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tal man did to prince or kingdom, yet was made to perish (without being charged with the leaft crime) poor and miferable, all but his chains being taken from him, fo that he who gave Spain another world, had neither in it a cottage for himself nor wretched family. But fhould heaven ftill perfecute me, and feem difpleafed with what I have done, as if the difcovery of this world may be fatal to the old, and as a punishment bring my life in this miferable place to its fatal period; yet do you, O good angels! (you that fuccour the opprefled and innocent,) bring this paper to my great miftrefs. She knows how much I have done, and will believe what I fuffer for her glory and service, and will be fo juit and pious as not to let the fons and brothers of him, that has brought to Spain fuch immenfe riches, and added to it vaft and unknown kingdoms and empires, want bread or fubfift on alms. She, (if the lives) will confider cruelty and ingratitude will provoke heaven, and the wealth I have discovered will stir up all mankind to revenge and rapine, fo that the nation may chance to fuffer hereafter, for what envious, malicious, and ungrateful, people do now.

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A NARRATIVE, BY GENERAL VENABLES,

OF HIS

EXPEDITION TO THE ISLAND OF JAMAICA,

AND THE CONQUEST THEREOF,

UNDER THE PROTECTORSHIP OF OLIVER CROMWELL,

IT T being the ufual courfe of Lach perfons, whofe pikes prove too fhort, to make use of their pens to fupply that defect, and by that means endeavour to clear themfelves from envy and reproach, their difafters might draw upon them, which is ordinarily meafured to them with a large hand, I fhould have waved any thing in this nature, and wholly caft my reputation, in the managing of this western defign, upon the opinion of those that have formerly been acquainted both with my perfon and former fervices; but there being fo many thousands who never knew me, nor them, I find myfelf neceffitated to publifh to the world, a true narrative of the design, left otherwise, (if I be filent,) fome envious perfons fhould take the liberty to cenfure me, as their own mifguided fancies and humours, or the flanderous reports of envious tongues fhall dictate to them.

The fad and never fufficiently to be lamented differences, which have fome few years paft fallen out in these nations, and being fo general, that almost every man was in action, or affection, engaged in them, upon one part or other. Among others myfelf, (as confcience and judgment guided me,) adhered to the parliament, upon fuch grounds, reafons, and engagements, as were held forth by them, (though fruitlefs of my hopes in the end,) which caufe I promoted to my utmoft ability against all difcouragements, and, to enable me the better, I fold a tenement of about forty pounds a year, with the money to raise arms, and to maintain a company of foot in tl at fervice, which I did, and ferved with the fame in Lancathire, without any pay. My fervice in England I fhall not mention, but leave to others to fpeak of both in Lancashire, Chefhire, York thire, Saltop, and North Wales, in the ficge of Nantwick, fight at Leckbridge, Christleton,

and

and Montgomery, befides other fervices of lefs importance. The war in England being ended, I was engaged in the Irith fervice, and landed at Lublin, (it being befieged,) first of any regiment, in fuch a time when they defpaired of any relief, and the foldiers running away to the enemy by hundreds, fo that they were almoft come to a neceffity to treat of a furren der thereby, to fave something, all otherwife being certainly lott. My arrival put a stop to this, and put life into the foldiers, who otherwife out of mere defpair of relief would have revolted. After the taking of Drogheda, (other officers refufing the employment,) I was fent into Uliter with one thousand five hundred horfe and foot only, there being in that province above fo many regiments as I had hundreds, to oppofe me; where how the Lord profpered me, is publickly known. So that before I had received two thoufand pounds from the ftate, to carry on that fervice, the Lord had given into the parliament's hands whatever the Scots had in poffeffion, and for furrender of which, the parliament did, by their commiffioners, offer to the Scots one hundred and fifty thoufand pounds; and as one of the commiflioners, fir Robert King, told me, they had commiffion to give two hundred thousand pounds, if it would be accepted. In Carling Fort, Newry, Bellaft, Lyfnegarive, Antrim, Toom, and Carrickfergus, were above cighty pieces of ordnance, and near half of them brafs; eighty barrels of powder, with match and ball proportionable; with about two hundred arms; for all which fervice, I never received further reward, than a letter of thanks for the fame, from the council of ftate. After I had continued in Ireland almoft five years, and never feen home, (the Irith war being ended,) the right honourable the lord Broughill and myself were, at a general council of the officers, voted to attend his highness with fome addrettes from the army, in order to the fettling and planting of Ireland, which butinefs being almoft perfected, it was his highinefs's pleafure to acquaint me, that he intended fome other employment for me. I defired to know it. After fome time, the defign was imparted to me, and the juftice of it, which I defired to be cleared to me before I accepted of ît, in which particular being fatisfied by this dilemna, that either there was a peace with the Spaniards in the Weft-Indies or not? If peace, they had violated it, and to feck reparation was juft. If we had no peace, then was there nothing acted against articles with Spain. After this, I defired his highnefs to grant me fome requests before I could accept of this employment. His highnefs commanded me to draw them up in writing, and to deliver them to Mr. Secretary Thurloc, who fhould "give me an anfwer to them, which accordingly I did. These being grantco, I

