extinguish Letters of Marque and that for the Reason aforesaid The King having the Power of Peace and War Mr. Carew cannot be a good Subject to involve the Publique by executing these Letters of Marque in times of Peace who as I am informed had 30 Ships out in time of War And the Clauses contained in the Patent that no Peace shall extend to the prejudice of the said Letters Patents before satisfaction was a Clause unusual and incerted by surprize and ought not to have been and is in no sort obligatory Wherefore I give Iudgment That the Letters Patents shall be brought into Court to be cancelled and the Enrollment thereof razed ☞ The Argument turns upon his Lordship the King being sole Legislator of Peace and War The Clause of continuance in the Patent hath the force of an Act of Parliament His Lordship would be both Judge and Party and sole Arbiter if a Writ of Error did not lie in the Kings-Bench and finally in Parliament to reverse his Erroneous Iudgment A Copy of the Order in Chancery Veneris 26 die Maii Anno Regni Caroli secund ' Regis tricesimo quarto Inter Dom ' Regem Quer ' Edmund ' Turnor Mil ' Georg ' Carew Ar ' Defend ' Lord Chancellor THe Record of the Demurrer joyned in the Pety-Bag upon a Scire facias brought by Mr. Attorney General on the behalf of His Majesty for revoking certain Letters of Reprizal granted to the Defendents the 19th of May 1665. coming this present day to be argued before the Right Honourable the Lord High-Chancellor of England by vertue of an Order of the 20th instant at which time the Record was read The Defendents Councel desired longer time But upon hearing of Mr. Attorney-General on the behalf of the King his Lordship declared that the matter in debate did concern the Publick and could not admit of any further day to be given to the Defendents And his Lordship having been attended with the Record and duly considered the whole matter is of opinion and doth order That the said Demurrer do stand and that Iudgment be entred up for the King for the revoking the said Letters Patents and doth further order That the Enrollment thereof be vacated upon Record and that the Defendants do forthwith bring into this Court the said Letters Patents and all Exemplifications and Duplicates thereof under Seal to be cancelled Ex. Per George Edwards Deput ' Register On the next morning the Lord Chancellor was pleased in open Court to give order that the Attorney-General should be careful in drawing up the Judgment and that the Clerk of the Pety-Bag should enter it upon the Roll aud exemplifie the whole Record under the Great Seal and send it to the Admiralty-Court to remain there It may be observed That the Scire facias being returned in Easter-Term 1681. and the Plea filed of the same Term and the Demurrer coming in not before Easter Term last the Attorney-General had a whole year to consider of the said Plea which is admitted as to the matters of Fact in all particulars by the said Demurrer and since sworn to be true by one of the Defendants So that the Attorney-General making no Reply insisted only upon the Law The Questions therefore that do naturally arise upon it are Whether the Scire facias be a Legal and warrantable Writ in this Case for the Lord Chancellor to ground his Judgment upon for repealing the Letters Patents without satisfaction so solemnly obtained under the Great Seal of England according to the Laws of the Land or Whether the Plea be not sufficient in Law to support and maintain the Letters Patents until the Debt and Damages be recovered BUt before we come to answer the Lord Chancellor's Arguments it 's absolutely necessary to speak a word or two concerning the Scire facias and the Order entred by the Register that the Defendents should bring the Letters Patents and all Exemplifications and Duplicates thereof under Seal into Court to be cancelled It 's recited in the Record made up pro restitut ' faciend ' Carolo tunc Comiti Salop al' in eisdem Literis Patent ' c. whereas there is no such Patent as is mentioned in the Scire facias Notwithstanding it 's affirmed in the said Order of the 26th of May 1682. That his Lordship had been attended with the Record and duly considered the whole matter and yet in the second Line of the said Record it 's written Carolo tunc Comitis Salop whereas in the Letters Patents for Reprizals it 's mentioned for restitution to be made to Francis Earl of Shrewsbury and others So that the Foundation being bad the Structure must fall to the Ground there being no such Patent as the Scire fas ' recites Whereupon a Distringas is since issued forth to the Sheriff of Mid. to distrain all