Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	great_a	king_n	lord_n	8,214	5	3.8032	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74791	A whip for the present House of Lords, or the Levellers levelled. in an epistle writ to Mr. Frost, secretary to the Committee of State, that sits at Darby House, in answer to a lying book said to be his called A declaration, &c. / By L.C. Io. Lilburne, prerogative prisoner in the Tower of London, Feb. 27, 1647.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.; Frost, Walter, fl. 1619-1652.	1648 (1648)	Thomason E431_1	47,524	30

distroying ring leaders amongst them the Earle of Straffords punishment I shall never iustifie you for righteous and impartiall Iudges or think that you have discharged your duty either to God or the Common wealth And then Mr. Speaker in the second place as for the Lords Legislative power I told my friends to this effect that the Lords usurpations in that particular had been the cause of all the late wars and blood shed in England And Mr. Speaker I illustrate it unto you thus that before this Parliament was called there were certain great and wicked men in England that had in a manner totally destroyed and subverted all our lawes and liberties For the Judges in the iudgement of Ship money alone had given up to the King at one blow all our properties and by consequence all our lives and all that was deare unto us And these with many others had de facto set up an arbitrary tyrannicall power beyond above all law which is well set forth in your first Remonstrance of the state of the Kingdome which had like to have destroyed this whole Nation and the King being of necessity compeld to call this Parliament this House in its verginitie and puritie according to the great trust reposed in them endeavoured to execute justice and judgement upon the forementioned tyrannicall law and liberty destroyers whose power and interest by reason of those many great places and command they possessed in the Kingdome and by reason of the length of time they had continued in their wickednesse had so fastly routed and revited them in the bowels of the Common wealth That the endeavouring to pluck them up occasioned the feare of a dreadfull Earth-quake in the Kingdome and therefore that this House might in securitie goe on effectually to discharge their trust and duty to the kingdome they were therefore as to me appeares necessi●ated to new mould the Militia of the Kingdome and to put the strength of the nation into more confiding hands then it was before which desires of theirs they sent up to the Lords for their concurrance who refused to concurre not once nor twice but many times † See 1 part book dec pa. 289 364. 365. 398. 548. 557. and procrastinated time so long by their delay that the Kingdom was therby in danger of ruine which necessitated this house to send up Mr. Hollis a quandum Patron of the peoples liberties to the Lords bar with a message to this effect to demand the names of all those Lords that would not concurre with this House in saving the Kingdome that so they might be the obiect of their iustice and punishment And truly if the Lords had had a rea●● and true right and title to their Negative voice to deny concurring with this House in what they pleased this message was no better then by feare and compulsion to ravish them out of their judgements and consciences and so by force to rob them of their rights And upon this message Mr. Speaker when the House of Lords see this House was in good earnest being prickt up thereunto by divers transcendent high Petitions of the people after they had delayed their concurrance so long as they could or durst the most of them fled and the remnant or lesse part concurred who at the best if they had a right to deny or grant it their wills and pleasures can be stiled no better then a House under force and by the same argument it ●ill follow they have so continued ever since and so all their acts eversince are null and void in law and reason both being the act of force and therefore of necessitie it must either be granted that the Lords pretended right to their law making power is a meere usurpation or else that the House of Commons committed the Apprentices late treason inforcing the Parliament But Mr. Speaker I said and still doe say that the Lords so long standing out and refusing to concurre with this house to settle the Militia of the Kingdome gave the King an oppertunitie to withdraw from the Parliament and to lay his design for a War yea and to gather his forces together whereas if they at the first desire had concurred with this house in setling the Militia the King had never had an oppertunitie to have withdrawn himself from the Parliament or to have gathered 300. men together much lesse an Army and so there could have been no Warre and blood shed in the Kingdome And therefore Mr. Speaker as I old amongst my friends so I doe here again lay the guilt of all the blood that hath been spilt in England in the late warre which I doe beleeve amounts to the number of 100000. men that have lost their lives in it at the House of Lords doore and this House Mr. Speaker in my apprehension can never in justice either before God or man acquit them selves as iust men if at their hands they doe not require and upon their heads requite the guilt in shedding all this innocent blood And as for their right to their pretended Legislative power I told my friends Mr. Speaker I would maintaine it upon my life against all the Proctors the Lords had in England that they had no truer right to their Legislative or Law making power then what they could derive from the sword of that Tyrant Will●am the Conquerer and his successors and therefore it was that in their joynt Declaration with this House published to the view of the Kingdome they doe not stile themselves the chosen Trustees or Representatives of the Kingdome but the Heriditary Councellers of the kingdome † See 1. part book decl pag. 324. 