Father would I have obeyed the Parliament and discovered the Transporters of Gold at that time 1643. I had inioyed all my estate and been setled in the Office which I have for two Lives for the regulating Gold and Silver Thred and Wyer And all this damage I suffered for obeying your Maiesties Royal Fathers command to my damage at this day above twenty thousand pounds My most humble Petition to your Majesty is That seeing I was oppressed and traduced by the tyranny of Sir Henry Vane junior Sir Arthur Haselrig and Mr. St. John they being the principal Actors that ruined me that I may have by your Majesties goodness bounty and mercy allotted out of Sir Arthur Haselrigs and Sir Henry Vanes estates such satisfaction and reparation as your Maiesty in your Royal wisdom shall think fit and just for my support after so sad an oppression for my loyalty to your Royal Father the petition to the Parliament and my charge against Vane St. John Haslerig was put into the Parliament before your Majesties gracious Letter from Breda the Lords in Parliament ordered me to respite my Petition to them until your Maiesties happy arrival into England and ever since I watched my opportunity to shew what I have done and suffered for your Royal Father and what I can and will do for Your Majesties Royal service if you please to command me I am at your service as far as my life and estate will go MAY it please your Majesty in the year 1636. your Majesties Royal Father gave Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs his Gratious pardon Sir Henry Mildmay and the Company of Goldsmiths charged Alderman VVollaston for buying the Kings stollen Plate and Alderman Gibbs for refining and melting of Silver contrary to the Lawes as will appear in the Records of the Councel-Table about March 1635. Had not his Royal Majesty of blessed memory pardoned the then Lord Major Wollaston the Law had hanged him before ever he had come to have been Lord Major of London and then he should have prevented this VVollaston from being such a Traitor to his Majesty the Proverb saith Save a Thief from the gallows and he will hang thee This VVollaston proved a bloody enemy to the King to his dying day and Gibbs as bad as he but is yet living For as soon as ever I delivered his Majesties Message unto my Lord Major he sent for his fellow Traitor Alderman Gibbs and they presently concluded to make Sir Henry Vane junior Sir Arthur Haslerig Mr Sollici or St. John and Francis Allen acquainted with the Kings Letter and ordered presently to apprehend me Sir Basil Brook and Mr. Rily to seize upon our Estates and sequester us And so presently I was that night apprehended and for four years so used that never any man that brought up a Letter from any King of England to London for a Peace was so barbarously and cruelly used that Evening the aforesaid persons and some others examined me they carried me to Goldsmiths Hall they sent for Sir Basil Brock and Mr. Rily and St. John the Kings Sollicitor caused all our Pockets to be searched and found their Letters in Sir Basil Brocks and Rilies but none in mine and as Sir Basil Brook presented him with the Kings Letter which I brought up from Oxford St. John asked Sir Basil Brook for another Letter which the Kings Majesty had sent up the day before I went to Oxford to presse Rily and his party to act their business as soon as they could with a Letter from my Lord George Digby which the Officers found about Sir Basil Brook Touching this business when they had these Letters St. Johns Vane Haselrig Mr. Allen Lord Major Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs and several others made themselves very merry with them There was Mr. Jackson the Essay-Master of Goldsmiths Hall a very honest man and one that saved my life at that time in discovering to me what was confessed by Rily that he had not discovered any thing and that the aforesaid Committee were resolved to face me down Rilie had confessed all and so would have me to discover and I should have mercie They found in Mr. Rilies pockets Reads two Letters aforesaid and threatned him to have him racked if he would not discover the bottom of the businesse and who they were in the Citie that plotted to oppose the Scots coming in But there was an Oath of Secrecy amongst them all and Rilie knew them all but I was not privy to the number that was but only to act with Sir Basil Brook Read and at Oxford with his Majestie the Queens Majestie the Dutchess of Buckingham and Lord Digby and to bring the Kings Letter from Oxford Had Rily but confessed those Gentlemen in London that wete privie with him in this business he had made many score of men in the City of London lose their Lives and Estates And had the Lord Major VVollaston concealed the business twenty four hours it had been out of his power to have stopped this design for peace His late Majesty of blessed memory told me at Oxford That Rily had sent him down by one that came purposely to Read from London a List of above two hundred of the principal men that had ingaged in this business every man upon an Oath of secresie The late King commanded me to tell Mr. Rilie Scoutmaster-general of the City that he should follow his former Directions which was to be careful whom he imparted this business to and to treat with them severally and not together for all their security depended thereon that it did concern all our Lives and Estates to be circumspect We had former Presidents to make us wary Tomkins and Challenor and others and though he was careful of all his Subjects yet of those that were most forward to serve him he was most tender that they should venture themselves telling me he did know more of this design then I did by Gods blessing it will take saith his Majestie I have laid it so with Mr Rily that I am assured of a happy success go thy way I will make thee a man and tell my Lord Major and Mr. Rilie I will make them famous for ever Rily was by all parties trusted to carry on this design and had not the sins of the Nation prevented us of such a mercy for it was not Gods time for our deliverance there was never in all these troubles a design for putting an end to the War without bloodshed so laid and contrived as Sir Basil Brook Col. Read Mr. Rily had laid every man his part severally and so secretly that though the principal men in the City were ingaged in the business to make the City of London to declare for the King and to oppose the Scots invading of England and the Cities Declaration which they intended to publish I brought it to his Majesty my self 1643. and received my Orders and Directions thereupon my self from his Majesty and the Queens most
