as it is at this day at Amsterdam and several other Common-wealths in Christendome If this do not satisfie your Lordships I have it at large to shew this mischief but I hope I shall not need to say more to this businesse to stopit My Lords I am none of the Councel or Committee for Trade and so it may be presumption in me to intermeddle to say any thing in this businesse but my Lords a Stander by may see more in the Game then the Gamesters I am no Lawyer yet I humblie say I know this point concerning the giving libertie to Merchants to transport money and what the damage may be to his Majestie to his Lords of the Councel and to the Kingdom in general as well as many others that are in Commission for the Regulating of Trade My Lords I have bin writing on this Argument above this moneth and shall be ready to present to his Majestie and his Privie Councel within this week a Paper that shall unfold the many mischiefs and dangers the Merchants would expose the King and the Kingdom into had they this Power in their hands the Merchants should they obtain this their desire and remove this Trust out of his Majestie and his Privy Councels Hands to be the only Iudges to give leave to Merchants to transport Gold and Silver would rob the King of one of his greatest Prerogatives and Flowers of the Crown which by twenty Acts of Parliament and Proclamations is only invested in the Kings Majestie and his Privy Conncel the granting the Merchants this Power will bring an hundred inconveniences and mischiefs to the King Nobility and Gentry as I have at large to shew your Lordships and the Privy Councel and if I do not satisfie his Majestie your Lordships and all his Privie Councel of this that I say to be true never let me have your Lordships good opinion that I am either an honest man or one that loves the Kings Safetie Honour and Greatnesse and the Honour of his Privy Councel And therefore my most Humble Suit is to your Lordship my Lord Chancellour that if this businesse be called on at the Councel of Trade and your Lordship be present there this day as I hear you intend to be purposely about this businesse that your Lordship would be pleased either to put off this businesse for to have it argued before the Kings Majestie or his Privie Councel at Whitehall sometime next week in the mean time I shall be ready to shew to your Lordship and the Privy Councel that it concerns his Majestie next to the Militia to continue and keep this great Trust in his Majesties Sacred hands and in the Power of his Privie Councel and no other person by the Law can or ought to have the Priviledge to give leave to transport Gold and Silver at their pleasure this being the soul of the Militia they that have the money and the Peoples purses have virtually the Command in all Common-wealths of the Government let who will have the Title the Bankers have the power and this priviledge is no where granted but in Commonwealths God defend England from the very name of a Commonwealth for the Tragedies which were lately acted by some Merchants in England When we had no King in this our Israel they have robbed the Kingdome of all the Gold and so now would work iniquity by a Law but by Gods Assistance I will diffect them and lay the danger open to his Majestie your Lordship and the Kings most Honourable Privie Councel and stand or fall by your righteous Judgement humbly praying for his Majesties Safety Honour and Service that no further proceeding in this great businesse be argued but before his Majestie and his most prudent Privie Councel within lesse then a week I shall be ready with my Reasons for what I say to shew your Lordship that so all the Lovers of the King might be satisfied of the Damage and Danger of removing this great Trust out of his Majesties and his Privy Councels Hands So I humbly rest Novemb. 27. 1660 Your Lordships Humble Servant THO. VIOLET For the Right Honourable the LORD CHANCELLOUR May it please your Lordship to give Order That no further proceedings in this business be but before His Majesty and his Privy Council at White-hall and if His Majesty and Privy Council give judgement against what I say to be true I will lose my life when they hear this business examiued WHereas the Merchants of London are endeavouring to get an Act of Parliament to have liberty to export Gold and Silver freely without the Kings Majesties and his most Honourable Privy Councils leave I humbly propound for His Majesties service and the safety and honour of his Majesty that these humble Proposals might be considered of before any further proceedings on that business be made That his Majesty and his honourable Privy Council be pleased to keep intire in their own hands the Licencing of all Gold and Silver after it is imported into this Kingdom to be exported or Coined as they shall see just cause for the safety of the Nation and safety and honour of his Majesty and the Lords of his Council and the safety and benefit of all his Majesties Subjects of what condition soever and being setled in the Crown so many hundred years by Acts of Parliament as I shall prove it this great and Sacred trust be no way altered especially at this Juncture of time this Kingdom being robbed of almost all its Gold and a great part of the Silver Coin for the private profit of particular persons to the weakning of the Nation and the destruction of Trade this Royal trust being one of the prime flowers of the Crown and the very soul of the Militia and it a right inherent onely in the King and his Privy Council and there onely deposited for many hundreds of Years whereby the King only by the Law can give leave and licence to transport Gold and Silver after it is imported into the Kingdom and that if you ever suffer this Roial trust to be managed by the Merchant and suffer all persons by Act of Parliament to be free to transport Gold or Silver either in Coin or Bullion after it is imported and landed in England You take away one of the principal Prerogatives and flowers of the Crown destroying his Majesties Mint in the Tower of London and lay a sad foundation to give some factious Merchants of this Kingdom a ground to make new disturbances and leave the Nation weak and naked of all Gold and Silver The granting the Merchants this power they desire will bring a thousand mischiefs both on the King and Kingdom which God defend In all ages till these Phanatick daies the Gold and Silver after it was landed in the Kingdom was held the Blood and Sinews of War and Peace the Militia and strength of the Kingdom I shall humbly present unto you these following Reasons for keeping this power intire
in your Majesty and Privy Council and the King Lords and Commons cannot be safe to suffer any other person upon any pretence whatsoever of the Crafty Merchant to have the disposals at their will and for their private lucre to have the power by Act of Parliament to transport Gold or Silver either to the Indies or other forraign Countries or to any part of Christendom Without your Majesties licence and order to take an exact account of what quantity of Gold or Silver is transported to what Country the Ship with the Ships masters name either to the Indies or any forraign Princes Country in Christendom or to any State or Commonwealth that so upon reasons of State they may either inlarg his Licences to the Merchant or straighten them according as the King and his Privy Council in their great wisdom shall think fit Your Majesty and Privy Council ever having regard that the Kingdome have alwayes such plenty of Gold and Silver as may be for the honour of the King and safety of the people and to maintain Trade and Comerce in the Kingdom to pay Rents Customs Excise and Subsidies to be a strength and an honour to the Kingdom and the King and his Privy Council to take the care to hinder Gold and Silver to be transported to the Kings enemies And of all and every part of these Heads and Branches and real Prerogatives in all Ages the King and none but the King and his Privy Council by Acts of Parliament are the onely proper Iudges at their will discretion and pleasure for the safety of the Kingdom and no other person whatsoever Upon the several Reasons of the Merchants to his Majesty and his privy Council and upon their petition and request the King can dispence with the penalty of the Law and give the Merchant licence to transport onely such quantities of Gold or Silver either forraign Coin or Ingots or the currant Coin of the Kingdom either in Gold or Silver as the King and his privy Council shall think fit for to carry on the Merchants trade in Christendom and out of Christendom to strengthen his Majesties friends and offend his foes and this is an undoubted right of his Majesties Crown and cannot be dispenced with or deposited into the Merchants hands or any other Subjects either Lords spiritual or temporal but to the dishonour of his Majesty and all the good people of the Kingdom I do humbly prove it true for these Reasons following If any person of what degree soever transport Gold or Silver without the Kings licence the Laws and Statutes heretofore hath made it Felony both for Bishops Noblemen or Commons as I shall shew by the St atutes hereafter following afterwards a praemunire and at this day forfeiture and imprisonment during the Kings pleasure viz. 9 Edward 3. 