Captn wilham Masson & Captn ffrancis Goderis Commander of the Shipps the blessed William & Jacob & company, & naturall borne subjects & freemen of the kingdom of England &c by way of lybell sett forth & shew to your bonis for diverse & sundry reasones causes & allegationes hereafter mentioned & sett forth, to shew cause why & wherefore these ships the ffrancis & Thomas formerly the S' pieter of Bayoun in fFrance belonging to the subjects or vassalls of the french King, Togither with her furniture guns & apparrell, as also all & every part & parcell of her loading now on board may not be adjudged condemned & sold at a certaine day & dysposed of as the Law in such cases makes & provides --

ffirst the sd Captn William Masson & Captn ffrancis Goderis Commanders of the sds ships did receive under the hand of the honble Jacob Leisler Liev* Governor of this his Maties province of Newyork & scale of the sd province a certaine Commission bearing date the day of June one Thousand six hundred

& Nyntie, unto them directed by the sd Lievt Governor by vertue

LIEUT. GOV. LEISLER. 297

of his Matie King Williams declaration bearing date at his Court at hampton Court the seaventh day of May in the year of our [Lord] one Thousand six hundred & Nyntie being the first of his Raigne, amongst other things it there mentioned & expresst That all & every of the Governors of his Mamies forts & garrisons or any other officers or souldiers under them by sea & land doe & execute all acts of hostility in prosecution of this warre ag* the french king his vassalls & subjects, & to oppose their attempts, wilhng & requireing all his subjects to take notice of the same, In pursuance &c obedience to his the sd Governors Commission to us as aforesd directed, by the honble Jacob Leisler, v^^ee the sd Masson & Goderis Commanders of the ships the blessed William & Jacob aforesd & Instructiones received, departed this port the day of June last past, cruzeing on the coast of