RUIN to RUIN, AFTER MISERY to MISERY.  
Being the distressed, and Ruined, and perishing State of the Loyal and Faithful Seamen of England, and wherein is laid down.  
I. their ruined State in several particulars.  
II. That it is like to be three or four Years more before they are paid, except an extraordinary Supply be raised, and appropriated for them.  
III. That as many Ships, and thousands and ten thousands of Men have five or six years pay due, if they are not timely paid, it is like to be eight or nine Years between their beginning to earn their Money, and their being paid.  
iv A Proposal humbly offered how they may be paid offal by May next, without borrowing one penny of Money.  
V Several Reasons for their being Justly and Honestly paid.  
VI An humble Proposal for the advantage of a Million or two in a Year to the Nation in a few Years, And  
Lastly, An humble Supplication for the taking off some part of the Act of Parliament concerning the poor miserable Seamens paying 6d. the Month out of their Wages.  
All humbly represented by a faithful Subject to his Majesty, and Servant to the Parliament and Nation.  
William Hodges.  
London, Printed, five or six hundred of these humbly to give away to the most Honourable Houses of Parliament, but none to sell about Streets. 1699.   

TO The most Excellent Majesty of King William the Third, and to the Two most Honourable Houses, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in Parliament assembled, humbly Sheweth.  
May it please your Most Gracious Majesty, and you the most Noble, Right Noble and Honoured Senators.  
THE Providence of God having stirred me up for some years last passed, to represent the dreadful Ruin and Misery and Destruction of the Loyal and Valiant Seamen of England, in the Destruction of their Lives, Health, and payment, in such a most deplorable Case as is in no Age or History Recorded, that I could hear or read of either of these Nations, or any other Nations, for the Seafaring part of Mankind. And there having been an Act of Parliament or two concerning their Relief, it may be supposed now all is well. But what shall I say, their Miseries have been in some cases worse than before; as first, before those Acts, there were many Ships had three or four years Pay due to them, and now there is many have five or six Years Pay due to them. Secondly, Before they had, it may be, ten hundred thousand Pound due to them, but they have had above eighteen hundred thousand Pound due to them for Wages, as the Honourable House of Commons in their votes last March declared was due to them at Michaelmas, 1697. And though there was a Payment last Winter of near forty Ships, there were not four of them paid clearly off, but want to be Re called many thousands of Payments, and of above two hundred Ships put up for Recals in August 97, there is above an hundred of them not paid one Groat since, and so there is some thousands of Payments of above 4, 5, and 6 years standing, as by the Printed List put up at the Navy-Office, and of the Ships names and times of Payment, will appear, two of which List I intent to present to the Honourable Speakers of the Houses of Lords and Commons, for the Houses to peruse, and two to present to his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, one for himself, and the other for his Majesty, and there every one may see that those poor Wretch's Families that had run the hazard of Starving and perishing, by lying out of their honest Pay 3 or 4 Years, have now, to add to their full Ruin and Destruction, if possible, lain out 5 or 6 years or more, and there is ten or eleven Ships now at this time at Portsmouth, that have not been paid off this 4 or 5 years, most part, and having between Three and four hundred Thousand Pound due to them, as by the several Ships Books will appear; and though their Miseries have been so great, yet the Nation has been put to some hundreds of thousands of Pounds of needless Charge, that might have been saved, if they had been paid off when the War was ended, and as I said, there are many other Ships of several Years standing unpaid, that counting there was last year 1800000 pound due for Sea-Wages, and suppose 600000 paid since, four hundred Thousand grown due since, it will be found to be about Sixteen hundred Thousand Pound due at this Day for Wages; and how dreadfully ruined and Starving a Condition those Families must be in who have not had one Penny to support them with Bread or  to keep them from starving for 5 or 6 Years, cannot easily be known, nor easily Lamented, and as they have been worse paid, so also have they been worse fed since the Act of Parliament for their Relief; for before this Act sometimes a Ship was put to short Allowance for a few Weeks at Sea in Case of Necessity. But after the Act for their Encouragement, they were most part of the Summer, and the greatest part of the Fleet put to Short Allowauce, Six M●n to have but four men's Victuals, and that a great part of the Year 1697; and not only at Sea, but in Harbours at Portsmouth, and at Chatham, and wanted Bread at the Buoy of the North, as the Books of the whole Fleet will make appear, and therefore let their encouragement have appeared to be what it will, their discouragement was Augmented; and for that, and for some other Reasons. I would humbly entreat for the Loyal Seamen of England, that some part of that Act may be Repealed, or altered. But the first thing, which I believe both God and Justice, and Moral Honesty, and Humanity requires, is, to pay the Labourers, these miserable, poor, impoverished, beggared, ruined and undone Wretches, their Wages due to them, for their hire, that after the laying down of above Sixty Thousand of their Lives, and the Ruin and Running of above an Hundred Thousand of their Payments, that they are stripped of by those fatal Letters, Q. R. The rest of their Payments not Ravished from them as yet openly, being near an Hundred and Forty Thousand Payments; may be honestly and speedily paid them; and that the Nation need not to excuse the Paying of them for want of Money, I would humbly propose how there might be the full Payment of them with Ease, before Lady-day, without Borrowing a Groat: That is, by the Issuing out of sixteen, or 18 hundred Thousand Pounds of Chequer-Bills, as before; but they must be appropriated for the Payment of the Fleet only; for if there be five times as much raised, and it runs in other Channels, the Seamen may be as Miserable, and as Ruined still as before. I bless God, Since I did write great part of this, that God hath put it into the Hearts of the Honourable House of Commons to inquire into the state of the Sea Affairs, to see what is due, and what hath been paid since there was Eighteen hundred, and sixty Thousand Pound due at Michaelmas 1697, for Wages to the Fleet. But I would humbly entreat their Honours to Consider, That the Number of the Seamen in our Fleet, and Ships in our Fleet was much more than ever before, and perhaps a quarter more than needed, if they had been led on to fight, by their Managers, as in other Ages. And it may be some will suppose, because there was about 37 Ships paid off the very Last Winter, altho' the Recalls was never paid, which perhaps is twice or three times as much, and because there hath been, it may be, twenty or thirty Ships Paid this year, though by the way, many of them have above a Year and quarters pay due still of the New, and some of them several Years of the Old. But it may be some will suppose the Fleet paid off, when as there were about 160 Ships Employed, as your Honours will sinned; and if Forty Ships Paid in a Year, will be four Years in Paying at that Rate, and yet make a great noise, to pay off ten Ships every 12 or 13 Weeks, and at that rate of paying off Thirty or Forty Ships in the Year, must of necessity be two or three years made in payment of them off, and then for the Recalls of the Hundred and odd Ships un-recalled, as by the printed List will appear, if they begin to recall them, and pay off a Ship every Week, it must be above two Years time in Paying them, and the Ships that were pretended to be Paid off last Year, and having so many Thousands now left unpaid; if they be Paid off fully, one Ship in a Week, will be near another Years Work. So that, unless God Almighty put it into your Honour's Hearts for to consider their Ruined Case, here is like to be of Necessity three or four Years time more, before the ruined, Beggared Seamen be all paid, as any that will but count the Number of the Ships aforesaid, may easily find; or if your Honours would but count the more than two Millions of Wages due for Pay of the Fleet since the 1st of October 1697. and what is Paid since, and if your Honours find that there hath not been above Seven or Eight Hundred Thousand Pound paid in the Year 1697. and 1698. Then at that rate, considering the great Number of Ships pretended to be paid, that have above a Year and a quarters Pay already, and the growing Pay coming due, it will require 3 or 4 Years time to Pay them off at that rate, which will be Misery to Misery, and Ruin to Ruin: And if it should be objected, that the Army must be Paid off first; to that I would humbly Answer, That if the Honourable Houses will raise Three millions of Exchequer-Bills, it would pay off the Fleet, and Army before Mayday, and save his Majesty the Trouble and Charge of Borrowing Money at I know not what prodigious Charge, Procuration, and Continuation; and these Three Millions of Bills would be of use to his Majesty, and the Nation, and either save the hoarding up of our Ready-money by the Great, and Rich; or these Bills, if returned but twenty times in a Year, or thirty times in two Years, one Bill with another, among Tradesmen, they might, at ten in the Hundred Profit, gain the Value of the Bills three times over; and we find by daily experience now, that those Exchequer Bills now out, are hoarded up, and esteemed better than Gold or Silver; and as to calling in of the 3 Millions of Bills, the Honourable House of Commons might settle a sufficient Fund, either by a 3●● aid, as this last Year, or by what means and ways their Honours in their great Wisdoms do think sit. But that there is a necessity of paying off the miserable, Ragged, Ruined Seamen, and their Beggared, and Perishing Widows, Wives, or Relations: I have humbly presumed to lay down several Reasons, and if any should ask why I do put myself to the Charge and Hazard to represent their Ruin, having not bought one Penny of their Pay these 4 or 5 Years, to that I would humbly answer, That their Ruin, and Destruction, and starving Conditition of them and their Family cries so loud in my Ears, and afflicts my very Soul, that I cannot forbear Representing their miserable Casel, having known so much of their Continued Misery so many Years, that I have a Call from God, Angels, and Men, and my own Conscience, not to let their Ruins be hid; and if God Almighty Commanded the Jews under the Law not to let their enemy's Ox or Ass lie in a Ditch without helping him out; Then certainly God will be well pleased that I should Labour to help His Majesty, and the Nations loving and faithful, serviceable Asses, the Seamen and their Families, that lie in the Ditches of Poverty and Ruin, to help them out, by endeavouring to cry out to His Majesty, and your Honours.  
