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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65091	A true narrative of the proceedings in the Court of Admiraltie against the ships Sampson, Salvador, and George, their silver and lading and an accompt presented what silver was taken out of the said ships, and coined in the tower (being above two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds), all which silver the common-wealth got by the chargeable prosecution and discovery of Tho. Violet, who saved the common-wealth this silver, Dec. 16, 1652 ... : together with several humble proposals, for the profit and honour of this common-wealth, in saving them many score of thousand pounds ... / by Tho. Violet ...	Violet, Thomas, fl. 1634-1662.	1659 (1659)	Wing V594; ESTC R18686	84,216	166

the Sampson Salvadore the St George These Silver-ships brought treasure to our shore Two hundred seventie thousand pounds and more Color'd by Flemish and by Spanish Claimes The Fraud's discover'd Violet spoile's the games By seasonable Protest when Great Ones did decree To th' Nation 's Dammage to haue set them free Reward is due ô lett it not bee said The Worke is don But Workman never paid Tho Violet A TRUE NARRATIVE OF THE PROCEEDINGS In the Court OF Admiraltie Against the Ships Sampson Salvador and George their Silver and Lading AND An Accompt presented what Silver was taken out of the said Ships and coined in the Tower being above two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds all which Silver the Common-wealth got by the chargeable Prosecution and Discovery of Tho. Violet who saved the Commonmon-wealth this Silver Dec. 16. 1652. As in this Narrative is Attested under the Hands of many Honourable Persons Together with several Humble Proposals for the Profit and Honour of this Common-wealth in saving them many score of thousand pounds 1. By making an Act against transporting Gold and Silver 2. Against the culling and melting down the heavy currant Coines of the Nation By removing the Obstructious of the Mint and wayes propounded to make the Mint constantly coyn money 4. For the just and due Regulation of the Manufactures of gold and silver Lace to prevent the daily cheats put upon the Wearers 5. And for the making of a publick Copper Farthing and a great Revenue propounded to be monethly paid out of the same for the relief of the maimed Soldiers And several other Particulars humbly represented to the Parliament and Councel of State By THO VIOLET of London Goldsmith Deut. 24. 14 15. Thou shalt not oppresse an hired Servant that is poor and needie whether he be of thy brethren or of the strangers that are in thy land within thy Gates Ver. 15. At his day thou shalt give him his Hire neither shall the Sun go down upon it for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it lest he cry against thee to the Lord and it be sinne unto thee LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1659. To the RIGHT HONOURABLE John Lord Bradshawe Lord Commissioner of the Great Seal of England Tho. Lord Fairfax Maj. Gen. Lambert Sir Arthur Hesilrigge Sir Henry Vane Sir James Harington Lieut. Gen. Ludlow Lord Whitlock Lieut. Gen. Fleetwood Josiah Barners Esq Coll. Morley Tho. Scot Esq Col. Sydenham Henry Nevill Esq Tho. Chaloner Esq All of them of the most honourable Councel of State May it please your Honours IT is a curious Art to make a Watch and he must be a skilful Artist that exactly sets a broken Bone God for the sins of this Nation hath several times in this Age took the Clock of this Common-wealth in pieces and many of the pins and wheels have bin and are misplaced It now requires great skill to place and set every thing in its due order Your Honours have a great work to do God hath broken us in pieces and divided our Councels and none can unite us but he that hath wounded us he only must cure us and bless and sanctifie all lawful means or else our disjoynted bones will never be truly knit or exactly set For this end hath God apointed a select number of honourable persons of which number your Honours are Members whose heart God hath fixed for this great Work to revive the stones out of the heap of rubbish and to build the Walls of our Jerusalem though the Sanballats Arabians and Ammonites be worth and conspire altogether to fight against Jerusalem to hinder this VVork Right Honourable if you will finish this good VVork you have begun you must do as Nehemiah did keep good watch day and night because of your enemies lest your adversaries serve you as they served Nehemiah for they say you shall not know nor see till we come in the midst amongst them and slay them and cause the work to cease if this be not prevented this Parliament will have a fatal end Presidents in Courts of Justice is a great Guide to all just Judges especially when they have been made by the Grave and Learned and are recorded in the Sacred Bible the chiefest Book that every good Statesman walks by such Statesmen that walks by Machiavels rules the wicked Maximes of these troublesom times they do as Saul did when he left God and went to the VVitch of Endor he pretended to go to speak with Samuel and met with the devil so these times have produced many a Fast the pretence