in a Common-wealth But for your just Merchant hec is the Beautie and Ornament of the Common-wealth a great pillar in any Nation where they remain and that State or Common-wealth that doth not love and protect them must at long running bring themselvs to povertie For mee to speak of the worth and dignitie of fair-dealing-Merchants in all ages is to hold a Candle to the Sun onely my praier to God shall bee that their numbers may bee encreased in this Nation and all encouragement given them by the State that they may have good Convoie to guard their ships both outwards and inwards from Pirats and Rovers and if it bee the chance of any Merchant-men to meet with Pirats that God would strengthen their sea-men and give them valiant and loial hearts to fight for their Countrie and their Merchant's ships and goods and after their deliverance from Pirats God's protection go along with them all and bring them everie one to his desired Port and at the end of our daies bring us all to the blessed Harbor of the Kingdom of Heaven and this shall bee the praier of Your assured Friend to serv you THO. VIOLET THE ADVANCEMENT OF MERCHANDIZE To the Right Honorable the Council of State viz. John Bradshaw Lord President Earl of Denbigh Earl of Salisbury Lord Howard Thomas Lord Grey of Groby Lord Ch. Justice Roll Lord Ch. Justice St John Lord Ch. Baron Wilde Thomas Lord Fairfax Lord General Cromwel Philip Lord Lisle Sir Henry Mildmay Sir William Armyne Sir William Constable Sir Peter Wentworth Sir Gilbert Pickering Sir William Masham Sir Arthur Hesilrige Sir James Harrington Sir Henry Vane Jun. â— t Gen. Ludlow Lo. Com r Whitelock Lo. Com r Lisle Colonel Stapley Colonel Morley Colonel Purefoy Colonel Jones Isac Pennington Ald. Henry Martin Esq Philip Skippon Esq Wil. Heveningham Esq Rob. Wallop Esq Jo Hutchinson Esq Denis Bond Esq Valentine Wanton Esq Tho Scot Esq Cornel. Holland Esq Tho. Chaloner Esq Mr Robinson Mr Gourdon Thomas Violet a true Lover of his Countrie most humbly present's these following PROPOSITIONS SEveral Reasons for the admitting all Merchants to have equal privileges so far as agreeth with the Pattern and Policie of Amsterdam Legorn and Genoa who have gotten themselvs to the hight greatness of trade And therefore hold in all Common-wealths that are seated as by the blessing of God this is one in the midst of the Seas beeing adorned and beautified with more safe and fair Harbors for shipping then any of our Neighbors whatsoever And there ought to bee an especial eie had upon the paths and steps of our neighbors to see by what waies and means they have got to this greatness of Trade and to keep a good observation of these times and to give all encouragement to the Dutch and Forain Nations to com and plant in our Ports and Harbors They having many of them an earnest desire not to bee so penned up as they are and therefore many Families are lately removed to Breme and Hambrough out of Amsterdam As was presented to the Council of Trade by a worthy Member of the Council of State with his Recommendations to the Council of Trade to take all Informaltions concerning free Ports or Landing places for Forain commodities Imported without paying of Custom if again exported in what manner the same is best to bee effected in pursuance whereof for the advance of Trade I have according to directions of som of the Council of State treated with the principal Merchants in this Citie and I do humbly present these few Heads unto your Honors consideration for the benefit of Trade and the Nation in General 1. That Genoa Legorn and Amsterdam have raised their greatness onely by giving Merchants Strangers equal privileges with their Natives and in levying Imal duties upon goods And if not spent in their Ports freely to export them to any part of the world by which means they have been made the Ware-houses and Shops for all the Merchandizes in the world 2. By the same means also they grow in Amsterdam mightie in Shipping and Sea-men for they know the benefit that onely the bringing of goods thither though never spent in the Countrie make's them for there is not the thousand part of the goods spent in Amsterdam that is brought thither but shipped again all over the world And they have this advantage that all the Commodities of the world are there to bee had which is a benefit to them that spend the Commodities to have the Market at their own doors for they can have it cheaper then to go abroad for it And the wealth that is gotten by Shipping Ware-housroom and imploiment of thousands of laboring people in lading and unlading Merchandize is and hath been one of the fairest flowers in the Garland of Amsterdam Genoa and Legorn And by the blessing of God and the Parlaments countenance of such Merchants and others that shall put to their helping hands and their industries the Sea-Ports of this Nation will participate in a large proportion with them and put the inhabitants of our Sea-Ports in a flourishing