excellent Majesty the Dutchess of Buckingham and the Lord Georgs Digby his Majesties Secretary and Coll. Read were only privie to this businesse to my knowledge at the Court and no other Two Letters of Col. Read's sent to Mr. Theophilus Rily Scout-master of the City of London from Oxford to incourage the Common-Councel of the City of London to Petition his late Majesty for Peace and to consider the sad Effects that would follow upon the Scots invading England Jan. 1643. SIR I Wrote to you formerly but never had any Answer I assure you faithfully I have not been wanting to do what you desired as you may perceiv by the effects if you have not your desire blame your self and give me leave to tell you that if you neglect the opportunity now offered to you it may be you shall never have the like again for I have made those whom you have given just occasion to be your worst friends to be your best and the only instruments to procure what here is sent you and be you confident shee shall still be so provided you do your part The Queens most Excellent Majesty in my hearing I being sent down to Oxford by order of Rilie and some others to bring up his Majesties Letter Decemb. 1643. did most earnestly intercede for the City of London The King thereupon replied that he had there the best and worst subjects of any King in Christendom and hereupon the Queen replied Violet it shall be my care to see the Gentlemen that come from the City with a Petition to the King shall be well accomodated and have a most Gratious Answer to all their just demands God blesse them God increase their number and thereupon the Queens Majesty wept and the King drew his handkerchief out of his pocket and the tears stood in the Kings eyes which made both Read and I fall a weeping and thereupon the Queen commanded Col. Read to lift up the Hangings to see no body stood behinde the Hangings to hear what shee said which Read did and when the Queen see no body behinde the Hangings Ah Violet said she the King and I am in a most sad condition we have Traytors about us that watch all our Words and Actions we speak nothing nor do nothing but it is seat up to the Parliament and they interpret it in the worst Sence The Queens Majesty at that time was very ill and lookt very carefully and was nothing but Skin and Bones God be thanked for the blessed change that is here at this day the Kings Majesty her Son in the Throne of his Royal Father and King of the hearts of his People these two Papers was found in Rilies pockets and was printed by Order of Parliament and Col. Read charged to be a Jesuite I am sure of it these Papers makes him a true Prophet I saved Reads life in getting him exchanged of the General Essex by a wrong name consider I beseech you what a gap is opened by bringing in of the Scots for the destruction of this Kingdom if there be not a Peace which I pray God Almightie to send speedily you must expect Armies of Strangers from several Places who are now preparing who certainly at their coming in will over-run the whole Kingdom and when it is past remedy you will see your own Errors and therefore to prevent more misery then I am able to expresse to this deplorable Kingdom and the effusion of the bloud of thousands of men women and children which must inevitably be this Summer apply your selves in an humble and submissive way to his Majestie whom I know you will finde ready with Arms out-stretched to receive you to favor and mercy and grant you favors even beyond your expectation Defer no time for God's sake and what you will do do it speedily I say again do it speedily for reasons I may not write Oxford Dec. 10. 1560 Col. Read's Paper to Mr. Rilie Scoutmaster of the City of LONDON SIR I Assure you that I have not been wanting to further your good desires and if it be not your own faults I make no doubt but things will have an happy issue for I finde those that are most concerned in it forward enough Reflect now upon the miserie of the times and upon the groans and sufferings of those you see not which yet have been nothing to what they will be if not speedily prevented by a Peace which to obtain I beseech you let it not only be your own care but the care of all those you love or have power with otherwise be confident of a generall ruine which certainly will be inevitable both to your selves and posteritie and therefore take it into your serious consideration and let no causless jealousies hinder you to apply your selves in an humble and submissive manner to his Majestie who I am sure will yet look upon you with a gracious eie lose no time for the longer you delay it may prove the more difficult no doubt This last Letter I Tho. Violet delivered from Read at Oxford to Mr. Rilie in London Decemb. 20. 1640. This Coll. Read I got exchanged by a wrong name for a private Souldier at the intreatie of Sir Basil Brook who told me I should do a very good service for his Majestie and the Queens Majestie to get Read to be discharged but that must be done by a wrong name or else said Sir Basil Brook the Parliament would never admit of his exchang I did effect it and sent this Coll. Read to the King at Oxford upon condition he would returne to Mr. Rilie the Scout-master of London how he found his Majestie inclined to receive a Petition from the City of London for peace that they would declare themselves for a peace and Petition his Majestie for a cessation of Arms and an accommodation between the late King of Glorious memory And I Tho. Violet was sent down to Oxford Decemb. 29 1643 to bring up his Majesties Gratious Letter the Copie of the Citie of London desire being sent to his late Majestie wherein they desired upon the Copie I brought to Oxford to have his Majestie directed his Letter to the Militia of London but his late Majestie would not own the Militia to treat with them as the Militia of the Citie because his Majestie told me at Oxford they were not impowred by his Commission and he would not own them I told his late Majestie and the Lord Digbie it was contrary to my instructions which I received from Mr. Rilie to alter the superscription of His Majesties Letter but seeing His Majestie would not but direct his Letter To our Lord Mayor and Aldermen of our City of London and all other our well affected Subjects of that our Citie I would venture my life to bring up this Letter to London and going according to my instructions I received from his Maiestie to acquaint Wollaston then Lord Mayor of London and Alderman Gibbs they caused me some few