the Lands and Tenements of George Carew within his Bayliwick until the said Patent Exemplifications and Duplicates thereof under Seal be brought into Court and cancelled which is impossible for him to do being out of his power the said Duplicates and Exemplifications being in the hands of several Persons beyond the Seas with Assignments and Covenants that they shall continue effectual in Law until the Debt of 151612 l. with Damages shall be recovered and received according to the words of the Grant and the King's Declaration Wherefore it would be both Honourable and Just for any Ministers of State in England or Holland to bring the Scire facias in one hand and Money to satisfie the Debt and Damages in the other And without that Quid pro quo under his Lordship's favour the Patent cannot be legally revoked repealed or made void Yet for satisfaction of all Mankind that the Defendents will abide by their Plea they have retained their Councel to give modest Answers to the Lord Chancellor's Arguments as followeth who holds it convenient to begin at the root where his Lordship ended That the Clause of continuance was unusual and incerted by surprize and ought not to have been and is in no sort obligatory 1. The stipulation for extinguishing all other Losses and Damages by the Treaty 1662. from the like Sovereign Remedies 2. The States denyal of making satisfaction for the Spoils and Depredations of those two Ships according to the said stipulation 3. The Services and Sufferings of Courten and Pyndar for the Crown of England so eminently known to all Parts of the World 4. And the great Supplies given to His Majesty in Parliament for the Protection of His Subjects at the very time the said Patent for Reprizals was passing through Sir Heneage Finch's Office when he was Solicitor-General upon the Negotiation of Mr. Gilbort Crouch were four invincible Arguments for the King to pass this Grant of common Right to his Subjects with those two Clauses of a continuando until the Debt 151612 l. wiâ—h Costs and Damages should be recovered and received the King having declared so much
Lex Talionis Or the Law of Marque or Reprizals Fully represented in the Case of Spoyls and Depredations upon the Ships Goods and Factories of Sir WILLIAM COURTEN and his Partners in the East-Indies China and Iapan Whereupon Letters Patents for Reprizals were Granted under the Great Seal of ENGLAND to continue effectual in the Law against the STATES GENERAL of the United Provinces and their Subjects for Recovering of the Sum of 151612 l. with Costs and Damages mentioned in the said Patent Together with three Several PROPOSALS of the Creditors to the KING and their answer in a POSTSCRIPT to the Lord Chancellour's Arguments upon the Scire Facias brought by Sir Robert Sawyer His Majesties Attorney General concerning the Letters Patents aforesaid LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXXII To the Right Honourable CHARLES Earl of SHREWSBURY THis following Case being drawn up and Printed by some of the Agents and Solicitors of the Creditors of Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pyndar for satisfaction of several Persons that were earnest to have it Published and Communicated to all the late Members of both Houses of Parliament I obstructed the progress thereof being resolved that it should not go so nakedly into the world without any Title or Dedication and then only to the view of such Persons as are principally Interessed and Concerned therein I am obliged to let Your Lordship and the rest of the Creditors know that I have been in my Quality as Administrator and Assignee both Active and Passive at home and abroad ever since his Majesties Restauration in the pursuit of such our Rights and Properties that cannot be Mortified or Extinguished except Mankind be Exterminated There are Volumes of Examinations and Depositions by me taken from the Servants Officers Factors and Sea-men imployed by Sir William Courten in Discovering Planting and Fortifying the Island of Barbadoes manifesting to all the World that he was the Original Proprietor of that Island and so Confirmed to him and his Heirs by Letters Patents under the great Seal of England in the third year of King Charles the first Yet no Restitution or Reparation could be obtained to this day for the forceable Entries and Intrusions made by James late Earl of Carlisle and his Complices upon Sir William Courten in the said Island There are as many more Volumes of Examinations Depositions Memorials Answers Replications Rejoynders and other proceedings in several Languages by me in the case of the East-India