WHereas the Reports are various concerning the going beyond Se [...]s of six or the eleven Members: And that some hath under­taken to put it in Print con­contrary to Truth: I shall therefore brief­ly and truly set it downe, as followeth.

Sir Philip Stapleton: Sir William Lewis: Sir William Waller: Sir John Clotworthy, and Mr. Long: hired a small Ketch to trans­port them to Holland: which Ketch be­longed unto one Greene, being let to them for twenty pounds, halfe whereof was paid in hand, and the other halfe at their landing, and sixtie pounds securitie: gi­ven for to Insure the Ketch: All this was done by the consent of the said Green: The place where they were to be receiv'd: was Should-Haven, a little below Tilbury-Hope: where foure of these Gentlemen came by Land, and Sir Iohn Clotworthy in a paire of Oares by Gravesend: who all met there, and imbarked themselves; Green like a craftie fellow, having re­ceiv'd the moitie of his Money, puts in another Master to goe over with the Ves­sel, and as soone as the Gentlemen were imbarked, goes up to the Block-house to Gravesend, and there informes Captaine Redman, that they were gone away with his Vessell, with a great deale of Treasure.

Whereupon, the said Captaine gives [Page 5]him a Warrant to pursue, and make stay of them, and to that purpose sent a Trooper with him, who comming downe into Kent, before Marrget espied this Ketch and there told the Marrget men that they were runne away with his Ketch, and had fifteen Portmantuas of Treasure a­bord.

The men of Marrget very readily beat up their Drums, & manned A Doggerboate, that was bound to New-Castle, and one Roger Lamings had the command of her, who a little before had a Commission from some of these Gentlemen, to raise a Company against the Armie, and received ten pounds in Money, and had raised some force.

This Lamings pursued after them tho­rough the Downes; but they were gone two or three leagues a head of: so calling to the Nicodemas, a Frigat under my Com­mand: who presently let slip, and follow­ed him, and halfe Seas over brought her up: who very readily and willingly came backe with them to me: so that she was [Page 6]not brought back by Laminges as is sugge­sted.

This sixteenth of August, at night, the Nicodemas brought back the vessell, with the Members, whom I tooke abord the Ship, and secured the Vessell, and about eight a clock at night, sent away Lamings to Marget, to see what Green, or any o­thers had any pretences against them: charging him to be back in the morning early.

The seventeenth, in the Morning I called a Councell of Warre, the Result whereof was, that in regard these Members had all severall passes, from the Speaker of the House of Commons: dated the tenth, and eleventh of August, and an Order of both Houses to the Speaker for granting them: It was held fit to dismisse them; After their Vessell was searched by Sir Georg Askew, Captaine Crandley, Captaine Moore, Captaine Passey: the Master of the Ketch, and divers others, where was nothing found, but five Portmantuas: with a suit for each of waring Apparell, and the like [Page 7]necessaries, and not a pennie of money as was suggested; and about twelve a clock, no man appearing from Marget, they were dismist, in regard of the extreame sick­nesse of Sir Phillip Stapleton, that he might not lie another night on the water, but land at Callis before night, where hee is since dead: About two a clock that after­noone, Lamings returned with Greene, and the Trooper with Captaine Redmans War­rant; the Vessell then being neare halfe Seas ove, And whereas it is reported, and prin­ted, that they were reviled, and basely used, tis utterly false; the Trooper was shewed their Passes, who was therewith satisfied, and dranke a cup of Wine: It is true, that I told Greene and Lamings of their knaverie.

And for Mr. Hollis, he came not to mee till the twentie one, and brought the Spea­kers Passe of the eleventh: and an Order of the Committe of the Admiralty of the thirteenth, for a Ship to transport him, who went out of the Downes the two and twen­tieth in the morning, upon the Leopard: [Page 8]who was bound toward St. Mallo, on ano­ther designe.

Thus have I given a short and true Re­lation of the businesse, which I will justifie to the world: and have all their Passes and papers to make it good.