THE Earl of Warwick's LETTER From aboard His majesty's Ship, called the James, in the Downs, to an honourable Lord in Parliament; Dated July 4. 1642.  
Concerning His calling a council of War, and how His rear-admiral, and four other Captains refused to obey his lordship's Summons.  
With many other passages of great consequence.  
ALSO, Another LETTER from aboard the same Ship to Master Nichols a Member of the House of COMMONS; Dated July 5. 1642.  
With many Remarkable Passages amongst the Captains and Officers.  
Read in the House of Commons, and commanded to be forthwith Printed.  
LONDON, Printed by Luke Norton and John Field, for Edward Husbands and John Frank. July 7. 1642.   

THE Earl of Warwick's LETTER To an Honourable Lord in Parliament.  
My very good Lord;  
BEfore these shall come to your lordship's hands, I make no doubt but Master Nichols of the House of Commons hath made both Houses a Relation of what hath passed here, since I received His majesty's Letters for the discharging me of the Command of the Fleet wherewith I was entrusted; how I called a council of War, and acquainted them with His majesty's Letters, and likewise with the Ordinance of Parliament sent from the Houses, for me to continue my Charge; I confess it was a great straight that I was put in between two Commands that have so much power over me, But when I consider the great care which I have ever seen in the Parliaments of the Kingdom, for the good and safety of the King and Kingdom, and every man's particular in them; and that they are that great council by whose Authority the Kings of England have ever spoken to their Subjects. And likewise, that the trust of this Fleet for the defence of His Majesty and the kingdoms, was committed to me by them, and know the integrity of my own heart to His Majesty and Parliament, I resolved not to desert that Charge committed to my trust, wherein God (blessed be his name for it) hath made me hitherto so successful, but to continue it until I shall be revoked by that Authority that hath entrusted me with it, which having declared to my Captains at the council of War, all of them unanimously, and cheerfully took the same resolution, excepting five, which was the rear-admiral Captain fog, Captain Burley, Captain Slingsby, and Captain Wake; a●l which five refused to come upon my Summons, as having no ●uthority over them, and got together round that night to make their defence against me, only Captain Burley came in and submitted to me; whereupon in the morning I weighed my Anchors, and caused the rest of my ●ips so to do, and came to an Anchor round about them, and besieged them, and when I had made all things ready, I summoned them; Sir John Menues and Captain fog came in to me, out Captain Slingsby and Captain Wake stood out, whereupon I let fly a Gun over them, and sent them word I had turned up the glass upon them, if in that space they came not in, they must look for me aboard them, I sent to them by my Boat, and most of the Boats in the Fleet; their answer was so peremptory, that my Masters and sailors grew so impatient on them, that although they had no Arms in their Boat at all, yet God gave them such courage and resolution, as in a moment they entered them, took hold on their shroud, and seized upon these Captains being armed with their Pistols and Swords, and struck their Yards and Top-masts, and brought them both to me, the like courage and resolution was never seen amongst unarmed men, so as all was ended without effusion of blood, which I must attribute to the great God of heaven and earth only, who in the moment that I was ready to give fire on them, put such courage into our men to act it, and so saved much blood. I hope the Parliament will think of some course for all our Indempnities, and especially for the Officers of the navy, my vice-admiral a very able and good man; for myself, I doubt not but they that put me in this employment, will preserve me for serving them faithfully.  
I send your Lordship herewith enclosed a Letter to Captain Wheeler Captain of the Greybound. I beseech your Lordship be a means that some money may be sent us, for it hath been often promised, but we hear not of it; the weather continuing stormy so long together, that we spend our Masts and Top-Masts, or some detriment or other befalls us daily, so that we are in great extremity for want of money.  
Thus, having nothing else to trouble your Lordship, only that you will be pleased to acquaint the Parliament of our proceedings here, I take leave, and remain  
Your lordship's most humble servant, WARWICK. From aboard His majesty's ship, the James, in the Downs, this fourth of July, 1642.   

Another Letter to Mr. Nichols.  
