Faults escaped, by reason of the author's absence, when the book was in printing.  
Page 6. l. 7. For Hepos, r. Nepos. p. 8. l. 27. for rules in r. rule is. p. 9 l. 12. add may imagine. p. 33. marg. r. Ephes. 5. 4. p 36. l. 1. r. many. l. 7. r. continued. p. 41. l. 28. r. indicat. p. 54. marg. r. Demosthenes. p. 62. marg. for hereof, r. hereof.   

A true RELATION OF THE PROPOSING, threatening, AND persuading the VINTNERS to yield to the Imposition upon WINES.  
DECLARING, The dislike of the Generality of Retailers, And whatsoever they either did or suffered therein, was merely by compulsion.  
AND hereby is also truly set forth their great, and almost insupportable loss by this IMPOSITION.  
Together with the extreme Wrongs and Injuries they have suffered in their arrear-money, in their Meat-Money, and by MEDIUM-WINE.  
LONDON, Printed in the year, MDCXLI.   

A true RELATION OF THE PROPOSING, threatening and persuading the VINTNERS to yield to the IMPOSITION upon WINES.  
THE Imposition upon WINES was proposed and required almost three years before Alderman ABEL became Master of the Company; during which time it was always strongly opposed, and refused by the generality of Retailers. And in the last time of proposal before his being Master they utterly refused it, and chose rather to lay themselves down at his majesty's feet, and stand to his mercy then to consent to that Imposition, and humbly gave in their answer, that such payment could not be made without the undoing and overthrow of them, their Families and Trades, as appeareth by an Order entered in their hall-book, bearing date the 27th. of March, 1637. Hence appeareth the 
* A book entitled A true discovery, &c.  Discovery to be defective, and the Author thereof deceitful in the very entrance of his book, who would cunningly make the World believe that this Project had its beginning on the 6th. of Novemb. 1637. Therein subtly and of purpose leaving out both the time of contrivement by the Alderman and Mr. Kilvert, and also the time of resolute denials by the Retailing Vintners, as appears not only by this Order already named, but also by another bearing date the 25. of October 1637. which Order doth plentifully show Mr. Richard Kilvert to have a prime hand in the work.)  
In the Summer following Alderman Abel (being sheriff of London, was made Master of the Company, who did then call many Courts to press the yielding (as he said) to the King's desire in this Imposition. Amongst some of the first Meetings there were reasonable great appearances, to whom the Alderman proposed the matter, v●ry vehemently urging their consents (most especially) with two sorts of Arguments.  
The first consisting of many promises, viz. That the 
Promises:  King would pardon all former faults of dressing and selling victuals contrary to the Decree of Star-chamber; of selling Wines above the rates (Unknown who was guilty of) and that (for the future) they should have privilege to dress and sell victuals, to sell Tobacco, beer, Sugar, &c. and be kept free from the danger of informers, as also have the Cooper's debarred from buying of Wines, saying he had gotten the best and learnedest counsel that could be had for gold, who told him it was lawful, and that the King might put what Imposition he pleased upon Wines, they being a foreign commodity; and further he said it should be for the good of the whole Company, and that their Posterity after them, and the Child unborn should have cause to bless God for them. But these persuasions failing, he sets upon them with  
The second sort of Arguments consisting of divers 
threatenings.  fearful threatenings; namely, That they should be prosecuted for dressing of meat contrary to the Decree, that they should be always perplexed with Informers, and disabled to use their trades: That the King was resolved to settle the Imposition whether they yielded or no, and this his resolution he would not alter: Nay, he said further, That the King would as soon loose the profit of his crown-land as that benefit; And that (if they consented not) either the Merchants or Cooper's would step in and allow it the King.) That the Cooper's had already petitioned for it very earnestly, offering a great sum of money, and pretending themselves better able than the Vintners to do the Service: And that if the Cooper's prevailed, the Vintners should become their slaves; and still as any one spoke in dislike of it, the Alderman retorted most bitter words, frowns and sharp rebukes 
* As may by many be sufficiently testified.  (able to daunt a weak spirit) causing to be put apart, and not permitting him any further liberty of speech, telling them that when he was a young man they durst not speak so saucily, or oppose the Master and Wardens; for if they did, they should be sent away by an Officer to prison.  
All these ways still failing him, and finding himself not able thereby to prevail with the major part of the retailing Vintners, he ceased not to warn them daily to the Hall, intending to weary them into a consent by his extreme and importunate urging, notwithstanding their often resolute denials, whereupon they did then forbear to make their repairs, to the Hall so frequently as formerly they had done to prevent his course and unsavoury usage, and this their slackness in appearing, did so vex the Alderman, that he required those that were present to write down their names, that so notice might be taken of those that were absent: whereby the Discovery is discovered to be false, which saith, in pag. 15. A greater number of drawing Vintners appeared at those general Courts than hath been known at any Court of former times. And afterward at some such meeting, when the greatest appearance (for the most part) were the Assistants, and other the ancient and chief of the company (whose expectation of sharers in the profit, made them well affected to the work) they got (if ever) this general consent pretended, expressed (as they say) by the greater part than present holding up their hands. Those who had no relation to their plot, and had formerly denied their consents, being the greatest number of the Company were almost totally absent; and if any of them that were then present did yield, it might be out of Ignorance, supposing themselves bound to obey, the Alderman being Master of the Company, or out of fear to offend a man so potent, he frequently threatening and menacing those which opposed the work. These things considered, may convince those which pretend the Retailers prosecuted it with such cheerfulness and earnest desire that Alderman Abel did not, nor needed not to persuade them, as Discovery, pag. 10.  
