THE ADVANCEMENT OF MERCHANDISE: OR, CERTAIN PROPOSITIONS For the  of the Trade of this Commonwealth, humbly presented to the Right Honourable the Council of State.  
AND ALSO, Against the Transporting of GOLD and SILVER.  
By THO. VIOLET of London Goldsmith.  
SPQA  
LONDON, Printed by William Dugard, Printer to the Council of State. Anno Dom. 1651.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JOHN BRADSHAW LORD PRECEDENT of the COUNCIL of STATE.  
My Lord!  
WHEN first I attended your Lordship, about preparing of an Act, against the Transporting of Gold, your Lordship was pleased to take notice of me; and that you had heard of my Imprisonment in the Tower, you commanded me to use my uttermost endeavours, to serve the Commonwealth, that so I might give a clear testimony both to your Lordship and the State, of my good affection to the present Government; and by that means, the State might be induced to consider my condition, and that my business might be examined in Parliament, and I have Justice, by restoring me to my Estate again.  
In humble pursuance of your Honour's commands, I did print several Placarts and Ordinances of France, Holland, and Flanders, concerning the regulating of their Money, Bullion, and Mints, and breviated the Laws and Proclamations heretofore made in England against Transporting of Treasure. And made several arguments upon the whole matter, how highly it did concern this Commonwealth, speedily to give a stop to the Transporters of Gold and Silver, and several other abuses practised upon the Coin and Bullion of this Commonwealth. And I did humbly present one of the Books to your Honour, and had your Honour's approbation for the speedy passing of the Act, which your Honour, and the Right Honourable the Council of State, had recommended to the Parliament; but as yet, through the industry of some guilty men, this Law, which so highly concerns the safety, and welfare of the Nation, is not passed the Parliament. And if it were dispatched, it would restore your Mint, to it's flourishing condition, by removing all obstructions in the Mint. And then the settling the valuation of all Coins in Christendom, and the Parr of the Exchange, between us and them, in any part of Christendom, I would see should be finished, and the mysteries of Exchange opened, to the high advantage of the Merchants of this Nation, who are now generally ignorant of this mystery, and are as far to seek of these Sciences, as two hundred year ago, the passage to the West- Indieses, was to Christendom. The reason is, in England we have none but our own Money runs in currant payment, & our Merchants are generally ignorant of the true value and fineness of Foreign Coins, and what proportion all Foreign Coins hold between us and them, and the just weights and fineness all Foreign Coins ought to hold, and being all weighty according to their just standard, what they will make the Merchant to coin them into our Money within the Tower of London; and this is the Parr I humbly intent, and petition your Honour for the speedy dispatch. These things are no secrets to the Dutch Merchants, and other Merchant-Strangers here, and that makes them so out-wit the Merchants of our Nation, upon the Exchanges of Money to any part of Christendom.  
My Lord! I humbly again address myself to your Lordship, with some prime Observations for Trade, which may highly concern the Commonwealth; and it hath been no small comfort to me, that both your Honour, and many other Honourable Gentlemen of the Council of State, upon the reading of them in Manuscript, do approv of what I have done in this particular, and that you will speedily put it in practice for the good of this Nation.  
My Lord! I have obeyed your commands for the putting in an Index to what I have said, that so you may contract what is by me humbly desired. The whole drift of what is desired, is the equal enriching of the Nation in general, the repairing and inhabiting all our Sea-Port-Towns, and Harbours, the bringing in a Nursery of rich Merchants into our Land, the increase of Manufacturie, the increase of Shipping, the setting of all our poor a-work, the making England the Mistress and Empross of the Sea, in being a Bulwark and Protection to her Friends, by spreading out her arms to give shelter in all weathers, both for Merchantmen, and Men of War, in all her Havens and Harbours, both to shelter them from storms, and to furnish them with all manner of Ammunition, Victuals and Merchandise, for all parts of the world, and to be the Magazine for the world, for all wealth and Trade. For as the World is Ring, so England is the Diamond of that Ring; and the wealth, strength, and valour of this Nation, was never so well known to all our neighbours, as under the government of a Commonwealth, as it is now settled, and a few years will show to the world. This I say to be true, so visibly, that the poorest Commoner in this Nation, will find there is as much difference between the situation of England and Holland to bring and contract the Trade of the world, as there is in proportion, difference between an ounce Troie, and a pound weight Troie; for they in Holland, have not six points of the Compass, to have wind to go in and out, and all dangerous Seas, and in some of them, as at the Texel, forty sail of ships are cast away in a year. But behold, England hang's in the Sea, like an Oriental Pearl at a fair lady's ear, no wind can blow at any point of the Compass, but ships may both go in and come out of her Harbours. And I believ, a Free Trade will triple the Importation, and Exportation of goods into all the Seaports of this Nation, besides the employment of the shipping of the Nation. And as we are a shield and protection to our friends, by putting in execution these Observations, you will reduce the rebellious Seamen of our own Nation, have an account of their wives and children, in what service they are, and where against the State; and by this means, if not out of obedience and love to the present Government, yet out of an affection to their wives and children, and to save their estates, you shall have them return to their obedience; for when their wives are sequestered in England, it will be a greater Loadstone, than your Men of War you send out, to reduce them, and this business require's a diligent and able man, to give the State an Account from time to time, and if it be effectually followed, will bring home most of our Seamen to their obedience, a business of the highest consequence both to reduce them, with the least change of blood and money.  
Then the examination of the carriage of several Companies, for the private enriching of a few, is humbly presented to the Council of State, and the Council for Trade, that so the abuses for the times past, may be found out and punished, and such Rules and Regulations for the future, may be made as shall be most conducing to the benefit of the Commonwealth in general, without any private regard to private persons. My Lord! this argument which I have undertaken, concerns the corrupt interest of many men, who will storm to see these things laid open to the world, and I shall be sure to be stung with the venom of some of their tongues; Therefore I am an humble suitor to your Honour and the Council of State, for your Honour's protection and countenance of these my weak endeavours for the service of this Nation, which noble favour shall for ever oblige me to pray for your Honour's happiness and prosperity. God continue your Honour in all prosperity in this world, and in the world to come; and this shall be the prayer of  
Your honour's humble and obliged Servant THO. VIOLET.   

TO THE HONOURABLE THE COUNCIL OF TRADE, This Book with my most humble service.  
Honourable Gentlemen!  
THese Papers are most of them recommended to your care by order of the Council of State, to take them into your consideration. Indeed, many of them were drawn by me about five years ago in the Tower, afore I ever thought of a Council of Trade. But seeing it is the hap of these unpolished Papers to be recommended to your care, I am very glad of it, and most humbly give the Council of State thanks for recommending them to your judicious examination; making no question of their sowing in a fertile ground, seeing some of these Propositions are already come to the perfections of Acts of Parliament. May it pleas your Honours, I am no other than the day-laboring man; I have brought you Marble from the Mine, felled you Trees, and brought them to you, and at your feet lay them all, to be hewn and squared by your judicious and profound Wisdoms; You are the Master-workmen, who are now to take your Instruments to hue & square them for the building of the trade of this Commonwealth. And I shall presume to wait on you those days you sit, to see how your Building goes forward; and when that you give a dispatch of the Materials in these Propositions, it shall not repent me of what I have done. And I shall with all humility and cheerfulness furnish you with some other Propositions for the service of this Commonwealth. To so great and grave Judgements, I know multiplicity of words need not; the great God of Heaven and Earth be in the midst of your Counsels, and be Counsellor to you all, and put that into your hearts, that you may be enabled for so great a work, as the State hath laid on you, and to be careful of the maintenance of the Trade that concerns the poor of this Nation in general, that they may have a livelihood as well as the rich. And thus much in all humility, let me tell you, if ever any men in this Nation had need to make use of Christ's rule, of being as innocent as Doves and as wise as Serpents, it is your Honours in this employment you have for regulating of Trade. The infinite subtleties, frauds and abuses in several Trades, are so many, that the hundredth part of the cheats used to get money, cannot be imagined by any other persons but your selus, that daily hear the abuses practised on many Manufactures made in this Nation. And some men by these cheats, have gotten wealth and dignity; for in London formerly, many times they chose Aldermen most an end for their wealth, not for their wit or honesty, and that hath made such a hole in the Chamber of London's Treasure, & the poor Orphan's portions, when such Kites as got their Estates indirectly came to be Magistrates. Other Trades there are, whose poverty being pestered with more multitudes in the Trade than it will bear, makes many people in several Trades, fall a making the Manufacture indirectly, falsely, and slightly, to the great abuse of the Nation, and all the wearers; and this more particularly I know is done, in the making of Gold and Silver-Thread, as was justified to your Honours by hundreds of the women-spinners in London, upon their Petition against the Wheel-spinners, and their humble desires to your Honours for a Regulation for the future: So that what between the covetousness of the rich, and the necessity of the poor, all the abuses in Trade is committed; and these weeds will every day increase in the Garden of this Commonwealth, if the Parliament make not strict and sharp Laws against these offences, and offenders, that make the Manufactures of the Nation slight and base. And not only to make Laws, but appoint such persons as shall see those Laws put in execution, that Justice be done; and these men would be the pruning knives to rectify the Garden of Trade: and till it be done, the abuses in Trade and Manufacture will not be prevented. I have humbly and plainly told you what I think is to be done for the best improvement of the Trade of this Nation, and leave what I have said to your honour's grave consideration; and shall ever pray for the prosperity of your Honours:  
Signed By your honour's humble Servant THO. VIOLET.   

TO MY HONOURED FRIENDS, the Merchants, Natives of this Nation of England, and the Merchant-Strangers living and inhabiting in any part of the Dominions of the Commonwealth of England.  
GENTLEMEN!  
MAny of these Papers were drawn by me in my solitude in the Tower, and I never intended them for public view, but for my private use; afterwards Providence ordering it so, I was commanded by some of the Council of State to give them my attendance and humble advice about removing the obstruction of the Mint, and to attend some honourable Gentlemen, who were to draw a table of the just value of all the Coins in Christendom, and to settle their true values according to the Standard of the Mint in the Tower of London, and what those Coins will make in our Mint being full weight; a great part of that work is already done, and a model drawn for the taking away the obstructions of the Mint in the Tower of London, and when the Parliament and Council of State pleas to command, it will be perfectly finished; having this opportunity with somof the Council of State, I was commanded by some of them to draw them such Observations concerning Trade, as I did conceiv might be for the benefit of the Commonwealth, the increase of Trade, and the increase of Shipping. And though I knew my own insufficiency for so weighty a business, and that there were many hundred in London more able to do this than myself; yet considering that now God had put into my hands an opportunity that I might present myself to the Council of State, and to the Nation in general, that I was not such a man as some maliciously had charged me to be, which was, that I was a Malignant, and one dis-affected to the present Government, as it is now settled, without King and Lords. I say, to give a clear testimony of the falseness of that malicious charge against me, I was willing to obey the commands of some of the Council of State, and did with all humility present to my Lord Precedent and some of the Council of State, most of these Propositions, for their private use, and they were honourably pleased to accept of my endeavours, and gave me their approbation of them, as a great service offered by me to the Commonwealth, wherein I did deserv all encouragement, and that the State would see to put many of them in execution; which noble favour of theirs, far beyond my imagination and desert, hath everlastingly obliged me to their service, to study always to advance the interest and prosperity of the present Government of this Commonwealth, as it is now settled, without King or Lords, to the uttermost of my power, and to the last drop of blood I have, against any person or persons whomsoëver, that endeavour the damage or undermining of the present Government.  
Now my request is to all the worthy Merchants of this Nation, that some of them would be pleased to take this argument into their hands, and what I have said undigestedly, and without a method, they with a more learned pen would perfect for the service of the Nation in general. Most of these Papers are transmitted down to the Honourable Council of Trade, by an order of the Council of State, and referred to their judicious consideration. And the true reason of my printing of them is, that some more learned pen might finish what I have roughly begun; and whosoëver doth it, would do a great service to the Commonwealth. And for the Merchant-strangers that live and inhabit in any part of this Nation, my request to them all is, That they would consider of what I have here presented in their behalves, and that they would all contribute their advice and reasons for the perfecting of what is by me humbly propounded, and so to carry themselves in all their actions, that no just exceptions may be laid to their charge of being prejudicial Instruments either to the present Government, or that any of their deal should be disadvantageous to the prosperity and commerce of this Nation; but that they in humble requital of the Parlament's Protection, which they all enjoie equally with the Natives of this Nation, would be pleased to study all ways and means for the setting of such Manufactures here, as they know is made beyond Seas, for employing our shipping, for contributing their humble advice in repairing our Havens and Harbours, for draining of our Lands, for employing of our poor, for setting up the Fishing Trade, for making our Sea-Port-Towns their storehouses of Corn, and for laying a foundation of bringing in their rich commodities from all parts of the world into our Ports and Harbours of England, we having far better and securer Harbours than our Neighbours. And for their enabling them to do this, that they would humbly propound to the Parliament and Council of Trade, the best means and ways they conceiv all these things may don; whereof one of the principal ways is, to have free Ports in this Nation, to Import and Transport all Foreign goods Custom-free, that is not spent in this Nation; and for their settling of a bank in London, and settling of a course of Bills of Exchange in several Sea-Port-Towns of this Nation; and for the settling of a Court of Merchants in London, to determine all differences amongst Merchants. If they would study these things, and all others they know, which would conduce to the profit and honour of this Commonwealth, and would show themselves openly that they are public spirited men, they would Petition the Parliament, and Council of Trade, in these particulars; and when they are required by those in Authority, would contribute their best reasons and advices clearly, without any by-ends, justly, and according to the great experience many of them have by their knowledge of business of trade in other Countries. This would be a great service to the Nation in general, and it is no more than I think is their duty to do, and I humbly conceiv the State exspects from them, they should do.  
And that all Merchants would present unto the State, what new Customs and Imposts have been laid on the English Nation in Foreign parts, more than was formerly laid; that so, if our Merchants cannot procure a redress themselves beyond seas, the State; upon the Merchant's Petition, might by their Letters or other ways, to Foreign States, take notice of it, and see our Merchants to have right; and this is usual in Holland, upon the least obstruction of trade, or entrenching upon the Merchants; the State's General make it matter of state, and either by force or by treaty, remove the obstruction, as all men know, that are acquainted with their proceed between the King of Denmark and them, for Customs in the Sound, and the Portugeses and them in the East and West-Indies, and in their other transactions with other Princes and States; their principal care is, to take off the obstructions of Trade, I pray God all just and fair-dealing Merchants with us, may have the like and greater countenance and protection from the State, than their Merchants have in Holland. And whereas the Merchant-strangers in London, have exacted on them several fees more than is conceived to be by Law, that these Merchant-strangers would petition the State, that the City of London be required to bring in forthwith the tables of fees for Package, Scavage, and all other duties they can by Law justly and anciently demand of the Merchant-strangers. And that a certain rule may be set up up in Printed tables in the Custom-Houses, what fees shall be taken for the future. And that such Officers that have formerly exacted more money of the Merchants, than their just fees, may be compelled to restore the money back to the Merchants. And if the State reliev Merchant-strangers here, it will be a great Loadstone to other States and Nations to do all right to our Merchants beyond Seas.  
But for those men, either English or strangers, (I will not honour them with the name of Merchants) that are Transporters of Wool, Fuller's Earth, Horses, Gold and Silver, or any other prohibited goods, to the weakening and impoverishing of this Nation; and all such as have culled and melted down the heavy Money of this Nation into Ingots, and sold it to such as have Transported it, or to such as have made Gold and silver Wier, and silver Thread, and such as have cozened the Commonwealth by buying up the light and clipped English silver Coin, and vented it again to Graziers or public Cashiers, or any other persons, to the great deceit and damage of the Commonwealth; I shall leave them all to the Law, with this memento to them, That as Justice is leaden-footed, yet she hath iron hands; and though slow, yet she is sure, and all ages have held men that do these things, as Moths and Cankers in a Commonwealth.  
But for your just Merchant, hec is the Beauty and Ornament of the Commonwealth, a great pillar in any Nation where they remain; and that State or Commonwealth that doth not love and protect them, must at long running bring themselves to poverty. For me to speak of the worth and dignity of fair-dealing-Merchants in all ages, is to hold a Candle to the Sun; only my prayer to God shall be, that their numbers may be increased in this Nation, and all encouragement given them by the State, that they may have good Convoie to guard their ships, both outwards and inwards, from Pirates and Rovers; and if it be the chance of any Merchantmen to meet with Pirates, that God would strengthen their seamen, and give them valiant and loyal hearts to fight for their Country, and their Merchant's ships and goods; and after their deliverance from Pirates, God's protection go along with them all, and bring them every one to his desired Port; and at the end of our days, bring us all to the blessed Harbour of the Kingdom of Heaven; and this shall be the prayer of  
Your assured Friend to serve you THO. VIOLET.   

