- ' ACopieof S\(uml>.z. ■1^ t The Kings Commifsion> GRANTED TO S ir NICOLAS CRISPE, Making him (lAdmirall of the Sea-Tirats. Brought (with other Papers) to the Parliament by M.Peters^ AND Prefented to the Committee for the Navie. Ttthli/hed according to Order^ LONDON, ; Printed for i?. i ^ 4 5- (O • i C H A R L E s .by the grace-'6f God, -of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, KingjDefender of the Faithji&e. * To all to whom thcfc Prcfents fhall come. Greeting. vsKSfe^Hercasinthetimcof this unniturall Rebellion, our owne Ships and Veffells belonging to our Royw> Navie have bin traiterouflyfeitd upon, and thofe m m and divers Ships and Veffells belonging to others,aU well Strangers as our owne Subjeds, »have bin and ftill are imployed againft us, or in the fervice of the Rflbellsin Armesagtinftus. by carrying Ammumtion, Money, Viftwlls, oth« PtoyiGons for A 2 «i»» CO and afliftancc, or by exporting from them Money, Bullion, Plate, or prohibited <5oods, without licence, contrarie to the iLaWes; or by trading and'carrying.of©oods and Merchandize for trade and commerce, to and from thofc parts, Cities, Townes, and Places which are liiKier the ufUrped Powers the Rebells in Arraes againQ: us: AndliJ^^feby^paying Cuftorties , Subfidies, and ImpoftSi to the faid iSJSls, coiitrary to the Lawes, and our Proclamation in that behalf, which affoords them meanes and ability towards the maintenance and upholding of the faid unnatural! Rebellion. And whereas dive]^ of our good Sub|efts adhering to us, have fuffered great loffe^aSTd^pdHiage by the faid RebeHs, arid their Abt betorsafweli upon the Land as upon the Sea, for which t^ey can have no remcdie in ordinarie courfc of juftice, in regard thofe that have done the fame, are kept out of the reach or hand of juftice, by ' JVna wherps in tnefc times opdi"P^i%s divep Prytates, anc^ (^ir t>>$:ne, Sii^ )efts,and the SuWeftsof ott^friends-^ndaUiM, and djvers 6f our SubjeCfs of Si^tlanlphawit^ftiii^rridvgi^ traiteroufly rifen up in Rebellion, and taken up Armas, agalnft us their naturall Leige Lord and Soveraigne, and have in a hoftile are imployed at Sea in their aid and afliftaQ^^ marip^ 'as faid. And whereas upon thofe occaiionS'rWynave been fbrcca to fct out Ships at our own great charge, for our o wne defence, and the defence of our loyall SubjeCfs, and preventing the mifehiefs be- fore mentioned, and have like\yire thought Ht to give all encouragV to any of our pood SuBj'^Rs whidi^ arc'' WilHng and deftrous toTet-qut'Shipi fct'tfieif.t>\\'s^ dlai^e^totf^d'icwattls tlie V^aken - in^indfupprelfiri^'c^^rk^ faid Rthfelfi^'j "atidl msrKpartkularly to thofe our gbbd S®'jei?s who kave fuftairied dammagesby the faid Rebells , either-af t^^ they may obtaine forneri^ompiriffebf^^sfaCtWfopthekfai^^ loffes;' '' And^fij^a® Sir Knight,; hath futefdd Jteat-Toft^and cfei^Mag^ittShV'titneof this urinaturall ^ ^ Rebellion, Rebellion, by the faid Rebels, their Adherents, or Abettors, as well at Sea as upon the Land. Know yee therefore, that wee repofing fpeciall truft in his, the faid Sir Nicholas Crijps fidelitie and circutnfpe^ion, wher- of we have had verie good experience, have given and granted, and by thefe Prefents do give and grant unto hig^ the faid Sic Nicholas Cri^, and to fuch as hee mall take intand put in execution Lawes, Ordinances, and Conftitutions, for the better order and government of the (hips and men, which by vcrtueof this our Commiflion, fhall be under his charge and command. A/id to punifh mutinies, tumults, rapines, mur- thers, and other crimes which fhall be committed and done by any perfon or perfons, under his chaise or command, either upon the Sea orLan(jl, according to the courfe and ufage of the Sea; or of War, as the