We hereby give you to understand that those seamen of ours, which your men-of-war have lately taken, or may hereafter take in prizes of ours, be not imprisoned. And that you set at liberty all those that are confined, otherwise you shall not have that usuage you formerly had from us. Without delay let this be observed, else you will have cause to repent. We have given you thousands of prisoners which we might have endungeoned, nay hanged, but that rebellious ignorance have pleaded their escape. Now we can, if you compel us, make a hundred suffer for one. Our pleasures are commended to you, by just and due observation, not to make the innocent suffer for the nocent. Therefore we do daily set at liberty yours, supposing, that upon receipt of these, you will do the same by ours; otherwise we shall soon make known to you our intentions. THOMAS ALLEN, WILLIAM COPE, GEORGE BOWDEN, JOHN DASSET, RICHARD WHITING, PETER CLIFF, FRANCIS FOURTHER, JONATHAN BANTER, BROWNE BUSHELL, JO. MERRITT, DAN. WILKINSON, FRANCIS COLMAN. Ostend, June 22nd, 1645. The Yarmouth historian, speaking of this transaction, says, “Probably all these (who had subscribed the above letter) were Englishmen, who had fled for protection into foreign parts, and lived by plundering the Yarmouth fisheries and others upon the high seas, under pretence of loyalty, and serving their king and country.” How far this censure is consistent with candour, I shall leave the impartial reader to determine; the only observation I shall make on it is this: that the town of Yarmouth having taken an active part in behalf of Parliament, and the town of Lowestoft, being as warmly interested on the part of the king; and the towns having also acted, for many years, as rivals to each other in the herring fishery, we may consider them, in a great measure, as inveterate enemies; whether we regard them in a political or commercial point of view; and, consequently, may easily account for their animosities, without having recourse either to censures or misrepresentations. Captain Allen, a few years after, greatly alarmed the town of Yarmouth with the apprehension of an immediate retaliation of the injuries which he and his associates had sustained; for on Sunday, January 13th, 1648–9, he came into Yarmouth roads in one of the prince’s ships, and threatened an immediate revenge on the town: but it appears, notwithstanding these threats, that his humanity conquered his resentment; for neither history, nor tradition informs us, that the town of Yarmouth ever received any injury from him.