TO THE MAN WHOM GOD HATH honoured, and will further honour, if he continue honouring him, Lieu. Generall Cromwell at his house in Drury Lane, neare the red-Lion this present.

IT is the saying of the wise man, That he that rewardeth evill for good, evill shall never depart from his house, the justnesse of which divine sentence ingraven in nature, hath even ingaged morall Heathens to a gratefull acknowledgement of favours received, and hath been a sufficient obligation conscientiously to ty them, to acts of retribution to those for whom they have received them; and therefore (not only below a Christian, but a very morall Heathen, and Pagan should I judge my selfe if I should bee forgetfull of your seasonable favours, much more if I should returne contrary effects unto you, which with all thankfullnesse I must acknowledge, seeke compassion [Editor: illegible word], mee in my hands and chaines even when I was at deaths doore, and was principally instrumentall in delivering me from the very gates of death, in Anno 1640. and setting me free from the long and heavy Tyranny of the Bishop: and Starchamber, even at that time when I was almost spent, which to me is so large an Obligation that I thinke while I live it will be engraven upon my heart as with the point of a diamond many particular respects since then, I must ingemiously confesse I have cause to take notice of [Editor: illegible word] you; and one large one of late since I came into present captivity, which was for that large token you sent me, for which now in writing I returne you many thanks.

Sir I dare not now by way of boasting take upon me to enumerate my hazardous actions, which hath flowed from the truth of my affections to you in doing you reall and faithfull service, in maintaining the honour of your person, and your just interest, which was all the retrabution that I in my poore condition, could answer all your kindenesses with, and truly if I be not mistaken I thinke I have been faithfull, cordiall, harty, sincere and hazardious, in dischaging my ingaged affection and duty to you, and the more high hath my thoughts been towards you, for that I have apprehended in you, in your service abroad, an affectionate, cordiall, and free hearted spirit to the poore people of God: unto whom in times by past you have been as a Sanctuary, and hiding place, and God hath honoured you sufficiently for it, not only in giving you extraordinary large roome in the affections of thousands, and ten thousands of his chosen ones, but in hanging upon your back the glory of all their archeivements, by meanes of which you have been made mighty and great, formidable and dreadfull in the eyes of the great ones of the world, and truly my selfe and all others of my mind that I could speak with, have looked upon you as the most absolute single hearted great man in England, untainted or unbiased with ends of your owne. But deare Sir, give him leave that presumeth to say and that without flatery, he honoureth you as he doth his owne life and being, that looking as a dilligent spectator upon your actions and carriages, for this many moneths together, It hath struck him into an amase and filled his spirit as full of boylings and turmoylings as ever Jeremiahs was, when he said thy word is within me like a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I could not stay Jer. 10. 9. and truly Sir I was in paines and traveil how to behave my selfe towards you, and faine I would have writ my minde freely and plainly unto you, but truly unto my owne shame I must really acknowledge, I have been like Jonah who fled from the presence of God and the errand he had to imploy him upon. Jonah, 1. 3. &c. and I have withstood those many pricking motions, which I beleeve flowed from his spirit, and have either too much preferred my own ends, or my base carnall reasons, before the Dictates of God, but now am not able for all the world to forbeare any longer, being lately forced, nolens volens, without rest or sleep, most seriously to meditate upon these following sayings of God, Exodus 23. 6. 7. 8. Thou shalt not wrest the judgement of the poore in his cause. Keep thee farre from a false matter, and the innocent and the righteous stay thou not: For I will not justifie the wicked. Thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. O deere Cromwell, the Lord open thy eyes, and make thy heart sensible of those snares that are laid for thee in that vote of the House of Commons of two thousand five hundred pounds per annum.