508. and Vox Plebis pag. 43 44 45 86. 92. 93. 94. in which pages the Lords are soundly paid but especially in the last the strength of which is taken out of Will. Prinns part of the soveraign power of Parliaments and kingdomes pag. 42 43. 44. where he hath if my judgement serve me levelled the Lords as sow as ever any of those he calls Levellers in England did and therefore his new book needs no other answer but his own words in his forementioned book so his own hand is against himself that is to say men imposed upon the Kingdom● for their law-makers and Rulers by the ficious omnipotenc● will of the King to be their law makers and governour● Who in his answer to the 19. propositions hath no better plea for the Lords Legistive power but that they ha●● their right thereunto by blood And Mr. Speaker I said unto them and now averre it with confidence unto you tha● for them to take upon them the title of Legislators of England they have no more right so to doe then a Rogue Th●eefe and Robber that robs me upon the high way and by force and violence takes my purse from me had or hath to call my money when he hath so done his own true and proper goods Or Mr. Speaker for them to plead

called Truths triumph or treachery anotamised and Sir Iohn Mayna protest del●vered to the Lords the 14 Feb. 1647. nor ought not to be And therefore Mr. Speaker before I totally conclude in preventing this house to conclude their ill begun opinion of me I shall humbly desire a little further liberty to propound three things unto your consideration and in them I shall be briefe The first of which is that when Paul stood before the Heathen and Pagan Roman Governours and the Iewish Scribes and Pharisees Prest hard against him to have him destroyed as this English Pharisee doth now against me at this barre yet they had so much righteousnesse and iustice in them by the light of nature that they would not condemn him for all that tell they had given him the benefit which the very law of nature gives to any man and which the law and custome of the Romans gave unto him which was to heare him make the best defence for himself that he could the which when he had done the Governour was convinced that his accusation was ●eer mallice and that he had done nothing worthy of death or bonds Acts 23.29 and 24.25.26 And Mr. Speaker as Paul amongst the Heathens inioyed the benefit of a Roman viz. the priviledges of the Lawes of his Country so let but me from this house inioy but the priviledges of an Englishman viz the benefit of the known and declared Lawes of my native Country and I doubt not but to make it as evident as the Sun when it shines in its glory that I have done nothing that deserves either death or bonds and that this information is a meere malicious bundle of lyes and that if the Informer dare but to sweare on● quarter of that which now with confidence he affirmes that he forfeits his ears And to punish me before this be granted me I must over is the hight of iniustice and the actors in it lesse morrall then the pagans and Romans were Secondly Mr. Speaker I desire to acquaint this House that upon the third of May in the yeare 1641. one Littleson servant to Prince Charles that now is informed the King himself with a great confidence that I had said if we could not have Iustice against the Earl of Str●fford we would pull the King out of White Hall and without any more adoe I was apprehended as a Traytor and clapt up close in the messengers hands and the next morning I was brought to White Hall as a Traytor and the King sent Mr. Nicholas then as I remember Clarke of the Councell to the House of Lords to impeach me of High treason and the said Littelton swore the words point blank against me and unto the B●nch I was called where I had a kinde of an arraignment of High treason before almost a 100. Lords then siting unto which I stooped knowing my liberties no better and the Lords giving me leave to speak for my self what I could I delt as ingeniously with them then as now I have done with this House and told them freely and boldly the whole truth of the matter and I being withdrawne one Mr. Andrews a Councellour of Lincolns Inn was called in as a witnesse of confirmation to Mr. Litleton not knowing wel what I had said nor what he had sworne and he was put upon his Oath to declare the truth of my discourse and Jumped point blank upon what I had ingeniously related to them so by examining the truth to the bottome my life was saved and my body honourably delivered by order of that honourable House from my present bonds and Mr. Litleton like a rogue for his owne preservation was fain to sneak away but Mr. Speaker that which I here observe is this that if the House of Lords then possest with indignation enough against me had been so credilous and unjust to have believed a single informer then upon his oath which yet is more then this informer is for any thing I know J had died for it and I hope this house will not fall short of the house of Lords yea and of the house of Lords when it was fullest of arbitrary courtiers in doing justice