the value of one thousand three hundred and odd pounds Besides many of my Papers and Accompts of great concernment to the Commonwealth and as yet I cannot come to the knowledg who hath them But this I am sure of If there had been any thing in them that could have made against mee there had then use been made of them 2. My mother had at another time a Privy Seal taken from her wherein the late King acknowledged hee owed me for my expences in discovering the Transporters of Gold and Silver ninteen hundred threescore and eight pounds which money I laid every penny out of my own purse to do the late King and Commonwealth that service and I caused the transporters of gold and silver to be fined in the Star Chamber at Twenty four Thousand pounds besides several Merchants and gold and silver Refiners viz. Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs Mr Peter Fountain and others Upon their Petition to the late King and paying well for it had their Pardon under the Great Seal of England for several abuses practised by them in their Trades and complained of at Whitehall to the late King by Sr Henry Mildemay Master of the Jewel-hous and by som of the Wardens and Company of Goldsmiths as will appear by the Order of the Counsel-table 25 Jan. 1634. 3. The Committee of Essex put mee out of Possession of the Mannors of Battells and Patan-Hall in Essex as appears by their Warrants Of which Lands I had an Extent to the just value of One thousand pounds and one Mr Elconhead received my rents ever since 1643 Mr Philip Cage being in possession for my Use 4. The Committee of Shropshire seized in my sisters hands in London three Bonds due to mee in two thousand pounds for the payment to mee Thomas Violet one thousand pounds by the Lady Anne Waad Edmond Lenthal Phillip Cage and Charles Mordent Esqrs as appears by the Bonds restored unto mee back from John Corbet Esq r 24th of May 1656 by vertue of your Highness and your Counsels Order of 21 of March 1655. And I have put these Bonds in suit according to the power given unto me by your Highness and your most honorable Counsel For which Justice I most humbly am bound to give to Colonel Syddenham my Lord Strickland and Col. Jones most humble thanks humbly trusting in God that they will bee honorably pleased to move your Highness and the Councel to take that order the rest of my Estate under Sequestration shall bee justly restored Or that I shall have the summ to bee made up Eleven thousand pounds paid mee according to the faithfull promise of the Councel of State 1652 for staying and intituling the State to the aforesaid Three hundred thousand pounds in silver which the Commonwealth onely by my means had every penny of it 5. I had the Leas of ten severall Houses at the Posterne in Little Moor-fields and the Tennants owed mee when I was committed to the Tower in arrears for rent above one hundred pounds And for these Thirteen years I received no Rent of them But one Mr Elconhead hath received the Rents of them ever since 6. I had the Office of sealing and surveying of all gold and silver Thread and Wyer which prevented the making of all sleight and adulterate gold and silver Thread and Wyer granted to mee under the Great Seal for three Lives from the late King which Office cost mee Fifteen hundred Pounds to the Lord Treasurer Juxon L. Cottington Sr John Cook Secretary of State and Sr. John Bankes the late Kings Attourney The necessity of keeping up that Office to prevent the dayly Cosennages and frauds of divers Silkmen Wyerdrawers and Refiners in their making Cours sleight and deceitfull Gold and Silver Wyer and Toread I shall at the later end of this book shew at large having about three hundred Assayes of adulterate and cours gold and silver Wyer Thread Spangles Oes c all made and sold contrary to the Lawes and Statutes These Assayes are in my custody under the Hand and Attestation of Mr Alexander Jackson Assay-master of Goldsmiths Hall and the several Silkmens names and shops and dayes of the Moneth in which they sold this cours adulterate gold and silver Thread and Lace Spangles Wyer c. to the great deceipt of the Nation in generall And upon the Discovery of these notorious Cheats the late King and his Counsel appointed mee Surveyor and Sealer of the said Manufacture I caused all the abuses to bee laid aside I Indicted som offenders imprisoned som caused others to stand in the Pillory and made many of them that wrought adulterate cours silver run away out of London By which means I angred many cheating Wyer-drawers Silkmen and Refiners and the late Kings Councel and Commissioners setled such Rules and Orders during that Regulation the Manufacture was all made of good silver and the Coin and Bullion of this Nation preserved and your Supplicant was bound to the late King to warrant all the Manufactures either of gold or silver Wyer or Thread which hee sealed or surveyed in the Office to bee good silver and to make it good to any party grieved in the Nation as appears by my Patent under the Great Seal of England For which Assurance Surveying and Sealing I was allowed to demand and take an half penny for every once Troy in Wyer Spangles Oes ctc. I suveyed and 4 pence for every pound weight Vennice for all the Gold and Silver I sealed with the Seal of my Office being the Rose and Crown 7. I had a Grant from the late King under his Signet to bee Master-worker of the Mint in the Tower of London for my life with the Fee of five hundred pound a year for executing that place which Grant was taken from my Mother out of her Custody when I was sent to the Tower 8. I had one quarter part of the Lady Willers Farm at the Custom-hous for the Importation of all gold and silver Thread Hatbands Lace and Copper thread throughout England and Wales which costmee a little before I was sequestred above seven hundred pounds And if the making gold and silver thread was put down in England the Custom of gold and silver thread imported would make a far greater Revenew then now it doth by the Excise and the manifacture if it bee made here ought to bee kept to a strict Regulation 9. I spent in my Imprisonment in the Tower for almost four years above seven hundred pounds and could never get to be heard though I petitioned to the Parlament as aforesaid many years to come to a Triall knowing my self to bee innocent both by God's Law and the Laws of the Land and above all by the testimony of a good Conscience which hath ever supported mee in and thorow all these troubles All this Estate was and is Sequestred but my three aforesaid bonds to this day besides my Dammage for my four years Imprisonment 10. Since I came out
onely eaten the leavs but barked the trees of this Common-wealth using all opressions and fraud to grow rich bee made to restore it No doubt the work is pleasing and acceptable to God and all good men and then manie men who have made their religion a cloak to cozen the Commonwealth may bee made to restore their unjust deteined Treasure and Lands Many men under the shaddow of sanctitie having made gain to bee great godliness instead of godliness to bee great gain May it pleas your Highness your most humble and loyall Subject at your Highness's feet imploreth to bee relieved having been imprisoned almost four years in the Tower of London viz 1643. to 1647. and two years and nine moneths of that time kept close prisoner his estate in lands houses offices goods and moneys being taken from him to his dammage of eleven thousand pounds there being then at his bringing up the late Kings letter from Oxford in December 1643. no known law or publique Ordinance to prohibit him to bring up the said letter to the Lord Maior and Citie of London and hee had a Pass from the hous of Commons to go to Oxford as appears by the Journals in the Parlament-hous and hee had at the same time a Warrant from the Lord General Essex to go to Oxford procured by Mr Theophilus Ryley then Scoutmaster of of the Citie of London May it pleas your Highness by Gods Law Rom. 4. 