but what I had to plead in my juftification fhall follow; for this was extorted from me, and Mr. Eaton, whom I ever honoured as my chiefest friend, over-entreated that from me which all other perfuafions, befides threatenings, could not induce me to yield to. This petition Mr. Eaton delivered, and folicited the fame fome few days; but, having stayed about three weeks in London, and dispatched all his own occafions, he came to me and took leave of me. I defired his ftay a few days, but he would not; yet did not doubt but God would appear for me, and deliver me thence, and clear my innocency: upon which I moved the right honourable lady viscountess Ranelagh and fir John Clotworthy, who in two days brought my discharge, of which here followeth a copy: OLIVER, PROTECTOR, THESE are to will and require you forthwith to release and set at liberty the body of Richard Venables, now prifoner under your charge, in our tower of London, our former warrant for his commitment to your cuftody notwith Standing Hereof your are not to fail, as this fhall be your fufficient warrant. Given at Whitehall this thirtieth day of October, 1655. To JOHN BARKSTEAD, efq. lieutenant of our tower of London. WEDNESDAY the 31st of October, 1655, at the council at Whitehall, upon reading a letter from general Venables, directed to the lord prefident, taking notice that he had feen the council's vote of yesterday concerning his enlargement, and fignifying his readiness to deliver up his commiffion as general, and to give a refignation of his Irish command, in regard he hath not the commiffion with him. ORDERED, That upon his delivery into the hands of Mr. Jeffop his commission as general, and a refignation of his command in Ireland in writing, containing withall an undertaking to deliver up the commiffion itself, fo foon as he can get it with conveniency into his power, the warrant for his enlargement hall be delivered and pur in execution; and that as foon as may be he do alfo deliver up his faid commiffion for his command in Ireland, according to fuch his undertaking. HENRY SCOBELL, clerk of the council. OCTOBER 31, 1655.—I have this day received from general Richard Venables his highnesses commiffion, for conflituting him commander-in-chief under his highness, for the army and forces raised for the expedition to the Weft-Indies, bearing date the ninth December, 1654; as alfo an inftrument under his hand for furrendering his command as colonel of a regiment of foot in Ireland, commander-in-chief of the forces in Ulfier, and commander of the town and cafle of Carrickfergus, according to the purport of the honourable council's above-mentioned order. WILLIAM JESSOP. I do hereby certify, that the above-mentioned is a true copy of the council's order; and the commiffion therein mentioned was accordingly delivered to the faid Mr. Jeffop, together with the refignation abovefaid, for which the receipt above-mentioned is a true copy. Dated at the tower of London, Nov. 2, 1855. JOHN BARKSTEAD. BUT I have omitted one thing. During thefe tranfactions, general Penn defired me not to yield to acknowledge any fault or fubmit, and promised me he never would. I had not reafon to truft his word, yet I told him I would not; for I knew no fault I was guilty of, and therefore could confefs none, neither would I fo much prejudice my own innocence as unjustly to charge myself. Yet he did, and fo got liberty, a week before me. Alfo I grew very weak and fickly in that time, by reafon I was lodged over a great draw-well, which fent up unwholesome vapours and damps, which much diftempered my weak body. Whereupon J defired the lieutenant of the tower to change my lodging, and named fome to him. He refufed, and told me his officers must have them. I replied they might have those I was in, which they might well endure, but I could not; but was delayed, and at laft denied all; which, with the refufal of a veffel to bring me by fea from Portsmouth, to take fecurity for my appearance, that I might ufe phyfic; the putting me into a chamber where I durft not take phyfic; and keeping me there, caufed me to remember fome words fpoke to me by fome friends before I left England, which were, That I was fent to be destroyed not to do fervice, that I was popular in Ireland, had too much intereft there, and that they L knew knew not how to difplace me, or free themfelves from me, but by fuch a removal as might occafion death. I looked upon all this as malice to disgust me against the ftate, and therefore regarded it not; though, for my place, fome friends can testify that I was weary of employment, and defired a private life; and this voyage, being only to fettle a colony, (which was effected), I might then retire without prejudice to myself, or railing a difpute or jealoufy in the ftate, (which would follow), if I gave up my command. Having given a true relation of things as they were done, I fhould have made an end, but the fight of a fhort but flanderous pamphlet caufeth me to take occafion to anfwer fome things mentioned in the fame, which are ignorantly or rather malicioully related. Though his highneffes imprifoning the printers and fellers of the fame might ferve for a confutation of it, wherein the ftate is concerned, yet I conceive that will not excule me, and my filence might be judged a guilt or inability to vindicate my felf. I fhall therefore track him in his own path; and here I muft apologize that the author, not owning it by his name, might juftly excufe my filence, and alfo his fpeaking in fuch general terms that no man of reafon ought to judge him peccant who is not perfonated; yet, that I may not prejudice the truth in not discovering his uncharitable cenfures, which unless detected might mislead fome, I take myself engaged to reply to his clofely infinuating afperfions. And, feeing he lays down as his method of proceeding three grounds, I fhall take him in his own order. 