2 Henry 4 cap. 4 2 Henry 6 cap. 6. 18. Edw. 4 1 Henry 8. 5 and 6 of Edw. 6. When the Kings Majesty hath War with any Prince by the Law the King may prohibit the Merchant to export Corn Armes Ammunition to them or any other Commodities the Law provides the prohibiting the exportations of Wool Fullers earth and Timber as being destructive to the Nation Gold and Silver by the Law is free for any man to import at what place he please to land it without paying any Duty or Custome the reason whereof is that the Merchant is obliged to Coin it and upon the Coinage the King hath his duty paid but once being landed it cannot be transported but with leave from his Majesty or the forfeiture being taken and the party claiming the Gold and Silver so taken on shipboard to be committed to prison without Bail till the King or his privy Council please to discharge him This is the Law this the Custome before these mad Phanatick daies that we had no King in Israel And this in all Ages was the practice both in your Exchequer and the Star chamber for otherwise the Merchant for his private profit would send all the Gold and Silver out of the Nation and make the Kings proclamation wait upon the Merchants Exchange as at this day it is with the Gold The Merchants and some Goldsmiths have raised Gold above the Kings proclamation may it please your Majesty we want a Star chamber to punish them I humbly leave it to consideration no Gold to be had under one shilling six pence in twenty shillings more then silver I humbly pray an Act might pass this present Parliament against this abuse of the Gold Coin and several other abuses and cheats put on the Nobility and Gentry by the adulterating and undue making Gold and Silver Lace in London whereby the wearers are daily cozened by course flight adulterate Gold and Silver and by putting a slight body of Silver on a great threed of silk to the damage of this Nation above fifty thousand pound a year as I will prove it to your Majesty and your Privy Council and this is done for want of a Regulation of the Work-masters and Workmen in London that make Gold and Silver Lace without an Essay or Finenesse or proportion of Silver to Silk I humbly desire your Lordships to consider what a loss the King will have in his Customes to suffer Gold and Silver to be exported at the pleasure of the Merchant and pay no Custome here will be for the profit of particular Merchants a Trade driven both inwards and outwards and the King have neither Excise nor Custome for all the World knows Gold and silver payes no duty inwards it is free to be imported at the pleasure of the Merchant when and how and where he please for the reasons abovesaid And if you give the Merchant leave to transport the Gold and Silver freely he imports what is the King the better by this Trade of the Merchants either inwards or outwards let this be granted to the Merchants to send out Silver and Gold freely for their private profit and in a few years they will leave neither Gold nor Silver in the Nation May it please your Majesty It is profit that is some Merchants guide not honour nor the safety of the Nation and this is most apparent by some mens actions and demands touching this great businesse The King will lose in point of His Excise and Customs for if the Merchant invest his Silver and Gold in Merchandies the King hath thereby His Excise and Customs the King will lose in point of His Mintage if no money be coyned no profit by coynage this hath made the Mint a great part of their Work-houses fall down It is for the Kings honour to have His Kingdoms full of Gold and Silver for His and the Subjects defence And if this Fanatick project should take the King loses one of the principal prerogatives of His Crown and Dignity for those that have the command of the peoples purses have the principal part of the Militia This is a Common-wealth trick but tends to the
in Gold and Silver to be guided by the covetous desire of some Merchants many of them care not two pence for the safety of the Common-wealth so they and their private Families grow rich I humbly say it is a presumptuous motion of some hot headed Merchants that would by crafty and sly pretences rob your Majestie of that which is next to the Militia of the Kingdom nay it is the very soul of the Militia Gold and Silver get to be Master of that any man may get Shipping Armes Money and any thing to make a disturbance in the Kingdom We lately see upon what slie pretences the Sword was wrung out of your Majesties Royal Fathers Hands he that cast his eye upon any of the Flowers of your Majesties Imperial Crown with intent to take them out either by fraud or force let them fall as Corah Dathan and Abiram and let their end be like Achitophels who seek to rob your Royal Majestie of this your just Prerogative And this I here humbly say I will with my life maintain before your Majestie and your Privy Councel and the Parliament or Committee of Trade And these following Statutes Lawes and Proclamations are my Protection and Warrant for what I humbly say 1. A Proclamation against giving for Gold more then it is currant 21. July 17. Jacob. 2. A Proclamation against melting and culling heavy English Money 18. May. 9. Jacob. 3. A Proclamation against buying and selling Gold and Silver at higher Prises then the Mint 14. May. 1. Jacob. 4. A Proclamation against Transporting of Gold 23. May 1. Jacob 5. A Proclamation against Profit for Gold and Silver And melting English Money And to prevent the abuses and wast in making Gold and Silver Threed and Laces 4. Feb. 3. Caroli 6. A Proclamation against Transporting Gold and Silver and melting down the Currant Silver Coins of the Nation for Plate or Gold or Silver Threed 15. May. 3. Carolus May it please your Majestie to observe with what care the wisdom of former Parliaments intrusted the Kings of England and their Privy Councel to keep carefull watch that the Gold and Silver once imported into this Nation should be converted into Coin for the Strength and Honour of the Kingdom that those that did Transport Gold and Silver without the King's Licence were Felons And in the Tryall in the Star Chamber 12. Caroli Primi which I followed by Order of his late Majestie of blessed memory The Atturney-General Banks and the King's Councel read many Presidents wherein the Transporters of Gold and Silver had judgment and suffered execution of death as Felons Your Majestie will finde transporting Gold or Silver without the Kings licence to be Felony and by several Acts of Parliament 17 Edw. the 4. and the 4 Henry cap. 13. And I humbly conceive the Kingdom is in as great scarcity of Gold and Silver now as it was then for almost all the Gold and Silver is transported without the Kings licence by the disturbance of the late War and now some Merchants are grown so presumptuous that they would have an Act of Parliament to make it to be at the will of the Merchants to transport what Gold or Silver freely they please without licence from the King it were better for the Kingdom that these that go about to take this prerogative from the King were blind rather then the rest of the Kingdom should ever see that day these Merchants should have their will Stat. 9. Edw. the 3. against the transporting of Gold or Silver without the Kings licence or the melting down the currant silver coin by Goldsmiths or others into plate Stat. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 4. No person ought to presume to transport Gold or Silver either in coin or bulion upon pain of forfeiture of as much as they might which I take to be lives and estates 2 Henry 6. cap. 6. Upon a grievous complaint made in Parliament That great sums of gold and silver was transported without the Kings licence out of this Kingdom it was ordered and enacted That no gold or silver should be transported out of the Realm and because it is supposed the gold and silver is transported by Merchant aliens it is ordered That the Mercheant aliens shall find security in the Chancery that they shall not transport the gold or silver monies out of the Kingdom upon pain of forfeiture of the sum or value and if any do contrary and that duly proved his pledges shall pay the forfeiture though the Merchant stranger be gone beyond the Seas If this Law had been put in execution this last twenty years the Kingdom had had millions of gold and silver which it is now robbed of and the offenders are now grown so impudent to hope to get an Act of Parliament to rob the kingdom of all the gold and silver as the greedy Merchant shall find and see his opportunity to send away what gold and silver they please without the Kings majesty or his privy Councils licence for the future 18 Edw. the 4. No person to carry gold or silver or jewels out of the kingdom upon pain of Felony 1 Henry the 8. cap. 13. An Act made that whosoever shall carry any gold or silver out of the Realm without the Kings licence shall forfeit double the value The 5th and 6th of Edward the 6th cap. 16. An Act touching the exchange of