THE ADVANCEMENT OF MERCHANDISE.  
To the Right Honourable the Council of State, viz. John Bradshaw, Lord Precedent; Earl of Denbigh; Earl of Salisbury, Lord Howard, Thomas Lord Grey of Groby, Lord Ch. Justice Roll, Lord Ch. Justice St John, Lord Ch. Baron wild, Thomas Lord Fairfax, Lord General Cromwell, Philip Lord Lisle, Sir Henry Mildmay, Sir William Armyne, Sir William Constable, Sir Peter Wentworth, Sir Gilbert Pickering, Sir William Masham, Sir Arthur Hesilrige, Sir James Harrington, Sir Henry Vane Jun. ● ᵗ Gen. Ludlow, Lo. Com ʳ Whitelock, Lo. Comr Lisle, Colonel Stapley, Colonel Morley, Colonel Purefoy, Colonel Jones, Isac Pennington Ald. Henry Martin Esq. Philip Skippon Esq. Wil Heveningham Esq. Rob. Wallop Esq. Jo Hutchinson Esq. Denis Bond Esq. Valentine Wanton Esq. Tho Scot Esq. Cornel. Holland Esq. Tho. Chaloner, Esq. Mr Robinson, Mr Gourdon, Thomas Violet a true Lover of his Country most humbly presents these following PROPOSITIONS.  
SEveral Reasons for the admitting all Merchants to have equal privileges, so far as agreeth with the Pattern and Policy of Amsterdam, Legorn, and Genoa, who have gotten themselves to the height & greatness of trade; And therefore hold in all Commonwealths that are seated, (as by the blessing of God this is one) in the midst of the Seas, being adorned and beautified with more safe and fair Harbours for shipping, than any of our Neighbours whatsoever.  
And there ought to be an especial eye had upon the paths and steps of our neighbours, to see by what ways and means they have got to this greatness of Trade, and to keep a good observation of these times; and to give all encouragement to the Dutch and Foreign Nations to come and plant in our Ports and Harbours; They having many of them an earnest desire not to be so penned up as they are, and therefore many Families are lately removed to Breme, and Hambrough, out of Amsterdam.  
As was presented to the Council of Trade, by a worthy Member of the Council of State, with his Recommendations to the Council of Trade, to take all Informaltions concerning free Ports, or Landing places for Foreign commodities Imported, without paying of Custom if again exported, & in what manner the same is best to be effected; in pursuance whereof, & for the advance of Trade, I have, according to directions of some of the Council of State, treated with the principal Merchants in this City; and I do humbly present these few Heads unto your Honour's consideration, for the benefit of Trade, and the Nation in General.  
1. That Genoa, Legorn and Amsterdam, have raised their greatness only by giving Merchants Strangers, equal privileges with their Natives, and in levying Imal duties upon goods;  
And if not spent in their Ports, freely to export them to any part of the world, by which means they have been made the Warehouses and Shops for all the Merchandizes in the world.  
2. By the same means also they grow in Amsterdam mighty in Shipping and Seamen; for they know the benefit that only the bringing of goods thither, though never spent in the Country, makes them; for there is not the thousand part of the goods spent in Amsterdam that is brought thither, but shipped again all over the world.  
And they have this advantage, that all the Commodities of the world are there to be had, which is a benefit to them that spend the Commodities, to have the Market at their own doors, for they can have it cheaper, then to go abroad for it.  
And the wealth that is gotten by Shipping, Ware-housroom, and employment of thousands of labouring people, in lading and unlading Merchandise, is and hath been one of the fairest flowers in the Garland of Amsterdam, Genoa, and Legorn.  
And by the blessing of God, and the Parliaments countenance of such Merchants and others, that shall put to their helping hands, and their industries, the Seaports of this Nation will participate in a large proportion with them, and put the inhabitants of our Seaports in a flourishing condition; we may see it by experience when our Composition Trade was at Dover, what that Town made the State a year for half Customs, and how the rents of houses were raised, how all the Townsmen grew rich, and Merchants set the poor a-work; and also the great employment of our Shipping and Navigation, and no Town in England lived more happily, (make it but a free Port, you will restore it again to its former condition) whereas now their poor do so infinitely increase on them, that many perish for want of means, and all the houses in the Town not worth the third penny rend they were ten years ago; for at the time the Customs made fifty thousand pounds every year, now not four thousand pound per annum.  
3. I pray your Honours observe where great Customs are laid, there, either in Kingdom or Commonwealth, the Trade decayeth, and at last fal's to nothing; 'tis true they may be present benefits, and have been made use of by evil Councillors, both in this Age and formerly, both in this Nation and others; But I pray observe those remedies have ever been worse than the diseases, and in some places it hath cost some of the Inventors, their lives, others, their estates, and all of them, at long running, repentance; and those Kingdoms, Nations, or Commonwealths, that have soon recovered out of them, have been the easiest cure of their distempers and commotions.  
Whereas in such Kingdoms, Nations, or Commonwealths, where such oppressions have long continued, when the remedy comes to be worked and wrought, it work's so violently as it break's all the old frame of Government in pieces, or else weaken's it in that manner that it corn's not to its first strength again in some Ages; and this I humbly conceiv is like shortly to be the fate of a great Kingdom, I mean France; The inventions for gathering money there being so many that the common people their life is bitter to them, and in all likelihood will end in the ruin of their Taskmasters: for the fury of an oppressed people, and a breach of an enraged sea is one and the same.  
4. All men know Spain was the Fountain of Gold and Silver, while Customs were easy, the Fleets returning every year with fifteen, and sixteen Millions registered, and all the rich commodities brought out of the Indies, landed in Spain, when there was a small Custom. Afterwards by ill counsel, the Custom of Silver and Commodities was raised from two, and three in the hundred, to five, six, eight, ten, twelv, fifteen per cent. and more for commodities, which the Merchants seeing, and finding no remedy, grew discontent; and casting about which way to avoid this duty, agreed that Ships should lie out beyond the Bay of Saint Lucar, Cales, and other Roads, when the West-India Ships came home; and there take out their Silver and rich Commodities, and ship it for other parts of the world, before it paid one penny Custom, or touched the Spanish shore. Behold what the State got by this, they might have had all the returns landed in the Kingdom of Spain, had they been content with moderate Customs.  
And not being content with it, the greatest of what comes from the East and West-Indies, is sent away as aforesaid; and Spain, that is, according to a wel-regulated Trade, the Fountain of Gold and Silver, is filled only with black money, copper money, going at ten times the true value, it it will make in any part of Christendom; The Merchant's Cash-houses being more like Braziers shops, than banks of Treasure, and the proverb is fulfilled, which saith, who goes worse shod than the shoemaker's wife. So in Spain that should abound in silver, there is nothing stirring in payment there, within two months after the Fleet comes in from the West-Indies, but black money. And now the mischief is past cure, Foreign Nations having filled them with such quantities of copper money, that it cannot be called in; I pray God that the State would keep an eye of our Coins, and keep that little we have now left in the Nation, and call the transporters of Gold and Silver to a strict account, or else this Nation will find the inconveniency when it is too late.  
5. If you will have Trade flourish, give the same encouragements to Merchant's Strangers here, as they have in Amsterdam, and other parts of Christendom; they have found that course to be thriving to them for many years, and themselves and the strangers that have planted amongst them to be both equally advantaged by it. And in France, Spain, Legorn, Genoa, Poland, and many other places, where all strangers of what Nation soëver, pay no more Custom than the Natives themselves; and this business had not been now to do, had it not been for the old Farmers in the Custom-Hous. About fourteen years ago I was employed by the late King to have settled it, (when the business of silver to be brought up to be coined from Dover, was concluded of) But I found my Lord Cottington, and the old Farmers against free Ports, out of an opinion that Cottington ever had to be avers against any model of the Dutch, it savouring of a Commonwealth too much, and not being suitable to his designs, which was always for Monarchy, and the Spanish greatness. The old Farmers I do verily believ were not against it out of any averseness, or envy to the wealth of this Nation's increase by a free Trade, but for some other reasons, and some as I am confident were that upon letting in of a free Trade, you would draw a great many Merchant's Strangers in here, which are very prying and subtle men, men acquainted with managing the Excise and Customs in Holland, and they would presently discover that which they (the Farmers) above all other things laboured to keep as a secret, which was the excessive gain every one of them made by the Farm. Secondly, that upon new alteration in the model of the Farm, there might come new undertakers, and so they might be disappointed of their money that they had advanced, which after upon another occasion fell out heavily upon them.  
6. But sure I am, divers of the best Merchants in London, and true Lovers of this Nation, have toll me, and will justify it to be true, had I effected it to make free Ports all over the Nation fourteen years ago, the Common wealth had got Millions of money by it before this time; than you would have had many score of rich Merchants up & down the Ports of this Nation, which would have managed trade, not as it hath been: (the miscarriage, I fear me, hath in part been willingly, and require's a strict examination) But if you had made Trade free, they would have kept stout Men of War at Sea, gone with Convoys, being readier to offend, then to take affronts at Sea; which would have been highly for the honour of the Nation, whose sad losses most coming by disorder, and the covetousness of some Merchants, might have been all avoided, the losses, amounting within this twenty months to more than would have kept a Convoie sufficient to defend all the Trade of this Nation for thirty years. If it be examined, I do verily believ, it is not the French that take these ships, but our own Seamen, that serves them, and goes in by connivance.  
7. I do humbly desire that an enquiry may be made after it by the Trinity House, and by all other ways what English Seamen have been taken by the French in the ships lately taken within these twenty months, and where they now remain, and what Families they have, in or about LONDON, or other places in England, and how they live, and that their wives give an account where their husbands are, and in what service. I am of an opinion you will find a Pad in the straw, & that you are rob by your own Seamen; and if it be so, I humbly present unto you, that all ways and means be found out for the discovery of the truth, and strict punishment be inflicted on all such Mariners that shall serve in any Foreign Men of War, and their wives and families to be sequestered, their goods confiscated as Rebels and Traitors to this Nation. For such ships as the French take, are taken most by English Mariners, and are richly laden, with Merchandise in the Straits; one of them is worth one hundred of their French Coasters, or Fishermen, and there is never a ship of the Straits-men, but with the Lading will produce fifteen Men of War; for the French lay almost all out in shipping, that the return makes of their prizes: and by this rule I humbly desire you to consider what their Increase is, and if some speedy order be not taken, we shall not be able to put a ship to sea, but 'twill be snapped in the Straits, being the best, richest, and strongest Merchant's ships, we have that Trade.  
I pray God the neglecting it so long, do not cost the Merchants and this Nation dear.  
8. If you will make the Trade of this Nation flourish, I humbly conceiv you must make all Ports, where there are now Customs paid, to be free Ports, for some commodities; as Wine, Fish, Salt, Corn, Wainscot, Clap-boards, Masts, Furs, Fur-deals, and Timber of all sorts, Iron, Flax, Hemp, Pitch, Tar, Cordage, Hops, Madder, and all other commodities of great bulk, to be free to bring into any Port.  
And if not spent, to have Licence to transport them back, paying only such small acknowledgements as they do in Amsterdam. But for fine goods, as Silks wrought or unwrought, Gold and Silver Thread, Bag-cloth, Lawns, Spices, and Drugs of all sorts, and all other fine goods, none to be laid upon the shore, or imported, till a true account were given to the Chief Officer of the Port, and good security given, not to defraud the State either of the Customs or Excise, if spent in this Nation. And if any were found, either Merchants, or others, stealing Custom or Excise, the same punishment and penalties should be inflicted upon the offendor as in Holland; for it is but equal, that, if the Merchant desire's the same privileges they have there, the offendor should be punished by the same Laws they have; therefore for such as deceiv the State, such a strict course would save much in managing the business both of Excise and Customs.  
For I believ here are many slight fellows, put in inferior offices, which are corrupted; and when the Constable is a thief, the Felon will hardly be found; For assoon as a poor fellow gett's into an office in the Excise or Customs, though his fee be small, only to keep life and soul, yet you shall have many of them spend yearly ten times their salary, which must be done out of their gains, in an indirect way. I am confident the Merchant or Trades-man will not give such fellows twelv pence, but they will deceiv the State of twenty shillings. Therefore the same rule as is in Amsterdam for managing the Excise and Customs, or some stricter way than is at present, would be highly for the advantage of the State, in point of profit; for the penalty is there so great, that no man will steal the duties; and it is sit to be so here, or else you will make only honest men to pay, which make conscience: And others, that will steal the duties, the penalties are so little, it encourageth them to steal the Excise and Customs.  
9 I humbly conceiv Order and Government in Trade is to be looked after, especially in these times, when the French take our ships so fast, that every week almost bring's us one of Job's Messengers; And it is more than time strong Convoys went with our ships, and they not to come and go single, but in Fleets, which cannot be done but by a rule, and must be under a government. The Dutch (I have it from good hands) have made Proclamation, that none of their ships go into the Straits, France, or other parts without Convoie. Such a government as this, it is for the honour and safety of the Nation. I hearty commend, and pray for, and would have all men put to their helping hand. But there are governments which are for the private advantage of a few men, procuring prohibition of Importation of several commodities but only by particular men, and exportation of our Native commodities, but only by particular men, and only for some Ports, and at some seasons of the year; I shall instance in some particulars for all the rest, though there be many score more.  
1. The Green land Company hath a power that no Dutch nor no others, shall bring in Green-land Oil, which is a commodity of great use in this Nation, and if the Natives may have a free Market, they might be served some years twenty and thirty in the hundred cheaper, than they are forced to pay the Green-land Company; And this is for the benefit of a few, to the damage of the general.  
2. Currant is a commodity bought up all with ready money, in Zant, and as Capt. Roberts saith, only vented in England, and that so greedily coveted by this Nation, that the Natives thought we made some dying stuff with them, and could not devour them; sure I am, our Cloth is too good a commodity to give them for such ware. But for our Merchants, when they have money for their return of our Cloth, to invest it again in Currants, and in such quantities as will appear by the Custom-Books every year in this Nation; I shall humbly leave it to your Honours, to consider of it, and that you would be pleased to call for the Propositions and Petitions of those Merchants, that the beginning of this Parliament procured an Act for the prohibiting the Importation of Currants; And that you would consider of this branch of Trade seriously, whether it be fit so much ready money which else would be returned into this Nation, should be spent in Cakes and Puddings, whereas in Spain, France, or any other Country where they grow, they eat none, and we spend ten times more than all the world besides.  
But when these Currants are here, than the Merchants get a Prohibition that none but the Turkey Company shall Import Currant, and though Foreign Nations would sell them thirty in the hundred cheaper than the Merchants sell them here, none must be brought into the Nation: So that by this Trade we give money for little better than dirt; it being a vanity, the Nation may very well subsist without, and the Natives, if they will spend them, might have the commodity upon a free Trade thirty in the hundred cheaper than they have paid for many years.  
3. Cloth is the staff of England's Trade, but of late, through the sad distractions of these wars, and by the covetousness of some people, both many workmen have unkindly left us, & by many subtle ways and means, stolen away great quantities of unwrought Wool, and Fuller's Earth, and so have laid the foundation of a Trade in Foreign parts. But as I am credibly informed, this was not the ground of setting up Cloth in Holland, and Germany, but it did arise by other means, which was the Merchant-Adventurers. They kept their staple but in two places, Hambrough and Rotterdam, and there they tied men to such rules for show-days, and other orders, by forcing all people to come some two or three hundred miles to a Market, whereby the commodities in their Merchants coming down to buy them, and carriage up into the Country was raised, and some difference happened between the English, and the Merchant's Natives, in several particulars.  
The great taxes laid here upon Cloth, to keep up their Company by bribes, and pay the vast sums given in that behalf, the Formal way of shipping but twice or thrice in the year, all which loaded and clogged the Cloth with such a price at the Market, that Foreign Nations would no longer be kept under these formal rules.  
And knowing the advantage would come unto them, by getting the making of Woollen Cloth, laboured by all means to attain to it, which they have done. But withal they gave our Clothiers all encouragement, and privileges, and put them upon such wages, as they live better there then here.  
10. We must match the Dutch at their own weapons, and give them as great privileges, as they have given to our Clothiers in Holland; it will invite them hither, for our Harbours are better than theirs, and they are straitened for want of room, and by this way you will make England truly the Empress of the Sea, when every Sea-Port-Town will be an Amsterdam. I am informed, by the ablest and best Merchants, and I do believ them, that from Dover to Plymouth, there are ten Sea-Port-Towns, every one of them lying more commodious for to make the Mart, and Bank for the world than Amsterdam; And besides, Northward, Harwich, Woodbridge, Alburie, Sold, Lastof, Yarmouth, an excellent Haven, and safe Road; Blackney, Wells, Linn, Boston, Hull, New Castle, and many others, which by their situation there is no wind shall blow but ships shall go in and out, whereas but few winds will bring you in and out at Amsterdam, especially in the Winter, besides the danger of the Harbour of Texel. In Winter, sometimes in one year forty Sail of ships and more cast away, to the great damage of the Merchants, which would be of a safer Harbour, if they can have free Trade, as they have at home.  
If you embrace this motion, and make your Ports free, all the wealth that is brought from the East Kingdoms, and Hans-Towns, in Germany to Amsterdam, and laid up in the Summer, there for Markets, will be brought to our English Harbours, and our English shipping be employed in carrying East-Countrie Corn, Flax, Hemp, Timber, and all manner of Provision for Spain, and all other parts of the world, and make their returns in good pieces of Eight, than land them at the first Seaport, and away to Sea; this is a sure way to set the Mint a going, to employ all our shipping, and return us to our former Trade.  
And if you will let every man come in to Trade, according to their skill and abilities, that will, and let the rule be equal to all people in Trade, let no man have a greater privilege than another; If this course be followed, you would sell two Clothes for one that is now sold, you will not have Wool enough in the Nation to make the Manufacture; and than you may Engross the Spanish and Irish Wool into your own hands, and have it Manufactured here, which would give a comfortable employment, to the greatest part of the poor of England. For, I most humbly pray you observe, how the poor Clothier, he cannot make and vent that quantity of all sorts of Cloth, and other Woollen commodities, nor also cannot employ thousands of poor people, which otherwise they may do, if it were permitted for all Nations freely to buy of them. For the Turkey Company, the Merchant. Adventurers, the Fast-Land Company, the Russia Company, and of late years, the French Company,  
These only do and may buy, and that is only when shipping is appointed by their Corporation: by which means the Clothier's Cloth lies by the walls, and the poor vows employment, and Cloth must be sold, when, and at what rates, and time, the said Merchants pleas to give, which occasions the Clothier's for want of quick sale, that they make not yearly the quantities of Cloth which otherwise they would do, and the poor perish for want of work; & this by reason of the said Merchant's Corporation, and Prohibition of other men, which if free leave and liberty were given to all men, to buy and transport Cloth, would occasion the employment of many thousand poor people, and the vent of a far greater quantity of Woollen commodities then now is, which would be a great benefit to this Nation, in giving a comfortable livelihood to all the poor, and advance the Customs and Revenues of the Commonwealth.  
11. I humbly desire your Honours, that you speedily would take into your consideration, the Provision for Fish for all the year, this being the season of the year for doing of it; and that you would have some treaty with the Fishmongers speedily about it, and that an Act may be presented to the House about it, that so the whole Nation may take notice of it, and all Merchants, and Fishermen make their provision accordingly for the Market; for heretofore this hath only been spoken of about that time, which was usually called Lent, when there was not provision to furnish the City for a week; and if you would put a restraint, for some time, for the kill of Lambs and Sheep, by God's blessing we might in a short time, recover a stock of Wool, and this Nation flourish with as many golden Fleeces, as ever it did, the Clothier, and thousands of other people, having no other subsistence, than what springs from this Mine. And if by a Law you bring in Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for Fish-days, and see to the strict execution, you would give encouragement to Fishermen and Mariners, and you will breed up a Nursery of Seamen, which must be our surest strength under God. And when once the Nation hath tasted of the wealth of the Fishing Trade, they will be as much in love with it, as the Hollanders; we have greatly the advantage of them, we have the Fry along the Northern and Western Coast, at our own doors, whereas others must make a Voyage to look them out, and that costs charges and time.  
12. That you would take into consideration to have the Parliament send some eminent Merchant, to treat in Spain with the Merchants at Cales, and Saint Lucar, about sending their Silver and Commodities from the Indies or Spain, to Plymouth, or any other part of this Nation, and that there may be always a good Convoie for their safety by Land or Sea for that purpose; and that you would be pleased to advise with Mr Antonio Ferdinando, Mr Derrac Host, Mr Stanier, Mr Vandeput, Mr Kilvert, Mr Vincent Lucas, Mr Vincent Delabar, and such others as you shall think fit, to inform you about this business, and what they desire to have done in it; the Nation found the benefit of the last Treaty for the Composition Trade at Dover, it brought in to be coined in the Tower, in Gold and Silver, from 1630 to 1647 above fifteen Millions of money, which by the covetousness of some men, hath been almost all transported, and the Town of Dover paid the State for all that time above forty thousand pounds a year Custom.  
13. That the Parliament would be pleased to make an Act, to declare that all Merchant's Strangers, or other, that bring in Silver or Gold into the Mint, it shall be justly (according to the Standard) delivered them back again; and that the Master Warden, and Controller for the time being, make due payment thereof, as hath been formerly accustomed; and that no attachment; sequestration, nor other pretence whatsoëver, shall cause a stop to be made upon any Gold or Silver brought into the Mint, for, or by reason of any malignancy, or Delinquency whatsoëver, by any person, so having Treasure in the Mint: But that the Warden, Master, and Controller, for the time being, shall make speedy payment, as heretofore hath been accustomed to the party that brought it to the Mint, or his assigns; notwithstanding any Warrant or Command, the Act making all such to be void, if any should presume to do it. This is desired by some Merchants, that know the Spaniard will not trust his Treasure to be liable to Imbargoes, for the Delinquency of his Factor, if it should so chance that he be charged to be a Malignant.  
If you pass this Act, and give the Merchant's good Convoie, you will have your Mint go again, and you will get the Fishing Trade, you will have the Staples for Corn, Flax, Hemp, Timber, Iron, Salt, Wines, and all other commodities of the East and West Indies, brought into your Harbours; and by a free Trade, this Nation will never have a dearth of Corn; for it would be grainared up in every Sea-Port-Town, for a Market, as it doth in Amsterdam, that we should ever be first served, and at home, and at our own doors: whereas there hath been these last three years, transported many hundred thousand pounds for Corn, bought up at high prices beyond Seas.  
14. That you would be pleased to take into your consideration, the Customs of our English Cloth, and Woollen Manufacturies, of all sorts, and so lessen the Customs and duties, that we may be able to undersell, and beat out all those that have set up our Manufacture beyond Seas; And that you would procure an Act to make Transportation of Wool, and Fuller's Earth, Felony; and in consideration of what you abate of Manufacturies of England, that you may, if you pleas, raise upon such superfluous commodities in your Customs and Excise; as shall be Imported from beyond the Seas of Foreign commodities, to the value of what you abate of Native commodities, and this was the constant practice of the great and wise Lord Treasurer, Burlie and his son, as I have seen by several Manuscripts.  
15. I humbly present, that all encouragement, and little duties be laid upon Raw Silk, of all sorts, Imported into this Nation, Flax, Goat's hair, Cotton, Wool, Grogran Yarn; and that such as will set up Looms, or any other Engines, may receiv all encouragement; and if they be strangers, that they may be Ordered to take our English poor, to teach them their Manufacturies; By which means, in a small time, you will bring a rich Manufacture into the Nation, and not only be able to furnish your selus, with all such wrought Silks, of all sorts, as you spend in this Nation, but be able to furnish Neighbour Countries, as Germany, Flanders, Holland, and other Foreign parts, which have not yet this Manufacturie.  
If you pleas to cause them to be transported with little duties, the poor will find a great advantage by it, (thousands being set on work in this Manufacturie) and the State get by it; for if the Merchant that bring's here raw or throne Silk, doth transport it within a twelumoneth, the State doth repay them back one half of their Custom; and when that Silk is Transported and Manufactured beyond the Seas, most commonly those Silks are brought back wrought, and the Custom and Excise stolen, for it is most easy to steal the Custom of Silks wrought, by reason of the little bulk: But a Bail of raw Silk, can hardly be stolen, by reason of the bulk, and by this means, the State is deceived of their due; for if the said Silk were employed and Manufactured here, all the Custom would remain, and the Fxcise would be duly paid, and it will be undertaken to make here as good commodities of all sorts of wearing Silks, and better and truer than beyond Seas; for there comes much falls black into this Country, to the great prejudice of those that wear them; and those men that have an opinion, that nothing of this kind can be made good in their own Country, when they shall see the contrarie daily practised, they will be constrained by their own reasons to alter their imaginations, when they shall see thousands of Families employed, some as Throwsters, Silk-diers', weaving at the Loom, by twisting of the said Silk, and also the working of all other necessaries that do depend thereupon; for of sixteen shillings, which the small pound of sixteen ounces cost, the first penny when it is wrought in black Plush, or other Silks, it will yield at the least thirty four, and thirty five shillings per pound, so that full one half of all Silk Manufactured in this Nation, doth turn wholly to the benefit of the poor for Manufactures, a thing of high concernment to he speedily put in execution.  
The like or greater improvement may be made of Flax, Goat's hair, Cotton, Wool, and Grogran Yarn, if the undertakers may receiv encouragement to bring some men from beyond Seas, to settle these new Arts and Manufactures amongst us, and so in a short time, we may prohibit the Importation of all wrought Silks from beyond Seas, and make here what we spend, and also get to that perfection, to furnish most part of Christendom, with Silk Manufactures, we having the Trade, that can afford our raw Silk to the Loom, as cheap, and cheaper than most part of Christendom, bringing it immediately by Sea from Persia, which is the Fountain of raw Silk.  
16. That you would be pleased to make the late King's House at Greenwich, a Storehous for some commodities that shall be Imported, and lie there for a Market, as Corn, Wine, Fish, Salt, Wainscot, Clap-boards, Fur, Timber of all sorts, Iron, Flax, Hemp, Pitch, Tar, Cordage, Hops, Madder, and all other commodities of great bulk; and what proportion comes in there more than London or the Nation will spend, the Merchants to have free liberty to transport them back to any Foreign part, Custom free, only paying the State Ware-hous room, and such other moderate fees for Officers that keep accounts, as shall be settled by the State. Your keeping this Staple, will ever avoid a dearth of Corn for the City of London, and have all commodities at the best hand.  
17. If these Merchant Strangers, such as abide here with their Families, were all Naturalised, some men say, they would buy up all our Land, and in time supplant the Nation. Truly the contrary hath been seen and known, for those that are here Merchant Strangers, but especially the Dutch, that have all turned into English; what wealth they have gotten, hath all been bestowed on the English Nation: As first, Sir Peter Vanlore, Sir Thomas Curtel, Sir Moses Trian, Lucas Lucey, Vandeput, Fortrees, Lamot, Francis Zion, Jacob Oils, De Boise Ganes, Matthew Godscale, Bultel Derrick Host, Hermes Dolens, Vanbrough, Littler Rousiot, Vandecouter, De Fisher, Terance, Lodick, Cross Corsellioos, Vanackers, De Labars, Chamberlain, Sir William Courteen, Antony, Sir Peter Ricot, Adam Laurence, Lucas jacob's, James Stenirs, Demestrias', Sass, Depester, and many more that abide and plant amongst us in London, and other parts of the Nation, most of them are married into English Families, and are English.  
And it cannot be denied, that most of these men have originally, by their fore fathers, brought many industrious Manufactures into this Land; by which means, this Nation hath equally been enriched with the Merchant Strangers; witness Colchester, Norwich, Canterbury, and the Seaport Towns wherein they live, the people being willing to pay all duties, and helpful to their Neighbours, an industrious Nation, and by their frugality, and long continuance in following their Trade, attein the reward of their vigilance, being Riches.  
And when that they have it, do they not disperse it amongst us, marrying our daughters, our sons marrying their daughters, and so we become one Nation. I have ever esteemed a good Dutch Merchant, as beneficial to us and our Nation, as they in Holland esteem of their Dutch Cows; one bring's a great deal of Milk to the Pail, and these men a great advantage to the Commonwealth, by planting amongst us. And put the case the State should, by priviliges given them, invite many Merchant Strangers to come and plant amongst us, I say, Merchants, and disperse themselves into several parts of this Nation, and that these men would, and should be admitted to buy our Lands, and bring over their banks of money, you would quickly find money to be here at five in the Hundred, and your Lands at double and triple the price. For in Holland, they will give threescore years purchase for Land; would not this, that they object as an argument against their coming hither, be the most advantageous to this Nation, both to the Gentry and Tradesmen? The Gentry should double and triple his stock in Land, the Tradesman would have money at five per Cent. Whereas he paie's now eight and can hardly get it; besides, they give with their daughters great portions; a tun, and two tuns of Gold with one of them, is ordinary there. These men come to manure our Lands, and improve our Nation by their draining, and other husbandry, to teach our Nation the Fishing Trade, and make our Harbours their Storehouses, and what we have been so long labouring to get, which is their Fishing Trade, a great part will be brought to our Harbours, and will invite, and stir up our Seamen, by their example, to be as industrious as they. And when all is done, this wealth wholly falls into this Nation; for they are English in two ages, and by former experience, we know what great advantage we have had by their planting amongst us.  
18. I humbly desire you to take into your considerations, that upon a Medium, there was for ten years' last passed, about twenty thousand tun of French Wines imported into this Nation, till the Act prohibiting the Importation of French Wines.  
That you would be pleased to take notice, that the Customs and Excise of the French Wines paid to the State about two hundred thousand pounds a year; and these French Wines, Casks and all, cost not, the first penny, in France, one hundred and fifty thousand pounds per annum.  
That, besides the money coming to the State upon the duty for French Wines, thousands of people get livelihoods by that Trade, which is very considerable; as, first, our shipping employed, Vintners, Wine-coopers', Carmen, Wine-Porters, Cellarage, and many other people have their livelihood out of Wines imported from France.  
That many Merchants taking advantage of this Act against French Wines, Import Wines from Holland, pretending they are Rhenish Wines; but the truth is, they are Wines mixed at Dort, and other places of Holland, and are small Coniack Wines, of the growth of France, and after they are brewed and scented in Holland, are Imported here for Rhenish Wines, which is very unwholesome for men's bodies, & sold almost in all Taverns, when it is mixed with Red Wine for Claret Wine; so that the people pay dear for what is bad, it being sold for twelv pence a quart, & might be afforded for six pence, and some Merchants get infinitely by selling these Wines. I humbly desire it may be seriously considered of; and if French Wines be not admitted, that then there be no Rhenish Wines Imported, for under colour of Rhenish Wines sold at the Still yard, they import all small Wines of France, and sell them at double the price they could be afforded at the best hand.  
But it is worthy a great deal of consideration of your Honours, whether we or the French lose most, for the reasons aforesaid, upon prohibiting of French Wines; I humbly leave it to your consideration, whether the State doth not lose more than the French, and if they do, then to prevent it for the future; For two hundred thousand pounds a year, which is a great sum, towards the charge of the Navy, and if the French will not be quiet, that money so employed, will beat them into better manners.  
19 Another Manufacturie of great concernment, is, making of all sorts of Linen Cloth within this Nation, and would set thousands of people on work. We can make as good Flax, as any comes out of the Fast Countries, and what we make not here, may be imported from Foreign parts.  
I do most humbly desire that a Law be made, that every woman beyond the age of twelv years, within this Nation, not being troubled with sickness, be enjoined to spin one pound of Hemp or Flax every month, and such women whose occasions, or quality, will not, or cannot spin one pound of Flax or Hemp every month, they pay to the use of the poor the sum of six pence for every woman, that shall not spin a pound of Flax and Hemp; and the Constable and Collectors for the poor of every Parish, may be enjoined to levy it monthly, and to pay the said sum in to the Justices of Peace of each Counties, to be employed only for a stock of Flax and Hemp, to be spun by the poor of the Parish, where such Collections are made. And that such prices and encouragements may be settled in each County of this Nation, for the poor, for their labour of spinning, as by the Justices of the Peace in each County shall be thought reasonable, to give all the poor a competent subsistence, and to keep them from loitering and begging, by which means thousands of Linnen-Weavers, who now live in great poverty, will have comfortable subsistence, and all the poor women in this Nation will for ever bless the remembrance of this Parliament, for making so charitable a Law. And by this means, we need not be beholding to France for Canvas and Linen for our shipping, or clothing, and we shall keep the stock of our Nation amongst us. We see the Town of Manchester, and many people in Lancashire, have grown rich only by this Manufacture, and set thousands of poor on work; and if the Northern Factors that deal in this Manufacture, were consulted withal, they would present you ways to set our own people on work throughout this Nation, and then we should not need the Locrams, and Dowlass, your French Canvas, which is all bought with ready money. And if you pleas to give encouragement to some Foreign Linen Weavers, only for Cambric and Holland, to come and plant in this Nation, and to have equal privilege, as they give the English in Holland and Germany, you will have your Tiffanie, Cambric, and Holland Weavers, come over and teach this Nation these Manufactures. And that which you now lay out (the Treasure of this Nation beyond Seas) in vast sums, in buying these Manufactures for ready money, you shall employ the poor, keep in the stock of the Nation, and export so much to Foreign parts, as you shall spend here: by managing all the Trade in this manner, you would quickly double the stock of this Nation: for if you make your Exportation more in value then your Importation, all what is above, is gotten to the State; The like argument holds for loss, that if you Import more Foreign commodities, than you do export Native, the balance must be made up in money. (And I have seen at Sir John Cooks, the late King's Secretary (by whom I learned most of these Observations) an account for many years, yearly presented to Queen Elizabeth, of the exact Importation, and Exportation of Native and Foreign commodities, at every Port, where Customs were paid; so that the Lord Burlie saw as in a Prospective Glass, the increase or decreas of the stock of this Kingdom: And this account the Queen had yearly presented by him to her. I pray God the Parliament would renew that Custom, that so the State may know truly how the stock of the Nation stands. By that means, they will know what commodities are commodious, and what prejudicial, and so lay a great Custom and Excise on that they find superfluous, and lighten and abate upon all our English commodities, where our poor have a livelihood by the Manufacture.  
20. If you make a free Trade, you will, besides all the former advantages, add one more, that is highly considerable to the Commonwealth in general, and to the Merchants in particular, as every ingenious Merchant must be forced to confess; for whereas now we give all the credit in Spain, and Portugal, and many other Countries, and have none of their Merchant's stocks here, or not considerable; whereby when an Embargo cometh, the loss falleth, not only upon the Merchant, but the Nation in general; for it falls upon the Usurer, the Clothier, the Woollman, and the workman, and so by consequence on the Gentry; for the breaking of one great Merchant, makes the loss fall on ten several Callings, and peradventure two hundred several Families; So that it is not the Merchant that suffers, but the Nation in general. For I have seen a Merchant after his breaking, grow rich again, and I have seen some of that Merchant's Creditors receiv such losses by the Merchant's breaking, that they and their Families have for ever been ruined, and this is no strange sight to see in London; Therefore, if you make a free Trade, you will have great stocks of Foreigners lie here in our Harbours, and on our Shores, that if any Imbargo come, as now at Lisborn, we should have had as much and more of the Portugal's goods in our hands, to have made our loss good, as they had seized. All men know, that have ever been at Amsterdam, what vast sums the Portugals have there, and if we had free Trade, we should have all our Ports full of their goods; by which means, our Merchants could have made themselves whole; and it is highly for the security of this Nation, to have as much Foreign commodities in our Ports, as we send to any place, that so upon any oppression of our Merchants, we may have to make it good at home. And this, if Trade were free, and Merchants Strangers paid no more Customs, than the Natives, and had liberty to retransport such commodities as they could not vent here, after they had tried the Market, you would ever have their stocks here to make good any Embargo laid on our Merchants beyond the Sea, a business of the highest advantage to this Nation, and greatest security of Trade that can be; and if what I do with all humility propound, had been done fourteen years ago, when I first moved this business, it had prevented the sad loss our Merchants have sustained at Lisborn; for if the Portugals had more goods here, than our Merchants there, it would have made good for the Merchants of both Nations; for an Imbargo had never been made at Lisborn, and so Trade would have gone on freely.  
21. Thus I have with all clearness, according to the best of my judgement, humbly presented you that which cost me many years' pains, and here laid down at your feet; besides, I have the advice and approbation of the ablest, and sufficientest Merchants in London, who by long experience in Amsterdam, Legorn, Genoa, and other Foreign parts, know this to be true, what is here set down, and to be most advantageous to the State, in bringing in of a Nursery of able rich Merchants of all Nations, to contribute to the public taxes; besides, you will draw all the benefits before recited to this Nation. The consideration for the speedy putting it in practice, is now most humbly presented to your care, which will oblige this Common wealth to bless God for you, and after ages to have you in honourable remembrance, as the first Founders of laying a foundation of a free Trade. By which means, the Dutch from a small and contemptible beginning, have held war against the most Potent Prince of Christendom, and after fourscore years' war, compelled him to give them their own conditions, have made themselves rich and Potent in the East and West- Indieses, and their Amsterdam the Mart of Christendom. Let us by their examples, invite all Merchant Strangers, giving them the same privileges as they have there; Our Ports are far better and safer for all the Trade of the world, then theirs; by this means, you will contract the wealth of the world, you will increase in shipping, Manufacture, and all the precious things of this world; you will make all our Sea Ports, as it was said of Tyre and Sidon, and you will justly be called the Restorers of the English Nation to the splendour of the ancient Roman Common wealth.  
22. Concerning the management of the Custom, I humbly conceiv, as they are now carried on, is not to the best improvementt of the State, in point of the Revenue, nor safety to the Commonwealth; for in the several Seaports of this Nation, and in the Custom-hous at London, none ought to be employed in Offices of Trust, but skilful men, and men of Estates, that if any miscarriage come, their Estates might be responsible to the State: And whereas some men are of an opinion, that they would have Trade free, to Import all commodities, and Export all without any restraint, not for Leather, Fuller's Earth, Corn, Wool, Ammunition, Gold and Silver, Horses, and all other things that are the staff and stay of this Nation; I would not write it, but I have it affirmed by men of great quality, that this is the opinion of some men that are in place and power. Truly I humbly conceiv, there cannot be a more destructive thing to this Commonwealth, then that those men's principles should be followed: And I humbly conceiv, that it would very greatly conduce towards the better management of Trade, that if there were such Officers settled in the Custom-hous, as by virtue of the ancient Laws of the Nation formerly were, who were men of known quality, and did not only put in sufficient security security to answer to th● State, what money they received, but also that they should well and faithfully execute their place, in guarding all things prohibited Exportation and Importation, and were also by divers Statutes deprived of Merchandizing, Shipping, and many other employments in the Commonwealth, whereby they might solely attend their several services, to the best advantage of the Nation.  

About settling a Court of Merchants in London, as it is in Rouen, Paris, Bordeaux, Lions in France, and other parts of Germany; the Model is much after this manner:  
23. ONce every year to cause a general meeting of the Merchants in Rouen by common consent, to chool a Prior, and two Consuls, to remain in their Authority for a year; and so to be yearly chosen, according to most voices, not only the Merchants of Rouen, but also the Merchant's Strangers, being to be presented, an assistance in the said collection; And this is done the beginning of Januarie every year.  
The Prior and Consuls may take unto their Assistants twenty Merchants, or more or less, as they shall think fit to assist them, in the proceed of their Judgements; They are likewise to appoint one Counsellor, and one Attorney for this service, and a Register, and the Court to sit one day in every week, to hear, determine, and dispatch the said Appellations, by order of Roll for that purpose ordained. And to give judgement between all men of what condition or quality soever, of all Suits, Controversies, and Differences touching matters of Merchandizing, or buying or selling, as well for obligating Bills of Debt, Receipts, Blanks signed, Bills of Exchange, Answers by Sureties, Associations of Merchants, either general or particular Assurances, Accounts, Transportations of Bills, Bargains, and Partnerships for matters aforesaid, or any thing belonging thereunto, Commanding all people, Judges, and any other of what condition soever, that they permit the Merchants to use and enjoie this benefit plainly and peacefully, without any contradiction, notwithstanding any Ordinance, Customs, Statutes, Privileges, Commands, or Letters to the contrary.  
The Reason wherefore the King of France set up a Court of Merchants, is declared, because the Merchants were the first setters up and inventors of commerce, together with the Order and use of Exchange, and by that means, had the best and soundest understandings to be Judges in these cases; and therefore he did institute them to be principal Judges.  
That upon the Prior and Consul's choosing, immediately they take an Oath in the presence of all the Merchants there assembled, promising duly and faithfully to execute Justice, without any regard either to poor or rich, or private interest, as other Judges do, when they are newly established in their Government; And the Merchants that are called to assist the Prior, or Consuls, are to be sworn to do Justice every time they are requested, to assist the Court of Merchants.  
And all Jailers, and Keepers of Prisons, are commanded to keep and arrest the prisoners committed unto them by the said Prior and Consuls, as they do the prisoners of all other Judges, under the same penalty and bonds, without demanding leave or licence of other Judges, or any other person whatsoenver.  
And all Judgements of the said Prior and Consuls, shall be executed throughout all the King's Dominion, be it by attachment of goods and sale thereof, arrest, and imprisonment of persons condemned, as also by penalties and forfeitures of money, according to the cause of the offence; And all Noble Personages and others, as well Spiritual-men and Laie-men, of age or under age, or their Deputies, using and exercising the Trade of Merchandizing, or Exchange, shall in that respect be subject to the Power and Authority of the Prior and Consuls; and all other Judges are forbidden to intermeddle concerning such debates and differences, growing between Merchants.  
And the said Priors and Consuls, with the Merchants their assistants, are required to be just and careful, and so to avoid giving of offence to other Judges, by rash hearing.  
The said Consuls, and Prior, have likewise in charge, the punishing of all frauds, abuses, deceits, falsification, and all other ill dealing in Merchandizes, and all abuses committed in the course of Exchanges. All Civil Causes between men of what quality soëver, besides those which concern Trade of Merchandise, or matters of Exchange, be all exempted from the Jurisdiction of the Prior and Consuls, the party or parties grieved may accuse the said Prior and Consuls, & other Jurisdictions of this Court, if they have lawful cause so to do, and that not in writing, but by word of mouth, in the presence of them they charge. And their accusations shall be summarily examined, justly decided, and if the said Prior or Consuls be parties, than the Priors or Consuls for the five last years past, or so many as are in being, shall adjung the cause. And if the said Prior or Consuls shall be accused, and justly proved of any corruption, than they are not to give sentence, but the most ancientest and eminentest Merchants, and those that have the first pre-eminence in the Exchange, shall sit in the place of the said Prior and Consuls, and give Judgement without any salary to be given to the said Merchant, in regard of their judgement; and the Merchant that shall be chosen, Prior, Consuls, and Clerks of the Court, must be free Denizens, or else naturalised, and married in the City of Rouen.  
The elections of the said Prior yearly, must be made before a Committee of two Counsellors, named and deputed by the Parliament for that purpose, and the Clerk of the Insurance Office, must be an Inhabitant in the City of Rouen, in some public and eminent place which shall be assigned for that purpose. And in Paris, you have one Judge, and four Consuls, with the like Jurisdiction as they have at Rouen for Merchants, and by their Charter, charging all Judges not to intermeddle in any cause concerning Merchandise and Exchange, upon the penalty of making void the Suit, and of arbitrary amercements, charges and damages, and interests of the parties grieved, as well of the said Judges, as against the Laws, and Attorneys injoining all Sergeants every one of them in their turns to assist, & to be present at the days and hours, in which the Court of the said Prior and Consuls useth to be kept, & there to command silence, and to put in use and execution, their Orders and Commands, and to give them such honour and reverence, as they own unto Magistrates, injoining all our good Subjects to do the same. And if there shall arise a Dispute or Controversy, whereby the Merchants shall conceiv they have not justice of the Prior and Consuls, for the time being, than all such Merchants, that have been Priors and Consuls, and are remaining in the City of Rouen, without they be hindered by sickness, or other just excuse, shall make a Court of Merchants, and there, after they have taken an Oath, to do equal justice, they shall give the sentence, which shall be binding to all parties irrevocable for the time to come.  
This Court is at this day in use in many great Cities in France, by which means, Lawsuits are speedily dispatched, to the great eas of all Merchants, both Natives and Strangers, and they find the good and speedy justice which all men have there.  
I humbly desire, that the principal Merchants in London, might be consulted withal, and their humble desires concerning a Court of Merchants, which may be settled amongst them, which will be a great eas and benefit to the Merchants, and to all honest-minded men that are Traders, to have their Suits for Merchandise and Traffic determined amongst themselves, to have their differences speedily dispatched, and not delayed as it hath been, to the ruin of many Families in this City and Nation.  
To the Honourable the Council for Trade The humble Petition of Thomas Violet  
Sheweth,  
24. THat your Petitioner seeing in the Journal Books of the Parliament, an Order referring the East- India company's Petition, (which they made unto the Parliament, for obtaining of a Licence, to transport twenty thousand pounds of Foreign Bullion beyond Seas) to this Council for Trade, to give their opinions concerning the said Petition.  
And your Petitioner having perused the late Act, for the advancing of Trade, whereby you are made Commissioners, and a standing Council for regulating of the Trade of this Commonwealth, whereby you are authorized not only to receiv all such Propositions and Overtures, for the well regulating and benefit of Trade, which shall be offered unto you by any person whatsoenver; but you have likewise full power and authority, to view all Books, Records, and Writings of Public use, which you shall find needful for your better information; your Petitioner having for these sixteen years been employed about stopping the transporting of Gold and Silver out of this Nation, and so having many opportunities offered unto him to know many things, that may be secrets to this Council; his humble prayer to You is, that, before you make your Report to the Parliament, you would be pleased to take these his humble Propositions into your serious considerations, being highly for the benefit of the Commonwealth.  
1. That this Council require the East- India and Persia Company, to bring in their Charter, whereby you will inform your selus, with what privilege they have granted them, and upon what conditions and restrictions.  
2. That you would be pleased to require an account of the East India and Persia-Companie, of all the sums of money, Gold or Silver, either Foreign or English, which they have sent into India and Persia, ever since Julie 1620. this is no new thing, for they did in 1620 give an account, as will plainly by their Books appear, that from the Original and first foundation of their Trade, in Anno 1601, to Julie 1620. they had shipped away for India only, 548090l. sterling, in Spanish moneys, and some Flemish and German Dollars, which account was presented in Parliament at that time.  
3. Your Petitioner desire's you to take notice, that if the State in Parliament were then so careful in times of peace, and the Trade of the Nation flourishing, to call the East- India Company to an account for twenty years, and to cause them to make their accounts plainly to appear by their Books for twenty years; surely, I humbly conceiv, this Honourable Council will expect for the service of the Commonwealth, to have an exact account of all the Treasure the East- India and Persia Company have exported; and to have them to produce a just account what quantities of Gold or Silver they have bought in Holland, and in other Foreign places, immediately upon their proper account; and what quantities of English melted Silver in Bars, they have bought of Goldsmiths in London; what quantities of Gold in Bars, they have bought of the Guinie and Barbary Companies, what quantities of English coined Gold they have sent into the East- Indieses, and to Persia; what quantities of Cardquess, Rexdollars, Rials of Spain, or any other Foreign Silver, they have bought up in Londou, of Merchants, Goldsmiths, or others, which without the East India Company so buying, would have been brought into the Mint and coined, to the great augmentation of the stock of this Nation. And that they be required to give you an Account of what qnantities of Spanish Pistollers, Dutch Riders, Hungarian Ducats, Gold Gilders, Gold Albertus of Flanders, Italian Pistolets, Turkey Sultels, and all other Foreign Gold and Silver, they have bought up in London, of Goldsmiths, Merchants, Natives, and strangers, which have not been members of their Company, and transported to India and Persia, within thirty years; all which, I am sure they have perfect Accounts of. And that the aforesaid Company be required to send you in all the Warrants and Licences for their doing of the same, and for a true discovery of the premises.  
4. That you would require the Books of Invoys of the Lading of every ship of all the Gold and Silver, in Bars, or Coin, that hath been sent to the East- Indies and Persia, since 1620. for by them you shall see what Gold and Silver each ship carried, and the Ships, Factors, and Master's names, and to what factory in Persia or India, and the several years, and so you will quickly see the just quantity to a penny, what they have transported, and in what sort of Coin, either English Gold or Silver, or Foreign Gold or Silver, for these thirty years; the giving you a true account thereof, will be of great concernment to the Commonwealth in many respects.  
5. That you would appoint a Committee to view over the Journal Books: for out of them there will be gathered businesses of great concernment to the Nation; and if some able Book-Keepers be appointed with me, to take out what I shall observe in them, it will tend highly to the service of the Nation, and give a stop to great mischiefs that is daily practised on the Commonwealth.  
6. If you pleas to inform your selus by this way, you will see clearly many other secrets, upon perusal of these Books, than I will speak of, and so you will be able to rectify & settle the Trade in a flourishing condition, that it may be beneficial to the Common wealth, and all the Adventurers, whereas heretofore, & now as it is managed, none getteth by it, but the Committees of the said Companies, and the company's Factors and their Officers. The Adventurers having been blinded ever since it was a Company, and led by the nose by their servants, or else how could their Factors and servants be so rich, and the company's stock so poor.  
7. I humbly conceiv upon the Examination of all the premises, when that the Books of the Company are examined, it will be found that the East- India Company hath sent away the Commonwealth's Coin, both in Gold and Silver. I am the more encouraged to speak this plainly to you, because I know there is now no Lord Treasurer, no Lord Privy Seal, no Bed-chamber-men, nor Privy Council to bribe, nor as I hope any else to be bribed, to take off and suppress the just examination of abuses in Companies, which heretofore have been proved to have been a common Trade w●th some Companies, to keep up their Letters Patents, to the high deceit of the Nation, having given great sums of money for Bribes, to have liberty to oppress the good people of the Nation, and to have Licence with Authority to deceiv the Commonwealth; all which abuses, I pray God may, by the wisdom of this Council, be carefully found out, and presented to the Parliament, and such Order and Regulation made for the future for all Traders, as may be most for the prosperity of this Nation in general, without any regard to particular Interest, when it shall be found destructive to the Commonwealth.  
Septemb. 11. 1650. Signed Tho. Violet.  
Die Mercurii Sept. 11. 1650. At the Council for Trade at White-Hall. 
 Ordered,  
THat the East-India Company be desired to produce their Original Charter before this Council.  
Ordered,  
THat the East- India-Companie be desired to bring in to this Council, what Licences they formerly have granted them for the Transportation of Bullion, or Coin, since the year 1620.  
Ordered,  
East-India- Company be entreated likewise to produce the direct and true Accounts of all the several sums of Bullion and Coin, in any specie to the full, that have been yearly transported by them, since the year 1620.  
Ex. Ben: Worslie, Secret.  
THat your Honours would be pleased to move effectually in the House, for a positive Order, to require the East- India Company to give obedience to the Order of the Council of Trade, dated 11 of Septemb. 1650. And that the East- India's and Persia company's Books of Invoices, may be brought forth to the Council for Trade, and not to accept of the Account what they have Registered in the Custom-Hous, but what shall appear really upon their Original Books of Invoices in the company's custody, which they have sent really to every Factor yearly in Persia and India; for they enter at the Custom-Hous but what they pleas, but the truth must appear by the company's Original Books; the Dutch, East- India-Companie, as I am credibly informed, have since their first stock, made every hundred a thousand to the Adventurers, and as this stock hath been managed in England, the Adventurer gets nothing, but the private Officers. I humbly desire for the service of the Nation in general, the truth of all these proceed may be truly stated, that so, the Council may be enabled, when they see their Accounts, justly and clearly by their own Books, to give the Parliament their opinion concerning the East- India-Companie's request, and for the regulating that Trade for the future, for the best advantage of the Commonwealth, being a business of great concernment to the wealth and honour of the Nation.  
May it pleas your Honours, I am of old Mr Carmarthen's mind, which was an Officer in the Custom-Hous in Queen Elizabeth's time; he would speak a truth, though many of the great Officers of the State, & Merchants, & Customers, were against him for it; yet by his vigilance & constant perseverance, the truth came to the Queen's ear; and she checked her Treasurer, and Leicester, and commanded them to bring Carmarthen to her, when Burlie and Leicester, had laid him in the Fleet for a busy fellow; she would hear, for all their words, what that busy fellow said, though much against her great Counsellor's mind; and then the Queen found, upon examination, that her great Officers were bribed. And the conclusion was, Carmarthen raised the Queen's Farm in few years to double the money it made afore, and made Customer Smith pay it, and, in despite of the Lord Burlie and Leicester, Carmarthen had the Queen's thanks. For, though in other things she would hear them; yet when it concerned themselves, and upon the point of her Revenue, she would not trust wholly the greatest of her Officers, but had her instruments to give her true Information, a sure way for a State never to be deceived, and a rule fit for these times. This story is much after this manner recorded of Queen Elizabeth, for a piece of high Prudence, Justice and Bounty, she making Carmarthen and his son Surveyor of all the Customs and Customers, in which place they continued above 50 years; and this Carmarthen's son died but three years ago, in the same office the Queen gave his Father for this service.  
These Propositions in these several Heads being set on foot by the Parliament, I humbly conceiv is another manner of service for the State, than Carmarthen's both in point of profit, honour, and safety, and though some private men, for private Companies, may be avers against what I have here said in these particulars, it is their self-interest that makes them so.  
I am an humble suitor to your Honours, that the Act against transporting Gold and Silver, culling and melting the currant Coin of the Nation, which hath lain so long committed, may forthwith pass into an Act; for till that be done, your Mint will be obstructed, and to transport all the Gold and Silver, and coin none, what the end of such things will be, I am enforced to speak.  
1. For I see there are some which either out of spite to the welfare of this Nation, or by the subtlety of the transporters of Gold and Silver, and colours out of the heavy currant Coins of this Nation, have engaged themselves to obstruct this great Service, that so the Commonwealth may be circumvented of his surest strength, Money, which is the sinews of war, and strength of the Nation, and those people that abound with it, are able to command all things in the world; And that Commonwealth and Family that is without it, is made uncapable of doing any great action. Besides, by this dangerous Maxim, as much as in them lies, they labour to darken and weaken the splendour and strength of your Army, which hath done such great things; for if your Treasure all be exhausted, how shall they be paid? And these tenets at the best smell of a Presbyterian, if not of a Jesuitical design. And I do most humbly desire the Council of War would resent it, it concerns the safety and well-being of the Army, the keeping of treasure within the Nation; for they, and the Army are like a ship at sea, which must be well-provided with Anchors and Cables, and Victuals; money is to them all this, nay, every thing. And for those that have maliciously opposed the Act, for prohibiting transporting of Gold and Silver, I make no question to find a time to call them to an account; For others that desire to have the question truly stated, I will with all willingness and humility present what former ages have done, and this present time require's. First, I humbly present to you, that the treasure of England is but like a quantity of water in a Cistern; we have no springs of treasure, as in Spain, every year to be supplied from the West- Indies; and therefore it concerns us to keep in our treasure, for being once transported, it cannot be drawn back, but by inhancing of money, to the ruin of all the owners of Land and settled Revenues; for so much as you raise money, you take from all Landlords. To this is replied, we may bring money from Holland, and several other parts of Christendom, freely, and therefore it ought to be as free here in England, and it is no prejudice to the Commonwealth; and this is the opinion of some Gentlemen, that I believ love the Commonwealth, and speak not out of a design to prejudice either the Nation, or Army; for these men I humbly offer these reasons to consider.  
2. In Holland, when it was made a new State, the Placarts and Edicts show, which I caused to be Translated, What severe penalties they put upon transporting of money; And made it Banishment, Confiscation of goods, Imprisonment, and Corporal punishments; they knew Money was the principal Ammunition of their Nation, for having that, they could want neither Men, Victual, nor Arms, and this they did at the beginning of their Wars, which is now our condition, and we ought to follow this rule.  
But now in Holland, by long continuance of Trade, great thrift and abundance of shipping, they are no other than a Bank or Ware-Hous; they have little lands or houses to invest their stocks in, but must put it into commodities and money. And since, by God's blessing upon their industry, they have in a Spot of Ground, contracted the wealth of Christendom. And so abounding in Monies, and not knowing how to invest it, let it be granted, that they let money be exported freely, this makes nothing that we should do so now, for the reasons following.  
3. In England, by the Statute, any man may transport Corn freely, when it is at four shillings a Bushel, because of the abundance, that so the Farmer may pay his Landlord, and keep his House, and pay Laborers for the clearing of his Ground, and Threshing it in the Barn. Doth the Law allow any man to carry Corn when it is 10 or 12 s. a Bushel out of the Nation, by that means you may starv the poor, and any that should do it, deserveth the highest punishment; my Argument upon this follow's, viz.  
4. Let us attein so much beforehand in stock of money, as the Hollanders have, be in so flourishing a condition of Trade as they are, he master of all the subtleties of the Banks and Exchanges in Christendom, as they are, which they make that use of, as they do of their Sluices, for water, so they let in and out all the Treasure of Christendom to their own advantage; then I say, with all cheerfulness, transport Money as they do, and freely, and as you do transport Corn, when it is at four shillings a Bushel, but till you have that plenty of Money to pay your Fleet, to pay your Armies, to maintain Trade, and Commerce, and all these in a plentiful manner, keep your Laws in force, follow the Offenders with severe and sharp punishments, as you do, when there is a death of Corn, punish the transporters of Corn, with the severest punishments, as Murderers, and Destroyers of the poor. And this is a certain Maxim, that That Commonwealth that hath Money plentifully, can command all things.  
5. I shall leave it to the capacity of any reasonable man that see's; you may receiv one thousand pounds in a payment, and not twenty shillings in Gold; you shall receiv one hundred pounds in Silver, and not fifty pounds of it but clipped, and lighter than the Standard, as it comes out out of Tower, all our weighty Money being melted into Ingots, and sent beyond Seas; you shall have fifty thousand pounds in a payment in Holland, all of English half Crowns, and this is known to all men that know France and Foreign parts, that our Gold is forty times more plentiful in France, Flanders, and Holland, than here.  
6. You have some Goldsmiths that have constantly bought the clipped English money, many times over of several people, (and put it away again) and so make the Cheat run round like a Horse in the Mill, and cousin the whole Nation; you shall not receiv in many Towns of this Nation, not in five hundred pounds' payment, two hundred pounds of good moneys, such as the Gentry or Merchants can pay away again in London; And if he be forced by reason of his occasion, to pay Money in London, he must sell it in London to the Goldsmiths, at above twenty pound in the hundred loss.  
And some Goldsmiths so buying it, sell it to the Graziers, Receivers of Public Cash, or some one or other, that the Gentleman is sure to have it paid him the next Quarter in the Country. And if these Cheats must be spoken for, countenanced, and by some publicly warranted, there shall never pass a Law to have the Offenders punished. The draught of this Act of Parliament, was drawn by Order of the Council of State, and several times debated upon a Petition of the City of London, the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint, the Officers of the Customs, the Committee of the Navy, and yet nothing done in it, to the unspeakable hazard, and damage of the Commonwealth.  
I do humbly beseech you consider the great sums of Money the Navy takes up every year, and the Armies with both their appurtenances; and these, it is true, waste not the treasure of the Nation by transportation, but it remain's constantly amongst us, and without these necessary supports, the splendour and safety of the Commonwealth would be undermined, which is the hearty desire of some of the Presbyterian party.  
But those that are versed in the managing of these great Affairs, know you must constantly provide the Sea-man's pay, with the Victuals, and Soldier's pay, besides the Train of Artillery, and an hundred other necessaries incident to a Fleet and Army, and without Money all these strengths cease as a Clock doth when you take off the weights. I shall humbly leave it to every judicious man, what the transporter of the treasure is, according to the conjuncture of this time, and as your Affairs now stand, for many other designs may undermine the State by degrees. But the transporter of treasure now in these times, is a Powder-Plotter, he blows up Parliament, Army, Fleet, and Commonwealth, all at once, and yet some, through ignorance, speak for them; but let the transporters of Gold and Silver, and the colours and melters of the heavy Coin of this Nation, run their course a little longer, (which God defend) they will leave no Money in the Nation; and then, when it is too late, you will find as Sampson's strength lay in his hair, so the sinews of War is Money; and, if formerly they deserved to be punished in the purse, that were transporters of money, colours, & melters down of the heavy currant Coin of the Nation, they much more deserv to die for it now, for it is undermining of the whole State; And what in time of peace, in this particular was a misdemeanour, I humbly conceiv for the safety of the Commonwealth, aught to be made Felony at this time, considering the multiplicity of your occasions.  
I do therefore humbly desire, that the Act may be speedily dispatched; and not delayed, by the subtlety of a few men, to the ruin and destruction of the Commonwealth; for without it pass, you will not have Money left to pay your Armies, your Navy, nor maintain Commerce.  
It is not an Act of Parliament can levy Money, if you take not present Order to keep it in the Nation. And therefore (I most humbly pray) as you love the safety of your selus, and the Army, keep the treasure in this Commonwealth (which is yet left) by making transporting treasure Felony for the future, & punish those that have transported the treasure, and give all encouragement and privilege to such as bring in Silver and Gold into your Mint.  
I humbly desire, that all private interest in this particular, may, by the Authority of the Parliament, be suppressed, which shall be proved to be against the Public. And that Bribery may be examined, and branded with all infamy, which have kept up the corrupt interest of many Companies, to cheat the Commonwealth, and obstruct the passing of good Laws, for the benefit of the Nation. Yet I do most humbly declare to you, I am for all good Orders in Companies, both Merchants and Tradesmen, so far as it is not prejudicial to the Commonwealth in general.  
If this which I have with all humility said, shall find a  construction with your Honours, and that it have life from your Honour's countenance & protection, and that you put forth your selus, to see that these things be put in execution, according to the power you have in this Commonwealth, I shall thank God for it, and I shall be well content, that you have seen that in an hour, that cost me many years' pains and study. And I shall be willing, for the service of this Commonwealth to take some pains to enlarge myself in these particulars, if my humble advice be required. For though I love not to give an account of my faith to a Presbyter Elder, yet with all humility, I conceiv myself bound, and I am ready to give the State an account in what I can serve the Commonwealth, when I am commanded, and shall and can do it with more cheerfulness, they many a Presbyter, that have falsely charged me to be a Malignant, and without the Justice of the Parliament, have rob me of my Estate, to a great value, and I never was as yet heard to obtain a hearing. And that I may have Justice, is all my humble desire, to your Honours. In the procuring me Justice, I shall be ever bound to pray for your Honour's happiness here and hereafter.   
Your honour's most humble Servant THOMAS VIOLET. Jan. 1. 1651.   