afe fhall happcQ to be. And And we do hereby requireand -tommand the Judge of our Court of Admiralty, and Ah fher Judges of their icvcrall Vice- Admiralties within our Kint dome of England and Dominion of Wales, or elfewhere, according to this our Commiffion, they forthwith proceed to fentence, or ad/udication of the fame with fpeed and efFedf, as good and liwfull prize, without any unnc- ccffary delay, which may turnc to his or their prejudice. And we do hereby command and require all ^overnours, Captaines, and Comrrtandersofallour Cities, Caftles, Towns, and Garrifons,andall Sheriffes, Majors, BailifFes, Juftices of the Peace, Vice-Admiralls, Conftables, and all other our Offi- cers, Minifters, and Sub jefts whatfoever, within any of our Dominions, to be aiding and affifting to him the faid Sir Nkho- tas his Partners, and AfTociates, and fuchas lhalbe im- ployed by, or under him, or them, in the execution of the Pre- mifes, as they will anfwerc the contrary'at their utmoft perills. • Andwedoalfo hereby defireall others, afwell Admiralls, Vice-Admiralls, Captains, and Officers,and other the Sabjt^s belonging unto any Wince or State now in amity? Jwith us, to be aiding and allifting to us as occaiion fhal require, t6 him the faid Sir Nicholat CrifpybXs Partners, and Affociates,tnd thofe under his or their command, in the execution of this our Commiflion. And we do hereby alfo require and command the Judge of our Court of Admiiilty, for the time being, upon Requeft made by him the faid Sir Crifpy for that putpofe, to grant unto him the faid Sir Nicholas Crifp, and to the Captains or Commanders of every the Ships to be fct out, or impioyed as a- forcfaid, feverall Letters of Marke, or Reprifall, or Commilfi- onsof that nature, under the great Scale of our Court of Ad- miralty,enabling them for taking prizes according to the fub- ftance of this our Commiffion, to the end the faid.Commilfi- on may have and receive the greater countenance, authority , and efteem in Forraigne parts beyond the Seas. And further know yee , that we putting fpeciril truft and confidenceinthe faki Six Nicholas Crifp^ and being affured of ~ B 3 his (lo) hiszealeand fidelity to us, and our fervice, we do hereby far- ther grant unto him ihe faid Sir Nicholas Cri^, power and au- thority to contrail and agree with any Mafter, Mafters Mates Marriners, Saylors, other Perfon or Perfons whatfoever, for bringing in any Ships, Goods or Merchandize of, or belonging to any perfon or perfons in rebellion againft us, or affiftingor adhering to the faid Rebells,.into any Port or Haven of this our Kingdom in aAuall obedience to us, upon fuch termes or arti- cles as he and they (hall agree ; which we hereby, for us, our heirs and fucceffors, grant and declare fhalbe kept and obfcrved inviolaby in our behalfe. And do hereby require all our Officers and Minifters, to fee the fame obferved according. And our expreffe will and and pleafure is, and we do hereby charge and command the Judge of our Admiralty, and of every Vice-Admiralty, where any the faid ftiips, goods, or mercban- dize fo agreed, or contradfcd for, fhalbe brought, that they fhall proceed to fentence or adjudication of, and upon the faid fhips, and goods, as if the fame had been taken and feized upon by force and ftrength at fea. And our will and pleafure is, That the Mafter of fuch fhips, or he with whom the faid contraft or agreement is made, upon his performance thereof, and fentence and adjudication given thcrof, (hall have & enjoy fuch a proportion or fum of mony or other reward, as he contraded or agreed with the faid Sir Nico. las Crifp for: And that the faid Sir Nicholas Crifp and his Part- ners, and Aflbciates, fhall have and enjoy, to their owneufe?, therefidueof