Spoyls and Depredations upon Courten and Pyndar before the values of the Loss and Damages were reduced to a certainty by Letters Patents under the great Seal of England which vested the Interest with an Authority irrevokable in the Grantees for recovery thereof according to the Rules of Law and Common Right Yet no Restitution or Compensation can be obtained for the same There are little less Volumes of Proceedings upon the Civil Actions depending in Holland and Zealand against the Heirs and Executors of Sir James Cats Jacob Pergens and Peter Boudaen for Monies lent upon Bonds and Accompts standing out in Trade Yet all have terminated in contempts of the Law and positive Denialls of Iustice in this Age of ingratitude and forgetfulness Your Grandfather John Earl of Shrewsbury having lent the Sum of five and twenty hundred pounds to Sir William Courten towards his first Expedition into the East-Indies China and Japan upon whose foundation the present great East-India Trade is erected After the Death of Sir William William Courten his Son and Heir together with Sir Edward Littleton and others entred into new Security in the year 1639 for the same Debt being all the ready Money then in your Family Whereupon Francis Earl of Shrewsbury your Father with divers other great Sufferers Creditors of Sir William Courten and his Son as also of Sir Paul Pyndar applied themselves in company with me upon the Kings most happy Restauration for some seasonable relief against the Hollanders and Zealanders that had lived upon the spoyls of all Nations His Majesty being then upon a Treaty of Common Alliance with the States General After eight months debate in Courtens affair came to this Stipulation in the year 1662. That upon restitution of the Island of â—olleron and satisfaction to be made for the Spoyls and Depredations concerning the two Ships named the Bona Esperanza and Henry Bona Adventura All other Losses and Damages of his Subjects and even that of Amboyna should be Mortified and Obliterated that is to say No Soveraign remedy should be given to any of them by his Majesty for the said Damages by Reprizalls which was Mutually Signed and Solemnly Ratified accordingly This Stipulation was pursued by several Memorialls to the States General for the space of two years at the Hague and seconded by divers Orders from the Council Board and several Letters of Recomendation from his Maiesty to the said States under his Sign Manual which proving all innefectual A Complaint thereof being brought before the House of Commons in the year 1664. was there Espoused with vast Royal Aides towards the Protection and Relief of the Complaynants Therefore they are under great mistakes both in matters of Fact and Iudgment of Law that Report the King was either Surprized or Deceived in his Grant or that the States General had not due Notice of Passing the Letters Patents for Restitution to be made to the said Francis Earl of Shrewsbury and others in the said Patent Mentioned and Expressed being grounded upon several Acts of Parliament and the Ancient Law of Marque and Reprizals The Instances whereof once brought home to a Fiat under the great Seal of England becomes a Decree unalterable like the Laws of the Medes and Persians I beg Your Lordships Pardon and Patience in craving Your Honours Serious Consideration upon the said Case and the Creditors Proposals to his Majesty with the Postscript after them in answer to the Lord Chancellors Arguments on Friday the 26 th of May last when his Lordship gave Iudgment for the King upon the Scire-Facias concerning the said Letters Patents wherein Your Grandfathers Debt is included yet further secured by Collateral Covenants from my self respectively to Your Honour and Sir Thomas Meres for another Debt of 2000 l. Contracted in the year 1641 upon the obligation of William Courten Esq Sir Edward Littleton and Iohn Earl of Bridgewater to Elizabeth Viscountess Cambden due to the said Sir Thomas Meres as Executor of Sir Erazmus de la Fountain Executor of the said Viscountess not doubting of Your Dilligence and Indeavours for obtaining thereof by all ways and means that are Honourable and Iust more especially for those Crying Debts due to many hundreds of Orphants and Widows claiming under my Administration whose cause I shall never desert Yet constantly remaining SIR Your Lordships most faithful and humble Servant George Carew Richmond August 2d 1682. The Case between the King and Carew concerning the Letters Patents for Reprisals hereunto annexted against the Hollanders Briefly and
