BEfore these shall come to your hand▪ I make no doubt but M. Nicholls of the House of Commons hath made both Houses a Relation of what hath passed here since I re­ceived His Majesties Letters for the discharging me of the Command of the Fleet wherewith I was entrusted, How I called a Coun­cell of Warre, and acquainted them with His Ma­jesties Letters, and likewise with the Ordinance of Parliament, sent from the Houses for me to conti­nue my Charge: I confesse it was a great streight that I was put in, between two Commands that have so much power over me: But when I consi­der the great care which I have ever observed in the Parliaments of this Kingdom for the good and safe­ty of the King and Kingdom, and every mans par­ticular [Page 4] in them; And that they are that great Coun­cell by whose Authority the Kings of England have ever spoken to their Subjects; And likewise that the Trust of His Fleet for the defence of His Ma­j [...]sty and the Kingdoms was committed to me by them; And knowing the integrity of my own heart to His Majesty and Parliament, I resolved not to de­sert that Charge committed to my Trust, wherein God (blessed be his Name for it) hath made me hitherto so successefull, but to continue it untill I shall be revoked by that Authority that hath en­trusted me with it: Which having declared to my Captains at the Councell of Warre, all of them unanimously and cheerfully took the same Reso­lution, excepting five, which was the Rere-Admirall, Captain Fogge, Captain Barley, Cap­tain Slingsby, and Captain Wake, All which five refused to come upon my Summons, as having no Authority over them, and got together round that night to make their defence against me, one­ly Captain Burley came in and submitted to me. Whereupon in the morning I weighed my An­chors, and caused the rest of my Ships so to do, and came to an Anchor round about them, and besieged them; And when I had made all things ready, I summoned them: Sir John Mennes, [Page 5] and Captain Fogge came in to me; but Cap­tain Slingsby and Captain Wake stood out: Where­upon I let fly a Gunne over them, and sent them word I had turned up the Glasse upon them, if in that space they came not in, they must look for for me aboord them. I sent to them by my Boat, and most of the Boats in the Fleet; their answer was so peremptory, that my Masters and Saylors grew so impatient on them, That al­though they had no Arms in their Boats at all, yet God gave them such Courage and Resoluti­on, as in a moment they entered them, took hold on their Shrouds, and seized upon these Captains, being armed with their Pistolls and Swords, and struck their Yards and top Masts, and brought them both in to me; The like Cou­rage and Resolution was never seen amongst un­armed men, so as all was ended without effusion of blood, which I must attribute to to the great God of heaven and earth onely, who in the mo­ment that I was ready to give fire on them, put such courage into ours men to act it, and so saved much blood.

I hope the Parliament will think of some course for all our Indempnities, and especially for [Page 6] the Officers of the Navy, and principall for the Sur­veyor of the Navy, my Vice-Admirall, a very able and good man, For my self, I doubt not but they that put me in this employment, will preserve me for serving them faithfully.

I pray you Sir be a means to Sir Robert Pye, and M. Green, that some money may be sent us; for it hath been often promised, but hear not of it. The weather continuing stormy so long together, that we spend our Masts, and top Masts, or some detri­ment or other falls upon us daily, so that we are in great extremity for want of money.

Thus, having nothing else to trouble you for the present, onely that you will be pleased to acquaint your House of Commons with our proceedings here; I bid you farewell, and rest,