the faid Ships. Andbecaufe it may fall out that the fhips of this our Kingdome may not prove fo ufefull for this prefent fervice as Dunkirk Frigots, or other Forraigne Ships, we of our further grace do grant unto the faid Sir Nicho- Cr^jfpll and free power and liberty by himfelfe, or his a- gents, to bartcr,cxchange and fell away any of his faid fhips, or any which fhalbc taken as prize in this fervice, other than our owne fhpis and veflells which arc to be rcftored to us as afore- iaid,t© any Forrre^ner whatfoever, any Law,Statute,or Ordi- nance (ll) mnce to the contrary in any wife notwithftanding. Provided that inftead of every fuch fliip fo bartered away, exchanged, or fold, there be one other (hip provided from Forraigne parts, at leaft equally ufefull, if not better for the prefent ferviceand employment. And our will and pleafure is, and we do hereby declare, that this our Commiflion, and the Powers, Liberties, Licence, Au- thority hereby refpedively given and granted, fhalbc and con- tinue in force for and during the fpace of two whole years next enfiting the date hereof (if this Rebellion (hould fo long conti- nue) and no longer. In witneffe whereof Wee have caufed thcfe our Letters fo be made Patents; Witnefle Our Selfe at Oxford, the fixth day of May, in the twentieth yearc of Our Raigne, Signed P er ipfnm Rej^em* WiUis* gY vertue and authoritie of this Commiffion granted to me Sir Nicholas Crifp, Knight, I do hereby ordaincand appoint my very good and approved friend, and true Subjed: of the King of England, C/frW/i Jjhrant owner of the Frigot called S.Patrick of Falmoiith, to be Captalne and Commander of the faid Fri- got: And do authorize him thefaid Captaine Jjhhrant to doe, pertorme, and execute allluch things as are to be done and exe- cuted by vertue ofthis Commiflion, requiring all the Officers and Marrincrs of the faid Frigot to obey the faid Captaine 7- fbrant in all thngs, as their Captaine and Commander, not to depart from him having voluntarily put themfelves under his command, without the faid Captains leave and licence: and the faid Captain J fir ant is to obey Sir Nicolas Crig> in al things as his Admirall. ^ N. Crifi, This Copic being conferred with the OriginaJJ, is found to agree theiCwith ; j'acohw/iflellaBt.Serenilf^Do^.HojiriMagfiaSri- ' tanhia Regis Not, Pub* adm'ijp atsjue jurati, 1^45* To , : i-r To the Committeefor the Jfohle Sirs; 'E E prefent you here one peece of the Enemies care by fea, the readi- nfefle of their undertakings, the willing acceptance offiich tenders^ the coun- ftll they have^ their prefent executions, their engaging of their whole partie, even as far as Poperie reacheth, and as low as Hell • for from this Commilsion , the Dunkirk and Oftend Frigots get theirs,and a<51: vigoroufly : fbme have formerly faid of England,That the fea could give lawes to their forrainc and do- rmeftick broyles. Wee therefore defire that -you would look upon this Criticall yecre,and upon fuch meanes as God hath betrufted you withall. Remember the fea (in former times) hath ever danced under our veffels laden with victorious trophies from abroad • let us riot be baffled at our doors, the fliips and fea-men are yet yours, 'tis a great prize : God keeps all the world upon the hinges by his coun- fell. Cm) fell • States and Kingdomes muft keep their work on the wheeles by the feme way j this Kingdome will never be delivered by Law, but Men, who being good, carrie Law in their bolbmcs. Shew your felves now,ifever, to lave a gafping Nation, that after-ages may fey. There was a blcired,faithfixll,State-feving Committee of the Navie: The Lord help you and us. Amen. / COti :i -A T ' t p c »* •• • -'. - t cimo. 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