hath bin to seek God and Peace when the true end hath bin to get to be the Head of a Party and Faction to make division and to get the Peoples money The People are now very well acquainted with such canting and as we know after a flash of lightning there comes a clap of thunder so hath it many times fallen out after Fasts hath followed an erecting of an High Court of Justice or one remarkable oppression or other I humbly present you here in this Epistle with a good President made by a great Statesman Nehemiah such a one as God hath recorded was a Saviour of his Countrey a Builder up of Jerusalem in the like case and in the like straits as it is now or suddenly without Gods infinite mercy will be vvith us he took this course In the first place he sought God and prayed before the God of Heaven and did not make a mock-Fast then he used the means he fell to his VVork and built up the walls of Jerusalem and did not only build but he built wisely and politickly and had there bin a Sanballat found amongst them the people would have stoned him On the lovver places behind the vvall and on the higher places he set the people after their families vvith their svvords their spears and their bovves and vvhen he had set himself in a posture of defence he made the people to be his Guard and delivered an Oration to the Rulers and People saying Be not afraid of your enemies remember the Lord which is great and terrible and fight for your brethren your sonnes and your daughters your wives and your houses I shall humbly desire your Honours to observe vvhat vvas the effect of this orderly and good posture Nehemiah and his people did not their work carelessely and by halfes and spent their precious time in needlesse questions but did all things upon sound advice For when great things are quietly without Faction disputed and the Result concluded then to use expedition and resolution is just policie But all hasty and unadvised attempts at long running brings the Common-wealth into great danger and the Actors generally into contempt and misery many men in their designes thinking to catch a great Fish but after long angling bring up a Frog this daily experience hath shewed and I can experimentally say it to be true For those men that read Machiavel and make it

squandred away was pleased to tell your Petitioner he could do him a courtesie in procuring to your Petitioner three Bonds taken from your Petitioner in two thousand pounds for the payment of your Petitioner one thousand pounds 1644 which Bonds Mr. Corbet told me were at Shrewsbury in Shropshire morgaged by that Committee for fourty pounds which the Committee had laid out for publick use Your Petitioner was glad to hear where these Bonds were and to know who had them though they day in Lavender for fourty pounds your Petitioner for many yeares making diligent enquiry after them and had never got true information where they were had not Mr. John Corbet told him and it was a thousand to one that these Bonds being eleven yeares out of your Petitioners Custodie that your Petitioner ever heard of them or got them again into his hands This Worthy Gentleman Mr. John Corbet advised me to make my Application by Petition to his late Highnesse Oliver Lord Protector and to his Councel for to have these Bonds restored and that if his late Highnesse and his Councel would give him order to do it he wished me so well be would procure your Petitioner these three Bonds safe and uncancelled Provided your Petitioner would pay the Committee of Shropshire for them the summe of fourty pounds which your Petitioner willingly offered to do whereupon your Petitioner petitioned the late Lord Protector Oliver and his Councel for the aforesaid three Bonds And the Councel of State ordered John Corbet Esquire should attend them to give them true information of this businesse which accordingly he did and thereupon this Order following of the Councel of State was made and your Petitioner paid his money to Mr. Corbet accordingly Friday March 21. 1655 At the Counsel at White-Hall UPon reading a Report from the Committee to whom the Petition of Thomas Violet was referred praying that certain Bonds seized upon by the Committee of Salop may be delivered unto him Upon consideration of the said Report and for that the said Bonds are ingaged for forty pounds which the said Committee imploied for publique use Ordered by his Highnesse the Lord Protector and his Counsel That upon the said Thomas Violets paying unto the said Committee the said summe of forty pounds for which the said Bonds are ingaged That the said Committee bee required to deliver up the said Bonds unto the said Thomas Violet and that hee bee at liberty to sue the same and to take the benefit thereof as formerly hee might have done and that it bee referred to John Corbet Esq to see the said Bonds delivered up accordingly upon payment of the said forty pounds Henry Scobell Clerk of the Counsell Mr. John Corbet I attended with this order March 28. 