A TRUE DISCOVERY TO THE COMMONS OF ENGLAND, HOW THEY HAVE BEEN Cheated of almost all the Gold and Silver Coin of this Nation,  
WHICH Hath been, and is daily Transported into Foreign Parts.  
AND, How the people of this Nation are, and have been abused by Light and Clipped English Money, and the means showed for the prevention thereof.  
HUMBLY Presented to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of ENGLAND.  
By THOMAS VIOLET, a true lover of his Country.  
LONDON, Printed by W. DUGARD, in the Year 1651.   

Behold Transporter of Treasure, Culler of Money, Deceitful Wier-drawer. A TRUE DISCOVERY HOW THE COMMONWEALTH OF ENGLAND, Have been cheated of their Treasure; and means showed for the prevention thereof.  
IT hath been daily practised by some particular Merchants, both Native and Strangers, to transport the treasure of this Nation, to the great prejudice of the State; who for their own private gain, have not spared to damnify the Commonwealth so highly, that their persons and estates cannot give a full satisfaction for the great mischief done, and practised by them to this Commonwealth, and without a strict examination, and exemplary punishment of the offenders, or some of the chief of them, these mischiefs will never be prevented, & the Commonwealth will be still undetermined by those Moles, to the unspeakable damage thereof. And because some, through ignorance, do not understand and conceiv the great damage which may come to the Commonwealth, by the suffering these abovesaid abuses to continue; and others more crafty and subtle, both Goldsmith's, and Merchants, that are transporters of Gold and Silver, and practisers of several high frauds and abuses upon Coin and Bullion, have the confidence (or impudence) to make arguments for defending the transgressors; Now for the information of some in their judgements, that have desired a true account, what Laws are now in force in this Nation, for prevention of these mischiefs; what Orders and Laws in France, Holland, and Flanders, for the regulating of their Mints, Money, and Bullion; what punishments and restriction upon the offenders; I have procured the Ordinance, and Placarts of France, Holland, and Flanders, to be translated; have abbreviated them for your information, and quoted some Laws of this Nation now in force, as hereafter follow.  
And if you pleas to make the law, now presented to the House, stricter than it is now drawn, I Humbly conceiv you will do the Commonwealth the greater benefit, considering the present condition of the Commonwealth.  
Transporting of Treasure hath been Felony, 4 Henry 7. cap. 13, and 17 Edward 4. this Statute to endure for twenty years. I humbly conciev the Common wealth hath now as much reason to look to keep the treasures in the Nation, as they had then, considering all things.  
That you would be pleased to give one moiety at the least to any person or persons, that will, or can discover the offenders: that so by this reward, all persons may be invited to discover the offenders all over the Nation, and the same rule followed which was in 14 Rich. 2. cap. 12. where Commissions by Act of Parliament, were granted throughout the Realm, to inquire of such as had conveyed the Money of England out of the Nation; in doing whereof, great sums throughout the Nation will come to the State, and the offenders will remember the Proverb, sweet meat must have sour sauce, when they shall be enforced to pay back to the State, that which they have defrauded them of, and will prevent them and all others hereafter, for to take the boldness to get themselves fortunes by any of the aforesaid indirect courses, which so highly tend to the damage of this Commonwealth.  
By these deceits Commerce is spoiled, Traffic decayeth, those things that are needful for man's preservation, grow dear, the handiecraft's work ceaseth, the workmen betake themselves to some other places, and the Commonalty, to speak all in a word, is brought to poverty, (as is gravely observed by the Master General, and Council of the Mint in Flanders, 2d October 1647. in their Declaration, clearly demonstrating, that the careful and punctual keeping of the Placart of the Mint, is very necessary, and withal profitable to all persons of what state, quality, or condition soëver; showing, that if the Placart be not observed, but that money should be paid out above the true value through these disorders, they shall never be able to keep their treasure within their Country.  
And in their Declaration, showing most judicially, the great mischiefs that befall a Nation by enhancing and raising their Money, being no real cure for the Commonwealth, but utterly destructive to all sorts of people, even from the Prince to the poor labourer, to any Free State or Commonwealth, to all Merchandise and Commodities: all which considerations, although very potent, yet do not oftentimes come into the minds and comprehensions, not only of the common people, but also of those to whom the employment of Public Office have given more judgement and credit in managing of affairs themselves, and who dare to spread it abroad, that there is no harm nor evil in enhancing the Coin above its true value and worth, because they can put it away at the same price as they receiv it; not taking notice by the way, that raising and augmenting the price of the Money, doth, or must by consequence, augment and encreas the price of all Merchandizes and Provisions proportionable; whereby of necessity it must follow, that if the moneys be augmented and heightened, the Landlords and Creditors receiv so much less; the Merchandise, Victuals, and all other Wares, grow presently dearer; the public treasure, either Excise or Customs are abated, by so much as you enhance or lessen your moneys: for it is not the Denomination of an high price of Gold or Silver set's the value, but it must have weight and fineness proportionable to what you call it, or else you go upon a wrong ground; As for example, in Scotland, they call Thirteen pence half penny, a Mark; and Twenty pence, they call Twenty shillings; this denomination of a great value give's not the intrinsical value.  
I caused these men following, to be fined in the Star-Chamber, for transporting Gold and Silver, and culling and melting down the heavy Coin of the Nation. 
The 25th of Jan. 12th Car.  Charles Frank 5000 Robert Ellis 5000 Isaac Romeer 4000 Jacob Delew 1000 Roger Fletcher 1000 Richard Cockram 1000 John Parrot 1000 
The 17th of Febr. 12th Car.  Peter Hern 3000 John Terry 3000 Timothy Eman 3000 Isaac Brames 1000 Henry Futter 500 Henry Sweeting 500 John Perrin 100  
The Total of the said Fines amount to the sum of 24100l.  
Sir John Wollaston Knight, and William Gibs Esquire, both Aldermen of the City of London, being informed against in this Information, by the late King's then Attorney General, procured the late King's Pardon, and so were discharged.  
And Peter Fountain, who was informed against for transporting of Gold, procured his Pardon upon payment of 1100l. And all these I did bring to a Trial, all at my own charge.  
That besides the fourteen offenders sentenced in the Star-Chamber, and pardoned, as aforesaid, there are many other Merchants, Goldsmiths, and others, that have transported Gold and Silver out of the Nation, that have sold Gold and Silver at above the price of the Mint, that have furnished much light Gold, English and Forrain, and great quantities of Gold and Silver to Merchants, and others to transport, that have culled and melted down the weightiest currant silver Coins, as shillings, six pences, & half crowns, all which offences are against the common Laws of the Nation: And the Wisdom and Policy of State hath, upon free and general pardons at Parliaments, exempted it out of the free pardon, thereby the more to terrify and restrain men from venturing in that kind, to transport Gold or Silver, or to melt down the currant Silver Coins of the Nation.  
That divers Goldsmiths of London, are become Exchangers of Bullion of Gold and Silver, and buy it of Merchants and others, pretending to carry it to the Mint, but indeed they are the greatest Instruments for transporting that are; and in a manner, they are only those who furnish transporters with English and Foreign Gold, Spanish money, Rix-dolars, Pistollers, Cardacues, culling and melting down the currant Silver Coins of this Realm for Plate and Silver-Thread; and no doubt, when a true representation of the abuses of such Goldsmiths, Finers, & Wier drawers, as hath been formerly, and is daily practised by many of them, shall be made appear; I doubt not, but the Parliament will think fit to take the same into consideration, and provide some means to restrain them from doing the Commonwealth that damage, as formerly hath been done.  
That some of the Goldsmiths make it their use and practice to by light English Gold of shopkeepers, and others, which by the Laws of this Nation, wanting beyond remedy, aught to be bought as Bullion, and upon the sale, aught to be defaced, and new coined in the Mint: But they take another way; for they sell all this Gold to transport, though it want four, five, or six grains above the allowance, and that a Twenty shilling piece will not make nineteen shillings to be coined in the Mint; yet the Goldsmiths will not abate above two pence or three pence, and sometimes but one penny in the piece, let the Gold want what it will; by which means, they out-give the Mint: And the Gold which the Goldsmiths buy of the Subjects, thinking it is to carry to the Mint to be new coined to pass in currant payment, they put it into a dead Sea, never to be made use of in our Common wealth: For weekly, French and English have bought up this Gold, let it be as light as it will, at higher prices than the Mint are allowed to give by their Indenture, to the value of many hundred thousand pounds; for by the Gold-smith's rule, the Mint is always last served, as being the worst Chap man, and giving least for it; for after all hands are full, both for transporters, Plate-workers, Finers, and Wier-drawers; then that, which they cannot vent otherwise, cometh into the Mint; which the Officers of the Mint know very well: and if Gold and Silver never came into the Gold-smith's hands, (which Merchants sell to them, believing they carry it all to be coined) far more Gold and Silver would come into the Mint, than now doth.  
And for this last 5 years, some Gold smiths have given for English Gold twenty shillings six pence, twenty one shillings six pence, and twenty two shillings, for a twenty shillings piece, which for the most part have been bought of them by Merchants, strangers, and others, and transported out of the Nation, so that now you may receiv five thousand pound in a payment, & never a piece in Gold: If this ought not to be looked after, and the offenders brought to Justice, I shall humbly leave it to the Parliament to consider.  
Also, many thousand of dollars & pieces of Spanish Money they furnish Merchants yearly with that Trade for Norway and Denmark, and other parts, and transport Silver for those parts, to the great weakening of the stock of this Nation, and hindrance of the sale of our woollen commodities, which (before that pernicious way was found out) those Countries vented much of. Besides the hindrance of the sale of our commodities, the State is hindered of their Custom; for the Merchants drive a Trade inward & outward, & so pay the State no Custom; for instance, Hambrough. Merchants bring great quantities of Rixdollars from Hambrough and other parts of Germany, and pay no Custom, because the State hath ever made Gold and Silver free to be imported without Custom, which the Merchants usually sell to the Goldsmiths, & the Goldsmiths for the most part sell to the Merchants that trade in Norway and Denmark: which Dollars are closely packed in some part of the ship, and so no Custom paid, either for bringing in the Silver, or sending it out; and no commodities, in a manner, other than Silver; are transported into those parts by the said Merchants, considering the quantity of their return; for what they want in goods exported from hence, they must make up in money: If great returns of commodities from Norway and Denmark, and few commodities exported from hence, the Balance must be made up with Silver; for no Nation will give us commodities, but there must be a Balance for goods imported, by goods exported, or by treasure.  
It is to be feared, that the industry of many ages cannot replenish the Nation with so much Gold, as hath been transported out of it within these few years; for it is an infallible rule, that, where Gold and Silver is overvalued, thither will it be transported by Merchants and others; for it continually resort's, where it is most made of; and if you seek to raise it here, the remedy is worse than the disease; for than you take from the Gentry and all settled Revenuers, as much of their means, as you raise the currant money; for if Gold should be raised in England, for example, the twenty shillings, to twenty six shillings, as it was in France, either higher or lower, you should buy no more at your Market for twenty six shillings, than you could before for your twenty shillings; and contrariwise, if your twenty shillings were but fourteen shillings, you should buy as much for your fourteen shillings, as when it passed at twenty shillings; so that whensoever money is raised, the loss falleth most upon the Nobility and Gentry, and certain Revenuers, who lose so much out of their inheritance, which they have let out in Leas, as Money raised.  
All Merchants that trade for Spain, know, that when the West-India Fleet cometh not into Spain, the trade for that year is lost; and No money, no trade. If this be an infallible rule for Spain, which suffers so much for the forbearance of bringing in of treasure for one year, and is supplied the next out of the Indies, and till their Fleet came home, no dealing with Merchants; I do most humbly present, how much more it doth concern this Nation, which hath no West-Indies to supply the treasure transported, to provide, and carefully keep in the Nation's stock, which once transported, cannot be drawn back, but upon unreasonable terms; which will impoverish all the Gentry to an inestimable value; and as long as it remaineth out of the Nation, all Trading and Commerce decayeth, the Subjects are unable to pay taxes, and other duties, and it is one of the greatest mischiefs that can befall the Commonwealth.  
1. These reasons amongst many other, I humbly presented to the Parliament, April 12, 1643. which if they had been then taken into consideration, had kept many Millions of Money in the Nation. But by the subtlety of two Aldermen, whose pardon I had got from the late King, I for my reward was committed to the Tower, for bringing up a Letter from the late King, though I had a Warrant from the House of Commons, and a Warrant from my Lord General Essex, for to go to Oxford, and the Committee at Darbie-hous knew of my going to Oxford, for the late King's Letter, which I desired Sir David Watkins before ever I went, to have him acquaint the Committee of both Nations at Darbie-hous with my business, & some other of the House of Commons, and that I would not go without their leave, which I had from them by him; and Master Rilie the Scout-master of London, procured my pass from the House of Commons.  
But the truth was, the Presbyterian party ruled then all, and they were resolved to make their Brethren of Scotland rich, and had a design to circumvent this Nation, both of all their Gold, Money, & Movables; which for a great part they have done, as I will make it appear; and therefore any that did speak against Transporting Treasure, or knew so much of their tricks as I did, must be a Malignant, an enemy to the Covenant; and so I was kept three years and eleven month's prisoner in the Tower, almost three years of that time close, because I should tell no tales; and my Estate given away without hearing, and Sequestered to my damage, to the value of above eight thousand four hundred pounds.  
Besides, the infinite ways the Presbyterians found out for to enrich their Brethren of Scotland, which all the Nation know; I shall declare one, which was so usurious and destructive to the Nation, as never the like practice was before put on this Nation, nor I believ, scarcely upon any other, under the colour of Friendship, League, and Covenant, & this to be done upon their dear Brethren of London, and that was briefly this. The Scot's Commissioners procured an Ordinance, that no ships should bring Coals from Newcastle, as appears at large by the Ordinance. When this was done, They must be the only men must bring us Coals from Scotland; whereas before our dear Brethren brought us Coals for nine and ten shillings the Tun, and sold them delivered at London at that price, as will appear by all the Wood-monger's books; they having by the subtlety of their Faction, got all their trade for Coals for the City of London, and other parts of the Nation, into their hands, than the City shall pay for their Brotherly assistance. For since the Ordinance for restraint of fetching Coals from Newcastle, until Newcastle was reduced to the Parliament, Scotch Coals were at thirty and forty shillings the Tun; so that they sold them after they had Monopolised the Coals into their own hands, at four times the value they could, and did constantly before, afford to bring them from Scotland. And the Sea-Coals, which upon a medium for ten years before were all the Summer under twenty shillings a Cauldron delivered; during all the time the Scots were in England with their Army, were at three pound, four pound, and five pound a Cauldron, as all the Inhabitants of the City of London know.  
Then they had their Factors here, to buy up all the Hang, Bedding, Pewter, Stools, Chairs, Householdstuff, Pictures, and all manner of Lumber, which was sold to the value of many hundred thousand of pounds, out of the City of London and Nation, for half the value, and by them in stead of Ballast carried to Scotland, and this can be witnessed by thousands of people, who have to their total undoing suffered in this kind, and are never likely to see their goods, nor never to be Masters of such again, without they, or their Children will take the pains to go Scotland to fight for them: By this way they may recover their goods, or their value again. I have been told by several Gentlemen of credit that live in the North, that when the Scotch Army was with them in the Bishopric of Durham, Cumberland, and Newcastle, they have seen many of the Scotch soldiers date their Letters with this title, From New Castle in Scotland; From Ferrie-Brig in Scotland; From York in Scotland; and so other places where their Army came in England, they took it all for Scotland. But God hath put a Hook in their nostrils, and sent them back, and now the victorious English may in requital date all their Letters, if they pleas, From Edinburgh in England: and so I pray God it may continue to the world's end.  
I shall humbly desire the Parliament to take notice after what rate the Brotherly assistance from Scotland came in to help their Brethren, even, after the rate of sending one hundred pounds worth of Coals to London, to their dear Brethren, to make their return worth eight hundred pounds in a month, or six week's time, as it is apparent, and can be witnessed by thousands of people, now they read this. Which after this rate, a poor Scotchman might with one hundred pounds, within the compass of one year, cheat this Nation of ten thousand pounds, and transport it all in Money. And this hath been done by many of them, to the value of many hundred of thousand pounds.  
And because I Petitioned the Parliament, to look to the transporting of the treasure, by which means, they would have been prevented in sending the treasure of this Nation into Scotland, I must be Sequestered, Imprisoned in the Tower, and held a Malignant.  
But I humbly hope the Parliament will give me the hearing for my just defence; and when they shall by experience find, that this I say to be true, and that I discover the nest of them that have rob this Nation, they will do me right, and unloos me from oppression, and restore me to my Estate.  

Hereafter follow the Laws in Holland, Flanders, and France, for the regulating their Bullion and Money.  

PLACART and ORDINANCE. Concerning the general course and regulating of the Mints and moneys, as also concerning the Exchange and Exchangers, Refiners, Goldsmiths, and others in the United Provinces, 1586.  

ARTIC. XI.  
AND as for the Gold and Silver-Monies, whose value is valued by this Ordinance, We forbidden every one to present, pay away, or receiv the same at a higher rate, then is here Ordered, upon the forfeiture of such moneys, or the worth of it, in case the Fact be not presently discovered, and besides, upon the forfeiture of ten Golden Angelot's the first time, for the second time twelv Golden Angelot's; and for the third, four times as much, and besides, arbitrary punishment according to the heinousness of the Fact. And we understand the same forfeitures and penalties, to take place, as well upon the Receiver, as the payer away, unless one of them, presently after the Receiving, or Paying away, do present himself to an Officer, in which case the Denuntiator, either Receiver, or Paier away, shall be freed or quitted of the abovesaid penalty and forfeiture; and besides, to enjoie the third part of the same forfeit and penalty.   

ARTIC. XIV.  
So that we expressly forbidden, and interdict every one, to over-buie, or over-sell, Change, or Chop any Species of Monies, rated by these presents, either in taking, or giving upon the same, any profit, gain, or advantage, after what manner soever, upon the same pain and penalty, as abovesaid, against those who shall Receiv, or Pay away the same at an higher rate than that of the Ordinance.   

ARTIC. XV.  
We forbidden also, every one to Cull any Gold, or Silver-Monies, and so by this means, to sort the weighty and good ones, from the light, and bad ones, to Pay away the light ones, and make their profit of the weighty, upon penalty as abovesaid.   

ARTIC. XVI.  
And as for the Stuff, and Materials of Gold and Silver, being in Mass, or Sweep, We forbidden to buy, or sell them at an higher rate, then according to the Rule of this Ordinance, upon penalty of confiscation of the abovesaid Materials; and moreover, to forfeit double the worth of them, at the charge as well of the buyer, as of the seller, for the first time; for the second time, twice as much; and for the third time, four times as much; and afterwards arbitrary punishment.   

ARTIC. XVII.  
We expressly forbidden henceforth to transport, or cause to be transported out of the abovesaid Province, towards any strange Mints, any Gold or Silver-Monies, and also any Materials, in Mass or Monies, also any Materials in Mass or Ingots fit to Coin Monies of them, upon forfeit of confiscation of the abovesaid moneys and Materials, or the worth of them, in case they were already transported; and besides this, upon penalty of one hundred Golden Angelot's, upon every Mark of Gold, and twenty Angelot's for every Mark of Silver, and of more or less proportionably for the first time; for the second time, upon the same forfeit and penalty; and moreover to undergo bodily punishment: and if they have not wherewithal to pay the abovesaid forfeits and amerciaments, they shall be bodily punished according to the manner of the Fact; under which penalty and amerciaments; we understand are comprehended all those who had assisted, & had an hand in the abovesaid Transportation, or conveying them away, although the moneys or Materials did not belong unto them.   

ARTIC. XX.  
Moreover, We forbidden every one to File, Cut, or Wash with strong Water, or Cement, or any otherwise, any Gold or Silver-Monies, or to Soldier, Guild, Piece, or Nail the same, or any way to make the same lighter or heavier, upon the forfeit of life and goods, where Confiscation taketh place.   

ARTIC. XXII.  
We forbidden henceforth every one, to Melt any Gold, or Silver-Monies of her Majesties of England's stamp, valued by these presents, upon penalty of life and goods, where confiscation taketh place: And the moneys of Gold which are found to be light by three Grains, or otherwise Clipped, Washed, Nailed, or Soldered, shall be brought to the Exchange, after the old custom.    

PLACART and ORDINANCE, For Flanders, at Antwerp, the fourth of Octob. 1585.  

ARTIC. XIII.  
AND to hinder the Transporting of the good and true moneys, We forbidden all and every one henceforth, to buy or sell any Species of Gold and Silver-Monies, to give any profit or gain for it, upon penalty of the seller to forfeit the Pieces which are sold, or shall be sold, and besides the buyer, as the seller, to forfeit threescore pounds of the abovesaid good moneys, for the first time; and twice as much for the second time; and for the third time, four times as much; and besides, they are to be arbitrarily punished.   

ARTIC. XIV.  
We also forbidden all, and every one, to Weigh, Clip, File, or make choice of any Species of Gold and Silver, for to make any profit with Melting, or Transporting of them, upon penalty of Criminal punishment, besides the loss of the abovesaid Pieces.   

ARTIC. XV.  
Furthermore, We forbidden, and interdict well expressly; that no one of what quality, degree, or condition soëver, shall henceforth endeavour to transport, or carry into any strange Mints, or into any other than our own, any Gold, or Silver-Monies of our Stamp, or others tolerated by this Our Ordinance, nor also any other moneys, being Clipped, or declared Bullion, Melted, or in Mass, or otherwise, nor also any other stuff, fit to Coin Monies of them, upon forfeit of the abovesaid Gold and Silver, and besides, of two hundred Golden-Reals, for every Mark of Gold, and twenty Golden-Reals, for every Mark of Silver, and of more or less in proportion for the first time that this shall happen; & for the second time, besides the abovesaid forfeit, to be bodily punished, and otherwise as occasion shall serv. And if so be, that any person have transported any sum of Monies, without being taken in the fact; We will nevertheless, that whensoever it shall be perceived, and discovered, they shall proceed against the transgressors by execution of the said penalties, even as if they were taken in the same fact, well understanding, that in stead of Confiscation of the Species, they shall be bound to pay the price, and estimation of the transported moneys, and besides, the double worth of them, and also to be criminally punished.  
We will and command also, That those who shall have helped to pack, or secretly convey, and transport the abovesaid moneys, either in Mass, or Species, although the abovesaid moneys did not belong unto them, they shall be bodily, or Arbitrarily punished, according to the quality of the fact, and persons.  
The Policy and Laws of this Realm, have always aimed at, and intended the Increase and Augmentation of Money, especially that of Silver, and this divers ways:  
I. By providing again Exportation of it. 9 E. 3. c. 1. 38 E. 3. c. 2. 17 E. 3. 21. 5 R. 2. c. 2. 2 H. 4. c 5. 2 H 6. c. 6. 17 E. 4. c. 1. Made Felony, 19 H. 7. c. 5. 3 H. 8. c. 1.  
II. By providing, against the melting it down, to make Plate or other Manufactures of it. 9 E. 3. cap. 3. 17 R. 2. cap. 1. 17 E. 4. cap. 1. 2 H. 6. cap. 13.  
III. By providing, That if any moneys through time, or any other practice, became uncurrant, than the same to be converted into Money again, and not to be diverted from Coin. E. 1. Statute de monet parva Rastal Tit. Money.  
iv By providing, That none should give a price for Bullion, or Coined Money, above the rate of the Mint, or what the same is currant for: for it is not to be expected, that any Bullion, either Gold or Silver, shall ever be brought to the Mint, when the owner may have a greater price, then at the Mint, either to be transported, or to be converted to make Plate, or other things. This agreeth likewise with the policy of Spain, which though it be the Spring, and Fountain from whence the greatest Streams of Silver hath been derived into other parts, yet Silver there, will always yield the seller six pence, or one Real more upon the Mark at the Mint, then to be sold to any other for any purpose whatsoëver, concurring likewise with the practice of other States.     

That all these Acts are defective, and not effectual to the ends abovesaid, for the reasons following.  
The Acts against Transportation; some extend not to Gold, as 9 E. 3. c. 1. Others have effect only upon the Money that is transported, and that comes too late, and is seldom or never known, as 38 E. 3. c. 2. 5 R. 2. c. 2. 2 H. 6. c. 6. 17 E. 4. c. 1. being now discontinued.  
Those that extend to the shipping of it, etc. viz. 2 H. 4. c. 5. 19 H. 7. c. 5. and 3 H. 8. c. 1. give the whole forfeiture to the King, and no part to the Informer, whereby they are not at all made use of, no man being willing to be at charge to prosecute another, doing no good to himself.  
None of those Acts do give sufficient forfeitures to restrain the offences, as hath been manifested by experience.  
Lastly, they have not given any means for discovery thereof, without which, the offenders will not be deterred from finding out close and secret ways to adventure and practice against them, when opportunity of great gain, and hope of concealment, shall invite and encourage them thereunto.   