gold or silver that whosoever gave more for gold or silver then it is or shall be declared by the Kings Proclamation shall suffer imprisonment for the space of a year and make fine at the Kings pleasure the one moity to his Majesty and the other moity to the Partie that shall seize the same or will sue for it by the Bill of information were the Gold-smiths of London sued on this Statute it would ruine most of them Had not the Act of Oblivion pardoned them but that gives them no licence or protection now at this day to act as they do to sell gold for 21 and 22 shillings for a Twenty shilling peice Till this be remedied and the rule for the price of gold set by your Majestie the Mint will never coin gold to any considerable quantity If this desire of the Merchants should go on the Kingdom of England which in all Kings raigns abounded with gold and silver and famous for their pound sterlings the true guide and measure of our monies will be put to use the Rooking tricks of the Bankers of Amsterdam and other Commonwealths Feed the people with a paper credit and the Merchants have all the peoples money I beseech your Majesty to consider of this monstrous design and proposals of the Merchants should by your Majesty be granted which God defend in whose hands your Majesty disposeth the Militia of the kingdom even truly your Majesty would surrender the Militia of the kingdom into the Merchants power To send away all the treasure of the kingdom by which means they will so fetter and impoverish the
AN APPEAL TO CAESAR WHEREIN GOLD And SILVER Is Proved to be the Kings Majesties ROYAL COMMODITY WHICH By the Lawes of the Kingdom no Person of what Degree soever but the KINGS MAJESTIE and his Privy Councel can give Licence to Transport either Gold or Silver to any Person after it is Landed in any part of the Kingdome of England That this Great and Sacred Trust cannot be changed into the Hands of any Person Persons or Corporations whatsoever without changing or diminishing the Sacred Power of his Majestie it being against his Crown and Dignity Humbly Presented to his Most Sacred MAJESTIE and his Most Honourable Privy Councel in opposition to some Merchants who are Endeavouring upon feigned Pretences to dispossesse his Majestie of this Royal Trust and to have it Confirmed by Act of Parliament to Transport at the Merchants pleasure Forreign Bullion and Coine freely after it is Imported into the Kingdom and make it a Free Merchandize for their private profit to the Damage of the whole Kingdom in general By THO. VIOLET of London Goldsmith MATTH 22. 21. Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesars c. LONDON Printed in the Year 1660. TO THE KINGS most Excellent Majestie And to the LORDS of his MAIESTIES most Honourable PRIVY COVNCEL The Humble Petition of THO. VIOLET of London Goldsmith Most Dread Soveraign I Your Majesties most Humble Loyal and Dutiful Subject humbly upon my Knees present this insuing Narrative to Your Sacred Majesty and to Your most honourable and prudent Councell I had not presumed to have medled with this cause and Argument but that I see with what eagernesse some Merchants of London thought to steal one of the prime Flowers of your Majesties Crown from your Sacred Majesty and Your most honourable Privy Councell before the Rising of this blessed Parliament True it is Gold and Silver all over the World is a currant Merchandize it answereth all things and commandeth all things under the Sun But so that in all Kingdoms Gold and Silver is a Kingly Merchandize and only at the Kings Dispose and Will and not at the dispose of the Merchants to be transported at their pleasure May it please Your Majesty by Twenty Acts of Parliament the Lawes of this Kingdom of England in all Ages hath invested it in the most Sacred Hands of the Kings of England and their Privy Councel and none other whomsoever either Lords Bishops or Commons The Reasons upon perusall of this Narrative Your Majesty will find to have been done upon most wise just and great consideration both for the Honour Strength and Defence of the Kings Sacred Person His Crown and Dignity and Safetie of the people The Money Bullion Gold and Silver of this Kingdom in all Ages till these perillous head-strong Fanatick daies hath been counted the chief Strength of the Kingdom the very Soul of the Militia and the Sinews of Warre and Peace in Your Majesties most Sacred Hands and in Your Privy Councels the Law of this Kingdom hath invested it and in none other of Your Majesties Subjects of what condition soever and there let it safely remain to the end of this World Your Majesties most humble Subject upon his bended Knees prayes Your Majesty to keep this Sacred Trust intire in Your Hand and not to diminish the least tittle or branch of it O never suffer it to be at the will of the Merchant least Your Majesty which God defend giving some fawning spaniels this Authority as they desire out of Your Sacred Hands You give an oppertunity in a few years that the breed of them may turn Mastives and so they may have a power to fly in the Face of Your Sacred Majesty as some of them did to Your Majesties Royall Father of blessed memory which God defend Fore-warn'd Fore-arm'd I humbly think I deserved not to live should I not say this The Gold and Silver of the Nation either Forreign Coyne or Ingot or the currant Coin of the Kingdom is the soul of the Militia and so all wise men know it that those that command the Gold and Silver of the Kingdom either Coin or Bullion to have it free at their disposall to be Judges of the conveniency and inconveniency or to hinder or give leave to transport Gold and Silver at their pleasure is the great Wheell of the State a most Royall Prerogative inherent in Your Majesty Your Heirs and Successors and none other whomsoever but by Your Majesties Licence and cannot be parted with to any Persons but by Your Majesties most especiall Grant your Majesty and your Privy Councell being by the Law the only proper Judges to have liberty to send to your Friends the Gold and Silver of the Kingdom Upon such just Reasons of State as your Majesty and Privy Councell shall judg fit for the due relief of your Friends and Allies to offend your Enemy and defend your Imperiall Crown and Dignity and strengthen your Friends As Queen ELIZABETH severall times assisted HENRY the Great King of France your Majesties Royall Grandfather and the States of Holland with vast sums of Gold and Silver The like Royall prerogative is in the Crown upon Petition of the Merchants setting forth their just Reasons and at your pleasure your Majesty to give them leave to send Forreign Gold and Silver either to the Indies or any part of Christendom but so as your Majesty as all your Royall Predecessors and your Privy Councell being in Commission by your Majesty for that service are the only proper Judges of this businesse and have the Lock and Key to dispence with the penall Statutes to give leave to send so much Gold and Silver of Forreign Bullion or the Coin of the Kingdom as your Majesty shall please in your wisdom for to grant and to what Prince or Country but not at the will of any other Person whomsoever Your Petitioner humbly prayes upon my Knees for your Majesties honor for your Majesties safety for the safety and greatnesse of all your Lords and Gentry for the safety of all your People that your Majesty keep this Royall Trust intire and the same always in your Majesty and your most honourable Privy Councels hands as the Appell of your Eye Gold and Silver is a Merchandize all over the World true but in Kingdoms it is a Kingly Merchandize and not to be transported without the Kings leave What I hear say I upon my Knees submit to your Sacred Majesties consideration Novemb. 28. 1660 and shall pray c. To the Right Honourable the Lord High Chancellour of England the Lord Steward of his MAIESTIES Housh old the Lord High Treasurer of England the Lord Roberts all of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Privie Councell These humbly present May it please your Lordships I Humbly presume for to Acquaint your Lordships that I understand some Merchants of London are endeavouring to obtain an Act of Parliament to make Gold and Silver a Merchandize to transport freely at their will and pleasure