And Deut. 16. 17. God saith expresly, Thou shalt not wrest judgement, then shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: For a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. And truly being very fearfull and jealous in my own soule, that some of my true friends, with whom I have talked of your selfe very freely of late, should shortly hit me in the teeth by reason of my silence to you, and too justly upbrayd me with that saying of Ecclesiasticus. chap. 20 vers. 29. Presents and gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and stop his mouth that he cannot reprove. And therefore, Sir, give me leave to say unto you in the words of Ioh. chap. 32. 21, 22. Let me not, pray you, accept any mans person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man, for I know not to give flatering titles: in so doing my maker would soon take me away. Now deer Sir, knowing that you cannot but know, that it is a saying of the Spirit of God, That faithfull are the wounds of a Feiend, but deceiptful are the kisses of an Enemy. I come now downright to unbowell my mind unto you and truly to tell you, that in my thoughts I look upon the redeemed ones of Iesus Christ in England, in as low and sad a condition, almost as the Jews were in the third of Esther, when Haman upon this false suggestion to K Hashverosh [That there is a certain people scattered abroad, and dispersed amongst the people in all the provinces of the Kingdome, and their lawes are divers from all people, neither keep they the Kings lawes, therefore it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them] had obtained a Decree to destroy them all; and therefore as poore Mordicai in the bitternesse of his spirit in the fourth chapter, sayd unto Queen Esther, so say I to thee, thou great man Cromwell, Think not with thyself, that thou shalt escape in the Parliament House, more then all the rest of the Lambs poore despised redeemed ones, and therefore, O Cromwell, if thou altogether holdest thy peace, (or stoppest or underminest as thou dost, our and the Armies petitions,) at this time then shall enlargement and deliverance arise to us poore afflicted ones, (that have hither doted too much upon thee, O Cromwell) from another place then from you silken independents, the broken reeds of Egypt in the House and Army) but thou and thy Fathers House shall be destroyed: but who knoweth whether thou art come out of thy sicknesse, and to such a height in the kingdome, for such a time as this.

And therefore if thou will pluck up thy resolutions, like a man that will persevere to be a man for God, and goe on bravely in the feare and name of God, and say with Esther, If I perish I perish; but if thou would not, know that here before God I arraigne thee at his dreadfull Barre, and there accuse thee of delusions and faire words, deceitfully, for carrying us, our wives and children into the Hamon-like tyrannicall clutches of Holles and Stapleton (both now impeached): and the rest of that bloody and devouring faction, that hath designed us to utter ruine and destruction, and this land and kingdome to vassalage and slavery against whom we are sufficiently able to persevere our selves, if it were nor for thee, O Cromwell, that art led by the nose by two unworthy covetous earth-wormes, Vaine and St. John (I mean young Sir Henry Vaine, and Sollicitor St. Iohn) whose basenesse I suffiiciently anatomized unto thee in thy bed above a yeare agoe in Colonel Montagues house in the Pears, as thou canst not but very well remember, and which I am resolved to the purpose shortly to print.* O Cromwell, I am informed this day by an Officer out of the Army, and by another knowing man yesterday, that came a purpose to me out of the Army. That you and your Agents are likely to dash in pieces the hopes of our outward preservation, Their petition to the House, and will not suffer them to petition till they have laid down their Armes, because forsooth you have engaged to the House they shall lay down their Armes whensoever they shall command them, although I say no credit can be given to the Houses Oathes and engagements, to make good what they have promised. And if this be true, as I am too much afraid it is; then I say, Accursed be the day that ever you had that influence among them; and accursed be the day that ever the House or Commons bribed you with a vote of 2500. l. per annum, to betray and destroy us. Sir, I am jealous over you with the hight of godly jealousie, that you like Ephesus have forsaken your first love and zeale*, for which I am most heartily sorry, and should be very glad I were mistaken, and upon manifestation of which from you, I should very gladly cry you peccavi for my present heat: But Sir, if these Army newes be true, I must bid you for ever Farewell, and must hereby declare my selfe an avowed enemy to your selfe-pecuniary interest, and all your copartners, and shall with more zeale bend all my abilities against you all, and unmask you to my friends, then my adversaries the tyrannicall and arbitrary Lords, doe the worst you can to my throat, which you used jestingly to say, you would cut so soon as ever I fell out with you.