I Remember a Story I have read in the Book of Martyrs, that it was a Saying of an Outlandish Priest in the times of Popery, That the Englishmen were good Asses, and would bear all Burdens. And I do believe I may say in the Presence of the Lord, before whom I writ, That there were never such a number of faithful, miserable, contented Asses belonged to the Sea in any Ages of the World, who died and perished at that dreadful Rate, above 60 Thousand of them, as the Ships Books prove, and were above a hundred Thousand of them run out of their Pay, and the rest kept so many Years out of their Pay, and be contented to die and perish without Speaking a Word of it; and I must say, Balaam's Ass was wise enough to tell his Case, and for my part, they are like never to know from me that they are any other Creatures. But Asses bear Asses Burdens, and if I were their Mouth, I would say, to the Nations in the words of Balaam's Ass; Are we not your Asses, upon which ye have Riden over since we were yours, and did we ever Rebel against you, and wherefore have you smitten us these three times so dreadfully out of our Lines, Liberties, and Payments. And I suppose some will not Represent their Case, because they cannot, and some others that know their Ruins, get Estates by it, in buying many of their Tickets at eight, or ten, or twelve Shillings in the Pound Loss, which is the Devil and all of Extortion, and I believe will Cry in the Ears of God, Angels, and Men, either for the Relief of the Oppressed, and punishing the dreadful Extortortioners, or Vengeance on the Oppressors; and indeed, I have read much in the Prophets, of the Oppressors and Extortioners, that God complained of against Israel; but could never find, neither in the Scripture, nor in Josephus' History, or any other History, that there was any could parallel the Extortion, and Ruin exercised on the brave, Courageous Seamen of England. I shall say more in the Reasons following, and leave all to the Serious Consideration of His Gracious Majesty, and the two most Honourable Houses, and lay myself at their Feet, humbly begging Fardon for whatever is amiss in this, or me; and either in doing, or Suffering, shall still subscribe myself to be His Majesty's Most Humble, and Hearty, and Loving Servant to Command,  
Hermitage-Bridge, Jan. 1699. William Hodges.   

Ruin to Ruin, AFTER MISERY to MISERY.  
Or the afflicted, distressed, impoverished, and Ruined State of many Thousands and ten Thousands of the poor and miserable Seamen, their perishing Wives, Widows, Children, or Relations, Shows,  
THat as the Greatness of the Loyal and faithful Seamens Miseries were thrown on them after they had beaten the French, so the Providence of God called me to represent the same from Year to Year, in part, to the two most honourable Houses of Parliament; and their Honours having raised Money for them for their Relief; and made two Acts of Parliament, entitled, For their Relief. I was in hopes I should have had no more occasion to represent their being ruined; but their Case being so exceeding miserable still, as to their Pay, I cannot as a Christian, or an Englishman, with Love to His Majesty, and my Native Country, and satisfaction of Conscience, let their Distress be any longer hidden; especially considering that as the Honourable Houses raised great Sums, and entitled an Act or two, as if it had been to pay them off; it may be some will suppose that the Seamen are Paid, and there being many Honourable new Members of Parliament, which it may be never heard of the Dreadful Ruin of those poor Wretches, I do humbly presume to represent the same in all Humility, Truth, and Faithfulness, and if any will say they are most part paid, it is against the proof of all the Ships Books at the Payoffice at Michaelmas 1697. And if we reckon but 340 Thousand pound more for the rest of the Year, and I will prove by the several Ships Books that there are several Ships have not been paid off this 4 or 5 Years, and I will prove by a List of about two hundred Ships put up for Recalls at Broadstreet in August, 1697. That there is above an Hundred of them not Recalled; and the List shows how many Years those miserable Payments are unpaid; as for Example, the Tiger●Prize, from the 1st of October, 1692, which is six Years last October, and abundance more of above six Years standing, and the Suffolk, St. Andrew, and about 40 Ships more never paid off their Recalls since the 1st of October, or thereabouts, in the Year 1693, which is above five Years unpaid, and that I may make the Ruinousness of the Pay to be plain to any one that can but tell their Fingers and Thumbs, to appear how much worse and dreadful Ruinous it will be, if extraordinary Care be not taken to Pay them with Speed, Honour, and Honesty; and this I would repesent as beforesaid, admitting, as is certainly true, that the money due at October 1697, and the additional pay arising before the 1st of October 1698. to be 22 hundred Thousand Pound, and suppose there was paid between the 1st of October 1697, and the 1st of October 1698 in that Year five hundred and twenty five Thousand Pound, that is but one quarter, and will be 4 Years in Paying, that is as many Years as I have Fingers on my Right-Hand. But now, suppose there be now in 4 Years more but two hundred Thousand Pound, the Year following Pay it will be near Three Millions of Money in all, and at Five hundred Thousand Pound the Year, will be above 4 Years more before the Fleet will be paid clear off; and if we consider how dreadful it will be for those many Thousands, and Ten Thousands, who have pay due five or six Years already, to stay three or four Years more before they are paid, that will make it up eight or nine Years. But it may be some will say, That if the first paid, it may be but one with another about five Years, and let the rest stand, as several Ships Books will testify of late; and indeed, for eleven Ships kept in Pay at Portsmouth, that have between three and four hundred thousand Pound due for Wages, and if there be but Five hundred Thousand Pound the year paid, these Ships will take up great part of one Years Money, and what must Pay the rest of the twenty Ships at Plymouth, besides Chatham, and besides all that are in the Rivers, or at Sea? how miserable must their Cases be, and how miserable those many times ten Thousands of the Old Pay on the Recalls, which none knows when they will be so much as pretended to be paid, and it may be some will say, What do I mean to be pretended to be paid? to that I will show them some Years in which the pretended Payments fell dreadful short, and I do not write as many do, out of Fancy, or Prejudice, what I cannot prove; but I will prove what I writ of the Ruin of the Seamens Pay, by the several Ships Books, if his Majesty pleases, and it shall not cost him Twopences; and as to Pretended Payments, the first was in the Year of our Lord, 1692, That blessed Year that we did Beat the French; but wiserable have the Dreadful Ruins been since, for their Paying was stopped for several Months, and the Ships not Recalled for Payment as they bade been of other Years, soon after the coming on from paying on Board. But however, in October 1692, about the Sitting of the Parliament, there was a brave Show put up at the Payoffice of 166 Ships to be Paid; but after some Flourish therein, the waiting of some Thousands, and ten Thousands Weekly, and Monthly for their Pay, there was no above one Quarter of them paid all the Year, as I did humbly Represent to the two most Honourable Houses of Parliament in Print the next Year, and gave away about 500 Printed Accounts to them freely, but Sold not any one about the Town, and the Honourable Houses were pleased to Order a great Relief the next Year in their Payment, although there were abundance of other Miseries thrown on them of which I Represented about twenty several Sorts, and also represented how, and by what several Methods His Majesty and the Nation was Cheated in many Cases, which I supposed, if prevented, would have saved above a Hundred Thousand Pounds the Year; and gave away four Sheets apiece in Print to great part of the Honourable Members of both Houses, but Sold none; for I hid from the Seamen their miserable Miseries in the Lump, that as they knew them singly, so they might groan and Mourn singly, without Disturbance. But their Ruins increasing, I humbly Presumed to Represent their Miserable Cases to the Honourable Houses, in the Year of Our Lord, 1695, and gave away 500 Books of four Sheets each, to the Members of both Houses, wherein there were Thirty several Miseries Represented, and I gave the Honourable Members between Three and four Hundred Books of about Eight Sheets apiece, of Ways and Means to Relieve the Seamen, and prevent His Majesty's being Shamefully Cheated, and the Seamen Cheated and Abused also; besides that, I gave the same Year about Four hundred Books of four Sheets and an half of Paper to the Honourable Members about the Coin, and to propose the Raising Money, by Four Millions of Bills, and all this at my own Charge, not having one Penny Assistance from any one Alive towards the same, neither in Money, neither any Assistance from any in the Writing of one half Sheet of Paper, and I Bless God, who enabled me to be true and Faithful to my King and Country therein, and that the Honourable Houses passed by my Infirmities in the same, from first to last; and now I speak of Bills, makes me to think once more with how much ease the Seamen might be all paid off with Honour and honesty, with Exchequer Bills before May-day next, if the Houses would raise three Millions of Exchequer-Bills, as before Represented, and the Seamen need not be continued to be more and more Ruined from Year to Year, by lingering, pretended Payments, such as the List put up; also in August, 1697, A while before the Parliament sat; but as I said before, above a Hundred Ships Payments dropped to this day; and of the Ships that were paid off last Winter, the Recalls have not been so much as pretended to be put up for Payment; and of those Ships that have been kept needlessly in Pay a Year and a Quarter, I suppose it hath Cost the Nation about Five or Six hundred Thousand Pounds Extraordinary Charge to keep them from being paid off, besides the dreadful Ruin of the Seamen, and their Families, and those who had trusted them before on the Credit of their Pay; for many of those miserable Wretebes had Tickets given them for their Pay, and sold them, some at 7 or 8 or 10 Shillings in the Pound Loss, and so could not Pay their Debts; and as the Extortioners, some of them swallowed-half their Pay, and the poor Wretches so Ragged and miserable, many of them looking more like Captives, taken by an Enemy, than Loving, and Faithful Subjects, serving their King and Country, as those who use to go on Board of Ships have seen the Men so Ragged, as if they had come out of France, and had on the old  that the French had given them. But this by the way, I say, The Extortioners getting by their Tickets one half, and the Furnishing them out again fit to save their Lives, and do their Work, by being Clothed as Men, or Christians; there has been a poor little left for their Families, if any, and sometimes none to Pay their Debts; so that the badness of the Pay hath been the way to Ruin the Men, and Families, and to Cheat, and Ruin them that Trust them; Besides, as I said, the Extraordinary needless Charge to His Majesty. But I intent to Represent several Reasons for their being honestly and speedily Paid; and I remember a Story I have read of a great Courtier, I think it was Cardinal Woolsey That after he had long served his King, was brought to Ruin, and he had this Expression, If he had served God as industriously and Faithfully as he had served the King, he would not have Ruined him at last. And now I speak of the Holy Name of God, there doth come a place of Scripture into my Mind, and it is in the first of the Corinthians, the 2d, and the 9th. Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither hath it entered into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that Love him. And on the contrary, I fear I may say, Eye hath not seen, neither hath Ear heard, neither can it enter into the heart of Man, to Conceive the Miseries, and Ruins, and Destructions, and Poverty, and Groans, and Cries of those Seamen who have loved His Majesty, and their own Native Countries, and lost their Health and Lives, and many Thousands of them their Pay also for their Serving both; And indeed, I will be , I have often thought, that if the Devil, and the Jesuits, and the Late King's Friends in France and England had sat in Council about the Loyal and Faithful Seamen of England after they had beat the French, and had said in the Sea-Dialect, These eternal damned Dogs the Seamen of England and Scotland will fight like Dragons to keep out a Popish Religion, and French Power, and we can never have a Ship or two betrayed to us, except privately, because these damned Dogs the Seamen are ready to defend their Ships, and their Nation, let them lose never so many Lives; therefore we must consult how to Ruin them some other way; for to endeavour to ruin them them by fight, would Ruin all the French Seamen, and all the French Ships; therefore we will endeavour to Ruin them twice over another way, and three times over another way, and they shall run the Hazard of being Ruined five times over another a chird way, and that is as many times over as a Man hath Fingers and Thumbs on his Hands; but we must endeavour to bide the Method, or at least, the Knowledge of it, from their King and Parliament, and then it may be it will cost the Nation some Millions of Money extraordinary to Ruin them; but it must be pretended they are managed to the best Advantage, and, if they be kept turned from Ship to Ship, and not paid off till they fall sick, and die like so many Rotten Sheep, until several Ships Books will prove they have been Manned over their Number of Men 8 or 9 times before they have been Paid, and that they have Buried twice, or near thrice their Number of Men before they have been paid, and yet though it is the Experience of many Years, that when Ships are kept unpaid three or four Years, the Salt Victuals, and Salt Air, and hardship, and want of coming on Shoar for fresh Air, and fresh Provisions, there commonly died the greatest part of their Men, and the that Captain St. Lo, one of His Majesty's Captains, and Commissioners, Represented in Print some Years past, thht the Nation might have saved five hundred Thousand Pound a Year by paying the great Ships every Winter, and yet he said, We might have kept out at Sea all the Winter, fisteen Third Rates, and eight Fourth Rates, besides fifth and sixth Rate Ships, and have saved many Thousand Pounds in the Year; besides this being represonted by me some Years passed among the Ways to save the Seamens Lives, and the Nations needless Charge; yet they have been kept on Board their Ships, or been turned from Ship to Ship, until there hath been the Loss of above 60 Thousand of their Lives, as the Ships Books will prove, and that is twice the Number, that, as I remember, the Parliament said was a quota for the Fleet, that being thirty Thousand stated by them, for a Year, and there being above a Hundred Thousand of the miserable Seamen run out of their Pay, as the several Ships Books will prove, which is Thirty Thousand Payments ruined three times over; And also, as there is about an hundred and fifty Thousand Payments more due, that are not made Run. If they are not Paid before the Seamen by lingering now on Shore have Spent it, or take Tickets, and sell for half Loss, or what they can get, and so murder their Pay, and starve their Families, or Cheat and Ruin their Creditors, it will be a way to have five times more a Stroke of Ruin, if not many knocked down with it. But I say, had these things been contrived by our Enemies, and the Enemies of God and Goodness, aforesaid, and had been known openly, it would have been prevented; But being carried on by pretended Friends, and by pretended Policy, we have lost five times more Seamens Lives this War, and that the most part without Fight, than ever was Lost at Sea by Fight in the most Bloody War that ever was; although, when our Nation was at War with the Dutch, in 1666. Our Commanders and Ships fought against the Dutch like so many Furies, some of them as if the Devil and the Jesuits had laid a Plot to Establish the Protestant Religion by the spuiling and destroying of two of the most Potent Protestant Nations, Ships and Seamen. But now in this War, we have had such scandalous running away from the French at Sea, as if a Protestant Church was to be established by letting the most violent, persecuting People on the Face of the Earth crow over us; and although Blessed be God, that Admiral Russel did, with our Fleet, Beat the French Courageously, that they could never dare to fight us since; yet our Loyal, and faithful, courageous, but miserable Seamen, have been more Ruined since than any History, I could ever Read of, or Parallel; and I do think, as I said before, we have lost more Seamens Lives without Fight, than was ever lost in our English Fleet fight, since the days of William the Conqueror, and therefore, as I am a going to render some Reasons for the Seamens being honestly and timely paid; this may be, the  
First, That as their Ruin and Destruction have been more in the Service of this Government, than under any King or Government in these Nations; therefore, in Honour, Honesty, and Justice, they should now be honestly and speedily Paid what is due to them.  
Secondly, To let their Families Perish now for want of their Pay, would be against Grace, and Reason, and Common Sense.  
Thirdly, Their Pay being so Prodigious great, can never be Paid while the World standeth, except there be Money Raised on purpose by the King and Parliament.  
Fourthly, Their Pay being, as beforesaid, due great part for several Years, and it hath been a dreadful Case to let the Ruining, Perishing Families live on Credit, or Starve so long, and if it be several Years more, as it must be, without a considerable Supply, it will be not only like Misery to Misery, but like Cruelty to Misery.  
Fifthly, Tho there be some millions of Money due to others in England besides the Seamen, yet it's most either to those who have Interest for it, or have gotten a great deal of it, if not all, by the Government, and it is well, if some have not Cheated for half of it; but as I said, they have greatest part Interest for it. But the interest that the poor Seamen have, is, many of them Rags and Lice, and Poverty, and Misery to them, and the Starving, and Perishing of their Ruined Families, that have no Money, neither now at last any Credit; and if they have, they Pay perhaps ten in the Hundred more than others, and this, and their Cries and Groans to God, Angels, and Men, has such Interest as the miserable Seamen meet withal for lying out of their Money for their Faithful, and Loving Serving this Government.  
Sixthly, The let of the Seamen be Ruined, and Perish more under this Government, than they ever did in any Age of the World in so few Years, seem to Cross the very end and design of Gods raising up this Government, which was for to deliver us from misery and slavery, and make us happy and safe, and prosperous.  
Seventhly, We cannot in a probable way be either safe or happy in these Nations, without the help and assistance of the Seamen, and one would think neither Jesuits, nor Jacobites, nor Men, nor Devils, could prevail upon us, to run and destroy, and Ruin the Seamen and their Families more than needs must; when it is in our Power to pay them, however, at last, their just due.  
Eighthly, His Majesty hath spoken for them several times, and tho' he did not Name them in his last Speech, yet he Naming the National Debts, of which there is no doubt, but he was willing that they should be paid also.  
Ninthly, Both the King and Parliament, and Acts of Parliament have Recorded them to be such, as the strength and safery of these Nations, and all His Majesty's Dominions doth depend upon, and what Madness would it be to Impoverish and Ruin such, as our happiness and safety so much depends upon.  
Tenthly, The King and Parliament have, as aforesaid, declared that they have distinguished themselves throughout the World, by their Industry, Diligence and Skilfulness in their Employments; and by their Courage and Constancy, for the Defence and Honour of these Nations; and what a Crying sin adn shame would it be to let such Perish for want of their Pay, as the whole World admires for their braveries?  
Eleventhly, His Majesty and the Parliament as aforesaid, hath declared that if they and their Families fall under hardships and misery, they should be Relieved at the Public Charge, and if so, then how dreadful would it be, if instead of being relieved by the public, they should be more Ruined by the public, by waiting, many Ten Thousands of them Year after Year longer, for what is due in some Years past.  
Twelfthly, The Ruin of them and their Families is against common sense, for common sense will tell any Man in England, that his Dogs or Horses must have Food or Perish, and if the Seamens Families have neither Money nor Credit, they must Starve or be Relieved by the Parishes, and I do not find that when poor wretched Seamens Families, have been kept unpaid 4 or 5 Years, and it may be, one or two of their Children are Perished, that the Parishes are ready to relieve the rest, but will rather be ready to say, What! ask Relief, and have 50 or 60 l, due. It hath grieved my very Soul to see the Tears and Cries of some of them in their Misery, and if they would have hanged themselves, could not get their own; and how crying a Sin, and Shame this is, I appeal to God and Man, and if these Nations lets them run the hazard of their Perishing worse than they would their Dogs, and Horses, how dreaful will that be; and indeed, I think the Seamens Families are many times as dreadful Objects of Misery, as most in England.  
I was a going to write some Particulars of their Miseries, by Reason of their lying out of their Honest, Just Pay. 4, 5, or 6 Years; but I will not write a Volume as big as the Book of Martyrs, concerning the dreadfulness of their Ruin; but instead of that, I remember the Church of England Catechism, my good old gracious Mother, Taught me near fifty Years past, To do to all as I would they should do unto me; and thus every one in England that is Catechised according to the Order of the Church of England, is bound to own; and therefore in the Thirteenth Place; If any Persons in England would willingly be kept out of their Right, and not have one Penny of Money in 4, 5, 6, or 7 Years, to keep their Families from Perishing, then with a safe conscience they may be Content that the Seamens Families should be so served; But if the Gentry would not be kept out of their Rights several Years, neither the Clergy out of their Tithes several Years, and run the hazard of Starving their Families, I wonder how they can pretend to Teach their Children this Doctrine, and will not keep it themselves.  
Fourteenth place. Though it may be I shall be complained of for my speaking so much for the Ruined Seamens Families being Relieved, yet I will bring this as another Argument, That all the Lords, Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons of Engand, are bound by the Church's Order in Prayer in the Litany, to beg of God on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, that God would please to Succour, and help, and Comfort all that are in Danger, Necessity, and Tribulation, and that God would defend, and provide for the Fatherless Children, and Widows, and all that are desolate and oppressed; and I would not be so uncharitable as to think, that so Honourable Persons will go to mock God with Praying for that they care not should be brought to pass; and I am sure it is not my Duty to Pray for any other to Relieve, and Comfort, and provide for the Ruined Seamen, their Fatherless, and Widows, but only this Government, that they have served; for I do declare before God and the World, that if it be pretended by others to relieve those ruined Creatures, they would be in danger of destroying Thousands at Land, before they relieve those at Sea. But indeed, I will be , to say, in the Presence of the ever Blessed God, before I whom I writ every Word, and leave it as a  
Fifteenth Agument. That seeing the Seamen of England have served their own Native Country, and lost 60 Thousand Lives in that Faithful Service, and defence of their Country, if this Government at last, by the Reason of so many Villains Cheating, Cozening and Undermining of them, had been overthrown, yet it had been a dreadful sin and Shame to the Nation itself, to have suffered the Loyal Seamen to Perish, and their Families to be ruined for want of their Just and Honest Payments.  