SIR,  
I Am sorry it was my ill hap to be employed from aboard of your Ship when you took your leave of my Lord, for I was then employed by his Lordship to those refractory persons with a second summons unto them to come aboard his Lordship; all of them that I spoke with used me civilly, and gave me a reasonable satisfaction, that they would attend my Lord within few hours, which they made good; but captain Slingsby used other language, that he would live and die in his Ship, and that he made a great deal of difference between John Brown and Charles Rex: I replied unto him that John Brown did write his name there by the authority not only of Charles Rex, as he termed it, but that he had also the Great Seal of England for it, besides the authority of the Peers and Commons of this Kingdom, I desired him that I might see the King's Letter which he had; he answered me, that he had received none, whereupon I demanded of him by what colour he could refuse to obey my Lord: I having then showed him the Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament; his answer unto me again was, that by all the Laws that he had read he could not find that an Ordinance of Parliament was Law; and that it was sufficient for him, that he had seen the King's Letters to others in the Fleet, by which he did understand His majesty's pleasure, and should be a sufficient warrant for him; captain Burley captain of the antelope did promise me to submit himself forthwith to my Lord, and writ his letters by me to that effect, and indeed he durst do no other ways, for the Muster, the Officers, and all the company of the said Ship would have cast him over board if he had done otherwise, for they were unanimously for my Lord, whereupon his Lordship did send the captain of his own Ship for him, and he came with him immediately to my Lord; the next morning my Lord Commanded His Anchors to be weighed, and came very near those four Ships that stood out, and Commanded the rest of His ships to do the like and so these four ships were closely surrounded by the whole Fleet: Whereupon Sir John Menues the rear-admiral, and Captain Fog captain of the Constant Reformation came aboard unto my Lord according to their promise unto me over night, and submitted themselves unto his Lordship; whereupon his Lordship called a general Coun-of War of all the Captains and Masters, as the day before when you were there, and then it was resolved that they would turn up the glass, and if these two Ships would not yield obedience unto his Lordship within that time, they would board them. In the mean time, the Vice admiral captain Butler who is a most discreet and resolute gentleman, made this proposition to my Lord and the council of War, that all the Masters that were there should take their Boats all unarmed and go and summon them once more, and to let them know that the glass was turned upon them. Captain Slingsby who they first summo'nd, and Master Hadock Master of the Victory the rear-admiral would not brook to hear the language from a captain to their admiral, entered the Ship immediately, and captain Slingsby came forth upon the Deck, and presented a pistol at his breast, but he laid hold of it before he could discharge it, so all the common men did board him also, 
These 2 Captains, Slingsby and Wake, are both prisoners aboard some of the ships here, and there my Lord will keep them until he doth hear from both Houses of Parliament.  and did strike his top-masts and let fall his yards, and so they took him away in their boats, and went from him to the Expedition where captain Wake Commanded; and all these naked men entered a board of him presently and struck his yards and Top-masts, and took him likewise, and so brought them both a board without any effusion of blood, God be praised for it, so that now I hope my Lord hath weeded away those ill members that would make a division between the King and His Parliament here at Sea: We have too many of them on shore, and therefore we need the less of them at Sea.  
I doubt not but you and the rest of the discreet members of Your House of Commons will take notice of the resolution of those Sea men that stands so unanimously for the King and Parliament.  
The last night Sir John Penington came to Deal with between 30 and 2 Cavaliers in his company as the report goes, captain Edwin Sands who lives withins 2 mile of Deal, hearing of Sir John's coming there in that posture, did summon the countries thereabouts to watch all night and came himself between one and two in the morning aboard my Lord's Ship to acquaint His Lordship that Sir John was there with that Company, and said that if he did but offer the least breach of the Peace he would raise the country upon him, for he is one of the Deputy Lieutenants, presented by the Earl of Leicester to Your House for the County of Kent; but I believe he hath no Commission from His Lordship nor any Order from the House to Act any thing for the good of the King Parliament and Kingdom, I hope that you and the rest of the discreet members of Your House of Commons will not only return him thanks but give him authority to have care of his country. And so this is all that hath passed since you have been here: And craving your pardon for being thus tedious I take my leave and rest.  
Yours to command, ROB: COYTMORE. From aboard the James in the Downs, this 5. of July, 1642.  
FINIS.