Sir, I have but a life to lose, and know that to die to me is gaine, being now crucifiedto the world and it to me, and being now sufficiently able to trust God with my Wife and Children; but by the strength of God I am resolved Sampson like, to sell my life at as deare a rate as I can, to my Philistine Adversaries, that shall either by force without law, endevour to destroy me, or by treachery to undoe me. And if the Army doe disband before they petition, I, and all such as I am, must truly lay the whole blame upon you, and truly declare the House of Commons bribe Cromwel to betray the liberties of England into their tyrannicall fingers. Sir, is it not the Generals Commission to preserve the lawes and liberties of England. And how can he & those with him, without being esteemed by all men (that are not bribed, or preferre their own base interest before the common safety) the basest of men, to lay down their Armes upon any conditions in the world, before they see the lawes and universall well known liberties of England firmly setled; especially seeing, as I will undertake publickly, and I hope shortly to prove, the Parliament tyrannizeth ten times more over us then ever the King did*: and I will maintain it, that by the law of this Kingdome, it is ten times easier to prove it lawfull for us to take up Armes against them in the wayes they now go, then it was for them to take up Arms when they did, against the King. And I professe I would doe it, if I were rationably able to doe it to morrow. For, if, as they have often said, That tyranny be resistable, then it is resistable in a Parliament as well as a King. Sir, I am not mad, nor out of my wits, but full of apprehensions of slavish consequences, reason and zeale, and should bee glad it could speedily and iustly be cooled by you, before it flame too high, which you will further understand I have grounded cause to make it, if you seriously read and ponder this inclosed Letter sent to Mr. Iohn Goodwin, which with this, I have sent by the gravest, wisest, and fittest messenger I could think of, and though a Feminine, yet of a gailant and true masculine Spirit.

And so I commit you to the wisest disposing of our wise God, and shall rest till I heare from you.

To his much honoured and much respected friend, Mr. John Goodwin, at his House in Swan-Alley, in Colemanstreer, these.

I Am necessitated to write a few lines unto you, about a businesse that doth very much concerne mee, but in the first place, I desire to make my engaged acknowledgement unto you, and your congregation for your large kindesses manifested unto me in this my present imprisonment in supplying my necessities in which particular I must ingeniously confesse I am more obliged to you singly, then to all the Congregations in and about London, and yet notwithstanding, have in some other things just cause to think my selfe more injured by some of your congregation then by all the avowed and professed adversaries I have in England; for against them I have a defence, but against a secret adversary (being a pretended friend) I have none, but am thereby subject to an unapprehended destruction. That which I have to lay to the charge of some of your members, is, That they have improved all their power, interest, and ability, to hinder all effectuall meanes (whatsoever) that tended to procure my deliverance from a tyrannicall captivity, and not only mine, but all the rest of my afflicted fellow-Commoners that are in the same affliction with me, (as Mr Richard Overton, his wife and brother, Mr. Ioh: Musgrave, Mr. Larners servant, &c.) for besides what they have done in London to crush all Petitions that tended to my just deliverance, they have improved their interest to destroy the Petition of Buckingham shire, and Hartford Shire, which was principally intended for the good of the prerogative Prisoners, my selfe, Mr. Overton, &c. for upon Monday last Lieut. Collonell Sadler came to the Rendezvous at Saint Albones and therein the name of diverse knowing men of Mr. John Goodwines Congregation, improved all his interest utterly to destroy the Petitioner, so that what he did then, and Mr. Felke an Independant Minister, who lives at or about Hartford, who being lately at London, brought downe such discouraging newes, that some of eminent quality of the Petitioners told me in these words, That if it had not been for the base, unworthy, undermining dealing of some of Mr. John Goodwins Congregation, they had had a thousand subscriptions for an hundred they have now, and a thousand to have come in person with the Petitioner for every hundred they had.

Sir, I cannot but stand amazed to thinke with my selfe, what should be the ground and reason of these mens preposterous actings, point blanke destructive to the welfare of every honest man in the Kingdom, and particularly the destruction of* me and my poor distressed Family and truly in my own thoughts, I think I could easily fix upon those worldly wise prudentiall men in the Parliament,* that set them at work on purpose to keep: the people from seeking for their owne liberties and freedomes, that so they may not be disturbed in the enjoyment of their great and rich places, which I am afraid they prise above the welfare of all the godly men in England, and the Lawes, liberties and freedomes thereof for all their great and gilded professions, and truly as much cause have I administred to me, particularly and publiquely to fall foule upon them, and their proud, imperious, unjust; and selfe interests, as they under-hand have fallen upon me, my liberty and welfare, but by reason of those many engagements, by which I stand obliged to your selfe, for your so stout & deep engagement for the publick welfare of all those that thirst after either morrall, or religious righteousnesse: I could do no lesse but write these lines unto you, before I put my necessitated resolution unto reall action, and earnestly to entreat you to spare so much time from your weighty emploiments, as to do mee the favour to let me speake a few words with you, and if you please to bring Mr. Price along with you.

