INDEX For the Narrative of the Ships Sampson Salvador and George presented to the PARLAMENT Aug. 3. 1633. THomas Violet's Petition to the Parlament p. 1 2 3 4. Thomas Violet's first discoverie about the Prize-Silver 8. Decemb. 1652. Presented to my Lord Bradshaw and M. Allen p. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12. An Order of the Council of State 13. of Decemb. 1652. p. 13. Papers delivered to Doctor Walker from p. 13. to 26. A Letter to Doctor Walker p. 26 27. A Letter to M. Vincent de Bar p. 28 29. A Letter to M. Arnold Brames p. 29 30. Thomas Violet's Affidavit p. 31 32 33. Papers of the Narrative of the proceeding about the Silver and Prizes delivered in to the Lord Whitlock and Sr William Massam beeing of the Committee of Forrein affairs p. 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45. My Letter to my Lord Bradshaw and Colonel Morley concerning Cap. Otho George's assaulting the Common-wealth's witnesses in the Streets and stabbing them p 46. My Petition to the Council of State p. 46. Referr'd to the Committee of Forrein affairs p. 37 38. My Letter to M. Jsaac Doreslaws p. 49 50. Papers I left with my Lord Bradshaw Sir James Harrington and M. Allen about the 6. of Feb. 1653. p. 53. 54. A Letter to M. Ed Watkins p. 54 55 56 57 58. A Paper to my Lord Bradshaw and others of the Council about the restoring mee to my Estate p. 59 60. The Dutch at one time before I discovered it to the Council of State did get out of the Parlament's hands since Aug. 1652. the summe of eleven hundred thousand pounds and they had cosened the State of every pennie of their monie now a Coyning in the Tower beeing near four hundred thousand pounds bad it not been for Tho. Violet p. 61. as appear's by this Narrative An account of my Estate taken away from mee by the late Parlament p. 63 64 65. Thomas Violet's Petition to the late Parlament p. 67 68. A Copie of the late King's Letter to the Lord Major and Citie of London p. 69 70. Several transactions that follow'd thereupon p. 70 71 72. Vpon the dissolving of the late Parlament I made my Addresses to Colonel Wetton and Lievtenant Colonel Joice to present my former services to the Honorable Council of Officers which accordingly they did 73. Thomas Violet's Letter to the Right Honorable General Monk Admiral of the Common-Wealth of England Apr. 27. 1653 p. 73 74 75. Tho. Violet's humble Desire and Petition to the Right Honorable Major General Desborrow Colonel Bennet and Colonel Joans May 4. 1633. p. 75 76 77 78 79 80. Tho. Violet's Letter to the Right Honorable Colonel Bennet humbly desiring him to acquaint the Council of State with the contents p. 80 81 82. Papers delivered to the Right Honorable Colonel Jones and Colonel Bennet concerning several Prize-Ships p. 83 84. seting forth it is now apparant what Spirit Rules in som Persons in the Admiraltie to the great dammage of the State p. 85. as appear's by Cap. Bishop's Letters p. 86. and that Covetousness and Self-seeking hath betray'd many of the State 's Priz-Ships Silver and goods in the Admiraltie p. 87 88. My Letter to the Right Honorable Colonel Jones and Colonel Bennet concerning the best waies for the State both for the least charge and keeping the particular account of every parcel of Silver taken out of the Sampson Salvador and George ships p 88 89 90 91 92 93. An Order of the Council of State June 10. 1653. to Tho. Violet to discover to the Council what abuses have been acted in the managing of their Prizes and their lading either Silver or Merchandize since the bringing up the State 's Prizes p. 94. Thereupon I drew the Draught of the Paper for the Parlament setting forth several abuses concerning the management of the State 's Prizes and to prevent the like for the future and to call som that have abused them to account p. 94 95 96 97 98. Several reasons which did induce mee to Print this Narrative p. 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106. AN INDEX OF Such Papers as I presented to the PARLAMENT the 15. Februarie 1652. AN Answer of the Corporation of Moniers to Peter Blondeau Tho. Violet's Letter to Mr John Benfield pag. 1 2. The Corporation of Monier's Letter to Tho. Violet p. 3. Peter Blondeau's Representation as a Warning touching several Disorders happening by monie ill-favoredly coined p. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Peter Blondeau's humble Memorandum for the prevention of many abuses concerning Coins and will cost no more then the ordinarie unequal Coin which is used now p. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. An Order of the Commitee of the Mint 14 June 1651 for a trial of making monie by the Moniers and the Frenchman p. 21. The humble Proposition of the Provest and Moniers of the Mint to Sr James Harrington Chair-man of the Committee of the Mint p. 22 23. The 8 of May 1651 the Committee ordered the Frenchman and Ramadge that worked for the English to make their triel p. 24. The Provest and Monier's answer to the objections of Peter Blondeau p. 26 27 28 29. The Provest and Moniers humbly desire a Law to bee made for the discovering and punishing all Transporters of Monie according to the Certificate of the chief Officers of the Mint 20 Decemb. 1647 p. 32 33 34. A Letter of the Provest and Moniers to Tho. Violet to desire him to Petirion in their behalf the Committee of the Mint for an allowance of eigbtic seven pounds 18s 5d for their trial with the Frenchman 37 38. The names of the Moniers and Laborers working in the Mint the 27 June 1652 p. 40 41. A Letter from Transmarine parts setting out the abuses acted on the Coins and Bullion of England p. 45. In France they have Courts of Record for the Regulating their Monies such a Court ought to bee set up in England and strict Laws made and men appointed to see them put in execution p. 49 47. A greater quantitie of English monie counterfeited and made forth of the Mint then is coined in the Tower for the last six years p. 48 till I caused the Prize-silver to bee staied in Decemb. 1652. The great mischiefs that is befallen them in Ireland by light and clipped monie som Goldsmiths and others in London and Bristow the chief autors of this mischief to have the bottom found out p. 49 Against culling and melting down of English monie p. 50. The great mischiefs several Exchanging Goldsmiths in Lombardstreet do the State p. 50. The mischiefs that com to England by the late King 's setting up several Mints at Bristow Shrewsburie York Oxford Carlile p. 52. Against the making Gold and Silver Thred in England beeing A great consumption of the Treasure p. 54. Several Orders of Parlament for passing the Act against Transporters of Gold and Silver p. 55 56 57 and proceedings of the
Mint in the Tower of London Sir There are som men when they behold a hous ready finished they do not at the first apprehend the several pins and beams and materials that make 's and frame 's the building there is many a nail driven which the Spectator never see 's the builder that paie's for it hee onely keep 's that particular account as I have don for this Book Humbly present you I must confess this is but a thatched Cottage but it hath cost mee many years pains and trouble and great expence to present it to you in that ruff and unpollished shape it is in I have for many years night and daie had several helps and hands both in England and beyond-Seas from choice intelligencers and out of several manuscripts in the custodie of Sr John Cook when hee was Secretarie to the late King and since the Parlament I have got what I could by industrie from Merchants and others both at home and abroad at my great expence to make mee serviceable to my Countrie in studying the individual prosperitie of every man that is a true lover of this Common-wealth Sir Hee that travail's far in a Winter's daie had need to bee up before Sun-rising And such honorable Members as your self shall and have no doubt found the affairs of the Common-wealth left strangely intangled the 20. of April 1653. The great God of Heaven direct you to set all strait in the Common-wealth and that you may amend what you found amiss to the comfort of this Nation and to you and your posterities everlasting honor whereby this Common-wealth may bless God for you and other worthie Members of Parlament and Armie SIR There is a Rule in the State of Venice when their Embssadors com home the Senate there requireth them to give an account of the negotiations in Forreign parts and to declare the conditions manners fashions and powerfull parties and factions in those Kingdoms or Common-wealths from whence they return An Embassador of Venice returning from England in the late King Charles's time was according to custom to give his usual account in the Senate hee after a long Oration of the power of the Spanish Italian French Dutch and Scotch-interest in the Court of England their several influences on all the actions of the late King and his Counsel was required to give an account of the power and interests the English Natives had themselvs in their own Counsels to which the Embassador replied That the Natives themselvs had little or no power in the Court of England for though the King 's Privie Council had all English bodies yet they had Spanish French Dutch and Scotch hearts and many of them Forreign Prince's Pensioners and the true lovers of their Countrie