The CASE of the Merchants concerned in the loss of the Ship VIRGIN,( taken in May 1673. by the Spaniards in the West-Indies) as it was briefly stated and presented to his Majesty by Sir Richard Lloyd, and Sir Thomas Exton, being authorised so to do by his Majesties Order in council of the 24th. of July 1677.  
May it please your Majesty,  
IN obedience to your Majesties Order in council of the 24. of July, 
His Majesties Order in council, declaring the Government of Spain responsible for the Injuries done his Subjects, by the Capture of the Ship Virgin, taken by them in the West-Indies▪  wherein you are pleased to declare, that the Merchants, Owners and Freighters of the Ship The Virgin of London,( edmond cook Master) made it appear to your Majesty by their council learned, That it was impossible to put in execution the Dispatches obtained from the Queen of Spain, for the Reparation and Satisfaction of the Losses and Damages sustained by the violent Seizure, and unjust Condemnation of the said Ship and her Lading, and that the Government of Spain is chargeable with, and ought to be Responsible for the same; and by which Order you are pleased to command us to examine all the proceedings that have been in the Case, and to Report to your Majesty whether the Methods prescribed by the Treaties between both Crowns, have been punctually observed, and how far Letters of mark and rakehells do lie in the Case: We do most humbly certify your Majesty, that we find by the Depositions of four or five persons, taken in your Majesties High Court of Admiralty, that the aforesaid Ship The Virgin, of the burden of 130 Tun, was in or about August 1672. laden with several merchandises in the Port of London, on the account of James Littleton, and Company, English Merchants, and thence bound for Jamaica: that in September following she arrived there, and was re-laden thence on the same account with Sugar, indigo, and other merchandises, and bound directly to the Port of London; and on the 10th. of May 1673. was met with( about forty Leagues to the West of the Havana) by three Spanish Men of War, 
The manner of the Capture of the Ship Virgin.  whereof Philip Fitz-Garald was Admiral, who boarded the said Ship, and dispossessed the Master and Company of her, and her Lading,( though the governor of Jamaica's Let-pass was shewed to him) putting them into two Boats, with little or no Provision, to shift for themselves, so that they were exposed to great hardship, and hazard of their lives, and forced to row 360 Leagues before they could get to Jamaica.  
That the said cook immediately upon his arrival in July 1673. acquainted Sir Thomas Linch the governor therewith, 
The Master makes out his Losses to the governor of Jamaica, and he sends to the Havana to demand satisfaction, and is denied.  and produced a particular of the Lading of the said Ship upon Oath, out of his Pocket-Book, being required by the said governor to compute the value, which with the Damage, the fraught, Wages, Ammunition, Provisions, loss of Market, loss of time, and employment of the Proceed of the Cargo, amounts to the sum of 12863 l. 8 s. 11 d. Sir Thomas Linch thereupon ordered Captain Burfield, in his Majesties Ship The Portland, to go to the Havana, to demand Restitution and Satisfaction of the governor there: who answered, That he must go to the Crown of Spain, or England, to require it; and then went to the Court of Admiralty, and demanded of the Judge of the said Court, why they had not condemned the said Ship and her Lading? some of the Court answered, That they knew not how to justify the condemning of her, because there was then, and at the time of the Capture, a Peace betwixt both Crowns: whereto the governor replied, Let not that trouble you, I will answer it, for I am King of this place; and thereupon commanded them to condemn her: and the said Ship and her Lading were accordingly condemned, and sold as prise. Satisfaction being denied at the Havana, Burfield and cook the Master who accompanied him, returned to Jamaica.  

cook the Master makes his Address to his Majesty in council, and his Majesties Order thereupon.  In November 1673. cook came to London, and upon his humble Petition to your Majesty, you were graciously pleased on the 5th. of December in council to command my Lord Arlington, then your Majesties Principal Secretary of State, to sand the Narrative presented to you by ●ooke, and to writ effectually in your Majesties Name, to Sir William Godolphin your Ambassador at the Court of Spain, to represent to his most catholic Majesty, your Majesties Resentments of the Injuries done to your Subjects, and to demand Satisfaction for the same: And his Lordship was also ordered to acquaint the Spanish Ambassador residing here, with the aforesaid Complaints.  