in condemning me to any the least punishment in the world upon the bare virball information of a single informer not upon his oath especially having so long and large experience of my unspoted integrity to the reall and just interest of this House that now with my pen I dare aver it with confidence never any man in England ever gave greater or larger for all the rusling buslings or confident lyes of any rotten apostatised or corrupt members therein Thirdly and lastly Mr. Speaker I desire to acquaint this House with some hard measure in this very particular I have had from this House it self truly M. Speaker J intended at my coming in freely boldly to have grated upon some unpleasant string and loudly to have sounded a harsh and unpleasant base upon them but truly Mr. Speaker J must ingeniously confesse I am overcome by that honouourable respect I have this day found from this House in that you have heard me with so much patience speak my minde so largely with freenesse and bouldnesse without the least interuption in the world that I doe in good earnest canfesse I take it for a greater obligation and ty unto my spirit then all the favours that ever I received from this House fom the first day of their siting to this present day but Mr. Speaker I beseech you let me not be misinterprited as though J said this to collogue and flatter with you and therby to insinuate into you lesten your iust indignation unto me for my crimes no Mr. Speaker I hate and abhore the thoughts of any such thing and doe before you all with detestation protest against it assuring you that if my naked integrity and sincerity in the iust and strictest eye of the law will not beare me out in whatsoever can iustly and legally be laid unto my charge J am resolved to perish But I goe on with your favour Mr. Speaker to say what J intend with the greatest respect to this House that possibly the businese will beare and Mr. Speaker you your selfe may remember that I brought post letters of glad tidings in Iuly 1645. from the Army in the West of their routing Generall Goring at Lampart and being waiting at the House doore upon the 19. of Iuly 1645. there was ●me kinde of false information given into this House against me by whom J then did not know nor ●o not legally know to this day but the informers were never called into the House to testefie the least ●●me in the world against me and with those that since I understand were the informers viz ●r ●ast●ick Col. Edward King I had not for many moneths before to my knowledg changed so much as ●●e word with and yet notwithstanding my best requitall for my hazardus posting from the Army to 〈◊〉 House

as they said to have murdered the King and upon that very pretence got him into their Moustrap in the Jsle of weight but Cromwells basnesse with Paul Hobsons and their third confederate about that very particular I shall have a fit oportunity in the second part hereof to ●●otamise and thus when one thing will not serve your and their turne to murther me by robbing me of my reputation after your Grandees have cast me into prison of purpose to starve me for they keep above 2000. l. of my own from me and allow me nothing to live upon but the stone walls you and the rest of the Grandees many hundred mercionary pentionary En●s●ries ●n City and Country take up any thing that you thinke will undoe me and with your and their notorious lyes and falshoods labour nothing more then to rob me of my reputation and credit knowing right well that if you could doe that I must of necessitie peris●● and therefore you and they make it your worke with your groundlesse reproaches to bespatter me and make me as black as a chimny sweeper and render we as a man not fit to live in civell or morrall society and yet to my face dare not bid the tryall of particulars but shun and abher all such honest and just dealing as that though to Cromwell c. I have often proferred to come face to face to the Test of all differences betwixt us yea to make his Generall Vmpire betwixt us as you may read in my printed epistles to him c. which he never durst imbrace but avoid and shun yea if you please to speak with Mr. Hugh Peters he will tell you that the last weeke againe and againe I made the same proffers in effect to him and w●sht him to tell both the Generall Cromwell and Ireton of it and I say their long and continuall refusing fairly face to face to have the differences betwixt us debated before friends or enemies is a cleare demonstration that they have guiltie consciences within them and that nothing will satisfie their tyrannicall mallice but my dearest blood and the totall destraction of my wife and little Children for upon Cromwell and Ireton principally I lay all my present sorrows miseries and cruell sufferings out of which I had long since been delivered had it not been for them But Mr. Frost I would faine know of you wherein the Parliament hath been mindfull as you in your 7. pag. say they have been of my sufferings and services any otherwise then to require me evill for good and to seek my destruction by making orders to arraign me and tossing and tumbling mee from one Gaole to another to starve and murther me And for those severall summes of money you say they have given me truly I doe not remember them and would have you to name them if you can And as for the report from the Committee of accompts that you hit me in the teeth with I referre you to my answer to it at large in the last end of my book called the Resolved mans resolution pag. 31 32 33 34 35 