WHereas Your Majesty was graciously pleased not onely to command the imployment of my Service in Your Highnesse Mines-Roy­all, occasioned by some discourse of them at Enston-Rock, Your Majestie vouchsafing to honour that place with your presence, but also to give your Majestie a true rela­tion what they were when I entred upon them, what they are since at present, and of what hope for the future, if diligently pursued and cherisht by your Royall aspect: In obedience whereunto, I do in all humility affirme, That the Mines at my first entrance were drowned with water, and consequently not worth the working, as by severall certificates hereunto annexed appeareth, which did then much disencourage my undertakings; but considering how deeply your Majesties many favours had engaged me, the meanest of your Subjects, I conceived my selfe obliged to adventure upon the undermining of the adjacent Mount­ains, thereby to make triall, whether those Mines (if once discovered at the surface of the earth) would not prove richer in their deeper search; of which, having received severall opinions from the best Mineral-masters of our age, as Sir Francis Godolphin, M. Alexander Roberts, M. Ioseph Hexsteter, and M. Walter Barksby, with divers o­thers well practised in that way, encouraging me therein; I then resolved to hazzard my fortune on them, assuring my selfe that all Mines and Minerals were to be discovered by some one or other, because originally created for mans use, and Gods glory: and thus having setled my former ir­resolute [Page] thoughts, I began with a cheerefull heart to cut thorow five severall mountains, at their lowest levell, which by the Art of Dialling appeared to be some sixtie, some eightie, and some an hundred fathoms perpendicu­lar, and so continued these battery-works foure yeers, night and day, before my hopes could give me any happy assurance that the Minerall-beds of these subterraneall ri­ches lay fast locked in those barren Rocks, untill my charge grew so great, that I became pitied of my friends, and in­sulted over by my enemies, which did anew perplex my minde: yet when I considered that I was not born for my selfe, but for the Service of God, your Majestie, and my Countrey, and that I had not only that heavenly guider to direct me, but also your sacred Majestie to encourage me, I then began to cast off my former justly conceived fears, and (notwithstanding any opposition or seeming disswasive arguments) to pitch on this resolution, that better it were for me to suffer shipwrack in my poore estate and credit, then that such treasures should lye buried in the BOWELS of those vast moun­tains, and not be made both known, and beneficiall to your gracious Majestie, being inherent to your prerogative, as by the Declaration under the hands of learned Counsell hereunto annexed appears, which hills, although large in extent, yet are not considerable in herbage, nor fit for any other plough, then the Miners sledge, gad, and twybill.

That which first wrought in me a desire to try and fa­thome those Mines was a sensible discourse delivered me by a Portugal, in presence of Sir Francis Godolphin (by whose death I lost the hope of a most knowing Partner) who had for many yeers been imployed under the King of Spain in his West India Mines, purporting that if his Master were Soveraign Lord of those Brittish hills, as is your Majestie, he should not doubt but to make them a second Indies, deeply protesting that the greatest riches in those Moun­taines [Page] lay in their lowest levels, which I finde to be true by undeniable experience in those five mountaines. For by this way of driving thorow the depth of Rocks, we are not onely freed from the danger and deluge of waters, but have also discovered the veines to prove richer in quantity and quality, some containing twenty pound, some fifteene, some tenne, and some six in Silver, in the Tunne of Lead upon the great Pest, which are answerable to most of the Mines of the King of Spaine, the Emperour of Germany, and the Duke of Saxony; finding moreover, that by mixing and smelting these severall veines together, the one proves a good additament to the other, and becomes thereby a meanes to advance the Mines-Royall, and in them the good of your Kingdome and Subjects.

We have many gracious testimonies how much the Al­mighty is pleased with these our innocent labours, by con­tinuall preservation of the workmen amidst their hourely dangers, especially in one accident, which lately befell, by driving an Addit into one of those mountaines called Talli­bont; but b [...]cause I was no eye-witnesse of it, I humbly de­sire your Majesties perusall of the narration thereof (as I re­ceived it) being then in London, from a Minister resident Preacher to the Minerall men, hereunto annexed.

And as I am bound to give to Cæsar that which is Cæsars, so must I further humbly acknowledge your Majesties large addition to your former Royall favours in granting mee (the meanest of your Creatures) liberty to give your Maje­sties impression to such Silver as the Mole-like Miners cast out of the Earth, for their speedier payment, they being the men who make the Rocks their resting place, and expect no other reward or benefit for their sweaty browes then what they gaine from out of the darke Cavernes of the earth by importunate labour.