undoing of a King in all Countries where the Merchants can set up a banck and transport money freely as at Amsterdam have not these men the command of the Militia they are the peoples Princes and virtually the Banckers have the power riches and strength of the Common-wealth let who will have the Title the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Venice c. but the Banker and the hogan mogan Merchants have the power The reason is clear they have got the people by the money and leave them nothing but some Stivers and base money to buy victuals and indeed the people have nothing but a paper credit in a Kingdome the Merchants will never put up a banck least the King should seize on it all they will not allow a King to do that they practice And I humbly say it is not for the safety of the King nor Lords to let the Merchants have liberty to transport Silver or Gold at their pleasure to forreign Bancks and Common-wealths least the Merchants in a year or two put the same trick on the King and Kingdom for all their current Silver as at this day they have done for all the Gold of the Nation Let the greatnesse of the Merchant be as a Hand-maid to the Kings greatnesse and ever subordinate to the King Or else a confederation of twenty Merchants and Goldsmiths shall make the English shilling in spite of the Kings Proclamation and against His Crown and Dignity and in despite of an Act of Parliament to go for 13. d. every English shilling twenty shillings for twenty one shillings eight pence let but the Merchants make Silver a Merchandize as the Goldsmiths and Merchants have already done Gold I beseech your Majesty to observ your Royal Father of blessed memory never did by His Proclamation or at his Mint in the Tower raise the Gold coined at above twenty shillings a peece in payment Doth not the Statute 5. and 6. of Edw. the sixth make it forfeiture of the value for any person whomsoever to utter or put off Gold or Silver money at above the Kings Proclamation and imprisonment during the Kings pleasure Do not above ten Proclamations say the same this is the known Law Yet at this day by the confederation of some Merchants and Goldsmiths in spite of this Law and Proclamations for the Merchants and Goldsmiths private profit the current Gold is not by any person to be had a twenty shilling peece under 21. s. 4. d. 21. s. 6. d. 21. s. 8. d. Your Majesty shall receive a hundred thousand pounds in Silver and not have a twenty shilling peece in Gold in a payment in the Exchequer What is the reason the Merchants and Goldsmiths have made it a Merchandize they have against your Majesties Lawes to your weakning and dishonour and against your Majesties Imperial Crown and Dignity robbed You and the Kingdom of all the Gold broke your Royal Statutes and Proclamations beggered your Majesties Mint And these very men that have thus abused your Majesty after all this licentiousnesse are so bold to desire to steal one of the prime Flowers out of your Majesties Crown Which is by having an Act of Parliament that they might freely and at their will transport Gold and Silver at their pleasure they will if they could get this great power into their hands leave neither Gold nor Silver in the Nation but light and clip'd money groats ninepences and thirteenpence-half-pennies let this be but taken notice of how the Merchants have robbed your Royal Father your Majesty and the whole Kingdom of the currant Gold of the Nation And then I humbly leave it to your Majesties wisdom to consider what a project this is tending to the weakning of your Majesty and Kingdom These men that have transported the Gold and Silver of the Kingdom already without your Majesties leave and against the Law are grown monstrous rich many of them by transporting all the Gold of the Nation and most of the Silver And now their riches makes them so bold thinking to bribe out all businesse as formerly they did in the Rump Parliament they would work iniquity by a Law if your Sacred Majesty or your privy Councellors should ever permit them to the ruine and damage of the whole Kingdom to gratify the greedy avarice of some Merchants whose covetousnesse will never be satisfied gain is their godlinesse and not godlinesse their gain May it please your Majesty your Royall Grandfather and Father King JAMES and King CHARLES of blessed memory gave a stop to this mischief of transporting Gold by bringing some of the Merchants of London that transported Gold and Silver into forreign parts into the Star Chamber in the years 1619. Sir William Curtine Sir Peter Vanlor Mr. Delabar Sir Moses Trian and some twenty more were fined in the Star Chamber at near two hundred thousand pounds and paid King JAMES into his Exchequer for their composition about one hundred thousand pounds this sentence gave a stop to the transporters of Gold and upon this sentence shortly after the Mint flourished Your Majesties Royal Father in the year 1635 King CHARLES of blessed memory commanded me your Majesties Humble and Loyall Subject to discover all such as transported Gold or Silver without His leave I have the Kings Majesties Gracious Letter to me of thanks for my good and acceptable Service under His Majesties Royal Hand and Signet for discovering the transporters of Gold and Silver which Letter I have ready to produce to your Sacred Majesty 1648. On Francis Braudgen brought me your Mrajesties Royall Fathers command to put a charge against the Transporters of Gold in the Exchequer Notwithstanding his Majesties former command to forbid me to discover the Transporters of Gold 1643. because his Majesty heard that some Members of Parliam in 1648. was sending away their estates in Gold he would have them discovered and made known to the people how they robbed them of their Treasure I caused the transporters of Gold at my own charge to be fined 24100 pounds I caused upon command of his late Majesty to be filed in the Exchequer in 1648 as will appear on Record at this day above a hundred several informations against the Transporters of Gold and Silver at my charge many hundred pounds I know the men and their instruments at this day as well as I know my right hand from my left I caused an exception to have all the Transporters of Gold excepted out of the general pardon granted by the Parliament in the year 1651 as will appear in the Act I put in an exception to have had it excepted in his Majesties general pardon 1660 but there was so many guilty persons that had transported Gold and Silver out of the Kingdom that I could not get it put into the Bill to have these offences excepted whereby your Majesty lost one hundred thousand pounds had I got it excepted out of your Majesties pardon there was above an hundred
people of the kingdom that when your Majesties loving Subjects would give you aid by consent of Parliament they have no monies to do it but at the Merchants pleasure who will be the onely Judges of the price they shall pay by exchanging and the quantity in coin they will please to let the people have Should the Parliament now grant your Majesty a paiment of a hundred thousand pounds in coined English gold at twenty shillings the peice of gold according to the Lawes and Statutes and your royal Fathers Proclamation which forbids all either Forreigners or Natives whomsoever to pay give or utter the currant coins of gold or silver at above the Kings proclamation upon pain of forfeiture and imprisonment during the Kings pleasure See the Statute law 5 6 Edward 6. Yet for all your Maiesties lawes and proclamations your Maiesty nor the Parliament shall not receive a hundred thousand pounds in gold or a hundred pound but at the Merchants price viz. 21 shill 4 pence 21 shill 6 pence 21 shill 8 pence 22 shill for a twenty shillings piece of gold This is done in contempt of your Majesty and the law because the Merchants have got all the coined gold into their hands and transported it to forraign parts and they will not let it come back again but at their pleasure and price make silver a free merchandize the merchants will guide the prize and send it all away to the destruction of your Maiesties Mint The Merchants of London had they this power they desire would by tricks either by Security or Exchange get all the Gold and Silver into their hands And then I tremble to think what will follow if the Merchants be Masters of all the money your Majesties Fleet will lie at Chatham at Portsmouth c. and no moneys to be raised but at the will of their Bankers Your people in Parliament shall grant your Majesties Subsidies and when it comes to be paid they have no money but what is in the Merchants Banks or upon the Merchants Security they having gotten into their hands all the money All the world knows the whole stock of the money of the Kingdom is to be disposed of by the credit of the City of London the City of London gives the Rule to the Kingdom and the Merchant of London for credit upon money rules the City now if your Majestie should put this power into the Merchants hands to transport Gold and Silver at their pleasure it would be a ready way to see the late Tragedies acted over again and it is granted by all persons that Gold and Silver commandeth all things if your Majestie should part with this Royal Prerogative I humbly desire your Majestie upon my knees to consider where you will lodge this great Jewel which is the quintessence of the Mllitia I humbly say many Merchants of London are recovered but lately out of the madness of a dangerous Rebellion and wise men use to watch such as have been once frenzie afterwards in all their actions lest being let goe at their own pleasure they one time or another do either themselves or some others a mischeif this I now humbly say is to preserve your Majesties Greatness Honour and safety of your Majesty and your most honourable Privy Council I study not to please some Merchants but to serve your Majestie in truly stating this business I being formerly imploied in this service by your Royal Father he would have believed me in this point and concerning the regulating of