Sixteenth. I would appeal to the Reverend Bishops in the House of Lords, whether, if these Nations starve and ruin the Beggared, miserable Seamen and their Families for want of their Just Payment, it be not a more crying Sin than one of Sodom's Sins, spoken of in the 16th Chap. of Ezekiel 49th and 50th verses, where God said to his professing Church and People, by his Prophet; These were the Sins of thy Sister Sodom, Pride Idleness, fullness of Bread, and that she did not strengthen hands of th● Poor and Needy. Now if these were the Sins of Sodom that She did not strengthen the hands of the Poor, and Needy, how much greater Sin must it be to starve, and Beggar, and ruin the poor an● Needy, by keeping them out of their just Wages and Deuce many Sums of which were earned with the Loss of Lives. Bu● it was not said of Sodom, that She Employed Thousands of po●● and miserable Wretches to defend the Place they did belong to and would not Pay them in time; but if Sodom did not she●● Mercy to the Poor and Needy, whether, if poor Ruined Se●●mens Families be left to Starve and Perish several Years with out their honest Pay, the Sin of Eugland will not as far exceed Sodoms, as Injustice and Cruelty exceeds Unmercifulness. And therefore Justice and Mercy will have that the Seamen of England do require a speedy and honest Payment. But it may be some will say, that Sodom was guilty of Beastly Lust besides, which is seldom seen in England; but to that it may be answered, That it is to be feared it is practised too much in England, witness one Sea Captain, which stood in the Pillory thrice this Week for attempting it so grossly; but if there be not so much of that as was in Sodom, it may be feared that there is ten times more Lewdness with Women in London itself, than was in Sodom, and if one should say, there is as many destroyed in London by Fire from Hell in three or four Years, as was in Sodom by fire from Heaven; it may be some would think I was Mad; but to put that out of doubt, they that will read the Yearly Bills of Mortality, may find that in some years past, there was near a hundred Persons in a Year died of the French-Pox; and if it be true as a Physician hath Printed, that there is near ten times as many dye of it that are not set down to die of that Disease, but of Consumptions, or other Diseases; than it may be supposed there is near a Thousand People the Year die within the Bills of Mortality that are consumed by Fire, which shows that the Judgements of God are not at an end in the World; and if one should imagine how many there are that Escape, and get Cured, if they could be numbered up, it would be a prodigious number of filthiness that is Committed in London and England, and we may dread the Hand of God against these Nations, for this, or for other Sins; and the Reason why I do Represent this, being out of the Way of Seamens Payment, is, because, it may be, some of the Fathers of the Church may consider of the Crying Voice of this Sin before God, and of the Thousands, and Ten Thousands of Families Beggared and Ruined, and of the Multitudes of Lovely Youngmen that are drawn in by Lewd Women, and Corrupted in Body and Souls; many have been Rotten before they have been Ripe, and the Youth of the Nation, and the Flower of the age being in danger of Ruin, and I do believe it would be very acceptable to God and Man, to have Laws made to Transport all those Lewd Women away to the Plantations for Slaves all their days, and to cut off the first Joint of their Little-Finger for a Mark, and if ever they returned again to England, to hang them up, and to Confiscate the Estate of every Master of a Ship that should dare to bring any of them back again. And for the Punishment of the Men Offenders, no doubt but there may be ways found out to make them Examples, and if they do not Reform, send them away also; for if it be a dreadful thing for a Gentleman, or others, to have their Sons Murdered, how much more Dreadful must it be to have Bodies and Souls also Murdered by those Day and Nightwalkers, who, like their Master, the Devil, walk about seeking whom they may devour; and the dying at the Gallows commonly own Lewd Women to be the cause and encouragement to bring them to Wickedness, as their Wickedness doth unto the Gallows; But in all Christian Likelihood, the Judgements of God will teach these Nations by some dreadful Stroke to Reform, and amend; And whoever Reads but the Word of God, need never look after other sorts of Prophecy to tell him, That these Nations that know more than ever Israel did, may expect to suffer the Correction of God, although in what manner God alone knoweth, to whom I leave all that hath been said by me, or I shall say, and shall come to another Reason, why the poor Ruined Seamen should be paid with all possible speed, and that is,  
Seventeenth. His most Gracious Majesty hath been pleased to speak to have the Cause of the Poor in general, minded; and although he did not name the Seamen in Particular, yet I know no poorer, miserable, and ruined Objects in England than many Seamens Families are; and if keeping miserable Creatures out of their Money four, five six, or seven, Years be a cause of Poverty, than here are many ten thousands of Poor to be minded, Relieved, and paid before they Perish quite. And again,  
Eighteenth, I would appeal to all the Reverend Bishops, if the Sins of England, if they let the Seamen, or their Families to perish for want of their Pay, will not be worse than the Sin of Dives; for Dives' was Vnmercifullness; it is not said of Dives, that he employed poor Lazarus to defend him, and work for him till he fell Lame, and Sick, and then let him Perish for want of his Honest, Just Pay, for we do not Read he owed him any thing but Charity; and we Read of Dives' Dogs, they licked poor Lazarus' Sores, and did not snap and snarl at him when he asked Charity; And I will declare in the Presence of the Lord Jehovah, before whom I writ, that I have often thought that those who snap and snarl at the poor Ruined Seamens Widows, Wives, or aged Parents, when they come to the Navy-Office to get Cursed unjust Q. and R. off, or to ask for their due Debts, that they who snap at them, do not show themselves such Loving, humble natured Creatures as Dives' Dogs. But God grant that the Seamen may be paid off, that they need trouble them no more, and  
Nineteenth, again, Seeing there is about a Hundred Thousand of Payments of their Wages stripped from them by those two dreadful fatal Letters, O. R. and that there is two or three hundred poor miserable Wretches forced now to the Admiralty-Office daily, to Petition, or lose their Money. It is pity that the other hundred and fifty Thousand Payments should be kept from them till they perish for want of that. Also,  
Twentieth, Seeing so many Thousands of them have waited so many Years, and the Ships pretended to be paid, although not one Man in Four of some of those Ships paid; it is pity that the rest should wait several Years more for their Money. And the Prophet Jeremiah, Lamentations 4, and 6. saith, That the the Sea monsters did draw out their Breasts, and give Suck to their Young ones; But, saith he, The Daughter of my People is become Cruel, like Ostriches in the Wilderness. Now it seems 'tis the Nature of the hardened Ostriches, they leave their Eggs in the Sand, that the Foot may Crush them, or the Wild Beast break them, as Job saith, 39, and 14. 7, 5. But saith Job; She is hardened against her Young, because God hath deprived her of Wisdom; and the Lord grant our miserable Seamens distressed Wives, Widows, Friends, or Relations may not be slighted as the Ostrich slighteth her Eggs, and that for the time to come, the Seamen should be kept in any Ships until they die like Rotten Sheep, for want of fresh Air, and fresh Provision; and there be at last many set ashore Sick, and the Ships go away, and leave them; But it may be considered those poor Wretches might die some of them, or continue long Sick, and could not go on Board of their Ships; and therefore it is pity that the Beast should tread their Pay to Death, or the Wild Beast break it with those fatal Letters, Q. R. when they do not deserve it, and that Thousands have not deserved it the Certificates will skew, for the taking them off again; and as I said, those several Hundreds waiting for more to be taken off. And  
Twenty One. God himself, who cannot Lie, hath said, Malachi 3.5. That he will come and be a swift Witness against those who do Oppress the Hireling in his Wages, the Widows, and the Fatherless, and turn aside the Strnger from his Right in the Gate. And James 2, 1st and 4th verses. Go to now ye Rich Men, weep, and howl for the Miseries that shall come on you. Behold the Hire of the Labourers, which is of you kept back by Fraud, Cryeth, and the Cries of them that have Laboured, are entered into the Ears of the Lord of Hosts. And under the Old Law, the Jews were Commanded by God to be sure to Pay their Labourers Wages at Night, and their Egyptian Servants and Strangers were Commanded to be speedily Paid; and if Israel were to be so just in Paying the Egyptians, if they served for Money, although the Egyptians had made Israel Slaves before; then how sad will it be to let our Seamens Wages be any more Years unpaid, who have helped to keep all these Nations out of worse Slavery than Egyptian Slavery, as much as Soul-Slavery is worse than Body-Slavery. But,  
Twenty two. It is said by Christ himself, That the same measure we met shall be meted to us again. And this is repeated in the Gospel more than once, and if that Christ should make these Words to be accomplished on these Nations, or the Land, that the Inhabitants at Land should be as miserably destroyed in their Lives, and kept out of their Rights as many Years as the Seamen have been out of their Pay, they would think it the miserablest starving Condition that ever the Nation did groan under; and if the Bishops and Clergy in England were to be kept out of their Revenues and Tithes, 4, 5, or 6 Years, and not have one Penny to buy a Penny-Loaf for their Wives and Families for several years, how could their Wives and Children keep from perishing; as many of the Seamen have three or four Children apiece, and how any Men of Sense can think they can buy  to keep their Bodies from Perishing, while they serve their King and Country, and Bread to keep their Families from Starving, I cannot imagine; I do suppose if the Clergy were kept out of their Tithes but two or three Years, they would cry out of Sacrilege and Oppression, and no body knows what; but when they hear of the Dreadful Ruins of these miserable Creatures, their Fellow-Subjects, who have lost so many Thousands of Lives to keep the Clergy of England from being Slaves to the Beast, yet they can hold their Tongues, and hardly represent it to the Magistracy as any Sin; neither to tell them whether all the Oppressions that the Prophets of Old did Complain of against Israel, did exceed the miserable Death, Destruction, and Ruin that hath fallen on, or been thrown upon the Loyal and Faithful Seamen of England, and it might be a Question whether ever those Rulers of Israel, that were by the Prophet called Roaring Lions, and Evening Wolves, and that did gnaw the Bones till the Marrow, did ever tear so much from the poor miserable Israelites in any one Age, as hath been torn from the Ruined Seamen of England in those hundred Thousand Q's and R's, on the the one hand, and it may be, a Hundred Thunsand of Payments on the other hand sold for a Third Loss some, a Half Loss others, and two Thirds Loss to the Devil's Masterpieces of Extortion, the Ticket Buyers. And, as if twelve Shillings in the Pound were not enough for the poor Ragged, Beggared, Ruined Seamen to lose, the Devil hath helped his Servants, the Extortioners in some Seaport Places far from London, to take their Tickets of forty or fifty Pound, and lend them six or seven Pound, and take a Bill of Sale for the whole Money, and if they redeem not their Tickets in a little time, than the Extortioner will have it all. O Lord! it makes me sigh to think to what a dreadful, Shameful height of Villainy the Extortioners are come to on the other hand; and if that Crying Sin of Extortion, and Unmercifullness, and perverting the Judgement of the Stranger, the Fatherless, and Widows, those three Cursed Sins that the whole Church is bound to Curse the Authors of, in the Book of Common-Prayer, they being such Crying Sins, I say if they continue Sins still, and that the Custom of them in this Age hath not taken away the Conscience of them; then what dreadful Judgements may these Nations expect, without Repentance; and I might defy all History to show where any Nation, Jews, Turks, or Heathens, ever did exercise greater Extortion than hath been exercised on the Seamens Pay, and if that any will say, yes, Jezebel took away N●bath's Vineyard from him for nothing, and indeed that was true; but she did not oppress him so long until he was forced to Sell it for a third part, to buy Bread and ; But secondly, Jezebel was a Fool to the least Captain, or Captain's Clerk, or Clerk at the Navy-Office, for Power to take away all a Man hath by setting on Letter R. upon his Name, and it is gone without showing any Cause or Reason in the World. But the quickest, wholesale Work with running the Seamen out of their Pay, was within a few Weeks after they came ashore, when they had beaten the French, than they were made all Run, 2 or 300 in a Ship, which was wholesale Work. I have seen one Captains Book, wherein there were about 300 made Run at that time, and I heard one that was his Clerk, say, That he swore in Vexation, and cried, Damn it, ay, they will Run me at last; but in the next Spring they took off many of those R's: But instead of giving the poor Seamen Bounty-Money in the Spring, as they used to have before they beat the French, they were many of them abated three or four Pound a Man out of their Pay, besides all other Miseries thrown on them after they beat the French, from some of which I wish they ever get clear; and therefore as they have suffered so much since they beat the French, and prevented the French's having an opportunity to ruin the Nation and Clergy of England, and bring in their Popish Idolatrous Mass, and Cruel, Bloody Persecution; and therefore those Clergymen that are acquainted with those that are in Authority, may do well to show them whether there be such a Sin now in this Age as Oppression and Extortion, and if there be not, then whether there be not one part of the Law and the Prophets laid aside. Although our Blessed Lord and Saviour saith, Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one Tittle of the Law do pass away; and if Oppression and Extortion be a Crying Sin, than it is the Nation's Duty to relieve them by Justice and Mercy, and to punish the Extortioners; and if ever these Nations would pretend to Reformation, I do believe God will expect that there should be some way appointed for to inquire into all those who have bought, or cheated the poor Hirelings Wages for half Loss, or more; and if there were a Committee to be appointed to hear the Case, and Relieve all the Seamen, or their Families, that have Sold their Pay for 4, or at most, above 5 Shillings the Pound loss, and make the Buyers make Restitution; it might discover Extortion enough, it may be, to make our Ears to tingle, and if the Clergy will not speak a word for to help forward this, I will in Love and Friendship speak a word in Humbleness to help forward their Reformation; and for the first, that I may keep up the Honour of the Ministry, I will say, we have as sober, industrious Ministers in England, many of them, as in most Nations in the Christian World, and it is the Sober and Pious Ministers helps yet to keep up the Honour of the Profession of the Protestant Religion in England. But I would have it observed also, that as it was in Israel God's only Church and People in the World; that there were some that were as good Figgs, very good, and some Figgs stark naught, and good for nothing, except to make a Stink, as the Prophet plainly saith, that from the Priests of Israel, Profaneness was gone forth in all the Land.  