undoing of a King in all Countries where the Merchants can set up a banck and transport money freely as at Amsterdam have not these men the command of the Militia they are the peoples Princes and virtually the Banckers have the power riches and strength of the Common-wealth let who will have the Title the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Venice c. but the Banker and the hogan mogan Merchants have the power The reason is clear they have got the people by the money and leave them nothing but some Stivers and base money to buy victuals and indeed the people have nothing but a paper credit in a Kingdome the Merchants will never put up a banck least the King should seize on it all they will not allow a King to do that they practice And I humbly say it is not for the safety of the King nor Lords to let the Merchants have liberty to transport Silver or Gold at their pleasure to forreign Bancks and Common-wealths least the Merchants in a year or two put the same trick on the King and Kingdom for all their current Silver as at this day they have done for all the Gold of the Nation Let the greatnesse of the Merchant be as a Hand-maid to the Kings greatnesse and ever subordinate to the King Or else a confederation of twenty Merchants and Goldsmiths shall make the English shilling in spite of the Kings Proclamation and against His Crown and Dignity and in despite of an Act of Parliament to go for 13. d. every English shilling twenty shillings for twenty one shillings eight pence let but the Merchants make Silver a Merchandize as the Goldsmiths and Merchants have already done Gold I beseech your Majesty to observ your Royal Father of blessed memory never did by His Proclamation or at his Mint in the Tower raise the Gold coined at above twenty shillings a peece in payment Doth not the Statute 5. and 6. of Edw. the sixth make it forfeiture of the value for any person whomsoever to utter or put off Gold or Silver money at above the Kings Proclamation and imprisonment during the Kings pleasure Do not above ten Proclamations say the same this is the known Law Yet at this day by the confederation of some Merchants and Goldsmiths in spite of this Law and Proclamations for the Merchants and Goldsmiths private profit the current Gold is not by any person to be had a twenty shilling peece under 21. s. 4. d. 21. s. 6. d. 21. s. 8. d. Your Majesty shall receive a hundred thousand pounds in Silver and not have a twenty shilling peece in Gold in a payment in the Exchequer What is the reason the Merchants and Goldsmiths have made it a Merchandize they have against your Majesties Lawes to your weakning and dishonour and against your Majesties Imperial Crown and Dignity robbed You and the Kingdom of all the Gold broke your Royal Statutes and Proclamations beggered your Majesties Mint And these very men that have thus abused your Majesty after all this licentiousnesse are so bold to desire to steal one of the prime Flowers out of your Majesties Crown Which is by having an Act of Parliament that they might freely and at their will transport Gold and Silver at their pleasure they will if they could get this great power into their hands leave neither Gold nor Silver in the Nation but light and clip'd money groats ninepences and thirteenpence-half-pennies let this be but taken notice of how the Merchants have robbed your Royal Father your Majesty and the whole Kingdom of the currant Gold of the Nation And then I humbly leave it to your Majesties wisdom to consider what a project this is tending to the weakning of your Majesty and Kingdom These men that have transported the Gold and Silver of the Kingdom already without your Majesties leave and against the Law are grown monstrous rich many of them by transporting all the Gold of the Nation and most of the Silver And now their riches makes them so bold thinking to bribe out all businesse as formerly they did in the Rump Parliament they would work iniquity by a Law if your Sacred Majesty or your privy Councellors should ever permit them to the ruine and damage of the whole Kingdom to gratify the greedy avarice of some Merchants whose covetousnesse will never be satisfied gain is their godlinesse and not godlinesse their gain May it please your Majesty your Royall Grandfather and Father King JAMES and King CHARLES of blessed memory gave a stop to this mischief of transporting Gold by bringing some of the Merchants of London that transported Gold and Silver into forreign parts into the Star Chamber in the years 1619. Sir William Curtine Sir Peter Vanlor Mr. Delabar Sir Moses Trian and some twenty more were fined in the Star Chamber at near two hundred thousand pounds and paid King JAMES into his Exchequer for their composition about one hundred thousand pounds this sentence gave a stop to the transporters of Gold and upon this sentence shortly after the Mint flourished Your Majesties Royal Father in the year 1635 King CHARLES of blessed memory commanded me your Majesties Humble and Loyall Subject to discover all such as transported Gold or Silver without His leave I have the Kings Majesties Gracious Letter to me of thanks for my good and acceptable Service under His Majesties Royal Hand and Signet for discovering the transporters of Gold and Silver which Letter I have ready to produce to your Sacred Majesty 1648. On Francis Braudgen brought me your Mrajesties Royall Fathers command to put a charge against the Transporters of Gold in the Exchequer Notwithstanding his Majesties former command to forbid me to discover the Transporters of Gold 1643. because his Majesty heard that some Members of Parliam in 1648. was sending away their estates in Gold he would have them discovered and made known to the people how they robbed them of their Treasure I caused the transporters of Gold at my own charge to be fined 24100 pounds I caused upon command of his late Majesty to be filed in the Exchequer in 1648 as will appear on Record at this day above a hundred several informations against the Transporters of Gold and Silver at my charge many hundred pounds I know the men and their instruments at this day as well as I know my right hand from my left I caused an exception to have all the Transporters of Gold excepted out of the general pardon granted by the Parliament in the year 1651 as will appear in the Act I put in an exception to have had it excepted in his Majesties general pardon 1660 but there was so many guilty persons that had transported Gold and Silver out of the Kingdom that I could not get it put into the Bill to have these offences excepted whereby your Majesty lost one hundred thousand pounds had I got it excepted out of your Majesties pardon there was above an hundred