Gold and Silver lace and removing the obstructions of the Mint for seven years I had the onely care of this business by his Majesties order to prevent the transporting Gold or Silver If your Majestie suffer the Merchants to obtain this their desire all the paiments of the Kingdom will be unfixed and your Majesties Subjects will have no money left but Groats and some odd monies to buy Butter and Eggs the Tenants must pay their Rents after the Barbarious way in SCOTLAND in Boules of Corne and Chaldrons of Victualls Coles Horses Cowes and Sheep Your Majesties Privy Councel and your great Lords and Gentry must truck with their Tenants instead of a thousand pound Sterling to be paid them in current Gold and Silver according to 20. s. the pound Sterling for Gold they must at this day pay 21. s. 6. d. if they will have a twentie shillings peece is not this a wrong and dimunition to all the Lords in ENGLAND seven pound ten shillings in the hundred in all the Rents they are out of by Lease But let Silver be made a free Merchandize to Transport at their pleasure without your Majesties leave farewell all Land-Lords payments in money then which God defend your Majestie should expose all the Nobilitie to be at the will of the Merchants for to receive either their Rent in Money or Ware All payments in Silver will raise the price of your English shilling shall be set against your Majesties Crown and Dignitie by the Merchant as at this day all the world know they have presumed without your Majesties leave and against your Lawes to send away all your Majesties current Gold of the Nation and to make it a Merchandize here in London in contempt despite and affront of your Majestie the Parliament and your Majesties Lawes and Statutes and now are so brazen Fac'd that they look and sue to have libertie to rob the King of this great priviledg I humbly hope the Merchants bribeing daies are past they had once a time in the long Parliament to make their Gold and Silver break thorough all Barrs all Lawes a Corporation of London with a joynt Purse was such a Roman Ram that it battered down all the Lawes and Statutes I humbly hope this businesse and the mischiefs that would follow if they should obtain their desire is so clearly stated to be only in your Majestie and your most Honourable Privy Councel that you will never part with it to any Corporation of Merchants or others but to keep it safe where the Law hath disposed it it is a Iewel the Law hath invested in the Crown and cannot be valued it is an inestimable Pearl and Riches That if the Merchants could by confederation pay down a Million of Money to your Majestie presently to have it in their hands Your Majestie would be a loser Your Majestie would part with that which is Your Honour Your Safetie Your Lords and all Your Peoples safetie the Soul of the Militia I pray God upon my Knees your Majestie and your Privy Councel would consider what is here said and set a mark on these men that attempt under sly and fained pretences by subtiltie and craft to undermine your Majesties Throne Crown and Dignitie these men that desire this to be in their Power are like Water men look one way and Row another These men many of them have designed in their heart the moddle of a Common-wealth to be the fittest Government for
to Your Majesties Crowne and Dignity and ought to be watched as men newly recovered out of a Lunacy kept from doing either themselves or others mischefe May it please Your Majesty the King of Spain having peace with Holland and France will not have occasion to Export so much Mony for Flanders as He had when He had Wars with Them Yet great Summes of Silver will dayly be Exported to Flanders from Spaine to pay the Spanish Garrisons in Flanders and the Trade from Spaine to Antwerp to pay the Bankers there will dayly cause great quantities of Silver to be Exported from Spain I humbly desire that upon Treaty with the Spanish Ambassador the Lords of the Councel would take order to Carry the King of Spaines Silver as the Lord Cottington setled it and that by the Law it should be made Felony for any Person that did not Coyne one full third part of all Silver that by agreement with the King of Spaine should be coyned this Licence to be Canstantly allowed to any Person upon the King of Spains Composition for Trade from Spaine And for all other Persons whomsoever that Import Silver or Gold to have it by Act of this Parliament after the said Silver is Landed that any Person that Transports Gold or Silver it should be Confiscation of Ship and Goods and Imprisonment during the Kings pleasure Besides the Forfeiture of all Gold and Silver so put on Ship-board to Transport without Your Majesties or your Privy Councels Licence And that all Gold-smiths or others whomsoever that Culleth and Melteth down the Currant heavy Silver Coyns for any Manufacture or to Transport it shall be Felony and that without Mercy If These Lawes by this Parliament be Revived and I your Majesties Loyal Subject Impowered and Commanded by your Majesties Most Honourable Privy Councel to See to the due Execution of them By the Blessing of God I wil in a few Yeares Replenish the Great want and Scarcity of Gold and Silver in the Kingdom againe And Remove the present Obstructions of the Mint May it please your Majestie It is the Execution of the Law quickens and gives life to the Law when knowing persons shall be intrusted to see to the Execution There are Laws and Proclamations against transporting gold but no incouragement considerable for a mans time all the Laws in the world will never reform this abuse if some Trusty persons be not appointed to look in a particular manner and make it their business and a man cannot imploy several people to do this service but at great charge vigilance and diligent attendance to keep his watches and intelligence in London and the Ports this mischief daily increases because no knowing person is impowred and commanded to take care of this great business Queen Elizabeth would not admit the East India Company at her first granting them to be a Corporation to transport the King of Spains silver coin into the East Indies though the Merchant pressed it very often telling her Majesty that her Silver Coin and Stamp was not known in the East Indies they thinking by that to get a License to send what Silver they pleased This most prudent Queen and her wise Privie Councel replyed to the Merchants of the East-India Company that for the very reason the Merchant alledged to transport the King of Spains silver to the East Indies It was her fixed reason and resolution unalterable she would not grant the East India Company leave to send the King of Spains or any forreign Princes coin into India but such Silver as was coined with her Effigies and Picture on the one side and the Percullis on the other side of the just weight and fineness of the Spanish peeces of eight and peeces of four Royals and no other Silver should by her Merchants be sent to India And this was her Majesties prudent reason for the doing thereof that because the Indians did not know her nor see her greatness on her Silver her Majesty gave the East India Company leave to transport Gold or Silver but so as she would for the time to come give them a just occasion to reverence and honour her and bow at her Effigies declaring she would all the world over where she gave her Merchants leave to Trade be known to be as great a Prince as the King of Spain And that none should presume to send a greater quantity of Silver then she in her wisdome should judge fit to the East Indies as will appear by their Charter both for the quantity and with her Figure Motto and Percullis upon the Silver The Queens Majesty declaring she held it as a speciall and chief Prerogative of her Crown and Dignity to put the Percullis upon all the Silver the East India Company should send to the Indies Nor would she admit the Merchants of the East India Company to send more Silver then she and her Privie Councel did approve of as appears in the Journal Books the yearly Licences declaring she would have her Merchants in that point to be subordinate to her will not her will to be ruled at the Merchants pleasure And so during all her prosperous Reign to her death this great and prudent Queen ruled her Merchants and not the Merchants her this was according to the Law of England the Queen would ever be known to be a Queen This Narrative will appear to be true by the Stamps Weights and Standard of this Silver that was coyned in the Tower ready to be produced to your Majesty and the most Honourable Privie Councel if your Majesty require the same this course continued all Queen Elizabeths Reign and it would be for the honour and greatness of your Majesty that all Silver transported to the Indies should be coyned of the weight of Pieces of Eight with your Majesties Royall Effigies and the Percullis in the Tower of London that so all the world over the Nations might see your Royal stamp and bow down and do reverence What an honour had it been to your Majesties Grandfather and Father to have had sixty hundred thousand pounds transported in Silver to the Indies with their stamp which would have been done had Q. Elizabeths honourable Rule been observed I humbly desire it may be done hereafter though your Majestie get nothing but fame no profit I dare undertake the East India Company shall have their silver coined in the Tower for 12 pence the pound weight that is 60000 l. coyned for one thousand pounds The East India Company by monie got this Royal Priviledge laid down at the beginning of King James his Reign to the great impairment and losse of his Imperial royal Crown and Dignity and to the great losse of his Majesty in his Mintage and Coynage and the losing and diminution of your Royal Grandfather and Father of Blessed memory in their Revenue at this day above an hundred thousand pounds in the total sum in the duty of coyning there being since King James his Reign by
