A true Relation of an IMPOSITION laid BY THE LATE KING UPON THE MANUFACTURES OF GOLD & SILVER-WYER To be used in the making of GOLD & SILVER thread, &c.  
Which was voted by the grand Committee of Parliament to be a Monopoly.  
Written by one that was well acquainted with all the proceedings.  
Published by D.T. a lover of truth.  
LONDON, Printed by T. C. and are to be sold at the fountain in Goldsmiths-row in Cheapside, 1657.   

A true Relation of an imposition laid by the late King upon the manufactures of Gold and Silver wire to be used in the making of Gold and Silver thread, &c. which was voted by the Grand Committee of Parliament to be a monopoly.  
SInce the coming of King James to the Crown the wearing of Gold and Silver Lace in Englan● hath been much increased, by reason whereo● the number of Gold wire drawers in an● about the City of London, to fit and prepar● Gold and Silver thread for the making thereof, have multiplied also; which were not incorporated into one Society but promiscuously joined to several other Societies of th● said City; By reason whereof, they had no Charter to enab●… them to regulate the said Trade among themselves, nor t● suppress any others from exercising the same, who neve● served as Apprentices thereunto; for want whereof ma●… of other professions betook themselves unto the workin● and making of the said manufactures, as well as those whos● proper Trade it was; and so became sharers in the profi●… thereof, to the great discontent of the said Gold-Wye● drawers; which persons so intruding they called Interloper● For the suppressing of whom, many of the chief of the sa●… Gold-wyer-drawers, applied themselves to one Mr. Tomki●… and Mr. leak solicitors, and Sergeant Whitfield of Counc●… to the then Lord of Holland, to procure the said Lord● mediate with the King to make them a Corporation, and after many consultations had to that purpose, they came to an agreement; and in pursuance thereof, and for the better effecting of their desires, they subscribed a Petition to the ●ate King Charles, and procured it to be delivered by Sir Ralph Freeman one of the Masters of the Requests, in April, 1635. In which Petition they pray, That they, and such others as have served in the said Arts or Trades, or such as your Petitioners shall deem fit to use the same, and one or two Finers that may fine Gold and Silver, to be used in the aforesaid Trades, with a non ●bstante, the Statute of 4 Hen. 7th. or any other Statute or Proclamation may be incorporated into a body politic, consisting of a Master, two Wardens, twelve Assistants, and Commonalty, and thereby have power, to bring all the parties of the said Arts and Trades into order, and Purchase an Hall for their Company and make Orders and by Laws for the better regulating and gover●ing of the said Company, and raising of the moneys to be reserved ●o his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors by their Charter, and for ●ll necessary charges for driving and maintaining their Trades, ●nd that no Gold or Silver thread, or Copper Gold and Silver thread may be put to sale, unless it be sealed with the seal of the said ●ompany, and to have such liberties and privileges as may ad●ance the Trades. And that Corporation for his Majesties grace ●nd goodness to them, in continuing their Trades, and reducing the ●ame to Government; humbly offer to render and pay to his majesty, his Heirs and Successors for ever, One thousand and pounds yearly, ●rom Michaelmas then next, and for and towards the provision ●nd importation of such Bulloign and Species, as the members of ●he said Corporation shall use in the said manufacture, would also ●ay unto his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors, two pence for every ●unce of the said Bulloign and foreign Species, which should be used ●y them in the said Trades, over and above the currant price of the Merchants, &c. And that his Majesty would be pleased to publish ●… s royal Proclamation, thereby declaring his royal will and pleasure to be, that no person or persons whatsoever, within his Majesties kingdom, do practise or use any of the said Arts, Trades, Manufactures, or drawing & spinning of Gold and Silver thread, other then such as should be incorporated and admitted into the Petitioners Society. Which Petition of theirs was seconded by a Petition of the Lord of Holland; the Contents whereof followeth,  
