VVHereas wee of the Mineral grand Jury finding by a decretal Order of our Predecessors May 28, and their Letter May 2 in answer of Tho. Bushell's Esq to incou­rage him to go on in his adventures for recovering the drown­ed works of Rowpits, which were formerly the deserted works of Sir Bevis Bulmar in the time of Q. Eliz. Reign. And whereas many of the chief Adventurers in the said Row­pits, do and have consented to surrender not only the one half of their works and Mines there, but likewise the pre­emption of the other half, paying as much as any other Mer­chant willl give, unto the said Tho. Bushell and his Assigns, when the said Tho. Bushell doth make it appear unto the Mine­rall Court for the time being, that by his and their workman­ship they be freed from the inundation of their waters. Wee of the grand Jury do Order and confirm the said Decree. And whereas wee find the said Tho. Bushell hath (in relation to his undertakings of recovering their waters) brought it so near a probability of perfection, that in time all persons of known Judgement cannot but conclude the same will be done for the general good of those that had formerly suffered by those Grooves, and likewise a president for others to follow the like example, as also the certainty of knowing the vast riches that lie in Rowpits and Green Oare: And whereas wee are informed by the said Tho. Bushell and others, of several misdemeanors committed against him by turning floods into his swallow, to choak and extirpate all his proceed­ings, stealing of his tooles from his works, depraving of his Person with scandalous language, and making new pitches in Rowpits before him, so soon as they saw the forefield of Mr. Bushell's Drift from his Swallow had but a vein of ground Oare, 4 foot wide; and 3 fathom high to cherish his chargeable undertakings, which uncivill actions of theirs [Page 2] were as we conceive contrary to all equity and good consci­ence; and in a manner [...]n Act of Tyranny in as, that Mr. Bushell should drain our waters; and wee should suffer stran­gers to take the benefit of new pitches from his adventures, to recover such drowned and forsaken works as the greatest Engineer hath deserted, when all persons have the whole Hill of Menayp to make their fortunes by such pitches, as he alledgeth, and not to discourage his desperate undertakings therein by such malitions practices, and especially to such a person as Mr. Bushell that is sent by his Highness the Lord Protector, to recover such drowned and deserted works for the publick good of the Nation, with power to dig, delve, and search in the several grounds of all his Territories by Letters Patents, paying double trespass, as well as in all vast Commons, upon hopes from such experiments to ease in time the Taxes of the Subject, and to give new birth to the drooping condition of a Miners profession; Wee of the grand Jury of Chewson (and other Workmasters and Miners) for the reasons. foresaid, and for preventing any just com­plaints to the Lord Paramount against our Lord Royall's Court of Chewton for such incivilities to the person which his Highness hath trusted in that affair, do Order and make this Decree (for the said Tho. Bushell's better incouragement) That from the day of the date of the Order May 28, all such new pitches shall be void in Rowpits and Green oare, but such as the said Tho. Bushell shall approve and allow of, and that all former works that have been wrought upon within these 5 years, and sunk 5 fathom deep, to stand good by consent, provided that they keep them lawful, and sink them to the water, when the said Tho. Bushell is come near them with his Drift of 16 fathom deep by the approbation of this grand Jury, that so the wilfulness of any malitious person might not hinder such a proceed to know the Meanders of those Mine­ral Rakes in their deepor search, and the way to go to then recoveries, for their own good afwell as Mr. Bushell's reputa­tion in the attempt of that great design. And whereas the [Page 3] said Tho. Bushell doth aver, that he never did intend to make it a Mine Royall by his Art and Skill (to the prejudice of us, our Laws and Liberties) as it was reported, unless it were against the interest of some cross-grain'd scurrilous fel­low, that will not be governed by our own grand Jury, but rather contest with his Highness right to Rowpits, and bids defiance to prerogative Power, or are back'd by a malitious faction that would hinder the growth of the Lord Chancellor Bacons Philosophy in recovering the same for the glory of the Nation these considerations, and at our request to him upon the aforesaid agreement that he would shew his quondam Masters Philosophy for recovering Rowpits and Green oare from their inundations of water, which is well known to us to be rich in the treasures of Ledd, and to free other works of greater moment from their contagious damps, that now lie deserted, on purpose that the overplus of their revenew, proceeding from such a deplorable condition, and raised by the hand of Providence and Industry, might go (as Mr. Bushell did likewise aver, upon the word of a Gen­tleman) to charitable uses of discovering richer Mettals exprest in his late Remonstrance to his Highness, as well as by his late Will and Testament, for the first fruits thereof to ledd the Tower and Schoole in the Church of Wells. Wee of the grand Jury do likewise make this Order and Decree, That if any misdemeanor as aforesaid, shall be proved to be done against the said Tho. Bushell, his Agents, Servants, or works, such are not only to be banished the occupation upon Mendyp, but wee do humbly implore his Highness to send them to the Mines of Jamaica, that they may not infect others, nor bring by their exorbitant corses more scandall upon the whole profession of a Miners innocent calling; since we are satisfied in our consciences, that the way of Mr. Bushell's Mineral proceedings, will in this Age bring wonderfull things to pass, and be admired in the next, for the glory of the Nation, And especially when as the said Tho. Bushell doth aver that he wil transport all his rich Western [Page 4] Mines, lying upon the Sea-side, which are or shall be disco­vered in Wales, Devon, Cornwall and Ireland, unto the Port or Haven at Uphill, to receive their true separations according to the Lord Chancellor Bacons Philosophy, and so to be minted in the adjacent City of Wells for satisfying all returns as well as to pay the Miner with his own Coyn, and (without any further salary then in one place) to pay the whole of that Commerce.