And for the now Act drawn and propounded to be passed.  
BEsides the frame and body of it, comprehending, and fully extending to all the ways and means of the abuses, the same for the forfeitures, is drawn from the example and precedent of 18 El. c. 9 against transportation of Leather, Tallow, and raw Hides, and others in the Queen's time, and the late Ordinance 1647. Against transportation of Wool, Fuller's Earth, etc.  
The Clauses touching the proceeding by Information, etc. are the same with the like Clauses of the said Ordinance for Wool, 1647.  
And the Clauses to encourage the Instrument, and others to discover the offences, wherein themselves are liable to the penalties, are framed in imitation, and by the precedent of the said Act of 18 El. And the other Ordinances and Edicts of other Kingdoms and Estates, that give like exemptions and encouragements to such, as though guilty themselves in the second degree, shall reveal and discover others more principal offenders, taking likewise from them the confidence they would have, that the persons they employed should conceal their offences, whereby they will be much deterred from hazarding and adventuring upon the practice.  
And the Claus touching the Commission, and examination of Witnesses for discovery, etc. And to commit them in case of their refusal to be examined, is exampled by the 13 Eliz. c. 7. The Act against Bankrupts, and discovery of their Estates; There being greater reason and equity, for the discovery of fraud, concerning the Commonwealth, then concerning any private person.   


In an ORDINANCE and PLACART, For the general Regulating of the Mint, published at Brussel, the 18 of Mar. 1633. is inserted.  

ARTIC. XXV.  
WE declare, That although any of our Subjects or others, who shall have acted any thing contrary to this Ordinance, and were not taken in the Fact, yet notwithstanding, after they shall be convinced of the said transgression, they shall be proceeded against, with condemnation of the said penalties and amerciaments; well understanding, that in stead of forfeiting the said moneys and Materials, they shall be condemned to pay the worth of them.   

ARTIC. XXVI.  
And if it happeneth, that the just quality and quantity of the said Species, Bullion, or Materials cannot be precisely known or verified, We will, that such transgressors be punished according to the heinousness of the fact, being left to the discretion of the Judges.   

ARTIC. XXVII.  
Which we intent shall take place, in regard of those who shall be convinced, to have paid away, presented, or received any forbidden moneys, at an higher price than by this present Ordinance is declared, although the said quality & quantity of the same, could not be precisely verified.   

ARTIC. XXVIII.  
We have authorized, and autorize by these, all Officers, for to seize upon, and break open the Packs, Letters, and Portmantles of the Messengers, or others whom they shall know or suspect to bring in any of the forbidden Species, or Materials, or to Transport, or conveie out of our said Lands, any of our Species, and that in the presence of those, to whom the said Packets are sent, or do belong, if so be they are residing in that place; as also in the presence of one of the Magistrates of the said place, only to know the name of those who cassued the said Gold and Silver to be Transported, and to no other end.   

ARTIC. XXXVII.  
We also Order, That all those that shall be found to have Counterfeited, Coined, Stamped, Pressed, or cast into the sand, any moneys, of what manner, stuff, or Metal soever, shall be executed as falls Moniers, in a kettle with boiling Oil, and Water, and with Confiscation of all their goods.   

ARTIC. LV.  
If so be any one be convinced, that he had picked, or chosen out, or caused to be chosen out, any of the said valued Species, for to keep the heavy ones for his profit, and to pay away the light ones, to the damage of the Commonalty; We will, that he, besides the said forfeits and amerciaments, shall be banished out of Our said Lands, for the space of ten years.   

ARTIC. LVI.  
In case that any of the particular Masters of Our Mints, or Exchanges, were convinced of the said abuse, or that they should have presented, or paid away any of the said Clipped, or other forbidden Species, after that they had received the same for Bullion, or not Currant, then shall they be banished for ever out of Our said Lands, and their goods confiscated.   

ARTIC. LVII.  
And because the price of the Species is commonly regulated according to the price of the Gold and Silver-Materials, Therefore we have forbidden, and forbidden every one of what quality and condition soëver, to buy or sell any Gold or Silver-Materials, or Species declared for Bullion, or not Currant, at an higher price than the Ordinance of Our said Mint permitteth, upon penalty of Confiscation of the said Materials, and the worth of them, at the charge as well of the buyer, as seller, for the first time; for the second time, four times as much, besides the Confiscation and Forfeit, and of other arbitrary correction.   

ARTIC. LXIII.  
We order also, that the Brokers, who did assist and help to conclude or treat upon such parcels, either in regard of Money given upon Exchange, or upon use or obligation, either in payment of the sold Merchandizes, or otherwise, shall be publicly whipped and banished out of Our said Lands, for the space of ten years.   

ARTIC. LVI.  
And as We have understood, and are truly informed, that a great part of the irregularity concerning the said Placarts, is risen and occasioned, by reason that many Merchants and Factors will not buy the Works and Manufactures of the workmen, and handie-crafts-men, unless they will receiv the Gold and Silver at such a price as they will give it them; or when they have almost bought the goods, they give the Merchandise back again to the sellers, if they will be paid according to the price Ordered in Our Placart: Therefore We will, that such oppressors of the poor Commonalty, shall be rigorously proceeded against, and punished, by apprehension of their persons, and that they, their Process being summarily, and criminally form, and found guilty of what is abovesaid, shall be banished for ever, and their goods confiscated, or in stead hereof, to be condemned in a great sum of Money, according to the heinousness of the fact; of which confiscation and amerciament, the half shall be given to the Plaintiff, or discoverer.   

ARTIC. LXX.  
In like manner shall be punished those with the same forfeits and amerciaments, who shall have received, paid away, or presented any clipped Money, or declared for Bullion, with protestation, or declaration, that it is for to deliver them into Our Mint, or to the Exchangers, unless they had presently cut them in pieces, or deformed them, or caused the same to be done by others.   

ARTIC. XCI.  
We declare, That although it be that any of the Transgressor's do obtain favour and pardon from Us, or from Our Council, We do not intent, nor We will not, that therefore they should be quitted, and discharged from the parts of the said forfeits and amerciaments, granted by Us to the Officers, Callers in question, and Plaintiffs, or Discoverers respectively; but such favour and pardon only to take place, for as much as belongeth unto Us.   

ARTIC. CV.  
We Order well expressly, all Our Fiscals and Officers, to take their conclusions; and all Our Counsellors, Magistrates, and other Judges, to give their Sentences in conformity to this Our present Placart, without using any moderation of the penalties and amerciaments therein contained, under what pretext soenver; nor also any compensation of charges, to the prejudice of the Officer founded in the principal, upon penalty of Our indignation, and for to answer for it in their own persons, unless they shall plead any ignorance, or the general transgression. Which excuses We do not intent shall avail, or help them in any manner of way: but Our intention is, that they shall be punished, because of their negligence and connivance.  
This Ordinance and Placart of the 18 of March, 1633. is again confirmed; and all Magistrates and Officers are required to do their utmost endeavours to see it strictly observed in all points. Published at Brussels the 26 of August, 1643.    

In an ORDINANCE and PLACART, For the Regulating of the Mint; Published in Brussels the last day of May, 1644. is inserted.  

ARTIC. XI.  
WE have also forbidden, and forbidden by these presents, every one of what quality or condition soëver, as well our Subjects, as others, to transport any Gold or Silver from henceforth out of our Lands, directly or indirectly, or cause the same to be transported, either Minted or Unminted; as also in Mass, Ingots, or Bullion; without having obtained of us beforehand express leave and consent for to do the same, upon penalty of forfeiting the Gold, Silver, and Bullion, and to pay besides the double of their worth, and upon forfeit of the Merchandizes, if so be the abovesaid Gold, Silver, or Bullion shall be found to be packed in them; as also of the Horses and Wagons of those, who shall willingly and wittingly have brought and conveied the same.   

ARTIC. XV.  
And if any one be found and taken to have transported or caused to be transported out of our Lands, any moneys by Us valued, or other declared Bullion, or any Materials of Gold and Silver, and have delivered or caussed to be delivered the same into any strange Mints; We will, that such persons shall be proceeded against, sharply & rigorously by the imprisonment of their persons; and that they, besides the forfeits of the said Species and Materials, and four times the worth of them for the first time, shall be banished out of our abovesaid Lands, for the space of five years; and for the second time, for ever.   

ARTIC. XVI.  
And those who willingly and wittingly have assisted for to pack and transport the abovesaid moneys or Materials, shall be punished according to pleasure, or banished according to the quality of the person.  
Other Countries you may see strictly provide against these offences; and it will never be mended here, if you make not as strict Laws as they.     

In a Declaration of the King of France, for the Regulating of the new price set upon the Light and Clipped Species of Money: likewise for the observation of the prices of Gold and Silver employed for the Gold-smith's work. It is also expressly forbidden to melt the Money, and to transport them, or other Materials of Gold and Silver out of the said Kingdom. Printed at Paris 30 of October, 1640.  

FOLIO 8, 9  
WE expressly forbidden, that all Materials of Gold and Silver, either Coined or Uncoined, shall not be bought or sold at an higher rate than is expressly set down in this Placart, which doth contain the true value that must be paid for the Mark of Gold and Silver.   

FOLIO 13.  
We expressly forbidden every one, of what condition or quality soëver, to transport out of Our Kingdom, any Gold and Silver Coined or Uncoined, nor any other Goldsmith's work, upon penalty of forfeiting the Materials and Merchandizes, and other things wherein they shall be found to be packed up in; besides the penalty of fifty pounds, and bodily punishment.  
Now that general Laws and Statutes in England from time to time, have provided against transporting of Gold, or melting down the currant Coin, and buying Silver and Gold at above the price of the Mint, appeareth by these following, viz.  
Stat. 9 Edw. 3. Both forbidding the transporting of the Gold of the Nation, and the melting down the currant Silver Coins, by Gold smiths or others into Plate.  
Stat. 14 Rich 2. cap. 12. Commissions made through the Realm, for to inquire of such as had conveied the Money of England out of the Nation, to the prejudice and damage of the King and Realm.  
Stat. 17 Rich. 2. cap. 1. There shall be no melting of the currant Money to make any thing by Goldsmiths or others, upon pain of forfeiture.  
2 Hen. 4. cap. 4. No person to transport Gold or Silver, either in Coin or Bullion, upon pain of forfeiting as much as they might.  
4 Hen. 4. cap. 10. No Goldsmith or other person to melt down the currant Silver Coins of the Nation, upon pain of forfeiting four times the value.  
9 Hen. 5. cap. 1. All Statutes heretofore made touching the good and lawful government of Gold and Silver, and not repealed, to be in force.  
2 Hen. 6. cap. 6. Upon a grievous complaint made in Parliament, that great sums of Gold and Silver were transported into Flanders and Bordeaux, out of this Kingdom, it was ordered and enacted, that no Gold or Silver should be transported out of the Realm.  
And because it is supposed, that the money of Gold is transported by Merchants-aliens, It is ordained, that the Merchants-aliens shall find security with sureties in the Chancery, that they shall not transport Gold or Monies out of the Kingdom, upon pain of forfeiting the sum or the value; and if any do contrary, and that duly proved, and he so doing be gone over Sea, than his pledges shall pay his said forfeiture; whereof he that the same espied, and thereof gave notice to the Treasurer or the State's Council, shall have the fourth part.  
2 Hen 6. ca 12. To the intent that more money be brought into the Mint, It is ordained, That neither the Master of the Mint, nor Changer for the time being, neither sell nor cause to be sold, nor alien to no other use, but apply the same wholly to Coin, according to the tenure of the Indenture made betwixt the State, and Master of the Mint.  
4 Hen. 7. cap. 13. Item, Where in a Parliament begun and holden at Westminster the 16 of Januarie, the 17 of Edw. 4. No person to carry Gold or Silver either in Bullion or Coin, nor Jewels of Gold, but such persons as be dispensed with by the Statute of Hen. 4. upon pain of Felony, to be heard and determined as other Felony is; the which Statute to endure from the Feast of Easter, the 18 of Edw. 4. unto the end of seven years next ensuing: Since the which seven years expired, the Gold and Silver Coin of this Realm hath, and daily is conveied into Flanders, Normandy, Brittany, Ireland, and other parts beyond the Seas, as well by Merchants-Strangers, as by Denizens, to the great impoverishing of the Realm, and greater is like to be, without remedy thereof be hastily provided. The King our Sovereign Lord, the premises considered, by the advice of his Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Prayers of the Commons in the said Parliament assembled, and by the Authority of the same, have ordained, and enacted, and established, That the said Statute made in the sixteenth year of Edw. the fourth, be, and stand a statute good and effectual, with all the premises in the same observed and kept, and put in due execution, from the Feast of the Purification of our die, which shall be in the year of our Lord 1489. to endure to the end of twenty years next ensuing.  
1 Hen. 8. cap. 13. An Act made, That whosoëver shall carry any Gold, or Silver, or Jewels out of the Realm, shall forfeit double the value, the one half to him that shall seize it, or therefore sue by action of debt at the Common Law. This Act to endure to the next Parliament.  
5 & 6 Edw. 6. cap. 16. An Act touching the exchange of Gold and Silver, that whosoëver give's more for Gold and Silver than it is or shall be declared by the King's Proclamation, shall suffer imprisonment by the space of one year, and make fine at the King's pleasure, the one moiety to his Majesty, the other moiety to be to the party that seizeth the same, or will sue for it by Bill, Plaint, or information, or otherwise.  
1. A Proclamation against giving for light Gold more than is currant, 21 Julie, 17 Jac.  
2. A Proclamation against melting English money, 18 Maii, 9 Jac.  
3. A Proclamation against buying and selling Gold and Silver, at higher prices than the Mint, 14 Maii, 1 Jac.  
4. A Proclamation against transporting of Gold, 23 Maii, 1ᵒ Jac.  
5. A Proclamation against profit for Gold and Silver, and melting English money for Plate; Waste in Gold and Silver, 4 Feb. 19 Jac.  
6. A Proclamation against transporting Gold and Silver, and melting down the currant Coins of the Nation, 25 Maii, 3 Car.  
From all which Statutes and Provisions, it may be gathered, that the currant Money and Bullion of the Nation, is the Subjects, only to use between man and man, but not to abuse: for no man by the Law, can buy or sell them by way of Merchandise at higher rates than they are Proelaimed; if he do, he is finable by the Law: he that washeth, clippeth, or lesseneth the currant Coins, commit's treason. He that export's the Treasure of the Nation, either in Bullion, or currant Coin, being taken, loseth them: he that melt's down the currant Gold or Silver of the Nation for Plate or other Manufactures, commit's a forfeiture; and transporting of treasure hath formerly been made Felony, as by the several Statutes and Laws to this purpose appeareth.  
By these and divers other Laws and Statutes, our Prededecessors have endeavoured the retention and preservation of the Coin and Treasures within this Nation, but could hitherto never effect it.  
Nor will these mischiefs ever be stopped, till there be Commissions by Act of Parliament according to former precedents, when the Nation was defrauded of their Treasure as now it is, strictly to inquire of the offenders, and bring them to Justice.  
For of late, the easy easy of Delinquents for these offences, hath given the boldness to offenders to go on: and Time, the truest Schoolmaster, hath taught all ages to know, that little penalties could yet never interpose betwixt the Merchant and his profit.  
Whereas the Parliament, by their Ordinance 6 of Sept. 1647. did descry all Clipped, Filled, or diminished Money (by means whereof great quantities were sold to some Goldsmiths) who have made it a Trade to deal with Receivers of Public Cashes, Graziers, and several other persons (and in stead of melting of these moneys down) some Goldsmiths have issued these moneys out again in payment, whereas at the Tower these Clipped Monies would make but five shillings the Ounce Troie, these men have vented out these Clipped moneys to divers illaffected people at five shillings six pence, and five shillings eight pence, and six shillings the Ounce, who have dispersed the said Clipped Monies so bought from Goldsmiths, up and down the Nation again, to the great enriching of themselves, and defrauding of the good people of this Nation, by buying up this Clipped Money since the Ordinance 1647. at the least twenty times over, and venting it for currant again, which had been helped, if there had been but six words put into the Ordinance, which was, to have required all persons exchanging any Clipped, or uncurrant English money with any Goldsmith or others, upon forfeiture of double the value, to see it cut in two pieces, or so defaced, that it should not be passable after. I humbly present this defect of that Ordinance, that it may be looked after and amended; and I humbly desire, that the Act against transporting Treasure now committed, may be enacted with such vigour, that the Commonwealth may have the real benefit, and the offenders brought to exemplary Justice.  
There hath been twenty Millions of Money coined within this twenty five years, as will appear by the Mint-Books, and almost all of it transported out of the Nation, the Gold all gone, the currant Silver culled out, the weightiest melted and transported: and that Silver-Monies which remains is but little, and all culled Gold is made as precious in this Commonwealth as Diamonds. What inconveniences will arise by the indirect dealing of private men in this particular to the Commonwealth, I shall humbly leave it to you to consider.  
In the Year 1643. It was humbly offered to this Parliament, to have the offenders discovered, and to bring them to Justice, and this mischief stopped; but, by the great Interest of the offenders, that had then power in this Nation, the Proposition was slighted, and these mischiefs ever since daily practised, to the unspeakable damage of this Commonwealth: for it is far easier to keep the Treasure in the Nation, by making strict Laws against Transportation, then when it is gone to bring it back, as too late experience will make this Commonwealth feel. But you have the power to call these offenders to a strict account, if you pass the Act fully to enable all people to make their discoveries. How, and in what manner other Nations do punish these offenders, you have already presented out of their Placarts. This evil is grown to such an height, that both our own Laws put in the strictest execution, and the Customs and Laws of other Countries added to them for this particular, with the greatest diligence of expert men, to make the search for what is past, and to prevent these mischiefs for the time to come, will be little enough: and to make this discovery is a service of more Importance to the Commonwealth, then at first sight can be apprehended.  
This is a certain rule, No great action in any Commonwealth or State, can be done but by Money, which all ages have held to be the sinews of War, and Garland of Peace; and what occasions we have to use it both for commerce and safety, is humbly left to you to consider, and in all well-regulated States it hath ever been accounted a great service to discover the offenders and abuses practised upon the Treasure of their Nation; and to prevent the growth of these mischiefs, is the work of every faithful lover of his Country; And he or they that shall be against the discovery of these offences and offenders, may amongst judicious men be justly suspected to be Parties themselves.  
And though some Merchants and other Interested persons may, for their own interest, either for their profit, or fear of punishment for what they have done, speak themselves, or get others to oppose the Act against Transporting Treasure to pass the House, or procure it to be so altered, as it shall not be effectual to give a full cure to the Commonwealth of the great inconveniences it is now under, by several abuses practised upon Coin and Bullion.  
To give a cure to the Commonwealth of these great inconveniences, and also to take away the great obstructions of your Mint, which will never be done till this Act pass; and if it were more stricter, it would be more beneficial to the Commonwealth, especially in these times, when you have so many occasions of Money, by bringing in presently very great sums of Money to the State by the punishment of the offenders.  
You have here, with all humility, set down to you, the ways and means whereby your neighbour Countries use to prevent these mischiefs, and to punish the offenders for what is past, with several old Statutes of this Nation: out of which if you extract the quintessence, and make a sharp and vigorous Law, and require all your Officers and others to put it in full execution, you may, in a short time, cure this Commonwealth of these dangerous diseases, which if you let it go on, will prove a Gangrene.  
I humbly beseech you to take notice, there hath been, within seven years Coined in ten days, more Money in the Tower of London, then hath been Coined near upon this three last years. Now if you suffer treasure to go out of the Nation every day for want of a Law, to give all people power to discover and examine the offenders, in a short time you will not have any Money left in the Commonwealth. For experience in all ages showeth, that little and slight penalties can never stop some Merchants from their profit: so they get to their private, they care not what mischiefs the Commonwealth suffers: For a Commonwealth without plenty of Money, looks like a great House unfurnished; and bare Walls is no handsome sight; and you will find there will not be Money left to pay your just Taxes, Customs and Excise, and to maintain Trade and Commerce, if you clear not the obstruction of the Mint, and take not some effectual course to set it on work. And this Act is but a preparation and ground work to cause your Mint to go; and till it pass, you will never see your Mint flourish; for to allow any man to out-give the Mint for Bullion, is, to shut up the Mint; for all men will vent their treasure, where they can have the greatest price; and not to make a way for the opening of the Mint at this time, especially when you have such occasions of money; I shall humbly leave it to you to consider the inconvenience.  
The Goldsmiths when they were before the Honourable Committee, by their Counsellor Mr Recorder, and Mr Vinstanly, being demanded by the Committee, what they could say why an Act should not pass for discovery of such as had Transported the Coin and Bullion of the Nation? did by their Counsel, and by Sir John Wollaston, Alderman Viner, and the rest, declare their willingness to have the offenders brought to punishment: The like they did for all such as culled, or melted down the currant Coin of this Nation for their own private profit, or such as bought up the light Clipped English Money, descried by an Ordinance of Parliament the sixth of Sept. 1647. and did not deface it, but contrary to this Ordinance, did vent it again into several parts of the Nation, and pay it away to the deceit of all the people of the Nation. Upon this answer to the Committee, it put's me in mind of a custom, which is usual in all men's houses; If Glasses be broke, or any other mischief done, No body did it: But upon a Commission of enquiry, many times it is found to be Som. body. But to the question that was asked the Goldsmith. by the Honourable Committee, concerning buying Gold and Silver above the price of the Mint, they pleaded, The Trade was an ancient Trade; that if they were restrained to a price, they, and their families could not subsist, that they could not buy Silver, but sometime the Market was at 5 s. 1 d. 5 s. 2d. and 5s. ●d. and Sir John Wollaston said, That he, and divers others, had given 5 s. 4 d. nay, 5 s. 5 d. for Sterling-Silver for their Trade, and for confirmation of the truth of this, he did appeal to his Brethren, Alderman Viner, & Alderman Nowell, and the rest of the Gold smiths at the Committee, and none of them did deny it. Now I shall humbly offer to your consideration, First, Sterling-Silver will make but 5 s. in the Mint; and it is delivered out of the Mint, after it is Coined, at 5 s, 2 d the Ounce. If the Goldsmiths give 5 s. 5 d. for this Sterling Silver, how can any be brought into the Mint? nay, how is all the heavy Money culled and melted down, and none left to pass but light and clipped? And this is the true ground why many Goldsmiths are Cashiers to Merchants, and keep servants to receiv men's moneys, without any reward, only that they might cull, and weigh out the heavy Silver, and melt it or transport it beyond the Seas, for their own private gain, to the high deceit of the Nation.  
There is nothing in this Act doth restrain the due and orderly Trade of a Goldsmith, when in is well weighed and considered. But that which is their usual Trade, now discovered to be so highly destructive to the Nation, aught to be restrained. The Bakers may as well Petition against all Pillories, or against my Lord Major, for weighing their Bread, as the Gold smiths justly except against the restraining them, for giving for Gold and Silver, above the price of the Mint.  
They see it, that it is the Law of the Land, in the 5 and 6 Ed. 6. cap. 13. It is the daily practice of France, Holland, Flanders, as appears hereby their Laws. Clothing is the Staple of the Land, and aught most to be cherished; yet the law propound's for the regulating of the weight, the length, and breadth. Brick-makers, Woodmongers, Meal-men. and divers other Trades, are restrained and regulated, and yet all these Trades receiv protection and countenance in their orderly working of their Manufactures, from the Commonwealth.  
There are people which believ, That if there had been a real intention to give a stop to the transporting of Money, it had been done before; though for my part I am not of that opinion. There was (say they) notice of it nine years ago, when the Presbytery had the power: And seven years ago, the grievances of the Transporting of Gold and Silver, with several other abuses, was by me at large presented to the Parliament, and the same mischiefs foretold, which are now come to pass; that without it were looked after, and a strict Law made against it, to discover the offenders, there would not be any Gold or Silver left in the Nation. And this hath proved too true; for many millions of Gold and Silver have since been transported, to the unspeakable damage of the Commonwealth.  
And upon seizure of several great quantities of Gold and Silver, by M. Watkins, chief Searcher of the Port of London, which was shipped to be transported; the Order of the Parliament, the 1 of Septemb. 1647. was made to the Committee of the Navy, to see to prevent it.  
After all these Certificates made by the Officers of the Mint and Customs, and the Committee of the Navy, for the speedy putting so good a work in execution, (all which, I have hereafter set down.) The Council of State was pleased to make a Committee of themselves; and after many great and serious consultations, drew up the draught of an Act of Parliament, with their desire to the Parliament to have it pass with all expedition, for the service of the Commonwealth.  
There are others, more unhappy, which say, Now the Steed is stolen, shut the stable door: Now there is no more Gold left to transport, to what purpose doth the Parliament make an Act against transporting Gold? this should have been done before; for how can we maintain Commerce, pay Taxes, when our English Gold is forty times more plentiful beyond the Seas, than it is in England, and almost all the Silver Coin of the Nation transported, and scarce any left, but clipped, and light money.  
And some people are so impudent to believ, that there are some Members of Parliament guilty of transporting money, or else this Act should not have stuck so long upon their hands.  
Others there are, that have transported money, and committed many abuses upon the Coins of the Nation, that hope they shall have their pardon for what is past, though they have transported almost all the Gold and Silver of the Nation, that now if they would, they can offend no more; and they have done the Commonwealth that damage, that a Million of money cannot give them satisfaction. These I humbly conceiv, aught to be made to restore their unjust gain, which will deter any others hereafter from doing the like.  
And there are that say, Look how almost all men have sped, that have certified against transporting money, or looked to stop the same. Hath not Sir Robert Harlow, and M. Cogan been put out of their places in the Mint? Hath not M. Watkins, M. Tomes, Sir Thomas Daws, and M. Hollowaie been put out of their places in the Custom-Hous? Were not you Thomas Violet imprisoned in the Tower four years, because you should not tell the truth, and let the Commonwealth know for all that time, most of their money and treasure was sending out of the Nation?  
I shall add something more to this. I have observed what the State hath gotten by putting out these men; and I found, First, That upon the putting forth of the old Officers of the Mint, in M. Swallow's place, who was the Clerk of the Irons, and Surveier of the Melting-Hous for the Mint; a place of great skill and trust, there is a now a Clerk put in, to execute that place, that can neither write nor read; and other Officers put into the places of the old ones in the Mint, that were utterly ignorant of managing the mysteries of that Office. And one of the greatest obstructions of the Mint, com●s through the ignorance of the Officers, and their want of correspondence and acquaintance with such as usually have brought Money from beyond the Seas.  
The old Officers of the Mint, were Masters in this Mystery, which is not so soon learned as men think. And for son of those that have been turned out of their places out of the Custom-Hous, now the Act is passed for the Council of Trade, there will quickly be presented the practices of some of the Officers of the Customs, and Petitions for a redress of many abuses practised by some of them, and a Review Petitioned for, to know upon what grounds many of the old Officers were turned out of their places, being never charged with any offence, but only forced out to make way for others to come into their places; some of the old Officers of the Customs being turned out of their places, only because of their activity in stopping the Gold and Silver of the Nation from being transported; and this is M. Edward Watkins his case, and others put into his Office, that seize's Gold and Silver before it is forfeited, and when the Merchant recover's it again by Law, the Searcher that made the seizure, takes the King's Bench, and so the Merchant may go seek his money, to the great damage of the Merchant.  
But according to the former precedents, all Officers of the Customs were to put in security for the just performance of their trust to the State, and no Officer was to receiv the Customs, and moneys of the Commonwealth in any Port of this Nation; nor to make any seizure before he had put in security to the Lord Treasurer, to make a true account of what moneys and goods came to their hands, which I (having more than probable reasons) do believ the Collectors, and other Officers of the Ports, have not done, to the great damage of the Commonwealth, and prejudice of the Merchants, if seizures be unjustly made, and the Merchants recover their Goods or moneys by a Verdict at Law, and after all their charge and hazard, not to have all their Goods and moneys again. This discovery I have put in for the service of the Commonwealth, it being a cause judged in the Checquer this last Term, that for the future such abuses of the new Officers of the Customs might be prevented.  
I have to some men replied this Act; it hath been delayed by the Parliament, only by the multitude of other business, though I must confess there are very few businesses of the Commonwealth can take place before this, but that all people should see when the Parlament's business was a little over, how zealous in deeds, & not in words, they would be, for to punish these great offenders, and to make them paic back the unjust gain; which moneys should be employed for the Public, and so save the Nation Taxes: That I was confident there was not any Member in the Parliament was guilty of transporting money; or if there were, they durst not be seen to justify so wicked an Act, but would be glad to sleep quiet in a whole skin; and truly if I did know any of them, I would not meddle with them, unless the Act did positively enjoin me to do it.  
It hath been objected to me, by some Goldsmiths, and others; That I myself have been a transporter of money, and melter down of heavy Coin of the Nation, and a furnisher of Gold and Silver to transport out of this Nation, and a buyer of Gold and Silver above the price of the Mint. I deny it not, and my answer to them is, An old Dear-stealer is the best keeper of a Park. And though I had the late King's pardon, I had it not but it cost me dear; I paid at one time to his Privy Pursenet, two thousand twenty shillings Pieces in Gold, and I am out at this day by his command, in making the discovery of such as transported Gold, nineteen hundred & threescore pounds; both which sums, I have been out of Pursenet fifteen years: I would not have the greatest offendor (that is a Goldsmith) by my consent, pay so great a sum. And this is my answer to them, to that objection.  
I would have them by my example leave off so destructive a Trade to the Commonwealth, as furnishing the transporters with Gold and Silver, culling and melting down the currant Coin. If I had not been convinced in my conscience, that it was bad, I would have followed that trade still. I had as good an Estate, as most of the Goldsmiths to do it. I had as good credit, and I left my trade as fairly; for I challenge all, or any man in London, that can say I did not pay all men ready money to every penny and farthing I ought, when I gave over my trade; and the best Alderman of London can do no more. It is incident to all men to err; happy is he that repent's; but to persist against the light of a man's conscience, is done by the strong instigation of the Devil.  
I do humbly present further, that there have great mischiefs happened to this Nation and their Army in Ireland since this Parliament, by the indirect dealing of some Merchants and Goldsmiths in London, who contracted with some of the adventurers for Ireland, to sell them Rials of Eight and Foreign Coins, giving them some small time; but the poor Soldiers that received these moneys in Ireland, lost above twenty pounds in the hundred by the moneys so paid them; for first, the Goldsmiths culled out all the weightiest, and delivered none but light and clipped; and then the coursness of the Silver, which was Bead-monie, and adulterated in the West- Indies in the Mints, sometimes six pence, sometimes more upon every piece of Eight, as is well known to some Goldsmiths and Merchants, so that by the baseness of the Allay, and want of Weight there hath been at the least twenty pounds in the hundred loss to the soldiers, if he would make any return of it to his wife or children in England, as many of them found by sad experience.  
The Goldsmiths are the general Cashiers, for some of the principal Merchants in the City; and this rule the Goldsmiths observe; when they receiv moneys, to take none that is bad or clipped, (but let any man send to them to receiv moneys, they shall have great quantities of clipped money mixed in their moneys they receiv, and some of it constantly will escape the teller's eyes) which clipped moneys the Goldsmiths buy of several people for Bullion, but never Coin it; the rest that they cannot put off here in London, they have their Agents to vent it to Graziers and other people in the Country all over the Nation; by which means in many Towns and Cities of this Nation, they are so pestered with clipped money, that there is little else stirring in payment, to the unspeakable damage of the receiver, who cannot pay it in London, but sell it to the Goldsmiths, sometimes at twenty five, and thirty in the hundred abated: which is by the Goldsmiths returned down into the Country next week after; So that this abuse is like an Horse in a Mill, it turns round, and is a cheat put upon all people of the Nation, and without a strict Act of Parliament against it, will not be prevented.  
All these abuses aforesaid, are so high and transcendent, that the offenders ought to be used as men usually use Wolus and Foxes; for if private murder be so penal, much more is public murder: now Money is the Life, Blood, and Soul of the Commonwealth, without it no great action can be undertaken, for the service of the Nation; and those that transport it, or adulterate it in weight, may well be esteemed as the greatest enemies to the Commonwealth. Therefore I humbly pray, that you would be pleased to give all encouragement to all people, both in the Seaports of this Nation, and in the City of London, for the discovery of the transporting of Gold and Silver, and such as cull out the heavy Silver Coin of the Nation, and such as have bought Gold and Silver above the price of the mint, to transport; for as the affairs now of this nation stand, you cannot have a greater dis-service done to the Commonwealth; and you will find the Commissioners and Officers of the Customs certify to the Commissioners of the Navy in Sept. 1647. their desires in their fourth Article, that a greater allowance should be given to such as discover the transporters of Gold or Silver, then by the Statutes in that Case is provided; and the Statute in 1 Henry 8. cap. 13. give's double the value, the one half to him that shall seize it, or therefore sue by action of Debt at the Common Law; and by this draught of the Act, there is but one moiety of what shall be proved to have been transported, given to the prosecutor.  
What Foreign Nations do, you have here the precedents of France, Holland, Flanders; and what former ages here in this Nation have done, you have in 14 Rich. 2. cap. 12. by Act of Parliament Commissions made through the Realm, to inquire from the beginning of his Reign, which was for fourteen years, of such as had conveied the Money of England out of the Nation, to the damage of the Realm; and unless you make the like Commissions, the Commonwealth will be brought to extreme poverty.  
Here are annexed two Certificates of the Officers of the Mint, and Commissioners and Officers for the Customs, grounded upon an Order of Parliament, and an Order of the Commissioners of the Navy, viz.  

Die Mercurii, 1 Sept. 1647.  
ORdered by the Commons in Parliament assembled, That it be referred to the Committee of the Navy to consider of, and take some effectual course to prevent the transportation of Bullion out of the Kingdom: and speedily to report what they have done herein, to the House.  
H. Elsing, Cler. Parl.   

Committee of the Navy, 2 Sept. 1647.  
THe Commissioners and Officers of the Customs, with Master Watkins the head-Searcher, are desired to consider of some course to be taken to prevent the transportation of Bullion out of the Nation, according to an Order of the House of Commons, hereunto annexed; and to certify the same to the Committee.  
Giles Green.   

THe Commissioners and Officers for the Customs, having together with the Head Searcher, in the Port of London, in pursuance of the directions of this Honourable Committee above mentioned, perused sundry Statutes yet in force, relating, as well to the restraint of the Exportation of Bullion, as the regulation of Merchants-Strangers in their way of Trade, do humbly conceiv,  
1. That if the Statute of 2 Hen. 6. cap. 6. enjoining Merchants-Strangers, to give security in Chancery, not to transport the Money or Plate of the Realm: And the Statute of 3 Hen. 7. cap. 8. enjoining them to employ the money they receiv in the Merchandise of this Nation;  
2. And that to the Statute of 5 Rich. 2. cap. 2. and 2 Hen. 4. cap. 5. The Parliament would be pleased, first, to declare who shall be reputed Aliens: for that since the sitting of this Parliament, the children of aliens born in this Kingdom, are reputed free born subjects, and do enjoie their privileges accordingly: which in former times was not allowed till the third descent. Secondly, To declare by Ordinance that the Estate of him or them that shall Export Money or Plate, shall be immediately sequestered.  
3. To impose a severe penalty upon the Master of such Ship or Vessel, upon which any Money or Plate shall be found above his ordinary charges, he being privy thereunto.  
4. To allow to such as shall discover, or find out any Bullion or Plate, endeavoured to be transported, a greater share and proportion, then by the Statutes in that case is yet provided.  
5. And to settle some way of punishment for such as shall resist, or abuse Officers sufficiently authorized in their endeavours this way on the State's behalf.  
The said Commissioners and Officers, do humbly conceiv, That it would be a good means to deter such, who by all secret means do daily endeavour the Exportation of the Coin and Bullion of this Kingdom, and much prevent the Exportation thereof. All which, nevertheless they humbly submit to the Wisdom of this Honourable Committee.  