moritur nunquam Recollected by Th. Smith Gen. Iune 16th 1682. A Copy of the Affidavit made by Mr Conny and Mr Peisley filed in Chancery concerning the Entry of the Ships in the Admiralty hereunto annexed IN pursuance of an Agreement in Writing Indented made the Twelveth day of May one Thousand six Hundred sixty six and in the Eighteenth year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lord Charles the second Between George Carew Esq Administrator of the Goods and Chattels Rights Debts and Credits of Sir William Courten and Sir Paul Pyndar Knights With their Wills annexed Deceased of the one part And John Graham of Westminster Esq and John Brown of London Gent. of the other part on the behalf of several Creditors in the Schedule to the said Indenture annexed These five Ships with their Tackle Ammunition Provisions and Men are Nominated and Appointed to be entred in the Admiralty in Prosecution of certain Letters Patents for Reprisals in the said Indenture mentioned and thereunto Annexed to put the same in Execution from time to time according to this entry and the Proviso's and Limitations in the said Letters Patents contained until the Debt of One Hundred Fifty One Thousand Six Hundred Twelve Pounds with all Costs and Damages shall be Recovered and Received or a Composiâ—ion made for the same as in the said Letters Patents is mentioned and expressed The Ship named the Planter of the Burthen of twenty Tuns or thereabouts four Guns twenty five Men Victualled for six Months Aaron VVright Commander to put the said Commission or Deputation in Execution from six Months to six Months until the Debt of One Hundred Fifty One Thousand Six Hundred and Twelve Pounds with all Costs and Dammages shall be Recovered or otherwise Composed The Ship named the Asia burthen one Hundred Tuns or thereabouts Ten Guns seventy Men Captain Roger Hawkshead Commander Victualled from time to time for the space of three Months every season until the said Debt of One hundred fifty one thousand six hundred and twelve Pounds with Costs and Dammages mentioned in the said Letters Patents shall be recovered or composed The Ship named the VVilliam and Thomas burthen one hundred and fifty Tuns or thereabouts two hundred Men twenty five Guns Victualled for nine Months Captain Robert Cambell Commander and at the Expirations of nine Months for nine Monts more and so at the end of every nine Months to be Victualled de Novo from time to time for nine Months longer until the said Debt Dammages and Costs shall be Recovered and Received or a composition made with the persons Interested and Injured The Ship named the America burthen fourscore Tuns or thereabouts one hundred Men eight Guns Victualled for six Months Captain VVilliam Hawley Commander and at the Expiration of the said Term to Revictual and Equip the said Ship from six months to six months until the said Debt of One Hundred Fifty One Thousand Six Hundred Twelve Pounds with costs and Dammages shall be satisfyed repay'd The Ship named the Affrica burthen one hundred and twenty Tons or thereabouts one hundred and fifty Men fifteen Guns Victualled for 12 months Captain Thomas VVood Commander to put the said Commission in Execution as aforesaid according to the several Conditions Limitations and Proviso's in the said Letters Patents expressly mentioned and contained Unto whom Deputations were immediately given accordingly of the same date to put the said Letters Patents in Execution at such times and in such parts of the World as they should think most convenient for their Purpose THomas Conny and Samuel Peisly of London Gentlemen make Oath That they these Deponents did in Company with George Carew Esq on the ninth of September 1681. at the request of several persons Interested and Concerned in the Debt of 151612 l. mentioned in the Letters Patents within Recited call upon Thomas Bedford Esq Register of the Admiralty Court at his Office in Doctors-Commons and then and there require of him to make an entry of the five Ships with the number of their Men Guns Provisions Burthens Commanders Names and times of Victualling as they are mentioned and expressed on the other side of this Affidavit whereupon the said Thomas Bedford desired these Deponents to come again the next Morning and appear with him before Sir Richard Lloyd Surrogate to the Iudg of the said Court who took the same in his Hand and after he had perused the Contents thereof gave these Deponents the said Paper again in Company of the said George Carew Saying they would not make any other entry then several Notes they had taken in Writing and the Names of these Deponents Jurat 10. die Octobris Anno Regni Dom nri Car. sec. 33o. Coram me