To the Kings most excellent Majesty: The humble Petition of Henry earl of Holland. showing, That your Majesty, some years since, did grant unto your Petitioner the power to regulate and govern the manufactures of Gold and Silver thread, with a Relation to a former grant made unto him, of your Majesties exchange, was then thought fittest to be done by way of Licence or faculty; But that nothing being done upon that grant, which passed no further then the privy Seal, your Petitioner considering the increase of the said Trades, with the abuses thereof, hath treated with the Gold Wyer-drawers, and findeth that the Reglement thereof by way of incorporation, agreeth best with the nature of the business, and their desires: who humbly offer unto your Majesty for your grace and goodness to them, in continuing of their Trades, and reducing the same to Government, to pay to your Majesty, from Michaelmas next for ever, One thousand pounds per annum, and two pence upon every ounce of Bulloign & foreign Species, which shal be used by them in their manufactures, for and towards the provision and ●… tion thereof, which offers they have been invited thereunto, by your Petitioners great labour and expenses; he humbly tendereth to your Majesties consideration, with his humble svit that your Majesty would be graciously pleased, in accomplishment of your royal favour long since intended to him in this particular, to grant to your Petitioner a Lease of the said thousand pounds, and of the two pence for provision and importation of Bulloign as aforesaid, for the term of one and thirty years, from Michaelmas next, and your Petitioner will provide a Merchant or Merchants who shall yearly serve the said Company, with as much Bulloyne and foreign species, as they shall use in their said Trades, and after the said one and thirty years ended, the whole Benefit of the Reservations by the Patent of Incorporation, will remain as a constant Revenue to your Majesty and your Heirs for ever. And the Petitioner will ever pray for your Majesties long life. Both which Petitions were referred to Mr. Attorney General to take into Consideration, the Request of the Goldwyer-drawers; and to hear the council and Agents of the Petitioners, and to certify his Majesty whether the Corporation desired be a fit means to regulate the said Trades, and upon what Conditions and privileges, the same might be passed, for the best advantage of his Majesties Service, and the public Good.  
Where observe, That the said Corporation of the Wyer-drawers, and the powers thereof in their Petition desired would( if granted) have suppressed all the Refiners from the exercise of their ancient Trade,( except one or two whom they would have taken in to fine Gold and Silver to be used in their said trades.) Now whilst this business of the Wyer-drawers was agitating by them, with the persons aforenamed There was one Henry Ockald did offer to sell an Jugot of Silver, in weight about three and forty Ounces, to Mr. Ralph Lathum a Goldsmith in Cheapside, who stayed the same upon suspicion that it was not lawfuly come by, which Jugot was afterwards carried to the Master of the Kings Jewel-house, & the said Ockald( examined by the Lord chief Justice Richardson) said, he was sent by one Philips a brother in Law of his to sell the same to Mr. John Wollaston in Foster-lane, to whom he had formerly sold Spanish Silver, for another brother in Law of his one Jermin Honychurch. Whereupon the said Mr. Wollaston was also examined, and denied that he had any acquaintance with the said Philips, or had formerly bought any Silver of him but said, that he did ordinarily, buy Jugots, and other parcels of melted Gold and Silver, of Merchants and Goldsmiths. Hereupon S. H. M. encouraged the Goldsmiths in Cheapside, to Petition the King for a Remedy of their Grievances, and in case they would give a charge against the Refiners, he would further their Petition, which accordingly they did upon his encouragement, and in the first Article of that Petition set forth, That divers persons and trades-men, as well in the City of London, and the suburbs thereof, as in divers other parts of the kingdom, did deal and intermeddle in their said trade, and the wears and commodities solely and properly appertaining to it, which were never bread nor served as Apprentices to the same, and sundry Mercers and petty chapmen in the Country, did buy great quantities of Plate, burnt-Silver, and other Goldsmiths commodities, and returned them to London to other tradesman, that they dealt withall, who sold the same again to the Finers at their private houses, whereby the Petitioners were not only hindered in their trade, but also the Commonwealth suffered by it, in regard that by this means it was probable, that stolen wears were bought and sold, and could never be discovered, which might be done if they were sold in open Market.  
In the Second Article they complain, of Brokers lending money upon Plate and other Goldsmiths wears, which hindered the finding out of stolen Goods.  
In the Third Article they complain, that some in the old and new Exchange, &c. sold Goldsmiths wears, made of course Gold and Silver, &c.  
And in the fourth ARticle they complain, of divers of their own profession, that dispersed themselves into several pa●… s, in and about the City, enlarged their Shops, and engrossed almost all the whole trade, whereby the generality of the Company were exceedingly impoverished, and then pray the King to prevent these inconveniences, touching their said trade, for the good of the kingdom in general, and the Petitioners in special, &c.  