Moreover, upon every meeting of the retailing Vintners, they were not admitted into their Court at their first coming (though it were after the hour appointed) but were forced to stay below, sometimes two, three, or four hours ere they were called up, in all which time the Contractors (Doubtless) were plotting and contriving how to obtain the others' consent, and in what manner to propose and accomplish their design: so when the rest of the Company were admitted, the business was suddenly moved to them, who wanted such competent time to deliberate thereupon, as the Alderman and Farmers had formerly allowed to themselves.  
But the Discoverer saith, It was agreed upon by a general Court at the Hall, that the common seal of the Company should pass to seal the Indenture; whereupon, saith he, what can be more plain than that this was the work of the whole Company? pag. 14.  
To which is answered, that there hath been already a Certificate presented to the committee, whereunto is about 300. men's hands, all which are ready to testify upon Oath that they never gave their consents to the passing of the seal. Moreover, the Court so called to obtain their consents, were not lawfully summoned; for, besides the Farmers and Assistants, the rest of the dry Vintners were not warned, who had as much right to the seal, and interest in the Hall as any other of the Company: so this was a warning of some Vintners in particular, not of the whole Company in general; the truth of this hath been manifestly proved already; therefore by this it doth not appear to the work of the whole Company.  
Nay Alderman Abel's owne-words will prove it to be none of the Companies work, for at a certain time after his effecting of it, he took so much delight and pleasure in it, that he clapped his hands upon his breast and said, I thank God I have now brought that to perfection which I have been two years a working.  
Furthermore, when the Alderman had wrought his ends, and a Proclamation came forth commanding the imposition, both by ton and Quart to be paid; some Vintners continued to sell for 6. pence and 12. pence, whereupon Alderman Abel sent for them, and threatened one to shut up his doors if he would not change his price and sell for 7. pence, and 14. pence, and would utterly disable him for drawing of Wine; relating thereupon that he had (not long before) procured an Order from the council Table against one in the country, by virtue whereof, he caused his doors to be shut up, and disabled him utterly for ever keeping tavern any more, only because he retailed his Wine at a penny a quart under the Proclamation: and he threatened another, that he would set up a tavern right against his door to undo him, because he sold for six pence a quart.  
And for those which did not, or could not pay the Imposition of forty shillings a ton within a short time after he required it, he took out Extents, and seized their goods, to their great and insupportable loss and detriment, Insomuch that by his cruel threats and tyrannical dealings, they neither durst refuses to pay the imposition, nor yet retail their Wines at a lower rate, than the Lords by their proclamation had limited. All these things considered doth make it evidently appear (as the truth is) that Alderman Abel as he contrived and plotted the project cunningly, so he prosecuted it earnestly to the very utmost in the acting thereof.  

Losses to the Retailers of Wines.  
Further, it may plainly appear that the Retailers (those only excepted that had their shares in the farm) are and have been great losers by this imposition, for almost all the wines imported the last three years wanted much of gage; particularly, in some of the French Wines there wanted 16. gallons i'th' ton, in others 32. 40. 48. 56. and 64. In some few Spanish Wines, but eight gallons in most of them 16. 20. and 24. gallons; yet notwithstanding so every two butts or Pipes of Spanish wine, and every 4. undergag'd-hogs-heads of French wines, the 40. shillings was completely exacted and paid without any rebates for their wants, (by which it may appear that the Retailers have paid about 50. shillings for every ton of clear wine which they have bought) besides the great quantities of Lees in them, and other several losses, as leakage, both in carriage home, and in their cellars, spilling, long deeping, eecaying, on their hands, bad debts, and their great damages by Mediums.  
Also the Retailers were enforced for many of these wines to pay extraordinary prizes, far exceeding the Rates set down by the Lords; as namely, for some 4. pound. 4. pound 10. s. 5. po. 5. po. 10. s. 6. po. 6. 10. s. and 6. po. 15. s. and such like rates were paid and exacted more and higher than the allowance from the Lords to sell at; to which may be added the several charges incident unto them, yet for all this the Retailers never did exceed the price allowed by the Lords and set out by Proclamation: all these particulars are manifest truths sufficiently known to all that are dealers in wine: whence the Author of the book entitled, A Discovery: is discovered to be Ignorant of these things, or very impudent that shall offer to fill three of his pages so full of untruths, viz. pag. 25, 26, 27. Read, Compare, Consider, and judge.   

