A true narrative of som [sic] remarkable-proceedings concerning the ships Samson, Salvador, and George, and several other prize-ships depending in the High Court of Admiralty; humbly presented to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England, and the Councell of State, and the Councell of Officers of his excellency the Lord Generall. / By Tho. Violet of London, gold-smith.

TO THE PARLIAMENT of the Common-wealth of ENGLAND. The humble Petition of THO. VIOLET Sheweth,

THat your Petitioner, in December laſt, finding the Common-wealth daily deceived in ſeverall Prizes that had beene unduly diſcharged in the Court of Admiraltie, and elſe where ſince Auguſt laſt, to the value of many hundred thouſand pounds, which frauds, if continued, had proved highly prejudiciall to the Common-wealth, by enabling the Dutch in their miſchievous practiſes to circumvent and eclipſe the glory of this Nation, and all this conſtantly acted by ſome Merchants, and others, by compliance with ſome perſons in truſt in the Admiraltie.

For prevention thereof for the future, your Petitioner did about the eighth of December laſt, deliver in writing unto the Lord Bradſhawe a Paper, diſcovering that at that preſent time, a practiſe and combination was ſet on foote and acted againſt the State, by ſeverall Merchants, and others, who at that time (combining with ſome publique miniſters of forraigne Princes, did endeavor and plot to put a blind on the Parliament and Councell of State, and having the connivance and aſsiſtance of ſome perſons in power and truſt for the Common-wealth and Admiraltie, contrived by fraud, falſe pretences and claimes, to get cleered out of the Admiraltie, ſeverall ſhips taken as prize, but moſt eſpicially three rich Ships, viz. the Sampſon, the George, and the Salvador, in which ſhips your Petitioner had certaine intelligence there was many hundred thouſand pounds of Silver, and Merchandize for the accompt of ſeverall people in Amſterdam, Dort, and other places of the united-Provinces (your Petitioner having beene imployed by the late King and his Councell, for making known many ſecret practiſes of the like nature unto them) your Petitioner out of his affection to the proſperitie of this Common-wealth, did undertake to the Lord Bradſhawe to unmaske theſe frauds.

In purſuance whereof, your Petitioner knowing how much it did concerne this Common-wealth to have theſe abuſes diſcovered and made known, hee delivered ſeverall Papers unto ſeverall Members of the late Councell of State, and to Doctor Walker in December and January laſt, which did manifeſt by what waies and practiſes theſe abuſes were daily committed, which ſervice was ſo acceptable to many of the Councell of State, that your Petitioner had an aſſurance from many of them, in the behalf of the Common-wealth, that if your Petitioner could intitle the State to the Silver in the aforeſaid ſhips, and make it out by ſufficient proofe; then he ſhould have all his Eſtate both reall and perſonall reſtored unto him, which is under ſequeſtration upon malicious and untrue information, or the full value thereof, which amounted unto the ſome of eleven thouſand pounds, to bee paid unto your Petitioner out of the Silver which your Petitioner ſhould gaine to the Common-wealth, out of the aforeſaid prize-ſhips, which by your Petitioners painfull endeavors, and to his great and vaſt expence was then accordingly ſtayed, and proofe made to entitle the State to all the Silver which is now coyning in the Tower.

Notwithſtanding the ſtrong combinations and deſignes of ſome in the Court of Admiraltie, and ſome other, great ones in power, to defraud the Common-wealth, as was intimated by Maſter James Stanieres letter, and in truth your Petitioner hath run as great hazard of being ruined both in his eſtate and perſon, for his proteſting in the behalfe of the Commonwealth, againſt the diſcharge of theſe ſhips and Silver, which had then, without your Petitioners proteſt in Court, beene all diſcharged, and at that time the Dutch had ſuch a party, even in the Councel of State, that by ſom of them your petitioner was diſcouraged to proceed in this buſines, by which means the merchants were encouraged to claime, as is well known to many hundreds of Merchants in London, inſomuch as your petitioner was enforced, in the face of the Court to charge ten ſeverall Merchants, who were then all in the Court of Admiraltie, for fraudulent practiſes, in laboring to diſcharge the ſaid Ships; and your petitioner did then declare to the Judges in the Court of Admiraltie, that if they did diſcharge the ſaid Ships and Silver, upon any pretence of any Merchants or other perſons whomſoever, before your petitioners witneſſes were examined, they did not Judge, but give away the Common-wealths Treaſure, and that your petitioner did appeale to the Parliament againſt their proceedings to diſcharge the Silver; which did ſo exaſperate the Judges in the Admiraltie, that they complained to the Councell of State againſt your petitioner, for endeavoring to ſtay the Silver and ſaid ſhips, and upon full examination of the buſineſſe before the Committee of forraigne-affaires, theſe ſhips were notwithſtanding ordered to be ſtaid, and your petitioner ordered to proſecute with all expedition and vigilance, in the behalfe of the Common-wealth,, for entitling the State to it, which he hath done accordingly. Your Petitioner therefore humbly prayes your Honors to bee pleaſed to conſider the greatneſſe of your petitioners ſervice, in ſtaying the Treaſure in December laſt, and diſcovering the frauds of ſome in the Admiraltie, at ſuch time when the Hollander was domaniering in the Downes, and how much it did weaken them and diſappoint their occaſions, and what an advantage it is to the Common-wealth to have the State accomodated with neere foure hundred thouſand pounds of the enemies Treaſure, in this conjuncture of time, for your petitioners doing thereof hee hath contracted the malice of many hundred Merchants.

In conſideration of all which Services, your Petitioner humbly prayes his Sequeſtration may bee diſcharged, and his eſtate both reall and perſonall reſtored unto him, or the true value thereof paid him, as was promiſed your Petitioner upon his undertaking this buſineſſe, or that your Honors would take ſuch Order for your Petitioners reliefe in the Premiſes as by your grave Wiſedomes ſhall bee thought agreeable to Juſtice.

And, as in duty bound, your Petitioner ſhall pray, &c.

A Copie of a Paper preſented the eighth of December 1652. to the Lord Bradſhaw and Maſter Allen, by Thomas Violet, who the ſame day delivered the ſaid Paper to the Councel of State, and the Councel upon ſeveral debates before the Comittee of Forraigne affaires Ordered, the 13. of December 1652. the ſaid Tho. Violet to aſſiſt, on the behalf of the Commonwealth, the proſecution in the high Court of Admiralty againſt the ſhips Samſon, Salvador and George, which had then aboard all the ſilver now coyning in the Tower, and that he ſhould repair to D. VValker, Advocate for the Comonwealth, and acquaint him from time to time what he had to offer on behalf of the publique in reference to the ſaid Ships.

MAy it pleaſe your Honor, having underſtood from ſome Merchants that the Councel of State have referred the Spaniſh Ambaſſadors claime to a great quantity of Treaſure, which hee pretends to bee his Maſters, the King of Spaines ſilver, and all the ſilver belonging to his Maſters ſubjects (unto the Admiralty, there to receive a Judgement according to the equity of the cauſe.) In all humilitie I acknowledge the Juſtice of the Admiralty, and that I beleeve they will doe their utmoſt, both for doing the Spaniſh Ambaſſador right, and to ſee the State ſhall have what belongs juſtly to them.

But withall I thinke it my duty to acquaint you, that the proceedings in the Admiralty muſt goe according to the formes of that Court, except the Judges receive ſome extraordinary direction from the Parliament or the Councel of State in this weighty buſineſſe; now I humbly ſay, the proceedings at Law will take ſo much time up that the Merchants will ſend into Spayne for new cocquets, and new Bills of lading, and for money no doubt they will get a poſt-Regiſtring, and I am confident there are many in London can write and counterfeit Bills of lading and Cockets and never ſend into Spayne for them; beſides, I have good reaſon to beleeve the hearts, purſes, heads and books of accounts of many Merchants of London, will be all ready to asſiſt the Dutch-Merchants to cozen the State of this Treaſure; and truly my humble opinion is, that if any publike miniſters can by their policy get all this ſilver out of the Parliaments hands, that then they will bee extraordinarily rewarded by them of Holland for ſalvage of this Treaſure, it will be beyond Commiſsion, money or factoridge.

And as the conjuncture of time ſtands between us and the Dutch this preſent moneth of December, ſome publique Miniſters in England will have the profitableſt employment of any Ambaſſador in the World, if they can chriſten all Hollanders goods and Treaſure with the name of Antwerpians, Oſtenders and Dunkirkers; or by his or their power can make all goods laden in Hamburgers or Hance townes, that thoſe goods muſt of neceſsity belong to Hamborough, when I have certaine profe to juſtifie the contrary, and I humbly deſire, before the ſhips be diſcharged, my witneſſes may be all examined, and upon the perill of my life I will prove that in theſe ſhips there are great quantities of ſilver for the Accompt of Hollanders, and people of the united Provinces.

I having formerly beene privy to the proceedings of Merchants that have tranſported gold and ſilver out of this Nation, and alſo acquainted with ſeveral Merchants that have yeerely imported ſilver from Spayne, I thought it my duty to acquaint you, that if the Parliament and Councel of State be not very vigilant in this buſineſſe; and of the proceedings about the ſilver, they will be cozened of their right, for there will be no ſtone left unturned both by the Merchants beyond Seas and here, to circumvent the State of this Treaſure.

This that I ſay, I ſpeake not out of ill will to the Hollander, for there are ſeveral of the Councel of State did me the honor to aske me what I thought of a Peace or Warre; I ever, with all humilitie, told thoſe that asked mee; that there could never come a more ſafe nor honorable thing to the State, then to conclude a ſafe and honorable Peace with Holland, yet though I loved them very well while wee had Peace, I reſpect them not now during the time of Warre, after ſuch a rate that they by craft ſhould cozen the State of this great Treaſure, which is now taken, if to the uttermoſt of my power I could hinder it, or ad any thing to the ſtop of it; and knowing what great miſchiefs would come to this Nation, if I did not make your Honors acquainted with theſe practiſes; I thinke I am bound, as any Engliſh-man, not to feare the face of any, though I know it will get mee ill will, and a ſhrewd turne, even with ſom great ones in power; this ſervice ſhall beare me record how faithfully I ever loved and doe love my Countrey, and convince all thoſe that have miſrepreſented mee to the State, that after ſo long oppreſſion I may have my Eſtate reſtored; and this is the true reaſon wherfore I humbly preſent this Paper to your Honor, vizt.

My Lord, when the King of Spaynes fleete returns to ſaint Lucar, there lies out alwaies beyond the bar of ſaint Lucar, which is out of the command of the Caſtle, ſeveral ſhips of all Nations, and theſe lie there purpoſely to take in ſilver and gold, coucheneele, and all other India commodities ſo ſtolne aboard, which ſome yeeres there hath beene impoſed above twenty in the hundred for Regiſtring.

Theſe goods being ſhipped, as aforeſaid, then the Maſter of the ſhip that takes them in, uſually ſignes three Bills, beſide the Regiſter of his owne bookes, which in time of Warre are many; and every Captaine, Maſter or Purſer muſt keepe and carry with him one, to enter all parcels and accounts: One bill of theſe three the Merchant uſually ſends along with the ſhip, with a letter of advice to the Merchant, what he hath ſent him, the markes and weight, or number of Ingots, or peeces of eight, and the marks and number of all bails, fardels, cheſts or caske: Another of theſe bills is ſent over land uſually by the Poſt, with letters of advice of ſuch goods, gold and ſilver, and thoſe bills a ſhipboard they alter according to the courſe they are to ſteere; if it be through the chanell of one two or three enemies, they will ſhew ſeverall bills of lading and bookes of entries, but thoſe bills that goe by land are alwaies the true bills, the other bills in theſe times are uſually amuſements to defraude the State, but uſually thoſe that come by the Poſt are the true bills, but for thoſe on ſhip-board uſually the Merchants know a moneth ſooner then the ſhips coming by Sea, what gold and ſilver or comodities his Factor hath ſhipped, and in what ſhips, and gives order accordingly at Dover, or other Ports in this Nation, for ſending his goods to ſeverall places beyond Sea, or to London, according as advice ſhall be given him, where the beſt market is; the third bill is alwaies kept in the Factors hands to ſue the Maſter, if he doth not deliver the Goods according to his Bills of lading: And if the Maſter deliver the Goods, the receipts on any one of the true Bills of Lading diſcharges the other two Bills.

That the State would be pleaſed to deſire any publique Agents that lay claim, to ſhew the originall Warrants (for ſending away this ſilver from Spain, either at Cales or S. Lucars, or other Ports) bills of lading or his originall Letters, ſuch as he or they will ſtand upon his or their honor are the true originalls out of Spain, taken at Saint Lucar or Cadiz, and that exact copies may be taken by the Admiralty, and this to be done forthwith, and that they put in all their claims they make to any Goods, gold or ſilver in theſe ſhips very ſodainly, upon their honor to be juſt and true claims without any guile or fraud.

That the State will be pleaſed to take order, that the Admirallty ſtrictly examine all the chief Factors and Mariners of theſe ſhips, what Country men they are? where there aboad is? whether they doe not goe by falſe names? and to give a juſt anſwer at their perill; and which of them belongs to Holland? and whether they have made any Bills of Lading falſly at Sea, or in the Downs, or ſince they came into England and antedated the ſame? if done, by whoſe advice? and who were privy unto it? or have defaced or torn leaves out of their books of Invoyces? or altered their Bills or Books ſince they came from Spain? and who were preſent at the doing thereof?

That they give you an accompt where each of them lye, and at whoſe houſe in Saint Katherines, or elſewhere, what Merchants in London they know, or have communication with? and who are their Factors? and ſet down their names, where each particular man dwells.

That they declare upon oath, who they know hath ſent beyond Seas to have the ſilver and gold and commodities claimed by the State regiſtred in Spayne, ſince the ſtay of the treaſure here, and what men in London have beene advizing and aſsiſting that way, and where they dwell, and what Notaries or others in London have given them advice concerning the premiſſes.

What Merchants they know have promiſed any publique Miniſters of State any ſummes of money, and what agreement or ſatisfaction they ſhould have, if hee, or they, could get the ſilver claimed by him or them, into his or their hands, and ſent beyond Seas; to name what Merchants that live in England, and what Nation ſoever have had any treatie or agreement with them, or any publique miniſters or others, for the purpoſe and intents aforeſaid.

My humble ſuit to your Lordſhip is, that the Councel of State would be pleaſed to uſe all the expedition they can in the buſineſſe, and to ſettle ſome ſtrict order in it, for if they give the Merchants time to ſend to Spayne, the Merchants will there have what things regiſtred, and upon whoſe accompt they pleaſe; and ſeeing that here they cannot have one penny, if that we prove the ſilver and commodities belong to Holland, they are and will be conſtrained to goe to Spayne, and there, though it be a confiſcation to ſend away ſilver before it be Regiſtred, without the Kings Licence, yet the great Officers and Stateſmen to have a good ſhare, in all probability will get the Kings pardon, and to give what Certificats ſhall bee deſired, as they have formerly done in Otho Georges caſe (provided the Dutch will pay well for it.) To prevent which, there is nothing but expedition, before they have learned their leſſon from Spayne; if theſe Merchants which claime this ſilver would ſpeake truth, they know almoſt all this Silver is for the accompt of Amſterdam, Dort, and Netherland merchant. My Lord, if the State in the examination of theſe particulars will command my ſervice in this buſineſſe, by Gods aſsiſtance I ſhall give you a good Accompt, I ſhall with all readines attend it faithfully, & to the uttermoſt of my power doe my duty; for to have this plot diſcovered highly concernes the Commonwealth; I have beene privie to their ſecret practiſes of tranſporting of Treaſure to all parts of Chriſtendome, out of this Nation, therfore may know the way to unravell this ſecret combination ſooner then others; for I am aſſured no man in this Nation hath had the oportunitie to know theſe waies as I doe, for I was imployed in theſe diſcoveries, by the late King and his Councell many yeeres; and my Lord, an old Deere-ſtealer is the beſt Keeper of a Parke.

It may ſo chance that it may be pretended that all the ſilver that is in theſe ſhips, and not Regiſtred, is the King of Spaynes, as by the law it is, if it were ſeized in Flanders, or the King of Spaynes dominions; but this pretence if ſet on foote, will hold no water here, as I humbly conceive, for wee are not to anſwere to that point: the Merchant had beene lyable in Spayn or at Dunkirke to have anſwered the Lawe for tranſporting treaſure before it be Regiſtred in Spayne, but coming into our harbours, as a prize of Holland, and they being enemies to this State, wee are not to be accountable for what theſe goods or monies owes the ſtate of Spayne for want of Regiſtring them, nor any perſon ſuffered to claime more then is Regiſtred in Spayne, and the State have, cleere ſatisfaction of the reall truth of that claime; for they, having cozened the King of his duties, intended to bring this treaſure home to each Hollander upon their private accompt; and this queſtion, I humbly deſire to have your honors put to any forraigne Agent that claimes, whether he or they lay claim to the treaſure as forfeit to his or their Maſter, for want of Regiſtring, or that he or they claim it as all ſhipt for his Maſters and his ſubjects proper accompt, upon cleere and juſt bills of lading in Spayne? my humble Petition is, that they be deſired to anſwere upon his or their Honors that point.

The Dutch Merchants that are concerned in this ſilver, are ſo well verſed in making falſe entries, double bills of lading, Certificates, Charterparties, and all other frauds of this nature, that if they have time given them to hatch their egges, there ſhall be neither a bar of ſilver nor peeces of eight but what they will bring a Certificate out of Spayne for the Regiſtring it, eyther for the King of Spaynes proper accompt or for his Subjects or Hamburgers; they will finde any Nation to lay clayme unto it, ſaving the right owners, which in truth is the Merchants of Amſterdam and Netherlands, and you may reſt aſſured the Dutch will rather ſet on foote any pretended clayme, eyther Spanyards or Antwerpians to deceive us, rather then that the Engliſh ſhould have it they care not who hath it, for they know we ſhall lay all this money out in powder and ſhot for them, and they no doubt will leave no ſtone unroled to prevent us in that particular, if great care be not taken in this buſineſſe.

All the Premiſſes conſidered, I humbly deſire your Honor that the Councel of State may know of theſe my moſt humble propoſitions, and take ſuch Order in it, as the greatneſſe of the cauſe requires, for the ſafety and benefit of the Common-wealth, all which I humbly ſubmit to your Honors great wiſdome, and remaine

My Lord, your humble ſervant THO. VIOLET. Decemb. 8. 1652. Monday the 13. of December 1652. At the Councel of State at White-hall.

ORDERED, That Master Thomas Violet doe aſsiſt in the behalfe of the Common-wealth, in the proſecution of this preſent Suit, in the high Court of Admiralty, againſt the ſhips Samſon, Salvador and George. And that hee doe repaire to Doctor Walker, Advocate for the Common-wealth, and acquaint him from time to time, what hee hath to offer on the behalfe of the Publique in Reference to the ſaid Ships.

Ex. John Thurloe Cleark of the Councel. A Breviat of ſeverall Papers delivered to Doctor Walker, & ſeverall of the Committee of Forraigne affaires, ſince tht 13. of December 1652. to the 27. of January 1652. according to an Order of the Councel of State of the 13, of December laſt, concerning ſeverall prize-ſhips, and the ſilver and merchandize therein, with a Letter to Doctor Walker the 29. of January 1652. concerning all the Premiſſes. Dr. WALKER, My ſervice preſented.

SIR, the Bullion, Money and Merchandize at preſent under queſtion in the ſhips Sampſon, Salvador and George, depending in the Admiralty, is of ſo great and conſiderable a value, and of ſo high concernment in preſident, and other relation to the Common-wealth, and moſt of it ſo probable to prove lawfull prize, if timely and duly proſecuted, and the paſſengers in the ſaid ſhips, and other witneſſes I have preſented to Maſter Bud to be examined; it behoves the State, as I humbly conceive, not to ſuffer theſe ſhips to paſſe, as many ſhips of great value ſince the warre with the Netherlands have done, to the unſpeakable dammage of this Nation, it being no new thing for the Hollanders, in time of warre, to ſaile under the colours and names, and with the cockets of Hamborough, or ſome other of the Hanſe-townes, for they did it all the while they had warres with Spayne, nor for the ſhips of the Hance-townes, Oſtenders and Dunkirkers to bee tranſporters of Dutch goods through our Seas, from and to all parts of Chriſtendome, eſpecially Spayne.