condition wee may see it by experience when our Composition Trade was at Dover what that Town made the State a year for half Customs and how the rents of houses were raised how all the Townsmen grew rich and Merchants set the poor awork and also the great imploiment of our Shipping and Navigation and no Town in England lived more happily make it but a free Port you will restore it again to its former condition whereas now their poor do so infinitely increas on them that many perish for want of means and all the houses in the Town not worth the third penny rent they were ten yeers ago for at the time the Customs made fifty thousand pounds every year now not four thousand pound per annum 3. I pray your Honors observ where great Customs are laid there either in Kingdom or Common-wealth the Trade decayeth and at last fal's to nothing 't is true they may bee present benefits and have been made use of by evil Councellors both in this Age and formerly both in this Nation and others But I pray observ those remedies have ever been wors then the diseases and in som places it hath cost som of the Inventors their lives others their estates and all of them at long running repentance and those Kingdoms Nations or Common-wealths that have soonest recovered out of them have been the easiest cure of their distempers and commotions Whereas in such Kingdoms Nations or Common-wealths where such oppressions have long continued when the remedie com's to bee workt and wrought it work 's so violently as it break 's all the old frame of Government in pieces or els weaken's it in that manner that it corn's not to its first strength again in som Ages and this I humbly conceiv is like shortly to bee the fate of a great Kingdom I mean France The inventions for
the State I shall not scape them but if they had rested with words I should better have born their malice But this last Michaëlmas Term they fell on mee with deeds took mee upon an Execution at the suit of one Widow Simonds wife of one Joseph Simonds when I never vvarranted any Atturnie to appear for mee and I had a Releas of the said Joseph Simonds for to withdraw all Actions and thereupon I delivered him an Ingot of Silver which was seized on by the late King's Commissioners by order of the Lords of the Council and this was don eleven years ago I never owed this woman or her husband one pennie and I make no question but I shall have reparation and to finde out the confederacie against mee This Joseph Simonds brought the same Action against Sir John Wollaston Alderman Gibs Sir William Becher Master Alderman Harison and divers others and they all non-suited him several times and if I had known the declaration against mee I would have pleaded and gotten off as well as others but I was in the Countie of Darbie-shire and never knew of it till there was Judgment entred upon a Nihil Dicit and a Writ of Inquirie of Damages when I had the said Joseph Simond's Releas attested by five witnesses and I found this Releas by a strange accident after I had lost this Acquitance about ten years the tenth of this present Januarie this I put down openly that as I was affronted publickly on the Exchange by beeing arrested there upon an unjust Action all men should know I cannot bee arrested for a just Debt REceived the 19 daie of Octob. 1640. of Thomas Violet by vertue of an Order of the Lords at White-Hall the 18 of Octob. 1640. one Ingot of Silver-Guilt weighing 17 pound weight one Ounce and five pennie weight and I do promise to withdraw all Actions that have been commenced either against Robert Amerie Thomas Violet or any other for seizing and deteining of the said Silver-Guilt In witness whereof I have bereunto set my hand Joseph Symonds Witness wee M. Blunt Andrew Heitly Will. Creswell Will. Crosbie Will. Bourne Beyond Seas it is not permitted to a Sergeant to arrest any man on the Exchange and it were verie fit it should bee so here in London for many Merchants are crazie commodities and their reputation 's not to bee touched lest they fall in pieces I speak not for my self for I owe not one hundred pounds in the world that any bodie can justly ask mee though I have had taken from mee by Order of Committees above eight thousand four hundred pounds and I have left off trading this ten years But I know there is a great necessitie at this time for Merchants not to bee arrested on the Exchange for the humor of many English Usurers and som others is that if they finde a man sinking everie man enter's his Action and pul's somtimes a good Estate in pieces whereas they should do as they do in Holland if their debtors have losses at sea or by fire or bad debts they plaie the good Samaritan binde up their wounds and instead of adding affliction to their debtor comfort him and by this careful usage many a score of men beyond seas have recovered their Estates and been gallant Merchants again whereas here they fling them into prisons and ruine them But for such Merchants or