Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	know_v	time_n	2,755	5	3.2913	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95988	Mysteries and secrets of trade and mint-affairs with several reasons against transporting treasure; and waies set down for preventing the same : formerly presented to the Right Honorable the Lord Bradshaw, (at whose desire I undertook this pains,) and presented it to the late Council of State : and now enlarged, and humbly presented to this present Parlament of the Common-wealth of England, in Aug. 1653. / By Tho. Violet of London, goldsmith.	Violet, Thomas, fl. 1634-1662.	1653 (1653)	Wing V583; Thomason E1070_3; ESTC R203958	7,972	22

first commanded by the Council of State to attend this business about the Prize-silver I saw so much in these persons their practice and som of the Proctors of that Court at the first entrance into the Court about this business of my Protest that I was startled and troubled to consider what a business I had undertaken to the Committee of Forreign Affairs But I put on a Resolution by God's Assistance not to bee worded out of this business but to wade through it for that the safetie of the whole Nation was at the Stake in that conjuncture of time the Hollanders beeing at that time in the Downs And to terrifie mee and to deter mee from proceeding to do you this service when I seriously considered of the business I had first the Merchants ready to load mee with actions if I could not have proved my Allegations Secondly I had publick Ministers that would have taken away my life as an Incendiarie if I could not have proved there was Silver belonging to the Hollanders in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George which I staied And thirdly had these Prizes been cleared I had many of the Council of State would have sent mee back to my Old Lodging in the Tower Fourthly I had an enraged companie of Doctors and Proctors and such things whose Trade I discovered and was resolved by God's assistance to spoil for the time to com and indeed I had so many obstacles to contest with as would have startled a thousand men Against this I set the Safetie of the Nation and restoring mee to my Estate and that I should convince mine enemies that they had don ill in oppressing mee when they see both what I could and would venture to do for my Countrie 's service and the world should see that I would not fear the face of any to unmask these frauds And I hope the Justice and VVisdom of Parlament will make strict laws and rules for the future to prevent such abuses as have been notoriously practised by many in that Court and that the State will keep good Sentinels and watchmen for the future both to examine all papers Bills of Lading and the Registers and all the Examiners and other proceedings in that Court It is not one or two of the ablest men that can bee found in this Nation can do this business in the Admiraltie duly as it should bee don If I bee commanded and have a moderate allowance I will give the State a good account for the time to com And at this present time the Prizes are many and somtimes a man may light on a Letter a Paper or sheet of Account that may bee worth to the State a hundred thousand pounds and there are secrets in the expounding of Merchant's Letters that are not easily discovered Accounts and Bills of Lading Purser's Books and will take up several knowing men's time to understand a strict eie will improve the State 's Interest much and if the State will have this business well don it must bee well paid for for small fees and pensions where great trusts are make 's the Divel suggest invitations to take Bribes and where a man must laie out two or three hundred pounds or more for his intelligence boat-hire and messengers and without this your business cannot bee well don and if your Officer shall not have much more a year from the State for his yearly Fees in this business this I believ hath made som to take up the temptation and to make them finde out waies to help themselvs seeing the State will not paie them well for their pains getting more in an hour by delivering a paper or concealing it than the State will allow them for seven years Salarie If I would have driven this Trade to have betraied my trust I needed not have asked the State a pennie I could have had my eleven thousand pound without Petitioning for it I have good reason to believ this is and hath been acted by som I would wish to mend it for the future least this fire burst out and consume them before they bee aware of it I have given som notice of it if God give them grace to prevent it for the future for els at one time or other it will burst out If I have proof of it I shall not spare him or them when I am emploied by the State May it pleas your Honors I discovered the frauds of the Merchants and others in laboring to deceiv the State of their Prize-silver But it was my Lord Bradshaw who by his power interest and influence in the late Council of State and his profound experience and judgment that caused the imbargo of the Silver to bee made and what benefit and Treasure doth com into the Common-wealth by the Silver-prizes The Common-wealth I humbly say ow's the primarie Remembrance thereof to his judgment and vigilancie in this weightie business For when I brought him first my Papers those of the 8th December 1652. And after other Papers hee presently upon his diligent reading of them found out the fraud as to his particular judgment and asked mee many other Questions then I had writen which satisfied him and that made his Honor press so hard in this business against those that opposed mee at the Council of State for my prosecution thereof and to see that I should not bee oppressed for doing the State this service For at one time in the Council of State it was at a standing-water whether I should shoot Bridg and so go back to the Tower where I had been formerly laid up by the power of malitious and subtil men who made many of the late Parlament-men their instruments to keep mee in the Tower upon pretence that I was a malignant that so I should not discover the nest of Transporters of Gold and Silver which I then was Ordered by the Parlament to do and there is about twentie Orders of Parlament and Committees for the bringing in the Act for the discoverie of the same and the Act twice read in the late Parlament and an Order for the finishing the Act against the Transporters of Gold about 14 April last was appointed in the Parlament May it pleas your Honors my Lord Bradshaw told mee about Christ-tide last before Tho. Westroop Esquire that there was som of the Council would if they could hang mee for staying this Silver which doing of mine as hee conceived was a great and good service to the Common-wealth but to the uttermost of his power hee would see they should not oppress mee So that the State ow's his Lordship for that benefit they receiv by the Prize-silver and I ow my libertie to his justice and goodness that would engage himself in this business to see I should not bee oppressed for my doing this service for the Common-wealth I humbly wish for the safetie of the Common-wealth wee had more States-men of his profound judgment vigilancie and courage The God of heaven prosper your Honors in all you take in hand that so you may bee a blessing to this Nation in general that as God hath chosen you from thousands of your Brethren to do mightie things and wonderful in the eies of this Generation both at home and abroad so hee would out of his infinite mercies keep your hearts upright that no worldly prosperitie make you forget God's infinite mercies to you and yours but that you may all the daies of your life remember your deliverances in the daies of battle when you jeoparded your lives for the freedom of this Nation no doubt God heard your vows and exspect's your performances for the good of this Nation May it pleas your Honors This Narrative I humbly present you is the unmasking of a cunning and dangerous plot against the Parlament tending to the ruine and destruction of every particular Member of this Nation When I was first engaged in making my discoverie I met with many Wasps that did sting mee and venemous Adders but by the good guidance of God the State hath plucked out som of their teeth others will storm to see these Truths discovered and laid open to your Honors I am a most humble suiter to the Parlament and your Honors for your protection and countenance in the doing this service to the Nation God bless and prosper all the counsels and undertakings of Your Honors and every particular Member of this present Parlament that no force or combination of forreign or home-born Traitors may undermine them that they beeing delivered from their enemies both at home and abroad may never forget God's great mercies that they may bee nursing fathers of this Nation that they may bee tender and merciful to the poor and distressed that they bee builders up of our breaches and that they carefully cherish Arts and Manufactures for the setting all the poor of this Nation a Work that all the blessings of this life may bee bestowed on them And as God hath raised them above their brethren so that hee would bee pleased to rais them all to reign with his Son for ever it beeing that which is promised those that rule well here shall reign with him eternally in the heavens and this shall bee the praier of Your Honor 's humble servant Tho. Violet Aug. 3. 1653.