Nay, many times, the better to countenance, their ſhip or ſhips ſhall be built in Holland, and formerly ſold to ſome friend or correſpondent in Hamborough, Emden, Lubeck, Dunkirk, Oſtend, or the like, and for the better colour called the Lion or Dove, &c. of ſom of the aforeſaid places; when really and actually it belongs to Holland or Zealand, and for inſtance whereof one of the ſhips now in queſtion, ſtiles it ſelf by the name of the Hamborough of Hamborough, and is certainly known and will be proved to belong to Rotterdam, and ſo no queſtion will many more of the ſhips under areſt prove to belong to ſome towne of Holland, and the united Provinces, when ſtrictly and duly examined.

Nor is it any new practiſe for publique Miniſtrs of other States to make uſe of their function and Maſters Roabe, to befriend the ſubject of their Allies, in caſe of the like nature of clayming Treaſure and Merchandize, wherein the native trade (as in this) may be concerned, or were it not but for the advantage of ſalvage in ſuch caſes conived at, and many times by the inſtructions of their ſuperiors allowed to publique miniſters, as perquiſites of their imployments they many times gaining more by ſuch avenies, then by their conſtant ſalaries.

I have often heard ſir Lewis Dives ſay, that when he lived in Spayne with his father in law, the earle of Briſtoll, and the Lord Cottington, they did doe the ſame for the Dutch in Spayne as is now offered for the Dutch in England.

And I beleeve there are ſome forraigne Princes agents in England at this time, that underſtand to make their particular profit, in this conjuncture of time, as well, if not better, then eyther the earle of Briſtoll, or the lord Cottington did in Spayne; and upon this ground and for this end, it is more then probable that ſome publique agents appeare in this preſent queſtion in the Admiralty; not that eyther their Maſter or his ſubjects, in all likelyhood, are otherwiſe concerned, nor he or they warranted therein, but only for their particular profit.

Sir, this is not a common cauſe, and I ſee you take it ſo by your care, you keepe your word, you bid me find proofe and you will hold the ſhips and ſilver, let ſome of the Judges talke what they pleaſe, you will diſcharge your truſt.

Sir, the ſtate of Spayne is rarely known to have ſent or tranſported any bars of ſilver, or coyne on their owne or other ſhips whatſoever, to the prejudice of their Mint, that being moſt abſolute contrary to their lawes, which makes tranſporting money death, without the Kings originall Licence; had the Merchants one, they would have ſhewed it before now. True, it is often ſtoln away by the Dutch, which is done without the Kings warrant, bills of ſtore, or publique allowance, and ſo you will finde this is, and thereby the more lyable to queſtion, and upon ſtrict examination it will be cleerely proved prize: if the Dutch ſhould cozen us of this money now they are ranting in the Downes, the Commonwealth would ſuffer extraordinarily.

Therefore all perſons that claime this ſilver, I humbly conceive, ought to be preſt to declare ſpecially and particularly, whether he or they pretend the money, or bullion, or any part of it to be the King of Spaynes peculiar Treaſure, or his ſubjects? and if ſo, he or they ought to ſhew ſome ſpeciall and authentique Warrant or Order of his or their Maſters or Officers for it, Regiſtred in the ports of Spayne, and alſo to prove that by authentique witneſſes, by ſome of his Maſters ſubjects, at the place or Port of S. Lucar or Cadiz, and atteſted here by like originall bills from the officers of the Cuſtomes in Spayne, which bills of lading correſpondent, and their authentique duplicats, with letters of conſignement ſuteable, the Purſers bookes of entries, with all the particular and reſpective marks agreeing with the bills of lading, bills of ſtore and letters of conſignement, and all the markes of the bars and bags duly Regiſtred, either for the King of Spayne, or his particular ſubjects. If they cannot ſpell and ſpeake all this perfectly, juſtly and truly, at the Port of ſaint Lucar or Cadiz, they may faile of their ends for all their confident clayming, and the like might every Merchant pretender doe, or fail of his.

Nor can the Articles (of the old League) ſuppoſing it to be renued and confirmed by this Common-wealth, excuſe the ſhips Sampſon, Salvador and George, under queſtion, from a ſearch, as is pretended they ought to be, unleſſe they firſt prove, that thoſe ſhips, ſilver, and all the lading doe really belong unto his Maſter or ſome of his ſubjects (nor thoſe of the Netherlands) which I humbly ſay, he or they will never be able to doe, and I have ſufficient proof to the contrary, if I can but get my witneſſes examined: I have about eight witneſſes to examine; and the Merchants will pack many of them away now they hear I have uſed to ſend ſom of my Intelligencers amongſt them into St. Katherines and other places.

In the mean time, if either his Maſter or his ſubjects receive damage by any publique miniſters claiming ſilver which is none of theirs, but belongs to Holland, the Commonwealth is excuſed and free, and the publique miniſter muſt bear the blame, if any, uſing his Maſter or his Subjects title to the ſilver, when they had no title or intereſt therein, wch if that deſigne had taken effect, all men may ſee the damage that would acrue to this Nation thereby, whatſoever may be pretended to the contrary.

Sir, The law takes no notice of Words; but legall proof and evidence where a publique miniſter bears Parol againſt the intereſt of the Commonwealth amounts to no more then a private mans: for when a claim is laid to all this ſilver by forraign Agents, as the King of Spain and his Subjects ſilver, I ſhall prove part of this ſilver belongs to ſome Merchants of the united Provinces, our mortall enemies, and a ſmall part of this ſilver belongs to ſome Merchants in London.

Sir, If I finde a man tripping for a penny, I will trace him for a pound; I fear not to ſpeak a truth in this particular, it is for the ſafety and well being of the Nation that makes me ſpeak ſo earneſtly.

Sir, though in Court and matters of State, publique miniſters be allowed a Credence paramount, agreeable to their letters Credentiall of forraign Princes; yet neither thoſe Letters nor their Function ſhall, I humbly conceive, allow them any, neither the leſt priviledge or preheminence (beyond civility) in any Court of Juſtice againſt the Common-wealths title in this buſineſſe of the aforeſaid Prizes and ſilver.

1. The Spanyards are as rarely found to trade out of their own Territories, all writers ſay (or between) upon Strangers bottoms as their King himſelf, and ſo the goods not likely to have beene theirs originally, or by originall conſignment; colourably perhaps they may, that is ſince their ſeizure conſigned to ſom of Antwerpe to defeate the claime of this Commonwealth, they being commonly partners with the Amſterdammers, that being uſuall in caſes of the like nature, eſpecially where ſo much reſpite of time hath beene given, and ſo much money ſtolne out of theſe ſhips, which ſhall in all likelyhood be imployed to bribe out of the States hands theſe ſhips, if they can faſten on any, in power, that will be ſo wicked to receive bribes, if my humble advice had beene followed, the ſtealing this ſilver had beene prevented.

2. The like aſſuredly may be affirmed touching the money bullion and plate in the ſhips in queſtion ſince the naturall ſubjects of Spayne dare as ill, or worſe, tranſport any ſilver, as ſtrangers, the crime being alike penall to both, but the ſubject in a worſe condition, if he adventure, being a man of eſtate, becauſe he remaines in the Countrey, when the ſtranger perhaps never returnes to anſwere it, if diſcovered; after he is out of the Countrey, as upon publication of this buſineſſe many will not dare to returne into Spayne, leſt they forfeit not only their own particular, and their friends eſtates, but alſo their lives.

But Sir, ſuppoſe it may bee objected, that generall negatives, from never ſo many inſtances, of never ſo univerſall non uzans, amounts not to the face of one particular affirmative profe in contra; yet it cannot be denied for reaſon, and ſo I humbly conceive, ought to be granted, that ſom ſuch diſtinct, particular and ſigniſicant proofe in a cauſe of this high nature and concernment to the profit and ſafety of this Common-wealth, ought firſt to bee made of the lading of this ſilver, and that from the originall Port of Cadiz or S. Lucar, under the Kings Seale, or from the Duanas there, before any credit can be given to generals, againſt ſo known, conſtant and univerſall cuſtome of frauds daily practiſed againſt this Common-wealth, as I have diſcovered concerning theſe Prize-ſhips before mentioned.

Sir, I have made ſome of the Councel of State acquainted with the ſeverall waies, how the Merchants cozen the State about their prize-ſhips and goods, and they are very apprehenſive of it, and I know ſome of the State will call this buſineſſe to a ſtrict accompt, therefore I humbly deſire you therein, ſtill to continue your care as you have done.

Sir, truly if at the firſt thoſe publique Miniſters that claimed had produced originall Warrants from the King of Spayne, the atteſtation of the Ports of Cadiz and S. Lucar from the Duanas there, by authentique witneſſes, that this ſilver was ſhipped for the King of Spayne or his ſubjects proper accompt, and that all that was claimed was really true, and made that the ground of their exceptions againſt the proceedings of the judicature of the Admiralty, & therein had appealed to the Councel of State or Parliament, my humble opinion is, that perhaps their demands might have arived at a fairer iſſue then now they may have reaſon to expect.

And (by Gods aſsiſtance) they ſhall have a quick and a vigilant eye on them; for night and day, I and my Inſtruments ſhall watch them, ſo that ſom merchants and others may live to wiſh they never had medled in this ſilver buſineſſe, and this I will proſecute according to my Order faithfully, though it coſt me all that ever I have in the world; I know I have ventred my life in this buſineſſe, and I will not pluck back my hand let my hazard be what it will.

Sir, whoſoever travels, and will enter the confines of another Nation, though in amity; by the Civill-law, that is the law of Nations, it behooves him to carry with him a ſufficient Paſſe, declaring from whence, and what he is, to what place bound, and when demanded by any publick Officer to make that known and proved, or upon refuſall, or for want of ſuch a paſſe, he is at diſcretion liable to bee areſted and impriſoned untill hee cleere the doubt and give ſatisfaction to the law, but if it be proved he hath made a falſe Paſſe, or that hee bee of another name or Countrie then hee pretends, hee may bee hanged for a Spie.

The like Lawe governs at Sea, the Sea-mans ordinary Paſſe for his ſhip, is his Cockets, I meane true ones, not counterfeit and feigned; his true bills of ſtore, bills of lading, letters of conſignment, Purſers and Supercargoes bookes fairely and truly kept for his goods; not ſuch bills as Otho George preſents, and if any Maſter of a ſhip be found at Sea without theſe, or the chiefe of them at leaſt, he ſhall be taken under the notion of the Lawe for a Pirot or common enemie; if he have any ſuch and will not ſhew them when required at Sea, or that any of them be juſtly to bee ſuſpected by the Commander that requires them, ſuch Maſter my be brought before the Court of Admiraltie, or a Court of Delegates for his tryall, and if there he refuſe to cleere himſelfe; ſhip, goods, and every part of his lading, by the reſpective waies of proof and warrants, before mentioned; or that the Captain, Maſter or Purſer have torn, imbezeled or flung away any letters of advice, or bills of lading, or forging falſe bills, or names, if proved, or any miſcarriage as aforeſaid, ſuch refuſall and practiſes in other Countries is accounted a high contempt to the authority of the Nation, by which ſuch Court ſits, and for a ſufficient ground to an imediat confiſcation.

Sir, if this be not made a Law in England, for the future, and the like for any Maſter or Purſer of any ſtrangers ſhip, paſsing the Seas of this Common-wealth, upon ſummons, that ſhall preſent unto the Commander or Judge, falſe bills or Cockets, and to conceale any part of their lading or facultie, and not to diſcover the proper owners to whom, or from whom they are conſigned, this Nation will deerely finde much of that which might help to maintaine the Warre will goe beſides, and the State will ſtill be deluded by the Dutch, as they have beene to the value of about two Millions ſince Auguſt laſt, for it is an uſuall cuſtome with traders of all Nations, eſpecially the Dutch and Eaſterlines, in time of Warre, to carry to Sea, as many Cockets as Colours, and as many ſeverall bills as they feare enemies, or queſtion, and if they be ſurprized, can at a very ſhort warning procure and counterfeit what may ſerve their turnes: And this you ſhall finde to be the true ſtate of the ſhips Sampſon, Salvador and George, with all their lading and ſilver.

Wherefore, and for which cauſe chiefly, the ſtrictneſſe aforementioned is uſed in other Nations, viz. to prevent colluſion. Sir, in France, one parcell of goods found conſigned to an enemy confiſcates the ſhip and goods. In Spayne or Holland, a barrell of butter, or a caſe of Piſtolls, conſigned but as a preſent to a friend ſhall doe the like, and I hope the ſame civill-lawe we receive from them ſhall, by us, be put on them now theſe ſhips are in judgement before you in England; it is for the honor and ſafety of this Nation I preſſe, and I ſee you doe your utmoſt, would I could ſay ſo of the reſt in truſt in the Admiralty.

Sir, it is to bee feared, that if this Common-wealth doe not make ſome neceſſary additions to their Sea-lawes, and give ſome new Rules and Inſtructions to their Court of Admiralty, to prevent the many abuſes put on us by the Dutch, in the buſineſſe of the States prizes, other Nations will gaine advantage by our neglect, or over eaſines; it appearing, that for want of ſuch amendment, or at the leaſt not underſtanding thoſe lawes in force by our Sea Commanders, &c. many a rich ſhip hath eſcaped their hands, and ſafely arived in Holland ſince the War (which the Dutch began) to the value of above one million of money by that way, and no leſſe to be ſuſpected that the enemy by his ſubtle taking advantage of the old, and too gentle practice of our Court of Admiralty, and chiefly by their not being put to pleade ſpecially, may probably get theſe that remaine now under queſtion to be freed likewiſe, if not timely looked unto, and thereby the State farther abuſed and prevented, the enemy encouraged and enabled, whiles our owne honeſt Merchants ſit at home and breake, or thrive not (a fatall miſchief to this Common-wealth) our enemies gayning, upon the matter, what we loſe or let paſſe; and to breake this confederacy, the State muſt make ſharpe lawes, and then ſee them ſtrictly put in execution; the meanes left for remedy is, ſecuring at preſent the ſhips and goods and ſilver, which lies under queſtion, and I conceive ought carefully to be looked after.

Sir, I finde ſome in power and truſt forward to gratifie the Dutch in this particular, to the unſpeakeable damage and hazard of this Nation, to prevent which, I humbly propound this way, viz.

1. Sir, I offer in my owne name, as for the intreſt of the Common-wealth, to proteſt againſt the late acts and proceedings of the Court of Admiraltie, to pray reſpit of Judgement, and to appeale to a Court of Delegates, according to the Statute

2. A Commiſsion being granted thereupon to ſome ſelect, knowing and approved Perſons, whereof ſome chief to be of the Coram, and before them proving the daily imbezelment of the ſilver, the unſafety of the goods, and the apparent danger of their imbezeling, whiles they remaine on ſhip-board, which by affidavit, and other good teſtimony may eaſily be proved. Sir, I pray that the goods, mony eſpecially, may be brought a ſhore, and ſecured in ſafe ward, untill the cauſe be returned, and for better information of the Delegates, that all former proceedings of the ordinary Court of Admiraltie touching the premiſſes in queſtion by name, may be returned into that Court, and my ſelfe Ordered and impowred with a large Commiſsion in ſeverall reſpects, for enabling me to doe this ſervice.

This cauſe being agreeable not only with the laws of this Common-wealth, but conſonant to the cuſtoms, lawes and uzance of all other Nations, in caſes of like eminencie and doubt, the conveniences thereof will be.

1. It will put a ſtop to moſt of the abuſes and inconveniences afore mentioned, without blemiſh to the former proceedings of the Court of Admiraltie, redeeme the cauſe from that loſse it is now in danger of, and diſappoint many mens expectations, who have laid a deſigne to cozen the State of this treaſure, and lay a foundation to Rules, and give matter for further inſtruction for the government of that Court, a buſineſſe of great concernment to the ſafety of the Nation, in this preſent conjuncture of time.

2. Whiles the cauſe is but removed into a higher Court and depends there, in order only untill a legall tryall, neither any publique Agent, nor other pretender whoever can juſtly complain, eſpecially they having given ſo great a cauſe of jealouſie, by claiming more then their owne, in owning other mens treaſure, and by refuſing to produce ſpeciall proofes for what they pretend to, it being at worſt but lex talionis, we finde the ſame meaſure abroad in all like courts of Chriſtendome at this preſent; I humbly conceive the affaires of the Common-wealth doe not ſtand in ſuch a poſture, that they ſhould ſuffer themſelves to be cozened of foure hundred thouſand pounds now I have diſcovered the fraud to them; this money will ſave taxes, it will ſet the Mint on worke, and fill the Common-wealth with money, and for every one I diſpleaſe I ſhall pleaſe a hundred honeſt men, that are true lovers of their Countrey.

3. Sir, whiles the plate Bullion, or other goods remaines aboard the ſhips, and in the Maſters cuſtody, they pretend an Intereſt by poſſeſsion, and taking hold of ſome ill-cuſtomes and prejudiciall Rules of our court of Admiralty; you the Common-wealths Advocate are put to proove the goods in queſtion to bee our enemies.

Sir, the goods and monies being once brought a ſhore, and in the States p •… ſeſsion, or under ward by order of the Juſtice, they which were Defendants before, muſt be Complaynants, and of courſe prove their Intereſt, eſpecially and upon authentique teſtimonies out of the bookes of cuſtomes and Records in Spayne, whereby many an advantage will accrue in evidence for the States availe, the money for want of ſufficient Warrants to tranſport it, or of ſpeciall Laders to owne and juſtifie the Bills of lading to bee truely and juſtly entred at S. Lucar or Cadiz, will undoubtedly be moſt of it the Common-wealths, and if the money be gained, certainly much of the goods will endanger the ſame fortune.

4. In caſe any difficulties ſhould happen in proofe or ſcruple, upon any thing offered in evidence on the other ſide, the Court may thereon take time for better information by intelligence from abroad both in Spayne and Holland and other parts, and no queſtion much advantage themſelves by overtures of proof on the contrary part.

5. Honored ſir, ſuppoſe the Common-wealth ſhould at preſent have any treaty of friendſhip in hand, which they would not have willingly obſtructed, or diſordered, or any enemy whom they would willingly invite by kindneſſe, which ſeldome ſucceeds to expectation, the Duch being a ſtubborne people, here are many helps for both advantages, of both kindes, they may gratifie themſelves or friends as they pleaſe, and pendente lite, take what time they pleaſe for eyther.

6. And laſtly, In caſe, in the meane time, the Common-wealth ſhall have any preſent uſe of this treaſure, they may take an occaſion at the coſt of a complement, to draw all the Bullion and ſilver through their Mint, the worſt of it being only to promiſe reſtitution in caſe any part of it ſhould prove lawfull prize; a conveniency which no ſtate in Chriſtendom having like occaſion would bauke, or deny it ſelfe, in ſo faire an oportunity, for which there wants no preſidents in the beſt times of government under Monarchy, in ſeveral preſidents in Queene Elizabeths time, from which it can be no diſadvantage for this Common-wealth, to take ſome examples, eſpecially in things belonging to forraigne affaires,

THO. VIOLET. 29. January 1652.

SEverall of theſe Papers, with ſome alterations and additions, I alſo delivered to the Committee of forraigne affaires; to Doctor Clarke, Advocate for the Common-wealth, M. Wilſon, M. Oxenbridg, and M. Sparrow, Commiſsioners for Duch prize goods, with a liſt of about fourſcore witneſſes, part of them have beene examined in the Court of Admiralty, and ſome of them told me they could not be alowed to have put down what they ſaid to the examiner, and three of them, holding their hands before their eyes, ſaid; that Spaniſh ſilver had put out the eyes of ſome in the Court of Admiraltie, and if there were not ſome ſtricter care taken about the States prizes, the Hollander would laugh in his ſleeve, to ſee how they daily had cozened us, and theſe perſons were Maſter Long and his two ſonnes, all three ſhip Carpenters, and people that had for about thirty yeeres lived in Holland, and came over in obedience to the Act that calls ſhip carpenters home out of forraigne Countries, and they knew ſome of theſe ſhips that have beene diſcharged the Court, to bee Holland ſhips, and ſeveral of the mariners and maſters of ſhips to belong to the people of the united Provinces; I carried them downe to view the ſhips that were under queſtion, and we found many ſhot and torne, and yet theſe ſhips have beene diſcharged; I ſeeing the combination of ſeveral of the Court of Admiralty to neglect their duty, did ſit up together many nights and dayes, and never ſlept in that time, with the aſsiſtance of ſeverall men to write night and day; I did by Gods aſsiſtance and my intelligence get full proofe to entitle the State to the ſilver, to make it all prize, as appears by my Letter to maſter David Bud, the Proctor for the Commonwealth. fol. 90. 91. 92. 93. THO. VIOLET.