So with my truest respect presented to you, I commit you to the protection of the most High, and rest,

A second letter to Leiu. Generall Cromwel, to presse home the former.

I writ a large letter to you of late, and by the bearer of it I received a verball answer from you, & by an other freind of Bristow at a distance I understood a little from you, but neither of them satisfactory to me, nor any thing else that I have lately heard from you, or any of your over wise friends, that are not able to trust God with three halfe penne, so that my spirit is as high as it was when I last writ to von, and altogether unsatisfied. But in regard my soul earnes towards you I cannot but once again by this true friend write two lines unto you, to tell you that I canot sit still though I dy for it and see you that are reputed honest conscientious men be the betrayers and destroyers of your poore native Countrey, and the lawes and liberties thereof.*

I can now say no more at present, but that I was yours, and still am Englands Cordiall Freind,

For the Honorable Lieutenant Generall Cromwell, this present at St. Albons.

NOthing indears my heart so much to any man, or men in the world, as honestie, integritie, and justice: the contrarie of which makes me abhor those in whom I find it, although never so great and potent Sir, I shall without much complement, return you many and hearty thankes for your active paines, and upon those representations I have of your present courage, I doe assure you I would willingly be a Pioneer with you, and hazard, if I had them, a million of lives for you: But never was I so afraid of all mine enemies, as of divers of those great ones I have looked upon as your chieife Councellors. Sir, your delay hath given extraordinarie heart to your adversaries (who under hand make large preparations against you) and unexpressible sadding of spirit to all your cordiall friends, insomuch that I for my part, have even despaired of any good from you: the which hath not in the least quenched my resolutions, but more fully fixed me with magninimity flowing from the God of valour and courage, to die upon my own and my old principles: I am very confident that if you delay a few dayes longer, you unavoidably involve this kingdome in a large effusion of blood†. What I have to begge and intreat of you as for my life, is First, immediatly to march with a Declaration of peace and love to the body of the Citie; the doing of which will enable your friends here, I confidently hope, to doe your worke for you in sequestiring the [Editor: illegible word] Members. As for justice at present you nor any one else cannot expect it. For the iudges at Westminster House by Law are no Iudges See the 17 H. 8. 26. and and Ordinance of Parliament by law can take away no mans life, I am sure of it. See the 2 part instit. fol. 41. 40. & part. fol. 22. & 4. part. fol. 23. 25. 45. 10. [Editor: illegible word] [Editor: illegible word] [Editor: illegible word] Declaration. But if you should say, it is but iust that an Ordinance should take away the lives of those that have made them take away the lives of others, yet I say the most of the members are so guilty, that they will never condemne thee.

The second thing I begge of you, is, That with all candor you endevour to understand the King, and let him understand you, and deale with him as becomes honest men that play above boord and doe their actions as in the sight of God, for the good of all. I have in this particular fully by word of mouth, communicated my mind to Tim Trevers, to be communicated to you: And this if I were with you, upon my life I durst dispare against you all, this as thngs stand, both in point of policy, honesty, and conscience, you must apply to the King, without which the peace of the Kingdome can never be setled: and he Parliament having so tyrannized, that they are grown as hatefull to Iust men, as the Divell: And doe confidently beleeve hee will grant any thing that is rationall that you or the Kingdome can desire at his hands, for their future good, security and preservation.

Now one thing I shall propound to your consideration, That you be not decrived by your Scout-master generall, Wetson who I am apt confidently to beleeve, will never honestly and uprightly adventure the taking of his finger either for God, his Countrey, or the Army, further then he may be thereby of the stronger side and be a gainer. As for Dr. Stanes, whatever you think of him, I averre he is a iuggling knave the which I told you above two yeares agoe at Ilchester, and I will justifie it, and am confident, will deceive you in the day of triall. And as for Nath Rich, you your selfe know him to be a iuggling paltry base fellow: Remember what you told him to his face in his own Chamber in Fleetstreet before me and my wife, and two more, at the time Manchesters treason was upon examination. And besides, his own Captain Lieutenant in my chamber, some weekes since, shewed me such letters of his to him under his own hand, that gives mee cause to iudge him fully to be a iuggling, dissembling, treacherous, Hen-hearted base fellow, which I desire you and all the honest men in the Army to beware of, as of a plague and pest. And if hee shall finde himselfe aggrieved at it, I say, tell him I will to his teeth, with my sword in my hand in any ground in England, iustifie what I say*, Sir, in the way of iustice, and single-hearted righteousnesse, in the midst of all miseries, I am

For Lieutenant Generall Cromwell this with speed, present at Wickham.