15. Where there is no Law there is no Transgression and by the known Laws of this nation such and such Actions are declared Crimes and lawes and rules set for the degree of punishing And hee most humbly conceaveth it is not in any just Judges power to exceed the punishment for any offence more then is prescribed and set down by the Law And it is expresly provided for in Magna Charta that no Free-man shall bee taken imprisoned or distressed of his free-hold or liberties or any other waies destroied but by lawful judgment of his Peers or by the Law of the Land That no man should bee deferred or denied Justice or Right Whereas your Supplicant after he was out of the Tower petitioned for six years constantly at the Parlament doors the members and at the Counsel of State to have a legal Trial by the Parlament or els by the common Law And to that end delivered several Petitions to several members of Parlament yet your Supplicant could never have Justice Som of the members of the then Parlament after his many years constant attendance and great expence to com to a trial told him Had hee been guilty hee should never needed to have petitioned the Parlament for a Trial the Parlament would have granted him a Trial without petitioning for it May it pleas your Highness This is your most humble Subjects sad condition groaning under and having so heavy a sentence as the loss of almost all his estate to his dammage above eleven thousand pounds almost four years Imprisonment in the Tower when there was no law made at his acting this Business nor at the time of his Commitment for either punishing of him or any other for acting the same thing which was bringing up the late Kings letter to the City in December 1643 but Ordinances and Orders made after hee had brought up the King's Letter for the Confiscation of his Estate and Imprisonment of his Person and a great part of his Estate given to private and particular men Now with Tears and Sighs hee appeal's to Your Highness for restoring him to his Estate and just Reparation being oppressed and undon for a Pretended Crime when there was no Law no not so much as the Breach of the Good Behaviour made against it in December 1643 either to Prohibit him or any other to do the same Hee hath printed this Business with the several Houses Offices Bonds and Mony taken from him To which hee doth most humbly refer himself And Your Suplicant was daily faithfully promised by som worthy Members of the Long Parlament and Counsel of State who pittied Your Supplicant's sad Condition seeing his willingness to serve the Commonwealth to have Justice and Reparation and that held up his Spirits and kept him alwaies to bee willing to the uttermost of his power and strength-beyond the abilities of his Estate to engage both his time and estate for many years to do the then Parlament many and great services as appears by Your Loyal Subject sprinted Narrative 1653. The several Particulars were to his Charges and Expence of many Hundred Pounds as by many Witnesses hee can and hath proved Besides One most Remarkable Service to the Nation in General Your Supplicant did by the Command of the then Counsel of State which shall and ought to stop the mouths of every one and all his Adversaries that have or shall maliciously traduce him as a Malignant for a man disaffected to the State or to the true happiness of the Nation in General Your humble Subject did this service when Van Trump was in the Downes It was no small hazard his venturing to deliver in a Paper to the Counsel of Srate in December 1653. which Writing was by the Counsel of State referred to the Committee for Forrain Affairs Wherein Your Supplicant discovered the fraudulent Practises of the Spanish Embassadour and Duke Leopoldus and his Agents to defraud the Parlament of a Vast Summ of Treasure above three hundred Thousand Pounds which was broughâ— up into the River as a Prize in three Ships viz. The Sampson Salvador and George And this hee did at the same time when the Lord Embassador of Spain with many other Agents of Duke Leopoldus and Licensiados of the King of Spain 's living at Antwerp did all of them affirm both to the Judges in the Admiralty the Counsel of State and to the Parlament in November and December 1652 that all the Lading both Silver and Marchandize in the said Ships did appertain to the King of Spain and his Subjects and none other May it pleas Your Highness I was far more troubled to finde out the frauds of the Spaniaâ—ds Claims to the Silver in these Ships and to bring it forth to bee proved by good and Lawfull Witnesses as I have here out of the Admiraltie to Intitle the State to the Silver in these Ships Then I shall bee troubled to finde out the Frauds and Deceipts of all the Accomptants in General of this Nation if once I bee but impowered by your Highness to have an Inspection on the Accompts and such Rules followed and executed as by the Laws and Statutes of this Nation hath been formerly put in practice and the whole Charge of this Discovery will not stand the State in 12d the pound to bring the Monies into the Exchequer And it may bee so managed not Six pence Charge upon the Pound The Spaniards in the Court of Admiralty by their Counsel pleaded that they ought not to have the Onus probandum cast on them being their
compelled to declare their knowledg except the partie or parties themselvs and whether your Commission doth impower you the Commissioners to give mee a full fifth part of all such summs of money as shall bee paid into the Exchequer upon any discovery of all or any the aforesaid misdemeanors I humbly pray your Honors to take notice that the Commissioners for Prize goods alwaies have had a great fee and allowance setled on every one of them for their pains and trouble and therefore I conceiv they are obliged to deliver in an exact and just accompt upon oath in writing of all the several ships and merchandise to his Highness 5. For the Commissioners of Excize Treasurers of Goldsmiths-hall Commissioners of Drury and Gurney-houses Collectoâ—s for the Plymouth Duties for redeeming of poor Slaves at Tunis and Argier c. that have had several Ordinances and Orders of Parlament Orders from the Counsel of State Orders from his Highness for the payment of great sums of money as this Case is stated viz. John Doe hath an Ordinance from his Highness or formerly from the Parlament or Counsel of State for six thousand pounds charged upon the Excise or any other Treasury to be presently paid or in cours These Commissioners have also a great Fee and Sallary for their pains and more then that they cannot lawfully expect nor contract with John Doe to make an abatement of the said Debt of 6000l but as I humbly conceiv by making such a bargain for their private profit by installing a publick Debt and to put the profit up to their particular use they are lyable to a Fine to his Highness as I have proved unto you in a president done by Act of Parlament in Richard the Seconds time as appears by the Records Commissions were granted to finde out that very offence besides to bee liable and make good all such summs of money and dammages for forbearance as shall bee proved they have craftily and fraudulently concealed and kept the same money from his Highness As for example the aforesaid Six thousand pounds warrant of John Does the Treasures or some one of them taking advantage of John Does necessitie treat with him and compound for his said Order or Ordinance which is for six thousand pounds for three thousand pounds more or less as John Doe and the States Treasurer can agree and John Doe makes his bargain for more or less as hee is straitned in his occasions and as his payments grow upon him Upon John Does receiving the money hee agrees for it may bee 3000l 4000l or 5000l for his Order of 6000l Hee upon receipt of the sum contracted for makes a general and full acquittance and discharge for the whole summ of 6000l aforesaid My humble Quere to you is Whether this is not a fraudulent Act of any Treasurer Commissioner of the Excize Custom-hous and Drury-hous or any other publick Treasurer of the Nation and every such Treasurer punishable if hee deliver in unto the State the full summ of 6000l when in truth hee hath paid poor J. Doe but 3000l or the sum John Does necessity compelled him to take And I humbly desire to know of you Whether you have power by your Commission to send for John Doe or any other person that can discover unto you the truth How much justly of this 6000l was paid to John Doe and to examine him of the grounds and reasons that made him the said John Doe give a receipt for more money then hee received and the time when the Treasurer or Treasurers made him his payments and how much truly and really remaineth in the Treasurers hands which the said Treasurer hath fraudulently concealed and deteined in his hands from his Highness and the Commonwealth and who and what partie or parties were the Agents and Broakers and where they dwell to drive the bargain between