Merchants and Goldsmiths that I have proof against for transporting Gold and Silver and robbing the Kingdom of Millions of money if your Majesty please I wil give your Privy Council a perfect list of their Names who transported Gold Silver that should have paid your Majesty one hundred thousand pounds and thank God they escaped so too I have all the charge against them and the informations in the Exchequer is now on Record and informations filed to the just value of six hundred and fifty thousand pounds This business I acted by command of his late Majesty of blessed memory and did lay out of my Purse the sum of nineteen hundred and sixty pounds in discovery of the transporters of Gold in one thousand six hundred thirty six and had not your Majesty pardoned the offenders I would not for my share have taken twenty thousand pounds of them I have it under your Majesties Royal Fathers hand and signet from Oxford that he would pay me for my great good and acceptable service in discovering the transporters of Gold This true account I humbly give your Majesty to shew there is no man in the Kingdom can discover the transporters of Gold so well as my self I know them as well as the Beggar knows his Dish and this is done by intelligence I was for seven years commanded by his late Majesty to give a stop to the transporting of Gold and Silver and I did effect it as appears by your Royal Fathers Letter ready to be produced to your Majesty Here followeth your Majesties Royal Fathers Letter verbatim viz. Charles R. TRustie and Wel-beloved We Greet you well Whereas We have formerly imployed 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 We acknowledg you did Us good and acceptable service for which when God shall enable Us We do hereby promise to give you full satisfaction And for that We understand that you are pressed by Our Two Houses of Parliament to proceed in the said Discoverie We 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 day 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 Goldsmith in London If your Majestie will be pleased at this time to command me to Catch these Moles that work under ground the Transporters of Gold and Silver and will Graciously Impower me with a Commission and Warrants to do the same I will undertake to set your Majesties Mint on work again and stop the Transporting of Gold and Silver Vast sums of Mony is Transported daily both Gold and Silver which if not in time prevented by your Majestie and your Majesties Honorable and Prudent Councel will weaken and destroy your Majestie and the Nobility and the Commonalty in general to make a few Merchants If it be your Majesties and the Lords of your Councels pleasure to impower me to do it I will by Gods assistance remove the obstructions of the Mint May it please your Majestie I shall humbly desire before any further progresse of this businesse be made concerning the giving the Merchants leave to transport Gold or Silver That by your Majesties especial Command a select Committee of Merchants may meet with some of the Officers of your Majesties Mint and my self and that we may be ordered to make a true Calculation of all Forreign Coins both Gold and Silver what every Coin will make being its full weight in the Tower of London that we send for over from beyond the Seas Placcarts Edicts and Proclamations of Forreign Countries And that a Jury of Artests be commanded upon Oath to make a true Report how they find Gold and Silver over valued in other Countries and report as neer as they can the just and true Standard in Forreign Mints what proportion they hold to the Mint of the Tower of London When this is done to consider of what waies and means they use to keep their Mints on work that such waies as may be advantageous for setting your Majesties Mint on work may be observed to prevent former abuses That the waies and means how these Differences Standards may be rectified beyond Seas and all Standards reduced to a pair and equalitie with England and this Misterie unsoulded truly to your Majestie after the essay by fire and water And so when this businesse which is very weightie is truly and rightly stated by the Essay Finenesse and Weight and is strictly and exactly stated to your Majestie and your Privy Councel then may it please your Majestie by and with the advice of your Privy Councel such waies may be concluded on as your Majestie in your great wisdom with advice of your Privy Council shall judge best for your service They being truly informed both by your judicious Merchants and the Warden Master and Comptroller of the Mint being assisted with a Jurie of Arrest to make Essay upon Oath By this way I humbly say the whole truth of this businesse will be found out The Law saith that Gold and Silver and Corne and a mans House is every mans own to have a propriety in it to make use of between party and party but not to destroy the propriety but he is finable by the Law a man cannot lawfully burn his own House burn his own Corne Transport his own money but it is finable and this was used in the Star Chamber by the Atturny Banks and the King's Councel at Law as an Argument against the Transporters of Gold in the Twelfth year of King CHARLES in the Star Chamber when I prosecuted the Transporters of Gold and Silver by command of the late King CHARLES I had disbursed in causing the Transporters of Gold and Silver to be fined in the Star Chamber 24200l at my charge 1960l and never as yet had penny for that service This very sentence kept the Gold and Silver in the Nation till the beginning of the late War 1643. For which Service your Royal Father gave me thanks as aforesaid but as yet never had penny of Money for doing that Service May it please your Majestie whosoever goes about to take the prerogative out of your Majesties and your Privy Councels hands of hindring the Transporting Gold and Silver without your Majesties licence I humbly say it is a Jesuitical Fanatick design under the specious pretence of Freedom of Trade to rob your Majestie and your Privy Councel of the priviledg of keeping in the Treasure and Wealth of this Kingdom weakning your Majestie and your Privy Councel and your Royal Prerogative leaving the Wealth and Treasure of this Kingdom