the Natives of England had little power in their own Counsels the late King having a resolution to cast off all Parlaments and to rule by his own Prerogative The sad effects of those Counsels and thir miscarriages brought the late great miseries and Wars on this Nation May it pleas you Sir I would to God som men could not justly say the like during som time of the late Parlament many of their Counsellors and Members in the begining of the late Parlament speaking all perfit Scotch and Presbyterie and afterwards som of their late Counsellors perfect Spanish Dutch and French SIR I say I have found this a sad truth ten thousand pounds deep and better to my particular estate SIR let mee most humbly entreat you to bee instrumental with all the worthie Members of this present Parlament to remember they are English and to act upon true English principles esteeming the good of the Nation above all private respects and their faith and word once past is ever to bee kept either with particular men or States There was many Noble Gentlemen of the last Parlament labored it and studied to bring it about but they were over-powred by several parties and divisions even amongst themselvs if there bee any that hinder this good work in your Counsels I pray God to discover him and to amend and convert him or bring him to Justice That which I most humbly desire is for every man perfectly and freely with due reverence I humbly say it to the Supreme Autoritie to speak his Countrie 's language perfect English in all their words and actions to bee publick spirited men that is to studie the just peace wealth prosperitie and happiness of every individual member of this Nation and that they studie the restoring of Trade the erecting of Manufactures the setting all the poor on work to the relieving the aged and impotent even such as have been struck by God's hand or for their Countrie 's defence My most earnest suit to you is above all earthly things diligently to prepare Ships men and materials for to defend your Dominion of the Seas of this Common-wealth for without this you nor any one member in this Nation can call any thing their own longer then it shall bee lent them by the courtesies of our neighbor-Nation And what favor upon their prevailing can bee exspected by us from them their former courtesies in the East-Indies and their late actions apparently declare to every true English heart Upon honorable and just conditions for the good of both Nations God in his good time I hope and pray for that hee will finde a way to save his servant Isaac that is both English and Dutch and catch the Ram in the Bush I mean the Jesuits that lately kindled this fire and to this daie blow the coles between both Nations Noble SIR I have in this Narrative shewed you a Watch in pieces and som of the Wheels and Springs that make's the motion or els a Carpenter's Rule the inches and Mathematical lines Yet noble Sir I humbly tell you the shewing a man a Rule and a Watch doth not enable him without long studie tools and materials to make a Watch or a Rule I humbly saie I had rather bee a Carpenter by daily practice to know how to build a hous then a Mathematitian by Theorick which can talk of an hundred things in framing an hous but give him a Mallet Saw and Square hee know's not how to handle one of them So it is not the Theorick but the Practick part that can do this service which I have don for the Common-wealth Sir I humbly saie there must bee Men read as well as books and many years studie to do this service SIR I deliver not this paper to erect Offices and Imployments upon the recommendations of friends for any in Power to make such use of these my humble Proposals as som of the late Parlament have don viz. To put into great places of trust and skill ignorant and unskilful men or Rooks as many of your Treasurers and other Officers have been that by indirect waies have cram'd their purses and bought incredible vast possessions Their monies and lands they now have belong's truly to the
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
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 6 to Januar. 1643. SIr Henrie Vane Mr Solicitor and Sr Arthur Haslerig report the design of Mr Theophilus Riley Scout-master 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