John Doe and the aforesaid Treasurers whether the said Treasurers have broken their Trust in compounding the States debt and putting the whole summ on their accompt when they paid but part they being the States servants and receiving Fees and Sallary for their just and faithfull performance of their duty in their place of Treasurer or Treasurers from the Parlament and his Highness And I know in a Trial in Chancery between the Lord of Holland and one of his Stewards who put in several summs of money to the full value in his accompt to several persons when hee had compounded his Lords debts and the Steward was allowed no more then hee really paid to his Lords Creditors if this bee the Law for a Private man I hope it will bee Law for his Highness and the Common-wealth 6. There are two Reasons which make mee humbly conceive that the Preasure or Committee-man Sequestrator or whosoever hee bee ought to pay to his Highness the summ and interest which hee hath concealed and is lyable to a further punishment without his Highness's pardon 1. First because every Receiver is his Highness's Servant and receivs a Sallary for his attendance and pains and therefore upon that accompt ought to give a just accompt upon oath to the Exchequer both of all the summs of money hee receivs as a Committee-man Commissioner or Treasurer justly and truly without fraud both for principal and interest if hee hath compelled the States Debter to pay interest hee ought to accompt for all that interest to the State the like just accompt hee ought to put into the Exchequer for his just and real payments and if it bee proved hee delivered in fall feigned forged or Averyen Accompts or put in more money on his accompt then hee hath really paid to every person that is nominated on his accompt I humbly conceiv it all former Ages have held it a high Crime and punishable and I hope your Honors will do so now 2. Secondly As the Receiver or Treasurer will bee sure not to charge himself with more money then hee truely receivs for the use of the State so I humbly say his Highness's Commissioners for the Treasury nor the Barons of the Exchequer ought not to discharge him for any greater summ then the aforesaid Treasurer hath truely and really paid And this I humbly desire your judgments in for a greater or lesser summ and if I shall prove one or more Treasurers guiltie of the aforesaid offences whether you by your Commission are impowered to give mee a full fifth part for my discovery of all such summs of money I shall cause to bee paid in to the Exchequer touching the premisses 7. Whereas several Delinquents and purchases of Lands having made their Compositions and bought Lands and having given securitie to the Parlament or to his Highness and have failed at the several daies of their paiments and so continued some for years and some for moneths And the aforesaid persons upon the finishing their said payments have accompted and paid interest to his Highness's Treasurers for all that time they forbare to pay their
ounces Two penny weight Fine upon the pound The Assayes follow viz. The particular Originall Reports I have readie to produce to the Counsell of Trade wherin they will see the great Cheats put upon the Nation by some Refiners Wyerdrawers and Silkmen At the bottome of the original paper this followes viz. These are the severall Assayes of the silver Spangles plaited Wyer and silver Thread made and Reported by mee Alexander Jackson They being all under Starling and against the Laws of the Kingdom Some part of these Assayes I made by the appointment of Sr Henry Mildemay Knight in the year 1635 and some part of which falsified and defective silver Thread flatted Wyer and Spangles were brought to mee by Mr Tho Violet in the year 1638. By mee ALEXANDER JACKSON the sworn Assay-master to the worshipfull Company of Goldsmiths London By Order of the Lords of the Counsel I Tho. Violet paid Mr Jackson Five pounds for this Service And this silver Thread Wyer Spangles c. was one hundred and odd several parcels made contrarie to the oath of every Goldsmith Wyerdrawer and Refiner when they are made free at Goldsmiths Hall I humblie leav it to bee considered on whether this manufacture ought not strictly to bee looked after and duelie regulated when neither Oaths nor bonds will keep them to work good â—â—lver For executing of my Office justlie and strictlie to hold the Refiners and Wyerdrawers to a Rule to make all their wyer and thread of good silver and punishing the Offenders manie of them I brought to Justice And I shewed the King how hee was cozened in the Mint of Three thousand Pounds a year which caused Alderman Wollaston secretly to hate mee mortally And hee caused mee to bee clapt up by his incensing some members of Parlament against mee in the Tower in Januarie 1643. when hee was Lord Major of London And the Parlament kept mee close prisoner there Nine hundred twentie eight daies and Fourteen Moneths more in which I had libertie to go at large in the Tower upon the pretence I was a Malignant when the truth was Alderman Wollaston vented but his private malice against mee Upon this occasion viz. Alderman Wollaston having put up to the Parlament in the year 1640 a Petition slighting the Kings mercie and goodness towards him in giving him his Pardon when I saw Alderman Wollaston's carriage in that Petition hee presented to the Parlament I then told the King in the year 1640. that Alderman Wollaston joining with some of the Officers of his Mint had made a fraudulent agreement to melt all the silver in the Mint which was to make monies and hee to have from the King the allowance of 16 grains upon the pound Troy which is 2 pence the pound weight Troy for all the silver hee melted in the Mint This agreement was made without either the King 's or the Lords of the Counsells knowledg or approbation nor was there anie allowance or power under the Great Seal of England for him to receive these fees or the Officers of the Mint to grant them to him By which fraudulent bargain the King was defrauded of neer upon three thousand pounds a year from the year 1630. to the year 1640. And Alderman Wollaston put up all this monie in his own particular purse the King nor Lords never knowing any thing of this blinde bargain Alderman Wollastons place in the Tower being so inconsiderable in the eie of the State and in the reputation of the world the melter of the mint being but the Master workers servant that Alderman Wollaston never had a Patent for it under the Great Seal whereas the Master worker of the Mint hath a Pattent the Warden the Assaie-master the master of the Irons the Engraver the Comptroller the Teller and several other Officers of the Mint have all of them their several Pattents under the Great Seal of England for their several places Now Alderman Wollaston's place was worth every year to him more monie then all the aforesaid Officers of the Mint twice told for every year hee cleared near three thousand pounds a year as I proved to the late King and I can prove it to your Highness the Parlament and your Counsel whensoever you pleas and all the Officers Fees in the Mint did not amount to one thousand pounds a year A strange fraudulent trick that a servant for in the Mint Alderman Wollaston was but the master workers of the mints servant should get six times more then his master and three times more then all the Officers in the mint It was the profits of this Place raised him principally to bee an Alderman But this is no great wonder when the masters of the mint for many years are and have been ignorant of the mysteries and perquisites of their places to the great dammage of the Nation in many particulars In former times it was not so Goldsmiths and Artists were masters of the mint that knew the course of Exchanges and held Correspondence with Forrain Bankers and merchants no Age can shew afore this a Doctor of Physick master worker of the mint and had not I stopped at one time three hundred thousand pounds of silver the Irons in the mint would have been rustie I caused more money to come to the mint at one time 1653 then hath been coyned this seven yeare besides that money Upon this my Information to the King hee presently sent for Mr Andrew Palmer the Assay-master of the mint and Mr Henry Cogan the Comptroller of the mint and examined the business about Alderman Wollastons Place in the Tower and commanded mee to bee by and to declare before them what I had told his Majestie concerning Alderman Wollastons Place of melter in the mint And when they heard what I said they confessed it to bee a truth that Alderman Wollaston had in ten years beeing esteemed but as a servant by the condition of his Place in the mint to the Head-Officers the master Worker and Warden of the mint gotten more by his melting of the Silver in the mint then all the Officers of the mint put them all together had done Whereupon the King was wonderfull angry with them they beeing his Officers in the Mint that they would suffer such a thing and not acquaint him or his Counsel with it And asked If my Lord Treasurer or Lord Cottington or the Lords of his Counsel allowed him to have such Fees and allowances or knew that Wollaston made such Gaines in the Mint by being Melter of the Gold and Silver They told his Majestie No they did believe none of them knew it nor any others but the Officers of the Mint for that it was a mysterie and few did know it Thereupon the King sworâ— his Officers of his Mint must either bee Knaves or Fooâ—s to let such an one as Alderman Wollaston gull him of three thousand pounds a year and to give such a Place of Profit to any without his consent or the