in Gold and Silver to be guided by the covetous desire of some Merchants many of them care not two pence for the safety of the Common-wealth so they and their private Families grow rich I humbly say it is a presumptuous motion of some hot headed Merchants that would by crafty and sly pretences rob your Majestie of that which is next to the Militia of the Kingdom nay it is the very soul of the Militia Gold and Silver get to be Master of that any man may get Shipping Armes Money and any thing to make a disturbance in the Kingdom We lately see upon what slie pretences the Sword was wrung out of your Majesties Royal Fathers Hands he that cast his eye upon any of the Flowers of your Majesties Imperial Crown with intent to take them out either by fraud or force let them fall as Corah Dathan and Abiram and let their end be like Achitophels who seek to rob your Royal Majestie of this your just Prerogative And this I here humbly say I will with my life maintain before your Majestie and your Privy Councel and the Parliament or Committee of Trade And these following Statutes Lawes and Proclamations are my Protection and Warrant for what I humbly say 1. A Proclamation against giving for Gold more then it is currant 21. July 17. Jacob. 2. A Proclamation against melting and culling heavy English Money 18. May. 9. Jacob. 3. A Proclamation against buying and selling Gold and Silver at higher Prises then the Mint 14. May. 1. Jacob. 4. A Proclamation against Transporting of Gold 23. May 1. Jacob 5. A Proclamation against Profit for Gold and Silver And melting English Money And to prevent the abuses and wast in making Gold and Silver Threed and Laces 4. Feb. 3. Caroli 6. A Proclamation against Transporting Gold and Silver and melting down the Currant Silver Coins of the Nation for Plate or Gold or Silver Threed 15. May. 3. Carolus May it please your Majestie to observe with what care the wisdom of former Parliaments intrusted the Kings of England and their Privy Councel to keep carefull watch that the Gold and Silver once imported into this Nation should be converted into Coin for the Strength and Honour of the Kingdom that those that did Transport Gold and Silver without the King's Licence were Felons And in the Tryall in the Star Chamber 12. Caroli Primi which I followed by Order of his late Majestie of blessed memory The Atturney-General Banks and the King's Councel read many Presidents wherein the Transporters of Gold and Silver had judgment and suffered execution of death as Felons Your Majestie will finde transporting Gold or Silver without the Kings licence to be Felony and by several Acts of Parliament 17 Edw. the 4. and the 4 Henry cap. 13. And I humbly conceive the Kingdom is in as great scarcity of Gold and Silver now as it was then for almost all the Gold and Silver is transported without the Kings licence by the disturbance of the late War and now some Merchants are grown so presumptuous that they would have an Act of Parliament to make it to be at the will of the Merchants to transport what Gold or Silver freely they please without licence from the King it were better for the Kingdom that these that go about to take this prerogative from the King were blind rather then the rest of the Kingdom should ever see that day these Merchants should have their will Stat. 9. Edw. the 3. against the transporting of Gold or Silver without the Kings licence or the melting down the currant silver coin by Goldsmiths or others into plate Stat. 2. Hen. 4. cap. 4. No person ought to presume to transport Gold or Silver either in coin or bulion upon pain of forfeiture of as much as they might which I take to be lives and estates 2 Henry 6. cap. 6. Upon a grievous complaint made in Parliament That great sums of gold and silver was transported without the Kings licence out of this Kingdom it was ordered and enacted That no gold or silver should be transported out of the Realm and because it is supposed the gold and silver is transported by Merchant aliens it is ordered That the Mercheant aliens shall find security in the Chancery that they shall not transport the gold or silver monies out of the Kingdom upon pain of forfeiture of the sum or value and if any do contrary and that duly proved his pledges shall pay the forfeiture though the Merchant stranger be gone beyond the Seas If this Law had been put in execution this last twenty years the Kingdom had had millions of gold and silver which it is now robbed of and the offenders are now grown so impudent to hope to get an Act of Parliament to rob the kingdom of all the gold and silver as the greedy Merchant shall find and see his opportunity to send away what gold and silver they please without the Kings majesty or his privy Councils licence for the future 18 Edw. the 4. No person to carry gold or silver or jewels out of the kingdom upon pain of Felony 1 Henry the 8. cap. 13. An Act made that whosoever shall carry any gold or silver out of the Realm without the Kings licence shall forfeit double the value The 5th and 6th of Edward the 6th cap. 16. An Act touching the exchange of gold or silver that whosoever gave more for gold or silver then it is or shall be declared by the Kings Proclamation shall suffer imprisonment for the space of a year and make fine at the Kings pleasure the one moity to his Majesty and the other moity to the Partie that shall seize the same or will sue for it by the Bill of information were the Gold-smiths of London sued on this Statute it would ruine most of them Had not the Act of Oblivion pardoned them but that gives them no licence or protection now at this day to act as they do to sell gold for 21 and 22 shillings for a Twenty shilling peice Till this be remedied and the rule for the price of gold set by your Majestie the Mint will never coin gold to any considerable quantity If this desire of the Merchants should go on the Kingdom of England which in all Kings raigns abounded with gold and silver and famous for their pound sterlings the true guide and measure of our monies will be put to use the Rooking tricks of the Bankers of Amsterdam and other Commonwealths Feed the people with a paper credit and the Merchants have all the peoples money I beseech your Majesty to consider of this monstrous design and proposals of the Merchants should by your Majesty be granted which God defend in whose hands your Majesty disposeth the Militia of the kingdom even truly your Majesty would surrender the Militia of the kingdom into the Merchants power To send away all the treasure of the kingdom by which means they will so fetter and impoverish the