1655. Hee was pleased to tell mee hee was to go down into Shropshire and would speak with the Committee who were to receive the forty pounds and then I should know where to pay my money for hee told mee hee had never received Publique monies and hee was verie unwilling to receive any now But upon his return upon my earnest intreaty and to save mee from further trouble hee told mee hee would receive and keep this forty pounds in deposito for the use of the Committee till he had order from them for the disposing of it That transaction follows viz. MEmorandum That the 24th of May 1656. In obedience to the Order of his Highness the Lord Protector and his Counsel of the 21. of March 1655. I John Corbet Esq have delivered unto Thomas Violet of London God-Smith three Bonds the first bearing date the 6th of June 1638. of eight hundred pounds for the payment of four hundred pounds within one year after the death of the Lady Anne Waad in which Bond the said Lady Anne Waad Charles Mordent Philip Cage and Edmund Lenthal Esquires stand bound to the said Thomas Violet and one other Bond of the 6th of June 1638. in six hundred pounds for the payment of three hundred pounds within two years after the death of the said Lady Anne Waad in which the Persons aforesaid stand bound to the said Thomas Violet and one other Bond of the same date of six hundred pounds for the payment of three hundred pounds within three years after the death of the said Lady Anne Waad in which Bond the Persons aforesaid stand bound to the said Thomas Violet The summe of forty pounds being paid by the said Thomas Violet according to the said Order JOHN CORBET Witnesses then present Edward VVatkins VVilliam Davis Edmund Cogan John English Scr. The Lady Anne Waad of Battels Hall in Essex died about May 1643. And the Bonds are due to mee Thomas Violet at this day as abovesaid Your Petitioner may justly say his Estate was squandred away when a thousand pound of good Bonds of your Petitioners lay in lavender for eleven years for forty pounds and your Petitioner had never known where they had bin had not Mr. Corbet tould him your Petitioners humble Prayer to your Honours is that seeing your Petitioner hath paid Mr. Corbet the forty pounds according to the aforesaid Order and hath these Bonds safe and uncancelled now in his Custody and in consideration of your Petitioner services in staying this Silver That your Honours would be pleased in part of your Petitioners satisfaction of eleven thousand pounds by your Honours Order to Impower your Petitioner by Authority of Parliament to shew and Implead these Bonds notwithstanding any Order of Parliament to sequester the said Bonds and to Impower your Petitioner to take out Judgement and Execution thereupon notwithstanding any Order or Ordinance to the Committee of Shropshire or any other Committee Touching or Concerning these Bonds And my most humble Petition is to John Corbet Esquire one of the Honourable members of this Parliament that as hee received my money for the use of the Committee of Shropshire and gave mee the first notice and discovery in whose Custody these Bonds were so hee would now bee pleased out of his love to Justice to certifie his knowledge of the truth of this Business that so I may have Releif in this business according to Justice and equity Hereafter followeth your Petitioners Petition to Oliver Lord Protector and his Reference thereupon to Col. Barkstead Alderman Viner Capt. Iohn Limbery Doctor VValker c. TO HIS HIGHNESSE OLIVER LORD PROTECTOR Of the COMMON-WEALTH of England Scotland and Ireland And the Dominions thereunto belonging The Humble Petition of Thomas Violet SHEWETH THat your Petitioner did about the 8th of Decemb. 1652. deliver unto the Council of State a written Paper wherein was discovered that at that present time a practice and Combination was set on foot by the then Spanish Ambassador Don Allonso de Cardenas with several other Merchants both Strangers and Natives to deceive the State of a great quantity of Silver near fower hundred thousand pounds which was aboard the Ships Sampson Salvador and George then riding at Eriffe

great expence pains and faithfulness shall have its due and promised Reward considering that in these humble Proposals which I have propounded to your Honours for my satisfaction I take no money from the publick but humbly offer to pay in monethly a great Revenue to the maimed Souldiers to regulate the abuses of the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread and Lace to give a stop to the Transportation of Gold and Silver to keep your Mint constantly at work to coyn money great quantities yearly all which services are of very great consequence to the Common-wealth the consideration of the premisses I humbly leave to your Honours and remain Your Honours dutifull and humble Servant TH. VIOLET THE TABLE THO. Violets Petition to the late Protector Oliver for getting the Common-wealth two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds and to be paid his reward according to Promise p. 51. The Lord Protectors Reference 61 The Officers of the Mint their Certificate concerning this businesse 61 Several persons Affidavits of Tho. Violets Services 63 A Copy of Tho Violets Letter sent to the Lord Bradshaw 67 Mr. Wilson and Mr. Hills Letter to Mr. Thurloe 68 Doctor Walkers Warrants to the Examiners Mr. How Mr. Arnold Mr. Dorislaws Mr. Bud concerning Tho. Violet 69 Sir Tho. Viner Sir Iohn Barkstead Iohn Limbery Maurice