others that break out of knaverie to cousen men by their Composition as too many do or such as have Diced or Whored away their Estates and then break in other men's debts I desire from my heart and humbly praie a Law may bee made to make it Felonie in any that hath or shall do it I am credibly told it is so in France and other Forrain parts But that which was the Master-piece of all the Refiner's plots to destroie mee was when by the subtiltie of two of them they put mee into the Tower for three years and eleven months and did engage great and honorable men against mee for what som of them knew themselvs long before I did and I did nothing but by warrant of publick Officers By which fals information they caused mee to bee sequestred of my Estate and damnified and plundered to the value of eight thousand pounds and kept close prisoner in a room in the Tower for nine hundred twentie eight daies and never could bee heard to make my just defence and had not God sent Sir Thomas Fairfax his Armie to London I had never got out of the Tower but been buried there alive For the true Examination of all the transaction of that business I am an humble suitor to the Parlament to have Justice and that the truth of this business might bee found out and that it may bee referred to the Honorable Committee of Examinations and then it will bee found this design was to blast and undo mee and by that means to prevent mee that I should not tell the State what I knew to bee true and should never com to bee heard in what I could serv the State for as they had laid the design for my life and good name it was one hundred to one that ever I escaped their mortal snare An Accompt of what hath been taken from mee for which I humbly desire reparations and satisfaction 1. WHen I was sent to the Tower the sixt of Januarie 1643 my mother had of my Goods Bonds and Bils in her hands taken away from her at several times viz. to the value of one thousand three hundred and odd pounds besides many of my Papers and Accompts of a great value and consideration to mee seized and many of my Papers were of great concernment to the Common-wealth and as yet I cannot com to the knowledg who hath them but this I am sure of if there had been any thing in them that could have made against mee there had then use been made of them 2. My mother had at another time a Privie Seal taken from her wherein the late King acknowledged hee owed mee for my expences in the Discoverie of the Transporters of Gold and Silver nineteen hundred threescore and eight pounds which monie I laid out everie pennie out of my own purs 3. The Committee of Essex put mee out of possession of the Mannors of Battels and Paton Hall in Essex as appear's by their Warrants here annexed of which Land I had an extent to the just value of one thousand pounds due to mee in 1643. and Master Philip Cage was in possession of the premises for my use as hereafter follow 's 4. The Committee of Shropshire seized in my sister's hands in London three bonds due to mee in two thousand pounds for the paiment of mee Thomas Violet one thousand pounds by the Ladie Wade Edmond Lenthal Esquire Philip Cage Esquire Charls Mordent Esquire as appear's under the band of Philip Cage Esquire 5. I had the Leases of ten several Houses at the Postern in little More-Fields and
the Tenants owed mee when I was committed to the Tower in arrears for rent about one hundred pounds and for this seven years I received no rent of them but Master Elconhead hath received the rent ever since 6. Som of the Wier-drawers by their clamor caused my Office to bee sequestred from mee which was for the surveying and sealing of all Gold and Silver-Thread by which means they have made slight Silver-Thread to the deceit of this Nation ever since which office for the surveying and sealing of all Gold and Silver-Thread and Wier I had from the late King for three lives and it hath cost mee near fifteen hundred pounds to my Lord Treasurer Lord Cottington Sir John Cook Sir John Banks before I could get the Grant to pass under the Great Seal of England and that Office made mee above three hundred pounds a year besides an Hous rent-free the necessitie of having that Office I have shewed before 7. I had one quarter part of the Ladie Viller's Farm for the importation of all Forrain Gold and Silver-Thread Hat-bands or Lace and Copper-Thread throughout England and Wales sor fourteen years which cost mee a little before I was sequestred seven hundred pounds and it was worth one hundred and fiftie pounds per annum to mee 8. I spent in my imprisonment in the Tower for almost four years seven hundred pounds and could never get my Caus to bee heard An Order of the Committee of Shropshier WHereas by Vertue of an Ordinance of Parlament autorizing us the Committee for the Countie of Salop to seiz sequester and secure the Estates of Papists and Delinquents for the raising of Monies for the service of the Parlament in the Countie of