magro in Canc ' Io. Francklin Ex. W. Poynter Tho. Conny Samuel Peisly A COPY of the LETTERS-PATENTS For Especial Reprisals granted by the King of Great Britain under the Great Seal of ENGLAND against the States General and their Subjects for 151612 l. Sterling with Costs and Damages for the Recoverie thereof CHARLES the Second by the Grace of GOD King of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To all Christian People to whom these Presents shall come Greeting Whereas our loving Subject William Courten Esq deceased and his Partners in the year 1643. by the Depredation and Hostile Act of one Geland Commander in Chief of two Ships belonging to the East-India Company of the Netherlands was between Goa and Maccao in the Streights of Malacca deprived and most injuriously spoiled of a certain Ship named the Bona Esperanza and of her Tackle Apparel Furniture and all the Goods and Lading in her upon a very hopeful Trading Voyage to China which were carried to Batavia and there all de facto without due Process of Law confiscated and that also in the said year another laden Ship of our said Subject called the Henry Bona Adventura being come on ground on the Island Mauritius was there both Ship and Goods seized upon by some of the Officers and Ministers and others under the Command of the said East-India Company and utterly deteined from the right Owners And whereas the said William Courten and his Assigns in his life-time used all possible Endeavours to recover the said Ships and Goods and to procure further Iustice against the Malefactors and yet could obtain no Restitution or Satisfaction whereby they became to be much distressed and utterly undone in their Estate and Credit and that thereupon and upon the most humble Supplication and Addresses of Francis Earl of Shrewsbury and William Courten Esq Son and Heir of the said William deceased Sir John Ayton and Sir Edmond Turnor Knights George Carew and Charles Whitaker Esquires on the behalf of themselves and divers others Interessed in the said two Ships Bona Esperanza and Henry Bona Adventura and in the Estates of the said William Courten deceased Sir Edward Littleton Baron t and Sir Paul Pyndar Knight deceased That We
in his Speech to both Houses of Parliament and expressed in the very body of the Patent in these words For relief of Our said Subjects whom We take Our selves in Honour and Iustice concernd to be satisfied and re-paid So that the King declares Himself equally Great and Just. Therefore neither surprized nor deceived in this Grant of Reprizals that had passed the Test of all the chief Officers of State and Trust in the Kingdom whose Judgments are Arraigned by questioning the validity of the said Grant The reasons are very obvious to all Mankind that the Patent ought to be so worded until the Debt and Damages shall be recovered and received for that there is no other remedy for the Subjects relief but such Grants grounded upon the Law of Marque after Justice denied in the Case of a Spoil This Clause of continuance distinguisheth between general and particular Reprizals the one being an Act of War the other a Process at Law and out of the King's Power to obstruct the restitution of this Debt and Damages to the persons interessed and injured otherwise the remedy would prove a Grievance after such vast Expences in ascertaining the Debt and Damages according to the Rules of Law if the Grant should not be obligatory It is in the Power of the States of Holland or the King to satisfie this Debt and Damages to make good the King 's own words and preserve His Honour and Justice entire which ought to be kept Sacred and Inviolable And if the King cannot pardon the least Trespass when sued for reparation in the ordinary Course of Law à fortiori He cannot pardon a Spoil after a Judicial Grant to recover it according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm General Letters of Marque in time of War are ambulatory and revokable at Pleasure being usually granted to all persons in all Nations that will ask for the same to weaken the Enemy as they did at Oast-End Dunkirk Flushen and Diep in the times of War between Spain and England France and England and Holland and England and those are called Privatters or Private men of War of whom the Lord High-Admiral hath a tenth part of all Prizes And these are the Letters of Marque the Lord Chancellor so often mentions in his Arguments whereof there are hundreds of Precedents in the Courts of Admiralty in England Holland France and Spain which are Temporary Grants and determinable at Pleasure or certain days prefixt under the Seal of the Admiralty