Doctor Walker,

SIR, you may be pleaſed upon peruſall of theſe Papers to ſee cleerly that I looke not after the coyning of the ſilver, but will alſo (by Gods aſsiſtance) prove that almoſt all the ſilver in every one of theſe ſhips remayning here is lawfull prize, the like I ſhall doe for almoſt all the goods a ſhipboard, notwithſtanding ſome in the Court of Admiralties forwardneſſe for the cleering of them; truely Sir, I humbly tell you, the Engliſh proverb will proove true in this particular, That ſoft fire makes ſweete Mault, and I am ſure in this buſineſſe, haſte hath made waſtes in ſo high a nature, that if it had not beene timely prevented by mee, the loſſe had beene irreparable to this Common-wealth, to have had this ſilver come unto the Duch, in this conjuncture of time.

Sir, for the treaſure a ſhipboard the George, Sampſon, Salvadore, the Peter, the Michael, and ſeverall other ſhips that came in company all together from Cadiz, the thirteenth of October 1652. that is a thing impoſsible but that the State muſt have for lawfull prize above nine parts of ten, of all the Treaſure aboard any of the aforeſaid ſhips, if you purſue the order of this note I herewith ſend you; Sir, it is for the ſafety of the State, their well being depends thereon, that makes me ſo earneſt in this buſineſſe night and day; I have it from knowing hands, that it is agreeable to the civill-Lawe, by prime men that know by practiſe in forraigne Countries theſe things to bee true. And therfore I doe moſt humbly recommend them to your juſt care, as you have moſt worthily done, for which I give you humble thanks: Moreover I humbly tell you, I have proofe the ſilver in theſe ſhips was ſtolne a ſhipboard by night by the Spaniſh Bravos, or Boatmen, ſome of the ſhips lay foure moneths in the Harbour of Cadiz, only looking for the Spaniſh fleete, and this is known unto all honeſt Merchants an ordinary courſe for the Hamburgers every yeere to doe the ſame, and that theſe ſhips ſtole in by night, for ſixteene or ſeventeene nights together, ſeveral parcels of ſilver, and that the ſilver ſo ſtolne a ſhipboard was in returnes of goods ſent to the Weſt-Indies, which were goods ſent by the Hollanders formerly, and by their owne confeſsion if the ſilver were taken, it would be confiſcated by the Common-wealth of England, alſo it will be prooved, when the ſaid ſhips came away from Spayne, they all ſtole away without leave.

Sir, theſe things according to my order from the Councel of State, I humbly preſent unto you, for the ſervice of the Common-wealth, and remaine

Sir, Your humble ſervant to command, THO. VIOLET. London, 29. Janu. 1652. For Vincent De la bar, Eſquire, at Dover.

SIR, and my moſt true friend, I received yours of the firſt of January, in anſwere to mine of the 26. of December, I finde that your urgent occaſions call on you to ſtay at home for the preſent. Sir, I am moſt tender of you, as my reſpects binde me for former civilities. Sir, I conceive wee have enough witneſſes at home, here at London, about that which I am required to doe by the State, for their ſervice, if not, I ſhall be enforced to make a journey into the Countrey to Dover. I have ſat up ſeven nights and dayes within theſe three weekes, about the Salvador, the Sampſon, the George, which ſhips have about foure hundred thouſand pounds of ſilver, and I ſhall prove it Duch ſilver; Maſter Brames will intimate the buſineſſe unto you how it ſtands; pray preſent my ſervice to your Lady, and to Maſter De la vall, when this buſineſſe ſhall come under an examination at Dover, I ſhall be carefull to doe you all juſt reſpects, I beleeve I may bee in few dayes commanded to come downe unto you in one behalfe I am glad that I have an oportunitie to ſee you, the other part is concerning the greateſt buſineſſe in this Nation, in relation to the ſilver ſhips that are brought in as prize; in ſhort, you will finde that there is a generall Imbargo, and I will by my witneſſes, make all the ſilver in the George, the Sampſon and the Salvadore prize, when I ſhall ſee you I will tell you more then I will write.

London, 9. Janu. 1652. Sir, your true friend Tho. Violet.

I muſt ſuddenly ſpeake with Maſter Thomas De la vall, therefore I pray let him know it; Ralfe Colline, Charles Valey ſenior, Charles Valey jun. Will. Dunſton, Michaell Dehuz, James Younricks, and have them all examined about theſe prize-ſhips and ſilver, and the States of Hollands Commiſsion to gard theſe Hamburgers from the Engliſh-fleete, I pray you have a care what Bills you accept, for you will finde this buſineſſe will breake a great many Merchants in Holland.

For Arnold Brames, Eſquire, at Bridge by Canterbury.

MY moſt noble friend I ſhould have waited on you on Wedneſday, at Dover, but I am commanded by my Superiors to obey them in London; Sir, the buſineſſe I ſpake laſt unto you of, I am confident ſince I parted from you that I have done my diſcovery, wee finde enough proofe out of London to doe that buſineſſe, ſo for the preſent I ſhall not have the happineſſe to wait on you, but within few daies I thinke to receive order to come downe with Maſter Charnock unto you, I have writ ſo much to maſter Vincent Delabar my moſt worthy friend, I have divers times prayed to God to make me in ſuch a condition that I may really pay my vowes, that is to give you my life and fortune at any time, in requitall of your great civilities, and reſt aſſured I doe not deſire any inconveniency ſhould come upon you, or yours, in any buſineſſe I have a hand in, but if God ſhould ſo order it, I would venter as far as my life to ſerve you really, ſo far as the States juſt intreſt bee not hindered, and I know you expect no more, for my faith is ingaged to follow this buſineſſe to the uttermoſt. Farewell, The Prince of Merchants.

Your moſt oblieged friend THO. VIOLET. Lond. 8. Jan. 1653.

I ſent poſt haſte for maſter Edward Watkins to come from Dover to aſsiſt mee in this buſineſſe, about the Silver in the prize-ſhips, and I thanke him he came up poſt preſently, which hath much oblieged me, and though the Parliament have taken away his place theſe foure yeeres paſt, yet he is as nimble to make theſe diſcoveries as ever he was, and he hath all his old inſtruments. Truly Sir, I ſhould have won your wager, if you had laid, about your old friend Otho George, you will ſee hee will not cleere his Silver ſo eaſily as you thinke, for I have both him and others faſt in a trap, and this you will find true; I pray have a care what Bills you accept from Amſterdam, for this buſineſſe will breake a great many there, vale. THO. VIOLET.

Thomas Violet maketh Oath.

THE fourteenth day of December 1652. about foure of the clock in the afternoone, he met with Sir Sackvile Crowe in whitehall, hee told the Deponent, that the Spaniſh Embaſſadors buſineſſe was to lay claime to the Ships and Silver that were ſtayed by the Parliament, and the ſaid Sir Sackvile Crowe further told this Deponent, that within a few dayes hee had ſome ſerious communication about the buſineſſe with maſter Pompey Calendrine, a man he knew that was well verſed in all the ſubtleties of Trade, for that hee was brother in lawe to Philip Burlamacke, and his booke-keeper for all his accompts by exchange; ſince hee had an imployment in maſter Prideaux office, and mannaged the Letter office for maſter Attorney generall; Sir Sackvile Crowe, after ſeverall arguments pro & con, the reſult of all was, that Pompey Calendrine ſaid unto Sir Sackvile Crowe, that upon his owne knowledge the aforeſaid Pompey Calendrine knew that all the ſilver in the ſhips claimed by the ſpaniſh Ambaſſador, was and is really belonging to the Hollanders, and people of the united Provinces, and holding up his hand ſaid, doth this hand belong unto mee, ſo truely and really, to my knowledge, doth all this ſilver belong to the Hollanders, though the Spaniſh Ambaſſador claim it.

This Deponent further ſaith, that Sir Sackvile Crowe wiſhed the Deponent that hee would take ſom order to get Pompey Calendrine examined of the truth of this, for it is of great concernment to the State; This Deponent further ſaith, that friday the thirtith of December 1652 this Deponent wayted on Sir Sackvile Crowe, and found him at his lodging in the Tower, and there this Deponent told Sir Sackvile Crowe, that according to his deſire this Deponent would move and Petition the right honorable the Committee for forraigne affaires, that a Letter ſhould be ſent unto him to attend the Committee of forraign affaires, but I would not but firſt come and wai • on him, to ſee if hee did not finde I had taken his • ence aright, concerning what he told mee about Pompey Calendrine; whereupon hee ſaid to mee I had, and that if he were commanded he would juſtifie a great deale more, that to his knowledge Pompey Calendrine had reaſon to ſay what he did, for if the Ambaſſador of Spayne had not proceeded according to the ſtrict rules of the Admiraltie; Sir Sackvile Crowe knew then that there was fraude, knavery and roguery in the Merchant.

That if the Committee of Forraigne affaires would be pleaſed to admit him to ſpeake his knowledge in this point, and they to appoint ſome of the Judges of the Admiraltie to be by, hee would make it cleere unto them, and taking out the engagement, bad me read that, and told me, ſince hee had taken the engagement, hee would bee as true to them as ever hee was to the King, and whatſoever his opinion was formerly, hee had not received ſuch obligements from the other party to ſuffer upon his skore, as hee had to bee a ſufferer for his father, and if the Committee for Forraigne affaires pleaſed to heare what hee could ſay unto the Judges of the Admiralty in this point, hee made no queſtion but it ſhould bee to your ſatisfaction, and a great ſervice unto the State, and that he would attend the honorable Committee in this buſineſſe at a dayes warning, and bid mee return this anſwer with his humble ſervice.

THO. VIOLET. The. 1. Jan. 1652.

THis Affidavit I delivered to Alderman Allen who communicated it to the honourable Committee of inſpection, and they carried it downe to the Committee of Forraigne affaires, who preſently ordered a Letter to bee ſent to Sir Sackvile Crowe, and alſo Ordered the Judges of the Admiralty to be there, with Pompey Calendren, whereupon the Committee for Forraigne affaires examined Pompey Calendren before the Judges about the ſame, who at firſt denied the thing, but being preſſed by the Lord Bradſhaw, Sir William Maſſam and others of the Committee, to conſider before whom he was, and to recollect himſelfe well, and ſeeing Sir Sackvile Crowe affirmed it, and much more to bee true, the ſaid Calendren confeſſed he received letters from Amſterdam that did acquaint him with what he had ſpoken to Sir Sackvile Crowe, and that he had the Letters by him and that he acquainted maſter Attorney-generall formerly with the contents of theſe Letters, whereupon the Committee required maſter Pompey Calendren to attend Doctor Walker with the Letters the ſame day, which he did accordingly. THO. VIOLET.

To the right Honorable the Committee for Forraigne-affaires, delivered to the Lord VVhitlock and Sir VVilliam Maſſam. May it pleaſe your Honors,

THE ſeventeenth of December, 1652. I Tho. Violet came into the Court of Admiralty, at the requeſt of the Commiſsioners for Duch prizes, to aſsiſt in behalf of the Common-wealth, againſt all prize-ſhips depending there, and had their Warant to authorize me therein, beſides your Honours Warant to aſsiſt concerning the ſilver-ſhips, Sampſon, Salvadore and George, in the Court of Admiralty, I produced my Warant, and delivered it in to the Judges in that behalfe.

That day there was appointed by the Court ſeventeene ſhips to be diſcharged, conteining three thouſand foure hundred tonns, being all richly laden with ſilver and merchandize, worth many hundred thouſand pounds; the Judges would diſcharge them, and though I ſhewed them many reaſons, as appeares in my booke formerly put forth, fol. 75. 76. 77. 78. yet ſome of the ſhips were diſcharged, and though I told them, that in my eye, in the face of the Court, there were about ten Merchants, who by combination with the people of the united Provinces, did colour the Duch prize-ſhips ſilver, and all ſorts of merchandize, yet ſome of the ſhips goods and merchandize were about the 17 of December diſcharged.

The twentith of December, 1652. I waited on the Committee of Forraigne affaires, and made them acquainted with what had paſſed in the Admiraltie, thereupon I was commanded by the honorable Committee, that what I had to preſent, I ſhould deliver to Doctor Walker, the like Order maſter Thurloe delivered mee from the Councel of State, and that thereupon the Judges of the Admiraltie, and Doctor Walker ſhould conſider of my Papers, and report their opinions to the Committee of Forraigne affaires; this Order I received from the Lord Whitlock and the Lord Bradſhaw.

Thereupon, becauſe I would take witneſſe what theſe Judges did, I deſired maſter Edward Watkins and maſter Charnock to goe along with mee to Doctors Commons, for that Doctor Walker and the Judges had appointed mee to conſider of all my Propoſitions, and would take ſpeciall care, as Doctor Stephens ſaid in the buſineſſe, when we came at the day appointed which was about the twenty fourth of December, Mr. Bacon was out of towne, Doctor Exton not well or would not be ſpoken with, for I perceived he did not like my coming to him about the buſineſſe of the prize ſhips, and Silver in them, nor my ſtaying them.

Thereupon Doctor Stevens moved to put the reading of my Papers off till another day, I told Doctor Walker that, for my part, I ſaw there was ſuch proceedings in the Admiraltie, and the Common-wealths buſineſſe in the prize-ſhips ſtood upon ſuch a point that the State might be cozened of every penny in the prize-ſhips upon a day or twos delay, both all the ſilver, merchandize and ſhips, which were worth many hundred thouſand pounds, I told them though the Court had given them a diſcharge, yet God be thanked they weee not gone, and that I would make it appeare that a great part of thoſe prizes they had diſcharged were Duch goods, and the number in all then in England were about forty ſhips, according to my intelligence, and that the ſhips that were of the Hans-Townes were laden with ſeverall parcels of goods that belonged to Holland, and that the Commiſsioners for Duch prize-goods, had done well, and great ſervice for the State, in not obeying the decree of the court till the truth was found out, notwithſtanding their Decree the ſhips at preſent were all of them in their ſeverall Ports of this Nation, and could not get away by reaſon of the States-Generall Imbargo; and before the Imbarg ſhould bee taken off, I would make the State acquainted how the buſineſſe was mannaged about their prizes in the Admiraltie. I told doctor Stevens that the court of Admiralty had never ſo great a buſineſſe before them as the Silver and theſe prize-ſhips, thereupon doctor Stevens went into doctor Walkers chamber, and I tooke maſter Edward Watkins and maſter Charnock, to bee my witneſſes, and maſter Charnock read over to them, all my papers, which tooke up more then two houres time, I was ſo weake with ſitting up ſeverall nights, that I was not able to reade them. When they were read, I asked doctor Stevens and doctor Walker what they thought, and whether they were not ſatisfied by my papers there read, and witneſſes, of the danger, dammage and miſchief this Common-wealth would ſuffer, if that theſe very ſhips, which the court of Admiralty had diſcharged had gone into Holland; and both doctor Stevens and doctor Walker, looking earneſtly one upon another, doctor Stevens ſaid to doctor Walker, what ſhall wee doe in this buſineſſe? I told them that I humbly conceived it did concern the court to conſider well what they did in that buſineſse eyther of the ſilver or other prizes, and that whoever had a hand in the diſcharge of the ſhips, I would call them to an account in Parliament, if they let one of the prize ſhips, or the ſilver in them goe, till my witneſses were examined, and thereupon I delivered a liſt of my witneſses to doctor Walker, and told him I would ſit up night and day, till I had finiſhed drawing up Intergatories, ſo that they would aſsigne me a cleark or two of the Court; they aſsigned mee maſter Bud, the States Proctor; I asked doctor Walker whether he did not know moſt of my witneſſes, for they were the principall Merchants in England that trade for Spayne and Holland, hee ſaid he did; thereupon I told him that I muſt have the viewing of the Intergatories and liberty to add more witneſſes after the Clearke had put them into a forme, and ſorting them to ſuch and ſuch men as I know can ſpeake to the particular points; I told them I muſt have a view of all bills of lading, and other Papers maſter Bud or the Regiſter had, that this was a buſineſſe I had beene for many yeeres verſed in the like kinde in the Starr-chamber againſt the tranſporters of gold; I told them of many defects in the proceedings of the Court, and that the States not mending the proceedings in the Admiralty, had given occaſion to many duch-skippers to cozen this Nation of millions of money for want of a ſtrict Rule in the court of Admiralty in that behalf.

Thereupon Doctor Walker replyed, the diſcharge of the ſhips was none of his judgement, the Judges muſt looke to that, hee had looked faithfully, to the uttermoſt, as far as he could by his place; Doctor Stevens deſired doctor Walker to goe along with him to the Councel of ſtate, and that there they would deſire the Councel that the generall Imbargo might remain, till the court of Admiraltie had made a review, and examined the witneſſes that I delivered into the court; and that I ſhould have a view of all Papers concerning the Prizes that were depending in the court of Admiraltie.

But Dr. Walker reply'd, that thoſe that had adjudged the diſcharge of the ſhips were to looke to the ſtay of them, and that he perceived that their judgement for the diſcharge would be called unto accompt, and that therefore it was beſt for Doctor Stevens who had a hand in the diſcharge, to goe preſently to the Councel of ſtate, which hee did, with maſter Edward Watkins, maſter Charnock and my ſelfe; where Doctor Stevens deſired the Councel, that afternoone, that the generall Imbargoe might be continued; and Ordered my Witneſſes in the meane time to bee examined; how well that Order hath beene performed, reſts now under examination, and Doctor Walker delivered formerly ſome of my Papers to maſter Bud, where I preſt with much earneſtneſſe his carefull diſpatch of my Papers. This diſcourſe was in Doctor Walkers Chamber about the twenty fourth of December 1652. in the preſence of maſter Edward Watkins, maſter Charnock and my ſelfe; and doctor Walker told doctor Stevens hee did eve • thinke at one time or other the State would have a revieu, and that made him ever carefull nothing ſhould lie at his doore, for hee would cleere himſelfe.

The names of ſeverall witneſſes I delivered in to doctor Walker and maſter Bud to examine for the diſcovery of the duch prize ſhips, preſented to him about the 24. of December 1652.

James You • ricks Daniel Skinner Abraham Stock John Perrot Mr. Buddier Arnold Brames. Vincent De la Bar Tho. De la Vall Tho. Waade Edward Ranger

Dover Factors for the duch Merchants of the united Provinces, to examine them about theſe prize-ſhips depending in the Admiraltie, the ſixteenth of December 1652.

Adam Laurence Abraham Dolens Pompey Calendrine Anthony Ferrence Maſter Curcellis Abraham Culline Deric Hoſt Maſter Beck Maſter Sion James Staniere Mr. Depeſter Salomon Morris John Vanderberg Lucas Jacobs Maſter Ruſhiott Antony Fernando Michaell Caſtell William de Fiſher Giles Vandeput Peter Vandeput John Delens Tho Curtoys Lucas Lucie Jacob Jacobs James Bove John Saſſe Francis Sayon William Vanburge.

Merchants, moſt of them ſtrangers, dealing for the people of the united-Provinces, as their Factors, living all in London, to examine them about theſe prize ſhips.

Richard King. Nathan. Wright. Tho. Jennings. Roger Kilvert. John Bland. Stephen and Richard Slaney. Daniell Fairvacks. Iſaac le Gaye. Hugh Sowdon. Tho. Boone. John Tivil. Mr. Pickeringe. Francis Lenthall. Thomas Butler. Moyſis Goodiar.

Theſe are all eminent Engliſh Merchants trading for Spain, to examine them about theſe ſhips and the cuſtomes of Spain, concerning the regiſtring of all ſilver and other particulars of theſe Prizes.

Ralph Colline. Charles Vale ſen. Benj. Stoman. William Dunſton. Mr. Culline. Edward Aſh. Alderman Dethick. Mr. Jollie. Tho. Rich. Mr. Long and his 2 ſons. Charles Vale jun. John Perine. The Surgion of the Sa • pſon Rich. Scott. Bernard Clauſon. Philip Brown.

Merchants, Mariners of ſeverall places, and others aboard the Ships Sampſon and George, to examine about the ſilver and Prize-ſhips.

Tho. Viner. Alexander Hoult. Rob. Cordwell. Samuell Moore. George Day. George Snell.