to get a head destructive to mankind witness the late horrible Tragedies fomented and continued onely by the pleasure and power of the Merchants and the wealth of London The burnt Child dreads the fire I lost twentie thousand pounds by the late Rebellion which was hatched and kindled for the greatest part by those of London They surfeited with Plenty Riches and Trade the late Royall King Charles the first by his late Royall Fleets laid the Foundation of the Merchants of Londons greatness and reputation all over the World no Prince nor Commonwealth daring to injure the Merchants of London but the King with the first winde had his Royal Fleets in their Harbours to demand reparation to the Merchants content else their harbours debarred Trade The late glorious King got the envy of the Ship monies but never a penny of it in his Exchequer The Merchants of London got the profit advantage and security by Trading safely and the Seas scoured from Pyrates How unthankfully the Merchants required his Majesty was shown in this late Rebellion I speak not this that any should be punished but that they might be prevented for the future to do the same things again as they did this last seventeen years In King James and King Charles their raigns those good Kings was got into the Citie of Londons debt and to come out of it they did part with their Lands at half the value When Masters borrow Money of their Servants it makes them generally overvalue themselves and slight their Masters I hope in a few years his Majesty will be in that condition to lend the City of London money upon their Charter the like to the East India Company and other Companies to have their Lands bound This was King Henry the sevenths way he would alwaies have his Exchecquer full of money finding it to be the greatest security to prevent all mischief to have the King richer then his people In the year one thousand six hundred fourty seven your Royal Father being informed that many Members of Parliament and factious Citizens was transporting and packing away their estates in Gold beyond the Seas which these had in aboundance cozened the Kingdom of your Royal Father commanded me by one Mr. Francis Brogdou of London Gentleman on whom his Majesty constantly imploied to go between him and his loyal Subjects then Prisoners in the Tower This Mr. Francis Brogden brought me his Majesties your Royal Fathers pleasure that I should labour in the pretended Parliament-house to obtain a commission to discover the transporters of Gold and Silver but so that if I obtained it I should use my diligence to discover the Parliament-men and their factious Merchants of London to make them odious to the Kingdom that transported Gold and Silver out of the Nation I used my endeavour to make them publick to the World for several years to get this Commission to pass by the pretended Act of Parliament and it is well known to many of the then Parliament Sir James Harrington Fleetwood and several others but was particularly opposed by both the Ashes Allen Harvey Sir Henry Vane Strickland and many others of the Parliament and by swarms of Sectaries of the City of London which men had transported the Gold and Silver out of the Nation and therefore to be sure to have them within compass of the Law I caused a Gentleman to file in the Exchequer a hundred informations against the transporters of Gold and silver and to let them remain on record till your Majesties Royal Father did come to London this was about one thousand six hundred and fourty eight at that time being the hopes and prayers of all good men But God had decreed it otherwise by taking your Royal Father out of this World the World especially this unthankful Nation not being worthy of him so all things rested till your Majesties happy arrival in May 29. 1660. Concerning the transporting of Gold and silver though your Majestie hath pardoned the transporters of Gold till 29. May 1661. I humbly say your Majesty hath declared that for the future you will have all men conformable to your Laws without respect of persons if this rule be strictly observed your Majesty will never put this great business of transporting Gold and Silver to be at the Merchants will and pleasure least the same tumults and troubles be played over again by some Phanatick Merchants as they have done within twenty years your Majesty may as safely put a Sword into a Madmans hand or a Knife into a Childs as trust the Merchants to transport Gold or Silver without your Majesties licence after it is once landed TO THE KINGS most Excellent Majestie And to the most Honourable the LORDS of his MAIESTIES most Honourable PRIVY COVNCEL The Humble Petition of THO. VIOLET of London Goldsmith Most Dread Soveraign I Your Majesties most Humble and Loyall Subject for your Majesties service humblie pray that the East India and Persia Companie bring in their Charter whereby your Majestie and your Privie Councel will inform your selves by the Charter your Royall Father and Grand-Father passed with what priviledge they have granted them upon what conditions and restrictions 2. That your Majestie and your Privie Councel would be pleased to require an accompt of the East India and Persia-Companie of all the summes of monie Gold or Silver either Forrain or English which they have sent into India and Persia ever since July 1620. this is no new thing for they did in 1620. give an accompt and made it by their Books appear that from the Originall and first foundation of their Trade in Anno 1601 to July 1620. they had shipped awaie for India onelie 548090l sterling in Spanish monies and some Flemish and Germane Dollars which accompt was presented in Parliament at that time 3. Your Petitioner desires your Majesty to take notice that if the State in Parliament were then so carefull in times of peace and the Trade of the Nation flourishing to call the East India Company to an accompt for twentie years and to cause them to make their accompts plainly to appear by their Books for twentie years surely I humbly conceive your Majesties and your Privy Councell will exspect for the service of the Kingdom to have an exact accompt of all the Treasure the East India and Persia Companie have exported and to have them to Produce a just accompt what quantities of Gold or Silver they have bought in Holland and in other Forrein places immediately upon their proper accompt and what quantitie of English melted Silver in Bars they have bought of Gold smiths in London what quantities of Gold in Bars they bought of the Guinie and Barbarie Companies what quantities of English coined Gold they have sent into the East Indies and to Persia what quantities of Cardques Rix-Dollars Rials of Spain or any other Forrein Silver they have bought up in London of Merchants Goldsmiths or others which without the East India Company so buying
Majesties most Honourable Councel to take the pains to peruse it and they will see only Doctor VValker staid all the Spaniards silver I stayed the Dutch silver At last when Oliver Cromwel saw his Error in taking on himself the government in his single person and in looking after the silver mines in Hispaniola and seizing upon the silver as I had set him to do he cursed me often times bitterly Mr. Beck of VVestminster being Oliver Cromwels Sollicitor and Master Francis Bacon the Master of his Request I used them to sollicit my business to Cromwel for to get satisfaction for my estate unjustly taken away but they both told me he would never do nothing for me for he hated my name and remembrance and that whensoever they moved him of my name concerning any business he would be in a rage Mr. Beck and Mr. Bacon several times have asked me whether I could imagine the reason I told them No I wondred at it But indeed I know the reason he did see I had set him on those things which he was not able to master and though I put on it the face of innocency I knew from the first hour that Cromwell took the 278250 l. into his custody that he would destroy the Parliament and divide and subdivide among themselves till all ended in confusion I thought it my duty to give your Majestie this true Accompt and can prove it as aforesaid and several other services your Petitioner hath done for your Majestie where in every on he ventured his life for your Majesties service and never had farthing either of the Parliament or Cromwell but