By the sacred prescriptions in Holy Writ restitution is to be made double the value of the property injuriously taken which implies the Charge of Prosecution and if the Trespasser be not able to satisfie he shall be Sold for his Theft or kept for a Ransom Upon this ground the old Writs in the Register and F. N. B were made and our Ancestors were so careful for the preservation of every English-mans Right and Property and the encouragement of Navigation and Commerce That Merchants Strangers resident in England and their Goods were Arrested by those Writs for satisfaction of Injuries done at Sea by the People of that Kingdom or Nation that did the wrong whereof they were Subjects But upon the Petition of the Merchants Staplers and others to the Parliament in the 27th of Edw. 3. c. 17. The force of those Writs were taken away and it was ordained and Enacted by the same Parliament That all Persons Spoyled at Sea shall have the Law of Marque without fraud or deceipt that is of taking the value of the Loss and Damage again Bracton Says Quod nihil aliud potest Rex in terris cum sit Minister Dei Vicarius quam solum quod de jure potest Every Man hath a Right to Justice and every Subject of England having a Fundamental property in his Goods and a Fundamental liberty of his Person It is repugnant to the Laws of God Religion and Property to take away our Goods for reason of State without price or satisfaction he is not a Subject but a Slave that suffers his Substance to be taken from him against his Will Infinite are the Arguments that may be used and deduced from the Law of Reason and Natural Justice in the vindication of this Patent However its neccessary to answer the Lord Chancellour Gradatim to his Arguments aforesaid His Lordship was pleased to say That the Chancery had an Admiral Iurisdiction by the Statute 31. Hen. 6. cap. 4. for the speedy relief of Strangers Robbed at Sea by the Kings Subjects His Lordship would here beg the question and have all Mankind to take it for granted That those who Act under this His Majesties Royal Charter and Authority are Robbers and Theeves Notwithstanding the express words in the Patent That it shall be lawful for them to recover the said Debt and Damages although a Peace for General Reprizals concerning the Dominion of the Sea should be concluded It s true the said Statute of Hen 6. provides a remedy for those that have safe Conduct and are Robbed by the Kings Subjects The Lord Chancellour calling to him any of the Judges of either Bench who upon Bill of Complaint shall cause Restitution to be made of Ships and Goods to the parties grieved This Statute may be still in Force but not practicable since the Odious and Arbitrary power of the Admiralty Court was taken away by the Statute of Hen. 8. in the 28th year of his Reign for Tryal of Piracy by Jurors according to the course of the Common Law However the Statute of Hen. 6. recited by his Lordship comes not to this case upon the Scire Facias But it s enacted and ordained by the Statute made in the 20th year of Hen. 6. cap. 1 And several other Statutes of this Realm That all Letters of safe Conduct Treaties and Leagues of Amity and Alliance shall be Inrolled of Record in Chancery or else not to be of any Force or Effect in the Law And the Treaty at Breda being not Inrolled or made any matter of Record in Chancery whereby the Kings Subjects might have recourse thereunto cannot any ways affect this grant to Turnor and Carew And many proper Officers have lost their Heads in former ages for their miscarriages not inrolling in due time such publick Treaties Leagues and Alliances It s also true as the Lord Chancellour observes the Letters Patents to Turnor and Carew were granted in time of War for an injury done to private Persons in time of peace but provided that no Subsequent peace should affect it without a recovery or satisfaction to be made for the Debt and Damages either by force of the Grant or Composition made with the Persons interessed The Fiat passed in the month of May 1665. But the proceedings that brought it to that conclusion continued de die in diem ever since the Treaty of Alliance made in the year 1662. Wherein it was concluded and agreed That the said Debt and Damages so assertained and Liquidated