Tho. Daws, Col.  
John Hollowaie, Comptr.  
R. Carmarden, Super. Vis.  
Edw. Watkins, Searcher.  
W. Tooms, Super. Vis. Gen.  
Walter Boothbie.  
Rich. Bateman.  
Sam. Averie.  
Christoph. Pack.  
Charles Lloid.     

The Officers of the Mint in the Tower of London, whose names are here under-written, in pursuance of the directions of the Honourable Committee of the Navy, in relation to their Order dated the third of December present, do humbly conceiv, and certify as followeth:  
THat to prevent great abuses practised upon the Coin and Bullion of the Nation, which is transported out of the Nation; as also to prevent the culling and melting down the currant Money of the Nation: and for the discovering of such as have offended, to be brought to Justice, to deter others from acting the like abuses for the future, do humbly conceiv,  
That according to the Precedent of the 14 Rich. 2. cap. 12. a Commission be granted to make enquiry through the Realm, of such as had conveied the moneys of England out of the Nation, & to make enquiry after all such as melt and cull out the heavy currant Money, contrary to the Statute of the 4 Hen. 4. cap. 10. none to melt the currant Silver Coins of the Nation, upon pain of forfeiture four times the value.  
That 2 Hen. 6. cap. 12. It is ordained, that neither the Master-worker of the Mint, nor the Changer for the time being, neither sell or cause to be sold, nor alien to no other use; but apply the same wholly to Coin, according to the tenure of the Indenture of the Mint, made between the King's Majesty and the Master of the Mint: to declare by Ordinance, That what Goldsmith, or Changer shall buy Gold or Silver, and convert it to any use to transport, shall forfeit the value.  
To declare by Ordinance, that according to the 5 and 6 Edw. 6. cap. 19 an Act touching the Exchange of Gold and That whosoeuër give's more for Gold and Silver than it is, or shall be declared, shall suffer imprisonment by the space of a year, and make fine at the pleasure of the State. The Mint cannot be employed, nor the transporting of treasure stopped, if some course be not speedily taken to discover these great abuses. And already, almost all the Gold is transported out of the Nation: and the Silver followeth it apace, as is prudently insisted upon in the late Petition of the Citizens of London, to both Houses of Parliament.  
We humbly conceiv, that the making of this discovery throughout the Nation, of such as have, or shall transport Gold and Silver into parts beyond the Seas, and of such as have, or shall melt down the currant Gold and Silver Coins of the Nation; or have, or shall buy Gold and Silver at above the price of the Mint: (the practice of which abuses, if not timely prevented, is likely to bring speedy destruction to the Trade of this Kingdom: which is presidented Anno 4 Rich. 2. c. 2. when the Nation found the same mischief as we now suffer under, by transporting of treasure. And Anno 5 and 6 Edw. 6. cap. 19 by giving for Gold and Silver above the price of the Mint.) As it will be a service of great importance to the Public affairs, and bring great advantage to the trade of this Nation; so it will draw with it a very great charge. Which if Master Watkins will undertake, he will deserv highly to be encouraged. Nevertheless, we humbly submit the premises, to the Wisdoms of this Honourable Committee.  


John St John, Warden.  
Robert Hartlie, Master.  
Henry Cogan, Comptr.  
December 20. 1647.     
THese Gentlemen by reason of their places in the Custom-Hous, and Mint within the Tower of London, & their long experience in Merchandise and Trade of this Nation; I humbly conceiv their Certificates will leave a great Impression upon the Parliament, and on the Honourable Committeee that are appointed to report this Act, that what these Gentlemen have certified, hath been done upon a great deal of consideration, and upon great experience, with all their best skill and judgement for the service of this Nation in this most weighty business, it tending so highly to the safety and welfare of the public, and the delay of passing this Act in its full force and vigour will one day be found to be highly destructive to this Nation, and that the design hath been set on foot, and prosecuted to hinder the Act from passing, is done by some people that have made themselves fortunes by these wicked practices; and though they dare not speak against the Act, yet they labour to stop it and delay it, or to procure the altering of it, that it may be uneffectual, to give a stop to these mischiefs which I hope they shall never be able to effect; I would have these men to know, Justice is slow, but it is sure, and I am assured they will be discovered and brought to Justice when they least think of it; forbearance will be no payment: and this Act will bring their dark actions to light when it is passed the House. Besides these former Certificates, the Act now committed was drawn up by a Committee of the Council of State, and I was required to attend the Right Honourable Sir James Harrington in Januarie last, being one of the Committee for taking away the obstructions of the Mint, which I did accordingly, and thereupon by Order of the Honourable Committee, for removing of the obstruction of the Mint, I was desired to send into Holland for several Coins of Foreign Gold and Silver, and several Placarts and Weights, and some of the said Gold and Silver, I have delivered to Doctor Gurden to make Assays of, for the service of the State, the remainder I have ready to deliver to any that will see me paid upon the delivery; I having demanded money of Doctor Gurden divers times, who tell's me, he will procure money, but hath not as yet paid me for what I delivered him: and if I should not be paid for the Gold and Silver I writ for from Holland, the same price as by my friend I paid for it in the Bank in Holland, there would be a great loss redound to me to Coin it here, and lose the Exchange; the Exchange from Holland, when I writ for these Species, running at about thirty two shillings Flemish.  
I do humbly desire the Honourable Committee for obstructions of the Mint, to call to the old Clerks of the Mint, for an account of what they have done about the Assays made of Foreign Coins; and I humbly desire you to consider, how much it were for the service of the Nation, both in point of honour, profit, and safety, to set your Mint on work.  
Which upon the peril of my life, if you pass the Act, as it is recommended from the Council of State, I will find out ways to set your Mint presently a going, or lose both my Estate and Life. I would not make this proffer, but that I am sure of it; it is well known to all the Officers of the Mint, I know as much of Mint-business, as any of them here do; and for the Goldsmiths, I am sure, they think I know too much: and the Merchants have found it, that I know what many did, and do here, and what their Factors did and do beyond Seas; and to be Master of this secret, cost me many an hundred pound, besides many years' time and pains; and by my intelligence in the Seaports of this Nation, I have caused the transporters of money to be fined at four and twenty thousand one hundred pounds. And now as I have laid this business, they shall be discovered all over this Nation. If I should offer this, and could do the like service in any other State, I humbly conceiv I need not Petition twice, but it would be accepted at the first time; and the delay of passing this Act, moves me not at all for my own particular, but for the Commonwealth. I shall never forget Sir John Coke his rule to me, and he was Secretary of State to the late King, That he never knew a patiented and a vigilant man lose his business, if it were just; for at one time or another, that man will find an opportunity to do it; and truly, by observing this rule, I have passed through great business, and some of much difficulty; for all which, I humbly thank God, and attribute it to his mercy.  
THere is another cause of the great waste of the Treasure of the Nation, which is the great quantity of Flanders Laces, and French Laces, both in the Thread, and in Silk, which are imported into this Nation, to the value of many scores of thousand pounds a year, which Lace is stolen in without paying any Custom, being subtly packed in commodities of great Bulk.  
But what the State lose's by the Custom, is nothing in comparison to what it lose's in Stock; for the returns of this Lace is for the most part sent over in Gold and Silver of the currant Coins of this Nation.  
Neither is this mischief all the hurt that cometh to the Commonwealth; for this Lace is made by them in France and Flanders, that can afford it far cheaper than any of our poor can do here; for generally it is made in Religious Houses, in their Nunneries; which Nuns, generally bring into the Religious Houses their Dowries when they are admitted, and as long they live, they are well provided for all manner of necessaries to live very handsomely, both for their diet and apparel, being left to their voluntary choice after their religious Exercises is done, to spend their time as they pleas.  
Now many of them being excellent Needle-women, spend their time in making Cut-works, for their Altar-clothes, Black Laces for scarves, and Flanders Laces, (as they are called) though many of them are made in France.  
These the Nuns make, and sell great quantities of them into England; which money is all returned into the use of the Monasteries, these Nuns thinking they merit most, that can get their Monasteries most money by their labour.  
And truly when I have been in company of some fine Dames in London, that profess much; I have told them of their Laces and Gorgets, that if they did know whom they made rich by such vanities, they would lay by the fashion, and give that money, they spent in Flanders Laces, to the poor, and not be instruments of making Nuns and Monasteries rich beyond Seas; and I have desired them to think how contrary their work was to their Husbands: their Husbands are destroying Bishop's Houses and Lands, and Deans and Chapter's Houses, and Lands, here in England, being Relics of Popery; and their Wives by buying up of the Nun's Laces in England, with the Returns of that Money, which they produce here, are a building Nunneries, and Religious Houses in France and Flanders.  
I humbly desire all the English Gentry, that are wearers of Lace, both Men and Women, to consider seriously what I say; it is of concernment. I take God to witness, I have heard French men, and Dutch men, say to me, above twelv years ago, that have dealt in Cutwork Laces, and in Flanders Laces, both black and white here in London, that they did believ there was above five hundred thousand pounds in a year transported in Gold and Silver into France and Flanders, only in Return of Foreign Cut-works, and Flanders Laces, both Black and White; and I believ in my conscience they spoke truth; and to this day there are extreme excesses in these vanities; which as your affairs of the Commonwealth stand, highly concern you to look to prevent it; for I humbly desire you to consider, the Nation fling's away so much stock in money; for Flanders Lace is of no use but to keep up pride and vanities; Gold and Silver Lace makes something upon the Return, one hundred pounds worth may make about forty pounds when you have done wearing of it: But for thread & silk Laces, that which cost one hundred thousand pound, when they are worn out, will not make the Commonwealth one penny.  
I do humbly desire you to consider of a strict Law against importing any Foreign Laces, or selling them in London; the forfeiture of the Laces is nothing, because it will not be discovered, once in one thousand times. But I humbly conceiv, it must be made Felony for any to import Flanders, French, or Foreign Laces, or Cut-works, and loss of any Shopkeeper's Estate that shall knowingly sell any Foreign Laces, either Flanders, or any other.  
By which means you will prevent the transporting many hundred thousand pounds of treasure in a year, and you will stop the trade of making Nunneries rich by our money; And if the Gentry will wear Laces, let them on God's name put our own poor on work, and not Foreigners; and by this means, you will give relief to many poor Gentlewomen, which through the calamities of the War, are almost starved, and they are ashamed to beg, and they would be glad to make Lace, if any would employ them.  
THere is also a great and excessive waste of the Gold of this Nation, in the vanity of guilding of Caroches, which is come to that extravagancy, that if a Bainian of the Fast- Indieses, or a Chinoes of China, or any other strange Nation should come to Hyde-park, in an afternoon, he would report in his own Country such stories, as your Jesuits report of Perue, and Mexico, upon the first discovery of the West- Indies; That there were Towns that all the houses were covered over with Gold and Silver: So would an Indian report the Gentrie's wealth of this Nation; That they were drawn through the streets of this City of London, in Caroches covered over with beaten Gold.  
But I shall tell you what a French Merchant said to me this Summer in Hyde-park, as we were talking of the great quantities of English Gold, which hath been transported into France and Flanders, and other Foreign parts; Saith the French Merchant to me, I have heard you often complain of all the English Gold, being transported beyond the Seas, and now we are again speaking of it, I will demonstrate to you presently, that all is not gone, for you see how many guilded Caroches here are; then laughing, he told me, you see Sir, how you are mistaken, all your Gold is not gone; but if you had said, almost all the English Gold is transported beyond the Seas, that I would have granted you, for you have the shell of the Gold to gild your Caroches, and to make you fine things, but we in France have the kernel of your Gold, and thus much I grant you. But we in France, and Holland, and Flanders, have not all, we are more conscionable, good Monsieur Violet. I was forced to by't my lip, for I could not deny but that he spoke truth.  
THere is another great waste of Gold and Silver in this Commonwealth, and that is, the making of Gold and Silver-Thread and Lace within this Nation: there are some things may be said for it, and some things against it; I shall impartially put down some things which I know in this business; for I had the principal care of regulating that Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Wier and Thread, for five years together in the late King's time, and paid him about four thousand pounds yearly for it; besides I was enjoined to look to the just standard of the Silver, and to the substantial making of the Manufacture, which now is totally neglected, and the Commonwealth cheated in the coursness of much of the Silver, and in the slight making of it.  
If the Manufacture of the Gold and Silver-Thread, was brought in from beyond the Seas, than would the State have the Custom, there being a great Impost and Custom laid on it, which would be a considerable Revenue to the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth in the stock of their treasure would be augmented; for all Gold and Silver-Thread makes a Return to the melting pot, and so increase's the stock of money in the Nation; besides, that is an advantageous Trade, which for the Returns of our Commodities and Manufactures of England, bring's us Returns in Silver.  
There is replied to this, the setting so many thousands of poor people on work, which will starv, if the Manufactures of Gold and Silver-Thread, were brought in from beyond the Seas, or if the State should prohibit the wearing of Gold and Silver-Thread and Lace. Indeed this is of great consideration, and aught to be considered on. But then if they will have leave to make it here, it should be done with such restraints and limitations, as the treasure of the Nation should not be wasted or impaired, the currant money of the Nation should not be culled out to make Gold and Silver-Thread, as many hundreds of thousand pounds have been since the making of this Manufacture, which was but begun to be a Trade in London, within less than forty years; also there should be a restriction of the number of the workers, not to encreas as they have done, and the Wier-drawers should be a distinct Corporation, and Officers appointed to look after their due and Orderly working, and an account kept for the State, of what Silver and Gold is spent every year in the Manufacture, and the Company of Gold-Wier-drawers enjoined to bring in the value in Bullion from beyond the Seas, as they waste in this Manufacture; for without doing of this, the trade is wholly destructive to the Commonwealth, and there can be no just plea to allow their trade to continue.  
I humbly conceiv the Commonwealth is not in a condition to suffer fifty thousand pounds a year in Silver, to be brushed and blown away out of Gold and Silver Lace: If those that work the Manufacture, will not see to Import Silver from beyond the Seas, and be bound not to work Silver with a Core of Copper, and sell it for good Silver, (for which cheat I have caused some of them to stand in the Pillory, when I had the managing of that Manufacture) and also that the Wier-drawers be bound, not to make any Spangles, Wier, or Thread, under sterling, which heretofore hath been their daily practice, and I believ is continued still. Therefore ought by a sworn Officer to be regulated, and that Officer to be no Trader in the Manufacture.  
M. Jackson the Assaie-Master of Gold smith's Hall, by direction of the Lords of the Council, made many score of Assays of Gold and Silver-Spangles, Lace, Wier, and Thread, found and taken in Silkmen's shops, which were adulterated, and under the Standard; and this Manufacture will never be justly made, if there be not a government settled by a Corporation, and then the Trade might be so managed by their contracting for Bullion from beyond the Seas, that they may get a great Manufacture here. But I humbly desire that Trade may be driven with Foreign Silver; Imported, and not with the Stock, or Coin of the Nation.  

Die Veneris Decemb. 20. 1650. At the Council for Trade at Whitehall.  
Ordered,  
THat a Model or Way for the regulating the Trade of Gold and Silver-Wier, and Thread, and for preventing of all slight or base work, to the abuse and deceit of the Commonwealth, be tendered to this Council against friday, Januarie 17. by the Gold Wier-drawers and Refiners of London, and some of the Women-spinners, who are hereby all required to meet together, and consult about it. And they are to take into their consideration likewise the Papers this day delivered in, and read before this Council, presented by Master Thomas Violet.  
Ex. Ben. Worslie, Sec.   

In obedience to your Honour's Order, directed unto me 29 November, 1650 concerning the Hand-Spinners of Gold and Silver-Thread, I humbly offer to your grave considerations these few Propositions, for the service of the Commonwealth.  
I. THat it be not lawful for any person, either Wier-drawer, Weaver, or others, to keep any Wheels for the spinning of Gold or Silver-Thread, but within the Lines of Communication of London; and every person using such Wheels, to give in their names, and their abiding places, and how many Wheels they keep, and their several working places, and a sworn Officer appointed, who by himself and his sufficient Deputies, to view and examine both the Sizes, the Silver so spun, and the fineness, and to deface and burn all under the Standard.  
II. That no Wheel be admitted to spin Gold and Silver-Thread, but only superfine, and all other sorts and sizes, to be spun with, and by the Hand-spinners; and some strict penalty put on the offenders: for if you keep not a sworn Officer that is no Trader in it, and do not restrain the offenders by a penalty, there will be no keeping these men within a rule: for few Laws well executed, is better than a multitude of Laws, and none to look after the execution of them. And if this Regulation shall be left to the Wier-drawers (only) they being parties, and their own profit concerned in it, the Commonwealth will still be deceived; for where the Felon makes the Hue and Cry, the Thief will never be found. I humbly conceiv, the Wier-drawers may do well in having an equal power with the sworn Surveior, to find out the frauds in the Trade, but not to leave it wholly to them to find out; for if you do, I humbly conceiv the Commonwealth will have no benefit, but a mischief, as it is in some other Corporations, which have such privileges, that the Members of them are impowered to oppress and circumvent the Common people of the Nation, and to enrich themselves and their private interest, to the great damage of the public. The Regulation of which is left to your Honours in the ninth Article of your Commission.  
III. That no Gold-Wier-drawer be admitted to make Gold and Silver Lace, nor Silver-Ribbon, nor no Weaver to make Gold and Silver-Thread, but either Trade tied to his own Art only; for by the means of blending these two Trades together, all the bad and slight Stuff is foisted into the Lace, and so cunningly interwoven, interwoven, that Artists themselves cannot discern it, when it is made into Lace; and by this slight of blending two Trades together, they put into their Silver-Ribbon, much Gold and Silver-Thread, made by the Wheel; some holds not three Ounces Silver in a pound Venice, which is eight Ounces and four Drams Troie, whereas according to the rule of Merchantable Gold and Silver-Thread, there should be five Ounces of Silver at the least to three Ounces Silk; a cheat that ought to be punished with the highest penalties; to cozen the buyer of two Ounces in eight Ounces of Silver, and to make them pay for Silver, when the buyer hath nothing but Silk, and that many times heavy died, which causeth the colour of the Gold to tarnish; and if the late King's Commissioners Books of Orders for the regulating of Gold and Silver-Thread, were returned out of the Parliament House to this Council, there it will be found the Wheels were upon several great complaints of the many abuses thereof totally suppressed. And it was done upon serious deliberation, and much debate before the late King's Counsel at Law, and the Commissioners; and this can be proved to be true by the Oaths of many people, and I will depose it, if I be required by this Honourable Council.  
iv The poor Women-spinners by the hand spindle, are discouraged from speaking truth by many of their workmasters, or to move for a Regulation of the abuses of their Trade, and dare not speak against the said abuses, left they should be turned out of their work, as those poor women spinners are, that your Honours commanded to agitate for the whole Company of Hand-spinners. And some of these poor Women-spinners, besides turning out of their work, have been beaten and abused by their tyrannous workmasters, and reviled with base and odious names by some of the Master Wier-drawers; and this is the true reason why the workmen are retarded, that they do not come and join with the women, and show their just grievances, and the many abuses daily practised in their Trade, whereby the Commonwealth is, and hath been so grossly abused, and the poor workmen and women oppressed. And indeed if the poor Hand-spinners had not opened some of the abuses of the Trade to your Honours, neither Workmaster, Finer, nor Workman, would have put to their hand for a Regulation. And this I believ in my conscience to be true.  
May it pleas your Honours, the greatest part of the Handspinner's work is fine five-bourn, and the greatest multitude of the poor Petitioners are fine five-bourn-spinners; some of the Wier-drawers are utterly against the Wheels for any sort of work, and many of them for superfine, if they durst speak it: But they all being parties, I most humbly leave it to your Wisdoms to take notice, that their self-interest makes many of them speak that with their mouths, which in my conscience their hearts know they speak not the truth in this particular. And as I humbly conceiv, if that the Wheels be not strictly tied up only to superfine, many of the Hand-spinners will perish for want of bread: and this I speak, I believ in my conscience is a truth; and therefore I do most humbly leave it to your honour's pious and charitable consideration.  
That if your Honours would have a speedy Reformation in this Trade, I humbly conceiv, that if any Wier-drawer, Weaver, or others, that make Silver-Thread, or Wier, courser then the Standard, or spin on the Wheels any other sort of Silver-Thread, than such as shall be appointed by your Honours; and any other persons that shall make any Gold or Silver-Thread, not holding at the least five Ounces Troie upon every pound weight Venice, which is eight Ounces, and one fift Troie; that strict punishments may be ordered and inflicted on the offenders; and upon the third time of conviction, besides the loss of the Materials, to be further punished, either by being dis-franchised for a time, or for ever, as to your Honour's shall seem most agreeable to Justice. And that a sworn Officer be appointed according to the best of his skill, to see to make it his business to go from place to place amongst all the workers of the Manufactures, to see the workers make all fine Silver, and every sort of this Manufacture to be according to the rules settled by your Honours. Many other things I could enlarge myself in concerning this Trade, but shall respite them for the present; and humbly submit myself, and all that I have here said to your honour's grave consideration.  
Signed THO: VIOLET. Decemb. 18. 1650.   
WHereas the Gold-Wier-drawers and Refiners of London, have presented to the Honourable Council for Trade, the draught of a Corporation, as it is desired by them, it is utterly destructive to the Commonwealth; and I do most humbly desire the Honourable Council for Trade, to take notice that some of the Gold-Wier-drawers of London, in the behalf of themselves, and divers other Wier-drawers of London, did Petition the late King for a Corporation, in March 1634. and in April 1635. confessing the many abuses practised in the managing of the same Trade, which were then under no government; did desire in their Petition, that by his majesty's gracious care, they might be reduced into Government, and made a Corporation; and that they might have one or two Refiners, such as the Wier-drawers should deem fit, to be added to their Corporation, (and excluding all the rest of the Refiners) that were Housekeepers or Freemen, and only themselves might solely have the Order and Government of the Trade, and the Regulation of the said Manufacture.  
And in consideration of this, the Wier-drawers offered the late King for his favour in that behalf, to pay to him and his successors, one thousand pounds per Annum, and 2 d. the Ounce for every Ounce of such Bullion and Foreign Species, as they should use in their said Manufacture, over and above the currant price of the Merchants. And about the same time the Company of Goldsmith's being at the late King's Council-Table, did there charge several abuses and high misdemeanours upon some of the Refiners of London, and other persons, as will appear by the Council-Table-Books, and by the Records and Journal Books at Goldsmith's Hall, if one could come to the sight of them; for it cannot be imagined, the Company of Goldsmiths would give so high a charge as they did against some of the Refiners, and some Goldsmiths, but they have the Charge recorded in their Books, which I humbly desire the Council of Trade may have a Copy of, that so they might see the abuses in the Trade of Refining and Wier-drawing, and who were the offenders; and no question but the same abuses are practised still, if there were an examination, and power given to the Surveior of Gold and Silver-Thread, to find them out. The truth is, that upon the complaint of the Gold-smith's Company at the Council Table, of the several abuses in the Trade of Refining and Wier-drawing, the Wier-drawers, conceiving the late King and his Counsel would put down the wearing and working of Gold and Silver-Wier, and Thread, and punish the offenders in Star-Chamber, and knowing what would move, and be most taken in Court, I say, the Wier-drawers voluntarily, and of their own accord, did come and petition, and made friends, that their Trade should be continued. And this Model was laid to have a Monopoly to some Wier-drawers, and Finers as aforesaid; and in the pursuance of this project of the Wier-drawers, they had many meetings with Sir Ralph Freeman, Sir Ralph Whitfield, and Master Nathanaël Tompkins, and divers others, where the whole drift was to exclude all the Refiners but one or two from their trades. And in consideration thereof, that they would for this great grace and favour (their own words) pay two pence the Ounce, and one thousand pounds a year to the late King. It is as true, that upon complaint of some of the Goldsmiths, several Refiners and Goldsmiths were proceeded against in the Exchequer, and Star-Chamber, for melting down the currant Silver Coins of the Nation, for buying Gold and Silver above the price of the Mint, and for refining of Silver contrary to a Statute made in Henry the seventh's time; and it is as true, that I Thomas Violet was informed against in the Star-Chamber and Exchequer, for all these offences, and being to be examined upon Interrogatories against myself, both at the Council. Table and Star-Chamber, and before Master Attorney Noie, and Master Attorney Banks, I did refuse to be examined upon Interrogatories, such as Master Attorney General had exhibited against me in Star-Chamber; for I knew, if I had denied them, the Attorney General could prove them on me by some Goldsmiths and others, that had voluntarily confessed against me, that I had transported Gold, and that I had melted the currant heavy Silver of this Nation, and that I had sold Silver and Gold above the price of the Mint.  
Whereupon that most Honourable Gentleman Sir John Coke, Secretary of State, after that I had oftentimes been examined at the Council-Table, and at the Star-Chamber Office, and for refusing to answer to their questions, had suffered close imprisonment for above 20 weeks, being close prisoner to several Messengers, viz. Measie, Stockdal, and Barker, for all that time, to the loss of my Trade, which was then greater than any Gold-smith's in London. I say, that great Statesman had a noble care of me, and sent for me, shown me what was proved against me, and withal a Warrant that he had signed by Order of the late King, and his Privy Council, for Master Attorney General to bring me to the Star-Chamber-Bar, the next sitting of the Court, and there to crave the Judgement of the Court against me, his Charge being taken against me pro confesso.  
Whereupon Secretary Coke became a Petitioner to the late King, that before he delivered Master Attorney the Warrant, to proceed against me, he might send once again for me; and he told the late King, that he was of an opinion, that when I saw my danger, and how I was discovered by those that held me fair in hand, and were the men that did betray me, I would be so ingenuous to myself, to keep me from a ruin, to confess the truth, and all that I knew upon oath against those that had discovered me; and my so doing, would be much for the service of the State: and to this effect, when I spoke with Secretary Coke, was his Discourse to me, not giving me a quarter of an hours time to return him my answer, nor suffering me to go out of his sight. When I saw the Snare, I blessed the Fowler, (which was Sir John Coke) who had traversed me in France, (and intercepted my Letters, though not written to me by name) knew a great part of my proceed there, about my Transporting Gold, and he had many Goldsmiths that he sent for, which confessed to him that weekly I had bought great quantities of Light English Gold of many Goldsmiths of London, and I was to be forced to give an account what I did with it.  
And some other of my Factors that I had dealt with in France, Sir John Coke had gotten them upon their coming over at Rye, and at Dover apprehended, and they confessed they did receiv Light English Gold of me, and other Foreign Gold and Silver in France. And all the papers that discovered any thing against me, he shown me, and told me my danger: When I saw it, I was astonished, not imagining that any man did know my proceed in this business, or that I was betrayed by those that spoke me fair, and was as faulty as myself; for if it were a crime in me to buy this Light Gold, it was as great an one in the Goldsmiths to sell it; and if it were a crime in me to transport Gold, it was as great a crime in English men to be my Factors and Partners, though at Rouen, Calais, Deep, or Paris. And when I found these were the men that abused me to curry favour, and to get their own discharge, I besought God in my heart, so to direct me, that I might overcome this Philistim; and I was an humble suitor to Sir John Coke, to make my peace with the late King upon any terms, and that I might have the late King's pardon; and in humble requital, I would really discover to him what Transporters of Gold I knew, and what Goldsmiths I knew had sold Gold and Silver above the price of the Mint, and Culled and Melted down the currant Money of this Nation, and pay him two thousand pounds in Gold to his Privy Pursenet, which I did accordingly pay into his Privy Pursenet, and had my pardon under the Great Seal.  
And I was forced before I could get my pardon, to bring in all my Books and Accounts to Sir John Coke, and by them I proved that I had Imported into this Nation more Silver in value, than I had Exported Gold. By which Accounts, I made it clearly appear, that the benefit and advantage was to be made by understanding the weight and fineness of all Foreign Coins, and what proportion their Silver hath to our Gold, and our Silver to their Gold; for this was the Account in France 1632, 1633, 1634. that all our English Gold whether Light or Weight, (for they went all at one price without weighing the twenty shillings piece) passed in currant payment in France for twenty six shillings, and the Cardecu in France went then at 16 Sols, as all men know which were then in France; so that upon this account, I made my reckoning 16 Sols in France, is 19 d. ob. English for every Cardecu, what will these Cardecues make me in London, being all full weight, six penny weight Troie at the least, which in the Mint in the Tower of London would make 18 d. sterling. By this account, I found there was above twenty in the hundred got by transporting our English Gold, and returning of heavy Cardecues, which then at those times there was as much of them to be had both at Calais, Paris, Rouen, and Deep, amongst the Bankers, as a man would desire. Then for the most part the lightness of the Gold paid for the Portage, and a man might make his return once every month, and I have done it sometimes in fourteen days, and got above twenty in the hundred.  
When the late King saw my Accounts in this manner made up for many thousand pounds, he commended my ingenuity, but he would share stakes with me a little; for he commanded me to bring him two thousand pounds in Gold, and then I should have my pardon; which I did very willingly, and humbly thanked him for his mercy to me.  
But that which pleased the late King, and brought me into his service, was, when I shown him several processes attested out of France, under public Notarie's hands, that some of those French men that dealt with me for English Gold, were sued in the Parliament of Paris, for sending out of France the heavy Cardecues at an undervalue, and for bringing into France English Gold at a greater value. Much about this time, the refiners & wier-drawer's business being under examination; the late King finding by what I before had declared, my skill in managing Mint-business, and the Bullion of this Nation, appointed me to have the view and surveying of all the Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Wier, and Thread, and to confirm it to me for three lives; the Grant cost near fifteen hundred pounds, to the Lord Treasurer, Lord Cottington, Master Secretary Coke, and others; and I make no question to show the justness of the Grant to the Honourable Council of Trade, and what service it is to the Commonwealth to have me restored to that office again, which all the while I had it, I caused the Manufacture all to be justly made, and according to the Standard, and that there was never so good Gold and Silver, Thread made in the Commonwealth before I had the Office, nor since the Office was sequestered from me; and this I can prove by many people that are Artists in the Trade.  
That a little before this time, upon the information of some of the Company of Goldsmiths to the late King and his Council, a Commission did issue out to make inquiry of the deceits and abuses of the Refiners of Gold and Silver, and in transporting Gold and Silver; whereupon as I said before, Sir John Wollaston, Will. Gibs, Walter Hill, Henry Patrickson, Refiners; Henry Foot, John Perin, Timothy Eman, Tho. Violet, Goldsmiths, were made Defendants in the Star-Chamber. The Refiners had that good fortune, they all got off without a sentence, by their wit, which was to outbid the Wier-drawers; for the Wier-drawers bid as appears but one thousand pounds a year, and two pence an Ounce, and a few humble words, viz. And the Corporation of Gold-Wier-drawers, for your majesty's grace and goodness to them, in continuing their Trades, and reducing the same to Government, humbly offer to pay to your Majesty, your heirs, and successors, for ever, one thousand pounds a year, and two pence an Ounce, in lieu of your Customs, from Michaelmas next; and for and towards their Provision and Importation of such Bullion as the Members of this Corporation shall use; and this was in March 1634. and in April 1635.  
And thereupon Master Attorney General had many treaties with the Wier-drawers, and others, and modelled the draught of a Certificate; and truly I know not whether he ever delivered it to the late King; but the pithiness and brevity of it, will show it must be his: and that this Certificate was made upon many arguments of all hands, and treaty with all parties; for Master Attorney had drawn a Certificate fit for a King to look on, containing so much matter in so few words; and if the Honourable Council of Trade will be pleased to consider of this Certificate, they will find a great part of the Regulation of the Trade settled in this Certificate, if they pleas to consider of every branch of it, for it is all matter of State.  