Thomson Esq their desires to the Lord Bradshaw touching Tho. Violet 74 Doctor Walkers Certificate 90 Lord Com. Bradshaws Certificate concerning Tho. Violets service in staying this Silver 80 Alderman Francis Allen Esq his Certificate 83 Sir George Fleetwoods Certificate concerning this service and the Councel of States Promise and engagement to Tho. Violet for his reward 84 Sir Iames Harringtons Certificate of many services done in staying this Silver and in other Particulars 92 Sir Tho. Viner Sir Iohn Barkstead Gabriel Beck Capt. Iohn Limbery Edward Dendy Henry Middleton Maurice Thomson Isaac Dorislaws Esq Certificate touching Th. Violets great service in the Silver-business 99 The Late Lord Protector Richards Order to Gabriel Beck and Francis Bacon Esquires touching Tho. Violet 112 Francis Bacon and Gabriel Becks Certificate to the late Lord Protector Richard 113. Tho. Violets Petition to the late Lord Protector in the name of Edward Iohnson Esq for the making of a publick farthing 118 The late Protectors Warrant to Master Solicitor General Ellis to prepare a Grant for these Farthings 120 An Account given to Sir Thomas Viner Mr. Alexander Holt c. of this business of the Silver Ships 122 The several abuses and obstructions of the Mint with ways propounded by Tho. Violet to set the Mint on work 11 The late King Charles's Letter to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London 33 An Account of what hath been taken from me by the Parliament 38 An Order of the Councel of State requiring Th. Violet to pay fourty pounds to the Committee of Salop for certain Bonds with power to take the benefit of them and sue them as he might have done before any Sequestration 47 Iohn Corbet Esq his Receipt for the aforesaid fourty pounds 48 To the High Court of PARLIAMENT of the Common-wealth of England c. AND TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE COUNCEL OF STATE I. THomas Violet of London Goldsmith humbly presents this Narrative concerning his staying in the Court of Admiralty the Silver in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George together with the Certificates and Reports of many Honourable Persons attesting your Petitioners great service done this Nation in his seasonable Applications to the Councel of State 1652. and his protesting in the Admiralty against the discharge of this silver and discovering the frauds of the Spanish and Flemish Claimers and in many other particulars II. Further sheweth that there was unloaded out of the aforesaid ships 1653. upon your Petitioners discovery the summe of two hundred seventy eight thousand pounds which your Petitioners stayed by his Protest in the Admiralty the same houre the Judges would have discharged it And this silver was all coyned in the Tower And Colonel Barkstead Lieutenant of the Tower paid all this treasure to the Army and Navie for the defence and service of this Common wealth in 1653. and 1654. as will appear to your Honours upon the sight of his Accounts concerning this businesse III. These Particulars with many others are certified to his late Highnesse Oliver Lord Protector under the hands of Col. Barkstead Lieutenant of the Tower Alderman Viner Capt. John Limbery Doctor Walker Serjeant Dendy Maurice Thomson Treasurer of the East-India Company Serjeant Middleton Isaack Dorislawes Gabriel Beck Esquires By vertue of his late Highnesse reference directed to them 13. July 1657. IV. The true Copies of these original Petitions and Certificates and several other Transactions touching this silver are here presented to your Honours view to the end your Petitioner may after so long a delay of Justice have his dearly earned reward Your Honours upon perusal of all the Premisses will see it clearly proved your Petitioners great expence eminent zeal faithfulnesse and integritie with the hazard of his life in this service of the Common-wealth Your Honours Humble Servant THO. VIOLET May 25. 1659. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE The LORDS and others of the COUNCEL OF STATE VIZ. Thomas Lord Fairfax Major Gen. Lambert Col. John Desborough Col. James Bury John Bradshaw Serjeant at Law Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper Sir Horatio Townsend Sir Arthur Hesilrigge Sir Henry Vane Lieut Gen. Ludlow Lieut. Gen. Fleetwood Major Saloway Col. Dixwell Mr. Reynolds Mr. Josiah Barners Col. Morley Mr. Thomas Scot Mr. Robert Wallop Sir James Harrington Col. Walton Col. John Jones Col. Sydney Col. Sydenham Mr. Hen. Nevill Mr. Thomas Chaloner Col. Downs Lord Chief Justice St. John Col. Thompson Lord Whitlock Sir Robert Honywood Sir Archibald Johnson May is please your Honours YOur Petitioner did about the eighth of Decemb. 1652. deliver into the Councel of State a Written Paper wherein was discovered that at that present time a Practice and Combination was set on foot by several Merchants and others to deceive the Common-wealth of a great quantity of silver above three hundred thousand pounds which was then aboard the Ships Sampson Salvador and St. George then riding about Black-wall Upon Examination of this Businesse at the Councel of State the Councel within few dayes after commanded and engaged your Petitioner in this service and your Petitioner did faithfully promise the Councel his uttermost endeavours to discover this fraud and at his own charge to prosecute this Businesse in the Court of Admsraltie The Judges of the Court of Admiraltie did appoint the 16. day of Decemb. 1652. to give sentence for clearing these ships and silver being to the value of about three hundred thousand pounds in silver as appears by the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint Whereupon your Petitioner came into the Court of Admiralty the very day and houre the Judges were clearing the said silver and at his own peril made his Protest in the Admiraltie