Wrongs and Injuries imposed by Alderman Abel and the Farmers.  

1. In the arrear Money.  
Whereas the Proclamation gave them no power to receive or impose 40. s. a ton till the 11th. of June, 1638. at the soonest, yet these Contractors, caused a search and view to be made the last day of May being eleven days before, taken an exact account of the wines in all the vintner's cellars in London, and in all other places within three miles' compass of the ●itie, though some of them had been bought long before, which account they kept upon record till Vintage time. And when divers of the Vintners had bought new wines (without which their trades, could not be managed) they would not permit them to carry them home without Tickets, which Tickets the Office would not grant, although they paid the 40 s. a ton, except they also discharged the arrear according to their account, or sealed bonds to discharge it, otherwise they could not have home their wines to draw, (though they were already bought of the Merchants and paid for) In this exigent either they must seal those bonds, or themselves, their wives, children and Families, must be utterly ruinated in the loss of their trades for want of wines to supply their daily Rent and Customers; so they sealed those bonds; whereby they have been forced to pay this arrear Money as by their bonds taken appear.   

2. Medium Wine.  
Also they suffered very much by the great quantities of Medium wines enforced on them being both very bad and very dear, whereby they were not only hindered in their trades, but also much damnified in their reputation, in that they were compelled to part with great sums of Money for these Mediums, and were thereby disabled to keep day with Merchants of whom they had bought good wines for time, and that time expired. The insupportable wrongs and injuries thereby suffered (almost to the utter undoing of many Retailers) hath been sufficiently manifested (not only by the imprisoning of many of them, but also) by the several testimonies thereof made before the Committee.  
The occasion of this Medium was that Invetterate malice and hatred that was in Alderman Abel against the Cooper's, that, and that only was both the begetting of the Medium, and the very original occasion of the Cooper's restraint.  
Also the contriving of the Medium, was the alderman's work, as for the Retailers, they knew not what it meant when he proposed it; whereupon he took great pains, and spent much time in the explanation of it to them.  
And himself, together with Mr. Griffith often pressed the consent thereunto very earnestly with many persuasions, telling the Retailers it would prove as small a matter as Flea-biting, &c. whereby it appears, that the book entitled, A true Discovery, is a discoverer of untruths, in pag. 19 and 21.   

3. Meat-Money.  
Lastly, the Six thousand pounds formerly disbursed by the Retailers for dressing of meat they could never yet get repaid them, though his majesty allowed it to the Atlerman and the rest of the Contractors: And for their defence in so unjust a detention they allege for themselves two notorious untruths.  
First, that they were at 2000 l. charge to procure it, in respect whereof they would pay but only 12. s. in the pound.  
Whereto is answered; First, if that assertion were true (which is indeed most false) yet two thirds of the Money remains good to the lenders which is xiij s. iiij. d. in the pound.  
Secondly, it is further answered, that the 2000 l. (which they pretend it cost them to procure the said Money) they gave it merely for the obtaining their farm, as hath been already proved.  
In the second place, they allege that it was agreed at a Meeting in the Hall, there should be only 12. s. in the pound repaid.  
To which is answered, that at that meeting there were very few of the Lenders present, and of them no general consent was obtained; as may evidently appear by the Hall book wherein (after the mentioning of some men's names then present) there was entered these very words: Touching the Retribution, Division happened, and not settled. And when the Court was dismissed, Alderman Abel and Mr. Griffeth asked Mr. Child the clerk of the Company, if he had entered down the Order of yielding to take twelve. s. ith'pound? he replied no, for it was not agreed upon, nor ordered; they said it was, and the Alderman saidshe must find such an Order, and would have forced him to make the entry: But he replied again that it was unjust for them to require it, and more than they could answer to detain the Lenders money, for they had no power to give away other men's Estates without their consents: And because Mr. Child refused to enter it as an Order agreed upon, they gave him very ill words both that day and divers times afterwards threatening him, and said it was a good deed to have him turned out of his place.    
FINIS.