A Copy of Sir John Bank's Certificate to the late King, he being his Attorney General.  
May it pleas your most Excellent Majesty,  
I Have taken consideration of the several Petitions of Henry Earl of Holland, Jane Countess of Roxborough, and of Joseph Simmons, and other Gold-Wier-drawers of the City of London, to me referred. And after several hear of their Counsel, and of the Company of Goldsmiths, and the Refiners, I humbly conceiv,  
I. That many abuses have been committed in the consumption of the Gold and Silver of this Kingdom, which are fit to be reform.  
II. I do not discern any inconvenience that the Gold-Wier-drawers (who offer unto your Majesty one thousand pounds per Annum, and two pence upon every Ounce of Bullion which shall be used by them) should be incorporated for their better Government, so that they be tied unto these conditions, or such other conditions as your Majesty in your Wisdom shall think fit. 
1. That they shall use in their Trades none but Foreign Bullion or Species, and no more thereof yearly, then shall be yearly Imported, by their means, or by others, whom your Majesty shall employ in that service.  
2. That the Bullion Imported, shall not be bought with English Coin, to be Exported, but for Commodities.  
3. That the Importation of Bullion or Foreign Species by others, shall not be restrained, nor accounted any part of their said Foreign Bullion or Species, so undertaken to be yearly Imported.  
4. That the Gold and Silver-Thread, Purls, Plate, O's, Spangles, etc. shall be made according to the Standard, or better.  
5. That under colour of these sums given unto your Majesty, they may not in any undue proportion enhance the price of their Commodities.   
III. Touching the Assay of the work of the Gold-Wier-drawers claimed by the Earl of Holland, by a former intended Grant, and desired by the Countess of Roxborough's Petition; I find upon the perusal of the Grant unto the Earl of Holland, dated 12 Novembr. 3 Car. Reg. (which passed only the Privy Seal, and not the Great Seal) that there was thereby intended to pass unto him the Assay of Gold and Silver-Thread, Purls, O's, Spangles, etc. after the same was made into work. But the thing desired by the Countess, is to have the Assay of Gold and Silver-Wier at the Bar before the same be made into work, which is an Assay of a differing nature. I conceiv that an Assay is necessary to prevent the adulterating of the work: All which I humbly submit to your majesty's great Wisdom.   
Whereupon the Refiners, as Sir John Wollaston, Master Alderman Gibs, and others, seeing the Wier-drawers go about to exclude them of their Trade, and to get a Corporation upon the terms aforesaid; they (I say) did serve the Wier-drawers, as the Merchant-Adventurers served the Clothworkers, outbid them; for they to have their pardons, and to be freed of the complaints of the Goldsmiths in the Star-Chamber, and to have the Trade only in their own hands, that none but the Refiners of London might be his majesty's Agents in the new way of Regulation, for the furnishing, and preparing, fining, refining, and selling Gold and Silver-Wier, to be used and employed in the Manufactures. First, they did covenant with the late King, to bring all the Gold and Silver by them prepared for the Manufactures, to an House called the Golden Fleece in Little Britain, or to such other place as the late King's Commissioners should appoint; there to sell and utter the same, and not elsewhere. That all Silver so provided, should be assayed before the same was put to sale, by such as the late King should appoint in that behalf; not to sell the Gold and Silver so provided, but to persons by the late King's Commissioners allowed to work and use the same, and to none other, unless to known Goldsmiths, for the augmentation and amendment of Plate, or to, or for the use of the Mint; and not sell the same to persons allowed, unless they would pay the duties limited to the late King, viz. for every Ounce of Silver guilt, six pence; and for every Ounce of Gold, six pence; So that upon the finishing of this agreement between the late King and the Refiners, the Wier-drawers which would have excluded the Refiners from their Corporation, are by these Articles debarred their Trade; and both Goldsmiths, and Wier-drawers, or any other but these Agents, were debarred to prepare any Silver for any of the Manufactures of Wier-drawers; and because they came off so freely, and bid the late King roundly six pence the Ounce on all the Wire, the late King was pleased to gratify them with a Courtly title, calling them his wellbeloved subjects, the Refiners of London, his Agents; and to requite them, settled such a price certain for fine Silver, and refine Silver, and such a price certain for ordinary guilt, and rich guilt, and no person should presume to have or make any of these Materials, but to give these the late King's Agents their own price, and none to sell, but these Refiners, lately created the late King's Agents.  
Whereupon Captain Williams, the late King's Father's Goldsmith, in the behalf of the Company of Goldsmiths, he being one of the late King's Commissioners, oftentimes did desire, that the Goldsmiths might be heard against the Monopoly of the Refiners; and he being a rich man, worth at least fifty thousand pounds, did offer in the behalf of the Company of Goldsmiths, to give any security to the late King; that if the Trade were left open to a free Market for all the Goldsmiths as formerly, the Goldsmiths would sell all the Silver to the Wier-drawers of London, in every Ounce of guilt Silver-Wier, two pence, and in Silver-Wier one penny cheaper, than the late King's Agents made them pay.  
The like Propositions was made by Henry Footer Goldsmith, than a man of great credit, and by William simmond's Wier-drawer of London, and divers others, for a free Trade, that they might not be restrained to buy their Silver of the Refiners of London only, but to be at liberty as formerly to buy their Silver where they will, and to refine their own Silver.  
But these offers after many disputes, the Refiners opposed, and then said it was their Trade, and none should fine and prepare Gold and Silver for any Manufactures used by the Gold-Wier-drawers, but themselves, the late King's Agents, which was, as I take it, only to eight Refiners of London.  
The Wier-drawers seeing themselves over powered by these the late King's Agents, a little before the Parliament, and at the beginning of this Parliament, complained and clamored at the Regulation; when, if the Refiners had left the Market open for all men equally to prepare his own Silver, paying the late King the duties, it is well known the Wier-drawers could never have hindered the sealing and surveying of the Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Thread; for by that way, the Manufacture was warranted to the Commonwealth: and if it had been continued, it would have avoided and prevented the many abuses since, in making slight and course Silver-Thread, and Spangles, and Wier. And if I had had the managing of my Office, as I had formerly, the State should have had twenty thousand pounds in their Coffers for Excise, more than they have received within these four years, due to them upon four pence the Ounce Excise; which money is in the hands of some of the Wier-drawers and Refiners.  
Now when this business came to be examined in Parliament, these Agents that would not before part with their Title, would not let the Goldsmiths have a free Market to prepare Silver for Gold and Silverwier; would not suffer the Wier-drawers to prepare their own Silver, they offering to pay the late King's duties in the Office. I say, these Agents finding some of the Members in Parliament to resent a restraint in Trade to a few Refiners, and knowing none but themselves guilty of the offence, cunningly put in a Petition into the Parliament, the twenty fourth of November 1640. as though the prices allowed to them to sell their Silver, and they only to be the Agents to sell, was forceably put upon them, and against their wills; and if they should not have furnished the Silver at the place appointed, and be ready always at fit and convenient times to sell and utter the same to the persons so allowed, desiring to buy the same at the rates limited by their Indenture, but should fail therein for the space of eight days. Then upon proof thereof before six of the Commissioners, whereof one should be of his majesty's Privy Council, & upon their Certificate his Majesty might give liberty to others to do the same; the consequence whereof would have been to deprive the Refiners of their Trade.  
This shows clearly, if this agency had not been for their profit, and to make an advantage, the Refiners might have forfeited their agency every eight days. But they kept it up for their own profit; for if they had laid it down, the Company of Goldsmiths, and the Wier-drawers, would have had a free Market, and the duties still reserved to the late King, would have been paid by the Wier-drawers and Goldsmiths as was offered. And whereas they are so injurious to say, that they were fettered with the late King's Covenants and Agents, I knew the time when they said otherwise, and when some of them were most humble Petitioners to the late King for his mercy, which he gave, at my Intercession freely, to some of them, and his pardon under the Great Seal of England; and that courtesy I did for them freely, without one penny reward. In requital to say they were fettered with his agency; truly it was such a fetter, that I upon my own knowledge do know both the Silk-men of London, the Wier-drawers of London, and the Goldsmiths of London, did oppose the restraining of the Trade of selling Gold and Silverwier only to the Refiners, and desired to have a free Market; and some of them did offer to sell it two pence in the Ounce in guilt-wier, and one penny the Ounce in Silverwier cheaper than the late King's Agents, and to put in good security to perform the same to the Nation, and to pay the late King's duties, which at six pence the Ounce in Wier, is not above two pence the Ounce in Venice Gold and Silver-Thread.  
This I can say, what the Finers called a Fetter, would have been an Ornament, if the Wier-drawers had not complained of them in Parliament, both for their title of the late King's Agents, and the many hundred pounds a year they received for their Silver, more than it was offered to be sold to the Wier-drawers at, by the persons before named; and this I know to be true.  
That upon many day's examination of the whole business, by Master Attorney General, and all the rest of the late King's Council at Law, and before the Lords of the Council, it was unanimously upon many great and grave disputes carried, that the intrusting of the Regulation of this Manufacture of Gold and Silverwier, and Thread, was not to be done by way of Corporation, neither to the Refiners, nor Wier-drawers of London; and the principal reasons were.  
1. That upon a trial of above one hundred several assays of Gold & Silver bought up in several Silkmen's, and Wier-drawer's shops, both of Spangles, plated wire, Gold and Silver-Thread, and made by Master Jackson the Assaie-Master of Gold-smith's Hall; the Gold and Silver-Thread, Spangles, & Wier, were found to be made course and adulterated, and under the sterling; and I had all these Assays attested under Master Jakson's hand, the Assaie-Master of Gold-smith's Hall; and for his pains in making these Assays, I had order from the Lords of the Council, to pay Master Jackson five pounds, which I did accordingly, and I delivered the Reports of these Assays to the Lords of the Council; and Master Jackson the Assaie-Master of Goldsmith's Hall, cannot deny this to be true.  
2. It was proved that the Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Thread, was slightly made, and not so substantial and serviceable as the Gold and Silver-Thread which was Imported from Venice, and other Foreign parts; all of the Gold and Silver-Thread coming from Venice, holding two parts Silver, or within a very little, as six Ounces Silver to three Ounces Silk.  
3. Thereupon a rule was set by the Lords of the Council upon many debates, that no Gold and Silver-Thread should be made under five Ounces Silver, to three Ounces Silk at the least; and for Needle Gold-Thread, according to the standard of Venice, six Ounces Silver to three Ounces Silk.  
4. That all the Gold and Silver-Thread Imported from beyond Seas, being of so strong a plate, was made up in scanes, that so the buyer might but turn it in his hand, and see it was all perfectly good; a great advantage to the Manufacture, to have it all justly made for the fineness of the standard, and to have such a body of Silver on the Silk, as it was serviceable to the Commonwealth; and when it was worn out, almost all returned into the melting pot for Bullion; and upon this reason the slight stuff was prohibited, viz. that it was almost all wasted, and not a tenth part returned to the melting pot, to the waste of the treasure of the Nation, above fifty thousand pounds in a year.  
5. The Lords of the Council after many debates with the King's Council, and they with the Silk-men and Wier-drawers, set this rule for all the Manufactures of Gold and Silver-Thread, That it should all be made up in scanes, of about an Ounce weight, according to the commendable way of Venice, which makes this Manufacture so justly both for the weight and fineness, that in one hundred Cases of Venice Gold-Thread, there is not one six pence difference, but according to the seals or burns, it passe's all the world over. A gallant thing to manage a Manufacture so exactly, and to keep up the reputation of it.  
The late King and his Council appointed me a Seal, which was the Rose and Crown, to seal all Gold and Silver-Thread in scanes, at one end of the scane, and to warrant it to be good Silver to the Nation, with a Prohibition to any to presume to counterfeit that Seal: The other end of the scane of Silver-Thread, the workman was to put to his seal; by which way, the Nation had the Gold and Silver-Thread warranted to them, and if any Gold or Silver-thread were sealed with the seal of the Office, and had the workman's seal to it; which seal of the workman's, was put in a Table in the Office for any man to see, by which means if any man should have counterfeited the Office-seal, and the Thread was found courser or worse than the standard, and not to have five Ounces to one pound Venice, the party offending was to be punished; and if any Clerk of mine should have sealed any course Silver with the seal of the Office, than I Thomas Violet was to make it good to the Commonwealth, or any party grieved, what they were damnified; and to warrant this Manufacture right, both for to have five Ounces Silver on a pound Venice, and that to be good Silver. I had no more than four pence the pound weight Venice for my pains and hazard, which was little more than one farthing an Ounce; and if any person did complain, than I Tho. Violet was to make all the damage good to the party or parties grieved; and out of this fee I was to pay Clerk's wages and other Officers for their attendance in sealing the Thread, and for wax for sealing.  
Besides, it is no small trouble to have daily conversation with people of such several humours, and some of them of such uncivil and course behaviour, that the Honourable Council for Trade have had more patience to hear their speeches one to another at the board, than I believ they ever had with any people that came before them; then they must needs be clamorous when the Officer doth his duty to see they make all good work; and this place I Thomas Violet was required to execute. And I have the Grant of this Office under the Great Seal of England for two lives; and though I was commanded to deliver my Patent to the Honourable Gentleman Sir Robert Harlow, who was then Master of the Mint, and Chairman for this business, but as yet he hath not made any report concerning this business. I stand upon my Grant as a good Patent, and for the benefit of the Commonwealth; for the fee was not 10 s. in 100 pounds for all Gold and Silver Manufactured in Silver-thread, Silver-spangles, O's, and Pearl, and Wier, and for that fee I was to run the hazard to make all the Manufacture good to this Nation, that was bought in the Office, or had the seal appointed by the State put to the thread; and I shall humbly appeal to all the wearers of Gold and Silver-Lace in this Nation, whether they would not be glad to pay ten shillings in the hundred pounds now, to have their Gold and Silver-thread, and wire warranted to them to be good Silver, and the Silk truly covered with a substantial Body of Silver, and to the Thread every pound Venice to weigh at the least five Ounces of Silver, by which order and rule, their Silver-Lace would last six times as long as it doth, and never lose the colour; and when they had done wearing it, it would yield above one third penny it cost to the melting pot, whereas now upon some Silver-Lace that is made in London, when it is worn out, that Silver that cost ten pounds, will not yield twenty shillings to the melting pot; and this is known by slight Wheelwork, and slight Laces; a great deal of difference upon the return to the melting pot, of rich Lace made by the Hand spinners, and slight Wheelwork made by your Wheel-men; and this can be proved by many Tradesmen, as Tailors and Silk-men, and Silver-spinners, who are best able to judge the Manufacture, that the Gold and Silver-Thread, and Wier, was never so well made in England, before nor since, as during all the time I had the regulating of the Manufacture; and it did concern me to look to have it well made, or else I might have been undone, for I was to make it all good. It was not to receiv a fee, and never to look how the Manufacture was made; but my fee was to be earned with a great deal of attendance, and charge, and hazard, and my constant searching to see the Manufacture was well made.  
The Wier-drawers and Silk-men knew I would spare none of them that made bad ware; for I caused Gares to stand in the Pillory, that made Gold and Silver-Thread with a Core of Copper; I caused slight work to be unspun again, that was not covered with five Ounces Silver to one pound Venice; and this I did to Archer that was the Clerk of the Commission, though he brought me a Letter from a Privy Counsellor, to deliver the Silver-Thread without defacing; yet I valued the keeping my trust, before a Lord's Letter, and he was no mean man in power then.  
I questioned Master Bradbourn the Queen's Silkman, for putting in Copper into an Honourable lady's Silver-Lace, and selling it her for good Silver; and a second time for putting Copper into my Lord Carlile's Suit and Cloak, and selling it to him for good Silver; and if the Queen had not sent to me, and laid her commands on me not to proceed farther, I had made him an example. Many other Silkmen sold Silver-Thread with a Core of Copper, and some sold Copper for Silver, which as long as I had the Trust, I would not spare any man.  
I seized on fifty pounds of Silver-Lace, mixed with Copper, in Master Alderman Garrawaie's custody, when he was Lord Major of London, and brought it away from him against his will, as Sir George Sands knoweth, and the world knows he had spirit enough: and upon that seizure, I found twenty men had an hand in it, for it was sent to Russia, and there the Emperor's Council seized it, and laid Master Sands in prison, Sir George Sand's brother, who had brought the adulterate Silver-Lace into the Country. And upon examination and proof, that Master Sands was cozened by buying this Silver-Thread for good Silver in London, it was sent over to the Russia Company to have the offenders found out, where upon examination before the Commissioners, twenty men run away.  
By these good ways, I so ordered the Regulation of the Manufactures during the time of the Regulation, that the stuff was made all good Silver, and five Ounces to one pound Venice; and if any did work in Corners, that which was with a Coat of Copper, or against the rule, my Instruments were sure to find them out one time or another. And for doing of this service, I had Warrants directed to several people for to discover the offenders; and because I was true to my trust, I would not suffer the Commonwealth to be cozened in this Manufacture (some men that have deceived the Commonwealth in making of slight Gold and Silver-Thread, fear, if a Regulation should be settled by Parliament, to have no Silver-thread spun, either by the Hand or Spindle, but such as is covered with a good Plate of Silver, and five Ounces Troie at the least, to the pound Venice, that then they shall be suffered to cousin no more; and this is the true reason of their anger against any that stands for a Regulation; then they know their own guilt in so notorious defrauding the State in the Excise, and how much money they own the State in Arrears within this four years, being above twenty thousand pounds, which is in the hands of fewer than thirty men; and they know, if I be commanded by the Parliament, I will give a good account of this business.  
I do humbly desire Sir Robert Harlow, that my Grant might be delivered to the Honourable Council for Trade, and that he would pleas to report what he found concerning it to your Honours; and that if I cannot maintain my Grant for the surveying the Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Wier, and Thread, for the good of the Commonwealth, and for the service of the wearer, and honour of the Manufacture, I shall with all humility lay myself at the Honourable Council for Trade's feet, so to regulate my Grant, as they in their great Wisdoms shall find most advantageous to the Commonwealth.  
And I do humbly farther propound to the Council for Trade, that they would be pleased to take notice that there is an Ordinance of Parliament of the sixth of August, 1646. for all Gold and Silver-Wier, to pay four pence on the Ounce Troie, at the disgrossing at the Bar; and this Ordinance follow's in these words, viz. That four pence shall be paid by way of Excise, for every Ounce of Silver Troie weight, and so for a greater or lesser quantity proportionable of Silver and Gold; that any Refiner, Goldsmith, or Gold-Wier drawer, or other that shall prepare, melt down, or disgross for Wire; the same to be paid by every Refiner, Goldsmith, Gold-Wier-drawer, or other, at the Bar, where the same shall be disgrossed. And that all Gold and Silver to be disgrossed for Wier as aforesaid, be brought to one certain place, or places appointed, or to be appointed by the Commissioners of the Excise, and not elsewhere; and that no Bars, Benches, Screws, Engines, or other Instruments for disgrossing of Silver, be used or allowed in any other place; this is in the Book of Ordinances; fol. 1114.  
That for almost four years this four pence the Ounce did not make to the State above one thousand pounds for all that time, of near upon four years. And during these four years, the Refiners of London being named in the Act, many of these Refiners durst not sell Gild and Silver-Wier, without taking and securing the duty of four pence the Ounce to the State; whereupon rather then they would run into contempt of this Act, some of them gave over their trades, and others of them lost their customers; for many of the Wier-drawers drew and refined all their own Silver, and never paid the State the duties reserved by the Ordinance; and there remain's in the hands of some of the Gold-Wier-drawers, & Refiners above twenty thousand pounds, contrary and in contempt of this Ordinance of Parliament, and which some of the said Wier-drawers and Refiners are in Arrears to the State.  
The Wier-drawers, and divers other Trades, having with great advantage made the wearer pay four pence the Ounce Venice for Excise, when any bought it in Lace; and this which I now put in writing, is, that the Gentry may know what to pay for the future; for upon a true account, four pence an Ounce Troie in Silver-Wier, is not above one penny farthing upon every Ounce Venice in Silver. Thread: So though the Wier-drawers made a great advantage of the Excise, collecting far more from the Gentry of this Nation, than four pence the Ounce Troie, yet they have not paid these Arrears to the State; a business of great concernment, now there is occasion for money, and require's a speedy examination.  
That for this last year, the Wier-drawers and Refiners did pay but one penny the Ounce, which penny makes now fifteen hundred pounds a year; so that four pence the Ounce would have been above six thousand pounds a year, if the four pence had been justly gathered.  
Now upon examination, it may be proved there was more Silver-Wier disgrossed and made into Thread, and small Wire, by the Refiners and Wier-drawers in every of the years 1646, 1647, 1648, 1649, then in this last year 1650; so that by this account, there will clearly remain in the Refiner's, and Master Wier-drawer's hands, above twenty thousand pounds, and the number of them is not above thirty men, which own this money, for which sum, they are tied by an Ordinance of Parliament, and no discharge can be given them of this debt, but by an Act of Parliament; for all that drew Silver at the Bar, are upon the drawing of it, bound to pay the State four pence the Ounce for what they drew, and no persons have any power to discharge this debt, but the Parliament; and if I be required and impowered, I make no question to give the State a good account of this debt.  
I do most humbly desire the Honourable Council for Trade, to take notice that by the eighth Article of their Commission, they are to consider what Excise is fit to be laid on all goods and commodities, and so equally and evenly lay it, that the State may not be made uncapable to defray public charges. Now I humbly desire the Honble Council for Trade, to take especial notice of this my humble Proposition, which is, that one penny on the Ounce Troie upon all Gold and Silver-Wier disgrossed at the Bar, and made into Gold and Silver. Thread, is no equal Excise in proportion to other commodities that are rated with Excises which are far more serviceable to the Commonwealth.  
Besides, the Gold-Wier-drawers before any Excise was thought of, did offer unto the late King, and his heirs for ever, one thousand pounds a year, and two pence the Ounce, to have a Corporation, as I shall make it appear. But the deceits so grossly practised by many of them, was so clearly proved that then at that time the State would not trust them with a Corporation, as I have formerly declared. Neither would the late King and his Council trust the Finers, but under a Regulation by Commissioners, though they saw paid the late King six pence the Ounce for all Gold and Silver disgrossed at the Bar, upon sale of the Silver. Now I say, after the Excise of one penny the Ounce upon Silver and Gild Wier, when it is Manufactured into Thread, it is not above ten shillings the hundred pounds' Excise for some sorts, and not above fifteen shillings in one hundred pounds worth upon any sort of Gold and Silver. Thread, when it is Manufactured. And other sorts of goods that are for use, and not superfluous, paie's five pounds in the hundred.  
Now if the State pleas to lay six pence on the Ounce for all Gold and Silver-Wier, that is disgrossed at the Bar, it is not above three pounds in one hundred for some sorts of Gold and Silver-Thread, and four pounds ten shillings in the hundred pounds' Excise for the heaviest; when it Manufactured, and it is a superfluous commodity, that if any will wear it, they ought to pay so much Excise as other commodities doth; and if the rules desired in the Silverspinner's last printed Petition to your Honours, with some few other Observations on Master Attorney General Banks his Certificate, for the Regulating the Manufacture, the State will make six thousand pounds a year of it, and the Manufacture all made right, both for the fineness of the Silver, and the just covering of the Thread, with a good plate, and to settle a comfortable livelihood for the labour of all the poor working Wier-drawers, and Silver-spinners, that have a right to the Trade by service or seven years' usage; and the supernumerary Master-Wier-drawers, and Workmen, to be excluded the Trade, that have not served for it, or not wholly followed it for seven years.  
I humbly desire your Honours to take notice by the Ordinance of Parliament, that laie's four pence upon all Silver disgrossed at the Bar, dated the sixth of August 1646. all Gold and Silver-Thread was to be made up in scanes, and to be sealed without any fee: and this no doubt was moved to be put in by some people who knew very well, if there were no fee allowed, there could be no service done; and that which hath made the City of London so full of slight Silver-Thread, is the neglecting the surveying of it: For how could any Sealer give his attendance, warrant the Silver to the Nation, and to any Merchants, to be good Silver, both according to the Standard of the Silver, and that it contain's in one pound Venice, five Ounces of Silver; (and without this warrant to the buyer, what good doth the sealing of it?) While I had the surveying of this Manufacture, which was above four years, I warranted it all to the Commonwealth; and I challenge any Wier-drawer, or Finer, or Silkman in London, to produce one pound of bad or slight Silver, I ever sealed at the Office, or that any man could ever fasten one penny on me, or other reward, for conniving at any man that did not work good Silver.  
It is well known, I did always stand to reliev the poor workmen, and work-women, while I had the Office, against their oppressing workmasters, in causing their workmasters not to deliver them bad Silver, or such as would not work by reason of the not refining of it well, and made the Refiners change it, though it were good according to the Standard, yet not being well drietested, it would bring the poor workmen a great deal of trouble and loss, by reason of the Quicksilver.  
That I was strict to see all men work good Silver, and to cause those that did not to be punished, I confess it ot be true, and it did concern me to do it, for else I had brought a scandal on the Manufacture, and my Office, and I might have been undone in warranting the commodity to be all right that was sealed in the Office. And if the Wier-drawers could have proved but any Gold and Silver-Thread, with all their vigilant search throughout the City, that had been sealed, that was course Silver, or held not five Ounces to every pound Venice, it had gone in to the Parliament with a full cry: but though they sought, and sought carefully, to find it out, that either I or my servants had sealed any bad Silver, they could not find one Ounce; though I am sure I and my servants in the time I had the Office, sealed above one Million of Scanes of Gold and Silver; and it was a great mercy of God to me, the Wier-drawers with all the tricks they used, could get no course or slight Silver-Thread to produce to the Parliament. But missing their mark in that design, they with some Refiners, whose tongues I have found more sharp than a twoedged sword, with the greatest industry, subtly spit out the poison of Asps, which naturally grows in some of their mouths, or else so much untruth could not be invented as they bestowed upon me; the poison of their mouths and tongues being to me as venomous as the Aqua-Fortis they make: For in the beginning of this Parliament, some of them cast about the City of London, and to people that never knew me, as if I had been the worst man living.  
And though the Finers and Wierdrawers of London both Petitioned the late King for their Trade, as I said before, and each striving which of them should set their trade in such a way that might bring them in the most for their particular profit; when they had moulded all their Regulation, than I was nominated Surveyor and Sealer of all the Manufacturie by the late King, which I did discharge faithfully, in seeing they should not cousin the Commonwealth; for my doing thereof, some of them clamored most lewdly against me about the City of London. And some which I know did use these unworthy ways to defame and slander me, are now discovered, and held themselves unworthy men, and in as much contempt with the City of London, as they put upon their neighbours. It is not their removing out of the City of London, can make their cursed remembrance be forgot: These restless spirits have left no stone unmoved to do me a mischief, and to present me as a Malignant, and dis-affected to this Commonwealth.  
Truly I will declare to all the world, I ever loved and honoured the late King with all my heart, as long as he bad breath in his body, and would have done him any just service; and nothing beyond that I would have done, and I am confident no gallant man will condemn me for speaking this truth. Now he is dead, I am free with the same faith and humble duty, and something more, by reason my afflictions hath got me some more experience, I will constantly serve this Parliament and the Common wealth of England, as it is now settled without King or Lords, to the last drop of blood in my body, against any person that oppose's them, and will do the Parliament all just service for the Commonwealth.  
And I thank God I never by any was desired farther; and if I should, I would bid any that asks me to do it, do it themselves. Yet these Moles, some of the Refiners, and some of the Wier-drawers, would introduce to some of my friends, that I am a dangerous Instrument for some of the State; so that these men's tongues are like saws, with cross teeth, (if I be of the King's side, I shall be blasted, when the King is dead; if I serve the State, I shall not scape them) but if they had rested with words, I should better have born their malice: But this last Michaëlmas Term, they fell on me with deeds, took me upon an Execution at the suit of one Widow Simonds, wife of one Joseph Simonds, when I never warranted any Attorney to appear for me, and I had a Release of the said Joseph Simonds for to withdraw all Actions; and thereupon I delivered him an Ingot of Silver which was seized on by the late King's Commissioners, by order of the Lords of the Council, and this was done eleven years ago. I never owed this woman or her husband one penny, and I make no question but I shall have reparation, and to find out the confederacy against me.  
This Joseph Simonds brought the same Action against Sir John Wollaston, Alderman Gibs, Sir William Becher, Master Alderman Harison, and divers others, and they all nonsuited him several times; and if I had known the declaration against me, I would have pleaded and gotten off as well as others; but I was in the County of Darbieshire, and never knew of it till there was Judgement entered upon a Nihil Dicit, and a Writ of Inquirie of Damages, when I had the said Joseph Simond's Release attested by five witnesses, and I found this Release by a strange accident after I had lost this Acquittance, about ten years, the tenth of this present Januarie; this I put down openly, that as I was affronted publicly on the Exchange, by being arrested there, upon an unjust Action all men should know I cannot be arrested for a just Debt.  

REceived the 19 day of Octob. 1640. of Thomas Violet by virtue of an Order of the Lords at White-Hall, the 18 of Octob. 1640. one Ingot of Silver-Guilt, weighing 17 pound weight, one Ounce and five penny weight; and I do promise to withdraw all Actions that have been commenced either against Robert Amerie, Thomas Violet, or any other, for seizing and detaining of the said Silver-Guilt; In witness whereof I have bereunto set my hand,  


Joseph Symonds.  
Witness we, 

M. Blunt.  
Andrew Heitly.  
Will. Creswell.  
Will. Crosby.  
Will. Bourne.       
Beyond Seas it is not permitted to a Sergeant to arrest any man on the Exchange, and it were very fit it should be so here in London; for many Merchants are crazy commodities, and their reputation's not to be touched, lest they fall in pieces. I speak not for myself, for I own not one hundred pounds in the world, that any body can justly ask me, though I have had taken from me by Order of Committees above eight thousand four hundred pounds, and I have left off trading this ten years: But I know there is a great necessity at this time for Merchants not to be arrested on the Exchange, for the humour of many English Usurers and some others is, that if they find a man sinking, every man enters his Action, and pulls sometimes a good Estate in pieces; whereas they should do as they do in Holland, if their debtors have losses at sea, or by fire, or bad debts, they play the good Samaritan, bind up their wounds, and instead of adding affliction to their debtor, comfort him, and by this careful usage, many a score of men beyond seas have recovered their Estates, and been gallant Merchants again; whereas here they fling them into prisons, and ruin them. But for such Merchants or others, that break out of knavery, to cousin men by their Composition, as too many do, or such as have Diced or Whored away their Estates, and then break in other men's debts, I desire from my heart, and humbly pray, a Law may be made to make it Felony in any that hath, or shall do it; I am credibly told it is so in France, and other Foreign parts.  
But that which was the Masterpiece of all the Refiner's plots to destroy me, was, when by the subtlety of two of them they put me into the Tower for three years and eleven months, and did engage great and honourable men against me, for what some of them knew themselves long before I did, and I did nothing but by warrant of public Officers. By which falls information, they caused me to be sequestered of my Estate, and damnified, and plundered to the value of eight thousand pounds, and kept close prisoner in a room in the Tower for nine hundred twenty eight days, and never could be heard to make my just defence; and had not God sent Sir Thomas Fairfax his Army to London, I had never got out of the Tower, but been buried there alive.  
For the true Examination of all the transaction of that business, I am an humble suitor to the Parliament to have Justice, and that the truth of this business might be found out, and that it may be referred to the Honourable Committee of Examinations, and then it will be found this design was to blast and undo me, and by that means, to prevent me that I should not tell the State what I knew to be true, and should never come to be heard in what I could serve the State; for as they had laid the design for my life and good name, it was one hundred to one, that ever I escaped their mortal snare.  

An Account of what hath been taken from me, for which I humbly desire reparations and satisfaction.  
1. WHen I was sent to the Tower the sixth of Januarie 1643, my mother had of my Goods, Bonds, and Bills, in her hands, taken away from her at several times, viz. to the value of one thousand three hundred and odd pounds, besides many of my Papers and Accounts of a great value, and consideration to me seized, and many of my Papers were of great concernment to the Commonwealth, and as yet I cannot come to the knowledge who hath them; but this I am sure of, if there had been any thing in them that could have made against me, there had then use been made of them.  
2. My mother had at another time a Privy Seal taken from her, wherein the late King acknowledged he owed me for my expenses in the Discovery of the Transporters of Gold and Silver, nineteen hundred threescore and eight pounds, which money I laid out every penny out of my own purse.  
3. The Committee of Essex, put me out of possession of the Manors of Battles and Paton Hall in Essex, as appears by their Warrants here annexed; of which Land, I had an extent to the just value of one thousand pounds due to me in 1643. and Master Philip Cage was in possession of the premises for my use, as hereafter follow's.  
4. The Committee of Shropshire, seized in my sister's hands in London, three bonds due to me in two thousand pounds, for the payment of me Thomas Violet one thousand pounds by the Lady Wade, Edmond Lenthal Esquire, Philip Cage Esquire, Charles Mordent Esquire, as appears under the band of Philip Cage Esquire.  
5. I had the Leases of ten several Houses at the Postern in little More-Fields, and the Tenants owed me when I was committed to the Tower, in arrears for rent, about one hundred pounds, and for this seven years I received no rent of them, but Master Elconhead hath received the rent ever since.  
6. Some of the Wier-drawers by their clamour, caused my Office to be sequestered from me, which was for the surveying and sealing of all Gold and Silver-Thread, by which means they have made slight Silver-Thread, to the deceit of this Nation ever since: which office for the surveying and sealing of all Gold and Silver-Thread, and Wier, I had from the late King, for three lives, and it hath cost me near fifteen hundred pounds to my Lord Treasurer, Lord Cottington, Sir John Cook, Sir John Banks, before I could get the Grant to pass under the Great Seal of England; and that Office made me above three hundred pounds a year, besides an House rentfree; the necessity of having that Office, I have showed before.  
7. I had one quarter part of the Lady Viller's Farm for the importation of all Foreign Gold and Silver-Thread, Hatbands or Lace, and Copper-Thread throughout England and Wales; sor fourteen years, which cost me a little before I was sequestered seven hundred pounds, and it was worth one hundred and fifty pounds per annum to me.  
8. I spent in my imprisonment in the Tower for almost four years seven hundred pounds, and could never get my Caus to be heard.   

An Order of the Committee of Shropshier.  
WHereas by Virtue of an Ordinance of Parliament, autorizing us, the Committee for the County of Salop, to seize, sequester, and secure the Estates of Papists, and Delinquents, for the raising of moneys for the service of the Parliament in the County of Salop, which we shall discover; we have seized and taken into our possession three several Bonds or Obligations, whereby you amongst others, stand bound to Thomas Violet, a Delinquent and Prisoner in the Tower of London, for payment unto him of several sums of Money therein mentioned. It is therefore Ordered by the said Committee, That you pay such moneys as are due upon the said Bonds, unto the said Committee, or to such as they shall appoint, and unto none other, until further order be taken therein by the said Committee. And further, you are desired to be present at the said Committee at Salter's Hall, in Bread-street in London, upon Tuesdaie next, at three of the Clock in the afternoon.  
Dated the tenth day of October, Anno Dom. 1644. 

H. Mackworth.  
Jo. Corbet.  
Tho. More.  
Ch. Meredith.    
To Master Philip Cage, of Great Harwel in the County of Hartford Esquire.   

Memorand. That the 21 of December, 1646. this Warrant was showed unto Master John Corbet, at the Tower, in the presence of us, and he did acknowledge it to be his hand, and that the said Bonds were seized upon according to their Order, and were in the hands of one Brome, belonging to the Committee of Shropsheir. And that the said three bonds were in two thousand pounds for the paying of Thomas Violet one thousand pounds.  


Henry Cogan.  
William Bourn.     

Two Orders of the Committee of Essex.  

Essex scilicet,  
WHereas Thomas Violet a Delinquent, is imprisoned in the Tower of London, for a Conspiracy against the Parliament, and that his Estate is seized and sequestered, and that it appears to the Parliament, that there is an extent of the Lands of James Waad Esquire, at the suit of the said Violet, or some others to his use, of the penalty of one thousand pounds, for the payment of five hundred pounds charged upon the Manors of Battles, and Paton Hall, with their appurtenances within this County of Essex. The high Court of Parliament taking the same into consideration, have been pleased to order the benefit and advantage of the said extent to the use of this County. Now we the Committees of the County aforesaid, have assigned, and do by these presents assign the said extent and all the benefits thereof unto Edward Elconhead Esquire, giving him hereby full power and authority, to take and receiv all and singular the profits and rents of the said Manors of Battles, and Paton Hall, with their and every of their appurtenances: And we do also hereby appoint the said Edward Elconhead Esquire, to take into his hands and possession, the said Battles and Paton- Hall, with their appurtenances. And we do hereby further Order and Appoint all and singular, the Tenants and Land-holders' thereof, respectively, to pay their several rents with the arrearages thereof, as the same are, or from time to time shall grow due unto the said Edward Elconhead: And we do hereby require all Captains, and all other forces, as also all High Constables and Petty Constables within this County, to be aiding and assisting to the said Edward Elconhead, in gaining, preserving, and keeping him in the quiet possession of the premises aforesaid.  
At the standing Committee at Chelms-ford the 17 of August 1644. 

Thomas Barington.  
Will. Goldingham.  
Rich. Harlakenden.  
H. Holcrost.  
William Roe.  
Robert Smith.  
S. Sparrow.     