1ft. Quere. Whether the fetting forth of this army was really intend ed for the glory of God and propagation of the gofpel. Anfwer. Except this fynonymus durft be fo fhameless as to charge the fupreme authority with hypocrify, I fuppofe he might cafily have anwered himself in the affirmative; for, firft, it is granted, from grounds of reafon and fcripture, that to punith offenders and offences doth advantage the glory of God; for all juft wars are for the revenging or repealing of wrongs done or offered to fuch over whom God hath given authority.Magifiracy is for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well; which duty, if the magiftrate do not discharge, he bears the fword in vain, or at the best doth not make that use of it which Godand the nature of authority require from him. And what wrongs the English have fuffered from the Spaniards in those western parts his hil nefs, in his declaration concerning the war, doth fet forth, and were publickly known almoft to all men, and no reparation made; and if the Lord fhould pleafe to give thefe countries into the poffeffion of a protestant nation (except Mr. J. S. judge the proteftant religion will not propagate the gospel and advance the glory of God), I fuppofe the glory of Godand the gofpel muft undeniably be promoted. But the calumniator tacitly blafteth the ftate (who had fo ftrong provocations and juft grounds of war) with this close infinuation, page 3d.-To conclude the defign to be altogether grounded upon a wrong and corrupt principle were to accufe our grandees, &c. Where he doth infer that they did not aim at either of thofe ends, and gives reafon drawn from the inftrument; and, becaufe fome did lye open to juft exceptions, he concludes against all; and a lit tle before he tells us the fecrecy of the defign caused honeft men to defert it, which is not true; for fome, not out of cenfcience, but for other enlargements and employments, or the diffaufions of friends, or difguft against his highnefs, did decline that voyage, but not in reference to the injuftice of the quarrel that I know of, who have more reafon to know it better than this man; but I fuppofe he would have all proteftant defigns made public, that each private man that engages in the fervice might have his confcience informed, or indeed the public popish enemy ac quainted, to prepare for refiitance. As for the officers, fo many that fcrupled were fatisfied in the juftice of the quarrel, and indeed this J. S. gives enough to answer himself, viz, the Spaniards wrongs to our plania. tations, and that no articles of peace extended to the fouth of the tropic. But because he was not confulted, belike that he might not be a ghoftly father to the foldiers, to counsel them, he concludes that all men that▾ went were men of no conscience, and to pin their faith on other men's fleeves, but all rational men know that to discover a defign is to overthrow it. Next he comes to the good intent of the caufe, upon which he gives his opinion from the ill fuccefs of the action. A good argument learned by him out of the Turkish Alcoran. Had he read over the 22d of Judges, he might have found the Ifraelites, who profecuted a good quarrel, and by the exprefs command of God, yet fell twice before the Benja mites. But he then covers this unhandfomely by the fervants difobeying their masters, but fhews not wherein; pretends fafe feeking, but gives. no inftance; and cafts blemishes without caufe or ground upon all. It may be, fome might be persons that came upon the account of fpoil and L 2 pillage pillage, but he fhould have been so just, if an ocular witnefs, (as h'mfelf faith) to have inftanced in fome who gave moft evident figus, or expreffed fo much in words, and not have blafted all for the fault of fome who could not be unknown.-Then he falls back to the justice of the quarrel, and gives four reafons; the first and laft fitter for the the mouth of a papift or atheift than (what he would be thought) a proteftant, the fecond and third gave me grounds to engage in the defign with what I alledged at the firit. I After this he difputes the legality of the caufe, but makes it no argu ment of the good intent, nor do 1; but if the juftice of the caufe be cleared to me, the intent of the defigners is not to be any fcruple to know, but my own intent in acting, of which my own heart accufes me not. Then he leaves all with a confused mixing of good and bad, but in the conclufion excufes no man, and therefore condemns all, and con-cludes the army fo bad that no good could be expected from them. do not plead for the army's piety, neither officers nor foldiers almost known to me before I was engaged in the defign. I craved my own regiment for one, and that the reft might be drawn out of the Irish army, fcafoned with hardships and hazard; but the defign feemed to be laid afide, and at last came on again so fast that my request was denied, as not to be done in time; yet no officers were taken on, but fuch as had the commendation of fome of his highneffes, council, chief minifters of ftate, or officers of the army. The private foldiers were promised out of the old English army, but I confefs not performed, fave as this nameless author relates; and if any were proved unworthy among the officers. But who ever faw an army confifting wholly of (and I confefs this had too few) religious men in it. But, nevertheless, let this author or any man else inftance their rapes, murders, plunderings, &c. either in England or Barbadoes (though I know few armies where fuch offences are not com❤ mitted); yet I never heard of any in either of thefe places that I remember, and I am certain none that I heard of escaped unpunished. But though he cannot inftance any one of thefe offences in the army, yet he prefers the Spaniards before us, as lefs wicked. And here I fuppofe he muft confefs himself a papist, or a very mean hiftorian, or exceeding for getful, who hath read the Spaniards conquetts of those parts (fet forth by their own countrymen), and his ears glow not at the horrid cruelties, and more than barba ous inhumanities, practifed by the Spaniards (out of a wanton bloody humour) upon the poor natives; or can he forget his highneffe |