and the remainder of the aforesaid sum to be paid him as soone as the great occasions of the Common-wealth will permit And the Referrees do bold Thomas Violet to be a person very fit and usefull for imployment either in your Highnesse Mint or in the Office for the due Regulation of gold and silver wyer and Lace c. and in several other emploiments as appears by several Certificates And Violet himself hath made several Proposals unto us in writing for his satisfaction which we have hereunto annexed for your Highnesse gracious perusal In some of these Proposals we do humblie apprehend Thomas Violet may be useful for your Highnesse and the publick service All which we humblie submit to your Highnesse consideration 18. Jan. 1658. Francis Bacon Gabriel Beck Examined by us Jo. Symes Jo Rimmer ABout the middle of April 1659. the late Lord Protector Richard receiving these Certificates and this following Petition blamed some persons whom he had interessed to give him a true Account of my sufferings and of my abilities and willingnesse to serve the Common-wealth that they had not done it before but to shew that his late Highnesse put a great value of my services and sufferings and of my abilities to serve the Nation as some Honourable Gentlemen told me he did he was pleased upon the Reading this following Petition to give me and some other Gentlemen which I had nominated in trust for my use this ensuing Warrant for the making of a publick farthing for the use of England Scotland and Ireland referring the Approbation and Confirmation thereof to the Parliament to provide such Orders and Rules as they thought best for the good of the People I used the name of Edward Johnson Esq and some other Names for my use and here followeth my Petition and Reference from his late Highness And if the Parliament please to employ me in this service and to grant me for thirty one years the entire and whole management of this Office for making a common farthing I will thankfully accept of the emploiment and humbly and thankfully allow it as five thousand pounds paid unto your Petitioner from the Common-wealth in part of his due debt of eleven thousand pounds for staying the aforesaid silver And your Petitioner will be tied to pay the maimed souldiers during the time of this Grant twelve-pence upon every twenty two shillings in farthings which shall be uttered by me or my Assignes in England Scotland and Ireland which will be a constant revenue and I will pay it in monethly to the Treasurers for the maimed souldiers And if the State please to have farthings made of a smaller proportion I will allow the souldiers five shillings for every twenty two shillings and yet these Copper farthings shall be above as heavy again do the ordinarie farthings that now passe among us To his Highnesse RICHARD LORD PROTECTOR of England Scotland and Ireland And the Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging The Humble Petition of Edward Johnson Junior Esq c. SHEWETH THat there are many fraudes and deceits daily practiced by diverse petty Retayling Tradesmen Chapmen and others in makeing and uttering farthing tokens of their own stamping almost every petty Retayling Tradesman putting forth a severall farthing token not valueable without any Licence some of Pewter Tinn Lead Brass and some of Copper according to every mans fancy that makes their own farthing tokens Great numbers of these Retayling Tradesmen breake others remove themselves from one place to another and many of them die insolvant and their farthing tokens thus unduly uttered beiug not valueable one of them not being worth in value the sixth part of a farthing and some of their farthing tokens not worth the twentieth part of a farthing the people of this Nation especially the poorer sort are daily cheated and cozened by these indirect practices To prevent these abuses for the future your Petitioners humbly pray your Highnesse that a common valueable farthing may be made of fine Rose Copper of a valueable weight that is to say of the weight of about halfe a quarter of an ounce Haver du poys to a farthing and twenty two Shillings by tail to weigh eight pounds Haver du poys with the remedy of six pence under or over to pass currant within your Highnesse Dominions of England Scotland and Ireland for all such persons as will make use of them for their necessity of change and to prohibit all other farthing tokens now made or to be made or uttered within your Highnesse Dominions aforesaid That to have a valueable common farthing to be made to pass currant within your Highnesse said Dominions is so needfull a thing in the Common-wealth