proceeded

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proceeded to propound land in Ireland, for my arrcars due for my fervice there, and fome in lifting of officers now acting; when fuddenly all the business was at a stand, and all further proceedings in it to be waved, so that I thought all had been ended, and betook me again to my own affairs. After fome five months filence, I was fuddenly again called upon to undertake the employment. I answered, I could not in confcience engage, unlefs my propofals were granted, nor leave my children without any care of them, except I thould fall under the apoftle's cenfure-He that provideth not for them of his family has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

I defired to know the grounds and reasons of the defign, that I might the better understand the ftate of thofe parts, I detired arms, ammunition, and all other neceffaries, by a particular under my hand, fuitable to the defign, and the diftance of the place, fupplies; not being to be had, and, therefore, muft carry the more with us, left, when we come to work, we fhould be forced to stand ftill, through want of neceffàries to carry on the fervice. I further moved, that my friends fhould not be made more formidable to me than my enemies, by bounding and freightening me with commiffions and inftructions which, at that distance, could ferve but as fetters, contingencies not being poffible to be forefeen, and I by them difcouraged, and put into doubt, when I thould need the greateft encouragements, without fear to engage against all hazards, which, by inftructions, might be double to what the enemy could make them. I had a fatisfactory anfwer to all, but how performed fhall be afterwards declared. Whilft these things were in tranfaction there were fome difcontents in the fleet, and complaints were faid to be against the unfoundness of the provifion; about which, I being spoken unto by the officers, that the care of the food belonged to me, I defired the perfon that informed me, to acquaint general Defbrow with it, which he did, and general Defbrow was fo incenfed against me, that he publickly fell out with me, and told me, I fought to hinder the defign, and raised an untrue report: I replied I did not, and that I had only fent the informer privately to acquaint him with these things, in regard he had the care of the fleet, to fee it well furnished with all things, and that I had the information from colonel Buller, and had not fpoke of it to any, fave the commiffioners, and therefore could not be guilty of any mifcarriage to the prejudice of the defign being; I meddled not in any report, but willed Buller to inform him what he had told me, and therefore did wonder why he fhould thus publickly reprehend

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reprehend me to no end, fave to make a breach betwixt the land and feamen. He answered, he had for twelve years feen tranfactions of affairs, and had an end, wherefore he -. I replied, the end he aimed at I knew not, but was certain his language would produce no good to the defign but hurt. I afterwards enquiring of a friend the reafon. I was anfwered, no information against the victuallers of the navy would be heard with any other acceptance. I afked the reason of that. It was anfwered, though general Debrow was no victualler, yet it was believed, upon very ftrong prefumptions, he had a fhare in the profit of the place, and therefore would receive no complaints against the victuallers of the navy, but with reproach and p ffion against the informer; his own intereft (though private and not generally known) engaging him in their behalf, it being his own concern, as well as theirs. After this, myfelf and officers made feveral propofals to the lords of the council, for the advantageous carrying on of the fervice, as we conceived, wherein we were fo modeft in matters of our own concernments, that never men did undertake fo hard and defperate a work upon fo mean and low conditions; to let the world know it was the promotion of the gospel and the fervice of our country we chiefly did propound to ourfelves. But, after four months attendance and expence of our money, we had not any pofitive anfwer, whether the defign would go on or no, and yet the defign was vulgarly difcourfed; whereby the enemy had timely warning to provide; which we find they did with much circumfpection and prudence. After about five months time, I was commanded to be ready to go with fo much hafte, having wholly laid all conceit of the defign afide, that I was fo furprifed with confufion in my thoughts, I had fcarce time to know in what condition the state of things were before our men were drawn out. I defired we might only have fuch as freely offered themselves, which was promised us; yet the officers generally gave us the moft abject of their companies, and, if any man offered himself, he was ftruck or otherwife punished; and one thing I cannot omit, that those men we had were taken up purpofely to spare their old blades, and among thofe thus entertained were diverse papists, in particular fixteen, and four of them Irith, and one a prieft, were put upon us out of the lower regiment; many more were found fince, though all 'we could discover were cafhiered at Barbadoes; and though it was earneftly moved by me that we might have the men raifed out of the Irish army, feafoned with hardfhip and danger, it was utterly rejected: befides, the men thus given wanted five hundred of the number defigned, and almoft half their arms defective, and altogether unferviceable; which be

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