And this I would say, That if ever there be any true Reformation in England, there must be a Reformation of the Ministers as well as of the People; and without there be a Reformation, the Laws of God, and the Doctrine of the Church, and th● wh●le Word of God from Genesis to the Revelations, will show us, That we must expect Ruining Judgements: For the Scripture such, Righteousness exalts a Nation, but Sin is a Ruin to any People: And Christ said to the Prophesying Jews, That except they did Repent, they should all likewise Perish. How this comes into these Sheets about the Seamens Ruin, but that God Almighty led me to Write of it: and that God led me to Write what I have written, and God will bring what I writ to Judgement, and all the Seamens Ruins and Destructions to Judgement, and all the Accounts that hath been so publicly given of the King's being so shamefully Cheated, and Miserable Seamens being Cheated, as hath been represented for some Years by such poor Foolish Creatures as were Mr. Crosfeild, Mr. Trever, and Mr: Bastion, which last are gone to Eternity, and are silent in the Grave; and for Mr. Crosfeild, since he saw that all he could do in offering to prove so much Cheating as he did, could not prevail for him to be heard; I think he is silent in his Habitation, wherever it is, having not seen him as I know of, this Twelve Months; and for myself (the most Feolish of them all) God Almighty is pleased to enable me, and stir me up, to put these Nations in mind of the most Dreadful, Ruined, Dying, Destroyed Case of the Loyal English and Scotch Seamens Lives, Health, and Pay: And this brings to my Mind, the Words that was said of the whole Earth before the Flood, That it was filled with Violence; God grant that it may not be said of these Nations before the Judgements of God break out upon us, That the whole Sea Affairs were filled with Violence, and that after the Loss of above Sixty Thousand of the Lives of such who were kept hound to their Ships until Sickness came; or Death took them away; and then also there was a violent Order to Q. and R. all those from Receiving their Pay, who was set on Shoar Sick to save their Lives, and above an Hundred Thousand Seamen Bun out of their Pay, and yet no certain Rule made, how to Relieve and Save their Pay to themselves, or Perishing Families, neither any one Man can be safe to serve his King and Country for time to come without hazarding the Losing his Pay, and Ruining of his Family; if he falls Sick, and is set on Shoar Sick, and the Ship goes away, and leaves him, and he cannot get on Board again, or continues Sick, or Lame half a Year, or a Year; or if Well, goes on Beard of another Ship; or if Dead, and it may be his Friends not knowing how as when he Died, and so his Wife and Children loses his Pay; I would appeal to all Mankind, If there be not a Care taken to secure their Pay better, when Sickness, or Lameness come, and some Rational Rules laid down and ordered, that they may in case of Sickness, or Lameness, have their Pay secured, how any Man can ever for time to come be safe in serving at that dreadful uncertain rate of management, since they are no more certain of their Health and Strength and Lives, than the Beast of the Field; and I do think no Christian, or good Natured Heathens, would have their Cattle turned out of their Provender for every Sickness or Lameness, and starved, if they cannot come to work again in twenty eight Days time. But this most dreadful violence was poured upon the Seamen after they beat the French, for they were Paid when set sick on shore before they beat the French, as the several Ships Books will prove that were paid, before they beat the French, and paid off also when they came in at Michaelmas, before they beat the French, the great Ships Companies were paid, But when once they had beat the French and put a stop to their Career, than there was a stop put to their Payment in the great Ships as before; But indeed, it might be endless for me to write the Multitudes of the miseries of them and their Families since. But I may say, as the Prophet of old, concerning the destruction of Israel at Land, so of our Seamens Ruin and Destruction at Sea and Land both: O! that my Head were Waters and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears, that I might Weep Day and Night, for the slain of the Daughter of my People: But to have done with that which makes my heart to ache while I writ it. I think, we at Land pretend to a greal deal of Liberty and Property, and so we have, Praised be the Lord; But as to the Poor Ruined Seamen of England, no History in the World can show such a History of the loss of our Seamens Liberties, Propertiez and Lives, in the Service of their King and Country, in any Hundred Years, as hath been these last Nine Years. A Man could hardly imagine their Lives and Pay should be so scambled away, but that the Ships Books will prove it at the Navy-Office, and they may be Registered to help to fill a dreadful History in the next Age, when it is like, they will write plainly how the Seamen were beggared and ruined in this. And how Impudently, and Shamefully, and Scandalously, the King and Nation was cheated, and how the Cheats and Villains were excused, and those that would have brought their Villainy to Light were discouraged, and how the Knaves and Extertioners, and Cheats got Estates, while the King and the Nation was Cheated, and the Poor Trampled on and Ruined by Thousands; And now methinks I remember something that I dreamt of as I lay in my Bed, of the last age; and this I thought, that when as King Charles. II. came home again to England in 1660. There was as it were a strange Race begun, and continued many Years, would God it were at an end; and this was the Race methought the Devil run, and the Jesuits run, and the drunken, lewd, scandalous Priests began to Run, and their designs were all to debauch and profane, and poison these Nations with Lewdness, for two Designs, the Jesuit, to bring the Nation to Popery when they had debauched away their Religion, and the drunken Priests to keep their Preferments and Live, and looseness also, without fear or danger of any Reformation; and methought they went a great way, and had two Idols, an Elder Brother, and a Younger; the one Idol for Lewdness and Prophanenss, and the other for Idolatry, and the old Whore at Rome. But the first Idol not going so far and fast towards Rome, as the Jesuits would have him, he went out of the World few knows how; and then came the other Idol in Play, and be poor Soul run so fast, that be tumbled down and broke his Head, and in getting up again, had only Wit enough left, and Courage enough to run away, and happy was it for the Nation he had not more Wit, or Courage, for it was to be feared he would have been a sad Plague to the Nation if he had stayed; but by his Running, the Jesuits lost the rarity of their Show that they intended to act, if they had not been kicked off from the Stage; and now it may be, some will ask if this Race be at an end, to that I would answer, I fear there is too much of it under hand; and if any should ask me; who the Devil did pick up of late for Company, to that I would answer, That I think the Drunken Priests keep him Company still; and they are so Vile, that 'tis a Mercy they do not make the Church stink of them in the Nostrils of God, and of Good Men. But if the two Honourable Houses make that most Excellent Act against Immorality and Profaneness, I hope they will order those of the Clergy that are guilty of those Sins to be punished, and turned out of the Church; for if they do not, I do fear, nay, I think I might lay myself down at the Feet of the King and Parliament, and say, That I will be content to suffer any Pnnishment, or any Death you will put me to, if God Almighty does not spew out these Wretches himself, unless they amend, or the Law of the Land throw them out. God knows why I should write this, for I do from my Heart Honour the Ministry as an Ordinance of God, and I honour all the Good and Virtuous in that profession, by what Name soever they are Called; and they are called Aagels, and their Office is from God, but the Sins of the Lewd ones are from the Devil; and it is said, That if Angels fall, they turn Devils; there is one of them hath been so Shameless as to Print a Book in defence of Concubinage, which is so Shameless to write a Book in defence of that which the whole Church is bound to Curse every Ash-Wednesday, and therefore such Wretches ought to be severely punished. And now as to the Company which the Devil hath picked up of late to run with him, I think that he hath got, besides the Drunken Priests, abundance of Cheats, and Knaves, and Extortioners, and Ticket-buyers, that Swallow the Seamens Pay at 8 or 10, or 12 Shillings in the Pound Loss, and could Stock-job and buy the Wages of the poor Labourers at the Victualing-Office at ten Shillings and Sixpence in the Pound, and then have for 85 Pound 100 Pound, and the King Pay a Hundred Pound Tally for Eighty five Pound, that is allowing fifteen in the Hundred and seven in the hundred Interest, is an Hundred and Seven Pound, for forty five Pound in one Year, so the Poor lost forty seven in the Hundred, and the King paid twenty two in the Hundred, and who would but stretch his Conscience on the tenterhooks to get such a Carsed deal of Money out of the Poor; but the King and Nation pay more than all a great deal at last, and the Victualling-Office could not help it neither; they bade not Money, that the Poor were kept so long out of their Money, that many of them did sell for what the Extortioners would give; God knows what an Age we live in; when I read how dreadfully God threatened, and Scourged the Jews, for their Extortion, Oppression, trampling on the Poor, and their Profaneness, I know not what to say to the Genera●ion we live among; but I do think some do act as if they were like the Jews of Old, in saying, tush, God seethe not, God hath forsaken the Earth. But certainly God Almighty doth expect that the Oppressed should be Relieved, and the Extortioners punished, and if all that have extorted above 4 s. or at most 5 s. in the Pound out of the Pay or Wages of the Scamen or others, were made to pay back again 2 s. to the Poor Oppressed for every Shilling Extorted above that, it would be the way to help and relieve the Oppressed, and it may be one Reason why many that are to receive large Sums of the Seamens Pay, are Content to let it linger on by degrees, may be, because if they are paid one Thousand out of four Thousand in a Year, they may lay out that, and buy eighteen hundred, or Two Thousand 〈◊〉 and so get 7 or 800 Pound the Year three or four Years 〈◊〉 by the Seamens Miseries; but to have done with that, I would Humbly propose and entreat the Honourable Houses of Parliament to Relieve the Seamen by paying them speedily, and to Relieve many others of them, and their Families, by altering part of the Acts of Parliament, C●lled Acts for their Encouragement, for the following. First, for God's Sake. Second, For the King's Sake. Third, For the Nation's Sake. Fourth, For the Sake of the Seamen and their Families.  