MY thoughts about the procedings of some of your great ones in the Armie, have been exceedingly perplexed, which hath set my braines upon an unwearied study, which in an Epistle would be too large to expresse unto you, onely I cannot (for former engagements sake, and the common good) but reaquaint you with the opinion of them before I print them.

You cannot but know that you severall times, in a forcible manner kept mee in Manchesters Army, when I would (for that basenesse and treachery acted there) have deserted it, and have betaken my selfe to travels; Remember our discourse at Banbury, &c.

And you know when he and you came to contest, I stood close to you, and to truth and Justice then on your side, without feare or double ends: Although both Watson, your Scout-master Generall, and Staines your Master-master Generall, with Coll. Nat. Rich, ypur daring, plaid the paltry Knaves, and jugled with you, of which in part you complained before me and my wife, to Rich his face, in your owne chamber at Dillinghams house, and called him before us, base Rascall, and cowardly and perfidious fellow, with much more I very well remember.

You cannot but know that all my present sorrowes are come upon me by Manchesters meanes and his creatures, for my zeale to truth and justice, against him and all his treacherous confederates, who had (as I conceive) eare now got the gallowes, if you had followed him with as much vigour and strength as you should, and I was made beleeve you would. But you plucke your head out of the* coller, and I was catched in the bryers, and have been exposed to a thousand deaths by my imprisonment, &c. must illegally, barbarously and tyrannically, and the House of Commons would do me no justice; though I turned (I think) as many stones to procure it, as any man whatsoever in England could But was betrayed and umworthily disserted, both by your selfe, Henry Martin,† and all my friends there, whose actions to me are nothing else but declarations of your selfe seekings, without purely eyeing either Trust or Justice: for which God undoubtedly will lash and scurge you. And when I saw that they would not heare, regard, or receive, but burnt, or sleighted all those just Petitions; I set underhand on foot, for Justice and my liberty, I applyed my selfe vagarously unto the honest blades, the private Souldiers, I meane, of the Army, though I have nothing to speake of your gallant Generall (to me in a manner a stranger) but prayses.

And when by much industry with much opposition from your selfe and others of your fellow Grandees in the Army, I had been instrumentall with the expence of a great deale of money and withall the interest and industry I had in the world; acted both night and day to settle the Souldiers in a compleat and just posture, by their faithfull agitators chosen out by common consent from amongst themselves, as resolute for and just instruments to effect my Liberty, to give a checke to tyranny, and settle the peace and justice of the Kingdome, not looking for any good at all from your selfe, and the rest of your fellow great ones, that truly in my apprehension are transendently degenerated, & have bought and sold, (and intend visibly more fully to do it) the Lawes, Liberties and Justice of the Kingdom for your owne ends and greatness, which opinion is every day confirmed and strengthned in me, in that you have not only done it alreadie, but goe on still and intend more fully to do it, in that in a manner you have rob’d, by your unjust subtiltie and shifting trickes the honest and gallant agitators, of all their power and authority, and solely placed them in a thing called a Counsell of Warre, or rather a Cabinet Junto of seven or eight proud selfe ended fellowes, that so you may without controule make up your owne ends; for I know your practises of old, which I am credibly informed is lately renued; and the chiefest of them before mentioned, whom I &c. have experience sufficiently of, are as base as base can be; And will sell Christ, their Country, friends, relations, and a good conscience for a little money or worldly honour. And yet some of them must be the chiefe and only men to place and displace all Officers in the Armie.