Goldſmiths in Lombard-ſtreete, that uſually buy the gold and ſilver of the Merchants; to examine them about theſe ſhips, and ſilver they bought about Chriſtmas laſt, and of whom, and if they will tell you the truth, then it will be found that almoſt all the mony coyned about December and January laſt, hath been ſtoln and conveyed a ſhore out of the prize-ſhips Peter, Sampſon, Salvadore, George and Michael, to the great dammage of this State.

John Foſter John De la Bar John Daye. Gregorie Wilſhire John Baker.

Authorized Brokers that deale on the Exchange for monies.

James Hoore Thomas Burch Clearks of the Mint. Edw. Watkins, late head ſearcher of the Port of London May it pleaſe your Honors,

THeſe witneſſes I delivered unto Doctor Walker the day aboveſaid, and I finde not one witneſſe produced in Court by doctor Walker, for the ſtay of Otho George his ſhip Sampſon, Salvadore or George, and the reſt of the ſilver-ſhips, but what were my witneſſes, which I delivered in to doctor Walker, and Maſter Bud the Proctor, and Maſter Doreſlaus before they were examined in Court, I delivered to doctor Walker ſeveral Papers according to my Order from the Councel of State about the ſpaniſh-ſilver, and the waies uſed in other Countries, which Rules and practiſe of Merchants I had from many eminent traders from ſeveral parts of this Nation, and from beyond the Seas, beſides my owne experience; doctor Walker all the dayes of his triall, made uſe of them to the full, and all the duch Merchants ſtorme at mee, and ſome of them threaten my life, as being the only inſtrument for the ſtay of the ſilver, and I am confident doctor VValker cannot deny it, but theſe Papers I delivered unto him, ſhewed him more the preſent cuſtomes and uſages of Merchants beyond Sea, upon the fraudulent practiſes of Merchants of this age, then all his bookes of the civill lawe, for the old bookes of that lawe diſcover not the hundreth part of the preſent tricks and practiſes of Merchants in this age, eſpecially ſuch cunning merchants as the duch now are, and doctor VValker did confeſſe at ſeverall times both before maſter Edward VVatkins, maſter Charnock and my ſelfe, that for many fraudes and ſubtleties of the duch Merchants and skippers, ſet downe in my Papers, their waies they have to cozen the State of theſe duch prizes, there were a great many fraudes there in my paper diſcovered, which hee beleeved are daily uſed, which by the preſent Rules of the Admiralty the Court could take no notice of, for they went by a Rule, and if the Parliament would have thoſe frauds prevented for the future, he thought it very neceſſary that I ſhould preſent the ſame to the State, and that an Act ſhould be made to prevent it, eſpecially during this time of War; and doctor Walker did not deny but that many duch prize-ſhips, till the State enlarged the Rules of the Court of Admiralty, have and might be cleered, and after goe for Holland; and that if it pleaſed the Parliament to give ſtricter Rules for the Court of Admiralty during this War, and make it an Act of Parliament, then no man could or ſhould make or preſse the law further for the Common-wealths advantage then he would, and that I ſhould ſee; and hee did order maſter Bud to let me ſee what writings and proceedings hee had in this buſineſſe of the prize-ſhips and ſilver.

But as I honor doctor Walker for his great paines and care, I doe as much blame maſter Bud for his carriage, for when I firſt entred on this buſineſſe, ſome friends of mine told me they had a jealous eye of maſter Bud, and indeede I did ſeverall times tell doctor Walker, that I would complain of maſter Bud when I ſaw time, for ſeveral daies in the Court ſome times Letters not tranſlated, ſomtimes Records not to be found, and upon my complaints doctor Walker told maſter Bud of it in the Court of Admiralty before the Judges, and ſaid that he ſaw the buſineſſe of the ſilver ſhips might come to a review by my proſecution, and hee would not have maſter Buds miſcarriage in the buſineſs of the ſilver lie at his dore, and wiſhed maſter Bud to mend for the future.

And although doctor Walker appointed maſter Bud to adviſe with mee about my Papers, and to let mee ſee what Bills of lading and Papers I would, concerning the prize-ſhips, ſuch as maſter Bud had in his cuſtody, concerning the ſilver prize-ſhips, and all other prizes depending in the Admiraltie, the ſixteenth of December 1652. yet the ſaid maſter David Bud never did let me come to have a view of any of the bills of lading or Papers in his cuſtodie, though hee appointed me many times to have a ſight of them; and becauſe I would be neere him, I tooke lodgings not far from his houſe, in Biſhopſgate-ſtreete, and continue them to this day.

May it pleaſe your honors, if I had ſeene the Bills of lading and bookes of Entries, and all other Papers, according to doctor Walkers direction, I had ſtopped many a ſhip that hath beene diſcharged, but that would have hindred ſome Proctors of their fees, for I am credibly informed, it is ordinary for the Proctors to put downe in their Bills, beſides ordinary charges, 40. l. 50. l. and 100. l. upon the cleering of a Prize-ſhip to the Merchants and owners of the ſhips.

I ſay if it be not prevented for the future, it will bring great ruine on this Nation.

The State ſhould finde out (I humbly conceive) by diligent enquiry, the true reaſon, wherefore ſo many Duch Prize-ſhips have been let ſlip out of their fingers, after they have been brought into this Common-wealth with ſo much loſs of blood and charge, and blown away in a breath, for the profit of particular men.

I humbly deſire Captain Biſhop's Letters from beyond Seas, may be produced at the Councell of State or Parliament, and there you will ſee what work hath been done by ſome in truſt in the Admiralty.

May it pleaſe your Honors to avoid that I ſhould not bee inſtrumentall to ſpoil this trade, Maſter Bud the Proctor, though he hath had order and himſelf promiſed me ſeverall times, yet he would never ſhew me any of the bills of lading, or papers concerning any ſhips depending in the Admiralty the 16 Decemb. 1652. though I have been with him, and ſent my man to him ſeverall times, to have ſeen how many ſhips there were under arreſt in the Admiralty the 16 December 1652, he hath promiſed me twenty times, but never performed.

When I went to ſee your Prize-ſhips, between London & Wollage, there went with me to ſee in what condition they were in, Mr. Paul Smith, Cap. Brock, Mr. Long and his two ſonns, all three Ship-Carpenters; and wee looking both on the inſide and outſide of the Duch prize-ſhips, we found many of them rent and torn, which by the Law, if they fought in the channel of England againſt the States ſhips, they are prize; and for this I refer my ſelf to Maſter Reylye's Records in the Tower; and thereupon I made my appeal in Court, in the behalf of the Common-wealth, and have a great many preſidents out of the Records in the Tower, upon the like caſe it hath been done by others, to which Records I humbly refer my ſelf. And I have cauſed the copies to bee atteſted under Mr. Rylies hand; he can ſatisfie you what pains and charges I have been at in that buſineſſe, yet ſeverall of theſe ſhips have been diſcharged, and they are dayly laboring to diſcharge the Morning-ſtar, a ſhip laden with about fourty thouſand pounds in ſilver, which fought in your channel. And finding your Court of Admiralty would diſcharge many of theſe prize-ſhips, I appealed in the behalf of the Common-wealth, and craved reſpit of Judgement till my witneſſes were examined: The like I did for the ſilver ſhips Sampſon, Salvador and George, and all the thirteen ſhips which I was aboard on by order and intreaty of the Commiſsioners for Duch Prizes the 14 December 1652. The Duch Prize Commiſsioners had under their charge a great many other ſhips beſides theſe, about fourty at the leaſt. I humbly deſire the whole buſineſſe may come under a ſtrict examination before a Committee of the Councell of State or Parl. I humbly deſire alſo, the Cōmiſsioners may be ordered to give me a particular accompt what ſhips were in their cuſtodie the 16 December, the Maſters names, and where they now remain, and what number of theſe ſhips are diſcharged out of this Nation; unto whom; and the time when: And when I ſee a perfect accompt from them, I ſhall humbly acquaint your honors how your buſineſſe now ſtands. It is very much for the ſafety of this Nation, for the State to keep a ſtrict accompt of this buſineſſe 〈◊〉 the Admiralty, as your honors will finde upon a ſtrict examination; for if the State had kept a ſtrict eye on all the ſhips that have paſſed out of their hands ſince Auguſt laſt, and examined the bottom of this buſineſſe, they would have had millions of treaſure in their cuſtody that is now in Holland; and the people of the united Provinces would have been neceſsitated to ſeek for peace, becauſe they could not otherwaies maintain trade, and without it they cannot ſubſiſt: there muſt be ſome ſtrange connivence with ſome of your officers in the Admiraltie, or elſe this miſchief had been prevented, if all men intruſted had been honeſt. I pray ſee my book fol. 99. Theſe things I humbly ſubmit to your honors.

THO. VIOLET. To the right Honorable, the Lord Bradſhaw, theſe humbly preſent. May it pleaſe your Honor,

I Have left with Colonel Harbert Morley this day my Petition to the Councell of State againſt Otho George: I humbly deſire your honor to take notice, if the Counſell doe not take ſome preſent order in it, to conſider what encouragement my ſelf or any man that ſerves the Common-wealth in the diſcovery of the Ships, ſilver and Merchandize now brought in as Duch prize ſhall have when they ſhall be aſſaulted in the ſtreets with Stilettoes and Poniards from Captain Otho George, for being inſtrumentall to doe the State ſervice: I have been adviſed by ſeverall friends for this eight dayes, not to come to the Exchange or Admiralty, to avoid that which Otho George, within theſe few dayes, offered to doe to another man (the Surgeon of Otho George ſhip) which hath not been, nor can be the hundred part ſo inſtrumentall to intitle the State to the ſilver and goods in the Prize-ſhips as I have been. The Surgeon of Otho George's ſhip hath diſcovered the ſilver in the ſhips to be Duch-mens, and Otho George's bills of lading counterfet: I pray let the examinations taken about this buſineſs be ſent for to the Councell, and that will inform you at large.

I humbly deſire your honors juſt aſsiſtance for a ſpeedy Order about this my Petition, it being of very great concernment to the Common-wealth, to take a ſpeedy order in it, to puniſh Otho George and reſtrain his inſolence.

Your Honors humble ſervant, THO. VIOLET. 25 March 1653.

I have heard about June laſt the Surgeon is dead that accuſed Otho George. there is no queſtion but ſom had order to give him an Italian figg; but before he died he was examined before the Lord Mayor, and in the Admiralty; his confeſsion againſt Otho George is upon Record, about the ſilver in all the Prize-ſhips that came together from St. Lucars in Spain.

To the right Honorable, the Councell of State, THO. VIOLET Sheweth,

THAT your Petitioner having by order of this Councel aſsiſted in the Admiralty againſt the ſhips George, Sampſon, and the Salvador, and ſeverall other ſhips; And that the Court of Admiralty hath judged the onus probandi to be put upon the pretenders for the ſaid ſhips and lading.

And that ſince your Petitioner hath been engaged in this ſervice, your Petitioner hath made ſeveral diſcoveries of great concernment, which are ſo large they cannot be contained in a Petition, and the Councels time ſo precious, as your Petitioner humbly conceives that the whol Councell cannot ſpend with conveniency ſo much time as will be requiſite to take an exact account of ſo weighty a buſines.

Your Petitioner humbly deſires your honors to appoint a Committee to take a particular account of your Petitioner, what he hath done ſince the 16. Dec. 1652. in this buſines, and that the Committee may be impowred to enquire concerning all the aforeſaid prize-ſhips, and what obſtructions hath beene or are depending in the Court of Admiralty, and to conſider of ſome effectual waies for removing them.

And whereas there is no particular and true account what gold, ſilver or Merchandize is remayning on ſhipboard the Samſon, Salvador and George, and ſeveral other ſhips, ſo that by this means there can bee no account kept by the State of what treaſure is a ſhip board, whereby the State hath received much dammage, and will daily receive more, & that the ſecurity of • 0000. l given into the Admiralty for the ſilver and goods a ſhipboard, is of no conſideration to the treaſure aboard the aforeſaid ſhips, & as long as the ſilver remaines aboard the State ſhall never find what ſilver and gold ſhall be clandeſtinely ſtolne and imbezeled away, and if it be proved, the State ſhall only have parchment for the damage in ſtead of monies, the perſons bound being duch factors, ſo that if the State will be ſecure for the future, there is no other courſe but to land all the Silver, and keep it in ſom ſafe place.

And whereas there are ſome of the commodities a ſhipboard, as Tobaccoes and other Merchandize that are periſhable, that your honors would appoint a Committee to examine that buſineſſe, and to take order that no Bales or Fardels, upon any pretence, may be diſcharged till they be carefully viewed in the Cuſtom-houſe, and a true and exact Inventory taken both by Commiſsioners and Farmers, theſe Merchandize, being generally falſe packed in the Indies.

That whereas your Petitioner hath beene the firſt, and principall Inſtrument to diſcover all the fraudes of Otho George, in his Bills of lading, and ſeveral other abuſes and practiſes, concerning divers prize-ſhips in the Court of Admiraltie, whereby your Petitioner hath contracted a deadly hatred againſt him, by the ſaid Otho George, your Petitioner hath beene enforced, for the ſafety and preſervation of his body, to ſweare the Peace againſt Otho George, the twenty fourth day of March, 1652. before maſter Recorder of London, and is an humble ſuitor to your Honours that ſuch farther directions may bee given in that behalfe, that your Petitioner may be ſecured from being murthered, for making this diſcovery againſt the aforeſaid ſhips, your Petitioner having for ſeverall dayes abſented himſelfe, both from the Exchange, and Court of Admiraltie to avoid the miſchief.

And if the State will not take ſome ſpeciall order againſt Otho George, for his aſſaulting, and offering to ſtab any ſuch Perſons that have, or ſhall bee inſtrumentall in doing the State ſervice in this particular aboveſaid. Your Petitioner leaves it to your conſideration, whether it bee poſsible to have your buſineſſe done?

And your Petitioner ſhall pray, &c. This Petition is referred to the Comittee for Forraign affaires. 26. March, 1653. Mr. Iſaac Doreſlaws,

SIR you ſhall finde by theſe Papers here •… ſed, the true reaſon wherefore I doe not come to the Exchange or the Court of Admiralty as yet, till I am ſecured againſt the force of Otho George upon my perſon; you know what I told you at the Still yard about him; I told the ſame things to my Lord Bradſhaw 16 dayes agoe of Otho George.

Though I am not amongſt you, I have a carefull eye of the buſineſs, and by my intelligence ſee when I am abſent. My good friend, that is an Art will coſt you many years ſtudie before you can attain to it, and is not to be done but by many hands and at great expence: I pray let me intreat you that you would be very carefull, that when this buſineſs concerning the Prize-ſhips comes under an examination, that nothing may reſt at your dore that is not like your ſelf: you have many temptations, and I had rather loſe my right hand, then you ſhould doe any thing un worthy of your ſelf in this buſineſſe: I have good ground for what I ſpeak; I give you this hint out of the affection I ever bore you: Truly I am promiſed, from ſome you know well that are in power, this buſineſs of the Prize ſhips ſhall have a ſtrict examination; and when it comes to accompt, I know it will light heavy upon ſome that think they daunce in a net: I am not idle but have a ſtrict eye on this buſineſs of the ſilver; you know by ſad experience what it was in your fathers neglecting and ſlighting the advice of having a ſpeciall care of his perſon; and truly I know this very Otho George hath been in irons in Spain for his mad pranks; and though I know there can be nothing done but by Gods permiſion, yet I will not tempt God, when I have had certain admonitions from my ſpeciall friends to prevent the giving of an occaſion of meeting with Otho George for the preſent.

I have taken all lawfull waies, and ſhall ſee further what the Councell will doe in it. About my eſtate which we ſpake lately of, you may reſt aſſured I will not neglect this oportunitie of getting ſatisfaction for it out of this diſcovery, and that I expect and deſire your juſt aſsiſtance in it. You deſired me to ſend you the particulars of what hath been taken from me, which I herewith ſend you: I ask nothing but my own, which is eleven thouſand pounds, which hath been unduly taken from me theſe ten years paſt, and I could never get a tryall. If you ſhould ever have ſuch a value taken from you, you would, I beleeve, think as I doe, that it ought not to be taken from you without a legall tryall; pray ſend me word where I ſhall meet with you, and the houre, and I will come and ſpeake with you; for I deſire your adviſe about ſom buſines, and I am confident you will give it me as freely as ever I gave you, which was ever to the beſt of my skill: I pray remember my ſervice to Doctor Walker, and tell him the reaſon why I doe not, as yet, come to Doctors Commons.

My Petition, which I herewith ſend you, is referred to the Committee of Forraign Affairs; you being acquainted with them all, I ſhall deſire your friendly aſsiſtance therein.

your loving friend Tho. Violet. 25 March 1653. Theſe following Papers I left with my Lord Bradſhaw, Sr James Harrington, and Mr Allen, about the 6th of Februarie 1652. May it pleaſ your Lordſhip!

I Moſt humbly preſent unto your Lord ſhip theſe papers encloſed; that your Lordſhip and the Council of State may ſee in what a poſture your buſineſs ſtand's with ſom of your Officer's of the Admiraltie: truly my good Lord, the State ſhall finde it was a ſtrange providence that I came in to bee engag'd in this buſineſs about your ſilver priſes; for upon all the papers and witneſſes, and other tranſactions it will bee proved clearly, I, and my Inſtruments have ſaved the State the ſilver in the ſhips Sampſon, Salvador, and George.

If your Lordſhip ſhall have the patience to read my letter to Mr Bud your proctor for the Common-wealth dated the 24th of December laſt; you will ſee I found him out at the firſt, and truly it hath coſt mee a great deal of time to track his actions; God bee thanked I diſcover'd it timely or elſ ſom publick Miniſters of forrein Princes, and Mr Bud with Mr Roe the States Solicitor might have ſerved the Common-wealth, as ſom • encers do in a prize, make a great deal of noiſ with drums and flags about the Streets to draw companie, but the agreement was made with the fencers how they ſhall ſhare the monie.

It is a ſtrange poſture your whole buſineſs ſtand's in, in the Court of Admiraltie; when I ſee a convenient time, many dark deeds ſhall com to light, that ſom men will wonder how it is poſsible I ſhould ever get Inſtruments to fathom the bottom out.

A great many things which I intended to diſcover, muſt not bee ſeen, or known, till I ſee the skie clear; for I find great diviſions even in your own counſels about thoſe prizes.

I only rely on your Lordſhips faithful promiſs before Mr. Tho Weſtrope, that you would ſee I ſhould have juſt dealing, and full ſatisfaction from the State for my ſervice in this buſineſs concerning the ſilver ſhips; Samſon, Salvador, and George.

My heart ake's to ſee what water run's by your mill, and you never know it; the truth is all will bee naught, and com to a ſudden miſchief, if it bee not ſpeedily prevented: there muſt bee men of experience emploied as well as zeal, for there may bee many godly men that have not experience to act in this buſineſs; and where you employ one to keep an eye on this buſineſs, you will finde ten of the ableſt men in London, will bee little enough, and you would get a hundred times more then the charge.

My Lord! you have had ſhips worth many a hundred thouſand pounds ſlipt through your Fleet, and ſom of them had convoy to Dunkirk and Ostend, and all the goods carried to Amsterdam; you have had Hamburgers, and other Hance-Town ſhips had convoys from your Fleet, upon pretence they were free ſhips; and after they have parted, unloaded themſelvs in the Harbors of the people of the United-Provinces; I pray ask Captain George Biſhop what information hee hath received from Holland, concerning ſeveral ſhips diſcharged by the Court of Admiraltie.

May it pleaſ your Honor, there are many hoggs in the Corn at London, and ſhips ſo ſtrangely ſlipt away, that your Commiſsioners for Prize-goods, and many others wonder at the paſsages. I ſay I pray God all bee right. I humbly deſire your Honor to pardon mee, if I ſpeak after ſuch a way to make an Impreſsion, that the State, ought to have more eys than they imploy in this buſineſs, and to make ſom exemplary for miſcarriage in their buſineſs; and to watch to your Court of Admiraltie, and all their Officers.

I know this will, and hath got mee envie; but when I have once undertaken a buſineſs I will bee faithful to my truſt; it hath ever been my rule, and I will never alter, when my word is once paſt, and your Honor hath laid your command on mee, I ſhall rather die then break my faith with the State.

My moſt humble ſuit to your Lordſhip is, that you would do in this buſineſs, I here preſent unto you, in that manner that the Common-Wealth may bee ſecured from future dammage; and ſuch emploied as may not be ſo intimate with forrein Ambaſſador's Secretaries, as Mr Bud and Mr Roe. I moſt humbly leav it all at your Honor's feet, and remain

Your Lordſhip's humble Servant THO. VIOLET. Februarie 5th 1652. Mr Watkins!