in Christendom It is a Rule amongst Gaimsters Winn at first lose at last and great Undertakings are not to be effected but with great Difficulties If it please God to put it into your Highnesses and this Parlaments hearts vigorously and vigilantly to pursue the VVarr in the VVest-Indies all the Protestants in Christendom will bee bound to bless God and pray for your Highness and this glorious Parlament and by the Blessing of God You and your Armies and Navies will cut the King of Spain in the jugular vein as the Dutch man saith Kill him as dead as a herring which must bee done by the unanimous Power of these three Nations This Course vvill make great Brittany and Ireland and their several and respective Ports Havens and Harbors thereof to act and do Cadis and St Lucars work our Brittish and Irish sea-port Towns by the prosperous conduct of your Highness Admirals and Generals to be the Bancks Magazins and Scales for Return of Indian Treasure Jewels and precious Merchandize The Drumm and Trumpet encourages Horse and Man to Battell The word India and to bee master of the Treasure as Gold Silver and other good things of that new VVorld no doubt is and will bee more inducing to many noble spirited Gentlemen Merchants and Mariners of this Nation then Drumm and Trumpet to Souldiers But when the Land-souldierie shall be likewise interessed in the Purchase and Honor of this noble Undertaking and the praiers and purses of the good people of this Nation in general and an Act of this Parlament for setling a way for th◠vigorous prosecution and maintenance of this just VVarr for the Good and Peace of Christendom to goe along in this glorious Action Then surely it will bee a voice of thunder and terror to the Spaniards they have seen their best daies and the Massacres and Cruelties they have committed in the Indies confessed by their own Countrey-men now calls them to a strict accompt for the sins of their Fore-fathers All good people of these Nations may justly say your Highness is sent by God as a Blessing of God to Christendom and as a second Joshua to our Israël to fight the Lords Battels And by your most valiant Generals Admirals Land and Sea-souldierie to put the People of these Nations into possession of the West-Indies There is a sort of wilfull People in these Nations that repine and murmur and will not see your Highness make these Nations happie I humbly say Your Enemies shall see this glorious VVork done by your Highness which shall cause some men to burst with anger God hath appointed the Valor of this Nation to bee a terror and scourge to the Spanyards By this means the Spanish Greatness will go out like the snuff of a Candle and all Christendom that hath been disturbed and put into Garbles confusions and Tumults by their Ambition and Pride to the slaughtering and murthering of millions of men wasting whole Kingdomes and Nations their wounds and scarrs lye bleeding at this day in several places May it pleas Your HIGHNESS The West Indies is the King of Spain 's sting as Sampson 's strength lay in his Hair so doth the strength of the King of Spain lye in his Indies Clip but off his Trade of Returns from the Indies Your Highness will finde him as weak as water and so poor that hee shall not bee able to pay for a Poore-John or a Pilcher You will hit him in the Ball and White of the Eye If you take the Indies from him by the valour of Your People the English may make his Castilianians grinde Sugar Canes in the Barbadoes and use them as Sampson was used in the Prison-hous and keep the Spaniards so poor that the Hair of their heads shall never grow again to disturb Christendom God still for ever keep the spirit of Vnion in these Nations in general that every man in his Calling may have a heart and hand to build up our Breaches that both Your Highness and your People may as one man seek the Individual Prosperity the one of the other even as it is the study and care of every goo◠Husband and good Wife to please and content one another And this is no more then I most humbly say Prudence requires at this time for the Adversaries of our Peace are vigilant and leave no stone unturned to break in upon us and to make a division either in hearts or hands at this conjuncture of time may hazard and disturb the whole Nation Now the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob which never slumbereth nor sleepeth direct your Highness and this glorious Parlaments Counsels and Actions for his Honor and the Safety and Peace of all these Nations over whom your HIGHNESS by the Grace of God is PROTECTOR That as Your Highness is great and glorious in this World you may bee also great and glorious in the VVorld to come So prayeth Your HIGHNESS 's most loyal dutifull and obedient Subject THOMAS VIOLET LONDON Sept. 24. 1656. To His Highness OLIVER LORD PROTECTOR OF England Scotland Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging May it pleas Your Highness HAving formerly in November 1655 and April 1650 last most humbly presented Your Highness in writing with som humble PROPOSALS for Your Service in relation to the calling to a true and just accompt all persons that have directly or indirectly in their Custodies the publick Monies Lands Plate Jewels Merchandise or any other thing or things of value and also the Statute made at Westminster in the tenth year of the Reign of Richard the Second which excellent Law was made to bring to a strict accompt all such as had defrauded the King and State The then Parlament in making that good Act was so carefull to have all persons brought to accompt that had received the publick Treasure and all such as had defrauded the King and Realm that they made it a premunire and loss of a man's Estate besides imprisonment for any of what degree soever that perswaded or gave counsel unto the King to have the said good Law defeated And they found the strict and due execution of that Law to bee the onely Balsom to cure the great distempers and debts of the Common-wealth and ease the good people in general of great outrages oppressions and insupportable charges These are the very words of that Statute Upon the delivery of this Writing Your most humble Subject received Your Highness's gracious pleasure by Mr Kelleway that Your Highness did approve of those his humble and loial endeavours for Your Service and that they should bee taken into consideration May it pleas Your Highness Your humble Subject finding that on the 26 of May 1656. a Commission was issued our under the Great Seal of England to certain persons for to make enquiry and discovery concerning all persons that have in their hands or possessions Moneys Goods Plate Merchandise or any thing of value appertaining to the Common-wealth c. Whereupon