for the time being to be Aiding and Assisting to Turnor and Carew their Executors Administrators and Assigns and to take care that all things shall be favourably interpreted and construed in all respects to the benefit and best Advantage of the said Turnor and Carew their Executors Administrators and Assigns Witness himself at Westminster the Letters were made Patents the 19th day of May in the 17th year of his Reign Now how the Actions and Proceedings of several Ministers and Officers of the Admiralty and other Mercenary Mortals do quadrare with the Kings Honour and Iustice that have Issued out Warrants in the Kings name to apprehend and seize the Persons and Goods of his Majesties Subjects detain them in Prison and Irons until they were Tryed as Fellons and Pyrats for duly acting under his Majesties Royal Commission and Charter grounded upon the Laws and Statutes of England Whereby they were found innocent and accquitted Yet afterwars detained for Exhorbitant and Extrajudicial Fees of Registers and Marshalls of the Admiralty is left to any Mankind to Iudge Conclusion THe Commons of England in Parliament in the Preamble of their Acts acknowledging their thankefullness to His Majesty for His aboundant care in their preservation at Sea and the great charge necessary for the defence thereof granted to the King at several times during the two last short Wars between England and Holland the Sum of Five Millions Four Hundred and Forty Thousand Seven hundred and Fifty Pounds Eleven Shillings and Eight Pence Sterling Money For extraordinary supplies toward the said Wars whereof His Royall Highness the Duke of York received 120902 l. 15 s. 8 d. being one Months Tax as a present for his Heroick Courage at Sea This vast Expence of Treasure occasiond by the Hollanders gave hopes to the Kingdom for greater returnes than that only Debt of 151612 l. Liquidated and assertained for satisfaction That reason of State was depraved in the Lord Treasurer Danby who parted with 600000 Pattacons the price of so much English Bloud and Treasure out of England to the Prince of Orange that reaped the benefit of his Ancesters Offices and Honours by the last War besides his tributes as Lord High Admiral of the seven Provinces out of 1500 Ships and their Ladings taken from the English by the Dutch Capers having his general Letters of Marque during that War There was no necessity therefore for those great Ministers H. Finch C. S. Latimer Ormond Arlington H. Coventry and Marquess del Fresno to suffer the Debt of 151612. and Damages to remain incumbent upon the King or the States when treble the value of that Debt was offered to the English Ambassadors in the year 1673. at Cologne besides another Sum of Money in gross for the Fishries upon the English Coasts to purchase a seperate peace with England Divers Polliticians remarking the English Administrations of State and Justice Blushed for several miscariages in our later days Wherein the due course of Law hath been Obstructed Strangers and others suffered to eat our Bread and have disgested the very Bloud of many hundred Orphants and Widows Some by Imbeaziling the spoyls of Wars others in detaining our Monies and Goods All men in Office turning deaf Ears to our Complaints forgeting the Kings Honour and that Justice which Establisheth the Thorne and Exalts the Nation being unmindful of those very periods in his Majesties Speech to both Houses of Parliament on the 24th of Novemb. 1664. as follows Mr. SPEAKER ANd you Gentlemen of the House of Commons I know not whether it be worth My pains to endeavour to remove a vile Iealousie which some ill Men scatter abroad and which I am sure will never sinck into the breast of any Man who is worthy to sit upon your Benches That when you have given me a Noble and proportionable Supply for the Support of a War I may be induced by some evil Councelors for they will be thought to think very respectively of my own Person to make a suddain Peace and get all that Money for my own private occasion But let me tell you and you may be most confident of it that when I am compelled to enter into a War for the Protection Honour and Benefit of my Subjects I will God Willing not make a Peace but upon the obtaining and securing those ends for which the War is entred into and when that can be done no good Man will be sorry for the determination of it How far the Plea and the Judgement given upon the Demurrer concerning the 151612 l. will be reconciled to the Kings Speech or the Law of the Land is left to those Members of both Houses that heard it to resolve if any man can be safe in his Rights and Properties under such presidents as these which calls to my mind the Old Addage of Sir Fulke Grevil Lord Brook in his time Mankind is both the Form And matter wherewith all Tyranies transform For Kings can neither see act nor devise Without the Peoples Hands Hearts and Eyes And were not man by himself opprest Kings would not Tyrants could not make him Beast FINIS