Majesties most Honourable Councel to take the pains to peruse it and they will see only Doctor VValker staid all the Spaniards silver I stayed the Dutch silver At last when Oliver Cromwel saw his Error in taking on himself the government in his single person and in looking after the silver mines in Hispaniola and seizing upon the silver as I had set him to do he cursed me often times bitterly Mr. Beck of VVestminster being Oliver Cromwels Sollicitor and Master Francis Bacon the Master of his Request I used them to sollicit my business to Cromwel for to get satisfaction for my estate unjustly taken away but they both told me he would never do nothing for me for he hated my name and remembrance and that whensoever they moved him of my name concerning any business he would be in a rage Mr. Beck and Mr. Bacon several times have asked me whether I could imagine the reason I told them No I wondred at it But indeed I know the reason he did see I had set him on those things which he was not able to master and though I put on it the face of innocency I knew from the first hour that Cromwell took the 278250 l. into his custody that he would destroy the Parliament and divide and subdivide among themselves till all ended in confusion I thought it my duty to give your Majestie this true Accompt and can prove it as aforesaid and several other services your Petitioner hath done for your Majestie where in every on he ventured his life for your Majesties service and never had farthing either of the Parliament or Cromwell but expended his own money for several years to the value of fifteen hundred pounds And twenty thousand pounds taken from me by the Parliament as aforesaid There are many of the then Honourable Prisoners in the Tower can tell your Majestie how active I was always in your Majesties Fathers service in the Tower I humbly refer my self to this following Certificate for the loss of my Estate THese are to Certifie whom it may concern That I William Du-Gard of London Clerk have known Thomas Violet of London Goldsmith many years and have been privy to his Applications to the Parliament for restoring him to his estate taken from him by the Parliament in 1643. for his bringing up a Letter of Peace to the City of London from Oxford from his late Majestie CHARLES the I. of blessed Memory And I have seen Mr. Violets Original Petitions Accounts and Demands of the Long Parliament for satisfaction for his Estate in Lands Houses Offices Bonds Debts Goods to the value of above eleven thousand pounds so much hath been confessed to me by several of the Committee of Parliament that Examined the said Tho. Violets sufferings that they found it fully proved Mr. Violets Losses to be above the summe of eleven thousand pounds besides his Imprisonment and forbearance And I have heard several Parliament men confesse that Mr. Violet was unjustly oppressed contrary to Gods Law and mans for being sequestred for bringing up the Kings Letter for Peace and several Members of Parliament upon my Solicitation promised him from time to time satisfaction but abused him by delays making him for many years lose both time and expend much money in waiting on them to my knowledge but never received farthing from them I do further testifie upon the Perusall of Mr. Violets Papers and the Confession of several of his Neighbours who knew him before the Year 1643. that I do esteem his Losses to be far above eleven thousand pounds since 1643. besides his Imprisonment and losse of his Calling to his damage at this time above twenty thousand pounds In witnesse whereof I have here to subscribed my Hand WILL. DU-GARD The same is in Effect certified by several other Gentlemen whose Names are subscribed viz. ALEXANDER HOLT of London Goldsmith WILLIAM BOURNE of London Brewer PAUL SMITH of London Gentlemen ROBERT EMERY of London Gentlemen Witnesses Josiah Smith Paul Edwards John Wegewood Henry Goldston VVilliam Barnes Knight ey Freeman A true Coppy of Doctor Walkers report concerning the Silver Ships the 14th of Aprill 1654. To OLIVER CROMWELS Councel May it please your Honours IN the business concerning the Ships and Silver goods in the three Ships in the Samson Salvador and S. George upon attending your Lordships with Mr. Violet severall particular were proposed and I was directed by your Honours summarily to state them and to give my humble opinion upon every of them The particulars were 1. Concerning the Silver in these three Ships which was the bulk of the whole matter upon which I argued when I procured the Onus probandi to be cast on the other side Mr. Violet devided it thus that there was one Boschard a Hamburger and one Stephen de Balderos and one Lewis Fardinandes Hagelo and one Losa Berona and one Mexico Herera and one Michaell Severino Lozenso de Eucleâ— and one Thomas Sauches de Urise Anthonio de Puntho Spaniards and one Dony Martin Native of Galloway in Ireland that laid particular claims every of them to some parcels of the Silver laden for their accompts all whom as Mr. Violet Stated it came along in the said Ships and have attended their claims here ever since upon the place in making their proofs and sollicitings for bringing it on to a hearing for their particulars and are as Mr. Violet states it by their long attendance and spending in diet and otherwise reduced to such extremity as they for want are ready to starve For these Mr. Violet hath proposed that his Highness and your Lordships would direct that their claims would come on to a present hearing that so what was found to be justly and really theirs might be adjudged them not onely for their present relief but for the vindicating as Mr. Violet terms it the justice of the Nation and preventing any Imbargoes abroad for want of justice here Now for this my Lords being as I conceive rather the prudential part then the legal I must not take upon me to give any opinion in it but submit it wholly to your Lordships to consider the prudence of it whether you will hold it fit that these particulars shall come on before the rest of the claims for the other Silver in the said Ships and so to handle by pieces or whether to have all the Silver directed by tryall and hearing altogether For the rest being the great bulks of the Silver Mr. Violet proposed that pleas should be put in to be a ground for Commissioners to be procured to go into Spain and Flanders to examine witnesses there against the several claimers and their claims supposing that in respect the Laws of Spain prohibit the carrying out of Silver under great penalties the claymors would not dare to own it in Spain if Commissioners for his Highness should be sent over thither and that much discoveries would there be made and witnesses be found in Spain if active persons be