And the aforesaid two general Officers were as I am confidently informed from a good hand moved for by your selfe at a Councell of Warre, to be the mannagers of the charge against the eleven Members, although yourselfe, I dare aver it, believes, That put them both together, they have not so much courage as to encounter with a Wesell or a Poalecat much lesse with such sons of Anak, as the eleven Members are, and I am sure both of them put together hath not so much honestie, as will fill a Tailors thimble, much lesse so much as will make them deny their lives, liberties and interests; which of necessitie they must have that resolutely and faithfully undertake that imployment, yet, as I am tould, they had been the men, if your wise son Ireton had not been apprehensive that the Councell of warre had lost all their braines at their departure.

Sir, in short, what I heare not once, twise, thrise, nor a dozen times from you hath so perplexed my spirit, and fil’d me with amazement, that thereby I must as a faithfull plaine dealer tel you, that I am necessitated wholly to withdraw my present good thoughts from you and others with you, and must and will print my conceptions to the view of the world, that so you may delude, and destroy honest simple hearted, plain dealing men no longer, cost it what it will, I valew it not, being necessitively compelled either to remove every stone that lyes in my way, that hinders me, from obtaining my just ends, Justice and my just liberty; or else to power out my bowels upon them with lifting them, and I sufficiently heare of the Jeeres, plottings and contrivings, of your favourites against me and all such as I am.

Therefore doe you and they looke to your selves as well as you can, for the uttermost of my strength and interest shall speedily be amongst you publiquely, unlesse you speedily and effectually, without complement take some speedy course, that I face to face may speake my mind to your selfe, of which I desire a positive and satisfactory answer within foure dayes at the farthest: I desire no favour from Lords or Commons &c. but if I have transgressed the Law: let me fully be punished by the Law,* but not destroyed in prison without and against Law, which if I can help it, I will not be without a witnesse; or if I have done no evill, which my adversaries declare I have not, in that as yet they have layd nothing to my charge: then I require immediatly to be delivered with just reperations, and this I know lies in your power to effect in three dayes if you please. And so desiring the God of Councell to direct you, I rest,

I shall conclude with the Copie of a letter I sent Lieutenant Generall Cromwell into the West, Decemb. 9. 1645.

THe endearednesse of my affections towards You, for those excellencies that I have seene in you, and for those reall respects that I have enjoyed from you (but especially in that God hath honoured you and counted you worthy to be a Patron to his people) ties me to have high and honourable thoughts of you, and by how much the more my esteeme is of you, by so much the more do I judge it my duty to speak my mind freely and planely to you (although in the eye of the world, yea by thousands of degrees below you) and I hope you will make no other constructions of my words, then that they are the cleare demonstrations of the cordiall affections of a reall, plaine and single hearted friend of yours, who you very well know was never skilfull in the wicked art of flattery, colloging, or disimulation.

From my Brother have I by two letters received an invitation (as comming from your selfe) to come down into the Army, but I beseech you give me leave to informe you that the foyles, affronts and undermining usages that I met with (not from you but others of more quality then honesty, when I was last in the Army, hath stucke in my stomack ever since, & could never yet be disgested by me, & though I do protect, I highly honour your selfe, and could willingly (if I know my owne heart) lay downe my life for you, your honour and reputation, as soone as for my father that begot me, or the dearest friend I have upon the face of the earth; Yet so deepe impression hath the dealings with my selfe, and others of my deare friends, that I have taken notice of both before that time, and since, (from one and the same parties) taken upon my spirit that I have many times, and still do in a manner scorne to take imployment under those persons, where the son or sons of Machiavel hath such sway, power, and authority, by advice, policies and counsels, as the party or parties that I know abused me hath in your Army, and give me leave without passion, to tell you, that I say you your self harbour in your brest a Snake or Snakes, although you will not know it, yea, and I say, there are those that have no small influence into you, that if the wheele of honour and profit shall turne round every day in the weeke, they are able to carry themselves so that they shall be no losers by it, yea, and are able (and have principals to do it) to give the tastiest words in the world to you, or any other honest man they deale with when they intend to cut your throat and supplant and undermine you, and this I am able to make good: Sir you may remember what you used to say, That it was the greatest honour and glory that my Lord of Manchester ever had in the world, that he was a Commander of so many of Gods people: and give mee leave to say the same to you, and also give mee leave to tell you, that, that which lost my Lords estimation amongst Gods people was the harkning to the evill advice of those that had as specious pretenses as those I meane above you, and I wish that your harkning to theirs may not eclips (though I hope it will never lose) that respect that flowes from Gods people towards you: Sir I run not at random but speake upon grounds from something lately come unto my knowledge and observation, and I have now discharged my duty and my conscience, take it as you please, and when you and I meet I shall clearly lay downe my grounds unto you, if you please to give me leave, which I shall take for a greater honour, then if I had been one in the new Model of Dukes & Barons, lately so made by vote; for my part I will not take upon me now to give you advice, but shal leave you to the wise Counseller of all his, who tels me honesty is the best policy, and uprightnes begets bouldnes, neither have I any thing now to desire of you for my selfe, or any of my friends, being resolved by the goodnesse of God patiently to be content with my portion, though it be but bread and water, with the enjoiment of the cordial affections of the simple and contemned people of God, and rather here hazard my selfe in seeking for justice and right which is my due, then to go abroad to venter my life againe in fighting I know not wherefore, as I have done hitherto, unlesse it be to set up tyranny, violence, injusice, and all manner and kind of basenesse, so craving pardon for my boldnesse (and it may be too plain lines) I commit you to the protection, of the most High, with as much sincerity and uprightnesse as I doe my owne soule.

