Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	good_a	king_n	people_n	3,603	5	4.8197	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88208	The just mans justification: or A letter by way of plea in barre; written by L. Col. John Lilburne. to the Honrble Justice Reeves, one of the justices of the Common-wealths courts, commonly called Common Pleas wherein the sinister and indirect practises of Col. Edward King against L. Col. Lilburne, are discovered. 1. In getting him cast into prison for maxy [sic] weekes together, without prosecuting any charge against him. 2. In arresting him upon a groundlesse action of two thousand pound in the Court of Common Pleas; thereby to evade and take off L. C. Lilburns testimony to the charge of high treason given in against Col. King, and now depending before the Honourable House of Commons hereunto annexed. In which letter is fully asserted and proved that this cause is only tryable in Parliament, and not in any subordinate court of justice whatsoever.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.	1647 (1647)	Wing L2126; Thomason E407_26; ESTC R202758	35,413	28

were not a private store house for powder and he told me none at all then we began to reckon how many barrels were gone out since he assured Maior Frankling and my selfe that he had a 100. in store and all that both the Magazine Keeper and my selfe could reckon with those 10. in his hands and all he had since that day delivered out was as I remember ●4 or 26. Whereupon I went to Alderman T●lsons and asked him whether the Maior himselfe and the rest of his brethren had not a private Magazine and he told me no but asked me wherefore I demanded such a question of him whereupon I told him all the story at which he stood amazed and from him I went to Col. Kings wife and desired to know of of her whether she knew of any private Magazine of powder that her husband had and she told me no. Then I told her all the businesse and said to her that I wondered her Husband should assure Maior Frankl●ng and my selfe that he had 100. barrels of powder when he had but 28. and that he should send for all that he had left out of the Garrison assuring her that if the ten barrels he had sent for should be sent him we should not have one left in the Magazine to defend the Towne with being then in expectation of the Enemy to assault us I told her for my part I could not pick out the English of it which I desired the Earle of Manchester seriously to consider of who seemed then to be very much affected with it And I being by the Generall sent post to London to the Committee of both Kingdomes about his marching to take Lincolne againe and from thence to march to Yorke to joyne with the Scots I in the third place ceased not to put that which lay upon me as a duty forwards as soon as an opportunity served and renewed my complaint aga●nst him at Lincolne and desired it might receive a faire hearing before the Generall and a Counsell of Warre and Mr Archer and others of the Committee of Lincolne drew up a very hainous charge against King and laboured hard for a tryall and in the third place the Major and Aldermen and Town Clerke of Boston came to Lincolne with their Articles against him which were home enough and to my knowledge pressed Leiu Generall Crumwell to use all his interest in my Lord that they might be admitted to make them good before him and a Counsell of Warre but wee could not all prevaile the reason of which I am not able to render unlesse it were that his two Chaplins Lee and Garter prevailed with the Earles two Cha●lins Me Ash and Good to cast a Scotch-clergy mist over their Lords eyes that he should not be able to see any deformity in Colonell King but this I dare confi●ently say if there we had had faire play and justice impertially King had as surely dyed as ever Malifactor in England did and to use the words once again of his own bosome friend and Counseller Mr. Prinne in page the 6 of the fore cited book If the late Baron of Graystock who was a Lord and one of the Peares of the Realme and had taken upon him safety to keep to the aforesaid Granfather King of England the Town of Barwick The said Barron perceiving afterward that the said Granfather addressed himselfe to ride into France the said Barron without command of the said Granfather committed the said Barwick to a valiant Esquire Robert Deogle a Leiv to the said Barron for to keep safe the own of Barwic to the said Grandfather and the said went as an horse man to the said parts of France to the said Granfather and there remained in his company During which time an assault of war was made upon the said Town of Barwick by the said Scots and the said Robert as Leiv to the said Barron valiently defended the same and at last by such forceable assaults the said Town was taken upon the said Robert and two of the sons of the said Robert slain in the defence of the same notwithstanding that the said Barron himselfe had taken upon him the safeguard of the said Town to the said Granfather and departed without command of the said Granfather and the said Town of Barwick lost in the absence of the said Barron he being in the company of the said Granfather in the parts of France as