EEN VERCLARINGE Vande Officieren ende Compagnie van het Zee-Volck / oft Matrosen op Sijne Majesteyes Schepen: Ghenoemt de Stantfastige Reformatie / de Gordine / de Swaluwe / de Anteloop / de Satis­factie / 't Hert / de Roebuck / de Crossant oft Halve Maen / den Pellican / de Iouf­frouw Morinne / voor deses bestelt tot Sijne Majesteyts Dienst. Meteen Aen­lockinghe vande Reste vande Vloot / en­de derselve Broederen / aen Landtzynde / om met hun te voegen in derselve Ghe­rechtich Voornemen.

A DECLARATION Of the Officers and Company of Seamen aboard his Majesties Shippes, the Constant Reformation, the Conver­tine, the Swallow, the Antelope, the Satisfaction, the Hynd, The Roebuck, the Crescent, the Pellican, the Blackmore Lady, lately rescued for his Majesties service: with an Invita­tion to the rest of the fleet, and their Brethren on land, to joyne with them in their just undertakings.

In 't Iaer 1648.

Een Verclaringhe vande Officieren ende Compagnie van het Zee-Volck, oft Matrosen op Syne Majesteyts Schepen; Ghenoemt de Standi­fastighe Reformatie, de Gordine, de Swaluwe, de Anteloop, de Sa­tisfactie, 't Hert, de Roebuck, de Croissant oft Halve Maen, den Pellican, de Ioffrow Morinne, voor deses bestolt tot Syne Majesteyts Dienst. Meteen aenlockinghe vande reste vande Vloot, ende derselve Broederen, aen Landt zijnde, om met hun te voegen in derselve ge­rechti [...]h voornemen.