Observe here, That as the Gold wyer-drawers would have the Refiners suppressed from selling; so these Petitioners would have them restrained from buying, which were both hard Petitions in that respect, and had both their success accordingly. Upon this Petition, seconded with a Complaint of S. ●. H.M. to the King and his Council, As is inserted in the preamble of an Order thereupon made, which Order was to this effect, That S. H. M. should go to Mr. Attorney General with his dispositions, &c. and that the Goldsmiths should likewise attend the said Mr. Attorney, with such Informations as they had or could recover by further inquiery, and that thereupon Mr. Attorney should prosecute in a legal way, such as he should find to be offenders( as well Goldsmiths as Refiners) and cause the Statute of 4. Henry 7th to be strictly put in Execution, and such course to be presently taken, that the penalties thereupon should be recovered against such, as were or should be offenders against the said Statute. These Allegations being to weak for Mr. Attorney to ground any information upon the said S.H. M. procured a Commission under the great Seal dated the Seventh day of April in the 11th year of the said King for him and others therein name; to inquire into the abuses committed by Goldsmiths, Finers of Gold and Silver, Disgrossers of Gold and Silver, and by wire drawers, Silkmen and others in the buying and selling of Gold and Silver, of and to divers persons of several professions, and in not bringing the same unto the Mint, Exchanges and Goldsmiths for augmentation and amending of Coin and Plate, as they ought to have done, but convert the same to the making of Silver thread, Spangles and Oaes, and such like unnecessary things, and buying of Plate oft times stolen from his Majesty and his Subjects, either in Specie, or in mass melted, and for exporting of Gold and Silver out of the Realm, by virtue of which Commission the said S. H. M. and other Commissioners proceeded in the Examination of many persons of the several professions aforesaid, and of their Servants, Workmen, and such as bought and sold with them, and did thereby and also by employing his Agents to buy small parcels, of such as were suspected to work and sell course and fraudulent wears, discover several parcels of Silver and Gold Lace, mingled with Copper and made much worse then the Standard, in the hands of several Silkmen, and other course Silver-wyer cast with a Core of Copper, which deceit had been practised by one Heyward a Refiner and one Gare( formerly a Silkman and afterwards turned) Wyer-drawer, and also course Spangles and Plate in the hands of Spangle-makers; yet amongst the multitude of his and their Examinations, they neither did nor could discover any Refiner to have bought any stolen Plate in Specie or melted into mass, or otherwise; or any of the currant money of the Kingdom melted down, or any Gold or Silver transported beyond the Seas, or any Silver sold by them worse then Standard, or any other fraudulent and deceitful dealing, in any of the particulars mentioned in his Commission, practised by any of the Refiners, excepting the aforesaid deceit committed by the said Heyward; but onely that they had bought quantities of Silver and Gold, in their own houses, of Merchants and Goldsmiths at the currant prices of the market; part whereof they had refined, and sold to Goldwyer-drawers,( which time out of mind was their proper trade) to be used in the aforesaid manufactures, and allowed to be worn by the King, Nobility, and Gentry of the Nation, and other part thereof they fitted and sold to the Plate working Goldsmiths, for making of Plate, and to the mint for making of moneys. And about the time wherein all the particulars afore mentioned were transacting, one Mr. Thomas Violet( a shop keeping Goldsmith in Lumbardstreet) was apprehended and imprisoned by warrant from Secretary Cook, for transporting quantities of Gold beyond the Seas; who being examined before a Baron of the Exchequer did( first deny, but afterwards) confess the said offence; and in order to the procuring of his pardon for the same, did not only disburse great sums of money, but also engaged to discover twenty other persons to be guilty of some or other of the offences mentioned in the aforesaid Commission, and to prosecute them in the Star-Chamber to a conviction, that the King might have their Fines; and for the effecting thereof, drew a Bill, which was exhibited in the said Court in the name of the then Attorney general; in which Bill were inserted the names of divers Merchants, Goldsmiths, and Refiners, and thereupon, and by virtue of a warrant from Secretary Cook, a pursuivant was employed, who did apprehended and imprison the persons, and seize the Books and papers of several Merchants and Trades men, whereof Sir John Wollaston was one, whose Counting-house and Study was sealed up, and his person imprisoned several days; and before he could be released, was constrained to