Your loial Subject did present unto Your Highness's said Commissioners at Worcester-hous about the last day of May the names of several persons who had been entrusted and employed as Accomptants and Treasurers to receiv and finger the publick Monies Lands and Marchandise Very many of these persons have made the Commonwealth's Money Lands Goods and Merchandise which they were entrusted with so like their own that to this day it stick 's in these men's hands and is in their private possession to the great dammage of the Nation And many of them upon examination will bee found to have at this time vast summs of money in their hands and possessions amongst them all to the value of many hundred thousand pounds Likewise your loial Subject hath most humbly presented your Highness how strict Queen Elizabeth was to have all her Receivers called to a just accompt never sparing her great Officers and Favorites by which means shee lived and died rich never finding want in her Exchequer nor her Chests without Treasure Your faithfull Subject finde's now upon his Inquiry many of these Gentlemen that were Treasurers and Accomptants to wonder and make it strange that ever they should live to see the day that any persons should call them in question upon their accompts and that a just and true accompt should bee ever expected by the State from all persons that have received and possessed themselvs of the publick Moneys Lands and Merchandise c. May it pleas your Highness your humble Suppliant saie's That that opinion of these Gentlemen for to have a perpetual Indempnity and to escape scot-free as hee most humbly conceiv's is not grounded upon any just or true reason for there bee hundreds of Orders Ordinances and Acts to enable them and thousands of people now living to bee Collectors of Subsidies Committee-men Treasurers Excise-men Commissioners of the Customs Trustees for the sale of the King Queen and Prince's Lands Bishop's Deans and Chapters and other Delinquents Lands Receivers Sequestrators and Collectors of the monthly Taxes Collectors for Charitable Uses and all and every one of these persons by the fundamental Laws of this Nation their bodies lands and estates from the time and hour they became Debters to the Common-wealth their Persons Heirs Executors and Administratorâ— their and every one of their Goods Tenements into whose hands they are sold converted or do com And all other Lands Tenements Goods and Chattels which any other person then had or now have in trust for their use or which at any time ever hereafter shall have power to dispose of are all lyable to the due and true accompting paying and answering your Highness and your Successors the monies lands and goods c. they have received and this is by many Statutes known to be the law of England And many of them before they were admitted to act as Trustees Sequestrators Committee men or Treasurers took an Oath not to act contrary to the several Rules Limitations and Instructions given them by several Acts and Orders of Parlament and Council of Sate as appeareth by the Journal books and printed Acts and Ordinances of Parlament and Council of State likewise many of the abovesaid persons upon strict examination will bee found wilfully perjured which makes the Offenders lyable to fine and ransom for the breach of their Oaths The Lawes now in force to bee duely and truely executed for to have an exact accompt will bring your Highness and the Common-wealth in milions of money there is not any one of the aforesaid persons can shew any Order Ordinance Act of the Council of State or Act of Parlament that when they were made Committee-men or Treasurers to give them or any one of them a privilege or indempnity to cozen and defraud the State or to licence any one of them to pocket up the Wealth and publick Treasure of the Nation which they have fraudulently converted to their own use And when they can shew no such privilege nor so much as a pardon they need not make it strange as many of them do at this day That they should bee forced to give the Common-wealth a just strict and true Accompt or els their Bodies and Estates as also their Heirs Executors Administrators and Assigns to bee lyable till they shall have justly and truly accompted Your Highness's humble subject delivered in Wâ—iting to your Commissioners at Worcester-Hous certain Queries for his better direction to proceed in this service and most humbly desired their judgments thereupon that so hee might know whether his discoveries were within the cognizance of their Commission All which hee humbly presented unto them as being verie materiall both for your Highness and the Commonwealths service and hee told the Commissioners that hee intended to make their judgment thereupon to him to bee his Rule either to proceed or desist in these discoveries to avoid unnecessary expence and trouble to himself and others May it pleas your Highness in June last your Supplicant left with your Highness servant Mr Kelleway the true copie of the Writing hee did deliver to the Commissioners at Worcester-Hous and most humbly besought him to present the same unto your Highness And his most humble petition to your Highness was That you would bee graciously pleased upon your Highness's perusal to signifie your pleasure thereupon to your humble and loyal subject concerning the premisses that so hee might know how to proceed but Mr Kelleway having no covenient opportunitie to get your Highness to peruse the same by reason of your Highness other great and weighty affairs thereupon your Supplicant received back the said writing again from Mr Kelleway and hath now printed the same The true reason wherefore your humble Subject hath forborn to attend the Commissioners at Worcester-hous to receiv their order and direction concerning the premisses is becaus your most humble and loyall subject intends to put in the same Writing into the Parlament and there will humbly wait for your Highness's and the Parlaments gracious Commands and directions therein And the results of that most high and honorable Court upon the premisses what your Highness and your high Court of Parliament in your great and profound wisdomes shall judg fit to bee don for the glory of God and good and eas of the nation concerning all the premisses May it pleas your Highness your loyal Subject hath in som things enlarged himself more then in his writing hee left with your Highness hee hopes it is for the honor of God the benefit of your Highness and the eas of the good people of this nation in generall His daily praiers to God is That the publique Treasure that is in private mens hands may by a gracious Act of this ensuing Parliament bee ordered converted and turned into the right Channel to save the publique Taxes which will bee as a sweet smelling Perfume in the nostrels of the good people of this nation when they shall see those Caterpillers that have not
Ships and Lading and came from a free Port viz. Cadis in Spain and were consigned to Free Ports Dunkerk and Ostend that came over from beyond Seas purposely upon this Business And they affirmed solemnly to the Court of Admiraltie that there was no goods silver or Merchandize aboard all or any of the three Ships that appertained to the Dutch of the United Provinces or French Whereupon there was an Order of Parlament about the beginning of December 1652 to the Judges of the Admiraltie to proceed to Judgment according to the Cours of the Court concerning the Ships Sampson Salvador and George and the Exspectation of many hundred meâ— was every day after to see the Ships discharged and a day appointed for sentence Thereupon som of the late Counsel of State finding that in som of your most humble Subject's Writings hee had discovered many secret wayes how Merchants transport Gold and Silver both out of this English Nation and Forrein Parts and som of them conceiving that if Your Supplicant were impowered and commanded to find out the Spaniard 's Frauds Hee could do it Whereupon the Counsel of State sent for Your Supplicant and askt him if hee could and would serve the Parlament faithfully concerning these silver Ships And if hee could by good and legall Witnesses disprove the Spanish Embassador's Claim to this Silver in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George the Committee for Forrain Affairs in the behalf of the Counsel of State and Parlament promised Your Supplicant hee should bee restored to all his Estate or the value which had been taken from him or the Summe of Eleven Thousand Pounds in Lieu thereof and should have of the Parlament a good Reward over and above After within two dayes time Your Supplicant waited on the Lord Bradshaw and Committee for Forrain Affairs and told them hee would undertake to disprove the Spanish Embassador's Claim to all this Silver by Legal and undeniable Proof And would prove by clear Testimony That there was several great quantities of Silver in these Ships that did not appertain to the King of Spain or his Subjects but to the Dutch of the United Provinces Thereupon the Counsel of State by their Order of December the 13 1652 Ordered Your Subject to assist and bee in the nature of a Remembrancer and to repair to Doctor Walker from time to time who is the Commonwealth 's Advocate for the prosecuting of these Ships Sampson Salvador and George which accordingly hee did Thereupon the day the ships were to be discharged the Court of Admiralty your humble and faithfull Subject made his protest in the Court of Admiraltie against the Judges and their Proceedings as appears by the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint herewith presented And your Supplicant likewise declared in the Court of Admiraltie that the Judges but at their perils should not proceed to clear or discharge all or any of the afore-named ships as the Sampson Salvador or George till your Supplicant's witnesses were examined in the behalf of the Common-wealth This was Decem. 