Salop which wee shall discover wee have seized and taken into our possession three several Bonds or Obligations whereby you amongst others stand bound to Thomas Violet a Delinquent and Prisoner in the Tower of London for paiment unto him of several summes of Monie therein mentioned It is therefore Ordered by the said Committee That you paie such Monies as are due upon the said Bonds unto the said Committee or to such as they shall appoint and unto none other until further order bee taken therein by the said Committee And further you are desired to bee present at the said Committee at Salter's Hall in Bread-street in London upon Tuesdaie next at three of the Clock in the afternoon Dated the tenth daie of October Anno Dom. 1644. H. Mackworth Jo. Corbet Tho. More Ch. Meredith To Master Philip Cage of Great Harwel in the Countie of Hartford Esquire Memorand That the 21 of December 1646. this Warrant was shewed unto Master John Corbet at the Tower in the presence of us and hee did acknowledg it to bee his hand and that the said Bonds were seized upon according to their Order and were in the hands of one Brome belonging to the Committee of Shropsheir And that the said three bonds were in two thousand pounds for the paying of Thomas Violet one thousand pounds Henrie Cogan William Bourn Two Orders of the Committee of Essex Essex scilicet WHereas Thomas Violet a Delinquent is imprisoned in the Tower of London for a Conspiracie against the Parlament and that his Estate is seized and sequestred and that it appear's to the Parlament that there is an extent of the Lands of James Waad Esquire at the suit of the said Violet or som others to his use of the penaltie of one thousand pounds for the paiment of five hundred pounds charged upon the Manors of Battels and Paton Hall with their appurtenances within this Countie of Essex The high Court of Parlament taking the same into consideration have been pleased to order the benefit and advantage of the said extent to the use of this Countie Now wee the Committees of the Countie aforesaid have assigned and do by these presents assign the said extent and all the benefits thereof unto Edward Elconhead Esquire giving him hereby full power and autority to take and receiv all and singular the profits and rents of the said Manors of Battels and Paton Hall with their and everie of their appurtenances And wee do also hereby appoint the said Edward Elconhead Esquire to take into his hands and possession the said Battels and Paton Hall with their appurtenances And wee do hereby further Order and Appoint all and singular the Tenants and Land-holders thereof respectively to paie their several rents with the arrearages thereof as the same are or from time to time shall grow due unto the said Edward Elconhead And wee do hereby require all Captains and all other forces as also all High Constables and Pettie Constables within this Countie to bee aiding and assisting to the said Edward Elconhead in gaining preserving and keeping him in the quiet possession of the premises aforesaid At the standing Committee at Chelms-ford the 17 of August 1644. Thomas Barington Will. Goldingham Rich. Harlakenden H. Holcrost William Roe Robert Smith S. Sparrow Essex scilicet WHereas wee the Committee for the said Countie now sitting at Chelms ford have assigned the extent of the Manors of Battels and Paton-Hall with their appurtenances made not long since by Thomas Violet now prisoner in the Tower of London unto Edward Elconhead of the said Countie Esquire Wee do also hereby Order and Appoint that if any differences shall happen to arise betwixt him the said Edward Elconhead and any of the Tenants of the aforesaid Lands that then wee refer the consideration and settling thereof unto Timothie Middleton Esquire High Sheriff of the aforesaid Countie and Sir Thomas Barington Knight and Baronet or either of them who are hereby desired to mediate therein or in case of refusal or obstinacie of any of the said persons to make their return to us thereof whereupon wee shall proceed as to the demerit of the caus shall appertain At the standing Committee at Chelmsford the 17 of August 1644. Will. Roe Will. Goldingham Rich. Harlakenden H. Holcrost Rob. Smith These two are true Copies of the Committee of Essex Orders witness our hands this first daie of August 1646. Philip Cage Thomas Conningsbie Christ Hatton A DECLARATION OF PHILIP CAGE Esquire Shewing by virtue of the Committee of Essex Order dated 17 August 1644. Hee was forcibly driven out of the possession of the Manors of Battels and Paton-Hall which hee held for and to the use of THOMAS VIOLET Attested by Thomas Conningsbie Esquire of Hartford-shier and Christopher Hatton of London Gentleman UPon this Order of the Committee I Philip Cage beeing in possession of both the Manors of Battels and Paton-Hall with the appurtenances in the Countie of Essex by vertue of a Leas of an extent from his Majestie assigned to mee and others by M. Thomas Violet in trust of those Lands with divers other Lands and Tenements in London and Middlesex for the use of Thomas Violet I Philip Cage and my Family were forcibly driven out of possession about the 20 of
