Hender Molesworth letter to William Blathwayt, 1687 July 2 and 4

4 pages

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I haue already writ you by this con
veighance, but the ships not sayling according to their ap
pointed time, giues me the opportunity of acknowledging the
receipt of yours of the 22th of Aprill by Captain Stubs

Together with yours I received another from th Lords of the Treasury
requireing me to giue an account of the Perquesites of the Gouernment
to such & such times, which tho' it lookes as a very hard
imposicion upon me, (as it is a new thing & never done be
fore) yet I rejoyce at it And heartily wish their Lordships had
been pleas'd to command it from me before any resolucions
had been taken in the Concerne of my Sallary, for then I might
well ^haue hoped, that his Majestie might haue thought me worthy
of the whole Sallary (which was truely spent for the honor of the Gouernment)
as well as the whole perquesites, the misrendering of which by the
enemyes of the Gouvernment, & magnifyeing the same aboue all mea
sure hath doubtles been of the occasion of his Majesties giuing the
half perquisites ^Sallaries from me but since now the riddle is to be
unfolded, and truth appear in its plainest dress, I humbly
hope, it may be as lawfull for me to appeal to his Majestie
in an affaire wherein I never was heard, (especially by
Councell) before it was determin'd against me, as it was
for his Grace, after soe many hearings before the King's & the Lords,
still be persist in his demands for half my perquesites,
which yet remaines undetermined, And therefore I cannot
but thinke it reasonable for me to desire a generall

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hearing of the whole matter, rather then stand condemned in
some things, & suspended in others, whilst all depend upon
same foundacion, I must confes that had it been
onely to Sir P. Howards Exchanges that I had been ordered to haue
made good halfe my Sallary, I should haue done it whitout
the least repining from the Consideracion of his Majesties promise
But what pretences the Great Duke of Albemarle [illegible] haue
to soe little a thing, is beyond my apprehension

Had my Lord of Carlisle & Sir Joon ffenwicke been pleased
to have produc'd the Letter which I writ them, (in answer to one
I receivd from them,) the Dispute about the 5000li in the Chest, had
soon been at an end, for that I never as much as thought
of payeing, either them, or any body else, the value of a farthing
upon that accountt or euer said or writ any thing, to any pur
pose like it and therefore not ^at all probable that any freind
of mine should say what hath been alleadg'd concerning the
said £5000,

Certainely the Duke of Albemarle must be under some great mis
take as well by what he inferd unto the Lords of his being
accomptable for the Treasury here as by what he desird that
I might account unto him, for he will find, (unles he per
uert all the Lawes & Customes of the Island Setled & maintaind
for many yeares that his Grace will haue nothing to
doe, with the Revenue (more then concern's his owne Sallary
as it growes due) & consequently not accomptable for it
That is all ^is paid into the Receiver Generall, Whoe hath not
onely taken his Oath, but given Security in 4000li not to
issue any part thereof, otherwise then by the said act is
directed, whereby the mony is rays'd, which is directly contra
ry to what his Grace desired, of having a power to dispose
of the Treasury as he thought fit without advice of the Counsell

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I canot possibly, at present, give a full answer to their
Lordships of the Treasury by this Shipp, but shall certainely doe it
(god willing) by the next which concludes these, with much res
pect & acknowlegement from

Sir,

Your very humble and
faithfull Servant

Hender Molesworth

Ady 4th July 1687.

At this Instant as I was packing up my letters a Depo
sicon was sent me, whereof the inclosed is Copy being a
farther complaint against the Biscayners of which the Windward Islands
are full, which I hope their Lordships will thinke fit to complaine
of to the Spanish Embassador, that ^ ^they may be call'd home, or
some other Remedy found, Whatever they come up with
that they can master, they make their owne and in their
coming out, off the Cape de Verd Islands, they attackd a
large English East India man outward bound, but he was
too hard for them all, kild their Generall (as they call him)
with seuerall of their men, Soe that they were forc'd to leaue
him,

Idem Hender Molesworth

Mr. Blaithwayt

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Jamacia:

2 & 4 July 1687

From Collonell Molesworth

Received 20 September 1687

Has Received a letter from the Lords
of the Treasury for account of the
Perquisites

Sends Inclosed a Depositon
against the Biscayner

Ink on paper