17. 1643. Whereupon the Court of Admiraltie required your Supplicant to appear before the Counsel of State that afternoon at three of the clock to answer before the Counsel of State to their Charge for your Supplicants Action and Protest in the Court of Admiralty your Supplicants Protest being made against and contrary to an Order of Parlament as Judg Exton affirmed in the Court of Admiralty There was many hundred of Merchants in the Admiralty the Spanish Ambassadors Secretary Duke Leopoldus his Agents and several Spaniards when your Supplicant made his Protest against the discharge of these silver ships silver and merchandise And that very day in the afternoon at the Counsel of State before the Judges of the Admiralty upon reading of som papers your Supplicant humbly presented against the discharge of the ships the Sampson Salvador and George and all their silver and lading Upon a full debate before the Counsel of State these three ships and silver were all by Order of the Counsel stayed and your Supplicant had thanks given him by the Counsel for his faithfull service and presently commanded with all diligence to make his proof whereby to disprove the Spanish Ambassadors Claims In the further prosecution of this Business your Supplicant received several Orders of the Counsel of State and of your Highness's Counsel which ordered him from time to time to make his Addresses and advise with Doctor Walker your Highness's Advocate in this Business Doctor Walker knows that for 16 months together your Supplicant employed many people in this Business against the ships Sampson Salvador and George their silver and lading Your Subject employed several persons in the translation of Spanish and Dutch Papers which are in the Registrie of the Admiraltie other persons your Supplicant daily employed amongst the Passengers and Seamen that belonged to these ships to finde out and know what silver appertained and belonged to Holland and all other matters that might tend to the discovery of this Business constantly as I said employing about ten men in this Service as appears by their several Affidavits for neer sixteen months together All these mens expences at their meetings Boat-hire and payment of them for their time your most humble Supplicant out of his own purs hath discharged And this hee did to enable himself to do this service and to finde out the bottom of the Spanish Ambassadors fraud in claiming this silver Your Supplicant at the earnest entreaty of Doctor Walker as appears by his Warrants to the Examiner and Register of the Admiralty did cause to be breviated and read and took notes of many thousand sheets of paper som papers hee caused to bee translated out of Dutch and Spanish into English concerning the silver ships For almost three months together this was your Supplicants and several mens works viz. one Mr Glover that had lived a long time in Holland and Mr Bald-wyne that had lived in Spain as also your Supplicant and others which were daily employed about this Business as the Registers and Examiners of the Admiralty can testifie and all this was done by your Supplicant at his own charges never receiving a penny as yet either from the Parlament Counsel of State or your Highness for all his disbursments and this your Supplicant did at the command of the Counsel of State at the intreaty of Doctor Walker And had your Supplicant failed to make good his allegations and not to have proved what hee undertook to do hee had been totally a second time undone Your Supplicant must confess that the old Counsel of State in December 1652. many of them told him If hee should fail of disprooving the Spanish Ambassadors Claim and could not prove what hee had alleged to the Counsel of State that in these ships there was silver appertained to the Dutch of the United Provinces That then his protesting against the discharge of this silver would totally undo your
probibited mee I should have then been afraid besides Mr Ryley should never have made mee act against a declared Law Now forasmuch as your Supplicant having ever since his Inlargment out of the Tower made it his daily practice to study to serv the Common-wealth and doing such remarkable Services as aforesaid for the Common-wealth I do most humbly implore your Highness s most gracious Order for the refloring mee to my aforesaid estate with damages or the paying your Supplicant the summ of eleven thousand pounds May it pleas your Highness If I would have betraied my Trust to the Common-wealth about this Silver that was in the Ships Sampson Salvador and George I could have had every penny of eleven thousand pounds paid me by the Claimers of the Silver in those Ships either in monie here or Bills of Exchange beyond Seas that monie would have made mee live plentifully in any part of Christendom I do most humbly implore your Highness that I may have such Justice by your Highness goodness and benignity as I may have cause never to repent of my being faithfull to your Highness and the Commonwealths Interest in this particular concerning the Silver Ships their Silver and Lading May it please your Highness THe exact looking back into the Accompts of this Nation which upon my bended knees I here humbly have desired a strict inspection into by approbation and authority of Parlament and strict Laws to bee made without favour or affection the prosecution of this great business to bee left to uninteressed men to doe Justice When this is done it will bring the State in many millions of money and leav a stock of Lands for the Publick Which if it bee effectually justly and strictly done will make all after ages call this Parlament the BLESSED PARLAMENT the true nursing fathers and builders up of the breaches and ruines of this Nation It is incredible the great summs of money that belongs unto the State which particular persons have fraudulently concealed and upon a strict search will bee discovered Great Sir THere hath been some of Your Higness's Commissioners for Customes out of a pretended zeal to do Your Highness and the Commonwealth service offered themselves to execute those places without any fee upon thâ—â—â— first undertaking and upon that specious pretence turnâ—â— almost all the old Officers of the Commonwealth for collecting of Customes and Custome business out of their places to the totall ruine of many scores of Families thorow out the Nation onely to make way for their one friends and relations to come into beneficiall places which could not bee duely executed but by persons of skill and trust to make up many of their broken kindreds and friends decayed fortunes This mischief was practised uppon the old Officers of the Customes And by the ignorance and insolency of many of these new Commissioners and Officers the Revenues of the Customs have been much abated and the Commonwealth Damnified But upon examination of some of these pretended godly Commissioners viz. Colonel Harvey and Mr Alderman Avery the Father now a prisoner in the Flâ—et and his son Dudley Avery now a prisoner in Lambeth-hous detected and proved before your Highness's Counsel to have cozened the State of several thousand pounds The Father being intrusted as Treasurer by the Commissioners of the Customs Many of their dark actions have been brought to light some of them for their bad practises and insolencies to Marchants being generally cursed and hated in the City of London and in all the Sea Ports ' of this Nation May it pleas your Highnes it caused a general joy amongst all good Marchants and honest men in London when these men were questioned And when they were made to restore great summs which thy had fraudulently