least for it for after all hands are full both for transporters Plate-workers Finers and Wier-drawers then that which they cannot vent otherwise cometh into the Mint which the Officers of the Mint know verie well and if Gold and Silver never came into the Gold-smith's hands which Merchants sell to them believing they carrie it all to bee coined far more Gold and Silver would com into the Mint then now doth And for this last 5 years som Gold smiths have given for English Gold twentie shillings six pence twentie one shillings six pence and twentie two shillings for a twentie shillings piece which for the most part have been bought of them by Merchants strangers and others and transported out of the Nation so that now you may receiv five thousand pound in a paiment never a piece in Gold If this ought not to bee looked after and the offendors brought to Justice I shall humbly leav it to the Parlament to consider Also many thousand of Dolars pieces of Spanish Monie they furnish Merchants yearly with that Trade for Norwaie and Denmark and other parts and transport Silver for those parts to the great weakning of the stock of this Nation and hinderance of the sale of our woollen commodities which before that pernitious waie was found out those Countries vented much of Besides the hinderance of the sale of our commodities the State is hindered of their Custom for the Merchants drive a Trade inward outward so paie the State no Custom for instance Hambrough -Merchants bring great quantities of Rix-dollars from Hambrough and other parts of Germanie and paie no Custom becaus the State hath ever made Gold and Silver free to bee imported without Custom which the Merchants usually sell to the Gold-smiths the Gold-smiths for the most part sell to the Merchants that trade in Norwaie and Denmark which Dollars are closely packed in som part of the ship and so no Custom paid either for bringing in the Silver or sending it out and no commodities in a manner other then Silver are transported into those parts by the said Merchants considering the quantitie of their return for what they want in goods exported from hence they must make up in monie If great returns of commodities from Norwaie and Denmark and few commodities exported from hence the Ballance must bee made up with Silver for no Nation will give us commodities but there must bee a Ballance for goods imported by goods exported or by treasure It is to bee feared that the industrie of many ages cannot replenish the Nation with so much Gold as hath been transported out of it within these few years for it is an infallible rule that where Gold and Silver is over-valued thither will it bee transported by Merchants and others for it continually resort's where it is most made of and if you seek to rais it here the remedie is wors then the diseas for then you take from the Gentrie and all settled Revenuers as much of their means as you rais the currant monie for if Gold should bee raised in England for example the twentie shillings to twentie six shillings as it was in France either higher or lower you should buie no more at your Market for twentie six shillings then you could before for your twentie shillings and contrariwise if your twentie shillings were but fourteen shillings you should buie as much for your fourteen shillings as when it passed at twentie shillings so that whensoever monie is raised the loss falleth most upon the Nobilitie and Gentrie and certain Revenuers who lose so much out of their inheritance which they have let out in Leas as Monie raised All Merchants that trade for Spain know that when the West-India Fleet cometh not into Spain the trade for that year is lost and No monie no trade If this bee an infallible rule for Spain which suffer's so much for the forbearance of bringing in of treasure for one year and is supplied the next out of the Indies and till their Fleet came home no dealing with Merchants I do most humbly present how much more it doth concern this Nation which hath no West-Indies to supplie the treasure transported to provide and carefully keep in the Nation 's stock which once transported cannot bee drawn back but upon unreasonable terms which will impoverish all the Gentrie to an inestimable value and as long as it remaineth out of the Nation all Trading and Commerce decaieth the Subjects are unable to paie taxes and other duties and it is one of the greatest mischiefs that can befall the Common-wealth 1. These reasons amongst many other I humbly presented to the Parlament April 12 1643. which if they had been then taken into consideration had kept many Millions of Monie in the Nation But by the subtiltie of two Aldermen whose pardon I had got from the late King I for my reward was committed to the Tower