Committees about the same The inconveniences of Rasing monie p. 59 60 61. A Warrant of the Council of State to search for Silver stollen out of the Prize-ships p. 67. Tho. Violet's Letter to the Dutch-prize Commissioners p. 67 68 68 69 70 71 72 73 74. The Dutch Skippers will swear any thing to deceiv the State of their Prizes p. 75 Tho. Violet's proceeding in the Court of Admiraltie the first time bee attended that business shewing the Court several reasons against the discharge of the Prize-ships till all his Witnesses were examined p. 75 76 77 78 79 80. The damage arising to this Common-wealth by their delaie of examining of Witness giving their Dutch-claimers time to forge any claims p. 81. The Dutch Factors in London deeply engaged to get this silver and prizes out of the State 's hand p. 81 several Expresses sent to Spain by the Merchants to get the Spaniards to claim this silver with the reasons to induce the Dutch to do it p. 82 83. Tho. Violet greatly feareth things are not fairly carried by som in Doctors Commons p. 82 All the Silver abord Otho George taken in by night in Spain p. 82 83. Otho George a more dangerous enemie then is easily apprehended p. 83 84. In the Ship Peter so much monie claimed by the Merchants that there is not half the silver found as is claimed p. 86. Tho. Violet attended the Lord chief Justice Rolles about this business hee beeing then Lord President of the Council who upon pervsal of his Papers did great ly commend Tho. Violet for his care of the safety of this Common-wealth and the 13 Jan. 1653 his Lordship presented the many services I had don the Common-wealth to the Council of State in staying the Prize-silver p. 86. Mr Hill and Mr Wilson two of the Commissioners of Prize-goods told mee they were Merchants and had their estates in Spain and would appear no further without they could get an Act of Parlament to indemnifie them p 89 so that had I not put in my Protest tho Common-wealth had lost all the Prizes and Silver p. 89. My Letter and Postscript to Mr David Bud 24 Dec. 1652 wherein I earnestly press him not to betraie his Trust and that if hee did not mend for the future I would present him and his actions to the judgment of the Parlament who if they bad not been dissolved as they were would have made Mr Bud and som others in the Admiraltie examples this Parlament I hope will call them to a strict account for it concern's the safety of the Nation to watch well the actions of som in the Admiraltie p. 90 91. A List of the Ships p. 99. Queen Elisabeth's quarrel with the Hans Towns p. 99. The Jesuit's work to set England and Holland by the Ears to destroy them both p. 100 101 102 103. Tho. Violet desire 's the Commissioners for prize goods may bee ordered to deliver to the Parlament a List of all ships discharged and the day when sent 16 of Decemb. 1652. p. 107. A Letter of the Prize-Commissioners to Mr Thurloe Secreatarie to the Council of State declaring that they they have found Tho. Violet very active and knowing in making these discoveries of the Prizes both for the Silver and Goods and that Tho. Violet had don the Common-wealth several good and great services in the business of the Prizes and desire's Mr Thurloe to present the same to som of the Council of State with the Tender of their services p. 108 109. Tho. Violet's Petition to the Council of State referred to the Council of Trade p. 156 157. Order of the Council of State for to consider of the waies to set the mint on work and to take som cours for the hindering the Transporting Gold and Silver p. 161. The Propositions of Tho. Violet to the Committee for the Mint and removing of abuses practised on the Coin and Bullion of the Nation p. 162 163 164 165 166 167 168. Another Proposition of Tho. Violet for setting the Mint on work and saving the State fifteen hundred pounds a year of what they have allowed the Master-Worker of the Mint on his accounts ordered by the Committee to bee reported to the Council of State p. 169 to 172. Several orders of the Committee of the Mint about a Trial with Peter Blondeau the Frenchman p. 173 174 175 176. An Order of the Committee of the Mint to have the Transporters of Gold or Silver and all unlawful buying and selling Gold or Silver or Culling and Melting down the Currant Silver excepted out of the General Pardon 24 Jan. 1652 p. 173. Tho. Violet's brief observations of what hath been Acted at the late Council of Trade from tha 20 Aug. 1650 to the last of December 1651 viz. p. 177 178 179 180. I desire you to take notice that I beeing surprised in time for the sorting of my Papers and using several Printers for the Expedition som of my Papers have been misplaced and twice printed through the neglect of those I intrusted in this business Which I hope will bee no trouble to the judicious that read's them Also I desire what literal faults they read may bee amended by their Pens which shall oblige mee if God send mee health and as I see this well taken to present to your Honors a further addition in this nature for the service of this Nation FINIS