deceived the State of It pleased all good men The same just cours to bee strictly now taken with all the Treasurers Sequestrators and Committee men of the Nation will make all honest men thank God and bless your Highness and the Parlament for the ease the good people in generall shall receiv in their taxes by stripping these â—ublicans and Sinners Amongst the many swarms of â—â—em your Highness will hardly finde one relenting repenting Zaccheus And for those Treasurers that have laid out the Commonwealths moneys in Lands their Lands will and is by the Law of this Nation lyable till they have perfected their Accompts and come out of the Commonwealths debt And the like for any Accomptant that is dead their Heirs and Executors by the Law are lyable to pay the same if an Estate can bee found in their hands May it pleas your Highness the business of calling the Treasurers of the Nation to a strict Accompt as hee humbly conceiveth can and will offend none but the guilty and they will storm to see these humble Proposals or that any should presume to bee so much a true English-man and lover of his Countrey as to petition for an accompt of these Treasurers actions either to your Highness or the Parlament For thâ—se that have been just in their Trust this humble Petition will make no impression on them It will only concern vex and griev the Guilty and such as have cozened your Highness and the Common-wealth All such as cannot endure this Examination trial and rubbing if they winch they are galled horses and faulty But for such as are just persons in their Trust in their publick Accompts and Payments that have none of the Common-wealths Blood and Sinews Money converted to their private ends nor have made themselvs and their families rich by fraud in these troublesom Times and common Calamities there are many such just men no doubt in all these Offices for these Gentlemen no doubt it will pleas them This search and inquisition the strickter it is will pleas good men most for it will purge the dross from the gold it will clear honest mens credits it will separate the sheep from the goats it will vindicate them and their posteritie that when so many of their Callings and Mysteries when Inquisition was made were found guilty of fraud and cheating the State and Common-wealth they discharged their Trust with a good conscience faithfully and truly And I hope all this number of Committe-men will bee on my side for to have a strict Inspection into their Accompts according to former Presidents of Parlament and by the Laws of the Land hath been formerly done May it pleas your Highness An Act to bee revived and to appoint the Sages and Pillars of the Land to see Justice and execution impartially done imploying able and discreet persons by your Highness's Commissions in every Parish and Countie of this Nation to enquire upon oath into all Frauds and misdemeanors and what Persons and Estates and their value have been sequestred what Goods and Chattels Woods felled money and all other things of value since the year 1642. and into whose hands and possession the Profits came and into the monthlie Assesments and
unless it bee sealed with This Restraint ought now to bee carefully looked after and to make the melting down of Shillings Sixpences half Crowns and five Shilling pieces Felony And strictly to forbid upon severe Penalties all Goldsmiths not to presume to bee Cashiers and Receivers of Merchants monies by which means they have formerly and do at this day cull and melt down the heavy English money The Goldâ—miths have by buying and selling English Gold above the currant price bought and sold all the Gold out of the Nation to the unspeakable dammage thereof And now there is no other Remedy to get Gold back in the Nation but by raising of it as some would have it shortly wee shall have no Silver Coyn left in the Nation and then wee must raise that to get back our Silver again And by this means all setled Revenues and Landlords will lose so much in their estates as you raise Gold and Silver the Seal of the Company And upon these Conditions they offered to pay his Majestie his Heirs and Successors for ever One thousand pounds yearly and over and above two pence the ounce for all Forain Bullion that shall bee used in their Trade And humbly petition That his Majestie would bee pleased to publish his Proclamation to forbid any to practise any the said Trades or Manufactures or Drawing or Spinning of Gold or Silver Thread or Wyer other than such as should bee Incorporated Upon this Petition his Majestie granted this following Reference viz. 2 Aprill 1635. HIs Majestie referreth this Petition to Mr Attourny General To take the same into consideration together with the Earl of Holland's Petition and certifie his opinion R. Freeman This Petition I have readie to bee produced Sr John Bankes Attournie general certifies back to the late King to this effect viz. That hee did not discern any inconvenience that the Gold Wyerdrawers who offer his Majestie upon their voluntary Petition One thousand pounds a year and two pence for everie ounce of Bullion which should bee used by them should bee incorporated for their better government according to their Petition so that they bee tied to some certain Conditions amongst which they were not to work any of the currant heavie Monie of this Nation nor any of the Plate of the Nation for any Manufacture of Gold or Silver Thread or Wyer they were not to use any Silver in their trade but Forrain Bullion and no more than yearlie should bee imported by their means and the Manufacture made according to the Standard or better Hereupon the Refiners Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs c. seeing themsellves exposed to the Law by the information of some of the Wardens and Company of the Goldsmiths informing against them and Mr Attournie General Banks by Order of the King and Lords prosecuting them in the Starr Chamber for high Crimes and Misdemeanors the Refiners viz. Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs c. Petition the late King in An. 1635. for his grace and mercy and making their humble Application to the then Attournie general Bankes and Sr J. Cook Secretary of State and to Sr William Beecher and several others whom they paid and gratified with great sums of money to get their pardons I being privy thereunto and desired and requested by them to use all my endeavors to keep Sr John Wolaston off from being indighted upon high Crimes and Offenses which Alderman Wolaston was charged with by Sr Henry Mildemay and some of the Wardens of the Company of Goldsmiths which I did by Secretary Cookes power and I did assist them to get their Pardons and spent my money and used all my endeavors and interest freely And at the earnest entreatie of Alderman Gibbs who with many tears besought mee to do it for Gods sake I having a little before made my peace and paid to the King two thousand Pounds for my pardon for Transporting Gold and Silver and by that means being intimately acquainted with Sr John Cook then Principal Secretary of State and Mr Attourney General Bankes and Sr William Beecher Clark of the Counsel I could and did get for Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs great favour of them I managed their business so amongst them that the edg of Justice was blunted and Sr Henry Mildemay's Commission revoked and all his endeavors to undoe Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs I disappointed by the power of the aforesaid persons And I am confident they paid them well for it for in those times there was nothing done by Courtâ—ers for Cittizens without money and I am sure I in my particular found it so But I never would accept or take of Alderman Wolaston or Alderman Gibbs for my expenses and pains one farthing though they often times then offered mee their pretended great acknowledgments And this I do say is true as I shall answer before God I did it freely upon the account of Frendship I bare unto Alderman Gibbs And how well and justly Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston requited mee for getting them their Pardons of the King in 1636. the Common Counsel of London and many honorable members of Parlament know and heard at a common Hall in January 1643. when Alderman Wolaston beeing Lord Major and Alderman Gibbs were the chief Informers against mee in Guild Hall and incensed many honorable members of Parlament and the body of the Citie of London against mee as a malignant and vicious