aforesaid It was adjudged in Parliament before his Peares that the said Town was lost in default of the said Barron and for this cause he had judgement of life and member and that he should forfeit all that he had I say if this Lord deserved to dye who left a deputy so manfully to defend the Town also was himself with the King in the service much more C. King meerly in reference to Crowland singly who being Governer thereof and having placed Captain Cony therein as his Deputy with a company of men sent for him in a bravado humour to Newarke when he had no urgent necessity for him unlesse it were that the world might see the bravery of his Regiment which by his argumentation amounted to about 1400 when Cap. Cony certified him that the Towne being generally Malignant c. would be in great danger by the Beaverkers of being lost if he should come away yet notwithstanding King sent to him againe and did command him away and put in a guard of slender and unsafe men which presaged a losse of it to the Committee residing in Holland upon which they acquainted Commissary Generall Ireton then Deputy Governour of the I le of Ely and earnestly intreated him to send a strong guard to preserve and keepe it and he accordingly sent as I remember Captain Vnderwood a stout man with about 100. Souldiers c. of which when King heard he was exceeding mad and did write a most imperious bitter Letter yet as I beleeve in the hands of Commissary Generall Ireton to command them out of his jurisdiction whereupon they were necessitated to depart and leave Crowland to his own slender and treacherous guard by meanes of which within a little while after the Enemy had advantage to surprize that Town without opposition or difficulty and did it So that to speake in the words of the Articles remaining in Parliament against him he betrayed that Town which was not regained without much hazzard and losse the expence of a great deale of treasure and many mens lives the blood of all which lies upon his head for the losse of which alone besides his treachery both to the State universall and representative he ought to dye without mercy by the Morall and undispensable Law of God made long before that ever the Jewes were a Nation or had any cerimoniall Law given unto them which law is expressed in Gen. 9.5 6 where God spaking to Noah and his sons saith thus And surely your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of

his Army by Martiall Law which ●aw was plainly printed by the same Authority and openly published to the view of every Commander Officer and Soldiers for transgressing against which Articles many in a m●rciall way have lost their lives and no other visible Rule that I knew off was to be the Rule and Iudge of ●u● actions or offences but that Law unto the power and authority of which both Col. King and my selfe did voluntarily stoop and therefore as I humbly conceive we are not to be tryed by the Rules of the Common Law which I thinke no man in the world fully and truly knowes for our actions commited in our Soldier condition which is the true cause betwixt him and me 2. I did my duty according to the trust reposed in me by the State legall and representative and by my Generall from whom I had my commission and according to the private command of Lievtenant Generall Cromwell which was to be faithfull in my place and to complain either of Col. King or whomsoever I groundedly knew did any actions that tended to the ruine of Salus Populi the safety of the People or the State universall and he promised me upon his honour and Reputation * Both at Sleford and elsewhere that he would doe the best he could to have justice done which is ●he very life of all societies or Common wealths and that without which the people cannot be happie or safe yea and he gave me the reason wherefore he so earnestly tyed me to it which was because our Generall with his Army was to march out of Lincoln shi●e and that country being lately wonne out of the hands of the Cavaliers there being very few of that Country it that time that desired Command under the Generall therefore saith he we are necessitated to make use of Col. King and to make him governour of Boston and Holland upon whom he look'd then as an active popular man who promised to doe mighty things for the good of that Country and the publique But in regard divers of the cheife men of Boston doe mislike him I have therfore saith he in his behalfe engaged my selfe to them for him that he shall be faithfull just and honest towards them and therefore in regard I have no large experience of the man and of his temper I principally looke upon thee Lilburne and thy Lievtenant Colonell John Bury by name whose faithfulnesse I can rest upon and for both of whom I have used my interest to place on purpose with him that so if hee should break out to the dishonour of my ingagement and the detriment of the publique I may from time to time bee sure to know of it from you that so it may be prevented before it be past remedy But King being puffed up with his command tooke upon him an absolute regall tyrannicall authority over all his Officers but especially those that were betrusted in Commission aswell as himselfe and to doe his cheife