AN ANTHOLOGY OF WORKS BY
JOHN LILBURNE (1638-1656)
(2025 Edition)

Table of Contents with links to separate files

[Created: 23 July, 2024] [Updated: 12 October, 2025 ]

Source

An Anthology of Works by John Lilburne (1638-1656). Edited by David M. Hart (Pittwater Free Press, 2025). This collection is also available as a single long file.

Lilburne also wrote or co-wrote several other petitions and tracts (some anonymously and thus disputed by historians) which are not inlcuded in this collection. See in particular the collection of "Agreements and Remonstrances" listed below.

This pamphlet/tract is part of a collection of Leveller Tracts.

It is also one of several anthologies of Leveller Tracts, which include:

1. An Anthology of Works by John Lilburne (1638-1656) (2025) with 51 items and 1,488 pages. [Online in one file] and a [Table of Contents] (this file) with links to the individual items
2. An Anthology of Works by Richard Overton (1641-1649) (2024) with 22 items and 466 pages. [Online in one file] and a [Table of Contents] with links to the individual items
3. An Anthology of Works by William Walwyn (1600-1681) with 31 items. [Online in one file] (forthcoming) and a [Table of Contents] with links to the individual items
4. Demanding Liberty: An Anthology of Leveller Agreements of the People, Petitions, Remonstrances, and Declarations (1646-1659) (2025) with 30 items and 330 pages. [Online in one file].
5. An Anthology of Protests of "The Little People"(1641-1652) with 17 items and 182 pages. [Online in one file].
6. The Art of the Levellers (2020) which is a collection and discussion of some of the title pages of the Leveller Tracts (over 40 examples). [Online].

Editor's Note

The page numbers refer to the page numbering in the original pamphlet. Sometimes page numbers were missing or there were duplicates. We have not attempted to correct this.

On many occasions the text in the margin notes is unreadable as a result of poor scanning of the original. In some tracts with large numbers of marginal notes, or very long ones, they have been changed into endnotes.

If there is no author's name given in the tract but we have other sources of information about the name of the author we have put the name in square brackets, as in [Lilburne].

The illustration above comes from an early tract called The Christian Mans Triall (12 March 1638) and comes with the following poem:

IOHN LILBURNE. AETAT: SVAE 23. Ano 1641.
G: Glo: fecit.

Gaze not vpon this shaddow that is vaine.
But rather raise thy thoughts a higher straine.
To GOD (I meane) who set this young-man free.
And in like straits can eke (also) deliver thee.

Table of Contents

1. Tracts and Pamphlets
   1. John Lilburne, A Light for the Ignorant (1638).
   2. John Lilburne, The Christian Mans Triall (12 March 1638, 2nd ed. December 1641).
   3. John Lilburne, A Worke of the Beast (1638).
   4. John Lilburne, A Copy of a Letter (15 January 1645).
   5. John Lilburne, Respecting the Power of Disposing of the Militia (30 August, 1645).
   6. John Lilburne, Englands Miserie and Remedie (14 September, 1645).
   7. [John Lilburne], Englands Birth-Right Justified Against all Arbitrary Usurpation, whether Regall or Parliamentary, or under what Vizor soever (8 October 1645).
   8. John Lilburne and Richard Overton, The out-cryes of Opressed Commons (February 1646).
   9. John Lilburne, The Just mans justification (6 June, 1646).
   10. John Lilburne, The Free-mans Freedom Vindicated (16 June 1646).
   11. [John Lilburne], Liberty Vindicated against Slavery (21 August 1646).
   12. John Lilburne, London’s Liberty in Chains discovered (October 1646).
   13. John Lilburne, An Anatomy of the Lords Tyranny (6 November, 1646).
   14. John Lilburne, Vox Plebis, or The Peoples Out-cry Against Oppression, Injustice, and Tyranny (19 November, 1646).
   15. John Lilburne [with Overton], An Unhappy Game at Scotch and English (30 November, 1646).
   16. John Lilburne, The Charters of London: or, The second Part of Londons Liberty in Chaines Discovered (18 December, 1646).
   17. John Lilburne, Regall Tyrannie discovered: Or, A Discourse, shewing that all lawfull (approbational) instituted power by God amongst men, is by common agreement, and mutual consent (6 January 1647).
   18. John Lilburne, The Oppressed Mans Oppressions declared (30 January, 1647).
   19. John Lilburne, The resolved mans Resolution, to maintain with the last drop of his heart blood, his civill Liberties and freedomes (30 April 1647).
   20. John Lilburne, Rash Oaths unwarrantable (31 May, 1647).
   21. John Lilburne, Jonahs Cry out of the Whales belly (26 July, 1647).
   22. John Lilburne, The Juglers discovered (28 September, 1647).
   23. [Signed by Several, attributed to John Lilburne], Englands Freedome, Souldiers Rights (14 December 1647).
   24. John Lilburne, A Defiance to Tyrants (28 January, 1648).
   25. [John Lilburne], A Declaration of some Proceedings of Lt. Col. John Lilburn (14 February, 1648).
   26. John Lilburne, The Peoples Prerogative and Priviledges (17 February, 1648).
   27. John Lilburne, The Prisoners Plea for a Habeas Corpus (4 April, 1648).
   28. John Lilburne, The Oppressed Mans importunate and mournfull Cryes to be brought to the Barre of Justice (7 April 1648).
   29. John Lilburne, The Prisoners mournfull Cry, against the Judges of the Kings Bench (9 May, 1648).
   30. John Lilburne, The Laws Funerall (15 May, 1648).
   31. [John Lilburne], To the right Honourable and supreme Authority of this Nation the Commons in Parliament assembled (11 September, 1648).
   32. John Lilburne, A Plea for Common-right and Freedom (28 December, 1648).
   33. John Lilburne, Englands New Chains Discovered (26 February 1649).
   34. [Signed by Robert Ward, Thomas Watfon, Simon Graunt, George Jellis, William Sawyer (or 5 "Beagles"), but attributed to Richard Overton or John Lilburne], The Hunting of the Foxes (21 March 1649)
   35. [John Lilburne], The Second Part of Englands New-Chaines Discovered (24 March 1649).
   36. John Lilburne, Thomas Prince, Richard Overton, The Picture of the Councel of State (4 April, 1649).
   37. [Several Hnads], A Manifestation from Lieutenant Col. John Lilburn et al. (14 April 1649).
   38. John Lilburne, William Walwyn, Thomas Prince, Richard Overton, An Agreement of the Free People of England (1 May 1649).
   39. Robert Lockier, John Lilburne, and Richard Overton, The Army’s Martyr (4 May 1649).
   40. John Lilburne, The Legall Fundamentall Liberties of the People of England Revived, Asserted, and Vindicated (8 June 1649).
   41. John Lilburne, An Impeachment of High Treason against Oliver Cromwel, and his Son in Law Henry Ireton Esquires (10 August 1649).
   42. [Signed by several but attributed to John Lilburne], An Outcry of the Youngmen and Apprentices of London (29 August 1649).
   43. John Lilburne, Truths Victory over Tyrants and Tyranny (16 November 1649).
   44. John Lilburne, A Letter written to Mr. John Price (31 March, 1651).
   45. John Lilburne, His letter to his dearly beloved wife (March 1652).
   46. John Lilburne, His Apologeticall Narration (April, 1652).
   47. John Lilburne, As you Were (May 1652).
   48. John Lilburne, The Upright Mans Vindication (1 August 1653).
   49. John Lilburne, The Just Defence of John Lilburn (25 August 1653).
   50. John Lilburne, An Hue-and Cry after the Fundamental Lawes and Liberties of England (26 September, 1653).
   51. John Lilburne, The Resurrection of John Lilburne (16 May 1656).