and of such necessity for change that the making of the same will relieve and accommodate many thousands of petty Tradesmen and poore people as will plainly appeare unto your Highnesse in our most humble Reasons and motives hereunto annexed to which wee do most humbly Referr Your Petitioners most humbly pray your Highnesse in respect of the great charge and trouble they shall undergo in performing this service for the good of the Common wealth to grant unto them and their Assignes and Deputies the sole making and uttering of the aforesaid Common farthing for one and thirty yeares and to prohibite all other farthings and the making and counterfeiting of this farthing by any other upon paine and losse of Estate and imprisonment during your Highnesse pleasure and in consideration thereof your Petitioners will serve your Highnesse Dominions with valueable farthings of the goodnesse and weight aforesaid and also pay unto your Highnesse Exchequer to your Highnesse use twelve pence for every two and twenty shillings in farthings which shall be vented and uttered by your Petitioners their Deputie or Deputies in England Scotland and Ireland which will bee certaine revenew to your Highnesse of many hundred pounds a yeare and a great accommodation and benefit to the poore of all your Highnesse Dominions And your Petitioners shall dayly pray c RICHARD P. WEE have perused the Petition of Edward Johnson Junior Esquire c. together with the reasons hereunto annexed and our will and pleasure is that our Sollicitor Generall prepare a booke fit for our signature for the erecting of an Office for the sole making venting and uttering of a Common farthing to go currant in England Scotland Ireland and Wales according to the weight proportions and propositions in their Petition conteined with such Rules to be observed by the Petitioners or their Assignes for the stamps figures and Arms of the said farthings as wee and our Successors shall appoint and for the granting the same to the said Edw. Johnson Junior Esq c. and their Assignes and Deputies for one and thirty yeares Reserving to us and our Successors twelve pence for every two and twenty Shillings of the said farthings so vented and uttered And our Solicitor Generall is to attend and acquaint the Parliament with

and increase of the stock of the Nation Provided I may have the place of Master-worker and Melter with the usuall fees formerly allowed to them setled under the great Seale and that I may be impowered by Orders and Warrants from the Council of State from time to time for to see the due execution of my place for the inabling me to do this service This businesse to effect is very troublesom and chargable And will be of mighty concernment to the State for their service as you will see in this booke by filling the Nation with Treasure and money the blood and sinews of Commcrce and Warr what makes so generall a complaint of want of Trade but want of money and people have not monies to pay the ordinary and necessary charges and if the State do not look to settle this business suddenly this mischeif for this many years I have foretold to the Parliament in Print and I knew would suddenly come upon us It is a certain Maxime Not any private person or a Common-wealth can ever be capable of effecting any great businesse that is not rich in monies or cannot command great summes of money either of his own or upon his Credit I pray read and consider what I have said concerning this businesse in this book Fol 11. 12. 13 14. if the State imploy me here in the Mint I will remove all these obstructions and set the Mint a working and this imployment if I have it for my life I will humbly accept of it at the value of two thousand pounds in part of payment of my satisfaction of eleven thousand pounds and by my industry and care will increase the States Stock every year some hundred of thousand of pounds of Silver which now comes in and is stollen out I would never undertake to do this diffiult businesse were I not assured there is none in the Nation can do it but my self and till the State imploy me this work will never be done effectually Three of you Gentlemen are great mints men and Gold smiths and know the difficultie of this undertaking and I dare affirme before you none of you will trouble your selves to finde out the bottom of these difficult waies that must be used to do this service not for ten times the profit I shall receive by this Emploiment Therefore I humbly desire to have an act to injoy the place of Master-worker and Melter for my life provided I do this service within three moneths after my grant this mischeif is come to a gangrene and the Council of State must make sharp and strict Orders in this businesse or else this mischeif cannot be remedied a great deal of care must be used to put these Laws in Execution else there wil be a perpetual consumption of the Stock of the Nation in the Silver coines as it is come already on the Gold coines you shall not receive in a thousand pounds one twenty-shillings-peece in Gold and in few years there wil be the like defect in the Silver not so much as will maintain Commerce and Trade pay Rents and Taxes nor to go to Market The first Sluce-gate that must be stopped