Essex, scilicet.  
WHereas we the Committee for the said County, now sitting at Chelms ford, have assigned the extent of the Manors of Battles and Paton-Hall, with their appurtenances (made not long since by Thomas Violet, now prisoner in the Tower of London) unto Edward Elconhead, of the said County Esquire. We do also hereby Order and Appoint, that if any differences shall happen to arise betwixt him the said Edward Elconhead, and any of the Tenants of the aforesaid Lands, that then we refer the consideration and settling thereof unto Timothy Middleton Esquire, High Sheriff of the aforesaid County, and Sir Thomas Barington Knight and Baronet, or either of them, who are hereby desired to mediate therein, or in case of refusal, or obstinacy of any of the said persons, to make their return to us thereof, whereupon we shall proceed as to the demerit of the cause shall appertain.  
At the standing Committee at Chelmsford, the 17 of August 1644. 

Will. Roe.  
Will. Goldingham.  
Rich. Harlakenden.  
H. Holcrost.  
Rob. Smith.     

These two are true Copies of the Committee of Essex Orders,  
witness our hands this first day of August 1646. 

Philip Cage.  
Thomas Conningsbie.  
Christ. Hatton.      

A DECLARATION OF PHILIP CAGE, Esquire, Showing by virtue of the Committee of Essex Order, dated 17 August 1644.  
He was forcibly driven out of the possession of the Manors of Battles, and Paton-Hall, which he held for and to the use of THOMAS VIOLET.  
Attested by Thomas Conningsbie Esquire, of Hartfordshier, and Christopher Hatton of London, Gentleman.  
UPon this Order of the Committee, I Philip Cage being in possession of both the Manors of Battles, and Paton-Hall, with the appurtenances, in the County of Essex, by virtue of a Leas, of an extent from his Majesty, assigned to me and others, by M. Thomas Violet, in trust of those Lands, with divers other Lands and Tenements in London and Middlesex, for the use of Thomas Violet, I Philip Cage, and my Family, were forcibly driven out of possession about the 20 of August 1644. and had above three hundred pounds worth of Corn standing on the ground with Hops, with other the Corn and Hay in the Barns, inned; which several Barns and Houses was all forcibly broken and taken from me by virtue of this Order; and I do acknowledge, that there is now due to Master Thomas Violet, the sum of one thousand pounds, which Edmund Lenthal Esquire, Charles Mordant Esquire, and I Philip Cage Esqwith Dame Anne Waad, late of Battles in the County of Essex, are bound in two thousand pounds, to Thomas Violet, for the payment of one thousand pounds: which debt we entered into bonds for my brother James Waad's debt to Master Violet, and then Master Violet had all my brother's Lands in extent, and assigned them over to me and others in trust, in consideration of our entering into bonds to pay him one thousand pounds, at or after the death of my Lady Waad, which Money is now due. And I Philip Cage am ready to pay it, so as I may have the Sequestration of the Lands taken off, and enjoie the Extent.  
Witness my hand, this first day of August 1646. PHIL. CAGE. Witness us underneath, that M. Cage signed this. 

THO. CONNINGSBIE.  
CHR. HATTON.     

An Order of the Committee of ESSEX. JULIE II. 1649.  
IT is Ordered that Edward Elconhead Esquire, be desired to attend this Committee upon Thursdaie the six and twentieth of this instant Julie, at the Black-Boie in Chelms-ford, and bring with him the Charge against Master Thomas Violet, sometimes prisoner in the Tower of London, for Conspiracy against the Parliament, and Delinquency, as the said Master Elconhead hath formerly informed. The Order of this Committee, by which the Estate of the said Master Violet was Sequestered, the cause thereof, with the witnesses and proofs, to testify the Conspiracy and Delinquency of the said Master Violet. As also the Composition made with the Committee of Essex, for the Extent of the said Master Violet, and the Discharge made by this Committee upon payment of that Composition; That so this Committee may give an account of the whole business to the right Honourable the Barons of the Exchequer, according to their Order dated 28 May last.  
By the standing Committee for the County of Essex. 

THO. COOK.  
THO. HONYWOOD.  
W. ROW.  
ROBERT SMITH.  
BARNARD DESTON.  
J. MATTHEWS.  
JOHN feigning.     

An Acknowledgement of Mrs Mordant, concerning Tho. Violet's Bonds and Extent on the Manors of Battles, and Paton-Hall, in Essex.  
IArmenigilda Mordant, daughter to the late Lady Anne Waad, of Battles- Hall, in the County of Essex, and sister to James Waad Esquire; Do declare and testify, that my brother in Law, Philip Cage Esquire, and my late Husband Charles Mordant Esquire, had an Extent of the Manors of Battles and Paton Hall, in Essex, and divers other Lands in London and Middlesex, assigned over to them in trust to, and for the use of Thomas Violet of London Gold smith, until the sum of one thousand pounds were paid unto Thomas Violet, which they both entered into bonds in two thousand pounds, for the payment of one thousand pounds, within three years after the death of my mother, the Lady Anne Waad, viz. in this manner. The first year after my mother's death, four hundred of pounds to be paid; the second year, three hundred pounds; the third year, three hundred pounds more, in all the sum of one thousand pounds; and this bond was sealed and signed by my late Husband Charles Mordant, Philip Cage, & Edmund Lenthal Esquires, and my mother Dame Anne Waad, the sixth of Julie, 1638. and I Armenegilda Mordant, and Joan Campion, and divers others, are witnesses to the aforesaid Bonds, and that the assignment of the Extent from Master Violet of the Manors of Battles, and Paton- Hall, was but in trust until Master Violet had received the sum of one thousand pounds, and then such debts as my brother Philip Cage, and my Husband Charles Mordant, were engaged for, were afterwards to be answered out of my brother Waad's lands, and my foresaid mother the Lady Anne Waad died about June the third, one thousand six hundred forty three.  
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15 of August, 1649. per me Armenigilda Mordant.  
Witness on the signing hereof  
Vincent de la Bare Gerrard Whorwood.   

Another Order of the Committee of ESSEX, JULIE 28. 1649.  
IT is Ordered, that Master Edward Elconhead, do return to this Committee, upon thursday the 23 of August, the cause of the Sequestering the Estate of M. Thomas Violet, within this County.  
By the standing Committee of Essex. 

Bernard Deston.  
Tho. Honiwood.  
Robert Smith.  
William Harlackenden.  
Jo. Eldred.     
Upon Master Elconhead's several times attending the Committee of Essex, and not proving his Charge against me before the Committee; according to these Orders I did Petition the Committee of Essex, that they would require the Tenants of Battles and Paton. Hall, to forbear to pay Edward Elconhead any more rent, and to require Ed. Elconhead presently to bring into the Committee of Essex, all sums of money that he had received by virtue of their Order or Orders, on the Manors of Battles and Paton-Hall, to be deposited into the Committee's hands, till my cause was examined in Parliament; for Master Edward Elconhead finding I was in the displeasure of the Parliament, thought at once to give me a payment both for Master Waad's debt, and my life; and therefore M. Elconhead charge's me with a Conspiracy against the Parliament before the Committee of Essex, as appears under the Committee's hands by the two aforesaid Warrants; then Master Elconhead compound's with the Committee of Essex for three hundred pounds, that which I had all Master Waad's Lands under Extent, worth one thousand pounds Land a year, to pay me one thousand pounds due to me in 1643. which Lands of Master James Waad, upon colour of this Sequestration of the Committee of Essex, Master Elconhead ever since holds in his hands, and keep's Master Waad's Creditors without their Money; and though Master Waad hath a great Estate, more than will pay his debts, if it were well managed, to live like a Gentleman, yet Master Waad is kept in prison in great want, and Master Elconhead receives his Estate without any Account. And I had three several Bonds in two thousand pounds as aforesaid, for securing my money. Now if I had forfeited my Estate to the use of the County of Essex, the Committee for the County of Essex were not good husbands for the County, to let Master Elconhead have one thousand pounds good Estate for three hundred pounds; for they had Lands tied for it in their own County of Essex, of above three hundred pounds a year value. But the truth is, I have enquired whether ever any money was paid into the use of the County by Master Edward Elconhead of this three hundred pounds, and I cannot find any paid for the use of the County. I humbly desire the Committee for the Accounts of the Commonwealth, would take notice of it, and have it examined. I shall leave Master Elconhead to the world, to judge of him, to give me a Charge of Treason, and then by that means to get my Estate for a quarter of the pretended sum he compounded for, when I was close prisoner in the Tower, and could not make my defence; and then M. Edward Elconhead the 28 of Julie 1649. to deny before the Committee of Essex that he ever charged me with a Conspiracy against the Parliament, though it be attested by the Committees of Essex Warrant as aforesaid; and that Honourable Gentleman Sir Will. Rowe, told then to M. Elconhead before the Committee, that if he could not prove my conspiracy against the Parliament, he had done me Tho. Violet wrong, and the Committee of Essex wrong; for it was only upon M. Elconhead's Information to the Committee of Essex, that the Committee certified any thing against me to the Parliament, and wished M. Elconhead to bring the Acquittance of the Committee, for what money he had paid for this Extent, and he said the Ordinance of Parliament for giving my Estate away, which I had in that County, being an Extent on the Manors of Battle and Paton-Hall, was made on the Committee's Information to the Parliament against me, and their information was only grounded on M. Elconhead to the Committee; and if he could not prove his Charge, the Sequestration would cease, and what money M. Elconhead could prove he paid to the use of the County, should be paid him back; for if Master Elconhead failed in the foundation, all that was done on that Charge against me would cease, and I ought to be restored to the possession of my Lands in the County, but as yet I could not get the Committee of Essex to restore me to my possession, Master Elconhead desiring further time of the Committee; therefore I am an humble suitor to be relieved in Parliament.  
Here followeth the Copy of the late King's Letter.  
To Our Trusty and Wellbeloved, Our Lord Major and Aldermen of Our City of London, and all other our well affected Subjects of the City. It is Superscribed, Charles Rex. And beneath, By His majesty's Command, George Digbie.  
Trusty and Wellbeloved, We greet you well. When We remember the many Acts of Grace and Favor We and Our Royal Predecessors have conferred upon that Our City of London, and the many Examples of eminent Duty and Loyalty, for which that City hath been likewise famous, We are willing to believ, notwithstanding the great defection We have found in that place, that all men are not so far degenerated from their affection to Us, and to the Peace of the Kingdom, as to desire a continuance of the miseries they now feel; and therefore being informed, that there is a desire in some principal Persons of that City to present a Petition to Us, which may tend to the procuring a good understanding between Us, and that Our City, whereby the Peace of the whole Kingdom may be procured: We have thought fit to let you know, That We are ready to receiv any such Petition, and the Persons who shall be appointed to present the same to Us, shall have a safe conduct; And you shall assure all Our good subjects of that Our City, whose hearts are touched with any sens of duty to Us, or of Love to the Religion and Laws established, in the quiet and peaceable fruition whereof they and their. Ancestors have enjoied so great Happiness, That We have neither passed any Act, nor made any Profession or Protestation for the Maintenance and Defence of the true Protestant Religion, and the Liberties of the Subject, which We will not most strictly and religiously observe; and for the which We will not be always ready to give them any security that can be desired. And of these Our Gracious Letters We expect a speedy Answer from you. And so We bid you farewell.  
Given at Our Court at Oxford, in the nineteenth year of Our Reign: 26 Decemb. 1643.  
Two Letters foe Master Read's, sent to M. Theophilus Rilie, Scout-master of the City of London, from Oxford.  
SIR!  
I Wrote to you formerly, but never had any answer, I assure you faithfully I have not been wanting to do what you desired (as you may perceiv by the effects) and if you have not your desire, blame yourself, but give me leave to tell you, that if you neglect the opportunity now offered to you, it may be you shall never have the like again; for I have made those whom you have given just occasion to be your worst friends, to be your best, and the only instruments to procure what here is sent you, and be you confident she shall still be so, provided you do your part; consider I beseech you, what a gap is opened by bringing in of the Scots, for the destruction of this Kingdom, if there be not a Peace, (which I pray God Almighty to send speedily) you must expect Armies of Strangers from several places, who are now preparing, who certainly at their coing in will overrun the whole Kingdom, and when it is past remedy, you will see your own errors, and therefore to prevent more misery than I am able to express to this deplorable Kingdom, and the effusion of the blood of Millions of men, women, and children, which must inevitably be this Summer; apply your selus in an humble and submissive way to his Majesty, whom I know you will find ready with arms outstretched to receiv you to favour and mercy, and grant you favours, even beyond your expectation. Defer no time (for God's sake) and what you will do, do it speedily; I say again, do it speedily, for reasons, I may not write.  
The direction of the Letter by the same hand that it is written within, is for the Man in the Moon, without date.  
Sir!  
I Assure you I have not been wanting to further your good desires, and if it be not your own faults, I make no doubt but things will have an happy issue; for I find those that are most concerned in it, forward enough. Reflect now upon the misery of the times, and upon the groans and sufferings of those you see not, which yet have been nothing to what they will be, if not speedily prevented by a Peace; which to obtain, I beseech you, let it not only be your own care, but the care of all those you love, or have power with; otherwise be confident of a general ruin, which certainly will be inevitable both to your selus and posterity; and therefore take it into your serious consideration, and let not causeless jealousies hinder you to apply your selus in an humble and submissive manner to his Majesty, who I am sure will yet look upon you with a gracious eye; lose no time, for the longer you delay, it may prove the more difficult, no doubt.  
This last Letter I Tho. Violet delivered from Read to Master Rilie, in November 1643.  
UPon the bringing up to London of the aforesaid Letter of the late King, I Thomas Violet was examined before an Honourable Committee at Gold-smith's Hall the third of Januarie 1643. where I made the Honourable Committee acquainted, that the later of Master Read's Letters I delivered to Master Theophilus Rilie Scout-Master of the City of London, who was authorised by Ordinance of both Houses of Parliament, and by Act of the Common-Council of the City of London, to hold Intelligence in any of the King's Quarters; and that the said Theophilus Rilie did daily employ Intelligencers into the King's Quarters by Order of the City of London, and by authority of the Parliament, as he told me Tho. Violet; and that the said Theophilus Rilie, by virtue of his place, did procure my Pass from the then Parliament to go to Oxford, the twenty fift day of December, 1643. as appears by the Journal-Books in the House of Commons; and my Lord General Essex did give me a Pass to go to Oxford in Exchange for Master Haslerig, than prisoner in Beaver Castle, and this Warrant of my Lord General's, Sir Arthur Haslerig procured me by means of Master Rilie, I being prisoner, committed by the Parliament for my Twenty part; both which Warrants were procured for me Tho. Violet by Theophilus Rilie Scout-Master of the City of London, and I Tho. Violet did before the Honourable Committee plead Justification for my doing what I did, having the Warrant and Approbation of the Commonwealth's Scout-master for what I had done.  
And I than told the Honourable Committee that I conceived my Warrant from Master Rilie for what I did, was as sufficient as if I had had Master Elsing's Warrant: for M. Rilie was as he told me approved on by Order of Lords & Commons, and I knew by the consent of the Common-Council of the City of London, to be Scout-master for the City; and if he were a man unfit for such a trust & power, it was the fault in those that chose him, and not in me which was not to question his power, abilities, or trust, but to act according to his directions, as long as he had the Office of Scout-Master.  
Moreover I told the Honourable Committee, that before I went to Oxford, I desired Sir David Watkins Knight, to make the Committee of both Nations, who sat then at Darbie-Hous, acquainted with what I had done with Master Rilie the Scout-master of the City of London, that so I might do nothing but by the approbation of the Committee of both Kingdoms; and Sir David Watkins did make some of them acquainted with what I had done with Master Rilie, and I had their approbation to go to Oxford for the late King's Letter, and my Lord General's Pass as aforesaid.  
Moreover I declared to the Honourable Committeee at Gold-smith's Hall, that there was not then at the time of my bringing up of the late King's Letter, (being the 2d of Januarie 1643.) any Ordinance or Order to forbid me or any other person to bring up a Letter of Peace from the late King as ever I then heard of; and that by God's Law, where there is no Law, there can be no Transgression; and my bringing then the late King's Letter up to London, before a Law made to show me my rule to walk by, I humbly conceived could be no offence.  
And the reason wherefore I was willing to go to Oxford, for the late King's Letter, was, because I was told that some in London had procured the late King to send me his Commands, that I should not discover the Transporters of Gold & Silver to the Parliament, which I offered then the Parliament to do. And if I had not then been by the subtlety of some Finers, and some Transporters of Gold, having incensed the Honourable Committee against me, (& cast me into the Tower) but had been employed by the Parliament to make the Discovery of the Transporters of Treasure, I say, that all the Gold and Silver that since hath been Transported (which hath been a greater mischief to the Nation then can be expressed) had never been sent away; and by the fines of the offenders, would have come to the State a great and considerable sum to pay public debts, and such a Regulation settled by the Parliament, that none should have presumed to have Transported Gold or Silver for the future.  
Here followeth the late King's Letter verbatim, viz.  
Charles R.  
Trusty and Welford beloved, We Greet you well. Whereas We have formerly employed you for the Discovery of all such as Transported Gold and Silver Coin beyond the Seas, and all such likewise who contrary to the Laws, and for their own private gain, have Melted down great quantities of Silver; Wherein We acknowledge you did Us good and acceptable service, for which (when God shall enable Us) We do hereby promise to give you full satisfaction. And for that We understand that you are pressed by Our Two Houses of Parliament to proceed in the said Discovery, We do hereby strictly Command you that you intermeddle no further therein, without Our special Direction, As you will. answer the contrary at your peril. And for so doing, this shall be your sufficient Warrant. Given at Our Court at Oxford the nineteenth day of November 1643. in the nineteenth year of Our Reign, etc.  
By his majesty's Command, GEORGE DIGBIE.  
To Our Trusty and Wellbeloved Thomas Violet Goldsmith in London.  
And to get the late King to take off his Commands which he sent me by the aforesaid Letter, and to give me leave to Discover the Transporters of Gold & Silver, was the only reason that I went to Oxford: When I came to Oxford I besought the late King to give me leave to make the Discovery to the Parliament against the Transports of Gold, but he would not, and told me he reserved that business for himself, for it would make him good store of money when he came to London. Then I prayed him to give me leave to pay my Twenty part to the Parliament, and that it should be no damage to me, in regard the late King owed me one thousand nine hundred sixty eight pounds for what I had laid out in discovering the Transporters of Gold, which he readily consented to do, and bid me pay all Taxes laid on me, and that should not prejudice my debt he owed me, nor his favour to me, and that he would see me paid as soon he was able.  
I do humbly desire the Committee of Essex and Shropshier, and all others that have my Estate, to take notice that every one that is committed to the Tower by the Parliament, is not guilty of a Conspiracy against the Parliament. Col. Monk he was committed to the Tower, and cleared, and at this day a most gallant man in the Northern Army; Sir Tho. Bendish in the Tower, and cleared, and now Ambassador at Constantinople; and many Honourable Members of this Parliament have been committed upon displeasure of the Parliament, and yet restored to sit in Parliament again; I am sure of it I am, and can be more serviceable to the Parliament of England, than any Finer or Transporter of Gold hath, or can be, that maliciously have charged me to be a Malignant, for I will bring the State in fifty thousand pounds, if they will pass the Act against Transporting of Gold. And I humbly conceiv, no man ought to have his Estate taken from him, and given away, before he be convicted by Martial Law, or the Common Law of the Land. If those that have maliciously informed the Honourable Committee that examined me at Goldsmith's Hall, could have made good their Charge, or have proved any thing to my prejudice, they would have brought me to my Trial in the compass of four years, while I was prisoner in the Tower; I could not have avoided a Trial, or kept it off one day, and I know they left no stone unrolled, for they sat many days to have done me a mischief, and I have it from good hands; that worthy Gentleman Doctor Doreslaws told them, I had done nothing but what I could justify, having M. Theophilus Rilie's approbation and Warrant, he being a public Officer of Trust; and if any were in fault, it was M. Theophilus Rilie, who had abused his place and Trust, if he had done any thing beyond his Commission. But the truth was, they looked more to keep me close prisoner in the Tower, (that so I should not discover them that sent away the Treasure of the Nation) than any thing else; for they knew if I were abroad, I would have served the Parliament in that Discovery.  
To the Honourable Council for Trade I am an humble suitor, for restoring me to my Office for the Regulating the Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Thread, the Regulation is now depending before them, and with all my heart I humbly shall lay it at those grave Senator's feet, to regulate me and my fee, as they shall see the Office just and necessary, and for the benefit of the Commonwealth, and no further.  
For the Goods, Bonds, and Accounts taken at several times from my mother while I was in the Tower, I shall humbly desire any persons that did sequester them, to let me know of it, whither they were carried, and how disposed of, and I shall be bound to pray for them; and if they be inferior Officers, or others, that can tell me, they shall be well rewarded by me and God's blessing; for as yet I cannot hear who hath them, and my mother died in my close imprisonment in the Tower; and though by the great favour of Master Henry Martin one of the Right Honourable Council of State, I had liberty to go and see my mother whilst I was prisoner in the Tower, with two keepers, yet when I came to her, she was so spent, and her heart broke for my oppressions, she being threescore and seventeen years old, that she could not tell me any thing of my business, nor give me the least notice in the world who had taken my Goods, Bonds, and Accounts away, other then that she was plundered several times; and this old Master White the Warder of the Tower, Master Axtel, and Master Jackson, keepers in the Tower, knows to be true, who were with me all the times I saw her.  
For my Farm in the Custom-Hous, & for the late King's debt, with all my aforesaid losses, I do most humbly leave it to the Parliament, for my satisfaction; and I pray that the Committee of Shropshier may be Ordered to restore me my Bonds they seized of mine from my sister in London, being three Bonds in two thousand pounds for the paying me Tho. Violet one thousand pounds as aforesaid; and that I may be enabled by Order of Parliament to sue the said Bonds, and any other Bonds or Debts I have due to me; and the parties owing me any money that I can justly prove due to me, may be required by the Parliament to pay it to me, notwithstanding any Ordinance or Order of Parliament heretofore made; and my humble suit is to the Parliament, that the Committee of Essex be Ordered to put me into possession of the Manors of Battles. Hall, and Paton. Hall, they having forcibly driven Philip Cage out, when he was in possession for the use of me Tho. Violet, as appears by their own Orders, and that I may enjoie all the said Lands till the rent of sixteen hundred pounds be paid me, for so much I am out of purse.  
The truth is, this envy of some of the Finers, and some of the Wier-drawers, came upon me because I would not let the Wier-drawers cousin the late King of his duty while I had the Office, but to the uttermost of my power made them make all good Silver-Thread, and to have five Ounces to the pound Venice, and right Silver; and I have heard some of the Wier-drawers confess, that they had rather the State should choose forty Officers to look after the Excise, and Regulation of this Manufacture, than one Violet. And this, though it be a crime to them, is a service to the State, to have such an Officer, which knows all the ways how they are cozened in their Excise in this Manufacture, and to prevent it: and had not my place of surveying of this Manufacture been but I had still enjoied it, the State should have had twenty thousand pounds in their purse more than they have, only by the Excise on the commodity of Gold and Silver-Wier; and all this money is lost through the ignorance of the Officers of Excise, who know not how to manage the business; for I know the State many times hath Officers put into such places through the interest and affection of friends, that are utterly uncapable of such places they enjoie; whereby the State is at great charges in fees and salaries to ignorant men. But that is not the tenth part of the mischief the Commonwealth suffers by their fees; for through these men's ignorances', the State is cozened of the duties that should support the Commonwealth, as is notoriously visible in the Excise of Gold and Silver-Wier, which at four pence the Ounce at the Bar, which is laid on it by Ordinance aforesaid, would have made the State six thousand pounds a year: and by the ignorance and negligence of the Officers of Excise, it hath made the State not three hundred pounds a year for almost four years, which is not the twenty penny of what ought to have been collected. And if I had had my place, I would have seen every penny the Wier-drawers then paid for Excise, made twenty pence to the State.  
And this the Refiners and Wier-drawers know to be true, and that makes some of them so unwilling that I should have my Office again; they fear I should be commanded by the State to use my uttermost endeavours for the collecting of those Arrears that are in the Wier-drawer's and Refiner's hands, and to restrain them for the future, many of them having bought Lands and grown rich with the money they own to the State, which is fit to pay the Arrears of the Army, then to lie in their hands.  
Now whereas the dispute is, which can afford it cheapest, the Wheels or the Hand-spinners, I say, the best is best cheap; the Hand-spinners, work will make two shillings eight pence, and three shillings the Ounce to the melting pot, and last six times as long in Lace, as some of the Wheelwork will do; and when this Wheelwork returns to the melting pot, it makes not one shilling six pence the Ounce, nay, some of it not twelv pence the Ounce, the Silver being most of it galled and brushed off the Silk. And this the Goldsmiths and Tailors know to be true, that within this ten years all the slight Wheelwork came up, which makes not half so much to burn, as it did formerly in Lace. And whereas it is objected that some of the Hand-spinners work and spin Silver-Thread, as slight as the Wheels, which I believ cannot be done; but if it be done, they ought both Wheel-spinners, and Hand-spinners, to be severely punished, if they do not put into one pound Venice of Thread, at least five Ounces Troie of Silver-plate; and a sworn Officer that is no Trader in the Manufacture to Regulate the Trade, for whatsoever they put less in Silver then five Ounces Troie to one pound Venice, is a damage to the wearer, and the wearer is cheated by paying for Silver, when he Silk for his money, by which means the Lace will not wear a quater so long as if the Silver were bound in with a strong plate of Silver; for you may observe your slight Silver Laces, one part where it comes to wearing, that looks like Silk Laces, the Silver being all stripped and galled off the Silk; but make it with a strong plate, you shall have the Silk wear away, and the Silver remain.  
I do humbly desire in the behalf of the poor Women-spinners, and some of the working Wier-drawers of London, that their printed Petition for a Regulation of the trade may be considered; And for the service of the Commonwealth, that a rule may by your Honours be set, what fineness of Silver all the Gold and Silver employed in the Wier-drawer's Trade, shall be made, and that it be all assayed at the Bar, and that what person soever, that shall sell Gold or Silver-Wier, before it be assayed, and the duties paid, which shall be settled by your Honours, and approved on by the Parliament, shall for the first offence lose all the Silver so wrought to the State, and the party that shall discover it to have one tenth part for his service; and for the second offence, to lose his or their freedom, and be dismissed of his and their Trades for ever.  
The like penalties for such as work Silver courser then the Standard, and such as pay not the duties at the Bar reserved to the State, and such as do not put five Ounces of Silver at the least upon every Venice pound of Gold and Silver-Thread.  
Then I humbly commend unto your Honours as an Excellent pattern for a Regulation, the Copy of Sir John Bank's Certificate (the late King's Attorney General) to the late King; which if you tie the Wier-drawers and Refiners to that rule, the Trade will be maintained here to the Profit and Honour of the Nation.  
And whereas it is objected, that some of the Spinners by the Hand make as slight Gold and Silver-Thread, as the Wheels: Truly if they do, they ought to be punished, any Hand-spinner that put's less Silver in a pound Venice, than five Ounces Troie of Silver; for whether the slight Thread be made by hte the Hand-spinners or Wheels, is not so much to the point, for which of them soever doth it, cousin's's the Commonwealth: and therefore a sworn Officer to look to them both, is for the service of the Commonwealth,  
But if it be left to the Refiners, and Wier-drawers, to melt up the Plate and heavy Coin of this Nation, as they have done, for this Manufacture, the Trade so managed is a canker to the Commonwealth, and will in time eat out the bowels of the stock of Money of this Nation.  
I myself when I was an Apprentice, delivered to Alderman Gibs for my Master, in little more than one above twenty thousand heavy shillings and six pences melted into Ingots; and when I told his brother Richard Gibs within this two months, that he knew it to be true, for at that time he was his brother's Apprentice, he replied it was not in Coin, but in Ingots, and that he conceiv's might excuse his brother.  
The truth is, as this Trade is managed, it is a great waste of the treasure of the Nation, for this is the usual way of it to furnish some of the Refiners and some of the Wier-drawers with Silver; some of the Goldsmiths they are general Cashiers for many Merchants, they receiv this money for nothing, then when they have it in their houses, they cull it and melt down that which is the weightiest, and melt it into Ingots, which is bought up by some of the Refiners, and some Wier-drawers, and fined for Gold and Silver Lace; and according as some of the Manufactures are made by the Wheels, five parts of six are swept away and wasted, and never returns to the melting pot, and this is known and seen to many men.  
And for this, and other abuses practised on the Coin and Bullion of the Nation, there is the draft of an Act of Parliament commended from the Council of State, and twice read in the House, which when it is past, I shall with all humility give the State a true discovery of all these abuses, and prevent the like for the time to come, which will be a great service to the Nation.  
Then that there may be an account kept of all the Silver made in this Manufacture, and such Merchants contraoted with, that once in the compass of a year, what is spent in this Manufacture, may be coined, or at least so much, as upon a calculation of the surveior of the Manufacture, shall be delivered to the State that he conceiv's the Bullion and Treasure is wasted: But for your Honours to settle the Trade of Refining of Gold and Silver, and Wier-drawing, in a Corporation, as it is now desired by the Wier-drawers, it were to make all the speed possible, that that little Silver in Coin which is yet left in the Nation, should be culled and melted up for Gold and Silver Lace, and leave it to their good discretions and honesties, to manage the other parts of their Trade. The poor Spinners and some workmen, desire your Honours to the contrary; for as they have beaten them down in the prices, that many of them are ready to starv, so if the whole power of governing the Trade were left to sixteen of their wisdoms and discretions, which is a Master, and Wardens, and Assistants, than should the workmen and work-women's face be ground and oppressed. These Master-work-men that desire this Corporation, are not forty, and the workmen and work-women thousands; I shall with all humility tell you what Foreign Nations do to Regulate their Money and Bullion, & these Manufactures: and unless you have the like rule here, I humbly conceiv it will be impossible to restore the Mint, to keep the Goldsmiths within compass, or the Wier-drawers in any rule; for many of them have got to licentious height and pride, having got great Estates by culling Money, selling Gold and Silver to transport, buying of clipped Money, and paying it away again, and twenty other tricks, that they are so proud, they know not whether they stand on their heels or their head; but the Act against transporting these, when it comes forth, will regulate them all.  
I say, if you will have these abuses rectified as in France, Flanders, Spain, Germany, and other Countries, I humbly conceiv, you must erect a Council for Monies and Bullion; for in France I have seen great Volumes of Arguments of the Government and Management of Money and Bullion, and the due Regulation is of mighty importance as your affairs now stand; and in all Foreign Countries, the States, that are Kings, or Commonwealths, have a particular care, and make the mysteries of managing their treasure, matter of the greatest state and policy; and Gold and Silver, either in Coin or Bullion, the late Kings & Queens in England, did ever appropriate the especial management of them to themselves, as being a business of State.  
And though now by the blessing of God, we are a free State, and the Nation a free Nation, I humbly conceiv, not so free, that the Bullion and Coin of the Commonwealth should be Manufactured and wasted without any account, and without any regard for the bringing in Foreign Bullion for the proportion is spent here, in the making Gold and Silver-Thread, without offering the State an Excise fit for to be imposed on so superfluous a commodity; when these Wier-drawers voluntarily offered the late King one thousand pound a year, and two pence an Ounce, and the Refiners did give the late King six pence the Ounce; and this to be done in a King's time, in a time when the Commonwealth had no Armies to pay; which six pence the Ounce, almost all of it was given by the late King to a couple of Courtiers, the Earl of Holland two thousand pounds a year, the Countess of Roxborough twelv hundred pounds a year. If the Wier-drawers would pay the Arrears they own to the State, and submit to a Regulation for the present, and bind themselves to work good Silver, well covered with five Ounces Silver to a pound Venice, seal all the Gold and Silver-Thread as formerly, and pay the duties shall be imposed on them by the State for Excise, and keep an account of all the Silver Manufactured by a comptroller, there might be some hopes that this Manufacture might be regulated: if they will not, I humbly conceiv, if the Parliament pass the Act against Transporting Gold and Silver, and have a Council for Monies, according as it is in other Countries, it will regulate the abuses of this Trade, and all others that trade in Gold and Silver.  
If the State had had a Council for Monies eight years ago, as they have in Foreign Countries, I believe Cheapside-Cross would have yielded them more moneys than it made the State: I do humbly desire that it may be examined, how many fodder of Lead was made of the Cross; for all the figures were Led, and who bought it, and what they paid a fodder, and the total sum in money was paid for it.  
Then I do humbly desire to have the party or parties that bought the Lead of the Cross examined upon Oath, whether they did ever fine or refine the Lead, and parted the Gold from the Lead, by blowing it down in an Almondfurnace, and then refining it on attest; and what Gold they extracted out of it, to give a just account of the pound weights and Ounces of Gold, he or they refined and extracted out of the Lead of Cheapside-Cross.  
Then that all men would be pleased to take notice of the long continuance of Cheapside-Cross, since it was made, and in how many King's and Queen's Reigns it was guilt, the Citie-Books I believ will show, this very Cross with the Leaden figures.  
And then that they take notice that the Rain and Weather decaie's not the Gold, for it will sink into the Lead; and though it change colour, and tarnish with the Wether, yet the Body of Gold is in the Lead. And all men know the superstition of former times did not care what Gold they laid on Popish Relics; and I believ the Citie-Books will show many thousand pounds laid out in Gold for guilding Cheapside-Cross upon several occasions.  
I do humbly conceiv that when the Cross was sold, it was sold by the State only for Lead, and the State had no more for it but for Lead; and if any did refine, and part that Lead, and converted the Gold to their own use, (that all that Gold which was sold for two pence the pound weight, the State ought to have an account for it) and my desire to them that bought it, is, that they would give the just value of all the Gold they extracted out of Cheapside-Cross, to the poor maimed soldiers, towards their relief and maintenance, they having never paid the State for it.  
The taking away of Crosses, and Superstition, and plucking of them down, I thank God for; but withal, I would not that the State should sell Gold at two pence the pound weight to any person, upon what pretence of service or well-deserving soëver; for after that rate the Parliament may have servants too many for their profit, and in managing business in this manner, the whole Commonwealth suffers, and some private persons get mighty Estates, to the great damage of the Commonwealth in general. I humbly say, what is the Commonwealth's, aught to be sold at the best advantage and improvement for the public, and and not for private respects, sold at an under value, upon any pretence to any private person whatsoëver. I know for speaking this truth. I shall have envy, but my comfort is, it will be by or from none but interested parties; and all those that are not, will thank me for speaking truth.  
The Parliament heretofore made many Provisional Acts, some only to continue to the next Sessions of Parliament, which was sometimes three, five, seven, ten, fifteen years before a Parliament was called, and no remedy could be had out of Parliament, if that these Acts were found prejudicial to the State till the next Sessions of Parliament. Now by the blessing of God on this Nation, these inconveniences are remedied, for the Parliament sits always; so that if the Parliament pass any Act, which they shall find upon just grounds either to add to it, or take from it, they have it in their own power to alter it upon the trial, if a Law should pass which were not for the general good of the Nation.  
I being required to attend the Committee of the Council of State, about the Act now presented to the Parliament, I did see, and was privy upon what grave consideration every branch of the Act now depending before the Honourable Committee, was framed and put down by the Committee of the Council of State, before ever it was recommended to the Parliament. And I do humbly desire for the service of the Commonwealth, if any alteration be made in the Act, those that drew the draft of the Act, may be required to attend the Committee to give their reasons for the whole Act, or any part of it; for upon the effectual passing of this Act, much doth depend for the safety of this Nation, and it is of an higher concernment to the Nation, than I can express; and I humbly conceiv, there ought to be no respect of private interest, where the safety of the Nation is so highly concerned.  
I humbly desire the Honourable Committee, that the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint may be taken into your serious considerations, there being very few men in the Nation, can speak so much upon their own experience of these abuses concerning the Treasure of the Nation, as these Gentlemen, the Officers of the Mint have certified, which ever since their Certificate, hath been found in every part to be true.  
The Mint standing still and neglected, the Treasure that hath been Imported, was never brought into the Mint, but Exported out again; by which means for the private gain of a few men, the Nation is ruined and impoverished, and a Trade Inwards and Outwards, driven without paying of Custom, and the Stock of Treasure of the Nation almost all Exported in these times, now there is so much occasion for money, to the admiration and astonishment of many lovers of the Commonwealth, that truly understand the secrets and mysteries of Trade,  
And what mischiefs these do will in the end bring upon this Commonwealth, is deeply apprehended by many wise men, and can have no stop but by a vigorous Act to bring the Offenders to Exemplary Justice, whose Fines and Compositions, throughout the Nation, will amount to many scores of thousands of pounds to the States, for the payment of public debts, if Commissions of inquiries according to former precedents be granted by Act of Parliament throughout the Nation, to inquire for the last ten years of these abuses.  
If in declaring what hath passed at the Committee, and of other Transactions, be not usual, I shall, and do humbly desire to have my pardon; for if my silence might not have endangered the Commonwealth, this that I have said, should never have come to public view; for I know how to keep secrets as well as some other men.  
I have read of one that was born dumb, and so continued for many years; seeing one coming to kill his Father, cried out, God save my Father, and so gave timely warning for his Father to prevent the danger. A happy speaking of the Child for the Father. Truly I count the Obligation to my Country, above the Obligation to my Father.  
I have seen this danger many years coming upon the Nation. Though I am but young, and ignorant in other business, I am sure there are but few, if any in the Nation, that have had those ways and means to find out, and discover these mischiefs, which I have. I know and apprehend more than I will or can express.  
The great mischiefs Transporting Gold and Silver bring's on this Nation, I apprehend.  
The condition of your Army, which must be burdensome, if they have not money to pay for Quartering, I apprehend the danger and damage.  
The necessity of Tradesmen, and Handie-Crafts men will be put to for want of employment, upon the scarcity of money, making all Trade to decay, I apprehend.  
The sad condition of poor people, who will be enforced for want to part with their clothes, their bedding, their dishes they eat their meat in, I apprehend.  
The danger the want and poverty of the poor will bring upon this State, if there be not ways found out to bring Money into the Nation, I do very sadly and seriously apprehend the inconveniences.  
And therefore I cry, God save the Commonwealth.  
God put it into the hearts of the Parliament, to see to keep that little money we have yet left; and to find out and punish those that have cheated, and rob the Commonwealth of their Treasure, and to study ways how to bring in money into the Nation; for if this be not done speedily, in all probability, greater inconveniences than I dare write, will come on the Commonwealth.  
Much more I could say, but if these Reasons before recited, nor the Certificates of the Officers of the Customs, and the Certificate of the Officers of the Mint, & several reasons of some Aldermen of the City of London, for the stopping of the Transporting of Gold & Silver, and the City of London's Petition to the Parliament, presenting the great inconveniences Transporting Treasure hath brought upon this City of London, and the Nation; I humbly say, if all these will not prevail, I have done: For if I should write a Volume as big as Speed's Chronicle, I cannot give more clear satisfaction of the necessity of passing this Act.  
If God hath decreed this Nation shall be cozened of all its Treasure, and the Offenders not questioned, nor diligent enquiry made after it, and such means as our Ancestors and other Nations (having far less occasion for money than we have) do daily practise; to prevent these mischiefs, and discover the Offenders, I shall with all humility submit to God's Providence, and rest satisfied.  
I have clearly discharged my duty to my Country, in declaring this business to the Commonwealth, that so they may know the true reasons of the scarcity of Gold and Silver in the Nation, and the damage they sustain by the want thereof, and how the Mint comes to be obstructed, that almost no Money hath been Coined for these three last years.  
For some men that have clamored at me for first engaging to discover the Transporters of Gold and Silver in the year 1635. in the late King's time, I shall desire them to consider, that I was first complained of by the Goldsmiths themselves, being at the Council-Table, 1634. for buying up of Light Gold, and Transporting of it into France, as Mr Perin the Goldsmith in Cheapside told me the same day that some Goldsmiths complained of me at the Council-Table; I going then up to White-Hall, to see what the Goldsmiths did, and upon their complaint, I was committed close prisoner for twenty weeks; and yet for all that, death would have been more welcome to me then to have discovered the Merchants at that time, and this Doctor Amies, Master Turner, and Master White, all of London, and now living, know. But when I found the Merchants joined against me, that were Transporters of Gold themselves, I was willing to make my peace, though it cost me dear, and not suffer longer for ungrateful men.  
When I was engaged in the late King's service, I was ever faithful to all his just Commands, and to the uttermost of my power did serve him in all lawful ways, and beyond that I would never go.  
Now with all humility I have humbly tendered myself to the Parliament, for I think & believ, & I speak as in the presence of God, I living under their protection, I am as much bound to serve them faithfully, as ever I did the late King; and I have this advantage in the change, Kings die, but the Parliament of England, as it is now established, never dies: so that here I humbly fix and prostrate, lay myself, and all my endeavours to the uttermost of my power to improve the interest and service of the Parliament, as it is now established, without King or Lords, against any person whomsoëver.  
It may be objected by some men, that I have not done prudently in declaring so much for the service of the State, as I have done, before I knew my conditions, what the State would do for me; for by these informations, I have given light enough to have others to go on, and lay the foundation of the Regulating of the Trade of this Nation, and it may be now done by others as well as by myself. This in part I grant to be true; but my cause, is not every man's cause; I was blasted by the devilish invention of some men, and to the City of London, Army, and the Parliament, presented as a Malignant, a Papist, one dis-affected to the Parliament and present Government, as it now established, without King, or House of Lords: So that being under this cloud, and hard opinion of the State, and suffering so long time in the Tower, as before I have said, and my Estate still under Sequestation, it did highly concern me to take any opportunity to remove this hard opinion off me, and that the Parliament might see from the bottom of my heart my seal in deeds, and not in words, to do them service.  
I have with all humilitie-truly and plainly stated this business, and I hope have laid the groundwork for the setting of other more learned heads on work, for the perfecting what I have roughly begun; and that the Commonwealth will receiv a great advantage by it: and if the Parliament shall pleas to command me to serve them in any of these particulars, they shall not find many men will do them service on the terms I shall, and do with all humility offer them; for I will willingly, so I may have my Estate, & Offices restored again to me, or their value, which have been taken from me, upon misinformation of some malicious people, give the maimed soldiers that have fought in the Parlament's service since the death of the late King, one half of my Estate I shall die possessed of; and to the maimed Seamen, that are employed in the State's service, since the death of the late King, one quarter-part of my Estate, which I shall die possessed of; and the other quarter-part, I will, and do reserv to give to some friends; so that three parts of four of what I have, or shall have, comes to those that have, or shall have ventured their lives in the State's service; and I am, and shall be no more but a faithful Steward to improve my Estate to their advantage. And for the true performance of this, I will willingly give a perfect Account to the Master's of Trinitie-Hous, and of Saint Thomas Hospital in Southwark once every year, and give them a perfect Invoys of my Estate, and where it remain's, with security not to pass any of it away, other then for my expenses for my maintenance; and to have the disposing of one entire quarter-part to some kindred or friends of mine, at my death; the other three parts to be freely given to the relief of maimed soldiers and seamen, that have or shall be employed in the Parlament's service, provided I may be restored to my Estate.  
And this I do not as I am conscientious of any evil wittingly or willingly, I ever acted against the State (for I stand upon my innocence) but I do it really, that it may be a pattern to some that have blasted me to the State as a Malignant, and a Delinquent, they having no children, and have got some scores of thousands of pounds by the Parlament's service; that they in humble thankfulness to God for his mercy, would bestow a good part on the poor, and for the future be ashamed of scandalising me, when the reality of my words and deeds disprove them to the whole world; for Malignants make not such free will-offerings to the poor maimed soldiers, and maimed seamen, that have, and shall lose their limbs in the defence of their Country and Liberties, as it is now settled, without King, or Lords: and though it may not be above a mite in comparison to the State, I cannot possibly express my real intentions in the Parlament's service, more than by these my words and deeds. And I will upon the peril of my life, bring the Parliament in fifty thousand pounds by the Fines and Compositions of the Transporters of Gold and Silver, and such as have practised many abuses on the Coins and Bullion of the Nation, within the compass of one year, besides what sums hereafter, if Commissions according to former precedents be granted, and if the Parliament pleas to pass the Act as it is now drawn, against Transporters of Gold; which Act was recommended by the Council of State to the Parliament, and hath been twice read in the Parliament House, and committed; and when it passe's the House, the Mint in the Tower of London will again flourish, a business of the greatest honour, profit, and safety to the Nation in general, that can be, as your affairs now stand.  
What is here said, is with all humility presented to the Parliament for the service of the Commonwealth, by a faithful lover of his Country; being desired to state my Reasons by some in Authority for passing the aforesaid Act, I humbly conceiv (if it were made stricter than it is) it were far better for the Commonwealth: For Transporting Treasure heretofore hath been made Felony, when the Commonwealth, I humbly conceiv, had not so much occasion to see to keep their Treasure in the Nation, and the Mint going, as now they have.    
Signed THOMAS VIOLET. London, Feb. 12. 1651.   