But I cannot determine what the produce or effect thereof will be or amount unto untill some particular and positive proofs be brought in to prove the Silver or at least some part thereof really and truely to belong to some Hollanders specifying their names and the parcells and discovering the fraud in colouring it in other feigned names For as I have humbly declared unto your Lordships for as much as the Onus probandi is by Law cast upon the claimors The result is that for so much as the claimors shall not positively and certainly make speciall and particular proofs of there the judgement will be for confilcation in default of their proof in respect of the Onus Probandi so cast But for so much as the claimors shall make have made positive particular concludent proofs of their real property There I humbly conceive unless more proofs be brought in then yet are or that Mr. Violet can bring in certain and particular proofs to encounter the other that in references and arguments will be of no more force then the casting of the Onus probandi alone will do of it self so that I dare not take upon me to give any opinion But must leave the consideration of Mr. Violet and his service to your Lordships All which I humbly Submit Walter Walker April 14. 1654 By Command from King CHARLES the First of blessed Memory as appears by Warrant under his Royal Hand and Seal I caused these men following to be fined in the Star-Chamber for transporting Gold and Silver and culling and melting down the heavie Coine of the Nation The 25th of Ian. 12. Car. The 17th of Febr. 12 Car. Charles Frank 4000 l. Peter Hern 2000 l. Robert Ellis 4000 l. John Tere 2000 l. Isaac Romeer 3000 l. Timothie Eman 2000 l. Jacob Delew 1000 l. Isaac Brames 1000 l. Roger Fletcher 1000 l. Henry Futter 500 l. Richard Cockram 1000 l. Henry Sweeting 500 l. John Parrat 1000 l. John Perrin 100 l. The Total of the said Fines amount to the summe of 23100 l. This Sentence awed the Transporters of Gold till these Troubles they durst not transport Gold or Silver for fear I should meet with them Sir John Wollaston Knight and William Gibs Esquire both Aldermen of the City of London being informed against in this Information by the then Atturney-General procured a Pardon from your Majesties Royal Father and so were discharged These two villains betrayed your Royal Father 1643. As aforesaid And Mr. Peter Fountain who was informed against for Transporting of Gold by me procured his Pardon upon paiment of 1100 l. to the Lord of St. Albanes then Master Jermyn And all these I did bring to a Trial at my own charge That besides the fourteen offenders sentenced in the Star-Chamber and pardoned as aforesaid there are many other Merchants Gold-smiths and others that have transported Gold and Silver out of the Nation Die Mercurii 1 Sept. 1647. ORdered by the Commons in Parliament Assembled That it be referred to the Committee of the Navie to consider of and take some effectual course to prevent the Transportation of Bullion out of the Kingdom and speedily to report what they have done herein to the House H. Elsing Cler. Parl May it please your Majesty to peruse your Royal Fathers letter which I have printed in this book folio 14 wherein his late Majesty of glorious memory commands me that I should not discover the transpotters of Gold and Silver to the Parliament without his Majesties especial licence His Majesty knew the fines and composition of the offenders would bring the Parliament in great sums of money which they would then imploy against him being then upon the point to call the Scotch then to invade the Kingdom of England destroy his Majesty and the Royal party At the same time I had in the Parliament my Patent under examination in the House of Commons for an Office I have for two lives under your Royal Fathers great Seal of England for the essaying and sealing all Gold and Silver Wire and Silver and Gold Thrid and to warrant the same to the Wearers that it be good Silver and a due proportion of Silver to Silk This Patent was commanded by Sir Robert Harlow being Chair man to a Committee to be brought into the House and referred to a Committee who after several daies hearing referred all parties to the Law concerning the regulation of Gold and Silver wier And I justified my Patent to be for the good of the Kingdom in general and that it saved fifty thousand pounds a year by my said office and by my regulation and tying the workmen to work good Silver and a due proportion of Silver to Silk and this I humbly say at this day to be true as I will prove it at the Council for Trade There was a Committee appointed and Pim Hamden Whittaker Corbet c. to article with me for to discover the transporters of Gold and Silver and if I would do that and raise the Parliament monies by the fines of the offenders then I was by their procurement that the committee of Parliament should report the legalty and justice of my aforesaid Patent and Office and it should have been confirmed by Parliament but first I was to raise the Parliament fourty thousand pounds by the fines of the transporters of Gold This agreement was made between the Committee of Parliament and me in the Court of Wards about the 10th of November 1643. and I prepared to make my discovery accordingly But then may it please your Majestie comes your Majesties Fathers Letter of blessed memorie and commands me not to do this service for the Parliament at my peril as I have it to shew under his Majesties hand and Seal Thereupon presently I obeyed his Sacred Letter and chose Poverty and Loyalty before Riches and to be a Rebel for my Loyalty I have been most Barbarously used I told the Committee that upon enquiry after the business I found the French and Dutch Merchants and strangers that had transported the Gold and silver out of the Nation were removed from Dover and I could not for the present do them that service I had promised them Whereupon Whittaker and Corbet took that but for a flam and said I was your Majesties Royal Fathers Spie a Cavalier and a Malignant and moved the House against me and they sent me to the Kings-bench and there I remained a Prisoner till I made an exchange for Mr. Heslerig then Prisoner at Beaver Castle 1643. in December In January after his late Majestie had exchanged me presently he commands me to bring up the Letter aforesaid from his late Majesty to the Citizens of London which I did and the barbarous abuses which I received from Citie and Parliament for bringing the same up I have humbly declared My humble request unto your Maiesty is that you would be pleased to observe all my suffering is only for my loyalty to your Maiesties Royal