WY hebben overlang met groote patientie verwacht een geluckich eynde van onse verderflijc­ke scheuringhe, door middel van een Personel-Tractaet, so menichmael op-ghedrongen, door on­se Broederen in Scotlandt, ende ernstelijck begeert, vande Generaliteyt van het Coninckrijcke, als blijckt by de verscheydene Petitien vande Respective Graef­fchappen, oft Provintien, tot dien eynde onlanghs ghedaen: Maer wy bevinden by volle experiencie, dat de Independerende Partye, in plaets van d'appliceringhe van hun selven, tot het be­stellen ende veraccorderen der differentien, achtervolgens hun publijckelijck ghegeven, beloften aen het gantsche Conincrijcke (maer seer schandelijcken ghevioleert in haer Voor-stellinghen, in't Leger), hebben in hare Handen ghenomen, ende met Gar­nisoen beset al de sterke plaetsen van't Coninckrijck, over-loo­pende, ontwapenende ende plunderende het platte Landt, als oft het een gheconquesteerdt Volck ware. Ende dit alles om geen an­der oorsaecke, als dat het Volck in eene ootmoedighe maniere, haer begeerte om Vrede te hebben, gheopenbaert hadde, ende een eynde te hebben van dese sware verdruckinghen, die op hun laghen, door de arbitraire macht van Commissien ende de onge­rechtighe continuatie vande Accysen ende Land-schattinghen: Naer de gantsche verstroyinghe van des Coninckx Legher, van welcker, boeten oft bestraffinghen ende compositien, Sy gelts ghenoech kreghen, om voldaen te hebben het meeste deel der schulden van het Coninckrijcke. Ende van ghelijcken siende dat [Page 4] de Macht ende den Staet vande Scheeps-Vloot in sodanige han­den waren ghestelt, die niet alleen Vyanden waren, vanden Co­ninck ende het Coninckrijck, maer oock vande Monarchie selfs: Dat den Styl vande Commissien ter See, was onlangs verandert, latende des Coninckx naem daer uyt, ende alleen het Parlament mentionerende ende het Legher. t' Welck wy verstonden te zyn een ontervinghe van Sijne Majesteyt ende Sijne Kinderen, dat wy geen bestelde maniere en hadden van Gods Dienst t▪Scheep, geen Avontmalen, weynich oft geen Predicatien in ghebruyck, als van ongeleerde ende mechanique Persoonen, datter eenen aenslach was om Lant-Soldaten op elck Schip te senden, om te vermeesteren en de t' overtreffen de Zee-luyden, dingen so gants cōtrary de oude Gewoonten ende Orderen ter Zee, als dat wy, ons dachten in Con­scientie verbonden te zijn, om yets te doen tot weder-kryginghe von ons eygen Recht: De herstellinge vande Religie, naer Gods Woort, ende het Verbont so solemnelijcken ghemaeckt. d'Eer, Behoudenisse ende Vryheyt van Sijne Majesteyt: De Privilegie van 't Parlament: Ende de Vryheyt vande Onderdanen. Ende niet langher ghemaeckt te zijn het ongheluckige Instrument van d'el­lenden vanden Coninck ende Coninckrijck, tot welcken tijdt God ons inden Sin gaf ende onse herten encourage erden ende onse handen sterckten om Colonel Ramsborough af te setten van het Commandement vande Vloote. Een Man van heele verderffe­lijck bestaen, beyde in Religie ende Policie ende een bekent Vyant vanden Vrede, ende van 't oude Gouvernement van dit Coninckrijck, 't welck wy ghesworen hebben te mainteneren en­de te behouden, met ons Lyf ende Goederen. Begeerende alle eerlijcke Zee-luyden niet langer tot spot te zijn met woordē, maer u al tsamen tot ons te voeghen ende uwe handen te slaen aen so een eerlijck Werck, waer van de Eere (naest God) u sal ghegheven werden, ende de Beloninghe buyten twyffel sal naer advenant zijn, in dese Wereelt ende inde toekomende. Wy zijn langh gedruckt gheweest, inden name vanden Coninck doch teghens sijnen wil, ende tot sijn schade. Laet ons hem nu eenen Dienst doen inder daet, in deser tijt van sijne grootste afflictie, daer in God hem wonderlijcken vercloeckt ende vermogent ghemaeckt heeft om uyt te staen, ende te verdraghen, ende sal sonder twyfel ter rech­ter tijt, hem ons weder geven ende ons tot onse bekende Wetten ende Vryheyt brenghen. Siet op den Prince van Wales, staende [Page 5] Erffgenaem vande drie Croonen ende Generalissimo onder sij­nen Conincklijcken Vader, over alle Machten te Water ende te Landt. Siet op den Hertoch van Yorck Grooten Admirael van Englandt, zijnde Princen van so groote hope en verwachtinge, dat de Wereelt dier ghelijcke niet en heeft, ghekomen van het grootste Bloet in 't Christenri [...]ck, geallieert ende bevrundet met al de andre Buyten-Landtsche Potentaten, gheroepen tot de Scotsche Natie ende het meeste deel van d'onse, om het hare we­derom te kryghen die daer geene handt gehadt hebben inde el­lenden des Coninckrijcks, ende considereert by U selven met wat Godlijcke oft Menschen Wet, Sy uyt hare gherechtighe Possessie konnen gestooten werden in Ballingschap, om daer in te leven als oft het ware vande aelmoessen van vremde. Comt ende voecht U tot ons, ende U en sal niets ontbreken: Wy hebben goede Sche­pen, goede Herten, goede Handen, ende dat boven allen weert is, God ende het Recht aen onse zyde. Ende den Almachtighen Door-soecker van alle Herten wil ons so voorspoedighen in on­se Voor-nemigen, ghelijck wy voor-hebben de bevoorderinghe van sijn Glorie tot het bestendighen vande ware Protestante Reli­gie, naer sijn heyligh Woort, de Eere, Vryheyt ende goet Recht van Sijne Majesteyt tot de continuatie, vande Privilegien van 't Parlament ende vande Liberteyt vanden Orderdaen door eene egale oft gemeyne wel-gegronded Vrede.