for bringing up a Letter from the late King though I had a Warrant from the Hous of Commons and a Warrant from my Lord General Essex for to go to Oxford and the Committee at Darbie-hous knew of my going to Oxford for the late King's Letter which I desired Sir David Watkins before ever I went to have him acquaint the Committee of both Nations at Darbie-hous with my business som other of the Hous of Commons and that I would not go without their leav which I had from them by him and Master Rilie the Scout-master of London procured my pass from the Hous of Commons But the truth was the Presbyterian partie ruled then all and they were resolved to make their Brethren of Scotland rich and had a design to circumvent this Nation both of all their Gold Monie Moveables which for a great part they have don as I will make it appear and therefore any that did speak against Transporting Treasure or knew so much of their tricks as I did must bee a Malignant an enemie to the Covenant and so I was kept three years and eleven moneths prisoner in the Tower almost three years of that time close becaus I should tell no tales and my Estate given away without hearing and Sequestred to my damage to the value of above eight thousand four hundred pounds Besides the infinite waies the Presbyterians found out for to enrich their Brethren of Scotland which all the Nation know I shall declare one which was so usurious and destructive to the Nation as never the like practice was before put on this Nation nor I believ scarcely upon any other under the color of Friendship League and Covenant this to bee don upon their dear Brethren of London and that was briefly this The Scot's Commissioners procured an Ordinance that no ships should bring Coals from New-Castle as appear's at large by the Ordinance When this was don They must bee the onely men must bring us Coals from Scotland whereas before our dear Brethren brought us Coals for nine and ten
Crown to seal all Gold and Silver-Thread in scanes at one end of the scane and to warrant it to bee good Silver to the Nation with a Prohibition to any to presume to counterfeit that Seal The other end of the scane of Silver-Thread the work-man was to put to his seal by which waie the Nation had the Gold and Silver-Thread warranted to them and if any Gold or Silver-thread were sealed with the seal of the Office and had the workman's seal to it which seal of the work-mans was put in a Table in the Office for any man to see by which means if any man should have counterfeited the Office-seal and the Thread was found courser or worser then the standard and not to have five Ounces to one pound Venice the partie offending was to bee punished and if any Clerk of mine should have sealed any cours Silver with the seal of the Office then I Thomas Violet was to make it good to the Common-wealth or any partie grieved what they were damnified and to warrant this Manufacture right both for to have five Ounces Silver on a pound Venice and that to bee good Silver I had no more then four pence the pound weight Venice for my pains and hazard which was little more then one farthing an Ounce and if any person did complain then I Tho. Violet was to make all the damage good to the partie or parties grieved and out of this fee I was to paie Clerk's wages and other Officers for their attendance in sealing the Thread and for wax for sealing Besides it is no small trouble to have daily conversation with people of such several humors and som of them of such uncivil and cours behavior that the Honorable Council for Trade have had more patience to hear their speeches one to another at the board then I believ they ever had with any people that came before them then they must needs bee clamorous when the Officer doth his dutie to see they make all good work and this place I Thomas Violet was required to execute And I have the Grant of this Office under the Great Seal of England for two lives and though I was commanded to deliver my Patent to the Honorable Gentleman Sir Robert Harlow who was then Master of the Mint and Chair-man for this business but as yet hee hath not made any report concerning this business I stand upon my Grant as a good Patent and for the benefit of the Common-wealth for the fee was not 10 s. in 100 pounds for all Gold and Silver Manufactured in Silver-thread Silver-spangles Oes and Purl and Wier and for that fee I was to run the hazard to make all the Manufacture good to this Nation that was bought in the Office or had the seal appointed by the State put to the thread and I shall humbly appeal to all the wearers of Gold and Silver-Lace in this Nation whether they would not bee glad to paie ten shillings in the hundred pounds now to have their Gold and Silver-thread and wier warranted to them to bee good Silver and the Silk truly covered with a substantial Bodie of Silver and to the Thread everie pound Venice to weigh at the least five Ounces of Silver by which order and rule