AN APPEAL TO CAESAR WHEREIN GOLD And SILVER Is Proved to be the Kings Majesties ROYAL COMMODITY WHICH By the Lawes of the Kingdom no Person of what Degree soever but the KINGS MAJESTIE and his Privy Councel can give Licence to Transport either Gold or Silver to any Person after it is Landed in any part of the Kingdome of England That this Great and Sacred Trust cannot be changed into the Hands of any Person Persons or Corporations whatsoever without changing or diminishing the Sacred Power of his Majestie it being against his Crown and Dignity Humbly Presented to his Most Sacred MAJESTIE and his Most Honourable Privy Councel in opposition to some Merchants who are Endeavouring upon feigned Pretences to dispossesse his Majestie of this Royal Trust and to have it Confirmed by Act of Parliament to Transport at the Merchants pleasure Forreign Bullion and Coine freely after it is Imported into the Kingdom and make it a Free Merchandize for their private profit to the Damage of the whole Kingdom in general By THO. VIOLET of London Goldsmith MATTH 22. 21. Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesars c. LONDON Printed in the Year 1660. TO THE KINGS most Excellent Majestie And to the LORDS of his MAIESTIES most Honourable PRIVY COVNCEL The Humble Petition of THO. VIOLET of London Goldsmith Most Dread Soveraign I Your Majesties most Humble Loyal and Dutiful Subject humbly upon my Knees present this insuing Narrative to Your Sacred Majesty and to Your most honourable and prudent Councell I had not presumed to have medled with this cause and Argument but that I see with what eagernesse some Merchants of London thought to steal one of the prime Flowers of your Majesties Crown from your Sacred Majesty and Your most honourable Privy Councell before the Rising of this blessed Parliament True it is Gold and Silver all over the World is a currant Merchandize it answereth all things and commandeth all things under the Sun But so that in all Kingdoms Gold and Silver is a Kingly Merchandize and only at the Kings Dispose and Will and not at the dispose of the Merchants to be transported at their pleasure May it please Your Majesty by Twenty Acts of Parliament the Lawes of this Kingdom of England in all Ages hath invested it in the most Sacred Hands of the Kings of England and their Privy Councel and none other whomsoever either Lords Bishops or Commons The Reasons upon perusall of this Narrative Your Majesty will find to have been done upon most wise just and great consideration both for the Honour Strength and Defence of the Kings Sacred Person His Crown and Dignity and Safetie of the people The Money Bullion Gold and Silver of this Kingdom in all Ages till these perillous head-strong Fanatick daies hath been counted the chief Strength of the Kingdom the very Soul of the Militia and the Sinews of Warre and Peace in Your Majesties most Sacred Hands and in Your Privy Councels the Law of this Kingdom hath invested it and in none other of Your Majesties Subjects of what condition soever and there let it safely remain to the end of this World Your Majesties most humble Subject upon his bended Knees prayes Your Majesty to keep this Sacred Trust intire in Your Hand and not to diminish the least tittle or branch of it O never suffer it to be at the will of the Merchant least Your Majesty which God defend giving some fawning spaniels this Authority as they desire out of Your Sacred Hands You give an oppertunity in a few years that the breed of them may turn Mastives and so they may have a power to fly in the Face of Your Sacred Majesty as some of them did to Your Majesties Royall Father of blessed memory which God defend Fore-warn'd Fore-arm'd I humbly think I deserved not to live should I not say this The Gold and Silver of the Nation either Forreign Coyne or Ingot or the currant Coin of the Kingdom is the soul of the Militia and so all wise men know it that those that command the Gold and Silver of the Kingdom either Coin or Bullion to have it free at their disposall to be Judges of the conveniency and inconveniency or to hinder or give leave to transport Gold and Silver at their pleasure is the great Wheell of the State a most Royall Prerogative inherent in Your Majesty Your Heirs and Successors and none other whomsoever but by Your Majesties Licence and cannot be parted with to any Persons but by Your Majesties most especiall Grant your Majesty and your Privy Councell being by the Law the only proper Judges to have liberty to send to your Friends the Gold and Silver of the Kingdom Upon such just Reasons of State as your Majesty and Privy Councell shall judg fit for the due relief of your Friends and Allies to offend your Enemy and defend your Imperiall Crown and Dignity and strengthen your Friends As Queen ELIZABETH severall times assisted HENRY the Great King of France your Majesties Royall Grandfather and the States of Holland with vast sums of Gold and Silver The like Royall prerogative is in the Crown upon Petition of the Merchants setting forth their just Reasons and at your pleasure your Majesty to give them leave to send Forreign Gold and Silver either to the Indies or any part of Christendom but so as your Majesty as all your Royall Predecessors and your Privy Councell being in Commission by your Majesty for that service are the only proper Judges of