Letter to John Pim, Letter
A Letter ſent from the Right Honorable ROBERT Earle of Warwik, Admirall of the Sea; to Mr. Iohn Pim, Eſquire; and by him preſented by both Houſe of PARLIAMENT, Iuly 6. 1642.
Mercurii 6 Iulii. 1642.
ORdered by the Lords in Parliament, That this Letter be forthwith printed and publiſhed.
Jo. Brown Cleric. Parliamentorum.
LONDON, Printed by E.G. for I. Hunſcot and I. Wright. 1642.
Maſter PIM.
BEfore theſe ſhall come to your hand, I make no doubt but Maſter Nicholls of the Houſe of Commons, hath made both Houſes a Relation of what hath paſſed here ſince I received his Majeſties Letters for the diſcharging me of the command of the Fleet, whereby I was entruſted; Now I called a Counſell of Warre, and acquainted them with his Majeſties Letters, and likewiſe with the Ordinance of Parliament ſent from the Houſes for mee to continue my charg, I confeſſe it was a great ſtreight that I was put in betweene two commands that have ſo much power over mee, but when I conſider the great care which I have ever obſerved in the Parliaments of this Kingdome, for the good and ſafety of the King and Kingdome, and every mans particular in them, and that they are that great counſell by whoſe authority the Kings of England have ever ſpoken to their Subjects; And likewiſe that the truſt of this Fleete for the defence of his Majeſty, and the Kingdomes was committed to me, by them, and knowing the integrity of my owne heart to his Majeſty, and Parliament, I reſolved not to deſert that charge committed to my truſt wherein God (bleſſed be his Name for it) hath made mee hitherto ſo ſucceſſefull; but to continue it untill I ſhall bee revoked by that authority that hath entruſted mee with it; which having declared to my Captaines at the Counſell of Warre, all of them unanimouſly and cheerefully tooke the ſame reſolution excepting five, which was the Reare Admirall, Captaine Fogge, Captaine Burley, Captaine Slingsby and Captaine Wake: All which five refuſed to come upon my Summons, as having no authority over them, and got together round that night to make their defence againſt mee, onelyonly Captaine Burley came in, and ſubmitted to me, whereupon in the morning I weighed my Anchors, and cauſed the reſt of my Ships ſo to doe, and came to an Anchor round about them, and beſieged them, and when I had made all things ready I ſummoned them, Sir Iohn Mennes and Captaine Fogge came in to mee, but Captaine Slingsby, and Captaine Wake ſtood out, whereupon I let fly a Gun over them, and ſent them word I had turned up the Glaſſe upon them, if in that ſpace they came not in they muſt looke for mee aboard them, I ſent to them by my Boat, and moſt of the Boats in the Fleete, their anſwer was ſo peremptory that my Maſters, and Saylors grew ſo impatient on them, that although they had no Armes in their Boates, at all yet God gave them ſuch courage, and reſolution, as in a moment they entred them, tooke hold on their ſhrouds and ſeized upon theſe Captaines being armed with their Piſtols and Swords, and ſtrooke their Yards and Top-maſts and brought them both to me; the like courage and reſolution was never ſeene amongſt unarmed men, ſo as all was ended without effuſion of blood, which I muſt attribute to the great God of Heaven and Earth onelyonly, who in the moment that I was ready to give fire on them, put ſuch courage into our men to act it, and ſo ſaved much blood. I hope the Parliament will thinke of ſome courſe for all our Indempnities, and eſpecially for the officers of the Navy, and principall for the Surveyour of the Navy, my Vice-Admirall, a very able and good man; For my ſelfe I doubt not but they that put me in this imployment will preſerve me for ſerving them faithfully.
I pray you Sir, be a meanes to Sir Robert Pie, and Mr. Greene, that ſome money may be ſent us, for it hath beene often promiſed but we heare not of it. The weather continuing ſtormy ſo long together, that we ſpend our Maſts and Top-maſts, or ſome determent or other fals upon us daily, ſo that we are in great extremity for want of money. Thus having nothing elſe to trouble you for the preſent, onelyonly that you will be pleaſed to acquaint your Houſe of Commons with our proceedings, here I bid you farewell, and reſt,
Your aſſured Friend, WARVVICK, From aboard His Majeſties Ship the Iames in the Downs this 4. of Iuly 1642.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Rich, Letter to John Pim (1642)