36 And so I come to your maine charge laid upon me which as I find it in your 8 9 10 11. pages amounts to thus much that my contemptuous carriage and language to the dignit●e and authority of the House of Lords with so little losse or punishment unto my selfe was a maine encouragement to that generall assault and force upon both Houses upon the 26. of Iuly last by that rabble of Reformadoes and of the Aprentices set on and encouraged by the known malignant then ruling party of the City This carriage of his say you might seem sufficient to discover the man and being known might warne every well tempored and peaceable disposition to take heed of ingaging in any designe that may be the conception of such a spirit the birth whereof can portend nothing but destraction and confusion I thank you kindly Mr. Frost for your badge but I doubt not but in handling of this particular I shall cudgell your coat soundly and not yours alone but also the House of Lords and make it as evident as the Sun when it shines that reason law truth and justice is clearely on my side and all and every of these against the Lords in the present contest betwixt us and if so then by the truth of your last fore recited calumniations I desire all rationall Englishmen may iudge of the truth of all the rest And therefore Sir if you please to read my book called the Free mans freedome vindicated you shall there find a true relation under my own hand of the ground and reason of my contest with the Lords and that in my first appearing before them I gave them more honour and respect then by law was their due in that I obeyed their warrant and appeared at their barre which was more then by law I was bound to doe and at my first appearing before them I put of my hat to them and demeaned my self with all respect before them and modestly and smoothly delivered in my plea against their iurisdiction over me and appealed therein to the House of Commons for protection against their usurpations for which they committed me upon which commitment I sent my for●● all appeale to the House of Commons whereupon the Lords sent for me againe and I refused to goe and forced the Keepers of Newgate to break my wall upon me which they easily did because J wanted weapons to hinder them and by force and violence to compell me to goe and when I came before the Lords I put of my hat but did refuse to kneele and would sooner be hanged then to have done it neither was I bound therunto in the least by law for which they committed me close prisoner to Newgate without accesse of friends wife or children or the use of pen and inke and about three weeks after sent a warrant to the Sheriffe of London with a guard to force me up the third time and when I came there I made them force me into the house and its true I then marched in with my hat on in contempt and disdain of their usurpations when I see no reason would satisfie them I did again refuse to kneel stopt my eares and refused to heare their scrowles or papers read to me and in this I did not in the least misbehave my self neither did my carriage cast any legall contempt upon them for it was their own did it in that they medled with that they have no iurisdiction of and therefore my carriage was abundantly more iustifiable then theirs in that J plaid the part of a faithfull Englishman in maintaining and iustifying my liberties and freedomes and sticking close to the law of the land and they the parts of usurping tyrants and destroyers of law and liberty For though by law I grant the House of Lords to be a Court of justice and to have cognizance o●●er delayes of

upon my own charges with the foresaid glad tidings was to be voted by the house about 8. Clerk at night to be clapt by the heeles without to this day expressing any pretended or reall crime or cause ●herefore without eversomuch as calling me though then at the doore to speak one word for my self a harsh peece of iustice Mr. Speaker but yet this was not all for the causlesse indignation of this House * And I must and will now say here in ●he margent that Mr. William Lenthall ●he speaker was the principalest man that ●en sought to murder and destroy me for ●y Innocency and the powerful fountain from whence all my then miseries and sufferings did come although I medled nor made not with him before he had got me clapt by the heeles only he having 〈◊〉 guiltie conscience in him made him smite any that he apprehended stood in his way but this let me ●w tell him that I am very confident of it if Mr. Laurance Whittaker Mr. Corbet and the rest of ●he Committee of Examinations had performed the duty of righteous Judges and not have made a most false and lying report to the House of Commons Mr. Speaker had been proved a Traytor according to their own Ordinances but read Englands birth right burnt so hot against me that upon the 9. of August following they caused me to be sent from the Sargeant at Armes his messengers house to Newgate and by all the meanes I could use in the world could neither get this House not its Committees before whom I was to tell me in the least the cause wherefore they were angry with me and yet your causelesse indignation rested not here but when I was in Newgate this House made severall Orders for Mr. Bradshaw Mr. Steele and Mr. Walker to prosecute me for my ●ife as J conceived at the Sessions in the Old Bailey and a Iury was also as I was informed panneld upon me and hundreds of my friends gave me over for a dead man and many times pressed me to seeke ●he favour of this house which I alwayes absolutely refused and trusted to the protection of God my ●nnocency and my pen and in conclusion this House sent me 100. l. to help to beare my charges and the 14. Octob. 1645. by Vote of this house as a iust and innocent person against whom no crim ●nformation or charge had or could be laid released me So that Mr. Speaker you see that this very house upon false and ungrounded information † By or from your self Mr. Speaker Dr. Bastwick and Col. Edward King which causlesly heated and inflamed their indignation against me had like to imbrued their hands formerly in my innocent blood and yet in conclusion were necessitated to release me as an innocent iust and righteous man and Mr. Speaker I could tell this House the name of those in this House that were the principall prosecuters of me in this uniust and unrighteous manner but for that ingenious and honourable respect that I have this day injoyed from this house I am at present in that particular silent only I must acquaint this house that I was no sooner at liberty then the agents of your brother Sir John Lenthall Mr Speaker went up and down the city declaring that I and my confederates had a plot in hand by force of A●mes to destroy this Parliament * And Mr William Prinn was authorised by authority being the common divulger of Lyes to print it see his book called the Lyar confounded pag. 27 and my answer to it called Innocency and Truth iustified pag. 4 5 6. 34 35. where I prove that in eight lines he hath told thirteen or foureteen Lyes of which when I heard I went to Alderman Atkins now a Member of this House and then Lord Maior of London before whom some of Sir Iohns Agents Complotters and Knights of the post were brought and desired him to doe me justice upon them by taking such a legall course that they might be put upon the effectuall proofe of 〈◊〉 conspiracie and treasons which they accused me of or examplary iustice done upon them for the false accusations and combinations to take away my life But truly Mr. Speaker I must clearely declare to this house that I clearely apprehend these persons were set on by men of such power that 〈◊〉 then Lord Maior of London now a member of this House neither durst nor would doe me one dra● of Iustice † And who those men of power are you may find named in Englands Birth right and my book called Innocency and truth iustified in which two books you may read the whole history of all that desperate combate And Mr. Speaker I looke upon this very accusation given against me as a designed plou● melicious and false a thing as any of these formentioned do hope to find so much honour and justice now at t● hands of this Honourable house especially considering that now I have in some good measure give● them to understand how maliciously formerly I have been dealt with that they will not in the lea● condemne or punish me upon this verball suggestion nor have the least evill thoughts of me till the● see the businesse fully debated according to law and common iustice And now to conclud all Mr Speaker I shall humbly crave the patience of this house to heare me tw● or three words about my own particular businesse that hath hung so long in this house And what I have to say in this particular I shall be very briefe in And in the first place Mr. Speaker as for my appeale to this house which hath hung here almo●● two yeares without your judgement or finall determination post upon it although I for my part Mr Speaker have used all the wayes and meanes I can to procure it but as yet Mr. Speaker I can not obtaine it I therefore make it my humble sute unto this Honourable House that if yet they be not satisfied in the legally of my protest against the Lords usurping jurisdiction over me that then thi● house Mr. Speaker will be pleased to appoint a day in the open house to heare me openly whe● † As all pleadings or tryalls in all Courts of justice ever ought to be See 2. part inst fo 103. 104 and regall tyranny p. 81 82. 83. And the Royall quarrell p. 8. S. Io. Maynards case truly stated now Mr Speaker I solemnly offer singly and alone 〈◊〉 this bar to maintaine and iustifie the legallitie of my proceedings against the Lords against all the procters they have in England to send to this bar to plead their caus● for them face to face yea Mr. Speaker I shall be willing they shall take in the helpe of all the Agents they have 〈◊〉 this House † And the helpe of their Creatures in the House I the rather proferred them because I was certainly informed that Mr. Sam. Brown Mr. Pridix and Mr. Hill all

Lawyers had proctered for them in the open House against● me a little before of whom face to face in that particular in their own profession I dare ingage my head to make Novices and lyars of provided I may be suffered my selfe to answe● their obiections and when the discourse is done I shall readily and cheerfully submit to the finall determination and judgement of this House in it or if I cannot obtain this at your hands Then in the second place Mr. Speaker I most humbly intreat this honourable House that they will be pleased to appoint a day to reade over my Plea J made for my self before Mr. Iohn Maynard c. † Who I doe aver delt most unworthily trecherously and not like a righteous iudg nor a●just English man with me who though the House had expresly ordered him and the rest of the Committee not only to heare and examine my businesse but also to conclude their opinions upon it and report their results to the House yet notwithstanding Mr Maynard being then in