enter into a Bond of five thousand pounds penalty, to appear at the Councel-board at three dayes warning. In the prosecution of which business, the said Mr. Violet became so active & dexterious, that a stop was put to the Gold Wyer-drawers Corporation, and to S.H.M. his further proceedings upon his Commission; and another way resolved upon for the Regulating of the Trades of Refiners and Gold Wyer-drawers, and for the raising and imposing of six pence an ounce upon all Gold and Silver wire, that should be used in the aforesaid manufactures: And for the effecting thereof, the said Sir John Wollaston and Alderman Gibs Refiners, and many of the Gold Wyer-drawers, were summoned to the council-table; and there the King demanded, whether they would voluntarily submit to the payment of the said six pence, and such further Regulation of their Trades as he should appoint for the future; but none of the persons, neither Refiners nor Gold Wyer-drawers, then present, yielded thereunto; but some of them alleged, that it was a greater imposition then the commodity would bear; and one of the Wyer-drawers answered, that they would submit to the Laws. Yet the King to make a further trial, said, those that will submit, go to my right hand; and those that will not, go to my left; and again said, the sheep to my right hand, and the goats to the left; but neither the Refiners nor Gold Wyer-drawers stirred from their places, neither did the said Sir John Wollaston or Alderman Gibs, offer either six pence, or any other tax to be imposed upon the said commodity, and so they were difmissed. And shortly after the said Refiners were attached by a pursuivant, and to avoid imprisonment were constrained to enter into Bonds of five hundred pounds a piece, to desist from the exercise of their Trade till further Order; and soon after, the Refiners and Gold Wyer-drawers were often summoned to the Attorney General's Chamber, and once or twice some of the Silk-men were summoned thither also, before Sir John banks the said Attorney General, and the Kings solicitor, Litleton, Mr. Sergeant Whitfield, and others of my Lord of Holland's council, & S.H.M. and several other Commissioners, whereby often debates with the Refiners and the Gold Wyer-drawers, and Silk-men( when they were there) the said Commissioners learned how to draw a Proclamation, Commission, and Instructions, and the Finers Indenture of Covenants, all which were suddenly after put in execution; And a Proclamation bearing date the eighteen of January, in the eleventh year of King Charles was proclaimed by which it was commanded, That no Finer, Goldsmith, Merchant or others, should thereafter sell any fine Silver, or other Silver, to any person or persons, to be used and employed, in any of the manufactures before mentioned, other then such as should be allowed by his Majesties Commissioners; and that no person or persons, other then such as should be allowed by the said Commissioners should be admitted to make or cause to be made any of the aforesaid Manufactures, with divers other restrictions mentioned more at large in the said Proclamation. And a Commission was likewise issued on't upon the six and twentieth day of January, in the eleventh year of the said late King, unto divers Lords of the council, and the persons before name, and the Lord Mayor of London, the Masters of the Requests, chief Officers of the mint, Sir William Becher clerk of the council, several Aldermen of London, John Williams, Esq; formerly the King's Goldsmith, and others, with power and authority to them or any four of them, to see the several clauses mentioned in the said Proclamation, and the several Articles of Instruction, given under the sign manuel of the said late King, bearing date the nineteenth day of January, in the said eleventh year of his Reign, put in due execution; which instructions did consist of nineteen several Articles or Ordinances, for the Regulating of the buying, selling, and working of the said manufactures. And all the said Gold Wyer-drawers and other persons admitted to buy Silver or Gold, for the making of any the said manufactures, were caused to enter into Bond to observe the said particulars, mentioned in the said Proclamation, Orders and Instructions, and to pay the duty of six pence for every ounce of Silver and Gold that they bought and used in the said manufactures. And all the Refiners, being eight in number, who used the Trade of buying and selling of Silver as aforesaid, were enjoined to seal an Indenture dated the seventh day of May, in the twelfth year of the said late King, which was delivered unto them by the Kings Attorney General, containing divers Covenants and Restraints contrary to the freedom and Liberty themselves and their predecessors before, and their successors since, did and do enjoy, as Freemen of the City of London, and members of the Company of Goldsmiths. In which said Indenture every of the said Eight Refiners were proportioned, how many parts of the whole