His Reference to the Lords of the Committee for Trade.  Upon a second Petition of Cooke's, your Majesty was pleased on the 27th. of February 1673/ 4. to refer the matter to the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee for Trade, and to require them to Report to your Majesty what was fit to be done for the Petitioners relief.  
On the 5th. of March 1674. their Lordships did order, that the said cook and Company should make out upon Oath before the Judge of your Majesties High Court of Admiralty, the manner and circumstances of the Capture, and the damages and loss sustained by reason of the Capture, and to present the same to their Lordships with all speed: which was accordingly done in due form of Law, 
His Majesties Order on the Lords Report, if satisfaction be not given within four months, then rakehells.  the sum and substance whereof is above specified: Which being exhibited to your Majesty in council, you did by your Order of the 3d. of July 1674. command the Petitioners to elect a fit person to present to your Majesty, to be sent by you with Letters Credential to the Court of Spain, to demand Reparation and Satisfaction for the Depredations aforesaid; declaring by the said Order, that if Satisfaction was denied, or delayed by the space of four months, you would grant them Letters of reprisal.  

cook goes to Spain with Letters Credential, and solicits ten months for satisfaction, but can obtain none.  edmond cook the Master, was the person sent to Spain, who continued his Solicitations there by Sir William Godolphin your Majesties Ambassador, for the space of ten months, to no purpose; therefore by an Order of the 9th. of June 1675. he is recalled home: But before he came from Madrid, and after the receipt of the aforesaid Order, the Queen gave him a Dispatch for the Havana, bearing date the 2d. of July 1675. thereby declaring that plenary Restitution ought to be made to the said edmond cook of the value of the prise,( except the value of the Campecha-Wood) notwithstanding the confirmation of the said Sentence by the Council of the Indies, and her approbation of it by her Cedula of the 19th. of April 1674. she thereby giving her Fifth to the Privateer, which by the Commission or Dispatch above mentioned, is declared to be null and voided.  
On the 14th. of July 1675. the Petitioners did again complain to your Majesty, and in their Petition did set forth the Reasons why the said Dispatch was insignificant: 
Letters of reprisal again promised, if satisfaction were not forthwith given.  whereupon your Majesty did that day order a Copy of the Petition and Dispatch to be delivered to Mr. Secretary Coventry, and that he should acquaint Don Petro de Ronquillis, Envoy Extraordinary of Spain, with the Petitioners complaints; and that your Majesty in expectation of a satisfactory Answer from the Court of Spain, had thus long forborn to do Right to your Subjects; and that if satisfaction were not forthwith given, you could no longer deny them Letters of reprisal, to enable them to recover the same.  
On the 13th of July 1677. the Petitioners made their humble Address to your Majesty, to be heard by their council upon the whole matter; 
The Hearing before the King and council, and his Majesties Order thereupon.  and on the 24th. of July your Majesty was pleased to hear their council, and to make the aforesaid Order to us directed, and you did at the same time command Mr. Secretary Coventry, to writ to Sir William Godolphin your Ambassador in Spain, to acquaint that Court how your Majesty is pressed in the case, and that he vigorously insist for satisfaction; and to let them know, that your Majesty hath under your consideration the granting of Letters of reprisal, and must give effectual orders therein, if speedy Justice be not done.  
Having out of the Papers and Orders that were brought to us, 
The Judges Opinion upon the whole Case.  deduced with as much brevity as we could, the foregoing Narrative of all the proceedings that have been in this Case; It is our most humble Opinion, That( in regard your Majesty has but newly received satisfaction that the Government of Spain is Responsible for the Injuries above mentioned) it may be proper for your Majesty to command, that a Copy of this Narrative be sent to your Ambassador, to present to his most catholic Majesty, that he may see the several Instances that have been made from time to time, and to order him to require Reparation and Satisfaction to be made within six months from the delivery thereof. This will put the Question out of dispute, whether the Methods prescribed by the Treaties between both Crowns, have been punctually observed, and will make the demand of Justice most fully complete; and then your Majesty may both by the Law of Nations, and the aforesaid Treaties, grant to the Complainants Letters of reprisal, for the Recovery of their loss and damage.  
All which is most humbly submitted to your Majesties Royal Wisdom, 
September 17.  

RICH. LLOYD.  
THO. EXTON.    
Upon this Report, confirmed by his Majesty in council in September was three years, the King of Spain was allowed but six months time to give satisfaction to the Petitioners, and it is now above three years since, and yet no satisfaction given them, notwithstanding the many instances and diligences his Majesties Ambassador in that Court, hath since made to that King, besides the delivery of the Report: So that there being no hopes or expectation of Justice to come from that Court in this Case, it is the humble Supplication of the Petitioners, that now at length his Majesty would grant them Letters of rakehells, to enable them to recover their losses and damages sustained by the Capture of the said Ship, it being acknowledged to have been illegal both by the late Queen Regent, and the King of Spain that now is; some of the Petitioners being utterly ruined upon this very account, and must inevitably perish in Prison, unless timely supported by his Majesties Justice and Protection.