In the yeare 1672 I comanded as Captⁿ of the Royall James, under the Rᵗ Honᵇˡᵉ the Earle of Sandwᶜʰ, in the Sowle Bay fight. The said shipp, after a vigorous defence, was burnt by the Dutch; in wᶜʰ action I was wounded, the cure of wᶜʰ cost me, in surgeons, apothicary, nurses, &c., betwext fower score and a hundred pounds. I have bine so remise and negligent as not to demaund satisfaction for my reimbursemᵗ. Do pray the favor of the bord I may have a bill made out, what you shall think convenient, haveing bine out of my mony now 36 ys. I likewise, in the yeare 1690 (being then one of the Comʳˢ for Victualling), was taken into custody at Portsmᵒ, and brought up a prisoner from thence by order of the then House of Comons, and remained as such a considerable tyme in yᵉ hands of Mr. Topham, then sergant at armes to sᵈ house, under pretence of our poisoning the fleet then at sea (under comᵈ of Admˡˡ Herbert, now Earle of Torrington), with gutts in our beere and gaules in our beefe;[a] and with great dificulty obtained to be bailed. I must not call it injustice in that august assembly, what they did to me; but it cost me about a hundred pounds to Mr. Topham for his fees, and to lawyers soliciting the House of Comons, wᵗʰ expences of entertainment whilst in custody; for satisfaction of wᶜʰ I presume the bord will not think fitt to allow me, except directed soe to doe by order of the Lord High Admˡˡ, for wᶜʰ shall make my aplication to him; but for my cure, I doubt not the favor and justice of the bord in ordering a bill to be made out. I remain, Gentⁿ, yoʳ very humble servᵗ, Rᵈ. HADDOCK. * * * * * [a] Macaulay’s “casks of meat which dogs would not touch, and barrels of beer which smelt worse than bilge water.”--_Hist. of England_, ch. xiv. SIR RICHARD HADDOCK TO HIS GRANDSON.[a] Clapham, 28ᵗʰ May, 1712, Wedensday. DEARE GRANDSON, I came yesterday to this place, and, according to my promise, do answer yours of 18ᵗʰ instant from Christ Colledge in Oxford. It happens to be this day 40 years that I was burnt out of the Royall James in the Sole Bay fight against the Dutch. Am well pleased to find the efforts you intend to make yourselfe famous in Westminster Hall. It is like the saying of your Unckle Nichˢ, who doubted not but to be as great as Sʳ Cloudesly Shovell was; and he pushes very faire for it. Your father and family went to Wakehurst Satuarday last; tooke Betty and Fanny Clark[b] downe wᵗʰ them; gote well thither. Yoʳ Unckle Richard, the weeke past, hath bine very ill wᵗʰ a feavor and ague, wᶜʰ kept me from hence longer then I designed; is under the advice of Doctor Ratclif,[c] who gave me leave to come downe hither, promiseing his care of him; and was downe staires when came away. With my harty prayers for yoʳ health and wellfare, I am Yoʳ most afecᵗ grandfather,