houres after I was gon from them to be apprehended upon a Charge of High Treason MAy it please your Majesty to peruse this ensuing Narrative viz. in Sept. 1657. I being sick sent to Bradshaw to write to the pretended Protector Cromwell that if he would not pay me the eleven thousand pounds he promised me to pay me some considerable sum for my support Bradshaw at that time wrote to Cromwell very earnestly to pay me a considerable sum in part using this as his argument and telling Mr Beck Cromwels Solicitour Mr Tho. Hewet and Mr Yates my Chirurgeon who were all three by when Bradshaw wrote to the pretended Protector about me Bradshaw said Remember my service to my Lord Protector and desire him in my name to pay Violet a considerable part of his money for his support according to his quality my Lord Protector knowes not Violet so well as I do If the man should go to Charls Stuart he would do us more mischief than a hundred thousand pounds would do us good there are some Kings would give an hundred thousand pounds for to have such an Engine for their turn and they knew him as well as I do This message was sent to Cromwel from Bradshaw by Mr Beck the Protectors Solicitour Mr Hewet Mr Yates and these Gentlemen are all in London to justifie this to be true Mr Beck upon this message moved Mr Francis Bacon the master of the Request to move Cromwel the Protector effectually about me and he would also move him which they did and they both told mee when my name was but mentioned for my money I petitioned for Cromwel was so incensed against me that he bestowed all the bad words in the world and said that he took me to be a dangerous person and an Arrant Villain against him and in a word saith Mr Bacon and Mr Beck he takes thee to be an Arrant Knave They often asked me if I could imagine the reason that the Protector and some of his Council was so bitter against me that they never heard man have a worse character than Cromwel did give me and some of his Council that were intimate with him as Thurloe c. I replyed I received good for evil the Protectors payment to me is not currant to revile me for venturing my life in his service and laying out of my purse 1500l to get him 278250l so much money Baxter paid him clear for the silver I staid him in the ships Sampson Salvador and St George as will appear by an Ordinance of Parliament for Baxters discharge for the payment of that money I knew Cromwels reason but would not tell it to them For I found when it was too late he knew he had undone himself by seizing on this Silver and breaking up the Parliament and that I was the fatal Instrument that advised him to take the Silver into his own custody either under the Ban quetting house to lodg it or in the Tower He did believe I did it innocently and for his good for had he believed I had done as truly I did malitiously to destroy him he would have caused me to have been torn in pieces Mr Strickland asked one Capt. Swan a Gentleman of Kent an intimate friend of mine what he thought I was and whether I was not a Cavaleer Strickland telling Captain Swan Many of us of the Council of State take Violet to be a sly and dangerous fellow he is alwayes presenting Propositions unto us which may bear double interpretations he pretends for the Councils profit but I am sure it is for their danger he hath staid Three hundred thousand pounds in Silver and hath set us together by the ears amongst our selves and with Holland Cromwel and Bradshaw makes use of him promising him from day to day to give him his Estate but they but abuse him they will never give him a farthing I heard Bradshaw say I could wish Violet had his Estate or the value but there is no trusting him therein If he should run to the King of Scots he would do us more mischief than a hundred thousand pounds Keep him poor and that will keep him honest to us for if he had his Estate he would be with the King of Scots The King of France hath a standing Councel for to Regulate his Mints and to hinder the Transporting of Gold or Silver VVere the like Orders setled in England it would be for your Majesties service and keep your Majesties Mint on work IN an Ordinance and Declaration of the King of France printed at Paris 30. Oct 1640. Fol. 8 9. We expresly forbid that all Materials of Gold or Silver either coined or uncoined shall not be bought and sold at higher Rates then is expresly set down in this Declaration which doth declare the true value that must be paied for the Mark of Silver We expresly forbid every one of what qualitie or condition soever to Transport out of our Kingdom any Gold or Silver coined or uncoined or any other Goldsmiths work upon penaltie of forfeiture of the Materials and Merchandize and other things therein they shall be found to be packed up in besides the penaltie of fiftie pounds and bodily punishment In an ORDINANCE and PLACCART For the Regulating of the Mint Published in Brussels the last day of May 1640. ARTIC XI WE have also forbidden and forbid by these presents every one of what quality or condition soever as well our Subjects as others to transport any Gold or Silver from henceforth out of our Lands directly or indirectly or to cause the same to be transported Minted or unminted without having obtained from us before hand express leave and consent to do the same upon penalty of forfeiture the Gold and Silver and Bullion and to pay besides the double worth as also the Waggons that shall willingly have conveyed the same the offenders to be banished out of our land for five years and the second time for ever Ordinance and Placcart at Brussels the 18th of March 1643. ARTIC LVII WE expresly forbid any person of what quality or condition soever to buy or sell any Gold or Silver either Bullion or currant at a higher price then the Ordinance of our said Mint permitteth upon penalty of the forfeiture of all Gold and Silver the first time the second four times as much and severe correction Placcart and Ordinance for Flanders and Antwerp 4 Octob. 1585. ARTIC XV. WE forbid and interdict expresly that no one of what quality or degree or condition soever shall transport or carry any Gold or Silver of our Coins or Bullion melted or in mass nor any Gold or Silver to coin money upon forfeiture of the said Gold and Silver besides two hundred Gold Rose Nobles for every Mark of Gold and twenty Golden Rose-Nobles for every Mark of Silver and the second time to be bodily punished ARTIC XIII ANd we do expresly forbid all and every one henceforth to buy or sell any wares of Gold or