An Index of the principal matters contained in these PROPOSITIONS.  

LEgorn, Genoa, and Amsterdam have raised themselves to their Greatness only by giving Merchant-strangers equal privileges with their Natives, Prop. 1. pag. 1.  
The great Wealth that hath been gotten in Amsterdam, in bringing of Merchandizes thither, though exported back Custom-free: And the like advantageous Trade at Dover, upon the Composition Trade, now brought to poverty for the want of free Trade, Pr. 2. p. 3.  
The dangerous effects of great Customs either in Kingdom or Commonwealth, Pr. 3. p. 3, 4.  
Spain lost almost all its Customs of Goods imported from the West and East Indies, only by laying an excessive Custom; whereas if they would have been content with a moderate Custom, the Wealth of the East and West Indies would have been landed for Spain, which now very scarcely toucheth that Land, Pr. 4. p. 4, 5.  
In France, Spain, Holland, Poland, Legorn, Genoa, and many other places, the Merchant-strangers pay no more Customs than the Natives. I Thomas Violet was commanded 14 years ago by the late King, to attend the Lords of the Council about free Trade: and the reasons wherefore it went not on, was, the old Farmers of he Customs, and the Lord Cottington were against it; with the grounds of their averseness against free Trade Pr. 5. p. 5, 6.  
If free Trade had been settled 14 years ago, the Nation would have gotten many millions of money before this time, and our ships not so easily lost as they have been, Pr. 6. p. 6.  
We are rob by our own Seamen, who have their wives and families here, in and about London, and several other parts of this Nation, Pr. 7. p. 7.  
Good security to be given, not to defraud the State of the Custom or Excize of any Goods imported and spent in this Nation, Pr. 8. p. 7, 8.  
The great abuse in the Excize and Customs heretofore, by collecting of them, and the profuse expense of inferior Clerks, beyond their allowance, which must be maintained in an indirect way, to the prejudice of the State; for where the Constable is a Thief, the Felon will hardly be found. Stricter penalties to be made against stealing Excize and Customs, Pr. 8. p. 8.  
No Ships to put to Sea, but in Fleets with good Convoie, Pr. 9 p. 8.  
Several Governments in Companies highly prejudicial to the Nation in general, instance in three particulars, but there are many score more: First, as in Oil, Currant, and English Cloth, the miscarriage of the Merchant-Adventurers hath caused the Manufactures of Cloth to be set up beyond Seas, Pr. 9 p. 9, 10.  
Give the Dutch the same privileges they give our Natives, you will draw all their rich Merchants into our Harbours; for they had rather bring their Goods unto our safe Harbours in England, then run the hazard of their Texel at Amsterdam, where they lose forty sale of Ships a year, if they could have their Goods brought hither with as little charge as to Amsterdam, Pr. 10. p. 10, 11, 12.  
If you allow a free Trade, and let no man have greater privileges than other, you will sell ten Clothes for one that is now sold, Pr. 10. p. 12.  
That you would treat speedily with the Fishmongers, about serving the Nation with fish, this being the season of the year for doing it, and so maintain your nursery of Fishermen. And to prohibit, for some time, the kill of Lambs and Sheep. The benefit that will accrue thereby, Pr. 11. p. 12, 13.  
That you appoint some eminent Merchant and send him into Spain, to treat in the behalf of the Merchants in England, about the Spaniards returning Gold and Silver for England from Spain, and other Merchandizes. That the prime Merchants in London, which are strangers, may be consulted with about it, for they are the most likely to draw their Trade hither by a Treaty with their Countrymen, Pr. 12. p. 13, 14.  
That the Parliament would be pleased to declare, That no Imbargoe or Sequestration be upon any Gold or Silver brought into the Mint. This is desired by some Merchant-strangers, that know the Spaniard will not trust his Treasure to be liable to Imbargoes for Delinquency of his Factor, Pr. 13. p. 14.  
To lay small duties upon English Cloth, and all manner of Woollen Manufactures, and so to lessen the Customs, as we may undersell any other Nation; and to make transporting Wool and Fuller's Earth Felony, Pro. 14, 15. p. 14.  
To lay little duty upon raw Silk, Flax, Goat's-hair, Cotton, Wool, Grogran-Yarn, that so our poor may be set on work. That some French and Walloon Weavers be invited into this Nation, and ordered to, ●ake our English poor to teach them; these being Manufactories whereby many thousand people may be set a-work, and we get a rich Manufacture into this Nation, as appears Pr. 15. p. 15, 16.  
That you would be pleased to make the late King's House at Greenwich a Magazine for Goods; the reasons are, by this means the City of London will never have a dearth of Corn, and have all Commodities at the best hand, when the Merchant shall have liberty to export such Goods as he cannot sell here, after that he hath tried his Markets, Custom-free, Prop. 16. p. 16, 17.  
Several reasons, to show what benefit will come to the Nation by Naturalising all Merchant-strangers, such as shall come over and plant amongst us, and bring their Families, by former experience of the Dutch, that have planted amongst us; witness several Families now abiding here, Pr. 17. p. 17, 18.  
About the importation of French Wines, that it makes the State near upon two hundred thousand pounds a year; and the Wine● and Casks cost in France the first penny, not one hundred and fifty thousand pound. Then that it is considerable, the many thousand of people live on that, as Wine-coopers', Vintners, Carmen, Wine-Porters. Besides, I am informed there will forty Sail of Ships this year come away from the Canaries unladen, the Wines this year having failed; and if there be not some course taken to bring in French Wines, hundreds of Vintners will break. The money that comes in by the Excize and Impost will keep a good Fleet to defend our Navigation; two hundred thousand pound a year is a very considerable sum, Pr. 18. p. 19  
About setting up a Manufacturie of Linen Cloth, and the several great advantages would come to the Commonwealth thereby, Pr. 19 p. 20, 21.  
About keeping an exact account in the Nation of all the Native's Goods exported, and foreign Goods imported; by which means you would constantly see yearly, what the Importation exceeds the Exportation, and so would be certainly informed, how the stock of the Nation stands, Pr. 19 p. 20.  
If you make a free Trade, you will have Stocks of Foreigners lie here to balance any Embargo, and make good to the Nation when our Merchants are oppressed beyond Seas; for upon Imbargoes it is not only the Merchants suffer, but the Nation, Pr. 20. p. 22.  
The great advantages and benefits will come to this Nation by making a free Trade; by the same means the Dutch, from as small and contemptible beginning, have held War against the most potent Prince in Christendom, and after fourscore years' war, compelled him to give them their own Conditions, Pr. 21. p. 23.  
Great inconveniences arising to the State, by not having skilful and able men to manage the Customs by the former rules in L. Treasurer Burly ' s time, and since all Custom-hous-men were to put in security, not only for the money they received, but also that they should well and faithfully execute their places, in guarding all things prohibited exportation and importation; and that no officer of the Customs should trade as a Merchant. Those Laws were made upon great consideration, and highly for the service of the State, Pr. 22. p. 24.  
Several heads of a Model for a Court of Merchants in London, to determine their differences upon Accounts and Merchandizing, as it is in France and other Countries, where all Merchants, that are honest men, find the great benefit comes to them by giving a speedy dispatch of their business. My humble request is, That the principal Merchants in London may be spoke withal, and their humble desires granted to them concerning this business Pr. 22. p. 25, 26, 27, 28.  
A Petition to have the East-India and Persia Company bring in the Books of Invoices of all the Gold and Silver sent by them into India and Persia for thirty years; this is no new thing, for in Parliament, in 1620. they were ordered to bring in their accounts for 1601 to July 1620. They had shipped for India five hundred forty eight thousand and ninety pounds sterling in Spanish money, and some Flemish and German dollars; which Account was presented ub Parliament at that time. The Reasons wherefore I move to have this business examined, is, because we have now no Courtiers to bribe, nor I hope no other will dare to take any Bribes, if I knew them, I would not fear to name them▪ When this business is throughly examined, the▪ East India Company will be found very faulty, and as the affairs of the Commonwealth do stand, aught to have a quick and strict Examination in Parliament, p. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33.  
An humble request to the Council of State, to have the Act pass against transporting Gold and Silver, and six several Reasons for the doing thereof, for the honour and safety of the Nation, p. 35.  
The Treasure of England like a quantity of water in a Cistern, we have no spring of Treasure in the thousand proportion as Spain hath, p. 35.  
In Holland, when they first made it a free State, the Edicts which I have translated, show what severe penalties were put on Transporters of Gold or Silver, p. 36.  
In England any man may transport Corn freely when it is at four shillings a bushel, but not when it is twelv shillings. Let us get as much in stock of money as the Dutch, and have as little Lands as they, than we might make money a Merchandise, p. 36, 37.  
Against the Goldsmith's buying clipped English money, and putting it away again to Graziers or others, p 38.  
The great sums of money the Navy and Army take up, and the dangerous consequence to the whole Commonwealth, not to call the Transporters of Treasure to a strict account, to terrify others for the future, and by their Fines to make some reparation to the State, p. 38, 39  
The names of such Goldsmiths and Merchants that were sentenced in Star-chamber, for melting down the heavy currant Coin of this Nation, and for transporting Gold and Silver, being fined in the Court of Star-chamber the 25 Jan. 12 Caro. and the 17 Febr. 12 Caro. at twenty four thousand and one hundred pounds, p. 46.  
Against several great abuses practised by several Goldsmiths, in gathering up several sorts of foreign Gold and Silver, and English Gold, for several people who buy it up of them to transport, and culling and melting down the currant Silver Coin of the Nation, for to transport or to sell it to such as make Gold and Silver Wier and Thread, p. 47, 48, 49.  
The great mischiefs that will come to all settled Revenues, if Gold and Silver be raised, p. 49.  
The deadness of Trade in Spain when the West-India Fleet doth not bring in Silver; that year the Fleet comes not to Spain, no trading in Spain, p. 50.  
The design of our dear Brethren of Scotland, to circumvent this Nation, both of all their Gold, Money, and Movables, in buying up most of the plundered▪ Goods in London and other parts of the Nation, not paying half the value, and in monopolising the Coals that served London, and other parts of this Nation, into their own hands, and then raising the price at four times as much as they were sold for before, all the time of the restraint of bringing coals from Newcastle, ▪ till Newcastle was reduced to the Parliament, p. 51, 52.  
The Scots, when they were in the North of England, as far as their Army came, dated their Letter from Durham, Cumberland, Ferribrig, Newcastle in Scotland; I hope the Officers of our Army, in requital, may date all their Letters, from Edinburg in England, p. 52.  
Several Laws and Ordinances for regulating the Mints and moneys, and concerning the exchanges and Exchangers of Money, Refiners, Goldsmiths, and others in the united Provinces, Anno 1586. p. 53, 54, 55, 56, 57  
The policy of this Nation hath always aimed at, and intended the increase and augmentation of Money, especially that of Silver, and this by divers Statutes and Laws, p 57, 58.  
For the new Act against transporting of Gold and Silver, and recommended by the Council of State, and twice read in the House: it is drawn from the example and precedent of the 18 Eliz. cap. 9 against transporting Leather, and Tallow, and raw Hides, and the late Ordinance 1647. against transporting Fuller's-Earth, and the claus that encourageth the Instruments to discover the offences, are drawn by the precedent 18 Eliz, cap. 9 and other Ordinances and Edicts of other States, that give like exemptions and encouragement to such, as though guilty themselves in the second degree, and the claus touching Commissions and Examination of Witnesses for discovery, and to commit them, in case of refusal, to be examined, is done 13 Elizab. cap. 7. p. 58, 59, 60.  
An Ordinance for the general regulating of the Mint, at Brussels the 18 March 1633. p. 60, 61, 62, 63, 64.  
An Ordinance for the regulating the Mint at Brussels, the last day of May 1644. p. 65, 66.  
A Declaration of the King of France for regulating the new price set upon light and clipped Species of Money; likewise for the observation of the prizes of Gold and Silver employed for the Goldsmith's work. It is also expressly forbidden to melt the Money, and to transport it, or any other materials of Gold and Silver, out of the said Kingdom. Printed at Paris 30 Octob. 1640. p. 66, 67.  
What general Laws and Statutes in England from time to time have provided against transporting Gold, or melting down the currant Coin, and buying Gold and Silver at above the price of the Mint, and Commissions made throughout England, to inquire of such as transported Money, 14 Ric. 2. cap. 12. p. 67, 68, 69, 70.  
The easy escape of the Transporters of Gold and Silver, hath encouraged the Merchants and others to transport the Treasure. Little penalty cannot hinder the Merchant from his profit, p. 70.  
The several abuses and cheats of some Goldsmiths and others, taking advantage of the Parliaments decrying all light and clipped English Silver, which mischiefs had been prevented, if there had been put into the Ordinance, to require all people upon the exchanging of clipped English Money, to cut it in two p●ices, p. 70, 71, 80.  
Twenty Millions of Money coined in the Tower of London, within this twenty five years, as will appear by the Mint-Book, and almost all transported, p. 71.  
No great Action in a Commonwealth, can be done without Money; therefore to prevent the growth of this mischief of transporting Treasure, is the work of every faithful lover of his Country p. 72.  
An old Dear-stealer is the best Keeper of a Park▪ Yet before I had my pardon, I paid to the late King two thousand pounds in Gold to his privy purse p. 79.  
Great mischiefs formerly done to the Army in Ireland by paying their Army with light and course pieces of eight, which was delivered to them at twenty in the hundred more than any Soldier could make, to make any returns to their wives and children; and this was done for the profit of some Goldsmiths in England, p. 80.  
several Orders of Parliament, for the discovery of the Transporters of Gold and Silver, and the Committee of the Navy, the Commissioners of the Customs, and the Officers of the Mint's Certificate, for the speedy dispatch, in Sept. 1647. and nothing done in it yet; the Mint ever since at a stand, and almost no Money hath been coined for above three years, not so much as within this twelve years, hath been coined within the compass of fourteen days. It were worth inquiry, to have them publicly known, that retard the Act against transporting Gold; it doth highly concern the safety of the Nation to have it looked after, for there is more in it then vulgarly can be imagined, p. 82, 83, 84, 85, 87.  
There is another cause of great consumption of the Treasure of this Nation, by importing French and Flanders Laces, to the value of many score of thousand pounds, which of late is stolen in without paying of Customs, being subtly packed in Commodities of great bulk, p. 88, 89, 90.  
Against the excessive waste of Gold in guilding of Coaches and Caroches p. 90, 91.  
Concerning the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread, p. 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97.  
For the regulation of the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Thread, to have a sworn Officer, that is no trader in this Manufacture, to be Surveyer and Sealer. The draft of the Corporation of Gold-wier-drawers, presented to the Honourable Council for Trade, by some of the Wier-drawers, p. 98.  
The Gold-wier-drawers offered the late King and his Successors, one thousand pounds a year, and two pence an ounce, for to have a Corporation, p. 98.  
The Company of Goldsmiths complained at the Council-Table, in 1634. of several abuses in the Trade of Refining and Wier-drawing, and transporting of Gold. Upon their complaint, I Thomas Violet, and several other Goldsmiths and Fines, were brought into the Star-chamber, p. 99  
My great obligation to Sir John Cook, the late Ring's Secretary, for procuring my Pardon, p. 100, 101.  
I imported more Silver than I transported Gold, pag. 102, 103.  
I was commanded by the late King, to have the viewing and surveying all Gold and Silver Thread, and the Grant cost me near fifteen hundred pounds. Never so good Gold and Silver Thread made, as while I had the Office, proved by many people that are Artists, p. 103.  
The Refiners had that good fortune, they got all off the Star-chamber without a sentence, by their wit, which was to outbid the Wier-drawers, p. 103, 104.  
A Copy of Sir John Bank ' s Certificate to the late King, concerning the Wier-drawer's Corporation, very fit for the State, to tie up the Trade to such Rules as is there desired, to avoid the consumption of Treasure, 104, 105, 106.  
The Refiners of London served the Wire drawers, as the Merchant-Adventurers served the Clothworkers in King James ' s time, out-bribed or outbid them, and so got the Monopoly of being the King's Agents, they only to furnish the Silver, p. 106, 107.  
The Wier-drawer's Petition in Parliament against the Finer's Monopoly, p. 108.  
The Refiner's crafty Petition, read the 24 of November 1640. as if they were enforced to be the King's Agents, when it was their desire, and thereupon some of them had their pardon from the late King. And because they gave six pence the ounce to the late King, or see it secured, there was two pence the ounce allowed to them more, for their gilt Wire, and a penny an ounce for the Silver Wier, than it was offered, to furnish the Wier-drawers at the Golden Fleece, and this is known to be true, that these Agents were allowed many hundred pounds a year more in the price of their Silver, than the Wier-drawers could have bought it for, had they had a free market, 108, 109.  
That upon trial of above one hundred Assays of Gold and Silver Thread, Spangles, and Wier, by Master Jackson, Assaie-master of Goldsmith's-Hall, these Manufactures were found to be course, under sterling, and adulterated; and that was a principal ground the late King, and his Council, would not trust the Wier-drawers nor Finers with a Corporation, but with a Regulation; for it was the since of the whole Council-Table, To give them a Corporation, and to leave it to themselves to manage, was to give them a Licens to deceiv the Commonwealth with Authority, p. 110, 111.  
The Erecting of my Office of Sealer and Surveyor of Gold and Silver Thread, and to warrant it all good that was sealed with the Seal of the Office. Without that assurance the Commonwealth had no benefit by the sealing, p. 111, 112.  
The rude carriage of some of the Wier-drawers, and others trading in the Manufacture, at the Council for Trade. If they cannot carry themselves civilly before such a great Assembly, what clamours shall the Surveyor have, when he doth his duty in seeing them make good work, p. 112.  
That all Gold and Silver-Threed should be made with five ounces Troy Silver to one pound Venice of Thread, and if any were made under, to deface or burn it; than you would have your Silver-Lace last six times as long as it doth, p. 113.  
The Fee of four pence the pound weigh in Thread allowed to me Thoma Violet, was earned with a great dea of attendance, charge, and hazard for I was to see all the Manufactur made good to the Commonwealth, th● had the Seal of my Office, p. 113, 11●.  
Several people whom I did question f●● making falls Gold and Silver-Three● and Wire, and for putting Copper i● to Silver Lace, and selling it for go●● Silver, p. 114, 115  
I humbly desire that Sir Robert Harlov may deliver my Grant for my Offic● to the Council for Trade, and he being the Chairman appointed by th● Parliament, to examine the business and that he would be pleased, to certify to the Honourable Council of Trade what he found upon Examination concerning my Grant, that so the Honourable Council for Trade may do that which they shall find upon my Grant most advantageous for the Service of the Commonwealth, that so the Wearers of the Manufacture of Gold and Silver Lace, may not be cozened, p. 115.  
An Ordinance of the sixth of Aug. 1646. for laying four pence upon the ounce Troy, upon all Gold and Silver-Wier, p. 116.  
That there is twenty thousand pounds in the hands of some of the Gold-wier-drawers and Refiners, which they own in arrears to the Parliament; the Excize not making, for almost four year, above one thousand pounds; which if I had had my Office, I would have collected six thousand pounds a year, which is four and twenty thousand pounds: and all this money due to the Parliament, lies in the hands not of above thirty persons, p. 116, 117.  
The Gold-wier-drawers, before any Excize was thought upon, did offer the late King, and his Heirs for ever, two pence the ounce Troy, and a thousand pounds a year, to have a Corporation: but the deceits so grossly practised by many of them, were so clearly proved, that this State would not trust them with a Corporation, nor the Finers, but under a Regulation by Commissioners, all men of great quality in the Commonwealth, p. 118.  
There is now, for a time, collected of the Wier-Drawers and Refiners at the Bar, but one penny the Ounce, which upon account of Excize, is not above fifteen shillings in an hundred pounds of Gold and Silver-Thread, when it is manufactured. Other Commodities which are for use of the Nation, and not superfluous, paie's five pounds in the hundred Excize. p. 118.  
If the Council for Trade pleas to take into consideration Master Attorney General Banks ' s Certificate, for regulating the Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Thread, this State will make six thousand pounds a year of the Excize, if the Rules desired in the Silverspinner's last printed Petition to the Council for Trade, be also taken into consideration, and my humble Propositions to the Council for Trade, p. 94. 95, 96, 97. be taken into consideration, the Manufacture shall all be made right, both for the fineness of the Silver, and the just covering of the Thread with a good Plate, at least five ounces the pound Venice; by which means the poor working Wier-drawers and the Silver-Spinners, will have a comfortable livelihood, and the Commonwealth served with good Silver-Lace, Thread, and Wier, which heretofore they have been grossly cozened in, by reason of the slight making of them, p. 118, 119.  
I challenge any Wier-drawer, Finer, or Silkman in London, to produce one pound weight of bad or slight Silver-Thread I ever sealed at the Office; or that any man could ever fasten one penny on me, or other reward, for conniving at any man that did not work good Silver; and I am sure I and my Servants sealed above a million of Scanes of Gold and Silver; and if they could have found me faulty in that particular, they would have gone to the Parliament with a full cry. But though they sought, and sought carefully, yet they could not find one ounce, p. 119, 120.  
While I had the Office of Surveyor and Sealer for the Manufacture of Gold and Silver-Thread, I did discharge my trust faithfully, in seeing the Commonwealth should not be cozened; for which some of them clamored most lewdly against me, about the City of London, p. 121.  
The several mischievous designs of Refiners and Wier-drawers against me, as the Widow simmond's, wife of one Joseph simmond's, set on by the combination of the Wier-drawers, in vexatious Suits, when I had their Acquittances, and only mislaid them upon my troubles in my Sequestration, which was brought upon me by the malicious charge of some of the Refiners of London, p. 122, 123. 124.  
An account of what hath been taken from me by Sequestration, p. 124, 125, 126, 127, 128.  
Tho. Conning●bie of Hartfordshire Esquire, and Christopher Hatton of London Gentleman, Witnesses of Philip Cage Esq his Declaration, p. 129, 130.  
An Order of the Committee of Essex, for Master Edward Elconhead, touching Thomas Violet ' s Land's in Essex, p. 130.  
An Acknowledgement of Mistress Mordant, concerning Tho. Violet ' s Bonds and Extents on the Manors of Battles and Paten-Hall in Essex, p. 131, 132.  
An Order of the Committee of Essex, touching Master Elconhead ' s bringing in the cause of my Sequestration in Essex, p. 132.  
Master Elconhead never paid any Money to the County of Essex, for the use of the County, as I could hear of, for the composition of my Lands in Essex, p. 133, 134.  
The late King's Letter to the City of London, p. 135, 136.  
Two Letters of M. Read ' s, sent to M. Theophilus Rilie Seout-master of the City of London, from Oxford, p. 136, 137  
M. Theophilus Rilie Scout-master of the City of London, did daily then employ Intelligencers into the King's Quarters by Order of the Parliament and the City of London, as he told me Thomas Violet, p. 138  
I had a Pass to go to Oxford, as appears by the Journal-Books, p. 138  
The reason wherefore I was willing to go to Oxford, was, that I might have licens from the late King to discover the Transporters of Gold and Silver, which, about a month before I went to Oxford, he sent me a Letter, to command me not to proceed in the said Discovery. The Copy of the King's Letter to me Thomas Violet, 19 Novemb. 1643. The reason why bee would not suffer me to make that Discovery, he told me it would make him good store of Money, when he came to London, p. 139, 140, 141.  
I do now offer the State to bring them fifty thousand pounds, within the compass of one year, if they will pass the Act against the Transportation of Gold and Silver, as it is now presented by the Council of State, p. 141.  
For the Honourable the Council for Trade, I humbly present, if they settle the Trade for refining Gold and Silver, and Wier-drawing in a Corporation, as it is now desired by the Wier-drawers, it were to make all the speed possible, that that little Silver in Coin which is yet left, should be culled, and melted down for Gold and Silver Lace, p. 148.  
A Council for Money were very necessary, p. 148, 149.  
Concerning the buying Cheapside-Cross, p. 150, 151.  
The great mischiefs Transportation of Gold and Silver bring's on this Nation, p. 153, 154.  
It may be objected, that I have not done prudently, in declaring so much for the service of the State, before I knew my conditions, what the State would do for me. The reasons which did induce me to do it, p. 155, 156.  
If I may have my estate restored to me again, which hath been sequestered upon the misinformations of some malicious people, I will give the maimed Soldiers which have served the Parliament since the death of the late King, half of my Estate I shall die possessed of, and to the maimed Seamen employed in the State's Service one quarter-part; and for the true performance of this, I will give a perfect account to the Masters of Trinitie-Hous, and the Masters of Thomas Hospital in Southwark once every year, upon conditions by once recited. p. 156, 157.   
FINIS.