IN my last of the 15 of April, I gave your Lordship an Accompt how Affaires then stood in the Custome-house at London, and what I conceived would be the Issue in relation to those many Par­ticulars then signified unto your Lordship: since which time, things have fallen according to our owne hearts desire, the Gentlemen at Westminster having turn'd out all the cunning Knaves or old Officers at the Custome-house for the Port of London, without so much as giving them any Charge of their Delinquency: Their Names are, Sir John Jacobs, Sir Thomas Dawes, Mr. Jo: Holloway, Mr. William Tonces, Richard Chambers Alderman, Mr. Edgar, Mr. Henry Kersley, Mr. Edward Brewer, Mr. William Thornbury, Mr. Ratcliff, Mr. Richard Lane, Mr. Wilmor, Mr. Edward Watkins, Robert Wakeman, Mr. Leaver, Jo: Norwood, Jeford Baily, Mr. Euer, Mr. Edw: Pelling, Mr. Christo­pher Rotheram, Mr. Cheatwood, Mr. Broden, Mr. John Blunke, Ma­ster John Davis, and Mr. Adam Edwards: these are the chiefe men-chashired in the Port of the City of London, besides many score more, whose Names at this present I cannot send unto your Lordship, in regard I have not yet had time and opporuunity to procure them, from my Friends the Committee in Mincing-lane, with whom I have the felicity to hold a strict Correspondence; especially with Mr. Moyer, Mr. Shute, and Mr. Penoyer, three prime Saints: into whose Acquaintance I have so scrued my self, that at any time they will unbosome themselves, and entertaine me with as much confidence, as if I were a reall Member of the [Page 2]godly Fraternity. But we must use all Arts to bring things about underhand by sleight, since we are not yet in a condition to act openly; and so I can effect the businesse wherein I have the ho­nour to be ingaged, I shall make no scruple (as the Proverb saies) to light a Candle to the Devill, and Court his Creatures: For, I have so cajoled these three Wittals in the Courses they have taken, that (I dare say) they have (though much against their wills, God wot) done more for 102. than all the Carpet-Knights of our Cavalry ever did with their Drinking of Healths.

But here (my Lord) before I proceed, be your Lordship plea­sed (with me) to admire the wonderfull Justice of God, in the sweet Justice done by the Gentlemen of Westminster, toward these old Officers of the Custome-house before-named; who ha­ving (for their owne private respects) made shipwrack of their Loyalty, and imbarqued Themselves, their Lives, and Estates, in the Service of their good Masters at Westminster, to the destru­ction of the King, Nobility, and Gentry, receive no other reward but to be turn'd off (without any Cause shewne) like prophane Delinquents, with their Wives and Children, to share in the com­mon Calamity: So that the good men at Westminster have dealt (I may say) with these their good Servants, as the mercifull Turke did with an Italian whom he had in his power, promising him Life if he would renounce Christianity and turn Mahometan; which the Italian had no sooner done, but the Turke immediatly cut his Throat, reckoning it too small a Revenge to destroy the Body, except he damned his Soule too: In like manner, the old Officers of the Custome-house having been drawne by the Sugge­stions of the two Houses from that Allegiance they owed unto His Majesty, meerly to preserve Themselves of Office, have now lived to see themselves turn'd out of all: and so They may even go to the Devill for a Reward, since They are like to fare no better from those their mercifull Masters.

Now (my Lord) that which tickles me most, is, to see how finely I have managed the Interest I had with the Committee of Mincing-lane, in making Them the Instruments to destroy the Customs of the City of London, and let many Advantages slip by private Conveyances beyond-sea to His Majesty: For, wel-know­ing that little could passe a Discovery as long as the old Foxes [Page 3]were in office; therefore the principall worke was so to order the matter that they might be turn'd out to make roome for new ones; which falling out as ones heart would have wish'd, the Men of Westminster have put in a Company of their owne Creatures, a sort of crack'd Citizens, and ignorant Rascals, Fel­lowes that have been frighted out of halfe a dozen Religions and Factions, that what with the sharking of some, and the ignorance of others, the Customs will not amount to halfe so much as they did formerly: And this I humbly intreat your Lordship to assure 102. of, with my humblest Service to him, upon all Occasions.