is the forbidding the melting of gold and Silver currant coins of the Nation for gold and silver thread it is true there is a Law against it but who looks after the Execution Execution is that that gives life to the Law The like course must be taken against the Transporting gold silver out of the Nation it is true old Laws forbid it but who makes it their businesse to discover the offenders Had the Act passed in the House which I prosecuted against Transporting Gold and Silver and I impowered and imployed as I humbly propounded ten years ago this Nation had had at this day millions of Silver which is now Transported to the great damage of the Nation This Act hath bin twice read in the House ten times Committed Referred to the Committee of the Navies Officers of the Mint Officers of the Customes all their Reports and Certificates certifie that if the Parliament will not passe this Act and appoint able skilfull persons to make it their businesse to hinder the Transporting Gold and Silver the stock of Gold and Silver in the Nation would be all Transported and this Nation exposed to very great inconveniences by not preventing it who can or could say more then these Certificates say If the Parliament please to passe this Act I will spend my time and paines and in that service take these Transporters in the nick of their action and confiscate the monies had I Warrants and did set my springes I would catch these Woodcocks my experience would be of great advantage for an old Dear stealer is the best keeper of the Park and it is not unknown to some of you that almost thirty yeares ago I was questioned about Transporting Gold and Silver I discovered a nest of Transporters of Gold and the King ingaged me to do that service I caused them to be fined twenty foure thousand one hundred pounds in the year 1635. in the Starr Chamber as appears by the Records and made Alderman Gibbs and Sir John Wollaston glad to Petition and pay well to the late King for their Pardons for abuses done in their Trades and this was the true ground of Gibbes and Wollastones revenge against me When in the yeer 1643. they maliciously and Knavishly ingaged honourable Gentlemen to present me to the Parliament for a malignant and to send me to the Tower and sequester my Estate to my damage at this day twenty thousand pounds only to work their malicious ends upon me when at that time they had Trappaned me to catch me as a man catcheth a Partridg with their Lowbel Mr. Theophilus Rily who decoyed me into this snare to undertake to bring up from Oxford the Letter from the Late King Charles mentioned in this Book Fol. 33. And then to aggravat it against me with that Violence to some honourable members of Parliament that it had like to cost me my life and I suffered almost four years imprisonment in the Tower and had my estate sequestred to my damage of twenty thousand pounds as appeares in this Book Fol. 38. I Petitioned the late Protector Richard for to give me and some others I nominated in trust for my use the grant of making a common farthing as appeares in this booke Fol. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. the late Protector accordingly gives me c. the grant of the same for 31. years in part of my reward for this service of staying the Silver and orders the Solicitor Generall to attend the Parliament for their Approbation who are desired to ordain and appoint such Rules Prohibitions and Penalties for the effectuall and better management of this service the preventing of all former abuses and restraining the importation and Counterfeiting of any the said farthings from the parts beyond Sea as they shal think fit and necessary for the carrying on of this busines for the good of the Common wealth and he reserves to the Common-wealth twelve pence out of every twenty two shillings I shall humbly desire the Parliament to give me the grant for the sole making of a Publique farthing for 31. yeares of the value and weight aforesaid and I shall humbly and thankfully accept of this imployment as the value of five thousand pounds towards my debt of eleven thousand pounds and if the Parliament please to have a farthing made lighter yet as heavy againe as the common farthings I shall make a common farthing to go currant in England Scotland and Ireland and I will pay unto the maimed Solders five shillings upon every two and twenty shillings that is uttered in the Office and accompt truely upon Oath this will be a great revenew to the maimedSolders and I will be bound to accompt monthly to the Treasurers of the maimed Solders which will be about three hundred pounds a moneth for some years By these waies I shall both pay my self my eleven thousand pounds and be serviceable to the Common-wealth above an hundred thousand pounds in doing these services in the Mint and for Regulating gold and silver Lace and Wyer and stopping the Transporting of gold and silver no man in the Nation hath had the experience to do it but my self and where I get one penny the Common wealth in point of bonour and profit will get twenty the issue of all I humbly leave to God and submitt my selfe to his good Providence And remain Gentlemen your Bond-man till the State free mee THOMAS VIOLET 25. May 1659. FINIS