their Silver-Lace would last six times as long as it doth and never lose the color and when they had don wearing it it would yield above one third pennie it cost to the melting pot whereas now upon som Silver-Lace that is made in London when it is worn out that Silver that cost ten pounds will not yield twentie shillings to the melting pot and this is known by slight Wheel-work and slight Laces a great deal of difference upon the return to the melting pot of rich Lace made by the Hand spinners and slight Wheel-work made by your Wheel-men and this can bee proved by many Trades-men as Tailors and Silk-men and Silver-spinners who are best able to judg the Manufacture that the Gold and Silver-Thread and Wier was never so well made in England before nor since as during all the time I had the regulating of the Manufacture and it did concern mee to look to have it well made or els I might have been undon for I was to make it all good It was not to receiv a fee and never to look how the Manufacture was made but my fee was to bee earned with a great deal of attendance and charge and hazard and my constant searching to see the Manufacture was vvell made The Wier-drawers and Silk-men knew I would spare none of them that made bad ware for I caused Gares to stand in the Pillorie that made Gold and Silver-Thread vvith a Core of Copper I caused slight vvork to bee unspun again that was not covered vvith five Ounces Silver to one pound Venice and this I did to Archer that was the Clerk of the Commission though hee brought mee a Letter from a Privie Counsellor to deliver the Silver-Thread without defacing yet I valued the keeping my trust before a Lord's Letter and hee was no mean man in power then I questioned Master Bradbourn the Queen's Silk-man for putting in Copper into an Honorable Ladie 's Silver-Lace and selling it her for good Silver and a second time for putting Copper into my Lord Carlile's Suit and Cloak and selling it to him for good Silver and if the Queen had not sent to mee and laid her commands on mee not to proceed farther I had made him an example Many other Silkmen sold Silver-Thread with a Core of Copper and som sold Copper for Silver vvhich as long as I had the Trust I vvould not spare any man I seized on fiftie pounds of Silver-Lace mixed with Copper in Master Alderman Garrawaie's custodie when hee was Lord Major of London and brought it away from him against his will as Sir George Sands knoweth and the vvorld know's hee had spirit enough and upon that seizure I found twentie men had an hand in it for it was sent to Russia and there the Emperor's Council seized it and laid Master Sands in prison Sir George Sand's brother who had brought the adulterate Silver-Lace into the Countrie And upon examination and proof that Master Sands was cousened by buying this Silver-Thread for good Silver in London it was sent over to the Russia Companie to have the offendors found out vvhere upon examination before the Commissioners twentie men run away By these good waies I so ordered the Regulation of the Manufactures during the time of the Regulation that the stuff was made all good Silver and five Ounces to one pound Venice and if any did work in Corners that which was with a Cote of Copper or against the rule my Instruments were sure to finde them out one time or another And for doing of this service I had Warrants directed to several people for to discover the offendors and becaus I was true to my trust I would not suffer the Common-vvealth to bee cousened
Thomas Violet was examined before an Honorable Committee at Gold-smith's Hall the third of Januarie 1643. where I made the Honorable Committee acquainted that the later of Master Read's Letters I delivered to Master Theophilus Rilie Scout-Master of the Citie of London who was autorised 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 Rilie did daily emploie Intelligencers into the King's Quarters by Order of the Citie of London and by autoritie of the Parlament as hee told mee Tho. Violet and that the said Theophilus Rilie by virtue of his place did procure my Pass from the then Parlament to go to Oxford the twentie fift daie of December 1643. as appear's by the Journal-Books in the Hous of Commons and my Lord General Essex did give mee a Pass to go to Oxford in Exchange for Master Haslerig then prisoner in Beaver Castle and this Warrant of my Lord General 's Sir Arthur Haslerig procured mee by means of Master Rilie I beeing prisoner committed by the Parlament for my Twentie part both which Warrants were procured for mee Tho. Violet by Theophilus Rilie Scout-Master of the Citie of London and I Tho. Violet did before the Honorable Committee plead Justification for my doing what I did having the Warrant and Approbation of the Common-wealth's Scout-master for what I had don And I then told the Honorable Committee that I conceived my Warrant from Master Rilie for what I did was as sufficient as if I had had Master Elsing's