person And this Alderman Gibbs did by along winded Speech openly at Guild Hall And som few daies before they abused and villified mee before a Committee of Parlament at Goldsmiths Hall and procured mee to bee sent to the Tower through their unjust Information But God in his good time will finde their iniquity out for since it hath been proved what Alderman Wolaston hath been to the Government and that makes him uncapable to bear Office in the Commonwealth How God will dispose of Alderman Gibbs this Parlament that time will present And what Service I have don to this Nation I most humbly leav it to the considerations of all true English men I saved the Nation at one time three hundreed Thousand Pounds in the year 1652. A summ of money more then all the Goldsmiths and Refiners are worth put them all together And in doing that service I most humbly say I clearly shewed my Dutie and Affection to this Nation and shewed I was no Malignant When Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs do so much for this Nation I shall take them to bee better men then now I do After many dayes Attendance of Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs at the Counsel-table and at the Attourny General Sr John Banke's Chamber Upon condition that Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs Their Pardon 's under the Great Seal of Enland will shew the offences they were guilty of for men need not take a Pardon if they be not guilty and faulty I refer my self to the paticulars in their Pardons what offenses
they were pardoned of might have their Pardons under the Great Seal of England for what offenses and abuses in their Trades they had done contrary to the Laws of this Nation and Mr Attournie Generall by order of the King and Counsel to stop his Proceedings against them and the rest of the Refiners both in the Exchequer and Starr-Chamber The Refiners Alderman Wolastone and Alder. Gibbs thereupon offer to pay his Majestie six pence the ounce for all Wyer that should bee disgrossed and spent in that Munufacture And they drew in six other Refiners to bee their fellow Partners and Monopolists and to pay the Rent of a fair hous above one hundred and twenty Pounds a year to pay Clarks wages and other incident charges And this Office they did execute several moneths in the year 1635. before the King would give Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs their pardons for their offenses And much adoe then they had to get their Pardons for when their pardons were at the Signet Office Sr Henry Mildemay got the King to stop their pardons And this Sr John Cook the Secretary of State told me That Sr Henry Mildemay had presented to the late king how grosly both Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston had abused the Commonwealth contrary to the Law and how they had surprised the King in getting their Pardons and that they deserved to bee made exemplar I am sure according to the usuall way of the Court Alderman Wolaston and Alderman Gibbs could not remove such obstructions but with great summs though the particular summs I never knew And I was desired by Mr Secretry Cook at Oatlands on Sunday after Diner to go presently to London to Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston which accordingly I did to let them know from him their Pardons were stopped by the King and that they should attend him about it which accordingly Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston the next morning did I was well acquainted for I had paid for it what the meaning of such a message was to bee sent by me to Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wolaston And I did believ that they had not come up to a full price nor paid so much as was expected and I knew that was the main stop of their Pardons Upon this Offer of the Refiners to pay the King six pence the ounce beeing asmuch again as the Gold-wyer-drawers had offered by their Petition the Gold-wyer-drawers were laid aside with their Petition and Propositions by the late King and his Counsel as inconsiderable persons And the Refiners Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston by their craft getting to bee great with the Attorney General Bankes Secretary Cook Sir William Beecher and other Courtiers got to bee the onely men to carry on this Project for being the Kings Agents to furnish One hundred thousand pounds a year for this manufacture And the late King to gratifie the Refiners who had bid him so roundly granted Alderman Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs their pardons under the great Seal of England the rest of the Refiners being then but young men were esteemed as rascal Deer they had not wool on their Backs nor had committed sins enough for to have their pardons under the great Seal of England and so got dismissed by Order of the Lords of the Counsel in the Court of Starr-Chamber And the King appoints the Refiners viz. Alderman Wollaston Alderman Gibbs Henry Patrickson Daniel Stalworthy William Haward Richard Gibbs Thomas Nowel and Walter Hill under the great Seal of England to bee called by the name of his Majesties Agents for the refining of One hundred thousand pounds Gold and Silver a year for this Business And they had not a bare title onely of that name for the late King allowed them to share with him and to tax the People in their prizes to sell their gilt silver Wyer two pence upon every ounce and the silver Wyer one penny upon every ounce more then divers Goldsmiths of London offered to sell the Wyer-drawers And this was offered several times by Captain Williams the late Kings Goldsmith a man of a great and vast Estate Mr Footer Mr Symonds and divers other able rich men And good securitie offered to the late Kings Commissioners and at the Counsel Table at Whitehall for the performing of Covenants But this would not bee granted by the late King or his Counsel And this gave the great Offence in Parlament 16â—0 it being found by the Parlament upon Examination that so great and numerous a company as the Company of Goldsmiths and Gold-wyer-drawers are should bee debarred so great a branch in their Trade as this is For it will be justified and credibly demonstrated to your Highness and the Parlament that these aforesaid eight Refiners whereof Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston had one half of the Trade and stock as appears by the Monopolie got more for their own particular profit by monopolizing to themselves the sale of all Gold and Silver Wyer for this Manufacture being one hundred thousand pounds a year then all the Goldsmiths in London which are many hundred families did get at that time by selling all the new Plate in London And I am confident all knowing Goldsmiths will calculate it so which was and is the principal part of the Goldsmiths Trade The Duty reserved to the King in lieu of his Customs was nothing so odious to the Wyer-drawers in comparison as the Refiners Monopoly was The Wyer-drawers constantly affirmed to the King and his Counsel and to the Kings Commissioners that the Refiners Monopoly was contrary to Law and upon a dispute at the Counsell Table the King called the Refiners Alderman Gibbs and Alderman Wollaston his Sheep and the Wyerdrawers he called his Goats but in the conclusion both these Refining Aldermen proved the Kings Majesties Sheep biters And the late King pressed the Wyer-drawers at his Counsell Table to conform themselvs to the Regulation but some of the Wyer-drawers told the said King They would submit to the Law but not to the Refiners Monopoly and that it was against the Law that Freemen of the City of London should bee restrained a Free Market to enrich private men and to make them Aldermen Besides the Gold-wyer-drawers were compelled upon great penalties as appears by their Bonds to buy no Silver wyer for their manufacture but of the said Alderman Wallaston Alderman Gibbs and the other six Patâ—ntees joined with them and oftentimes the Refiners Gibbs and Wollaston pressed the Commissioners to cause searches and complaining they were at great charges paying Clerks wages and Hous-rent and therefore desired searches and seisures of such Wyer-drawers silver which did not buy of them And they forced all persons to pay them two pence the ounce for all gilt wyer and a penny the ounce for all silver wyer more then they ought or needed to have done had the Wyer-drawers been permitted to have had a free market And the Goldwyerdrawers paid this for divers years together as is