And shall ever remaine,

A Copy of a Letter written to Coll. Henry Martin, 2 Member of the House of Commons, by Leiu. Col. Iohn Lilburn Iuly. 20. 1647.

YOur Delitory and unjust delaying to make my Report to your House according to your duty, hath so hastned forward the ruin & destruction of me, my wife & tender infants, and riveted the House of Lords fast in their tyrannicall domination, That I cannot now style you either a friend to me, the Common-wealth, or to justice truth, or honesty, and of all men in the world I should least have dreamed to have found such unworthy and unjust dealing from you; But yet notwithstanding, by reason of a Paper come from the Army, a copy of which I have even now seen, (which desires of the House of Commons that I, &c. may immediately, and legally be tried, or if the great Affaires of the Kingdome will not suffer them to debate my businesse at present that then I may be bailed,) I therefore desire you to acquaint the House, that the Law of the Land is cleare and plaine, that the Lords in the case in controversie betwixture and them, have no Jurisdiction at all over me, or any Commoner of England whatsoever, and I have justly protested against them, and legally appealed* above a year ago to your House for justice against their insufferable usurpations and incrochments; (the enjoyment of which is principally hindred by your selfe) and therefore I require according to Law, justice equity, conscience and reason either to be justified or condemned by your House, which is done in an houre there being nothing wanting but your Report of it, and their Judgement upon it. And as for baile, I wil by the goodnesse of God be cut in a thousand pieces, before I will in this case stoop the breath of one heire, or do any act that in my owne understanding shall declare my owning of their Iurisdiction in the least over me, which my giving baile, or so much as my Parroule would do, which in my apprehension would be a granting that their most devillish tyrannicall illegall sentensing of mee, to pay 4000 l’, and to be seven yeares in prison, and forever to be disfranchised of the Liberties of an English man, were just and legall: And therefore if you will discharge your duty after above a years unjust delay in making my Report to your House, I shall yet thanke you but if you will not, the blood, and ruine of mee and mine, be upon the head of you and your posterity, and the righteous and just God of heaven and earth, either incline your heart to make my Report for me now at last (let the issue be what it will be, I care not, as I fully told you in my last large Epistle to you of the 31. of May 1647. now in print. pag. 4, 5, 6.) or else speedily avenge my cruell suffering (by your means) without mercy or compassion upon you and yours, Sir in short, if your House will (as they ought) give me my Liberty, without intanglements, I will take it, if not, I am resolved to sticke so close to my just cause, till I be forced to eat my own flesh for want of bread, which in the eye of humaine reason cannot be long before I be forced to doe it, but assure your selfe that if the putting forth all the resolution in a man that for this ten years, never feared death, tortures, nor torments; (no, not yet knew what belong’d to base feare,) will save me or do me good, I will by the strength of God leave no meanes whatsoever unattempted or unassaid, though it lose me all the earthy props and relations I have in the world; and I advise you, as a friend, to look well to yourself, & do not continue such insupportable burthens upon mee by your delay of justis, after suffering ship-wracke of my estate and fortunes, by the grand tyrannicall Tyrants of England, for above ten yeares together, as I am not able longer to beare without evident destruction to me & mine, & so at present I rest, & with I could subscribe my self: