed nor full justice nor right don to his said
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
the Nation Here follow the principal Heads of the Refiners Monopoly May it pleas your Highness IN the month of May 1636. an Indenture was sealed between the late King on the one part and Alderman John Wollaston and Alderman William Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniel Stallworthy William Howard Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowell and Walter Hill of London Refiners and parters of Gold and Silver on the other part 1 That the late King did by his Proclamacion 18. Jan. 12. Car. declare his will and pleasure to bee for the time to com that none of the Coyns or Plate of this kingdom should bee spent in the making of Gold or Silver thread wyer purles plate oas spangles c. but of such Silver only as should bee supplied from farrain Parts by such persons as his Majesty should thereunto appoint 2 And that none of the currant Gold and Silver Coyns of this Realm should hereafter bee moulten down by any Refiner Goldsmith or other person And that all gold and silver whatsoever which hereafter should bee imployed used or spent about this Manufacture should bee refined prepared and disgrossed only by such persons as his Majestie should assigne in that behalf And should be by them sold and delivered and by no other to all and every persons which should work the same 3 And that his Majesties Agents should take care upon the vending or sale of any Gold or Silver to any person or persons whatsoever for the uses aforesaid that there bee answered and paid to his Majesties use six pence an ounce Troy in wyer of all Silver sould aswell toward the provision of Bullion from beyond Seas as for recompence of such loss his Majestie sustained in his customes by the less importation of the premises 4 His Majestie having had experience of the Abilities and Skill of the said John Wollaston William Gibbs Henry Patrickson Here the Refiners in this Monopoly are called his Majesties Agents They maâ—e such a bargain with the King that Cap. Williams offered to furnish the silver 2000. l. a year cheaper and to put in security of 10000 l for performance then the said Monopolists did force theâ— Wyer-drawers to pay for all other Persons but the Kings Agents were prohibited to sel silver for this Manufacture as appears by their Indenture under the great Seal This Monopoly is flat against the Letter of the Law 21. Jac. chap. 3. Daniel Stallworthie William Haward Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowell and Walter Hill who as his Majesties Agents appointed by his majestie hath since the aforesaid regulation sould all the aforesaid Silver and Gold for the aforesaid manufactures And in further pursuance and execution of his majesties intention hath appointed constituted and made for him his heires and successors and did by the said Indenture appoint constitute make the aforesaid John Wollaston William Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniell Stallworthie William Howard Richard Gibbs Thomas Noell and Walter Hill and the survyvors of them The Agents of his Majestie his heires and successors for the furnishing refining dissgrossing and selling one Hundred Thousand Pounds worth of Silver and Gold yearly and every year or yearly so much more thereof as shall or may bee by them jointly vended uttered or sold in the I beseech you Note Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs have 1â— shares of 3â— a full half of the Trade of all the Rest of the Refiners who all of them had great houses wives and families to maintain And they two for their particular sold their silver for above a thousand pound a year dearer then it was offered by several people to furnish the workers And Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston had both of them their pardons for abuses practised by them in their Trades so that this Monopolie did their work every way but had the Law been followed against them for abuses don by them in their Trade they had been undone making the Premises which shall bee devided into thirty two parts and shares John Wollaston shall have the furnishing and selling of Eight parts of the Thirty two parts William Gibbs shall have the providing and selling of other eight parts of the said Thirty two parts Henry Patrickson of two parts and one quarter part of the said thirty two parts Daniel stallworthie shall have the selling of three parts and one quarter part of the Thirty two parts William Haward shall have the â—efining and selling of two parts and one quarter part Richard Gibbs shall have the refining and selling of three parts of the said Thirty two parts Thomas Nowell shall have the providing refining and selling of two parts and a quarter of the said Thirty two parts And Walter Hill shall have the providing and furnishing refining and selling three parts of the said Thirty two parts I most humbly desire your Highness to bee pleased to observ Mr William Haward was formerly Mr Alderman Gibb's man and one of the King Agents in this Monopoly with Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston Mr William Haward was questioned by mee and proved to have counterfeited the currant Gold and Silver monies of this Nation and for making Gold and Silver Wyer with a core of Copper which was one half Silver and one half Copper which hee made into Gold and Silver Wyer and Thread and sold it for good Gold and Silver Wyer and Thread and I caused him to bee apprehended and his tools seized on at Old Windsor twenty miles from London And afterwards I took him in Southwark with one Morse a Refiner as cunning a Rogue for counterfeiting of money as ever was of the Trade of Refiners Mr Haward hee had the common luck of the Refiners for hee had his pardon for his offences viz. Coyning of Money An ordinary Crime with some Refiners Mr William Morse Mr William Hawards man another Refiner also I took him with a Porters load of Coyning Irons in St Thomas the Apostle in Southwark hee was both Coyning and making Silver at one time with a core of Copper half Silver and half Copper to make Gold and Silver Thread I have the Assaies under Mr Jacksons hand the sworn Assay-master of Goldsmiths-hall And this Silver and Copper Wyer was made into Thread and was usually sold for good Silver by Mr Morse Mr Mantle and Mr Rhodes I took Mr Rhodes Mr Clark and Mr Mantle Wyer-drawers making of Spangles above one third part Copper mixed with the Silver within the Rules of the Kings Bench they thought they had been safe there in a Prison but my Officers I imploied found them out Likewise I took one Mr Geares and caused him to bee Indicted at the Sessions House in the Old Baily this was after I had found him working at the Old Ford in Shoreditch White Chappell Goodmans Fields and in other blinde Places and when I saw hee would take no warning I caused him to stand in the Pillory for selling silver with a core of Copper for good Silver I imploied all the year four men in
very hot and angry with mee and told mee hee was cozenned for my Master had put Copper into his Silver and made him pay for good heavy English money to bee melted-without Copper hee pressing mee very earnestly I told him I had done it for several years by my Masters order and hee must seek his remedie from my Master Eman for I would shew him my Masters Books every week where I had put the Copper down upon the Accompt for my Masters Profit and that I did believ my Master had delivered him to the value of One Hundred and Forty Pounds in Copper in his Ingots for which hee had paid my Master Eman for good silver their heavie English monies Mr Alderman Gibbs one day asked mee seriously about it I told him my Master had given mee order to put in so much Copper as would bear the waste of the silver and that I did believ I had put in and mixed as much Copper into his Ingots by my Masters order and for his Profit at severall times within Four years for which Alderman Gibbs had paid for to my Master after the price of good Silver as came to above One Hundred and Fortie Pounds Starling Whereupon Alderman Gibbs a few dayes after questioned my Master Emans about it who did not denie it and Alderman Gibbs threatned to Arrest him and was in a great rage about it that hee should bee so over-reached and deceived But my Master Mr Emans slighted the business and in plain termes bid him do it if hee durst so that Alderman Gibbs there for all his craft was Cozened of one hundred and fortie Pounds Alderman Gibbs paying for good Silver when hee received Copper mixed in every Ingot The true reason wherefore Alderman Gibbs forbare to Arrest Mr Eman was hee durst not have done it if hee had cozened him of ten times as much for if Alderman Gibbs and Mr Eman had gone to Law about this matter the whole business of both their unlawfull actions in this Caus would have been made known to the world and both Mr Eman and Mr Gibbs would have been undone Mr Eman could have given Mr Gibbs satisfaction for this wrong well enough if hee had had a minde to have done it for Mr Emans had then a better Estate then Alderman Gibbs and both of them by this act had forfeited their Estates to the King it being against the Laws of this Nation to melt the English currant Coines This was done in the year 1629. And had I spake but one word of this business to Sr Henry Mildemay or Mr Attorney General or unto the late King Charles as I had oftentimes oportunity to have done it being then imploied by the late King in several businesses by his particular Command which had I done it before the said Alderman Gibbs had had his Pardon Alderman Gibbs had been for ever spoiled for being an Alderman hee might have had a Jack-line about his neck sooner then a Gold Chain Alderman Gibbs and Mr Eman having by this act forfeited all their Estates to the late King These abuses are commonly practised both amongst the Refiners and Goldsmiths at this day without any scruple of Conscience or honestie or fear of the Law and if not prevented will undoe and waste the stock of the Nation If Culling and melting down of the hevie currant monie bee not prevented the Nation in Generall will not have monie to pay Rents go to market or pay Taxes and this business to bee neglected without a strict Act of Parlament to discover the Offenders will bring intolerable mischiefs I have presented this Business many times to the long Parlament who made many Orders and References for passing an Act against melting of the Currant Silver Coins of the Nation and against the Transporting of Gold and Silver But it was not finished The humble Proposals of many hundred Spinners to the Counsell of Trade for the Regulating of the Manufacture of Gold Silver Thread within this Nation formerly presented to the Counsel of Trade at White-hall 1650. which set forth many of the Abuses in the present making Gold and Silver Thread and they humbly desire a Regulation 1. THat all work in Gold and Silver Thread may bee wrought by the hand-Spinner and the Wheeles totally suppressed 2. But if your Honors shall permit the Wheels to work superfine Gold and Silver Thread that your Honors would tie them to their Numbers and that they present unto your Honors the place of their abode and that such Penalties be put on them as to your Honors shall seem agreeable to Justice if they work any other then superfine Thread 3. That no Silver bee spun either by the hand or wheels but shall contain at least five ounces Silver on a pound Venice and all Needle-gold and silver to hold six ounces gold and silver to nine ounces Thread and so all fine silver and by this Rule the Commonwealth shall not bee cheated 4. That the names of all men and women admitted to make gold and silver Thread or Wyer bee kept in a Register where they live and all people that are admitted to put in security to the State not to work any of these Manufactures contrary to the Regulation agreed by your Honors 5. That a sworn Surveyer that is no Trader in the Manufactures may have the surveying and examining of all the Manufactures and that hee bee required to look carefully thereunto and that all such Regulations desired in our Petition may bee taken into your Honors considerations and the weight of Silver agreed on what shall bee laid on the sleightest Thread on the pound Venice which wee humbly desire as aforesaid five ounces Troy to one pound Venice and six ounces Troy to nine ounces Troy Needle-work or a greater proportion of Silver to Silk if it shall upon examination by your Honors bee found to bee fitting The truth is the hand-Spinners cannot make the silver Thread so sleight as the Wheels and lay on so little Silver as they do and that makes the Workmasters stand so much for the Wheeles They serving their poor hand-Spinners as wee have been informed formerly som Silkmen did the Silk-dyers give them raw Silk and if they did not make one pound weight so many ounces more then it ought to weigh being justly dyed the Silkmen would abate it out of their wages for dying So the poor Spinners if they will not spin their Silver sleight to some of their Workmasters and make Silk go farther then it ought to do if the silver Thread bee serviceable they shall have no more work and some of them have their wages abated them and their Workmasters tell them They cannot make stuff yield so much as the Wheels 6. Whereas your Honors ask us Which is the best cheap to the Common-wealth either the Wheel-work or the hand-Spinners work to that wee humbly answer That is best cheap to any man that wears it that lasts most and longest upon a garment
nor the Transporting treasure stopped if som cours were not speedily taken to discover these great abuses and already all the Gold is Transported out of the nation and the Silver followeth apace and this is the Certificate of all the chief officers of the Mint 3. December 1647. About November 1647. The Citizens of London petitioned the Parlament against the Transporters of Gold and Silver shewing the great mischiefs that came to the City thereby The 18 of August 1649. The Counsell of State ordered that a Committee should bee appointed to take into their considerations the business of the Coyn and the Par between this and other Nations and that there bee care taken that the Coyn of this Nation may bee kept from carrying away out of the Nation And to consider of som means how the Mint may bee set on work In pursuance of this last Order the then Counsell of State did give order for the draught of an Act which was drawn by order of the Committee for the Mint And I Thomas Violet was required by the Counsell of State to attend this business And upon severall meetings and debates of severall Honorable members of the then Counsell of State The draught of an act of Parlament against transporters of Gold and Silver was finished and left by order of Parlament in Mr. Augustin Garlands custody and the said Act was twice read in the Hous about the 12 of Aprill 1653. following called for again and apointed to bee finished as apears by the Journals of the Hous But other mighty business did intervene May it pleas Your Highness It was easily to bee discerned that som guilty Marchants who had been guilty of Transporting of Gold had hindered this Act from passing and I know all the Members in that Parlament were not free from transporting gold and silver and that made some of them say as long as they sat within the Parlament wall that Act against transporting gold culling the English coyns or buying of gold and silver contrary to the law should never pass the hous Former Ages have made transporting gold and silver Fellony as appears by severall Statutes And all such as Cull and melt the currant Coyns of the Nation to forfeit treble the value of the monies they have melted or caused to bee melted And by the Statute of 6 Ed. 6. cap. 19. who soever gives more for Gold or Silver then it is or shall bee declared by the Kings Procamation to be currant for within this his Highness Realm that all the said coyned monies gold or silver so exchanged every part and parcel thereof shall be forfit and the parties so offending shall suffer Imprisonment by the space of one year and make fine at the Kings Pleasure I have for these many years pressed for an act of Parlament to bee made according to the Statute of 14. Rich. 2. cap 12. for Comissions to go through the Nation to enquire of such as have conveyed the gold and silver out of England to the prejudice and damage of the Nation 9. Ed. 3. cap. 3. 17. Rich. 2. cap. 1. 2. H. 4. cap. 4. 4. H. 4. cap. 10. 9. H. 5. cap. 1. 2. H. 6. cap. 6. 4. H. 7. cap. 13. 1. H. 8. cap. 13. By all these aforesaid Laws and Statutes your Highness's predecessors endeavored stricktly to looke to the preservation of the Coyns of the Nation May it please your Highness THere was about twenty milions of gold and silver coyned in the Tower from the year 1622. to 1645 as will â—ppear by the Mynt books upon a calculation which The Clerkes can quickly finde out to a penny and all this gold is already transported the currant silver coyns all culled and the heaviest transported or melted to make gold and silver lace and that monies which remains is clipped and light And these mischiefs have been acted by perticuler persons and will every day increas without some speedy and timely remedy bee had to find out the Offendors The currant Silver coyns of the Nation have been greatly spent in making the manufacture of gold and silver wyer thread c. formerly in the years from 1624 to 1630. There beeing then a war with Spain Starling silver was sold by the Goldsmiths for five shilling and three pence and five shilling and four pence the ounce Now the money in the Tower is coyned at five and a pence So that all but the clipped and verie light mony was melted down to make plate and gold and Silver wyer and thread And this was known to bee the generall practice of almost all the Goldsmiths and Refiners in London I most humbly say There is never an honest Goldsmith in London that will have the face to deny this to bee a trueth Silver was then so scarce that in payment of a thousand pounds you should receiv nine hundred pounds in gold and then in 1629. men were troubled to get silver monie for gold Silver was so scarce The East India company bought up in those years Spanish monie and dollers and gave four shilling 10 pence a peice for them which is five pence in a peice of Eight more then they will make in the Mint Now your Highnes hath a warr with Spain the fountain of Silver is diverted for the present so that silver riseth and so consequently the Goldsmith weighs and culls all the Silver that passeth through his hands And as the market riseth so doth the Goldsmith lighten his plummet or weight hee culls the Mony of the Nation with till at last they will cull and melt it all up Som Goldsmiths in Lumbert street contrary to the law have bought and sold Milions of Gold till now at last they have bought sould all the Gold out of the Nation and the currant Silver coyn of this Nation is following after a great pace and will stil follow except a strict Law bee made to discover the offendors and bring them to severe justice to deterr others there will be no mony left in the Nation neither gold nor silver The sad effects of such a mischeif is not suddenly apprehended for no great action can be don without monie And the long Parlament though they could not then agree for the passing of an act against the Transporters of Gold and Silver yet they excepted all such as transported Gold or Silver or culled or melted the currant coyns or bought or sold gold and silver contrary to the Laws and statutes of the Nation from the generall Pardon A Commission to enquire and find out the offendors directed to skillfull discreet persons and authorized by act of Parlament according to former presidents will bring in good store of monies towards the payments of publique debts May it pleas your Highness for the Regulating of Gold and Silver thread If the Refiners and wyer drawers bee not tyed to refine all the silver for their manufactures in one place and not to melt any silver but what shall bee Imported from beyond the Seas or shall proceed from burnt silver Returns of their Manufacture and this to bee duely and strictly enjoyned them and that culling and melting of the currant Silver monie of the Nation for these manufactures Bee for the future made Fellonie and strickt Rules and ordinances to provent all the frauds formerly practised both by the Refiners and wyer-drawers which offences are by me most humbly presented to your highness the Parlament for a redress and reformation If there bee not such officers and Ministers appointed as aforesaid This manufacture will never bee regulated nor the frauds prevented I do also implore your Highness Grace and Justice for the Restoring mee to my place which I had and to have such sees as formerly I Received and I to warrant the Manufacture to bee justly made to the nation or pay the damage to any that are damnified by any gold or silver thread sealed in my Office And that your Highness and the Parlament will bee graciously pleased out of your Benignity favorabily to accept of these your loyall subjects Endeavours to do your Highness and the common wealth most humble and faithfull service which shall for ever oblige mee dayly to proceed and for ever to Remain your humblest Loyall Subject September 29 1656. Thomas Violet