actions by the rule of his owne will without their privytie or advice something like divers of the present Grandees in the Army who by their late actions declare they have forgot their solemne agreement made at Newmarket which tended to the ruine of al that were under him consequently of that whole country he haveing treacherously lost Crowland and Boston put in extream danger by his absolute wilfulnesse if not treachery the making known whereof with his carriages at Newarke Seige c. cost me in sending posts to the Earle of Manchester and Leivtenant Generall Cromwell then in or about Camebridge I am very confident 20. or 30. l. which so madded him that he imprisoned Major Rogers for daring to goe and complain against him I being in those straights in regard of the charge I had taken upon me I durst not stir my selfe till all was cleare without feare or danger of an enemy he having already by the Law of his owne Will cashiered his Leivtenant Colonell without ground or cause and endeavoured the appa●ent destruction of Capt Camebridge and all the honest zealous and conscientious men under his command which to me was an ill Omen of his intentions Therefore I say so soone as I durst leave my charge I posted away to Bedford where I found my Generall and Leivtenant Generall Cromwell and told them both fully of Kings carriage and that he commanded his forces to march forward and backward where and when he pleased without the advice aprobation and consent of his Field Officers c. who were to ingage their lives a thousand times more then himselfe in managing the designes he set them about and that the Committee of Lincolnsheire had paid him divers thousands of pounds to pay his Officers and Souldiers at Newarke Seidge but I could not heare that he paid one penny to any Officer there and for my own part I am sure I could not get a penny from him yet lying base Mr. Prynn in one of his late bookes lyingly chargeth me with being accountable to the State for above 2000.l received of him see my answer to his charge in the last end of my booke called The resolved mans resolution although I am confident I tooke as much paines both night and day and hazarded my person as freely and as often as any Major at that Leaguer did So likewise although the Country sent in great store of provision for his Regiment gratis yet he and his under Sutlers made both my selfe and others of his Officers and Souldiers pay ready money for a great part of it to their extraordinary discontent provoking them thereby to mutiny And so full was be of arrogancy pride and contention contesting with al or most of the cheife Commanders there that Sir Iohn Meldrum told me that he kindled such a fire of contention amongst them that he durst scarce cal a Councel of Warre to consult how to manage their buysines being there continually in contestation with my Lord Willoughby Col Rossiter Sir Myles Hubbard Sir Iohn Paragraffe and divers of the Lincoln Committtee c. which did so trouble and distract the old Knight Sir Iohn Meldrum our Commander in cheife that he knew not wel what to do when Prince Rupert came upon us by reason of our own distactions among our selves And I dare confidently averre it upon my conscience that hee namely King was one of the greatest instruments of our overthrow and ruine and therefore if Thomas Earle of Lancaster Mr. Prynne in the 2. page of the foresaid booke recordeth was proclaimed a Traytor by the whole Army in the 12. yeare of King Edward the second for departing in discontent from the Army at the Siege of Barwick by meanes whereof it was not taken and the Seige raised then I desire to know what Colonell King deserveth who at the Seige of Newark carried himselfe so that hee did raise discontents and litle better then mutinies by meanes whereof the siege was not only raised but the whole Army

your selves to desire me safely to state my cause to you that so too morrow at the grand Councell of the Army you might be able cleerly to expresse your results about it and desires to the Parliament upon it In briefe the case is thus after my deliverance out of Oxford Castle I was made Major by Lievt Gen. Crumw●ll means to Col. Edward King in Lincolneshire who severall wayes betrayed his trust and did divers such actions that he deserved by the Articles of warre and Ordinance of Parliament to loose his life of which I according to my duty and the trust reposed in me complained to my then Generall the Earle of Manchester and Lievt Gen. Crumwell and with indefatigable paines for divers moneths together spent good store of my own money about it but could not from the hands of my then Generall obtaine one dram of effective justice upon Col. King saying the lose of his great and many commands although the Committee of Lincolnshire and the Magistrates of Boston and Lievt G. Crumwell were all prosecutors as well as my sel●e Whereupon in August 1644 Mr. Mussenden and Mr. Wolley and divers of the Committee of Lincolne preferred a formall impeachment of high treason according to Ordinance of Parliament and the rules of Warre to the House of Commons containing 22. Articles against the aforesaid Col Edward King which they caused to be printed and which I reprinted at the latter end of my Epistle to Iudge Reeves da●ted Iune 6. 1646 in the 4. and ●2 Articles of which they possitively accuse him for traiterously betraying Crowland and Grantham into the hands of the Cavieleers then professed enemies in Armes to the Pa●li●ment and my selfe being an active prosecuter of King to bring him to a tryall in the House of Commons upon the said impeachment by way of revenge he confederates with D. Bastwick then bitter against me for my constant activitie against the persecuting Presbyterian Government and upon the 12 of Iuly 1645. joyntly with him sends a Which said lying and false paper you may read in the 8. p. of Bastwicks most abusive printed defence against me of the 9. of August 1645. and in the 6. page of Pryns base and lying book called the Lyar confounded in unto the Speaker or some other of the House of Commons a most lying false malicious paper under their hands against Col. Ir●ton Mr. Hawlins and my selfe about 60000. l. that then was said to be sent to Oxford by the Speaker information of which was that day in the morning given into a Committee of the house of Commons by 3. Citiz●ns of London viz Mr. Pr●tty Mr. Rawson and Mr. Worly whereupon about 8. or 9 a clock at night by the Speakers means in the House of Commons contrary to all equitie law justice and conscience w●thout either knowing my accuser or accusation or so much as being called into their House though then at their doore to speake one word for my selfe voted by the House into the custody of the Serjeant at Armes b Wh●ch Order you may read in the 13 pag. of my answer to Pryn called Jnnocency and truth justified dated in Decemb. 1645. and as prisoner without any more adoe I remained with his man Knight till the 9. of August 1645 at which time corrupt Mr. Lawrence Whittaker and the rest of the Committee of Examination most illegally contrary to all law committed me to Newgate prison for refusing to answer to their unjust Interrogatories concerning my selfe c Which illegall order you may also read in the 17. pag of the aforesaid Innoceny c. and my foresaid malicious enemies by their powerfull interest prevailed with the house of Commons upon the 26. of August 1645. to make an expresse Order to try me at Newgate Sessions d Which mal●cious order you may likewise read in the 30. pag of the aforesaid Innocency and Truth justified before Mr. Glyn Recorder of London my professed enemy and who as I was told had threatned my utter distruction and in all likelyhood I had hanged for it if God had not inabled me fully and effectually to have staited my cas● w●th my pen which I presented in print to the wo●ld e And which by the Author of Englands Birth-right is reprinted at the beginning of that not able book and my ●ury before they passed upon me which as I was told gave them such ample satisfaction that they would not meddle with me and so by spec●a●l order of the House of Commons of the 14. of October 1645. I was freely discharged f Which discharge you ma● read in the 35. pag. of Innocency and truth justied without being ever charged by any man all that time legally with the least crime in the world the whole story of my then unjust usage you may fully read in my book called Innocency and truth justified being ignorant to this very houre of the true or declared cause wherefore I was so committed and tossed and tumbled by the House of Commons saving but for what I find in Bastwicks and Pryns abusive books mentioned before in the Mergent And being at liberty I followed my Star-Chamber businesse then depending in the House of Commons and with much adoe as you may read in the 67 72. pages of Innocency and truth justified got it from thence transmitted to the Lords before whose bar upon the 13. of Feb. 1645. I had with my councell Mr. Bradshaw and Mr. Iohn Cook a fair and just hearing upon which they made an effectuall and legall Decree g Which Decree you may read in the latter end of my relation of my Councells plea before the Lords the 13. Feb. 1645. for the destroying and annihillating of that most illegall and bloody sentence past against me in the Star-Chamber in Anno. 1637. and within a few dayes after decreed me 2000. l. for my dammages or reparations and transmitted an Ordinance down to the house of Commons for inabling me to receive the money in which House that Ordinance hath laid do● 〈◊〉 ever since But Col King knowing I was the chiefest man he was in danger of judged himselfe not safe nor long lived if I should gi● that money which would enable me with vigour and strength to prosecute him which he kn●w well enough I would doe therfore to divert me and to be revenged of me he most maliciously and causelesly upon the 14. of April 1646. contrary to the just priveledge of Parliament and the common law of h See Vox Plebis pag. 23 24. England caused me at Westminster as I was following my businesse then depending before the House by whom I ought therefore in justice to have been protected against him by the Bayliffe thereof to be arrested into the court of common Pleas in an action● or trespasse for 2000. l. pretending that I in October before had said Col King was a Traytor and I would prove him one whereupon I clapt in my petition to the House