First, For God's Sake, and because I an to speak of His most Holy, and Glorious Name, I ought to speak with tenfold the Humility, and therefore will leave it to the Reverend Clergy to consider first if Holy David, who was not only a King, but one after God's own Heart, and he would not offer to God of what cost him nothing, though he might have had it given him by the Right Owner, and a Rich Man as Aurana allows; and how much sadder is it for these Nations when they are to encourage the Seamen to take 6 d. a Month out of the Miserable on one part of our Loyal Seamen to raise Money to help to gratify, or show Charity to the other. But it is said by Solomon, the wisest of Kings, That he that doth mock the poor reproacheth his Maker. Now, whether it be not a mocking of our poor and miserable Seamen, to make so many poor and miserable Labourers pay sixpence a Month out of their Hire, towards advancing Encouragement for the others, and the others have had not one Penny of the 40 s. the Year paid them as I hear of to this Hour, although the Act for to make the other Pay hath been about two Years in Force. But 3dly, The said Solomon saith, He that taketh from the Poor to give to the Rich, shall come to Poverty: Now, if it be so, that all the poor Seamen that are not Registered have 6 d. the Month taken from them, and the Registered have not had two pence of it in two Years; But there are several Commissioners, and Clerks have some Hundreds a Year for their Salary to Live Great, and not the poor miserable Seamen that are Registered; is not this taking from the the poor, and advancing of the Rich, and therefore as God is a Holy, and Just, and Merciful God, who always pities the Poor, I would beg that our poor Seamen might be puttied for His Sake, and have nothing taken out of their Pay more than ever was in any Age of the World; for God also knows they have lost more Lives, and Pay, under this Govern neat, than ever they did in any Age of the World; and God knows they have showed themselves as Loving and faithful to this Government, as to any Government in the World, and now 4thly, As God did by His Providence Raise up his Majesty to be means, under God, to restore these Nations to their Liberties and Freedom, whether it will not be a going contrary to the very Providence and end of God in raising up this Government, if, instead of Liberty and Freedom the poor and miserable Seamen, whose Bones, and Lives have been as Walls to keep this Government, and the Nation from Ruin; If one part of them should be perpetually bound, and the other pay continually towards keeping them; so then, whether that will not be sad. But now, 5thly, I would beg therefore for His Majesty's Sake, that he would let the Seamen of England be as free all of them, in their Service and Payment, without being perpetual Bondmen, or Paying Money perpetually out of their Pay, and seeing the worst of Kings that Reigned in England never let them be bound or entangled in their Liberty, or Payment, God forbidden they should be more entangled under the best of Kings; and especially since they have lost more Lives and Pay under His Majesty in his Service, than under any four Kings in their Grand Fleets. 2dly, I would for his Majesty's Sake, beg, that as Queen Elizabeth Raised her Pay from 14 s. the Month, to Eighteen, and the Long Parliament from 18 s. to 22 s. the Month, for their encouragement; so his Majesty, when he shall have occasion to have them Fight for him and the Nation again, would Raise their Pay two or three Shillings the Month, and Pay them well, and they will fight to the last drop of their Blood for him, and in the mean time never let it stand upon Record that their Pay was abated 6 d. the Month in his time, and especially, seeing, as I said, the Rest have not been 2 d the better for the same; but instead of that, the King was brought into Debt, as I remember the House of Commons Represented last March, Nineteen Thousand Pound in Debt upon account of the Register Office, and the Seamen pay for it, and neither the King nor the Seamen the better, it will be hard; and I could never find that it saved the King twopences Charges in pressing Men in the War, neither save him a Groat Charge since. Therefore I would for his Majesty's Sake, wish with all my Heart that His Majesty was set free from his Extraordinary needless Charge, and the Seamen from their extraordinary need-Payments, or Bondage. But now, 3dly. I would for the Nation's Sake beg that there might be some of the Act of Parliament altered about the Seamen, since Trading is bad, and Money hard to Raise; and to be at an excessive needless Charge for Offices, and Officers, except it were of great Advantage to the King and Nation, I think it were better to lay it aside. But 4thly. If the Nation had a real Mind to Encourage the Seamen, they might do it without so much charge of Tax on the Seamen, to maintain Offices, and Officers, which God knows whether all the poor Seamens Sixpences the Month will much more than maintain that Grandeur, and encumbrance, and never known sort of Office or Officers; for when there was a Mind to Reward the Officers the Fleet after that shameful keeping our Smyrna Fleet near 3 Maths at extraordinary needless Pay, until just the French Fleet was ready to go out, when our Fleet might have gone out 2 months' sooner▪ with an Oyster Smack for their Convoy, there being Men of War, and Merchants Ships enough in the Smyrna Fleet to have gone through the World, before we waited until the Grand Fleet of the French was ready, and then when our Fleet was fooled in the Mouths of their Fleet, then after that our Officers had a Bounty of about 60 or 70 Thousand Pound the Year double Pay settled on 'em, and never troubled themselves for an Act of Parliament for it, but ordered it, and paid it, and never caused the Parliament to make one part help to Relieve the other; but as I said, gave them 60 or 70 Thousand Pound the Year, although the Nation was at that time in exceeding straits for to raise Money, and had lost in about one Years time, as near as I could estimate, about 3 Million of Riches in East India, Guinea, and multitudes of other other Ships, and straits Ships lost, or fooled into the Hands of the French, and therefore God, Angels, and Men might see how the Nation could squander away Money to the Rich, or Officers needlessly, by Thousands and Ten Thousands, and several ten Thousands; but whether to one Penny advantage to the King I could never see, hear, or understand. For my part, if I had been a Commander of a Man of War, and had run up and down several Years and never hurt an Enemy, or protected a friend; I should have thought it brave Encouragement to run fooling up and down, and never Fight, and have a hundred, or two Hundred a Year extraordinary, and I should have thought Cowardice was better rewarded now, than Valour was heretofore; although indeed here tofore if there were Rewards and Honour, it was used always to be Conferred on Courage, valour, and Merit. But indeed there was no need of double Pay for the Officers this War, except for running up and down from Port to Port, and Lying several Months in Port, and never doing any good, which was Chargeable for the Officers that came so much daily on Shoar, when, as the poor miserable Seamen were kept on Board, and were sometimes 30 or 40 in a Ship Sick in a Week; but they died and perished for want of coming on Shore, and being Paid, as in other Ages Besides hundreds and thousands who fell sick or died with eating bad victauls presently after they served this Government; and it was but putting the King and Nation to about 50 or 60 Thousand Pound the Year extraordinary Charge, to press more, as it cost the Nation by Commissioner St. Loes Rule near 500 Thousand Pound the Year, needless Charge, for want of Paying off the great Ships that might have been spared all the Winter; so that one might admire how the Nation Scambled away Money some ways, and how poor and miserable it was in the Case of the poor Seamen, that they must one part help out of their Poverty, to encourage the other part to continue Bondmen. But now, for the Nations Sake, that they may not think the encouraging of Thirty Thousand Seamen could save the King any thing, or encourage all the Seamen of England to come into the Service; I will undertake to prove by the several Ships Books that for above seven Years together there were above Thirty Thousand either dead, or set on Shoar Sick, or run out of their Pay, or discharged out of the Fleet; and I would appeal to all Mankind, at Seven Years end, which of these Thirty Thousands must be the true and only 30 Thousand to be encouraged, since the King had in that time, in all Likelihood 5 or 6 times thirty Thousand in his Service, and as there was above twice thirty Thousand dead this War, and near four times thirty thousand run out of their Pay, it would require something of industry in the Register-Office to pick out the right thirty Thousand; and yet it may be some will say, they would endeavour to find out all the rest of the poor miserable Souls, and they, or their Widows should be sure to be abated 6 d. the Month out of their Pay; If the thirty Thousand got not one Groat Advance-Money: and therefore now I will beg for the poor and miserable Seamens sakes, that the six pence the Month may not any longer be stopped out of their Pay; for if we consider their pay is small, and their hazard and Charge is great, they go now in Merchant's Ships for 22 s. or 23 s. the Month. Now suppose they lie at home but one Month in a Year, and have half pay for a Month more, there is ten months' pay at 22 s. is 11 l. and one Month at 11 s. Now suppose at their coming home, they are abated, as many do, near a quarter of their Pay for damage, or what shall I say, because the poor miserable Fools went to Sea in old Rotten Ships, ready to drown them; and so out of 11 l. 11 s. they have about nine Pound, out of this there must go Five Shillings and Six Pence, to Relieve their Poor Distressed Brethren, and they must have  and Bedding, and as they must many times be as wet as drowned Rats two or three times a Day, must have  to shift them, or run the hazard of being unable to perform their work, so it will take up about three or four Pound a Year for , and reckon but Twenty Shillings a Man for Expenses, or Brandy to carry to Sea, there will be about Five Pound the Year left to keep their Families, and that is not a Groat a day, and many of them have three or four Children apiece, and the 6 d. a Month taken out of their Pay, would buy two or three Bullocks Hearts, or Sheep's Heads, and a peck Loaf for their Families; seeing also sometimes the poor Seamen meets with Lost Voyages, and so are set back in the World more miserably than other poor Wretches; and therefore as all the Labouring Men in England are at Liberty, without paying any Tax out of their Wages; God forbidden but the Seamen should be lest to as much freedom to take all their Wages themselves, without being the only objects of Misery in War, and taxing in Peace, more than any sort of People at Land, for in all Land-Taxes, their Families are liable to pay with the rest of the People, and it hath made my Heart ache to think how they could pay the Taxes for their Landlords, 4 s. in the Pound, or for their Births, or Burials, when their husbands have not been Paid in four or five Year, and for my own part, I having been entrusted last Year to gather the whole Tax for our Liberty, have laid out for several, both last year, and this year, rather than take away that poor sorry Goods they had; and some of them have not enough to Pay their Landlord's Tax if they were bound to be hanged for it; therefore I did look on it as Charity to them, and Service to the King, to be Patient to them, and lay down the Money myself, and make the Government easy as I could, and though I do now lie out of some Pounds that I paid in so the King last year, I never did get 2 d. by it, neither ever shall; but I think often of good Jacob's Word in driving his , That they must be driven as they could go, lest they should Die: Would God there had been more Care taken in the driving of our Seamen this War, and that when it was seen they died so fast in keeping so long turned from Ship to Ship without liberty of fresh Air, and fresh Provision, until they died like Rotten Sheep, for aught I know, it might have saved a third part of their Lives if they had come on Shoar Yearly, and been paid, as the French and Dutch did their Seamen; I do believe, that, though the French was at War against our Fleet, and the Dutch Fleet, that he hath been at 6 Millions of less Charge for his Fleet than we these last 10 Years; and I suppose the Dutch hath saved near 8 Millions of Money in the Charge of their Fleet these last 10 Years; and methinks I have often admired at it, that the work of this last Age hath been more five times to study how to raise Money, than how to save it; but I suppose if it had been truly studied how to save it, than so many could not have been maintained to live so Idly, and so great, neither could have gotten such Estates; and if we had a fourth part more of Ships, and Officers employed more than needs, or the great Ships kept in Pay in the Winter, when Captain St. Lo said there might have have been five hundred Thousand Pound a Year saved by it; But then the Officers could not have lived so great, and one trick I