the Chaire as some of the Committee told me would not upon any tearmes suffer them to doe it by meanes of which he rob● me of my reall benefit of that Committee which the House intended me and hath done like a trecherous man as much as in him lyes to destroy me and my liberties and the liberties of all the Commons of England the Lords being encouraged thereby to deale since as illegally with Sir John Maynard and other Commons of England as they have done with me see Sir Iohn pleas of the 5 and 14 Feb. 1647. and which since I have printed and delivered some hundreds of them to the members of this House and upon the reading of it to proceed to give a final Judgment in it that so I may after almost 2. years waiting know what to trust to and not be kept everlastingly in Prison in a condition worse then death it self for truly Mr Speaker my pressing and unsupportable necessities compels me to deale ingeniously with this House and t●uly to acquaint you that I have not being a yonger Brother one foot of land in the whole world nor a penny of any rents coming in to maintaine me my wife and litle Children nor any trade agoing to bring me in one farthing nor a penny allowed me by those that uniustly imprisoned me to buy me bread and all these things considered with my 11 years in a manner constant sufferings laid unto them I cannot apprehend how this house can rationally conceive how without maricle I should live or subsist especially seeing I am necessitated to contest for my own preservation with all the corrupt grand interests in England therfore in the second place I humbly intreat this honourable house to let me have somthing at the present out of my Arreares to keepe me alive which I dare with confidence Mr Speaker avere before this House Iustly amounts to the greatest part of a Thousand pounds And in the third place Mr. Speaker I humbly intreat this Honourable House seriously to consider and passe my Ordinance that long hath laid dormant here for my 2000. l. reparations against my cruell Star-Chamber Iudges and that I may speedily and effectually by you he put into a certain way where to receive my money and not be sent unto those for it where it is impossible for me to get it * The names of those my unrighteous and barbarous High Commission and Star-Chamber Iudges are Dr. Lamb Dr. Gwin and Dr. Alylet whose hands were to my first commitment and yet never see my face these that past my first bloody whipping sentence upon me c. were Lord Coventry Earle of Manchester Lord Newburgh old Sir Henry Vaine Lord Chiefe Iustice Bramstone and Iudg Jones those that past my second most barbarous sentence to starve me c. were Canterbury Coventry London Manchester Arundell Salisbury Cottington Secretary Cook and Windebank the severall sentences you may read at large in the 1 2 3 4. pages of my printed relation before the Lords of the 13. Feb. 1645. and from the fattest and ablest of these I expect my reparations viz. from old Sir Henry Vain the Earl of Salisburys whose greatnesse alone in both Houses I have cause to iudg hath kept me all this while from my reparations and therefore O all true hearted English men help me to grapple with their lawlesse greatnesse without the losse of a great deale of time and the expence of a great deale of money if ever I get it at all which I have not now to spend having I dare with confidence aver it spent above 1000. l one way and another in following this House c. for it and so Mr. Speaker I have done with what I have to say to you at present wherupon I was commanded to withdraw which I did And immediately upon it Mr IOHN WILDMAN was called in a severall times and myselfe having sent in word to Mr. Speaker that I earnestly desired to come to the Bar againe to speak two or three words more to the House and accordingly I was called in coming to the Bar very hoarse by reason of my straining my selfe to speak audably in my former speeches one of which lasted above an houre and half I said with a mild voyce Mr. Speaker a Prison by the law of this Land is appointed not for the punishment or distuction of the Prisoner but for the secure and salf-keeping of him for a speedy tryall at the next Assises Sessions or Goale del●very And truly Mr Speaker J have now been many assizes Sessions and Goale deliveries in Prison and never called out to have any crime in the world laid legally unto my charge being commited by those that J must and do averre with confidence before this house have no more power or authority by the law of England to commit me then so many Turkes or Tertors and this House was lately pleased to doe me so much Iustice and right as to give liberty day by day to goe obroad to follow my businesse and yesterday I understand they have taken of that order and left me a Prisoner under the power of the Lords by reason of this information of Mr. Mastersons which I aver is a most malicious lying one truly Mr. Speakes my necessities are such and I count it no disgrace to repeate it over againe to this House especially considering my eleven year● hard and constant chargeable sufferings for the liberties of my native Country that I have neither Lands houses nor tade ●going to bring me in a penny to buy me bread to preserve alive my wife and little children and I never die any action in my life but I was alwayes willing and still am ready to answer for it at the touchstone of the Law and by it to iustifie it at my perrill without ever craving o● now desiring the least dram or courtefie in the world at the hands of any flesh