this businesse and have the Lock and Key to dispence with the penall Statutes to give leave to send so much Gold and Silver of Forreign Bullion or the Coin of the Kingdom as your Majesty shall please in your wisdom for to grant and to what Prince or Country but not at the will of any other Person whomsoever Your Petitioner humbly prayes upon my Knees for your Majesties honor for your Majesties safety for the safety and greatnesse of all your Lords and Gentry for the safety of all your People that your Majesty keep this Royall Trust intire and the same always in your Majesty and your most honourable Privy Councels hands as the Appell of your Eye Gold and Silver is a Merchandize all over the World true but in Kingdoms it is a Kingly Merchandize and not to be transported without the Kings leave What I hear say I upon my Knees submit to your Sacred Majesties consideration Novemb. 28. 1660 and shall pray c. To the Right Honourable the Lord High Chancellour of England the Lord Steward of his MAIESTIES Housh old the Lord High Treasurer of England the Lord Roberts all of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Privie Councell These humbly present May it please your Lordships I Humbly presume for to Acquaint your Lordships that I understand some Merchants of London are endeavouring to obtain an Act of Parliament to make Gold and Silver a Merchandize to transport freely at their will and pleasure
in your Majesty and Privy Council and the King Lords and Commons cannot be safe to suffer any other person upon any pretence whatsoever of the Crafty Merchant to have the disposals at their will and for their private lucre to have the power by Act of Parliament to transport Gold or Silver either to the Indies or other forraign Countries or to any part of Christendom Without your Majesties licence and order to take an exact account of what quantity of Gold or Silver is transported to what Country the Ship with the Ships masters name either to the Indies or any forraign Princes Country in Christendom or to any State or Commonwealth that so upon reasons of State they may either inlarg his Licences to the Merchant or straighten them according as the King and his Privy Council in their great wisdom shall think fit Your Majesty and Privy Council ever having regard that the Kingdome have alwayes such plenty of Gold and Silver as may be for the honour of the King and safety of the people and to maintain Trade and Comerce in the Kingdom to pay Rents Customs Excise and Subsidies to be a strength and an honour to the Kingdom and the King and his Privy Council to take the care to hinder Gold and Silver to be transported to the Kings enemies And of all and every part of these Heads and Branches and real Prerogatives in all Ages the King and none but the King and his Privy Council by Acts of Parliament are the onely proper Iudges at their will discretion and pleasure for the safety of the Kingdom and no other person whatsoever Upon the several Reasons of the Merchants to his Majesty and his privy Council and upon their petition and request the King can dispence with the penalty of the Law and give the Merchant licence to transport onely such quantities of Gold or Silver either forraign Coin or Ingots or the currant Coin of the Kingdom either in Gold or Silver as the King and his privy Council shall think fit for to carry on the Merchants trade in Christendom and out of Christendom to strengthen his Majesties friends and offend his foes and this is an undoubted right of his Majesties Crown and cannot be dispenced with or deposited into the Merchants hands or any other Subjects either Lords spiritual or temporal but to the dishonour of his Majesty and all the good people of the Kingdom I do humbly prove it true for these Reasons following If any person of what degree soever transport Gold or Silver without the Kings licence the Laws and Statutes heretofore hath made it Felony both for Bishops Noblemen or Commons as I shall shew by the St atutes hereafter following afterwards a praemunire and at this day forfeiture and imprisonment during the Kings pleasure viz. 9 Edward 3. 2 Henry 4 cap. 4 2 Henry 6 cap. 6. 18. Edw. 4 1 Henry 8. 5 and 6 of Edw. 6. When the Kings Majesty hath War with any Prince by the Law the King may prohibit the Merchant to export Corn Armes Ammunition to them or any other Commodities the Law provides the prohibiting the exportations of Wool Fullers earth and Timber as being destructive to the Nation Gold and Silver by the Law is free for any man to import at what place he please to land it without paying any Duty or Custome the reason whereof is that the Merchant is obliged to Coin it and upon the Coinage the King hath his duty paid but once being landed it cannot be transported but with leave from his Majesty or the forfeiture being taken and the party claiming the Gold and Silver so taken on shipboard to be committed to prison without Bail till the King or his privy Council please to discharge him This is the Law this the Custome before these mad Phanatick daies that we had no King in Israel And this in all Ages was the practice both in your Exchequer and the Star chamber for otherwise the Merchant for his private profit would send all the Gold and Silver out of the Nation and make the Kings proclamation wait upon the Merchants Exchange as at this