remember, because there was Money plenty enough for to scamble away among the double-Pay Officers, the Officers were kept in Pay one Winter in the great Ships, and the Seamen discharged, and to be sure we had no need to Press Captains and Lieutenants next Year, and one would admire that when a Nation hath so much Money to lavish out for Officers needlessly that at last if the Seamen are but pretended to be Relieved, or to be encouraged, they must pay 6 d. the Month out of their Pay towards it. But it may be some will say, now the Registered Seamen are to be preferred to Offices; but I remember the words of the Act saith, They that are Officers, must be such as are Registered; but doth not say they must have been Registered a Month before they are Preferred, which makes my Windmill-working Thoughts Ramble as far as Rome, where none must be Pope but a Cardinal, and none a Cardinal, but a Priest. Now, I suppose there may be as many Priests in the Roman Territories of all sorts, as is Seamen in England, and very few Priests proffered to be Cardinals; but instead of that, if any King, or Prince, or the Emperor hath an old Swearing, Whoring General to prefer, and can get the old Father the Pope, in whose Breast Preferments lie, to accept of this debauched General for a Cardinal, and to give him a Hat, he can quickly be qualified, as follows, first make him a Deacon one Week, than a Priest another Week, than a Cardinal afterward, and the hundred and fifty Thousand Priests look as simply as they did before; so with all humble submission would I say, If in England for time to come, that Debauchery, and Lewdness, and Profaneness should keep on its Course, and the Laws of the Land, or some exceeding Providence, or Judgement from God do not put a stop to that Flood of Wickedness now running, than I might suppose if a Gentleman had a Son that had lived in Swearing, Whoring, and Debauchery until his Father was afraid he would come to the Gallows, and to prevent that, send him to Sea Three Months to know the Head of the Ship from the Stern, and how to Swear and Damn after the Sea Mode, as he did after the Land mode, and then get him Registered and make Friends to prefer him to be a Lieutenant, and then if he never served his King and Country Ten months' order him double Pay, and let the Seamen that have been Registered 10 or 15 Years, if any of them be left alive so long, wonder at it, and let them if they please to buy a little Book put out about the Lottery called, The Fool's Expectation, where there was one Lot gained to make a Noise, and 20 Thousand lost to make it good; but to have done with that, I would humbly beg, that the Registering our Seamen may be taken off, and the 6 d. the Month from the others that are to pay it, and if any should say that the Act of Parliament saith they shall not be discharged their Ship, or turned over before they are paid, To that I would answer, There was an Order this Year to discharge all that would out of several Ships, and give them Tickets for their Pay, and instead of turning over of Seamen into other Ships, the way was to send them forty, or fifty into other Ships to go out and do the Work of the other Ships, and then come back to their own, which is such an encouragement as I fear our Country Plow-boys would not like: if their Masters should say, Be Good Boys, I will not turn you away, neither put you out of the Service of my House before you are paid, but you shall do my Work, and go and do the Work of Captain such a one, and Captain such a one; and if you serve two or three Masters, and do hasten the Work, you shall be paid before you are let go; though you stay seven Years for it, as it is said the Dutch Captain did for a Wind. Now this is a very homely Comparison, but I most humbly beg pardon for this, and all my Failings; and indeed in one part I shall punish myself, for a great deal being to pay for all I Writ, the more Charge out of my own Pocket for Printing; and being to be given away, make no advantage of it to myself; for if the Seamen are Ruined and Destroyed in War twice more than needs, and Beggared and Impoverished in Peace, I have endeavoured in some Faithfulness from first to last to Represent their Case, and I hope as I have been willing to be at the continual Charge for God's sake, and the King's sake, and the Nations sake to endeavour their Relief, I hope God of his Infinite Mercy will keep off the Gild from me of her needless Death, shameful Misery, and being scandalously Oppressed, Beggared, Cheated, and Ruined; and I do humbly leave myself, and what I Writ, and all my Family, and all my Affairs, into the Hands of the Eternal Love and Mercy of our most Gracious God and Father, in and through Jesus Christ his only Son, and our only Saviour and Redeemer for all Times and all Eternity, Amen. And now having said, that I should humbly make bold to represent some few things to the Nation, that I suppose may be to their exceeding Advantage; and the first would be for the Temporal and Eternal Happiness of the Inhabitants of these Nations: That is, First, That there might be all care imaginable to make such Laws as may severely punish Whoredom, Drunkenness, and Extortion, and all manner of Vice and Sabbath-breaking, which Sins those at the Gallows commonly complain; doth help to bring them to their Untimely Ends, and therefore those Laws might be hearty and effectually put in execution: For it cannot be supposed by any Considerate Man that hath read and understood the Scripture, but that there must be Reformation or Ruin in England. And Secondly, There must be a Punishment and Reformation of the Clergy, as well as the Laiety; and indeed the Honest Sober Church of England Men and Women, are sadly to be lamented in several places, that have such Lewd, Debauched, Ignorant Wretches forced on them for their Teachers, that are a Scandal to the Name of Church Ministers; and certainly God himself will in few Years spew them out, and therefore they were better be Reform or turned out by Law first, that they may not endanger the Ruin of that Church they pretend unto; for God will not long be mocked, with the empty Name of the Temple of the Lord; the Temple of the Lord; like the Jews of old, which the Prophet speaks of, who said to them, Will you Steal and Murder, commit Adultery, and Swear falsely and then come and stand before me in this House, and say, We are delivered from all these Abominations, Jerem. 7.9, 15. But said God, I will cast you out of my Sight.  
And one thing I would observe, That the great Ruin of the Jews began after they had been under one of the best of Kings, as Josiah was; for though he was so good, the Nation of the Jews was so most dreadfully overrun with Wickedness under their other former Wicked Kings, that both Princes, Elders, Priests and People, were so wicked, that the Wrath of God did come on them, and there was no Remedy; and among all their other Sins, their oppression of the Poor, and treading on the Poor, was one great Ingredient; and as they had the most Light and Mercy of any Nation of the Earth, so God made them to know how dreadful a thing it was to sin against that Light: And if they could not escape the Judgement of God, that sinned against that Light, how much more sadly will the Sins of England call for Judgement, if we do go on in all manner of Abominations, both against the Light of the Law and the Gospel? And indeed, God is the same God Yesterday, to Day, and for ever; and therefore I do believe we may conclude there will be no Remedy for these poor Nations, but Reformation or Ruin: And indeed we have some sad Symptoms on us already, that great Dearth of all sorts of Provisions, and that sad deadness of Trade in the City and Nation, and our Scarcity of Money seems to me, as if God were threatening such a Judgement to us as to Israel of old, to be as a Moth to Israel, and as Rottenness: Now a Moth Consumeth secretly, and Rottenness goeth before Breaking; and I do not know that I ever heard of more breaking than of late; and as many of our Seamen have sold their Pay for 10 or 12 Shillings in the Pound loss, so many Thousands have been paid their Debts at Land with 12 or 15 Shillings, or more loss in the Pound; and as above 100 Thousand Seamen are run out of their Pay with Q. and R, so it may be supposed above 100 Thousand Debts at Land have been paid with nothing but bits of Paper to Discharge them; and as our Seamen have stayed several Years for their Pay, so it may be there have been two Millions or more of Debts at Land compounded for time, and it may be most of it for several Years, and if this be sad, how sad would it be if God should say to England as he did to Israel, That he would be as a Lion to us, to tear and rend us, and go from us: That would be dreadful, and therefore there had need be very severe Laws, and to be severely put in execution against all manner of Whoring, Blaspheming, Debauchery and Profaneness: And what may God say of this Nation, when he shall see that in the last Age, when there were Laws made against his Worship in these Nations, that they were made so severe, and put so severely in execution, that they ruined many Thousands of Families, and great Multitudes lost their Lives in Prison, among which I remember were four Ministers in one Year died in Newgate; among which, was Mr. Jenkins, as I remember, that was like to have been Hanged before King Charles came in, for his and Mr. Love's endeavouring to bring King Charles in; and after he was in, he let him perish in a Jail for all that, and such, or much worse Rewards I suppose must those dull Souls expect who would bring that Judgement upon the Nation, of having the late King James again: But I will only put them in mind of those dreadful Objects of Misery the Protestants of France, who helped to support the French King to the Throne, when he was in danger to be put by. But this is a Diversion, and now as to what I was to speak of concerning God's seeing with what Zeal, may I not say Rage and Fury the Laws were made and executed in the last Age against his solemn Worship and Service; and if there be neither Zeal nor Courage or make Laws, and put them in severe execution against Whoring and all Debauchery; in this will it not appear before God, Angels, and all Men, that the last Age was five times more severe against the Service of God, than this is against the Service of the Devil; and that though the last Age punished and banished those that Worshipped God; but this is backward in punishment, and more ready to protect than banish those who do help to spoil, and poison, and infect this Nation with their accursed Sins, and that the S●ns of this Day, are accursed by the Judgement of the whole Church, and that the Church hath cried out above 140 Years to have them that were guilty of Notorious Sins to be punished openly, that others might take warning by them, as any that will read the Preamble to the Commination in the Common-Prayer▪ which they carry to Church, may find, and that in the mean time they ordered the whole Church in their Solemn Service to Curse abundance of Crying Sinners, as Idolaters, Adulterers, Extortioners and such as smite their Neighbour secretly, or remove their Landmarks, or are unmerciful, or pervert the Judgement of the Poor, the Fatherless, and Widows, and several other Sins; I wish some of those who manage our Brave, Courageous, Loyal, but Beggared and Ruined Seamen of England, be not guilty of earning abundance of these Curses, when they put by the Poor, Fatherless, and Widows, from their Receiving of their Husbands, or children's Pay by those fatal Letters Q. R. when they have lost their Health and Strength in the Service of their King and Country, and are set on Shoar Sick, and it may be Die there, there is no Method found out how to secure their Pay, but if they live 100 or 200 Miles from London, they must come or send, and prove, and have Certificates, and I know not what Waiting, to get that which God, Angels, and Men knows is a dreadful Sin, and Shame, and Plague to keep them from it, and it may be this helps the Poor Miserable Wretches to wait 150, or 200 on a Day, sometimes at the Admiralty for Relief: But this by the way, It may be some will think I say too much of it, but for aught I know I may say, If God doth not avenge this by some Judgement on the Actors, on this Nation, that God hath not spoken by me. But now to return to the Proposal of severe Laws against the Debauchery of the Age, the last Age did use Imprisonment and Banishment for the punishing of the Worshippers of God, and if this Age do not Imprison and Banish a Multitude of the Whores and Villains of this Age, for serving the Devil, and Poxing, and Debauching, and Ruining the Youth of the Nation, it will be to be admired at, seeing that indeed if Debauchery and Lewdness be not punished and prevented, but that it increaseth as much more in the next Age as it did the last, the Nation will be a very Pest-House of the Plague Sores of Sin; and it is to be feared the Sound will have much to do to support themselves and Families against Cheats and Villainies, and Cursed Wretches who are likely to poison their Children, Servants. Friends, or Relations, that we are like to be as Israel of old, before their Destruction, who the Prophet said was full of Wounds, and Bruises, and putrified Sores, and it will be well if some of the Inferior Magistrates be not in time corrupted, that will be sad.  