expended his own money for several years to the value of fifteen hundred pounds And twenty thousand pounds taken from me by the Parliament as aforesaid There are many of the then Honourable Prisoners in the Tower can tell your Majestie how active I was always in your Majesties Fathers service in the Tower I humbly refer my self to this following Certificate for the loss of my Estate THese are to Certifie whom it may concern That I William Du-Gard of London Clerk have known Thomas Violet of London Goldsmith many years and have been privy to his Applications to the Parliament for restoring him to his estate taken from him by the Parliament in 1643. for his bringing up a Letter of Peace to the City of London from Oxford from his late Majestie CHARLES the I. of blessed Memory And I have seen Mr. Violets Original Petitions Accounts and Demands of the Long Parliament for satisfaction for his Estate in Lands Houses Offices Bonds Debts Goods to the value of above eleven thousand pounds so much hath been confessed to me by several of the Committee of Parliament that Examined the said Tho. Violets sufferings that they found it fully proved Mr. Violets Losses to be above the summe of eleven thousand pounds besides his Imprisonment and forbearance And I have heard several Parliament men confesse that Mr. Violet was unjustly oppressed contrary to Gods Law and mans for being sequestred for bringing up the Kings Letter for Peace and several Members of Parliament upon my Solicitation promised him from time to time satisfaction but abused him by delays making him for many years lose both time and expend much money in waiting on them to my knowledge but never received farthing from them I do further testifie upon the Perusall of Mr. Violets Papers and the Confession of several of his Neighbours who knew him before the Year 1643. that I do esteem his Losses to be far above eleven thousand pounds since 1643. besides his Imprisonment and losse of his Calling to his damage at this time above twenty thousand pounds In witnesse whereof I have here to subscribed my Hand WILL. DU-GARD The same is in Effect certified by several other Gentlemen whose Names are subscribed viz. ALEXANDER HOLT of London Goldsmith WILLIAM BOURNE of London Brewer PAUL SMITH of London Gentlemen ROBERT EMERY of London Gentlemen Witnesses Josiah Smith Paul Edwards John Wegewood Henry Goldston VVilliam Barnes Knight ey Freeman A true Coppy of Doctor Walkers report concerning the Silver Ships the 14th of Aprill 1654. To OLIVER CROMWELS Councel May it please your Honours IN the business concerning the Ships and Silver goods in the three Ships in the Samson Salvador and S. George upon attending your Lordships with Mr. Violet severall particular were proposed and I was directed by your Honours summarily to state them and to give my humble opinion upon every of them The particulars were 1. Concerning the Silver in these three Ships which was the bulk of the whole matter upon which I argued when I procured the Onus probandi to be cast on the other side Mr. Violet devided it thus that there was one Boschard a Hamburger and one Stephen de Balderos and one Lewis Fardinandes Hagelo and one Losa Berona and one Mexico Herera and one Michaell Severino Lozenso de Eucleâ— and one Thomas Sauches de Urise Anthonio de Puntho Spaniards and one Dony Martin Native of Galloway in Ireland that laid particular claims every of them to some parcels of the Silver laden for their accompts all whom as Mr. Violet Stated it came along in the said Ships and have attended their claims here ever since upon the place in making their proofs and sollicitings for bringing it on to a hearing for their particulars and are as Mr. Violet states it by their long attendance and spending in diet and otherwise reduced to such extremity as they for want are ready to starve For these Mr. Violet hath proposed that his Highness and your Lordships would direct that their claims would come on to a present hearing that so what was found to be justly and really theirs might be adjudged them not onely for their present relief but for the vindicating as Mr. Violet terms it the justice of the Nation and preventing any Imbargoes abroad for want of justice here Now for this my Lords being as I conceive rather the prudential part then the legal I must not take upon me to give any opinion in it but submit it wholly to your Lordships to consider the prudence of it whether you will hold it fit that these particulars shall come on before the rest of the claims for the other Silver in the said Ships and so to handle by pieces or whether to have all the Silver directed by tryall and hearing altogether For the rest being the great bulks of the Silver Mr. Violet proposed that pleas should be put in to be a ground for Commissioners to be procured to go into Spain and Flanders to examine witnesses there against the several claimers and their claims supposing that in respect the Laws of Spain prohibit the carrying out of Silver under great penalties the claymors would not dare to own it in Spain if Commissioners for his Highness should be sent over thither and that much discoveries would there be made and witnesses be found in Spain if active persons be
imployed and sent over thither Mr. Violet proposed that there would be this farther use made of it by procrastinating the businesses and gaining of so long time as for Commissions to go into Spain and be executed there and returned As to the last of these it is evident that it must of necessity gain time and delay the hearing But whether upon the main matter it will produce any thing or countervaile the charge which must needs issue out of purse and cannot but be vast in exceuting so many Commissions by the Magistrates of Spain and imploying such as must necessarily be sent over to look after it I have often told Mr. Violet that I much doubt and must submit it to your Lordships not daring of my self to venture upon it without a special warrant for several reasons 1. For that we yet know of never a particular witness by name to examine when we came thither 2. And for that it will be uncertain whether after so great acharg spent to make inquiry there any positive witnesses would be there or not 3. If any there shall be found it will be uncertain whether upon the clay mors cross interogatories they may not say more against us then upon ours for us being there in a Countrey where the claymors will in all likelihood finde more means friends and opportunities then those that shall be sent over from hence against them 4. For that the claymors have already upon their own Commissions owned their claims in Spain and examined witnesses by the Magistrates publickly there upon and therfore no doubt but they may again publickly avow them at ours if any new Commissions go from hence for his Highness as well as they did upon their own claims when Commissions issued to Spain for them which they have procured to be there speeded and returned back again hither into Court And therefore what your Lordships proposed to me as first in expedient that is to endeavour that publication for the claimors might so pass that liberty might be given to see their proofs and yet if occasion were to plead and examine witnesses notwithstanding which Albeit the rule be that contrary matter may not be examined upon after publication and sight of the witnesses yet in those cases of the Silver in the said three Ships I have since I waited upon your Lordships upon debates with the adverse Proctors and Councels publickly in Court procured such a Salvo by their consents to be entred and publication is so past that now the despositions and proofs for the claimors may be perused and yet liberty to plead and examine for his Highness if there be occasion notwithstanding but there being so many Commissions returned for the claimors and the depositions so extream long It will ask a good time to puruse and consider them As to the rest of the goods in those Ships not being Silver many of them being much decayed and perished by so long lying and some of them having been heard already and for what remaines I see no reason at all to put off the hearing of them any longer for that the main charge suspicions and grounds were against the Silver and had not as I humbly conceive any such reflex upon the Tobaccoes Hides and other goods besides such special provisions may be made as hath also been already done in what hath been heard that they may have no manner of consequence at all as to any of the Silver And as to the Ships themselves viz. The Sampson Salvador and St. George for as much as the publick Agent for Hamborough hath often pressed it that they might be permitted to come to hearing for that by this long lying one of the said Ships hath been already sunk in the River and that if the said Ships should be continued much longer without repairing and imployment it is publickly and hath been often affirmed in Court that they will decay perish and come to nothing Truly Doctor Walker if either you or O. Cromwel had known upon what grounds or reasons I staid this silver you as O. Cromwels Fiscal or Judge Advocate would have paid me as