day it is with the Gold The Merchants and some Goldsmiths have raised Gold above the Kings proclamation may it please your Majesty we want a Star chamber to punish them I humbly leave it to consideration no Gold to be had under one shilling six pence in twenty shillings more then silver I humbly pray an Act might pass this present Parliament against this abuse of the Gold Coin and several other abuses and cheats put on the Nobility and Gentry by the adulterating and undue making Gold and Silver Lace in London whereby the wearers are daily cozened by course flight adulterate Gold and Silver and by putting a slight body of Silver on a great threed of silk to the damage of this Nation above fifty thousand pound a year as I will prove it to your Majesty and your Privy Council and this is done for want of a Regulation of the Work-masters and Workmen in London that make Gold and Silver Lace without an Essay or Finenesse or proportion of Silver to Silk I humbly desire your Lordships to consider what a loss the King will have in his Customes to suffer Gold and Silver to be exported at the pleasure of the Merchant and pay no Custome here will be for the profit of particular Merchants a Trade driven both inwards and outwards and the King have neither Excise nor Custome for all the World knows Gold and silver payes no duty inwards it is free to be imported at the pleasure of the Merchant when and how and where he please for the reasons abovesaid And if you give the Merchant leave to transport the Gold and Silver freely he imports what is the King the better by this Trade of the Merchants either inwards or outwards let this be granted to the Merchants to send out Silver and Gold freely for their private profit and in a few years they will leave neither Gold nor Silver in the Nation May it please your Majesty It is profit that is some Merchants guide not honour nor the safety of the Nation and this is most apparent by some mens actions and demands touching this great businesse The King will lose in point of His Excise and Customs for if the Merchant invest his Silver and Gold in Merchandies the King hath thereby His Excise and Customs the King will lose in point of His Mintage if no money be coyned no profit by coynage this hath made the Mint a great part of their Work-houses fall down It is for the Kings honour to have His Kingdoms full of Gold and Silver for His and the Subjects defence And if this Fanatick project should take the King loses one of the principal prerogatives of His Crown and Dignity for those that have the command of the peoples purses have the principal part of the Militia This is a Common-wealth trick but tends to the
imployed and sent over thither Mr. Violet proposed that there would be this farther use made of it by procrastinating the businesses and gaining of so long time as for Commissions to go into Spain and be executed there and returned As to the last of these it is evident that it must of necessity gain time and delay the hearing But whether upon the main matter it will produce any thing or countervaile the charge which must needs issue out of purse and cannot but be vast in exceuting so many Commissions by the Magistrates of Spain and imploying such as must necessarily be sent over to look after it I have often told Mr. Violet that I much doubt and must submit it to your Lordships not daring of my self to venture upon it without a special warrant for several reasons 1. For that we yet know of never a particular witness by name to examine when we came thither 2. And for that it will be uncertain whether after so great acharg spent to make inquiry there any positive witnesses would be there or not 3. If any there shall be found it will be uncertain whether upon the clay mors cross interogatories they may not say more against us then upon ours for us being there in a Countrey where the claymors will in all likelihood finde more means friends and opportunities then those that shall be sent over from hence against them 4. For that the claymors have already upon their own Commissions owned their claims in Spain and examined witnesses by the Magistrates publickly there upon and therfore no doubt but they may again publickly avow them at ours if any new Commissions go from hence for his Highness as well as they did upon their own claims when Commissions issued to Spain for them which they have procured to be there speeded and returned back again hither into Court And therefore what your Lordships proposed to me as first in expedient that is to endeavour that publication for the claimors might so pass that liberty might be given to see their proofs and yet if occasion were to plead and examine witnesses notwithstanding which Albeit the rule be that contrary matter may not be examined upon after publication and sight of the witnesses yet in those cases of the Silver in the said three Ships I have since I waited upon your Lordships upon debates with the adverse Proctors and Councels publickly in Court procured such a Salvo by their consents to be entred and publication is so past that now the despositions and proofs for the claimors may be perused and yet liberty to plead and examine for his Highness if there be occasion notwithstanding but there being so many Commissions returned for the claimors and the depositions so extream long It will ask a good time to puruse and consider them As to the rest of the goods in those Ships not being Silver many of them being much decayed and perished by so long lying and some of them having been heard already and for what remaines I see no reason at all to put off the hearing of them any longer for that the main charge suspicions and grounds were against the Silver and had not as I humbly conceive any such reflex upon the Tobaccoes Hides and other goods besides such special provisions may be made as hath also been already done in what hath been heard that they may have no manner of consequence at all as to any of the Silver And as to the Ships themselves viz. The Sampson Salvador and St. George for as much as the publick Agent for Hamborough hath often pressed it that they might be permitted to come to hearing for that by this long lying one of the said Ships hath been already sunk in the River and that if the said Ships should be continued much longer without repairing and imployment it is publickly and hath been often affirmed in Court that they will decay perish and come to nothing Truly Doctor Walker if either you or O. Cromwel had known upon what grounds or reasons I staid this silver you as O. Cromwels Fiscal or Judge Advocate would have paid me as you did the Kentish men for declaring for the King I was forewarned of trusting of you by several of the Kings friends who remembred how you served your Master Bishop Williams in the Star-chamber Indeed you told me Cromwel nor the Parliament would never give mee any thing and seing they would be advised by me give me nothing after they had rokbed me of all my estate they could finger I was resolved to give them that advice to be revenged of them that if they took it it should destroy both the Parliament and Cromwel God it was that incouraged me and blinded them that they should ever trust a mans advice that they had ruined They should have remembred that advice Trust not a pretended reconciled adversary especially keeping him from his estate as they did me to this day to my dammage Twenty thousand pounds Sir Henry Vane junior having a better nose than the rest ever said I was not to be trusted telling Bradshaw I had several times made my application to him but he would have nothing to do with me and when I stayed the Silver Vane moved to send me to the Tower for said he at the Council this Villain will set us against al the world at once to bring in the King of Scots I wonder the Council claps him not up Thereupon it was put to the question whereof 10 of them were for laying me in prison and 12 for giving me thanks all those that were of the then Council of State knows this to be true That I made a fraction between Bradshaw and Vane Cromwel and Bradshaw with the rest of their party about the staying the Silver but Vane Strickland and Nevil were for letting of it go This Silver which I stayed was the only cause of blowing up the Long Parliament which I knew at that time an Army of 40000 men could not have done I do humbly conceive submitting it nevertheless to your Lordships that for the avoiding of further perishing of the said Snips and other lading not being Silver and for avoiding claimour and scandal in delay of justice The said Ships and remainder of the lading except the Silver may if your Lordships please be permitted to come to a hearing and judgement As for Mr. Violet himself I can onely say that by severall Orders of the former Councell of State he was directed to sollicite and look after this businesse of the Silver Ships and that he hath often attended and spoken in Court and many times repaired to me and consulted about it and that it hath appeared to me and may also to your Lordships by perusing what he hath printed he hath spent much time about it and I verily believe hath drawn much envy upon himself and run some hazard and danger and spent his own monies in going up and down to make his enquiries
Honour of the King to have the Silver his Merchants Trade with first coined with the Percullises and His Effigies and Motto all over the World For the Kings greatnesse is the Merchants securitie and protection and to be made of the weight of peices of Eight and of the same Standard as it was in the Queens time the King loses in point of Coinage by not Coining the Silver is sent to the East Indies as Queen Elizabeth did the East India Companie had paid to the Kings Grandfather and Father of blessed memory a hundred thousand pounds which would have bin clear profit since King James in his Majesties Exchequer and all his Officers for Coining payd if Queen Elizabeths Rule had been observed to Coin all the Silver sent beyond Seas If the East India Companie Books be looked over they have sent above sixtie hundred thousand pounds in Silver to the East Indies since the first of King James in Spanish Silver more monie by farre then is at this day in England I humbly recommend it for your Majesties Honour and Profit that your Majestie for the future may coin all Silver or Gold that so the Indian Princes may see your Effigies and bow at the sight thereof As Queen Elizabeth made the Merchants to do or else they should not send her Silver The true safetie and protection of the Merchant is that they are Subjects of such a great King that can cause Justice and Right to be done to His Merchants as far as the Seas ebbs and flowes round about the World it is truly for the Merchants securitie if they would consider rightly of all things and love the King's Honour as well as their own Profit MAY it please your Sacred Majestie I here humbly give your Majestie and your Privy Councel an accompt concerning my staying the Ships Sampson Salvador and St. George 15. Decemb. 