A Declaration of the Officers and Company of Seamen aboard his Majesties Ships the Constant Reformation, the Convertine, the Swallow, the Antelope, the Satisfaction, the Hynd, the Roebuck, the Crescent, the Pellican, the Blackmore Lady; lately rescued for his Majesties service; with an Invitacion to the rest of the fleet, and their Brethren on land to joyne with them in their just undertakings.

WEE have long expected with great impatience, an happy end of our wasting divisions by meanes of a personall Treaty, so often pressed by our Brethren of Scotland, and earnestly desired by the Generalitie of the Kingdome, as ap­peareth by the late severall Petitions of the respective Counties to that purpose. But wee find by sad experience that the Indepen­dent partie, in steed of applying themselves to the settlement and composure of differences, according to their faith publi­quely given to the whole Kingdome (But most shamefully vio­lated in their proposalls of the Army) have seized into their handes, and guarrisoned all the strong places of the Kingdom, overrunning, disarming, and plundering the Country, as if it were a conquered Nation. And all this for no other cause, But that they, in an humble way had manifested their desire of peace, and to have an end of so heavy pressures, which lay uppon them, by the arbitrary power of Committees, and the uniust continuation of the Excise and Land-taxes, after the utter defeat of the Kings partie; from whose fines and Compositions they drew mony enough to have satisfied most part of the debts of the Kingdom. And Seing likewise, that the Power and Affaires of the navy, were put into such handes, as were not onely enemyes to the King and Kingedome, but euen to Monarchy it selfe, that the style of Com­missions at sea were latly altered, leauing out the Kinges name, and mentioning onely the Parliament and Army, which wee understood to bee a disinherison of his Majesty and his childeren, that wee had no settled forme of divine worshipp, no Communi­ons, little or no preaching on board, but by illiterate and me­chanique persons, that there was a designe of introducing land fouldiers into every ship to master and overawe the sea men, things so contrary to the antient Customes and Orders of the Sea, that wee thought our selves bound in conscience to doe something for the recovery of our owne right, the reestablish­ment [Page 8] of religion according to the word of God, and the co­venant solemly taken, the honor, preservation, and freedome of his Majesty, the Priviledge of Parliament, and the Liberty of the Subject, and not bee made any longer the unhappy Instruments of the misery of King and Kingedome, at which time God put it into our mindes, and incouraged our hearts, and strengthned our handes, to remove Collonel Rainsborough from the command of the fleete, a man of most destructive Principles both in Religion and Policie, and a known enemy to the peace and ancient gover­ment of this Kingedome which we have sworne to uphold and mantayne with our lives and fortunes, Desyreinge all honest sea­men not to be deluded any longer with wordes, but one and all, to joyne with us, and to put to their handes to so honest a worke, the glory whereof (next under God) will bee imputed to them, and the reward no question will bee Proportionable, both in this world, and the world to come. Wee have bin longe pressed in the Kinges name, though against his will and interest, let us now doe him some reall service in this tyme of his greate affliction, which God hath wonderfully enabled him to beare, and will doubtlesse in his good tyme restore him to us, and us to our knowne lawes and libertyes. Looke upon the Prince of Wales heir apparent of the three crownes, and Generalissimo under his Royall father of all forces by sea and land. Looke upon the Duke of Yorke Lord high Admirall of England, Princes of so much hope and forward­nes, as the world hath not the like, extracted from the highest blood in Christendome, allied to, and befreinded by all forraigne Potentates, invited by the Scottish Nation, and by the best part of ours to the recoveringe of their owne, who have had no hand in the miseryes of this Kingedome, and consider with your selves by what law of God or man they can bee thrust out of their just Pos­sessions into exile, there to live, as it were, upon the almes of strangers Come in and joyne with us, and you shall want nothing: wee have good shippes, good heartes, good handes, and which is worth all, God, and the law on our syde. And the Almighty searcher of all hearts so prosper us in our undertakings as wee Intend the advancement of his glory in the setlement of the true Protestant religion according to his holy word, the honour freedome and just rightes of his Majesty, the confirmation of the Priviledges of Parliament, and of the liberty of the subject, by an equall and wel grounded Peace.

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