SIr! I ſhould bee glad to ſee you: for I am not well, and I am afraid I have gotten a feavor with vexing. Truly you know what great pains and vaſt expence I have been at, to bring this buſineſs about to make this diſcoverie of the prize-ſhips, to intitle the State unto the Silver in the ſhips Samſon, Salvador, George, hoping now to have convinced all my greateſt Enemies both of my ſufferings and alſo my zeal to ſerv the Common-Wealth in this buſineſs, and in any other they ſhall employ mee in.

I have delivered to the Council of State, and to my Lord Bradſhaw, and Doctor Walker, ſeveral papers with all my witneſſes, beeing the greateſt merchants in this Nation, and ſeveral perſons aboard the ſhips, and by their clear teſtimonie, by God's aſsiſtance I will do the work, which I am as ſure the State will carry by my papers, as I am ſure I now write to you, if that • hey pleaſ but to proceed effectually in the buſineſs, even by the ſtrict rules of the Civil Law, and not give away their right, as there are ſom great ones would have them to do, and without my papers and witneſs they could never have don it. I finde that Bud the Proctor had not in the Court of Admiraltie Mr Calandrin's letter tranſlated, and ſo beeing in high Dutch Doctor Walker could not make any uſe of it at that preſent; and about a week ago I found Bud and Roe the proctor and ſolicitor of the Common-wealth a feaſting together with ſom forrein Agents; I have made my Lord Bradſhaw acquainted with it: if Bud had don ſo much in the State of Venice I know hee would have loſt his head, now at this time, hee having all the States writings in his hands and knowing all the ſecrets of this great buſineſs. But, by God's aſsiſtance I will prevent him in his deſigns, or any other that goeth about to diſcharge the ſilver. There are many great heads and hands a working to coſen the State upon craftie ſlie pretences. I finde the learned Doctor Walker hath ſerved the Common-Wealth in this great buſineſs with much integrity and care and learning, and a great deal of pains (as much as a man could poſsible do.) And would I could ſay ſo of ſom others imployed in this buſines: the truth is ſom men in power juggle and they have a great temptation for it by the Parlaments not taking order to land the ſilver in ſecure hands, the which is now aboard the prize ſhips, the Merchants by their inſtruments have ſtollen aſhore many a ſcore of thouſand pounds; a great part is brought into the mint ſince Chriſtmas: and all that will bee found out, if the Goldſmiths were ſtrictly examined who they bought this ſilver of. Truly there hath lately little, or no ſilver bin brought into the mint, but what hath been ſtollen out of theſe prize-ſhips and the pretenders to this ſilver and prizes having got ſuch a vaſt ſum of mony to ſcatter, without the State keep a ſtrict eye, it will blinde a great many, I ſee it too apparently: and if this buſineſs have not a powerful hand over it, to prevent ſuch abuſes as have been formerly practiſed, I know in what condition the States prizes will bee in.

Sir! I delivered my Lord Bradſhaw in December laſt my papers concerning this great buſineſs upon his faithful promiſs that I ſhould bee juſtly dealt withal about my eſtate, and that beſides I ſhould receiv a good Reward for this Service. I have copies of all my papers delivered unto him and the Council. I proteſt before God no man in England ſhould have had my firſt papers touching the prize-ſilver but his Honor, and I do chiefly rely on him.

It griev's mee much to ſee ſom Merchants ſo deſperately mad againſt mee for diſcovering this buſineſs, and at White Hall ſom of the Council think's not of the greatneſs of the ſervice and my vaſt charge and hazzard I run. For doing this buſineſs I have made many of my intimate friends my deadly foes: for every man I ſpeak with at the Exchange tell's mee I was the only cauſ of ſtaying this ſilver or elſ it had all been diſcharged. Truly what they ſay in this particular is true; for nothing yet was ever produced in the Court of Admiraltie about this ſilver but what my witneſſes I gave in to Doct. Walker have, or could have ſpoke unto: for from ſeveral at Dover I had notice of the State's Letter to Dewittee his Commiſsion to convoy all Hambergers and Lubeckers, and to guard them from the Engliſh; becauſ theſe Hambergers, were loaden with ſilver for the accompts of the Merchants of Amſterdam, as you will ſee by my letter I formerly writ to Mr Delabar.

I proteſt ſeriouſly it make's mee ſtand amaz'd to ſee what is likely to fall on this Nation; God help poor England, it is divided and falſ among their great counſellors, and many of them carrie Dutch and Spaniſh hearts in Engliſh bodies. I finde ſom great ones of the Houſ could eat mee without ſalt, for diſcovering and ſtaying this ſilver, and uſe all their endeavors to ſting a ſlighting and contempt on mee, with ſom of their fellow counſellors of State, and in the Parlament: I will tell you who they are by word of mouth, when I ſee you. They ſhall finde at long running I ſhall ſee their heels trip't up, I am afraid ſom great ones love Spaniſh Gold and ſilver, though it bee conveighed unto them by a Dutch hand.

Sir! my Lord Bradſhaw told mee before M Tho. Westrope, that there was ſom great ones would hang me if they could for ſtaying of this ſilver, but it was not in their power: for hee would to his uttermoſt, do mee right, for which great favor I did give him humble thanks. I pray preſent my humble ſervice to my Lord Bradſhaw, and tell him, next unto God, I rely on him for to do mee juſtice, that I may have my Eſtate pay'd mee which hath been taken from mee, or the value of it out of this monie I ſhall cauſ to bee brought in, to the State, out of the prize-ſhips and ſilver, which I have cauſed to bee ſtaied in December laſt.

Your true friend THO. VIOLET. Feb. 8. 1652. To my good friend Edward Watkins Eſquire at the Poſt-houſ. in Ab-Church-Lane London. May it pleaſ your Honors!

I Have preſumed to preſent you with this petition, and papers: and my humble deſire unto you is, that you would do mee right and juſtice. I was required by ſom of the Council to preſent my deſires to your Honors about my Eſtate: for they conceiv it is all the reaſon in the world I ſhould have my Eſtate, or the ful value of it.

You will ſee by my particulars, I have had eleven thouſand pounds taken from mee undulie, and contrarie to the law: and though I have ever ſince my coming out of the tower, had a petition in Parlament to have relief, I could never as yet have right. I have by all waies and means ſtudied night and daie to preſent my ſelf to the world that I was ever in all my actions loial to the intereſt of Parlament: in purſuance of that, I have don the Parlament many eminent and faithful ſervices, as is well known to all the Commiſsioners of the Council of Trade, the Committee of the Mint, and many members of Parlament and Council of State: and now in December laſt I ſtaied the Silver-ſhips and many other prize-ſhips at my vaſt and great expence. For my doing this buſineſs for the Common-wealth I have at once loſt many friends amongſt the Merchants and others, ſpent great ſums of monie, and in hazard of my life. If this bee not ſufficient teſtimonie to reſtore mee to my Eſtate, and to have a good Reward, I ſhall humbly leav it to the conſideration of your Lordſhip and all good men. I have in print but given the world a little hint, how your buſineſses in the Admiraltie have been and are mannaged, and ſo for the Mint; but if the State knew throughly how things ſtand in their Admiraltie-Court, and how their treaſure at Gold-ſmith's-Hall, Worceſter-Houſ, their Cuſtoms, Exciſe, and Mint-buſineſſes have been managed and is to this daie, they would ſay it were time to look about them.

The truth of it is, had I been imployed, and impowred ever ſince the beginning of Auguſt 1652 to have looked after all the prize-ſhips and had had a moderate allowance for my intelligence, I would have ſaved a great many hundred thouſand pounds, that you have let gon out of your hands, (and is at this daie in Holland) whereby this Nation hath been unexpreſsably abuſed, which without God's mercie will prove fatal.

May it pleaſ your Honors! Let the hazard, envie, and blame bee never ſo great: nay though it coſt mee my life and all I had in the world, I would diſcover unto your Honors the deſign that was laid to cozen the the State of the ſilver in the prize-ſhips.

For doing this ſervice in ſtaying the ſilver I have found juſt what I expected to the ful: for many of the Merchants in London, Officers of the Admiraltie, and ſom others ſpout reviling words at mee, as a whale doth water, and ſom of them have not ſcrupled to threaten my life: and they are skilful at it both by poiſon, or poniard: they are people that have lived in Countries, where for a little piece of monie ſuch things are uſually don.

I moſt humbly confeſs were I not ſatisfied in my conſcience, that there was a neceſsitie by God's providence which put mee on to make this diſcovery, I ſhould not have don it. For I feel it, I have raiſed againſt mee by doing it many hundred enemies.

May it pleaſe your Honors! I have ſpoken with divers of the Councill of State; and they wiſhed mee to put in my humble propoſitions, and therefore I moſt humbly preſent them to your Honors, humbly deſiring your Honors advice, and aſsiſtance in this weightie buſineſs that I might bee juſtly, and fairly dealt with, about theſe Prize-Ships, and the ſilver in them.

My moſt humble ſuit to the Council of State is, that out of all theſe Ships that I made a Proteſt againſt their delivery, in the Court of Admiraltie, and out of the ſhips Samſon, Salvador, and George, I may, in reward for my diſcoverie and charge of intelligence reciev all my Eſtate which hath been taken from mee to the value of the ſum of eleven thouſand pounds; which is but juſt my own monies, which I have had for ten years unduly kept from mee, as appear's by the particulars hereafter following.

With this my humble Petition I have made ſeveral Members of Parlament, and of the Council acquainted; and they hold, that I deſerv a farr greater Reward for doing this ſervice: for here I do the State the greateſt ſervice that ever was don in England by any man of my condition: I bring unto the State neer four hundred thouſand pounds, at this conjuncture of time, in ſilver, of our Enemies monie; which, if it had not been for mee, the State had been cozened of it; I alſo diſcovered a fraud and myſterie of ſom Merchants, which, if it had continued, would have endangered a ruin of this Nation.

The Dutch at one time, before I diſcovered the frauds to the State, did get out of the Parlament's hands Eleven hundred thouſand pounds in ſilver, which wee had once in our cuſtodie ſince laſt Auguſt, and now it is all in Holland. For this my ſervice to the State I have brought on my ſelf many Enemies; ſo that now if I ſhould not have juſt dealing from the State, and my Eſtate restored, or the value of it, I have by this action for the Common-wealth, made my life bitter, and uncomfortable unto mee every way, and it will for ever diſcourage any to ſerv you upon the like occaſion.

My Lord! I do the State this ſervice, and ask not one pennie, but to have my own again, which hath been unduly taken from mee, as aforeſaid, upon falſ pretences, and I never get a trial, as is well known unto your Honor. But ſom of the Members of Parlament when I petitioned for a Trial even by Marſhal Law, replied, if I had been guiltie, I ſhould never need to have petitioned for a Trial; I ſhould have had one without petitioning. A fearful and ſad thing, to jeſt mee out of my whole Eſtate; they not remembring the rule, do as you would bee don to.

May it pleaſ your Honor! For God's ſake conſider what I ſay; there is none in England of my condition ever did England, in any age, ſo great a ſervice, as I have don, in this very particular, about the Dutch prize-ſhips; and ſhall not my faith, and true love to my Countrie at ſuch a conjuncture of time, bee, by ſuch as you are, whom God hath ſet at the Helm, looked on and cheriſhed? I am confident God will never ſuffer the State to commit ſuch a ſin of ingratitude.

I dare ſay I have convinced the greateſt Enemies I have in England by deceiving their expectations, they little thinking THO. VIOLET could or would have don the Parlament this ſervice, I have heard ſo much my ſelf from ſom of their own mouths; and, I do verily believ, in their own conſciences, between God and themſelves, they are convinced, that they have oppreſſed mee unjuſtly; and if ſo, let ſom Members of the Parlament have a care when they are in judgment, Not to pronounce a ſentence againſt the light of their own conſciences: for the Oppreſſors that willingly do injustice, to pleaſ themſelves, or others, that are in power, when their conſcience ſhall check them for Oppreſſion, may one day fall under the ſame affliction themſelves.

For thoſe Gentlemen, how great ſoëver, must know, there is a righteous God, who ſeeth all things, and in his good time will render to every man according to his merits; and thoſe that judg without mercie, ſhall have no mercie; and they know not how ſoon God will call their delay of Juſtice, and their forbearing to do men right to accompt; truly the cries of the oppreſſed are many in this Nation.

May it pleaſ your Honors! if I may have my Eſtate reſtored, or the value of it, it ſhall oblige mee to pray for Honors, and then the Council keep's their promiſs, which I faithfully had from many of them, when I firſt undertook to make a ſtop of the ſilver claimed by the Spaniard; I humbly ſubmit all to your Honors.

THO. VIOLET. Martii 4. 1652. For the Lord Bradſhaw. An Account of what hath been taken from mee, Thomas Violet, for which I humbly deſire Reparations, and ſatisfaction from the Parlament, out of the Silver in the prize-Ships, which I have ſtaied, March 4. 1652.

1. WHen I was ſent to the Tower the 6 of Jan. 1643. my Mother had of my Goods, Bonds and Bills in her hands, taken from her, at ſeveral times, viz. to the value of one thouſand, three hundred and odd pounds; beſides manie of my papers, and Accounts of great value and conſideration to mee, ſeized, and manie of my papers were of great concernment to the Common-wealth; and yet I cannot com to the knowledg who hath them; but this I am ſure of, if there had been any thing in them that could have made againſt mee, there had been then uſe made of them.

2. My Mother had at another time, a Privie-Seal taken from her, wherein the late King acknowledged hee owed mee, for my expences in the diſcoverie of the Tranſporters of Gold and Silver, ninteen hundred, threeſcore and eight pounds, which money I laid out every penie out of my own purſ; and am ready to make this diſcoverie to the State, upon paſsing of the Act againſt Tranſporters of Gold; which Act hath been twice read in the laſt Parlament, and is in the cuſtodie of Mr Auguſtin Garland.

3. The Committee of Eſſex put mee out of my poſſeſsion of the Mannors of Battles, and Paton-hall in Eſſex, as appear's by their Warrants, which I have to produce, of which Land I had an extent to the juſt value of one thouſand pound, due to mee in 1643. and Phlip Cage Eſq; was in poſſeſsion of the Premiſes for my uſe.

4. The Committee of Shropſhire, ſeized in my Siſter's hands in London, three bonds, due to mee, in two thouſand pounds, for the payment of mee Thomas Violet one thouſand pounds by the Ladie Waade, Edmond Lenthal, Eſq; Phillip Cage, Eſq; Charls Mordent Eſq; as appear's under the hand of the ſaid Phillip Cage Eſquire.

5. I had the Leaſes of ten ſeveral houſes at the Poſtern in little More-fields, and the Tenants owed mee, when I was committed to the Tower, in Arrears for Rent, about one hundred pounds; and for above theſe nine years I never received rent of them; but Mr Elconhead hath received the Rent ever ſince.

6. Som of the Silver Wier-Drawers, by their unjuſt clamor, cauſed my Office to bee ſequeſtred from mee, which was for the Surveying and Sealing of all Gold and Silver thred; to prevent the deceit of this Nation by courſ and adulterated Silver-thred, wyer and ſpangels, which at this daie is very much adulterared, for want of the ſaid Office; which Office for the ſurveying and ſealing of all Gold and Silver-thred and wyer, I had from the late King for three lives, and it hath coſt mee neer fifteen hundred pounds to my Lord Treaſurer, Lord Cottington, Sr John Cook and Sr John Banks, before I could get the grant to paſs under the great Seal of England; and that Office made mee above three hundred pounds a year, beſides an houſ rent-free.

7. I had one quarter part of the Ladie Villers Farm for importation of all Forrein Gold and Silver thred, hatbands or lace, and Copper thred throughout England and Wales, for fourteen years; which coſt mee a little before I was ſequeſtred ſeven hundred pounds, and it was worth one hundred and fiftie pounds per. an. to mee.

8. I had a grant from the late King under his ſignet to bee Maſter Worker of the Mint in the Tower of London, which grant was taken away from mee when I had my houſ ſeized in Jan. 1643.

9. Beſides the aforeſaid ſumm's, I ſpent in my impriſonment in the Tower for almoſt four years, ſeven hundred pounds, and could never get my cauſ to bee heard, though by my friends I preſented manie petitions, and I have attended the late Parlament with my petition this ſix years, ever ſince I had my libertie out of the Tower, to have Juſtice, and relief in the foreſaid premiſes; and have ſpent on my attendance onely in following this buſineſs to get my cauſ heard, above one thouſand pounds; beſides I have ſpent all my time for above theſe laſt ſix years, in doing ſeveral ſervices for the State, as is well known to a great manie of the Parlament and Council of State and Committee for trade; upon the faithful promiſs of manie members that my petition ſhould bee granted, and I have my eſtate reſtored, or the value, which by theſe particulars amount's to above a eleven thouſand pounds. My good ſervices I have don is well known to your honors, Sr James Harrington, Sr Henrie Mildmay, Mr Tho. Chalenor, Col. Herbert Morley, Mr Alderman Allen, Mr Auſtin Garland, and the Committee of the Mint, and many other members of the Council of trade, about ſetting the par of Exchanges and coyns, Free-ports, and ſeveral other great ſervices I did the Common-wealth before ever your Honors and the Council of State engaged mee about the Silver Prizes and Goods in the Admiraltie; and this hath coſt mee more charge, trouble and hazard for the time, then ever anie buſineſs I have don. The firſt thing that moved mee to do this ſervice about the Prizes, was the good and ſaftie of this Nation; but had I not had your Honor's command to do it, and many of the Council of State's promiſe that I ſhould have both my eſtate reſtored, and a good reward for my great expence, pains and hazard; I ſhould not have ventured on ſo knottie a buſineſs; for which I go in hazard of my life daily. I humbly ſubmit the premiſes to your Honors.

Tho. Violet. March 4. 1652.

Theſe papers with ſom little additions I delivered to my Lord Bradſhaw, Sr James Harrington, and Mr Allen.

Here follow's a Copie of my Petition put into the late Parlament; which petition hath been depending theſe ſix years, and I have delivered ſom hundreds at ſeveral times to the Members, and could never bee heard, nor I have relief or juſtice, though I attended it daily, beeing promiſed by ſeveral members to take the firſt opportunitie for my relief: alſo a Copie of the late King's Letter which I brought to London, and my anſwer to the honorable Committee at Gold-ſmith's-Hall, when they examined mee about the ſame; with the Order of my commitment to the Tower, for bringing up the ſaid Letter for peace, which was before anie Law was made to the contrarie, to prohibit any perſon, to bring up a Letter of peace from the late King.

To the Supreme Autoritie, the PARLAMENT of the COMMON-WEALTH of England. The humble Petition of THO. VIOLET. Sheweth!

THat your Petitioner, with Theophilus Rilye, then Scout-Maſter of the Citie of London, by order of the Honorable Houſ of Co. the 6. of Januarie 1643. was committed priſoner to the Tower; where your Petitioner remained almoſt four years, the ſaid Rilye beeing diſcharg'd out of the Tower within a year from the time of his commitment; his Eſtate never ſequeſtred, or taken away, your Petitioner having acted nothing in that buſineſs, without the approbation of the ſaid Theophilus Rilye. And your Petitioner had a Paſs to go to Oxford by the Lord General Eſſex, and an Order from the then-Houſ of Commons, and the Committee of both England and Scotland were, by your Petitioner's appointment, made acquainted, that your Petitioner was, within few daies, to bring up a Letter from the late King to the Citie, for peace: which your Petitioner deſired Sir David Watkins to acquaint the Parlament with, before ever your Petitioner went to Oxford.

My humble ſuit, is, therefore that Sr David Watkins and Mr Rilye, may bee examined of the truth of this. Your Petitioner acted nothing in this buſineſs but by Order; and what the Parlament, or ſom prime Members, knew of, and did conſent to the doing of it.