1652. The day the Judges had resolved in the Admiraltie to clear these Ships their Silver and Lading there being three hundred thousand pounds in them I saw about that time Don Asonso Decardenis the Spanish Ambassador Extraordinary come to the Rump Parliament and owned their power as a free State and Parliament I heard that many in Amsterdam was playing the same prancks there with the Prince of Orange as the Londoners had plaied with Your Majesties Royal Father and your Majestie I saw the Face of all things look very sadly both in France Holland and Spain the Royall partie being banished from home put to great extremities abroad and almost insufferable wants At which time I had advice from one of Dover that the three hundred thousand pounds in Silver in the aforesaid Ships part of it appertained to Amsterdam Merchants and other parts to Spaniards and some to Hamburgers and I had the Copies of the Original Commission under the Great Seal of Holland to de Witt and de Ruter the Vice Admirals of Holland to require them to guard all Ships coming from Spain to Ostend or Dunkirk from the English the Dutch and Parliament being at Warre and this was done upon the Petition of the Merchants of Amsterdam to the high and mightie Lords the States to guard the Ships from the English which Commission and Petition at this day remains in the Admiraltie I cast about how I might first divide the pretended Councel of State in Decemb. 1652. amongst themselves about this Silver in the aforesaid Ships and set them to stay it which I knew would ingage the Rump Parliament in a forreign War and so though the Kings Partie were oppressed at home the Rump might wast their Souldiers and have more hands about their Ears then they were aware of and in time be beaten out of breath and so the Royal Partie might rise again I divided the Councel so as there was ten for sending me to the Tower and clearing the Silver and twelve for the staying the Silver and giving me thanks I made some of my secret Friends acquainted with this design they approved thereof and so having promised secretly one to another for it concerned my life I told them from time to time how I laid my design till at last I ingaged Cromwel to take up the Silver from aboard the Ships Sampson Salvador and St. George and that he would dissolve the Parliament the same night that he dissolved the long Parliament he could not sleep for it about the 15. April 1652. Cromwel sent Mr Sadler the Town-Clerk of LONDON and Coll Bingham to me to come presently to him at the Cock-pit to give him the Coppies of all the Bills of these Ships Lading and the value of the Silver which I did and after he had them Cromwell could not sleep till he had the Silver in Bark steads custody in the Tower I found him to be forward in it to get the Silver into his possesion in the Tower being 29. April 1653. Oliver Cromwell sent a guard of Souldiers to seize on the Silver aboard these Ships the Sampson Salvador and St. George the 20. day of April 1652. Bradshaw tore his Hair before me and a Friend of mine Bradshaw telling him that Cromwell had undone them all by forcing the Parliament and that now he saw apparently he was an undone man Bradshaw storming at me Tho. Violet saying I was the fatallest man that ever was to the Councel and Parliament for staying this Silver and that had I not set the Councel and Parliament to stay this Silver till that every mans claim was particularly proved the Silver had been all Transported and Cromwell never durst have dissolved the Parliament had he not got the Silver in these Ships being three hundred thousand pounds into his hands All which I did premeditately to set them and the Councel Parliament and altogether by the Ears to divide and weaken their Councels And I made several persons acquainted with my design who are wel known to your Majestie both for their Service and Fidelity if I be required I will name them Before ever I undertook this Businesse I had their advices and approbation under secresie for it had cost us all our lives had it bin known I had given the Parliament this vomit to undo them This I can prove to be the truth and Sir James Harrington Frances Allen and Tho. Scot used to say it was Violet destroyed the Parliament and not Cromwell for had I not stayed the Silver Cromwell durst not have forced the Parliament But whereas Doctor Walker and some others have declared to some Merchants and others of London I stayed the Spaniards Silver and would not consent to the discharge I was so far from hindring the Spaniards of their right that I Petitioned Cromwell and his Councel to discharge the Spaniards Silver But Doctor Walker opposed me in it as appears by Doctor Walkers Certificate to Cromwells Councel Mr. Jessop Clerk of the Parliament delivered it to me upon condition I should return it to him when I had done with it I humbly pray your
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
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