quantity of Gold and Silver they should furnish the Office withall, according to their apprehensions of their ability, as they gave it in under their hands, and they were enjoined by the Covenants of the said Indenture, to bring all Gold and Silver by them provided for the use of the manufactures, to the place appointed by the Commissioners, and there to sell the same, and at no other place; nor to sell to any, but such persons as were allowed by the Commissioners to buy the same, and would pay the duties of six pence the ounce imposed as above said: And all their Silver was to be assayed by such persons as the King should appoint; neither were they to sell the same but at such prizes as in the said Indenture was limited and expressed; which was less by a penny in an ounce at the least, then they constantly sold for at their own houses, when they were at liberty; nor might they refine any old broken Silver, plate or Bulloign of the Kingdom,( as formerly it was free for them and their predecessors to do) but to make use of foreign boulogne onely, which enforced them to keep double stocks to buy the same, at such particular times as the Merchants brought it in at; and further, they were enforced to pay a great rent for the place where the Office was kept, and to maintain several clerks extraordinary for the sale of their Silver and Gold, both which cost them at least three hundred pounds per annum; whereas before they bought and sold at their own houses, and thereby saved all that charge. And in the said Indenture the King granted unto them liberty to fell so much Gold and Silver as would furnish the buyers, to be used in the said manufactures, not exceeding an hundred thousand pounds a year, with a non obstante, the Statute of 4 Hen. the seventh, and the Proclamation of tertio Caroli, and declared, That during the time of seven years, he would not grant any licence to any other person to serve the said manufactures, but unto such as should have served as Apprentices to the said Trade of a Refiner, as the aforesaid Refiners had done. Which said Indenture of Covenants wherein every of the said Refiners was tied to furnish such parts and proportions as aforesaid, continued in force but one year and eight months, and then it was furrendred, and every of the said Finers was left at liberty, to sell as much of his own Silver and Gold as he could, to all such persons as were allowed to buy the same, but still under the restraint of the rest of the Covenants before specified.  
Where observe, That none of the said Covenants, nor any other Act of the Refiners, nor any grant or licence from the King to them, therein contained, did lay any restraint upon any Goldsmith from selling, or, Gold Wyerdrawers or others from buying, any Silver or Gold for the use of the said manufactures, or any other use, which was lawful for them to do by any Charter of the City, or the Company of Goldsmiths: But what restraint there was it was contained in the Proclamation, Commission and instructions, and the execution thereof, and so was adjudged by the grand Committee of Parliament; neither were the Refiners the proposers of them, or any of them, as by an Order of the King, and the Lords of the council, dated the eighteen of March, 1639.( amongst other things) it did appear, part whereof followeth in these words, viz.  

AND whereas it was informed, to his Majesty and the Board, that the Refiners were reported by the Wyerdrawerrs, to have been the proposers to his Majesty of this manner of regulation, for their own private Lucre. It was declared by his Majesty and their Lordships, that the said Regulation was not proposed by the Refiners, nor any of them, but originally grew upon the several Petitions of the Gold wyerdrawers, who complaining to his Majesty for want of Government in their Trades, made svit to be incorporated, with tender to his Majesty of One thousand pounds per annum, in lieu of his customs, and two pence per ounce, for such foreign Bulloign as should be used by them, over and above the currant price of the Merchants. Nevertheless, his Majesty being informed of many falsities practised by the workers in that trade, did not think fit to entrust it in their hands. But after sundry debates and Consultations touching that business, his Majesty did direct the same to be managed by Commission, according to instructions, conceived by advice of his privy council, and assigned these Refiners for the Refining and selling of all such Gold and Silver as should be used in the said manufactures, by persons allowed to buy and work the same.  
At the making of which Order there was present,  
The Kings Majesty. 

Lord Ar. Bp. of Cant.  
Lord Keeper.  
Lord Treasurer.  
Lord Privy Seal.  
Lord Duke of Lenox.  
Lord Mar. Hamilton.  
Earl Marshall.  
Lord high Admiral.  
Lord Chamberlain.  
Earl of Dorset.  
Earl of Holland.  
Lord Goring.  
Lord Cottington.  
Lord Newburgh.  
Mr. Treasurer.  
Mr. controller.  
Mr. Secretary Windebanke.     