you did the Kentish men for declaring for the King I was forewarned of trusting of you by several of the Kings friends who remembred how you served your Master Bishop Williams in the Star-chamber Indeed you told me Cromwel nor the Parliament would never give mee any thing and seing they would be advised by me give me nothing after they had rokbed me of all my estate they could finger I was resolved to give them that advice to be revenged of them that if they took it it should destroy both the Parliament and Cromwel God it was that incouraged me and blinded them that they should ever trust a mans advice that they had ruined They should have remembred that advice Trust not a pretended reconciled adversary especially keeping him from his estate as they did me to this day to my dammage Twenty thousand pounds Sir Henry Vane junior having a better nose than the rest ever said I was not to be trusted telling Bradshaw I had several times made my application to him but he would have nothing to do with me and when I stayed the Silver Vane moved to send me to the Tower for said he at the Council this Villain will set us against al the world at once to bring in the King of Scots I wonder the Council claps him not up Thereupon it was put to the question whereof 10 of them were for laying me in prison and 12 for giving me thanks all those that were of the then Council of State knows this to be true That I made a fraction between Bradshaw and Vane Cromwel and Bradshaw with the rest of their party about the staying the Silver but Vane Strickland and Nevil were for letting of it go This Silver which I stayed was the only cause of blowing up the Long Parliament which I knew at that time an Army of 40000 men could not have done I do humbly conceive submitting it nevertheless to your Lordships that for the avoiding of further perishing of the said Snips and other lading not being Silver and for avoiding claimour and scandal in delay of justice The said Ships and remainder of the lading except the Silver may if your Lordships please be permitted to come to a hearing and judgement As for Mr. Violet himself I can onely say that by severall Orders of the former Councell of State he was directed to sollicite and look after this businesse of the Silver Ships and that he hath often attended and spoken in Court and many times repaired to me and consulted about it and that it hath appeared to me and may also to your Lordships by perusing what he hath printed he hath spent much time about it and I verily believe hath drawn much envy upon himself and run some hazard and danger and spent his own monies in going up and down to make his enquiries
excellent Majesty the Dutchess of Buckingham and the Lord Georgs Digby his Majesties Secretary and Coll. Read were only privie to this businesse to my knowledge at the Court and no other Two Letters of Col. Read's sent to Mr. Theophilus Rily Scout-master of the City of London from Oxford to incourage the Common-Councel of the City of London to Petition his late Majesty for Peace and to consider the sad Effects that would follow upon the Scots invading England Jan. 1643. SIR I Wrote to you formerly but never had any Answer I assure you faithfully I have not been wanting to do what you desired as you may perceiv by the effects if you have not your desire blame your self and give me leave to tell you that if you neglect the opportunity now offered to you it may be you shall never have the like again for I have made those whom you have given just occasion to be your worst friends to be your best and the only instruments to procure what here is sent you and be you confident shee shall still be so provided you do your part The Queens most Excellent Majesty in my hearing I being sent down to Oxford by order of Rilie and some others to bring up his Majesties Letter Decemb. 1643. did most earnestly intercede for the City of London The King thereupon replied that he had there the best and worst subjects of any King in Christendom and hereupon the Queen replied Violet it shall be my care to see the Gentlemen that come from the City with a Petition to the King shall be well accomodated and have a most Gratious Answer to all their just demands God blesse them God increase their number and thereupon the Queens Majesty wept and the King drew his handkerchief out of his pocket and the tears stood in the Kings eyes which made both Read and I fall a weeping and thereupon the Queen commanded Col. Read to lift up the Hangings to see no body stood behinde the Hangings to hear what shee said which Read did and when the Queen see no body behinde the Hangings Ah Violet said she the King and I am in a most sad condition we have Traytors about us that watch all our Words and Actions we speak nothing nor do nothing but it is seat up to the Parliament and they interpret it in the worst Sence The Queens Majesty at that time was very ill and lookt very carefully and was nothing but Skin and Bones God be thanked for the blessed change that is here at this day the Kings Majesty her Son in the Throne of his Royal Father and King of the hearts of his People these two Papers was found in Rilies pockets and was printed by Order of Parliament and Col. Read charged to be a Jesuite I am sure of it these Papers makes him a true Prophet I saved Reads life in getting him exchanged of the General Essex by a wrong name consider I beseech you what a gap is opened by bringing in of the Scots for the destruction of this Kingdom if there be not a Peace which I pray God Almightie to send speedily you must expect Armies of Strangers from several Places who are now preparing who certainly at their coming in will over-run the whole Kingdom and when it is past remedy you will see your own Errors and therefore to prevent more misery then I am able to expresse to this deplorable Kingdom and the effusion of the bloud of thousands of men women and children which must inevitably be this Summer apply your selves in an humble and submissive way to his Majestie whom I know you will finde ready with Arms out-stretched to receive you to favor and mercy and grant you favors even beyond your expectation Defer no time for God's sake and what you will do do it speedily I say again do it speedily for reasons I may not write Oxford Dec. 10. 1560 Col. Read's Paper to Mr. Rilie Scoutmaster of the City of LONDON SIR I Assure you that I have not been wanting to further your good desires and if it be not your own faults I make no doubt but things will have an happy issue for I finde those that are most concerned in it forward enough Reflect now upon the miserie of the times and upon the groans and sufferings of those you see not which yet have been nothing to what they will be if not speedily prevented by a Peace which to obtain I beseech you let it not only be your own care but the care of all those you love or have power with otherwise be confident of a generall ruine which certainly will be inevitable both to your selves and posteritie and therefore take it into your serious consideration and let no causless jealousies hinder you to apply your selves in an humble and submissive manner to his Majestie who I am sure will yet look upon you with a gracious eie lose no time for the longer you delay it may prove the more difficult no doubt This last Letter I Tho. Violet delivered from Read at Oxford to Mr. Rilie in London Decemb. 20. 1640. This Coll. Read I got exchanged by a wrong name for a private Souldier at the intreatie of Sir Basil Brook who told me I should do a very good service for his Majestie and the Queens Majestie to get Read to be discharged but that must be done by a wrong name or else said Sir Basil Brook the Parliament would never admit of his exchang I did effect it and sent this Coll. Read to the King at Oxford upon condition he would returne to Mr. Rilie the Scout-master of London how he found his Majestie inclined to receive a Petition from the City of London for peace that they would declare themselves for a peace and Petition his Majestie for a cessation of Arms and an accommodation between the late King of Glorious memory And I Tho. Violet was sent down to Oxford Decemb. 29 1643 to bring up his Majesties Gratious Letter the Copie of the Citie of London desire being sent to his late Majestie wherein they desired upon the Copie I brought to Oxford to have his Majestie directed his Letter to the Militia of London but his late Majestie would not own the Militia to treat with them as the Militia of the Citie because his Majestie told me at Oxford they were not impowred by his Commission and he would not own them I told his late Majestie and the Lord Digbie it was contrary to my instructions which I received from Mr. Rilie to alter the superscription of His Majesties Letter but seeing His Majestie would not but direct his Letter To our Lord Mayor and Aldermen of our City of London and all other our well affected Subjects of that our Citie I would venture my life to bring up this Letter to London and going according to my instructions I received from his Maiestie to acquaint Wollaston then Lord Mayor of London and Alderman Gibbs they caused me some few