That during the time of your Petitioner's reſtraint, your Petitioners Eſtate was by the Committees of Eſſex Salop, Middleſex, and London, ſequeſtred, and taken away. Your Petitioner's Eſtate in Eſſex beeing by Order of Parment, granted unto certain perſons (through whoſe informations your Petitioner was ſequeſtred) who ſince the grant and obtaining thereof, have never made good their allegations, or informations, or anie part thereof, although by ſeveral Orders of the honorable Committee of Eſſex, and Salop in purſuance of an Order of the honorable the Barons of the Exchecquer, they have been required to make good their charge againſt your Petitioner, as by the ſaid Orders may appear, neither hath your Petitioner during the time of his ſaid impriſonment, nor ſince (though to the uttermoſt of his power endeavored daily, and ſolicited at the Houſ-doors) been hitherto able to obtain a hearing of his cauſ, whereby all your Petitioner's Eſtate hath for this nine years laſt paſt, been out of your petitioner's hands, to his utter ruine without the relief of this honorable Houſ.

Your Petitioner humbly praieth, that the ſaid ſequeſtration may bee taken off, and that all Lands, Bonds, Bills, Leaſes, Moneys, Goods, Debts, Offices, Extents, Writings and Evidences of what nature ſoever, in whoſe cuſtodie the ſame, or any part thereof is, beeing, and remaining, maie bee reſtored to your Petitioner.

And that a juſt account may bee given Your Petitioner of the profits received ever ſince the ſequeſtration by ſuch perſon or perſons who have received the ſame; Your Petitioner humbly praieth this the rather, for that hee, ever ſince his enlargement out of the Tower, hath don many good and faithful ſervices for the Common-wealth, to the beſt of his skill and power, as is known as well to the honorable Council of State, as to ſeveral honorable Members of this honorable Houſ.

And Your Petitioner ſhall praie, &c. THO. VIOLET. A Copie of the late King's Letter to the Lord Major, and Aldermen of the Citie of London. Charls Rex.

TRuſtie and well-beloved, wee greet you well; when wee remember the many Acts of Grace and Favor Wee, and our Roial Predeceſſors have conferred upon that our Citie of London, and the many examples of dutie and loialtie for which that Citie hath been likewiſe famous, Wee are willing to believ, notwithſtanding the great defection wee have found in that place, that all men are not ſo degenerated from their affection to Us, and to the peace of the Kingdom, as to deſire a continuance of the miſerie they now feel: and therefore beeing informed that there is a deſire of ſom principal perſons of that Citie, to preſent a Petition to us, which may tend to the better procuring a good underſtanding between Us and that our Citie, whereby the peace of the whole Kingdom may bee procured: Wee have thought fit to let you know, that wee are ready to receiv any ſuch Petition, and the perſons who ſhall bee appointed to preſent the ſame to us, ſhall have a ſafe conduct, and you ſhall aſſure all our good ſubjects of that our Citie, whoſe hearts are touched with any ſenſ of dutie to Us, or love to the Religion and Laws eſtabliſhed, in the quiet and peaceable fruition whereof, they and their Anceſtors have enjoied ſo great happineſs, that wee have neither paſſed any Act, nor made any profeſsion or proteſtation for the maintenance and defence of the true Proteſtant Religion, and the Liberties of the Subject, which wee will not moſt ſtrictly and religiouſſy obſerv, and for the which wee will bee alwaies ready to give them any ſecuritie can bee deſired, and of theſe Our gracious Letters Wee exſpect a ſpeedy anſwer from you, and ſo Wee bid you farewel.

By his Majeſtie's Command, George Digbie. Given at our Court at Oxford on the 19th year of Our Reign, 26th Decemb. 1653.

Upon the bringing up to London of the aforeſaid Letter, I, Tho. Violet of London, Gold-ſmith, was examined before an honorable Committee of Parlament at Gold ſmith's Hall, Januarie 3, 1643, where I made the Committee acquainted that I had acted nothing but by order of Mr Theophilus Riley, Scout-maſter of the Citie of London, who was autorized by Ordinance of both Houſes of Parlament, and by Act of the Common-Council of the Citie of London, to hold intelligence in any of the King's quarters, and that the ſaid Theophilus Riley, by virtue of his place, did procure my Paſs from the Houſ of Commons to go to Oxford the 25 December, 1643, as will appear by the Journal-books in the Houſ of Commons, and that my Lord General Eſſex did give mee a Paſs to go to Oxford the 27 of Decemb. by Sr Arthur Haſlerig's and Sr David Watkin's means; both which Warrants were procured for Mee Tho. Violet by Theophilus Riley, Scout-maſter, and one of the Militia of the Citie of London, and the parties aforeſaid; and that the ſaid Theophilus Riley, and I, Tho. Violet, and Sr David Watkins had made ſeveral Members of Parlament, and Committee of both Nations acquainted with the Letter, before ever wee ſent it to Oxford to have the King Sign it; and wee had their approbation for doing the ſame; and I, Tho. Violet, did plead juſtification for my doing thereof before the ſaid Committee, having the Warrant and approbation of the Common-wealth's Scout-maſter. Moreover I declared, that there was not then at the time of my bringing up of the late King's Letter, beeing the 2d of Januarie, 1643, any Order, or Ordinance to forbid mee, or any other perſon, to bring up a Letter of Peace from the late King: beſides, I told the Committee, that by God's Law, where there is no Law, there can bee no tranſgreſsion: and my bringing the late King's Letter up to London before a law made to ſhew mee my Rule to walk by, I beeing the King's Servant, I humbly conceived could bee no offence; whereupon the honorable Committee made their report to the Houſ of Commons; and thereupon the honorable Houſ made this Order, viz.

Die Sabbathi 6to Januar. 1643.

SIr Henrie Vane, Mr Solicitor, and Sr Arthur Haſlerig report the deſign of Mr Theophilus Riley, Scoutmaſter of the Citie, Col. Reade, Sr Baſil Brook, Mr Violet, and others, concerning Letters, a Petition, and Propoſitions touching Accommodation, &c. and the particular examinations of the ſaid parties, and a Letter from his Majeſtie to the Lord Major, Court of Aldermen, &c. and two Letters from the Lord Digbie to Sir Baſil Brook, of the 29 of December, and the 2 of Januarie were all read.

Reſolved, &c. Theophilus Riley, Sr Baſil Brook, and Thomas Violet ſhall bee committed cloſe Priſoners to the Tower.

Hen. Elſing, Cler Parl. D. Com.

I ſhall humbly deſire the Committee of Eſſex to obſerv this; here was no conſpiracie charged on any of us, by the Order of the Houſ of Commons; but if they will read the original, they will finde it, as it is Printed here in the Journals of Parlament, onely a Committment to the Tower of London; every man that is committed to a priſon, muſt not therefore bee guiltie of a conſpiracie before hee bee tried, either by Marſhal Law, or the Common Law of the Land.

And truly I humbly take it my puniſhment, beeing ſo long in priſon, was beyond my offence, for bringing a letter of peace, when I had not broken anie law at that time in beeing, without having my Eſtate under Sequeſtration, or giving Mr Elconhead my Eſtate for his charging mee unjuſtly, with a conſpiracie againſt the Parlament, before the Committee of Eſſex, when hee nor anie other, either hath or can prove it; it ſhall bee found upon examination, I have don the Common-wealth better ſervice then manie ſcores ſuch as Mr Elconhead, either hath or could ever do; and I humbly hope, when this preſent Parlament doth take this buſineſs into examination, they will leav mee to my remedie at law againſt Edward Elconhead, for his unjuſt and malitious charge to defraud mee of my Eſtate, to enrich himſelf by ſuch indirect practice; and make him account with mee for all monies, and rents hee hath received of mine, with dammages for my forbearance ſince my Sequeſtration, notwithſtanding anie pretence, or Order from the late Parlament, or Committee of Eſſex. THO. VIOLET.

Theſe papers I left with the Lord Bradſhaw, Sr James Harrington, Mr Tho. Chalenor, Mr Alderman Allen, with the Committee of Eſſex at Chemsford, Mr Auguſtin Garland, and ſeveral other Members of Parlament.

Upon the diſſolving of the laſt Parlament, I made my requeſt to the faithful Lovers of their Countrie Col. Wetton, and Lievt. Col. Joice, to preſent my former ſervices, about the ſtaying the Silver and other prizes, to the Right Honorable the Council of Officers: which accordingly they did, and brought mee acquainted with ſeveral of thoſe noble Gentlemen; for which great civilities I give them humble thanks; by whoſe means I ſent this enſuing Letter to the Right Honorable General Monk, and preſented the enſuing Papers to the preſent Council of State.

For the Right honorable General Monk, Admiral of the Common-wealth of England. May it pleaſ your Honor!

I Have deſired Lievtenant Colonel Joyce to bee pleaſed to ſend your Honor this Letter; the occaſion of my writing to your Honor now is, humbly to give you notice of a Book, I preſented to the late Parlament, concerning many abuſes about ſeveral Prize-Ships brought into this Nation, and diſcharged; ſom out of the Court of Admiraltie, and ſom other waies, before they were duely examined; as appear's in my Book I herewith ſend unto your Honor. By reaſon of your great employment as Admiral, I humbly thought it my dutie to preſent you with my Book. In folio (99) you ſhall finde a particular Invoice.

Sr! the damage hath been to this Common-Wealth, to the value of manie hundred thouſand pounds, which this Nation hath been couzened of, for want of a ſtrict Examination of Prize-Ships. I was formerly employ'd the 13th of Decemb. 1652. by the then Council of State, to aſsiſt in the Court of Admiraltie, againſt the Ships Sampſon, Salvador and George; having laden in them manie hundred thouſand pounds, which ſilver had been all let gon, had it not been for my Proteſt and Solicitation in the Court of Admiraltie, as appear's in my Book, fol. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. I have preſumed to ſend you the Book, with a Copie of my Petition to his Excellencie the Lord General.

My humble ſuit to your Honor, is, that if you conceiv my Petition is for the ſervice of the Common-wealth, to have theſe great abuſes I have humbly preſented unto the Parlament found out, and prevented for the future; that your honor would do mee that juſt favor, to ſend in writing to Lievtenant Colonel Joyce, what you conceiv is to bee don concerning my humble Petition to his Excellencie.

The Silver aboard all theſe aforeſaid Ships, is Ordered to bee landed by his Excellencie: and to bee brought into the Tower; I humbly deſire to bee appointed Remembrancer for all prize-Ships, which if I had been in Auguſt laſt employ'd, the State had had a Million of monie now; which hath by the undue, and careleſs practice of ſom men, been let ſlip out of England, for want of a vigilant proſecution, and is how in Holland. I humbly leav the conſideration of the premiſes to your honor, and remain,

London, Apr: 27. 1653. Your moſt humble Servant. THO. VIOLET.

Lievtenant Col. Joice, lieth at the leg neer the Fountain Tavern in the Strand, I humbly deſire your honor to ſignifie your pleaſure to him. This letter I ſent by Mr Quatmore.

The humble deſire, and Petition of Thomas Violet; preſented to the Right honorable Major-General Desborrow. Col. Benet, Col Jones, all of the Council of State, May 4. 1653. Sheweth!

1 THat for want of order and a due regulation, and porſecution of the matters of the State's Prizes, and Prizes of private men of War, depending in the Court of Admiraltie, divers great loſſes and inconveniencies have enſued; which, if not prevented for the future, will bring unexpreſſable miſchief on this Nation, and will not onely diſcourage all private Men of War, for continuing thoſe Ships they have abroad, or ſending forth of others; but deprive the Common-wealth of much, if not moſt of that benefit it might and ought to make by Prizes, which are, and have been brought in by the Parlament's Ships; which Prizes ought to bee employ'd towards the ſupport of this War; by which means this State hath been much diſenabled, and our enemies enabled, as by ſad experience ſince theſe Wars began, the State hath found, and by your Petitioner it hath been humbly preſented to your Honors to take ſuch order that there may bee a timely redreſs before it bee too late.

2. That for want of ſtricter inſtructions to all Commanders at Sea for this Common-wealth, manie Ships have paſſed unqueſtion'd, or not fully examined; and manie more are likely to bee permitted to paſs, and never to have judgment in future, and you have had Millions of Treaſure ſuffered to paſs in this maner; which if it had been ſtopped, had brought the Hollanders on their knees before this time. When your Court of Admiraltie and Officers in that Court, are not well regulated, it is a dangerous back-door to this Nation; and by coſtly experience, this State upon examination will finde it.

3. That whereas heretofore in the Court of Admiraltie, ſeveral Ships were in queſtion, and upon juſt grounds and ſuſpition, were brought in as prize, (but were not put to plead ſpecially) by which means many Ships to the value of manie hundred thouſand pounds, ſince Auguſt laſt, have avoided Judgment and after-queſtion, for want of ſtrict examination, (by which means particular proof might have been in all likelihood found out) theſe Prize-Ships have been diſcharged. It beeing alleged, it is contrarie to the Rules of the Admiraltie; I humbly ſaie, No ill cuſtoms ſhould bee kept up to endanger the ſaftie of the Nation; for the Owners of all ſuch Prizes, beeing under queſtion, ought, by the Civil Law, to prove their Intereſt; eſpecially, as by your Petitioner's endeavors, and reaſons given to Doctor Walker, your Petitioner made it manifeſt to bee the conſtant cuſtom of other Nations, and that atteſted by the ableſt Merchants in London: and by the great care of Doctor Walker, hee got a Judgment for the Common-wealth, for the Sampſon, George and Salvador, beeing the Ships that have the Silver, to caſt the proof on the Claimers, and to cauſ them to prove ſpecially; and I humbly hope all other Prizes ſhall exſpect the like hereafter, for I humbly ſaie, it is the onely, and quickeſt waie to curb the Hollander's greatneſs, to ſtop them of Trade, in anie Veſſels whatſoever, which will never bee don except the State keep a ſtrict eie on the proceedings of the Court of Admiraltie, during the War with Holland.

4. That the State hath ſuffered very much, for want of diligent and ſpecial Proſecutors or Solicitors, to take eſpecial notice of everie Prize, and for attending as Remembrancer to the Council of State, and to the State's Counſel at law; to have this don, is the work of many men, and to order all buſineſs, that ſo no Prize ſhould com into the Court to receiv Judgment, if there were any difficultie, or diſpute in the title, till the State's Counſel had argued it pro, and con, privately; if this courſ had formerly been taken, manie a Prize-Ship, which hath been diſcharged the Court of Admiraltie, and is now in Holland, had been confiſcated to the State,

And therefore to enable your Petitioner, to do you this ſervice for the future.

Your Petitioner humbly deſire's, that hee may have a perfect liſt, from the Regiſter of the Court of Admiraltie, of all the Prizes brought into this Common-wealth, from the firſt of Auguſt 1652. for the uſe of the State, and all Prizes brought in by private Men of War, and what Ships were condemn'd, and the daies when, and to whom; and that the State's Commiſsioners, for Dutch Prize-goods, maie bee deſired to do the ſame, that your Petitioner maie ſee they agree.

And I humbly ſaie, until this bee don, that there bee ſom employ'd to execute that truſt, to mannage and prepare buſineſs, the Common-wealth's Counſel cannot execute their charge as were to bee wiſhed, and exſpected; and it is not an Ordinarie Solicitation to finde out witneſſes, and the Myſteries and frauds of Merchants, it muſt bee don by men that have had long experience, and great acquaintance, to get your intelligence; and this part cannot bee acted by the State's Counſel: for it is out of their Courſ, they muſt have everie thing brought to their hands; neither is it for the Judges of the Admiraltie, to take notice of anie cauſ further, more than what ſtand's proved before them in Court.

5. That by reaſon of the premiſed wants in the courſ of the Admiraltie, and moſt eſpecially for want of skilful ſollicitation, and a due care to ſee every one in truſt to do his dutie; there hath been about eightie ſhips brought in as Dutch-Prizes, and many of them ſhot and torn; many of them had been let gon without judgment, had it not been for Your Petitioner's proteſting and appealing in the Court of Admiraltie, which hath been followed at the ſole endeavors and great charges and expences of Your Petitioner.

6. That for want of ſtricter Rules in the Admiraltie, great numbers of Prizes brought in by private men of War have been diſcharged, to the great diſheartning of all Adventurers of that kinde, and weakning the leſſer; but neceſſarie ſinews of this Common-wealth; I humbly ſaie, it is highly advantagious for the State to improve all the force of particular Adventurers both Merchants and Seamen, and to let them have all encouragement as poſsible may bee given, for to offend ſo craftie and potent an enemie; I humbly ſay, that diverſ great Merchants complain, that it is in vain for them to put out private men of War againſt the Dutch, as things are carried in the Admiraltie; and from good hands I have it, that the Dutch doth give againſt this State, all encouragement to their private men of War.

My humble deſire is, that the Regiſter of the Admiraltie may bee Ordered to give mee the particular of all private Ships diſcharged ſince the firſt of Auguſt, 1652, and if I bee commanded, I will aſsiſt and ſollicite for to ſee to the State's part, that the Ships bee not diſcharged for the future as they have been formerly, through the negligence, if not worſ, of your Proctor Mr Budd, and ſom other in the Court of Admiraltie.

7. That to enable Your Petitioner to do this buſineſs, hee cannot have leſs then two Clerks conſtantly to write for him and to put your buſineſs in Order for proſecution of the buſineſs in Order for the Court: And whereas Mr Doreſlawes hath a Warrant for proſecution of the buſineſs concerning the Prize-ſhips; Your Petitione • alſo deſire's, hee may alſo have a Warrant with ſuch Inſtructions and Powers as your Honors, in your great Wiſdoms ſhall conceiv is ſufficient to enable your Petitioner to do this ſervice with Mr Doreſlawes, or other waies as your Honors ſhall order him; ſubmitting himſelf, and his Fee for encouragement, to your grave Wiſdoms.

8. Whereas many occaſions have and will ariſe for ſeveral ſumms of money, for ſeveral meetings in Wappine, St Katharine's, Lime-houſ, Eriff and Blackwall, and ſeveral Sea ports of this Nation where ſhips are brought in to ſend Poſt about Witneſſes, and ſeveral otherwaies, hath already coſt your Petitioner near four hundred pounds: Hee humbly deſire's, that you would Order your Commiſsioner for Prizes to paie and iſſue out ſuch ſummes of money for this buſineſs, as they, or any two of them ſhall conceiv is for the ſervice of this Common-wealth.

9. That now the Silver is unloaden by the State, which was aboard the Sampſon, Salvador, and George, your Petitioner may have ſuch a Reward as the greatneſs of this ſervice deſerv's, for ſtaying and getting the State ſo vaſt a Treaſure, in ſuch a conjuncture of time, or at the leaſt your Petition •… may have ſo much, by waie of poundage, as the Parlament hath taken away from your Petitioner, and was promiſed your Petitioner when hee undertook to make his diſcoverie.

Everie part of the premiſes, I humbly ſubmit to your Honors, both for ſuch allowance for my ſelf and Clerks; and for moneys already disburſed in your ſervice, and ſuch orders and directions for the future as ſhall bee thought, by your Honors, fit and convenient to enable your Petitioner to do this ſervice, and I will chearfully accept whatſoever your Honors pleaſ to order and appoint; and ſhall diligently and faithfully diſcharge my truſt, by God's aſsiſtance, highly for the benefit and advantage of this Common-wealth, and give a ſtop to many miſchievous practices which hath been formerly put on the State concerning their Prizes in their Court of Admiraltie.

In the three Silver Ships, there is about four hundred thouſand pounds, which had all paſſed out of the State's hands, had it not been for my Proteſt in the Court of Admiraltie; and daily the ſaid Silver hath been imbeziled away: If I bee commanded by the State, I ſhall ſhew them how they have been abuſed in many of their Prizes, and in their Silver lately a ſhipboard, which I humbly deſire may bee prevented for the future, for the good of the Common-wealth.

All which I humbly ſubmit, &c. THO. VIOLET. May 11th 1653. To the Right Honorable Col. Bennet, one of the Council of State, theſe humbly preſent. May it pleaſ your Honor!

ACcording to my order I attended this daie in the Court of Admiraltie, to ſee what proceeding was about the Prize-Silver which is now in the Tower; truly the carriage and paſſages of ſom eminent men in the Court was highly prejudicial to the State's intereſt about the Silver; and I humbly conceiv, your Honors of the Council of State ought to have a particular Account.

I beſeech you to acquaint the Council, it fall's out concerning this Silver, juſt as I formerly told the late Council of State, that, for want of a ſtrict care of Examining ſeveral Witneſſes which I had ready to produce, many of them have been packed away by the Merchants that claim; and there hath been ſo many delaies in the proceedings in the Admiraltie, that they beyond Seas have had time to laie their buſineſs, that almoſt all the Silver ſhall bee claimed as belonging to them of Flanders; which if diligent and ſpeedie care bee taken, may yet bee prevented, and I ſhall make them loſe their deſign.