And notwithstanding all the Impositions and Burdens laid upon the said Refiners as before is set forth, and there submission thereunto, there were many endeavours used, and new propositions made by some of the Goldwyer-drawers and others, and were much countenanced by some of the Commissioners, to put the Refiners by their Trades, and to bring in those that never were Apprentices to the same; nor had skill to Refine Gold and Silver for the service of the said manufactures; that thereby the said Sir John Wollaston and Alderman Gibs might be prosecuted in the Star-chamber upon the aforesaid Bill, for doing the same things in their former constant course of trading, which now the King had licenced them to do. The sense and apprehension of which danger, caused the said Sir John Wollaston, and Alderman Gibs, to sue for their pardons, which they obtained from the King by the help and procurement of Sir William Beecher, which pardons contained onely a discharge from the penalty expressed in that old Statute of a Hen. seventh, for selling of fine Silver and Gold for the use of the manufactures herein mentioned, and for buying and selling of Silver at the prices of the Market, when it was dearer then the price of the mint, which was the constant practise of all persons that either bought or sold Silver, and yet was urged against the said Sir John Wollaston, and Alderman Gibs, to be a breach of the said Proclamation of 3 Caroli; and in their said pardons because they would not so much as tacitly admit or seem to be guilty of any of the crimes that were so much suggested against them in the said Bill, and at the council-table, they did particularly cause to be excepted out of the said pardon, the culling and melting of Silver Moneys, the transporting of Gold and Silver out of this Realm, into the parts beyond the Seas, the buying of Plate stolen from the King, or any of his Subjects, or the selling of Counterseit Silver, or other Silver worse in fines then the Standard, and immediately after these pardons were obtained, there was a cessation of all such opposition contrived against them as aforesaid, only they continued under the burden of their Covenants, until the beginning of the Parliament, in Anno 1640. and then all the Refiners Petitioned against the said Covenants, and obtained a hearing, the second cause that was heard, before the Grand Committee in the then House of Commons; wherein they set forth how they had been restrained from the free exercise of their Trade, and prosecuted( in an illegal manner) by S.H.M. his Commission, and by the said Bill in the Star-Chamber. At which hearing the Gold-Wyer-drawers( who had also Petitioned against the said Regulation) were fully heard, several dayes by their council what they could object against the Refiners and Commissioners, and upon full consideration taken of the whole matter, the said Committee voted the said Regulation to be a Monopoly, and the Refiners to be free from the creation and execution thereof, and so the Refiners and Gold-Wyer-drawers became free to exercise their Trades as formerly; And Sir John Wollaston also continued his employment of melting Gold and Silver that was coined in the mint, without the hearing of any the least complaint made against him to the King for so doing, or any examination of any of the Officers of the mint concerning him, much less of any anger the King should conceive against him, or any account that he feared to be called unto for the same, the employment being indeed as inconsiderable as it was esteemed in the eye of the world, which twenty years before he had been entreated to take upon him, by Sir Edward Villers then Master worker of the moneys, at the solicitation of Mr. Anthony Morley. And after the said Sir Edward left that Office, then by Sir Randolph Cranfield the succeeding Master worker, both which had an allowance from the King of fourteen pence out of every pound weight of coined moneys, as Master workers, and did out of the same make good what the Silver and Gold wasted in melting, and paid the moneyers for coining, and did contract with and allow the said Sir John Wollaston sixteen grains, which is two pence, upon every pound weight for the waste and charge of melting, during all the time of their continuance in the said Office. And after them the said Office was executed by Commission granted to Sir William Parkhurst, and the rest of the chief Officers of the mint who made the same contract as formerly with Sir John Wollaston. And after them Sir Robert Harley executed the said Office, and continued the said contract for divers years together. And after him Sir Thomas Aylesbury and Sir Ralph Freeman did execute the said place, by Commission, and they continued the said contract with Sir John Wollaston. And after them Sir Robert Harley did again execute the said place, and still continued the contract. And after him Dr. Geurdian( the present Master worker) came to the said Office and continued the said contract. All which times being reckoned together makes up the number of thirty years and upwards; in many of which yeares the aforesaid allowance of two pence out of every pound weight of Silver did not amount to thirty pounds per annum. And the allowance of all the said years being put together doth not amount to above nine hundred twenty six pounds per annum; out of which is to be deducted all the Silver wasted in the