I remember a Story of an Honest Country Parson that was preaching to a Corporation in the Country, on the choice of a Mayor, and he said, Magistrates was called Gods. Now, saith he, as they are called Gods, you should take care you do not choose a drunken God, or a Whoring; unclean God. Now he might have took the Cemmon-Prayer Book, and said, for all his being a God, If that he be such a one, the whole Church of England is bound to Curse him out the Year, therefore for that thing; and some other Reasons, I would beg that that the desire of the Common Prayer that hath stood there about 140 years might now be in some measure granted, and all those sort of Sinners severely punished, and the Curses taken clean out of the Book, and that the poor may be relieved, and now I come to that again, I would humbly beg that the Ships for time to come might be paid in London, where the poor Seamen have been forced to be assisted, and supported all this War, when they had no Money nor  to fit them for the Sea, or when Twenty, or Thirty Thousand of them were taken Captives into France: Then they came to the City of London for Supply, and as the City hath always been ready to assist the Government with Money, and the Seamen with Necessaries, and their perishing Families with Bread for several Years, while they Earned their Money; and were not paid; and that now therefore they might be paid in London, where they may buy their things at the best hand, and have opportunity to return their Money to any Part of England to their Families, and the King need not be at extraordinary Charge to send Money, and Clerks, and Commissioners 40 or 60 Miles to pay them in a small Town or two; but the King might save that Charge, and much more to pay them in London, in this Method following: Suppose a Ship of 300 Men be ordered to be Paid at Portsmouth▪ or Chatham, fourteen Days hence, it may be it is ten days before the Money and Commissioners get down. Now suppose these 300 Men, Officers and all Ghost the King but 2 s. a day apiece, victuals and Wages, that is One Pound a Man for ten Days, is 300 l. Now suppose an Order is sent down to Clear them off to Morrow, and give every Man 5 s. to Travel to London, is 75 l. And pay them at the ten Days end, the King will save 225 l. in a Ship, besides travelling Charges, and they that Live in London also save abundance of Money in their being forced to Run Threescore Miles after their Just Debts. But I have often admired at the Reason of putting His Majesty to extraordinary needless Charge to carry away so many Hundred Thousands of Pounds from London to those two miserable Places Chatham and Portsmouth. and now I think of Chatham, Rochester, and Strood, makes me think of three Places nicknamed, Cheat them, Rot them, and Starve them; God grant that our Seamen and their Families be not any of them left to be Ruined there; but it is very strange, that a little Town or two should have more Friends to get the Ships paid off last there, than the City of London should to get them to be paid here? How Kissing goeth by Favour I know not; but now to have done with that, having almost tired myself with Writing and yet lest a great part unwritten that I should, or might have written; will come to propose something I promised for the Nations advantage to some Millions of Money in a few Years, and it is this.  
Suppose the Distilling Trade for Brandy do take up in one Year about One hundred Thousand Quarters of Malt, and now suppose at 30 Shillings the Quarter, that is One hundred and fifty Thousand Pound, which (by the way) is a prodigious Quantity of Corn, I was a going to say wasted, but I will say, Distilled out for Idle Tipple that our Forefathers heard not so much as the Name of; and it is no wonder Corn hath been so exceeding dear, and so many Poor ready to perish, if there be near so much of it turned into Fire and Vapour, that it may be hath killed more Men and Women these late Years in England, than the Sword, and it fireth the very Souls of many out of their Bodies by degrees, if not presently, as several have been, but by degrees I have known many, both Man and Women, have shortened their Lives many Years by drinking so much of such fiery Drink, to dry up their very Livers or Lungs, and neither fear of Death, or any Wisdom, Sense, or Reason can take off Mankind from what their Lust and Appetites are set upon; and if there were an open Trade to France, if we should but send a Million a Year of our Large Money for their Brandy and Wine, it would be the way to Beggar us in a very few Years; therefore if we must have so much Brandy in England, I would humbly propose, That there might be a Law made to have our Hedge rows in every Field, by Act of Parliament, obliged in seven or eight Years time to have an Appletree in every Thirty Foot of Hedges, and there might be several Millions of Appletrees planted in eight Years time, the Kernels of Appels now would the first two or three Years produce Nurseries of Trees enough, and they in about ten or twelve years might come to bear Fruit; and being, as I said, planted in the Hedg-rows. need not take up an Acre of Land for 40 Millions of Trees, and if the Trees comes to bear, would preserve our Corn from being burnt up; I mean into Brandy, and it is our English Cider will make almost as good Brandy as the French; and if this Plantation were but Established, it would Pay its own Charge of the Planting ten times over quickly, and if it was once taken up, it would never be laid down again; for Apples are for Meat and Drink to several poor Families in the Country, and at last the very wood of the Trees, if Forty Years Old, would be worth for Firing when they have done Bearing Fruit, five times the Charge of Planting, and as I said, we need not lose an Acre of Land, and if any would propose the Planting of Oaks after the same manner; one in every 30 Foot of Hedge-rows; Acorns are cheap enough, and if every twenty Foot had an Appletree and every twenty Foot an Oak, planted, the timber of one, and the Fruit of the other, would make the next age Rejoice, and have Cause to Bless. God for the Care of this, which makes me think of the Old Motto.  
He that delights to Plant and Set,  
Makes after Ages in his Debt.  
Now if after-Ages will be in debt to this for several new Follies, and Miseries, and cheating Tricks, it is pity; But they should be in debt to us for several good Laws, and indeed good Improvements, and God grant they may be in debt to us, for some good good Reformation, that so Iniquity may not be our Ruin; and now having writ out all my Book, and made my Charge almost double what I designed by Printing so much in several Cases more than I designed, and yet I could not well avoid it, being only guided by the good will and Pleasure of God; but wanting a wiser Head to let my Notions pass through, and being always afraid to leave out my own honest Design to take in other men's Wit, so that if I should suffer for any part of it, I could with a good Conscience bless God I have written every Word in the sincerity of my Heart, in Love to God, and to His Majesty, and the Parliament, and the Nation; for I am not of the Number of those senseless Wretches, that would Fire the House to destroy the Rats and Mice, neither long for Slavery, because the King, and the Nation, and the Seamen have been so dreadfully Cheated since we had our Liberty; but I am of the honest Bishop's Mind, who had some Brains in his Head when they told him, The Presbyterians were worse than the Papists; No, said he, That is false; For said he, The Presbyterians would pull my Lawn Sleeves off, but the Papist would pull off my Skin. And this I would leave as a Memorandum for all those who grumble against this Government, and would long for the Garlic and Onions of Egypt, I mean for a Popish King; that as the Presbyterian Ministers, and People did Plot and contrive to bring in King Chales II. and lost some thousands of their Lives for him beforehand, and yet when he came to the Crown, he would not Trust one of them unto the day of his Death, but hated them, and ruined them, and their Religion, though he was called a Protestant, and had been in Covenant with God, and that People, yet he broke through all Oaths that he took to them, and through all Bonds of Love or Gratitude; and how much more dreadfully would a Popish King Ruin all the Protestant Religion and People in England, if he were in Power? And now to have done, I Humbly beg Pardon of God, and of his Majesty, King William, and of the Two most Honourable Houses, for all that is amiss in this or me, and that God would be the Protection of me and mine in and thro' Christ, for time and all Eternity, and now to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three Persons, and one Holy, Glorious, and only Wise God, be the Everlasting Praises, Amen. So prays he, who is His Most Gracious Majesty King William's Loyal, and Faithful Subject, and the Parliament, and Nations humble Servant, while  
Feb. the 4th. 1698/9. William Hodges.   

By reason of the Author's great distance from the Press, there is some small Erratas; as Page 3. Lady-Day for May-day. And page 25. Prophesying instead of Professing. The Reader is desired to Correct them, or any other with his Pen. And the Author being not Born for himself, is willing to present every new Member of the House of Commons with two Books: one about the Seamens Ruin, and the other Proposals for their Encouragement. But not knowing which they are, will leave the Books with Mr. Applesby, their Doorkeeper, for those that please to call for them.  
FINIS.