And for declaration of part of my poore indeavours, [Page] your humblest suppliant begs a perusall of the annexed re­monstrance, presented by your honourable and grave mi­nisters of Justice, and other noble Gentlemen of quality, residing within your Principality of Wales, whose eyes have been spectators, as your servant, a diligent labourer in those Minerall Vineyards. And having thus far traced out, & d [...]ved into the secrets of natures treasures, and by the influ­ence of your Majesties favours, overcome those amazing difficulties, which hindred the entrance of these great ad­ventures, (I then, for better improvement of the works, caused a meeting of Myners, Monyers, Smelters & Refiners, to consult, debate, and try, whether fuell of turfe would not seperate the oare, extract the silver, & reduce the litharge, as well as the vast expence of whole Forrests of woods formerly consumed for that purpose; and upon an exact triall made thereof, by altering the earthy substance of turfe into charkie cynders, we found by infallible expe­rience, that your Majesties Turfaries will furnish Your Mines Royall with Fuell to all future ages. So that there re­maineth nothing more to make the inside of these barren Mountaines produce an addition of gems to your Crown, but to finish the building of your princely foundation by your Royall recommendation thereof to your High Court of Parliament, whose judgements will quickly discerne how much these Mines would redound to the generall good; your Majesties gracious Letters ha­ving already caused sundry Merchants, and Gentle­men of quality to take a personall view of the gaine, which accrewes from this publike worke of the Mines Royall, as a means to inrich Your Subjects the ancient Britains of those parts, with the free trade and vent of their Home made cloth, and to enable them to become Merchant-adventurers, as well by land as sea. Many others also of eminent ability wil be encouraged by these apparent possibilities of profit, to [Page] hazzard a portion of their present fortunes as a lot, so as they may be secured to enjoy those prizes which divine providence shall cast and conferre upon them in these their so honest adventures. And for manifest proofe of my proceedings in this businesse, I shall, with Your Royall assent, humbly desire a Commission from the High Court of Parliament, to examine the former and present state of the Mines Royall, and your Majesties riches that are buried under the most inconsiderable herbage of these vast Mountains, which in time may alter the name of Welch Rocks into Welch Indies, and make it plainly appeare to any, (who is not meerly of an earthly and avaricious temper, and can in any measure resent the true support of a flourishing State) that they (if followed) cannot but prove flowers to the Crowne, a glory to the Kingdom, and a rich blessing to the Subject.

Be pleased therefore, most gracious Soveraign, to vouchsafe that the beames of your Royall favour may cherish the growth of this hopefull designe, so as it be not blasted in the bud, and then my affectionate endeavours prove as fruitlesse to this Common-wealth, as was the neg­lected tender of Columbus his discovery of the West-Indian Mines in the reigne of Henry the seventh.

And to make it in some measure appeare to your Ma­jestie, how desirous I am to advance your revenew in an imployment so much conducing to the publike good, I do, in all humblenesse offer (as an increase of rent after the expiration of the Lady Middletons lease assigned to me, and yet in being) one thousand pounds by the yeer for and during the continuance of another lease thereof grant­ed to me in reversion; for confirmation of which leases by your Majestie, and your High Court of Parliament, I do further humbly present 1000 Marks as a prefine to your Majesties Privie Purse, over and above the benefit of your [Page] Majesties Mintage, the increase of shipping, and he impor­tation of necessary commodites, occasioned hereby, which as I am informed by Merchants of good worth that drive the trade, will amount to 4000 li. per annum. And for grant of the custome of exportation of such Lead onely, out of which the silver is refined, I will (so it please your Majestie) be bound to double the yeerly Revenew of the Farmers booke, according to a medium, of seven yeers cast up for that Port of Dovy: your Majestie having not from any former undertaker, or Farmor of those Mines, ever recei­ved either fine or penny of rent, all which I submissively propose, and desire the rather, to encourage my Coadven­turers, who as they were first invited by Your Princely let­ters of assurance, so will they now (things b [...]ing thus ho­nourably setled) be most willing to expose their fortunes for the consummating of so advantagious, so honourable, and so publick a good work.

Having thus made to your Majestie a true relation of the state of your Mines-Royall in Wales, & a faithful explication of my loyall intendments, and of other Minerall mens opi­nions conceived of those Mines, I professe before God and your sacred Majestie, that I therein have no other ends, then the glory of my Maker, the honour of your Majestie, and the good of my Countrey. Let me therefore, on a bended knee, humbly implore your Soveraign goodnesse, not onely to peruse these Petitions and Certificates annexed, but also to pardon the constrained prolixity of