melting, which men of experience in that business do well know, will amount to little less then the whole allowance: and add to this, the charge of maintaining such a number of Servants, as were necessary to discharge and perform the labour, skill, and trust, of such so painful and hazardous a business, besides the making good of all losses happened by casualties, which at some times were very great, and that the said Master workers and Commissioners well knew, which made them so desirous from time to time to continue the said contract; it being less then was allowed for waste and melting in the Reign of King Edward the sixth, as may be made appear by an account of a Master worker in that time. And less then was allowed, by one third part, to Mr. John Lonison, Master worker in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, as may appear by a demonstration made before the Lords of the council, in Anno 1577. and is believed to be less then was allowed to Mr broad Refiner, predecessor to the said Sir John Wollaston in that employment. All which being duly considered and defalked, the Remaines will appear to be very little and inconsiderable, towards the making of Sir John Wollaston an Alderman. By which it appears the Relation concerning this business made by Mr. Thomas Violet afore mentioned in a book of his lately published, to be as true as that his expression, What Alderman Wollaston hath been to the Government, that makes him uncapable to bear Office in the Common-wealth. Whereas it is sufficiently known that he still continueth Alderman of London, and in Commission of the Peace, both in London and Middlesex. And like unto that scandalous story that in the said Book he patcheth up together, with many false assersions of his own devising, to make it seem the more probable, that Alderman Gibs made a contract with Mr. Emans, the said Mr. Violet's Master, for thirty thousand pounds of heavy shillings, six pences, and half crownes, which the said Mr. Violet there saith, he delivered with his own hand, and contradicteth himself in the same page., saying, that Alderman Gibbs would never have these shillings, six pences, and half crownes, from Master Emans in kind, but the property altered and melted into Ingots without fraud; notwithstanding which bargain, he put in every Ingot so much Copper which was about a farthing the ounce, for his Masters profit, at several times within four yeares, which Alderman Gibbs hath paid for to his the said Violet's Master, after the price of good Silver, as came to above an hundred and forty pounds Sterling. As if he could make the world believe that Alderman Gibbs was so ignorant, and careless in his profession, as to be so cozened four yeares together; when as he confesseth in another place of his book, that the said Alderman Gibbs had a pair of assay balance in his Closet, whereby he could and did make assays of his Master Eman's Silver with the Standard piece, and also he and all other Goldsmiths might and did commonly make use of the Assay Master at Goldsmiths-Hall, whose Office it was to make assays upon Oath, without any charge to the owner, which within two houres after it was sent to him, would and commonly did, return the report under his hand of the true value to half a farthing in every ounce. Which is oftentimes more then the Refiners and Goldsmiths gain by the Silver that they bought and sold one to another. And the manner of this trial was by a small piece cut off from every Ingot, which contained not the worth of a three pence, and was the constant course of all Refiners and Goldsmiths, that bought and sold one with another, to bargain for all Silver that was melted into Ingots, at so much an ounce Starling, and to be adjudged of the goodness by the assay-Masters report, and accordingly to allow or abate, as it was better or worse manifested by the assay Masters report; and therefore such a bargain as aforesaid, would have been useless and ridiculous; for by the same reason that he saith the said Alderman was cozened to the value of an hundred and forty pounds, he might have been cozened five times as much.  
Besides, many other falsities in the said Master Violet's book concerning Sir John Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs being the projectors and authors of a Monopoly; and the using all his indeavoures to keep Sir John Wollaston from being indicted upon high crimes and offences, and making them seem the oppressors of the rest of their profession, in their shares expressed in the first Indenture, and the Gold-Wyer-drawers in their prizes of Siver, &c. sold to them, and their pressing the Commissionres to cause searches and seizures of such wire drawers Silver, as did not buy of them, and neither doth nor can instance in any one particular. And the disgraceful terms he puts upon them in calling them the Kings sheep-biters, and multitudes of other untruths within themselves, being compared with what hath been here truly related, by a person that was perfectly knowing of all the transactions of the former proceedings, and the testimony of all that know the life and conversation, the faire and upright dealing of Sir John Wollaston and Alderman Gibbs, and the reputation and condition of the said Mr. Violet, will need no further manifestation of their innocency, and of his malice, shewed in his said book, then what is herein expressed and declared.  
FINIS.