Doctor Walker did this daie carrie himſelf in this buſineſs with a great deal of zeal and experience for the ſecuritie of the State, and made his proteſt in the behalf of the Common-wealth.

Sir! The unlading of the Silver is nothing without making out the proof, that it is Hollanders's goods and Silver.

If that ſom Order bee not taken to give a ſtop to ſeveral perſons, and that ſuddenly, they will bee all ſent away out of this Nation, as I am credibly informed ſom have been; and the State loſe their Witneſſes; then the Silver will bee all claimed under the Spaniard's title, as now they put in their claims; and for want of a due ſollicitation, by knowing men that underſtand the ſecret combination and frauds in this kinde, the State will run an hazard to loſe this great Treaſure, onely by the miſcarriages of ſom in the Admiraltie.

I have been acquainted with theſe ſecrets this 30 years, and there was not a Witneſs produced in the Court of Admiraltie, but ſuch as I delivered to Doctor Walker; it will fall ſo out, all our Engliſh Merchants will run a great hazard to have their goods ſtaied beyond Sea, if the Silver bee taken away and coyned, without proving it to belong to the Dutch, or the people of the Netherlands, which I had many Witneſſes to prove this Silver Prize; therefore great diligence ought to have been given to examine ſeveral Paſſengers and Mariners aboard the ſaid Prize-ſhips, before they had been ſhifted away by the Merchants that claim the Silver; which the State may thank Mr Budde the Proctor for the Common-wealth, for his neglect, if any inconvenience com on it.

Sir! If I bee commanded and impower'd as I have formerly told you, I will ſee a quick and vigorous proſecution ſhall bee had in the Admiraltie for all the former miſcarriages, that theſe frauds ſhall bee diſcovered, and the State entituled to this Treaſure in the Sampſon, Salvador and George, and ſeveral other Prizes, Merchandize and Silver.

SIR! If I had had a Warrant from the State in Auguſt laſt, to have aſsiſted in the buſineſs about the State's Prizes, the State ſhould have had above a Million of Money now in their cuſtodie which is now in Holland, through the connivance of ſom in the Admiraltie.

It would have broke the Hollander, and brought him on his knees, if there had been a vigilant proſecution.

This Silver had been all let ſlipt away, had it not been for my Proteſt in the Court of Admiraltie, about the 20th December laſt; by which means I expoſed my ſelf to a great deal of envie, both of the Merchants and others in the Court of Admiraltie, as appear's in my Book, folio 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84. I deſire to have the Warrant encloſed, ſigned, to autorize mee to proceed in this ſervice, which elſ I cannot do, till I have Warrant from the Council, and ſo I reſt.

Your Honors moſt humble Servant, THO. VIOLET. 11 June 1653. To the Right Honorable Col. Jones, and Col. Bennet, Members of the Council of State, theſe humbly preſent. May it pleaſ your Honors!

ON Saturdaie laſt you told mee, that I ſhould do a verie good ſervice to the Nation, if I did diſcover anie of the frauds and practices that had been put on the State, concerning anie other Prize-Ships, beſides the Sampſon, Salvador and George; and that if I could, my Warrant ſhould bee enlarged in relation to that ſervice, for that you had read in my Book, I ſpoke of manie other Prize-Ships, wherein the State had been deceived, that if I did preſent you with anie ſuch diſcoverie, or propound a waie for the finding it out, it would bee very good ſervice to the Common-wealth, and you would preſent it to the Council of State for a ſpeedie and effectual proſecution.

Maie it pleaſ your Honors, I know by ſad, and coſtly experience diſcoveries of this kinde, when once preſented, and not powerfully proſecuted, bring's to to the diſcoverer a great deal of envie, which hath befallen mee in ſtaying this Silver by my Proteſt in the Admiraltie, hath incenſed manie Merchants, and ſom in the Admiraltie againſt mee, and when a joint purſ ſhall concurr together with ſom perſons in power and truſt, to bride out a buſineſs againſt a particular Proſecutor (as in manie buſineſſes in this laſt Parlament, I know it hath been, and in this particular of the Silver, no doubt but will bee, and hath been don;) I ſhall finde the Burden too heavie for my purſ, except you reſtore mee my own eſtate, which hath been taken from mee.

I deſire notice maie bee taken, that I cannot proſecute it effectually, but at my great expence, and it hath already coſt mee manie hundreds of pounds out of my purſ, for what I have don in this buſineſs about ſtaying the Silver Prizes, by direction of the late Council of State, and I had ſeveral of the late Council of State's promiſs, in the behalf of the State, that my eſtate which hath been taken from mee, ſhould all bee reſtored, and I receiv a good reward for my charges and endeavors, if that I could entitle the State to the Silver the Spaniſh Embaſſador claimed, and my reward ſhould bee proportioned according to the quantitie of the Silver I entitled the State unto; the like promiſs I had from ſeveral Members of the late Parlament: to do leav all the premiſes to your Honors, and I humbly deſire you to preſent the ſame to the Council of State, that my Petition is, that I maie have ſom aſſurance from this preſent Council, that when I have don this ſervice to entitle the State to the Silver, that my eſtate maie bee all reſtored, and I receiv ſuch a reward, as may encourage all others for the future to ſerv the State, and in the mean time I maie bee empowred to receiv ſuch ſumm's of monie, out of my own eſtate, which is under ſequeſtration, as maie enable mee to proceed in this ſervice. And when this is don, I ſhall humbly deſire an Order to the Commiſsioners for Dutch-Prizegoods, to have a perfect Inventarie of what Ships were then under their charge, the 16. of Decemb. 1652. and at that time in their cuſtodie, and in which ſhips they had Officers aboard for the uſe of the State, as neer as I can calculate was about fiftie, worth about a Million of monie, and manie of them brought into Harbor, at vaſt expence and blood, and therefore I humbly conceiv, not to bee diſcharged, but upon conſideration and examination, and this you ſhall finde agreeable to former Preſidents and Records, and I humbly deſire, Mr Ryley the Keeper of thoſe Records, maie bee required to attend you in this particular, hee can acquaint you what I have cauſed him to do in this buſineſs.

It is now apparant to the World, what Spirit Rule's in ſom perſons in the Admiraltie, to the great dammage of this State; it had been well for the State I could have been believed before now. In theſe particulars they had ſaved manie hundred thouſand pounds.

May it pleaſ your Honors, if I could have had my witneſſes examined, and a liſt of all the paſſengers in the Ships, Salvador, George and Sampſon, and where they did remain, as I deſired ever ſince Januarie laſt, you had condemned all the Silver in the ſaid Ships before this time; But Spaniſh GOLD and SILVER work's wonders; the truth is, this buſineſs hath been as ſlily carried to the prejudice of the State, as ever anie buſineſs hath been, and that with ſo much boldneſs, as all knowing men that were in the Admiraltie and heard it, muſt needs confeſs, that never was the like don in anie Court in the memorie of anie man, in ſo weightie a buſineſs, when the Common-wealth's title was in queſtion: and in convenient time, I hope the State will have a ſtrict account of it, let mee but bee impowred by reſtoring mee to my eſtate, I will finde out the bottom. And if this bee not don, you will finde no man for the future will venter for the State as I have don, and it will bee a warning to others, not to believ • Court-Holy • water.

If you will have mee do you ſervice, I deſire in perſuance thereof, to know what Ships the Dutch Prize-Commiſsioners have diſcharged ſince the 16. of December 1652. and the daies when they were put under their charge, and to whom delivered, and where the Merchants dwell. I do humbly deſire, that the Regiſter and Commiſsioners for Dutch Prize-Goods, bee Ordered to give mee a particular of what Silver, Wooll, and Marchandiſe, is claimed in the Sampſon, Salvador and George, or anie other Prize-Ships within this Nation, by any perſon, and what goods they have reſtored out of theſe Ships, and to whom and by what Order, and the daies when; this I humbly deſire from the Dutch Prize-Commiſsioners, becauſ their Accounts and proceedings are kept perfect, and manie goods have been got from them againſt their good Wills, and by the Merchants Proteſts and Clamors; and from the Commiſsioners I ſhall have the truth of theſe particulars.

My humble ſuit is, that Captain Biſhop, may bee deſired to acquaint the Council of State with what letters and advices the late Council received from their ſeveral Intelligencers in Holland, of the proceedings and carriages of ſom people in the Court of Admiraltie, concerning the abuſes and practices in their deceiving the State of their Dutch-Prizes, and what Ships have, immediately after they have been diſcharged in England, went directly for Holland; I humbly deſire that Cap. Biſhop would produce the Letters concerning theſe diſcoveries to the Council of State. There was an honorable Member of the late Council of State lately told mee, that I had given the late Council of State, ſo much light in the buſineſs of the Dutch-Prizes, that if they had not been diſſolved, they would have made ſom in the Court of Admiraltie examples; but now hee was but a private man, and hee hoped I would apply my ſelf to them that govern the State; in doing thereof I ſhould do great ſervice to the Nation, for it was very fit to have theſe things look'd into.

Thus according to your Honors command, I have in this particular made you an humble tender of my faithfulneſs, and will, to ſerv my Countrie in theſe particulars, if I bee commanded, and have a full and ample Warrant to impower mee for my doing thereof, and I moſt humbly deſire an aſſurance from your Honors, for my juſt and due rewards, when I have don your buſineſs in the Admiraltie, concerning the Silver and other Prizes. I humbly leav my ſelf to the Council of State, what they ſhall bee pleaſed to do in this buſineſs; in the mean time I deſire part of my eſtate to bee reſtored, and I ſhall faithfully and vigilantly ſerv them in making theſe diſcoveries, and ſhall not weigh the envie of particular men, for doing my Countrie this ſervice, ſo it bee acceptable to the Supreme Power.

Your Honors moſt humble Servant, THO. VIOLET. POSTSCRIPT.

THere hath been great ſtore of Tobaccos and Wools already delivered out of the Salvador, Sampſon and George, and other Prizes; and at this inſtant of time, you are about to deliver neer 900 baggs of Spaniſh Woolls, which amount's to verie great value; I deſired particular witneſſes might bee examined about theſe Woolls and Tobaccos in Januarie laſt, both paſſengers in the Ships and others Merchants, but could not; and manie of them by the Merchants are ſent awaie beyond Seas, to avoid the examination; I told Doctor Walker of it yeſterdaie, beeing the 12. of June; who ſaid hee believed manie things had been don about theſe Prizes, which ought not to have been don by ſom in the Admiralties; but hee would impute it to ignorance, and not maliciouſly don; truly I believ it was ſelf-ſeeking and covetouſneſs had a great hand in this buſineſs; and a general malignancie of moſt of the Officers in the Admiraltie, as any man maie ſee, if hee read my letter to Mr Bud, the State's Proctor.

I humbly deſire to have the marks and numbers of thoſe Woolls and Tobaccos before they bee delivered, and what ſorts they are off.

May it pleaſ your honor; as no man can build a houſ without tools; ſo make theſe diſcoveries without an ample Warrant, to impower mee, and to bee reinveſted into my eſtate, as I humbly deſire; and then upon the peril of my life, I will give the Common-wealth an exact and a good account, both of their Silver, and alſo merchandiſe in theſe Prizes; and if the State do this, I will by God's aſsiſtance, diſcover the ſaid abuſes, and if they pleaſ but to puniſh the Offendors, when they know who hath abuſed them; that will do the buſineſs, to prevent it for the future: but if they bee ſuffered to go on, the State will bee perpetually cozened by theſe falſ and dangerous practices.

THO. VIOLET. June 13. 1653. May 24, 1653. For the Right Honorable Col. Philip Jones, and Col. Bennet, theſe humbly preſent. May it pleaſ your Honors!

MR Lievtenant of the Tower did ſend for mee, to tell mee that I ſhould com unto you about ſom buſineſs you had to ſpeak with mee, about the Bullion in the Mint; and when I ſpake with your Honors, you deſired mee to draw up in brief for the beſt management of the Coyning of the Bullion in the Tower; your Honor telling mee, the Council of State had taken ſpecial notice of my great ſervice about the Prize-Silver.

You told mee you had ſpoken with the Maſterworker and Comtroller of the Mint, and ſom other Officers; you found them very raw and ignorant in this buſineſs, all, ſaving one Mr James Hore, and Mr Burch, whom you found to bee able Clerks. Seeing your Honors, and Mr Lievtenant of the Tower, have requeſted mee to give you in writing, what in my experience is to bee don, in carrying on this great work of taking all the marks of the ſilver, and keeping a particular account of the ſeveral parcels of Silver, Weights and Marks.

1. Your Honors muſt take a ſpecial care that every parcel of Silver bee diſtinctly weighed, and that no man, but ſuch as you imploie, ſee the marks of the Bars, or Caſes, and that no Silver bee weighed but before one of your Honors, beeing of the Committee of the Council of State, and upon every remove out of the Office the papers of the marks to bee ſealed up.

2. When you bring your Parcels, you muſt mark every parcel in Bars, Bags, caſes, and Cask, viz. no 1, no 2, no 3, and ſo forward to the laſt number if there bee ten thouſand Parcels.

3. When this is don, you muſt make your aſſaies diſtinctly of all Bars, and if there bee any little one, they muſt bee melted into one Bar, and a piece cut to make an aſſay; if you finde Plate and veſſels of ſilver, all that is in one parcel muſt bee melted down, and the fineneſs, and weight, and mark of the Bags, Caſes, Barrels kept diſtinctly; when you melt, you muſt weigh your ſilver exactly to the pot, and keep an account of the waſt back, and that all the aſhes bee ſaved, and at the end of all bee waſhed, for elſ there may bee voluntarie ſpillings out of the Pots, and ſo you may bee deceiv'd. You muſt have a care whom you truſt in the Melting-houſ while your ſilver is melting; for you may have a lay or copper put in, and that ſhall make it weigh your full weight; but if you imploy Mr James Hore in the buſineſs, or Mr Burch, they are men that are very honeſt and able, can, and will do it juſtly.

5. If you pleaſ, I offer to melt down the Ingots, after they are all aſſaied, to deliver unto the Moniers, for the Fee of 12 grains upon every pound weight Troy. whereas Sr John Wollaſton hath for this 30 years had 16 grains upon everie pound weight Troy; which Office hee is now uncapable of to execute, by reaſon of a late Order from the Cuncil of State, for his late engagement in the late black and ſerpentine Petition with ſom of the Citie.

I made a Propoſition to the Committee of the Mint, about a year and an half paſt, to execute the place of Maſter-Worker of the Mint for an hundred pounds the year, and to melt the ſilver at 12 grains the pound weight; whereas the Maſter-Worker allow's Sr John Wollaſton 16 grains the pound weight for melting the ſilver.

This Propoſition was Ordered to bee reported to the then Council of State by the Committee of the Mint; and I humbly offer to do it for you now at the price of 12 grains the pound weight, and a 100l. a year; by which offer I ſave the State about fifteen hundred pounds the year, of what the Maſter-Worker and his man the melter hath allowed them when the Mint goes, in ſuch quantitie as formerly.

6. Your convenient's and ſafeſt way for your monies after it is coined, is to bag it up in the Mint; and this may bee don for about two ſhillings the 100l. and let it remain in ſom ſecure place in the Mint, or the Tower, and none com unto it, but by Order of the Council of State, by this waie you will ſave ſeveral Fees that will run out to ſeveral people, if by this way they bee not prevented.

You muſt keep ſom purpoſely to ſee the exact telling the monie; that they keep a perfect account upon Oath, what the Shere make's, and put it down juſtly to the State; by this waie you may ſave ſom thouſands of pounds in Fees; and the State ought to have a juſt account of the profits of the Shere, which amount's uſually to 8s and ſomtimes 10s the 100l. by tale.

You alſo keep your monie in your own cuſtodie, under your own lock and keie, to bee diſpoſed of as the State ſhall ſee good at an hour's warning.

For ſom other directions concerning the uncapableneſs of ſeveral of your Officers in the Mint; as the Maſter-Worker, the Comptroller, the Clerk of the Irons, and ſom others; your Honors ſee what ignorant men they are; they may bee aſhamed to eat the State's bread, and are not capable of any buſineſs: your Honors told mee you were ſorrie to ſee the State ſo ſerved in the Mint; the like did the Lievtenant of the Tower.

May it pleaſ your Honors, if by God's Providence I had not ſtaied this ſilver, there would none have been coined till the State had gotten more skilful Officers in the Mint; and yet theſe men, I underſtand, intend to ſtop the arreers of wages they pretend is due to the Maſter-worker, the Comptrroller, and the Clerk of the Irons, out of the monies and profits ariſing by the coining of this ſilver which I cauſed to bee ſtaied, and is now in the Tower; which will bee to the Maſter-Worker about a thouſand pounds, and to other Officers twice as much; in all, it com's to three thouſand pounds, or thereabouts; When theſe men have ſpoiled your mint, they are very confident men to make any ſuch demands; I humbly hope the Committee of the Revenue will look to prevent any ſuch buſineſs on their accounts for the future, now they know it.

Truly I have juſtified it before the Committee of the Mint formerly, and afore all the Officers of the Mint, about a year and a half paſt; That the State had better have given fortie thouſand pounds for theſe laſt five years, then have ſuch Officers as ſom of the aforeſaid perſons in the mint; and this I have juſtified before theſe Officer's faces, at a Committee of the late Parlament; onely Mr Hore and Mr Burch underſtand the buſineſs, and are men fit for their emploiment, in the Mint, or better places then they have.

If I had the place of Maſter-Worker of the Mint, as the late King appointed mee, I would know from any part of Chriſtendom, what great quantities of ſilver is ſtirring to bee tranſported.

May it pleaſ your Honors! If I had not known by long experience this Art, your Honors at this daie had not had this Treaſure in the Tower.

I moſt humbly offer my ſervice to your Honors, and deſire ſuch an emploiment in the Mint, and ſuch allowance as your Honors, and the Council of State ſhall think fitting for the ſervice of the State, and I ſhall accept of it as part of my ſatisfaction which I humbly petition the State for; thus with the Tender of my humble ſervice, I remain

Your Honors moſt humble Servant, THO. VIOLET.

May 24, 1653, a Brevit of the Papers I deliver'd to the Right Honorable Col. Bennet and Col. Joanes, who ſeveral times ſince have told mee, that in every particular I told them, for the carrying on this buſineſs in the Mint for the coining of the ſilver, I had given them the cleareſt information of any; they found it right and true, and the beſt waie for the ſervice of the Common-wealth about their Mint-buſineſs, and were pleaſed to engage their Honors, that they would, by the firſt opportunitie, preſent my great ſervices to the Council of State and Parlament, and that they had made my Lord General acquainted with it; and that they at ſeveral times had made the Council of State acquainted with my great ſervices I had don, and that they would preſent my Petition, and ſpeak effectually to it at the firſt opportunitie, to have my Eſtate reſtored.

That ſhortly there would bee a Committee for the Tower, and then what I had propounded concerning my beeing Maſter-worker and Melter, ſhould bee preſented to the Council of State, and ſom order taken to get the Mint ſupplied with abler Officers; Mr Lievtenant of the Tower ſaid the ſame to mee.

Som others of the Council I made acquainted, that great care ought to bee taken concerning the Prize-ſhip, Morning Star; and that I had ſeveral times beer: with Doctor Clerk, Advocate for the Common-wealth, about that ſhip, to have a great care of the State's Intereſt, concerning the Silver and lading, I made him acquainted what charge and pains I had been at in ſearching the Records in the Tower for Preſidents: I told him Mr Riley the keeper of the Records would ſatisfie him.

I found Dr Clerk very ready to receiv any Informati-; and I did ſee a very heartie and cordial expreſsion from him ſeveral times for the State's ſervice. Hee hath formerly been a Judg in the Court of Admiraltie; If your Honors could get him to Execute that place again, his experience and gravitie, and his care of Juſtice, I verily believ will prevent ſom former abuſes which hath been daily practiſed in that Court, to the great prejudice of the State and Nation. THO. VIOLET.

Friday, June 10. 1653. At the Council of State at White-Hall. Ordered,

THat Thoms Violet bee appointed (together with ſom other perſon hereafter to bee named) to bee Aſſiſtant in the making of Diſcoveris, in relation to the Ships Sampſon, Salvador add George, and their lading, whether Silver or any other Merchandize, and likewiſe of any abuſes which have been in the managing of that buſineſs ſince the firſt bringing up of the ſaid Ships, and hee is from time to time, to acquaint the Council or ſuch as they ſhall appoint with what Diſcoveries hee ſhall make in this buſineſs.

Ex. Jo. Thurloe, Secr.

20. July 1653. For the Right Honorable Col. Jones, Theſe humbly preſent.

I Humbly deſire the State to take notice, that their buſineſs at preſent, is managed concerning their Prize-goods, in ſuch a waie, as leav's a great latitude to your Commſsioners, that are Merchants to defraud the State: So that their fees in the Sale of your goods, and Merchandizes at 2d the pound, is as trifal, and of no conſideration, in compariſon of the perqueſits and profits they maie make other waies, (and it is ſuch a BAITE profit) that few men will refuſe it, to let it com to them anie waie; I will not poſsitively affirm, that it is daily practiſed, till the buſineſs is throughly inſpected by a Committee of Parlament.

It is this, I am a Commiſsioner for ſale of all the State's Prize-Goods and Ships, and by my Intereſt, I have gotten my Brother to have the charge of all Ware-houſes, and Sellars where theſe goods laie. I have all Porters, Packers, Brookers and all other ſeveral inſtruments that are for the buying the State's Goods and Merchandize, com unto my Brother to taſte Wines, and Tobaccos, and to view Corn, Sugars, Oyles, Woolls, Fruit, Spice, Silks, Beads, Linnings, and all other commodities, when I have don, I will cauſ ſom people, viz. Coopers, Brookers, Porters or other skilful perſons in Merchandize, to ſort the State's Wines, either French, or Spaniſh; Tobaccos, Silks, Linnens, Woolls, Oyles, Fruit, Spice and all other commodities, when this is don, I will make a ſale of part of theſe commodities, and reſerv a quantitie of the ſorted and pick'd Merchandize, for my ſelf, or friend, who is a monied man, and can at a pinch laie down twentie thouſand pounds for a bargain; paradventure old Mr Rowland Willſon or ſom other in the Citie.

I beſeech your Honors to ſuppoſe the Commiſſioners, that are no merchants make's a ſale for ten thouſand pounds by the candle of the States Goods, and Merchandize; and of ſom of theſe Merchandize, a Commiſsioner, that is a Merchant, make a reſerv, viz to the value of three thouſand pounds of ſorted and Pick'd goods, and after put's theſe goods down without a ſale by the candle on account to the State, for the wines, tobaccos, ſilks, woolls, oiles, ſugars, fruit, ſpice and all other commodities; after the ſame rate his fellow Commiſsioners ſold the great parcel of ſeven thouſand pounds, pretending this ſmall remainder is not worth calling for a new ſale, or I beeing a Commiſsioner, will either buy theſe goods in my own name, or get friends to buy them in their name. Theſe goods thus ſorted, gurbled and pick'd from the groſs bulk, maie bee better in the true value then the groſs quantitie of Merchandize, ſold by the candle unpick'd, ſom times twentie, thirtie, naie fortie in the hundred, and ſomtimes where Goods are perriſhable half in half, and above. I humbly leav it to your conſideration, whether the libertie of ſorting, packing and garbeling your commodities, is not a better trade then the bare and ſingle 2d in the pound, upon the Reaſons aforeſaid.

To have ſom information of this buſineſs, and ſhew the Parlament the waie to finde out the bottom thereof, and to prevent it for the future; I deſire your Honors to make an Order of the Houſ of Parlament to Mr John Daie Broker, that weekly ſells the Printed Bills of the currant Rate and Price in the market for all Merchandize, which Bills paſs as the currant Market, both at London, and beyond the Seas, what Rates all Merchandize bare in London; and this is the general Rule for all Merchants to buy, and ſell by, as all Merchants know; to require Mr Daie to give you all the weekly Bills hee hath Printed for theſe twelv months, of the Prizes of all Merchandizes, unto the Parlament, how Merchandizes is ſold every week in London. May it pleaſ your Honors, manie hundreds of Merchants paie Mr John Daie quarterly for theſe Bills, as beeing the onely guide to buy and ſell their commodities by.

I humbly deſire a Committee of Parlament to view everie week your ſales, and the Printed Bills, to ſee what you have ſold the Common-wealth's merchandize at, under Mr John Daies Printed Bills, you will find it a verie conſiderable buſineſs to underſtand, and profitably to prevent for the future the garbeling or ſorting your commodities for the private profit of your Commiſsioners that are merchants; and that the Parlament ſee carefully for the future, that none of your Commiſsioners that ſell your Prize merchandize, ſhall trade as merchants during the time of their Commiſsion and employment for the ſale of the State's goods, for if you do, you maie bee deceived of thouſands of pounds yearly. It was ſo formerly in the Cuſtom-houſ, no Officer was admitted to trade, ſo long as hee was employ'd, either as a Farmer, or a waiter, and it was don in all ages upon weightie conſideration.

This verie intimation, I humbly ſaie, will ſave you manie thouſand pounds a year, naie ſomtimes ſom thouſand pounds in a week, if you pleaſ to examin it. I believ you have ſold your Prize goods this year under the merchants market, neer one hundred thouſand pounds.

Maie it pleaſ your Honors, I had in Offices taken from mee above five hundred pounds a year, which I bought of the late King and the Ladie Villers. If you imploie mee for the Common-wealth, in either the Mint, Cuſtoms, or Exciſe, or your Prize-Office, or in the Court of Admiraltie, I will in ſom of theſe places ſave the State a hundred times more then they will give mee for a penſion, if you give mee a fee of 500l. a year, I will ſave you fiftie thouſand pounds a year, which you are daily cheated of; and this ſhall not bee denied by anie knowing merchant, or others that know's trade that ſhall diſpute it with mee, if they underſtand's the courſ of trade, and are not biaſs'd with a prejudice againſt me, for diſcovering theſe truth's to the State, which in all likelihood, the State would never have known without my information.

If I could bee ſo happie to finde out an old Burlie, a Walſingham, a Cecil, or a Secretarie Cook, they would preſently apprehend this buſineſs, as Queen Elizabeth did old Carmarden's buſineſs, as the greate •… ſervice that could bee offered to the State: there are at preſent as wiſe State's-men as they; but it is my unhappineſs, I have not acquaintance or friends to bring mee, to make my free addreſſes to them upon all occaſions, for the Common-wealth's buſineſs, as is requiſite for the Common-wealth's ſervice, in this conjuncture of time; and as I have don formerly for manie years with the late King and his Council.

If I had had for theſe laſt ſix years, the ſame free addreſs to the late Parlament, as I had to Sr John Cook, late Secretarie of State, and manie other of the late King's Privie-Counſellors; I would have ſaved this State manie hundred thouſand pounds they have been cozened of, in the point of their Prizes, Cuſtoms, Exciſe and Mint.

Maie it pleaſ your Honors; my ſtaying the Silver, was a miracle that I had courage to do it; conſidering the manie hazzards I run in ſtaying the Silver and the multitude of people that had an intereſt in it, and had a deſign to have deceived the State of this Treaſure and manie other Prizes, and if you examin Mr Steneer's Letter carefully, you will finde no mean perſons had their hands and heads in this buſineſs. If the Parlament read Cap. Biſhop's Letters from Holland, and Mr Steneer's Letters ſtopp'd by the late Council of State, they will finde ſtrange proceedings in the buſineſs of the Prize-Silver howſoever, for the preſent it is ſtifled and not examined; in convenient time I may plaie the Chirurgion, and probe it for the ſervice of the Common-wealth.

20. July 1653. THO. VIOLET.

Sir! I deſire you to communicate this Paper to the Council of State; It beeing for the ſervice of the Nation.

IT may bee objected by ſom that are willing to Cavil at any thing I do, that I have not don well, to put all the Tranſactions of this buſineſs into Print, many things in this action beeing not convenient to com to publick view. To give an anſwer to this objection, for I conceiv I ſhall meet it in my Diſh by ſom that carp at mee;

My Anſwer is,

1. THis Narrative is at the preſent, Printed onely for the information of the Members of Parlament and Council of State, and the Council of Officers of his Excellencie the Lord General (this preſent Parlament and Council of State, beeing the onely Judges to give mee relief in my juſt demands) the former Parlament and Council of State for whom I did this ſervice beeing now diſſolved as a Parlament and Council.

2. I moſt humbly conceiv that this preſent Parlament having now in their poſſeſsion, all the Silver I ſtaied in the Court of Admiraltie, and ſeveral other Prize-Ships will bee honorably pleaſed to ſee mee have my due Reward, which was promiſed mee by the late Council of State, and that is my eſtate again reſtored unto mee, or ſo much as can bee by the power of the Parlament, and to make up the reſt of my eſtate that cannot bee reſtored either in money or Offices; the ſom of eleven thouſand pounds, according to my particular in this Book fol. 63. and this was the agreement and promiſs I had from the Committee of Forrein affairs, and others of the Council of State, beſides manie of the Members of Parlament told mee, I deſerved a greater Reward for this buſineſs, more then to bee reſtored to my eſtate, for that they were of opinion, if once my cauſ of Sequeſtration ſhould bee heard in the Houſ, I would bee cleered of my Sequeſtration. Truly I humbly ſaie, were I in any Common-Wealth in Chriſtendom, and had don them the like ſervice as I have don here, and had nothing to pretend too, but this ſervice; I have heard ſom Travellers ſaie, I ſhould for my diſcoverie of ſo great a buſineſs, have manie thouſand pounds beyond what I Petition for as my due. I ſhould bee injurious to the Juſtice of the Parlament, if I ſhould make anie declaration as a queſtion of receiving my due.

3. I humbly conceiv, that the former Council were as Factors and Agents for this Common-wealth, and intruſted by the former Supreme Power, and what I did with them, I do the ſame thing (with humilitie I ſaie it) to this preſent Supreme Power, and to the preſent Council of State. I did them this ſervice for the Common-wealth and not for any particular perſon, or for anie particular man's profit in the Council of State, and therefore though the particular perſons bee changed in the Government, the Common-wealth is not changed, the Common-wealth hath the Silver, the Common-wealth in honor is ingaged to do mee right; theſe preſent Governors, are as Stewards for the Common-wealth, and if my reward ſhould not bee punctually performed by the preſent Power, it would for ever hereafter bee of dangerous conſequence to the State, and would diſcourage any to ſerv the State. I have don the State in this particular, the greateſt ſervice that ever was don in England by anie man of my condition, to ſave them neer four hundred thouſand pounds in Silver of our enemies, in this conjuncture of time. It will ſave Taxes and repleniſh the Nation with monie, and it is eaſie to apprehend what advantages the State hath by it.

4. If I had not given everie Member of Parlament in Print, a Narrative of my whole Tranſactions in this buſineſs of the Silver, and Prizes in the Court of Admiraltie, how could I put in my Petition into the Parlament, to have a Reward for my ſervices, and never to ſhew all the ground-work, or original occaſions, or Tranſactions, upon which in juſtice and equitie my Petition ought to bee granted by this preſent Parlament, they having the benefit the former Parlament had, having by my means ſowed the ſeed, and this Parlament reaping the harveſt; I humbly hope they will allow mee a little gleanings, it is ſaid, Thou ſhalt-not muzzle the mouth of the Ox, that treadeth out the Corn; the State never had had this Silver in the Barn, had I not trod and trod again for it.

5. I have found manie of the late Parlament men, and ſom of the late Council of State with ſeveral others, their followers and friends having relation to them, getting my Papers into their hands, have acted their parts in ſeveral Scenes of the State at ſeveral Committees, ſeveral Treaties in Forrein Affairs, in ſeveral Offices, as in the Mint, and at the Council of Trade, and at and in ſeveral emploiments in this Nation: which papers of mine I have preſented them with, by means thereof ſom have aſſumed more to themſelvs then was ever in them upon a ſtrict examination; for I have ſate up manie nights and daies at vaſt expence and ſtudie to bring the State's buſineſs about; and ſom others by my papers have gotten great employments (whereas if they had been truly examined of the worth of themſelvs, they would ſom of them been found Emptie-beaded and long-bill'd Wood-cocks) theſe men having ſerved mee as the hogs doth the man that ſhake's them down the Alcorns, they eat them up as faſt as they fall, but never look to give thanks to the man that ſhook them down; beeing ſo far from acknowledging my civil reſpects unto them, that for my curteſies in this kind, to ſom I have met withal after I have been inſtrumental to bring them to good Offices and Preferment, they have don mee ill offices and diſreſpect; I ſhall forbear naming of them, hoping for the future they will have more of Chriſtianitie than to render mee evil for good; many of my friends that have been privie to their ingratitude, have told mee both of their confidence and impudence in Relation to mee as aforeſaid; and this is one reaſon wherefore I Print theſe Papers, that theſe Rooks for the future may bee diſcovered.

6. For my preſenting this Narrative unto the Supreme Power, I am autorized to do it by Order of this preſent Council of State 10th of June 1653. to preſent all abuſes that are or have been in the managing of the Silver-Prizes, and by Order of Parlament the 12. of July 1653. an Order to examin how the Treaſure coming into the State, may bee managed with the leaſt charge and expenſ, and how all perſons that have receiv'd the monie for the Common-wealth, may bee called to account; another Order of Parlament of the 20. of July 1653. where a Committee is appointed to receiv ſuch Petitions to the Parlament, as are proper to the legiſlative power, or not elſ, were to bee relievable with power to ſend for Papers, Records and Witneſſes, by an Order of the aforeſaid Date, I am inpowr'd to preſent theſe propoſitions, for the advantage of the Common-wealth, that ſo for the future, ſom good Rules and Laws may bee made for the Court of Admiraltie; and this Narrative is one of the principalleſt for the ſaftie and profit of this Nation, that hath or ſhall, I humbly conceiv, bee preſented to the Parlament.

1. As in relation of the Silver now a Coyning in the Tower.

2. Several other Prize-Ships, and diſcovering ſeveral frauds, and breachs of truſt in ſom perſons, to the great dammage of the Common-wealth:

3. There is a Committee appointed for the publick Treaſurie, and for the beſt improovment, theſe propoſitions is for them, wherein by careful mannaging of the ſale of the Prize-goods, they may improve the ſame manie thouſand pounds yearly; the carriage of that buſineſs of the ſale of your Prize-goods, I humbly deſire maie bee called to a ſtrict and exemplar count.

4. I humbly think that there is not one Member in the Houſ will conceiv his time loſt to bee made acquainted with the ſeveral paſſages of this Narrative; if I knew anie would not beſtow the reading of it, I would ſpare my pains in preſenting them with it.

7. If I would have been taken off of the Proſecution of this buſineſs, as ſom are who offered mee their aſsiſtance ſeveral times about Januarie laſt; now their Actions are turned, they are at preſent for the Merchants that claim this Silver, and act the Merchants-buſineſs againſt the Common-wealth: if I would have don the ſame thing, I needed not at this daie have petitioned for my dammages, to the Parlament; my deſerting the proſecution, had loſt the State's buſineſs, for which I could have had a eleven thouſand pounds paid mee with thanks, anie where in Chriſtendom I would have had it paid mee: but I never have or will by God's aſsiſtance, leav the Common-wealth for particular profit. Had I don as ſom have don, (whel'd about) the State had been cozened of every pennie of theſe Prizes; but thoſe that know mee truly, know I am of another temper; I deſire all men whomſoëver in this Nation, to give mee a charge to this preſent Parlament, that directly or indirectly, I ever for my own private uſe, received one pennie of any man for any favor, connivance or other waies whatſoëver in the late King's time; and I freely have gotten manie man his pardon, from the late King: and now I am ingaged in this buſineſs, no man ſhall directly or indirectly draw mee to betraie the State's intereſt; if any can give mee a charge, I chalenge them to do it, (I know I have enemies enough, I deſire them to give mee a charge, I deſire no favor). Upon the reſult of all, I humbly deſire the Parlament to conſider ſeriouſly, how manie men would have ſerved the Parlament ſo faithfully as I have don, upon the ſingle account of acting againſt all Merchants and others in the World, for the Honor of the Parlament, and ſaftie of my native Countrie. If this bee not duely conſidered by this Parlament, and my eſtate reſtored, all men for the future will have a care how they ſerv the Publick, to bring a ruine on themſelves for beeing honeſt to their Nation.

8. That wheras ſeveral Honorable Members of the former Council of State, Members of Parlament are named in this Narrative, I do humbly appeal to their Honors for the particular buſineſs they are named in, for the truth of what is aſcerteined, both for the matter, time and circumſtance, onely putting it into a form.

9. This Narrative I put forth for the information of the preſent Judges of the Court of Admiraltie, that ſo they maie bee acquainted with the ſeveral abuſes, formerly acted by ſom in the Court of Admiraltie, and that they carefully ſee, that ſuch remedies, by Act of this preſent Parlament, may bee made for the due regulating the Officers, and proceedings of that Court for the future, that all former abuſes, and deceits formerly put on the Common-wealth, may bee prevented; I humbly deſire an Order of Parlament, that the Judges in the Admiraltie bee Ordered to take an exact account, what Ships have been diſcharged the Prize-Office, by Order of the Admiraltie, ſince the firſt of Auguſt, 1652. to the firſt of Auguſt 1653. and the daies when, and what Ships were ſeized for the State, and what Ships for Prizes of private men of War, there is now depending in the Court of Admiraltie this 1. of Auguſt, 1653. and in ſom other particulars which I will attend the Judges of the Admiraltie in. I do humbly deſire Sr Sackvil Crow, Doctor Walker, Doctor Clark, Advocates of the Common wealth, Mr Lievtenant of the Tower, Liev. Colonel Joice, Colonel Wetton, Mr Oxenbridge and Mr Sparrow, Commiſsioners of Dutch Prize goods; Mr Jſaac Doreſlaws, Mr William Riley, Keeper of the Records in the Tower, and all others that are named in this Narrative to declare, whether the proceedings and things ſet down, bee not a true Narrative of my tranſactions in this buſineſs, the putting the ſaid buſineſs into a form beeing allowed mee; all which pains and charge had been ſaved, if the old Council of State and Parlament had continued, manie of them were privie to everie one of theſe paſſages, and could have reported it to the Houſ, without putting mee to the trouble to Print this Narrative.

And I humbly referr my ſelf to the judgment of all judicious men, whether there was not a neceſsitie to Print this Narrative aforeſaid, for the due and true information of all the Honorable Members of this preſent Parlament; I humbly conceiving, everie one of them having equal and Supreme Power to do mee Juſtice in this my humble Petition, (and I praie God in Heaven direct them) that they maie do mee their humble Petitioner right in this cauſ: for as I am dealt with in this buſineſs, it will remain an Record, either to encourage or diſcourage any for the future, to do the State ſervice in the like kinde. In the firſt place, I have had conſtantly in my eie, in the whole courſ of my proceedings in this weightie buſineſs, the Saftie, Benefit, Advantage and Honor of this Common wealth in this conjuncture of time, venturing in this action, both my perſon, eſtate and life, to 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉 accompliſh and do the Common-wealth this ſervice, againſt publick Miniſters of forrein Princes, Judges and Officers in a Court of Admiraltie, and hundreds of Merchants both Engliſh and others, as everie Member of this preſent Parlament may ſee from the firſt to the laſt of this my Narrative.

Secondly, I have had a careful eie, that upon doing this difficult ſervice, that the Parlament might (acording to the promiſs of the Council of State, upon my undertaking this buſineſs) reſtore mee to my eſtate which hath been unduely taken from mee, that ſo I might have to live of my own in a plentiful waie, as I have don formerly, and bee enabled to ſerv the Common-wealth thereby.

And theſe are the true reaſons, that cauſed mee to Print this Narrative, and no other; I would have any that are not of this opinion know, I can keep ſecrets as well as another man, and manie hundred ſecrets I know both of times paſt, and preſent, that ſhall bee buried in perpetual ſilence, except ſuch a neceſsitie as this is, which is for the ſaftie of the Nation, and for the ſaving my whole eſtate, enforceth mee to diſcover them. I humbly leav it to the judgment of any juſt diſcreet or honeſt man; whether I could never get this my buſineſs truly ſtated to this Parlament, without ſetting forth this, Narrative, and I humbly leav it to any indifferent man ſuppoſing hee had all his eſtate unduely taken away from him, as mine is from mee, whether hee would ſpare to ſpeak, or leav any ſtone unturn'd, if all hee had ſhould bee loſt for want thereof.

The whole buſineſs is humblly left to the Juſtice, Equitie and Pietie of this Honorable Parlament, at whoſe feet I proſtrate it, and ſhall daily praie for their proſperitie in this World and in the World to com.

THO VIOLET. Aug. 3. 1653.

FINIS.