One thing (my Lord) I had almost forgot, which Moyer him­self told me; how that now he had cried quittance with Watkins the Head-Searcher, for seizing on his Lead at Graves end, by causing M. Walton of the House of Commons, and the Committee of Mincing-lane to report his Place to be unnecessary. Po [...] take them, that they did not make this Report a yeare agoe; For, then J. P. had received the two hundred pounds which that Fox Watkins seized on: But he being taken out of the way, we shall deale well enough with the new Novices, and send over G. freely to supply our Friends; For, no man but Watkins (with his Birds­eyes) can prie so narrowly, or know how to make a stop of trans­porting Money. Sometimes I have crack'd a Cup with him to sooth him in his way; and when he is once in, he sayes, he finds Gold in Moore-Fields, and Silver at the Custome house: And though then the Fatling looks like the God of good Company, as if he minded little else, yet sure I am he is a subtile Youth and hath notable intelligence, as if (like our new Saints) he drove a Trade in Vision and Revelation, and tumbles like a Firkin in eve­ry corner: In earnest, I know him to be a very crafty Fellow in his Place; and I thinke it none of my least Services to 102. in breaking the neck of his Imployment; which I effected by the meanes of Master Walton, Master Moyer, and the Committee of Mincing-lane: I have likewise by setting Friends of mine upon Master Wilson of the Councell of State, made him very active a­gainst Watkins that he may never come to play againe: And this Master Wilson may be the rather induced to, in regard himselfe and the Guinny Company are resolved to transport all their Gold which lately came home from Holland, and it amounts to [Page 4]about 30000 l. which I request your Lordship to signifie to 102.

And that your Lordship may know who they are of the Com­mittee in Mincing-lene, with whom I correspond, I shall give you their Names; and by the way I must tell you, I manage my Cor­respondence with each of them so warily, that not one of them knowes I deale at all with the other: they are the two Thomp­sons, Master Shute, Master Russell, the two Penoyers M. Hutchinson, Master Moyer, and Master Bartlet; a refined Generation that count Gaine great Godlinesse, and therefore lie at catch to ad­vance Themselves and their Creatures upon the ruines of others, and put any Tricks (for their Profit) upon the Accompt of the Publique: And though they have all had a hand in undoing the old Officers; yet it is sport to see, how they disclaime the busi­nesse one after another, when any of those Officers come to in­treat their Favour; which they grant them onely in faire words, confessing it is a sad businesse, and they are sorry, whenas their Designes are to keep them out of their Offices for ever, and expose their Wives and Children to Beggery; which makes the poore cashired Starvelings consider now, that it is an ill way to gaine a Livelyhood by forfeiting their Loyalty: And it may con­vince the world of this Truth, that it is (and ever hath been) usuall with all Master-Rebels and Usurpers, when they have once gotten their ends, first to rid their hands of those who have been most serviceable to them in their Usurpation, and levell those very Steps and Staires by which they ascended to their height of Greatnesse.

Therefore as they have given a Purge to all the old Officers at the Custome-house of London, I assure your Lordship the Men of Westminster intend likewise to proceed in the same Method to the cashiring all the Officers of the Out-Ports, it being designed al­ready that they shall follow the Fate of their Brethren; And here I shall set downe a List of their Names, as they were de­livered to me by one of my Friends in the Mincing Committee, Edward Nuttall, and Edward Man, of Ipswich. John Burgis, Henry Shield, Barwick. Tho. Welby, George Sten, Boston. William Bond, Hugh Nuttlebury, Bridgwater. Luke Hodges, Thomas Shewell, Will: Hill, Hugh Lewis, Bristol. Hugh Lindsey, Will: Edwards, Che­ster. Edward Herbert, Jo: Bird, Cardiff. Jo: Row, Mr. Cockeram, [Page 5]Chichester. Vincent de-la-bare, Richard Davis Bomkeeper. Dover. Richard Sanders, Walter Dibble, Exon. Robert Hill, Sam: Bruston, Gloucester. Matthew Aldred, Rob: Morton, Tho: Somerscall, Hull. Henry Creamer, Tho: Tole, Lyn. John Bowen, Nicholas Squire, Mil­ford. George Fenwicke, George Blakiston, Newcastle. Nich: Opie, Henry Hatsell, Plymouth. Henry Champant, Tho: Tulfsis, Mat­thew Lock, Southampton. Robert Fowler, Rochester. George Plea, Thomas Walton, Weymouth. Will: Greenwood, Will: Barret, Yar­mouth. John Robinson, Graves-end: who are all designed to lose their Places, as the Officers of the Custome-house have done at London; And many of them are so poore, (their Livelyhood de­pending on their Places) that their Families must go a begging; yet they shall be put out without any cause shewne, save onely the will of the Gentlemen of the Committee of Mincing-lane; whereby they will be made as sad Examples of disloyalty as their Brethren of the Custome-house at London.

I beseech your Lordship faile not to let 102. see this Accompt, which I hope to bring to such an Issue as may conduce much to his Service: For, when all the old Officers of the Ports are once cashired, the new Ignoramuses will contribute to our advantage beyond imagination, as well as the Ignorance and Covetousnesse of the Brethren of the Mincing Committee hath done at the Custome-house of London pretty well already: For, besides the benefit of privy Transportation (which the new Owles wil never espie) half the Customs must needs be lost through their want of discretion; which wil no more displease the Merchants, in having an opportunity to cosen that Thing call'd the State, than it will me to see Things at the same passe in the Out-Ports, as they are now at London: Concerning which, I shall labour and watch to give a farther Accompt unto you,