Warrant for M. Rilie was as hee told mee approved on by Order of Lords Commons and I knew by the consent of the Common-Council of the Citie of London to bee Scout-master for the Citie and if hee were a man unfit for such a trust power it was the fault in those that chose him and not in mee which was not to question his power abilities or trust but to act according to his directions as long as hee had the Office of Scout-Master Moreover I told the Honorable Committee that before I went to Oxford I desired Sir David Watkins Knight to make the Committee of both Nations who sate then at Darbie-Hous acquainted with what I had don with Master Rilie the Scout-master of the Citie of London that so I might do nothing but by the approbation of the Committee of both Kingdoms and Sir David Watkins did make som of them acquainted with what I had don with Master Rilie and I had their approbation to go to Oxford for the late King's Letter and my Lord General 's Pass as aforesaid Moreover I declared to the Honorable Committeee at Gold-smith's Hall 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 Ordinance or Order to forbid mee or any other person to bring up a Letter of Peace from the late King as ever I then heard of and that by God's Law where there is no Law there can bee no Transgression and my bringing then the late King's Letter up to London before a Law made to shew mee my rule to walk by I humbly conceived could bee no offence And the reason wherefore I was willing to go to Oxford for the late King's Letter was becaus I was told that som in London had procured the late King to send mee his Commands that I should not discover the Transporters of Gold Silver to the Parlament which I offered then the Parlament to do And if I had not then been by the subtiltie of som Finers and som Transporters of Gold having incensed the Honorable Committee against mee cast mee into the Tower but had been emploied by the Parlament to make the Discoverie of the Transporters of Treasure I saie that all the Gold and Silver that since hath been Transported which hath been a greater mischief to the Nation then can bee expressed had never been sent away and by the fines of the offendors would have com to the State a great and considerable summe to paie publick debts and such a Regulation settled by the Parlament that none should have presumed to have Transported Gold or Silver for the future Here followeth the late King's Letter verbatim viz. Charls R. TRustie and Wel beloved Wee Greet you well Whereas Wee have formerly emploied you for the Discoverie of all such as Transported Gold and Silver Coin beyond the Seas and all such likewise who contrarie to the Laws and for their own private gain have Melted down great quantities of Silver Wherein Wee acknowledg you did Us good and acceptable service for which when God shall enable Us Wee do hereby promise to give you full satisfaction And for that VVee understand that you are pressed by Our Two Houses of Parlament to proceed in the said Discoverie Wee do hereby strictly Command you that you intermeddle no further therein without Our special Direction As you will answer the contrarie at your peril And for so doing this shall bee your sufficient Warrant Given at Our Court at Oxford the nineteenth daie of November 1643. in the nineteenth year of Our Reign c. By his Majestie 's Command GEORGE DIGBIE To Our Trustie and Well-beloved Thomas Violet Gold-smith in London And to get the late King to take off his Commands which hee sent mee by the aforesaid Letter and to give mee leav to Discover the Transporters of Gold Silver was the onely reason that I went to Oxford When I came to Oxford I besought the late King to give mee leav to make the Discoverie to the Parlament against the Transportes of Gold but hee would not and told mee hee reserved that business for himself for it would make him good store of monie when hee came to London Then I praied him to give mee leav to paie my Twentie part to the Parlament and that it should bee no damage to mee in regard the late King owed mee one thousand nine hundred sixtie eight pounds for what I had laid out in discovering the Transporters of Gold which hee readily consented to do and bid mee paie all Taxes laid on mee and that should not prejudice my debt hee owed mee nor his favor to mee and that hee would see mee paid as soon hee was able I do humbly desire the Committee of Essex and Shrop-shier and all others that have my Estate to take notice that everie one that is committed to the Tower by the Parlament is not guiltie of a Conspiracie against the Parlament Col. Monk hee was committed to the Tower and cleared and at this daie a most gallant man in the Northern Armie Sir Tho. Bendish in the Tower and cleared and now Embassador at Constantinople and many Honorable Members of this Parlament have been committed upon displeasure of the Parlament and yet restored to sit in Parlament again I am sure of it I am and can bee more