AS I have studied nothing more then to be ser­viceable in my generation, by employing all my power to preserve the Nations interest, (as an evidence wherof in the worst of times I was not only an opposer, but one that suf­fered both in person and estate, for opposing Ship-money, Projects, Bishops, &c.) so it could never enter into my thoughts, that I who had been such an eminent asser­tor of the priviledges of Parliament, and Liberties of the peo­ple, should have been (as now) necessitated to take this course to manifest my integrity, and blow off that dust which hath lately been cast upon me by Mr. John Blackston, a sup­posed member of your House, and some other his accomplices, whose slanderous suggestions, backt with his power and inte­rest, seemingly hath gained so much credit, even with the best men, (who have been Strangers to my actions, (save onely by report) that I find it a very hard matter, by private discourse to remove that prejudice by many conceived against men. To the end therefore that the whole Truth may be made mani­fest, and that you may not be guided by report, I have been bold in this way to represent unto you the true state of my case, together with the originall rise and growth of Mr. John Blackstons enmity, in which I shall not deviate in the least from the truth; neither shall it be in his power to contradict me in a syllable. Truth fears no colours, nor seeks corners. I [Page 2] shall declare it, and leave you to judge righteous judgment between my accusers and me.

Suddenly after I returned from London into the Country, where I remained till about the end of August 1642, where, at the generall Assize held for the County of Durham, being a Justice of Peace for the said County, I was indicted upon the Statute of Recusancy for not coming to common Prayer, and put of the Bench, and turned out of Commission by Judge Heath.

[Page 3] Sodainly after, the Earl of Newcastle beginning to Array men) I was invited by severall Northern Gentlemen, viz. Mr. George Gray, Mr. Henry Lever, Mr. Robert Carre, &c. to go into Scotland, to try if they could obtain force to op­pose the Earl of Newcastle, and accordingly I with severall other Gentlemen did wait upon Mr. John Pickering the States Agent resident at Edenborough, and informed him of the state of the Northern Counties, which he by Letter intimated to the Parliament, but received no answer thereto.

Soon after I returned to Berwick, and thence to Anwick, where I received a Letter from my Wife, intimating, That if I would come home and be quiet, Sir William Lampton had promised to protect me.

But comming home, I found that Capt. Sawkell was orde­red to seiz upon my house and goods, by order of the Earl of Newcastle; whereupon I was necessitated to go to the said Earl at Newcastle, to try if I could prevent the said sei­zure; where being come, I was seized on by Baron Lidall and others, and hurried to and fro, and put in danger of my life; but by the mercy of God, & through the favor of M. Francis Carnaby, at length I escaped & got home to my house, where I remained privately for about a fortnight, at which time there was to be a meeting at Durham by severall Gentlemen of the Country, who endevoured to put the Commission of Array in execution; to which meeting I was invited by se­verall wel-affected Gentlemen, viz. Captain Fulthorp, and Mr. Robert Hutton; to the end, that in the face of the Coun­try we might oppose the said Commission which accordingly we did, first with words, shewing the illegality thereof, af­terward with swords and staves for some space, till being over-powered with armed men, I and the rest were forced to fly for our lives from Durham. From which time, there were many endevors to take me prisoner; for prevention whereof, I removed to Stockton, and going from Stockton I heard that Captain Hotham was come to Darneton; so I endevoured to get thither, but in my journey was taken, (having only one man) it being November 11. 1642. and brought to Durham Gaole; and my Horses, weapons and cloaths taken from me, [Page 4] where, after many invitations, solicitations and threats to in­duce me to join and contribute, (all which I refused) I was carried to York pinioned, on foot, through water and dirt, where I lay in great misery for the space of 14 Months, in which time I was often solicited by Mr. Ralph Lambton but to send a horse, or give some smal contrbution to the maintenance the Earl of Newcastles Army: All which proffers were scorned and refused, as will be attested by the said Ralph Lamb­ton, and others.

That being after fourteen months imprisonment exchanged by the Parliament for one Captain Cock prisoner at Dover Castle, the Parliament were pleased by their Ordinance of April 1 1643, together with others, to appoint me to be one of the Committee for Sequestrations in the said County; the faithfull discharge of which Trust, my most malicious adver­saries (I am confident) cannot question.

That about August 1647, John Husbands, the States Agent for Sequestrations, preferred a Charge against one Thomas Shadford (Mr. Blackston's Brother in Law) a member of the said Committee, and produced me, with severall others, for the proof of the said Charge.

Soon after the exhibition and proof of the said Charge, Mr. Shadford, in stead of answering the said Charge, preferred a Charge against me to the same Committee, but proved ne­ver a word of it; which Charge I answered the same month, and often solicited to have a fair trial, but never could obtain it: the cause of which, together with the reason of Mr. Black­ston's envie, shall more at large appear.

Mr. John Blackston having obtain'd an Order from the House of Commons for the settling of three orthodox Mini­sters, in stead whereof he would have setled three malignant [Page 5] disaffected Priests; viz. Lee, Mason, and a Scotishman; the doing whereof I opposed and prevented for that time, (there being good cause for the same:) however, Mr. John Black­ston soon after made a party in the C [...]itee in my absence, and placed them, and setled upon [...] [...]em 120 pounds per annum.

That when the Charge against Mr. Shadford was exhibited (in which I did, I confess, eminently appear, being convinced in conscience of the truth thereof;) and that Mr. Shadford had also brought a Charge against me, (I will not say, by Master Blackston's advice, although it be more then probable,) Mr. John Blackston by his power in the Committee caused an Or­der to be entred by the Clerk of the Committee to make all the proceedings concerning the said two Charges, null; and like­wise commanded the Clerk that he should not give copies thereof to any, as by the said Order may appear.

That Mr. Blackston having got himself into the possession of the Lordship of Newton, which was part of the estate of Toby Blackston his Brother, a notorious Delinquent; which estate was protected by the said Mr. John Blackston, notwith­standing it was sequestrable, and endeavoured to be sequestred by John Husbands and my self: which estate lay nigh unto Frankland and Frankland Wood, part of the Lands belonging to the Bishop of Durham, which Land was at that time under the surveigh of Mr. George Grey, Mr. Thomas Sanders, Mr. John Husbands, and my self, who were chosen Surveighors of those Lands by the Trustees for the sale of Bishops Lands. We (ha­ving taken a view our selves, and having called a Jury of fif­teen Gentlemen and Yeomen of the said County, who with us surveighed the same upon oath, and examined all Writings and Records concerning the said Mannor) were drawing up the surveigh to make return thereof to the Trustees and Con­tractors; at which time Mistris Blackston, in the name of her Husband, came unto me, desiring my favour, that I would be a means that it might be certified in the Surveigh, that the Mannor of Newton formerly had right for peranage, and ma­stage for hogs, and for house-boot, hedge-boot, and free-boot for the house, To which I replyed, That either she must pro­duce [Page 6] some evidence or writing for the title, or else the Sur­veighors could not make any such return: notwithstanding, she did once or twice sollicite to the same purpose; and being told we could not do such an unjust act, she gave many up­braiding Speeche [...] [...] [...]d the rest of the Surveighours: in­somuch, that w [...] [...] forced to leave her alone in the room.

Soon after we had returned the Surveigh of the said Man­nor of Chester, under our hands and seals, to the Trustees one part, and to the Contractors another, as just as ever was, as by our Oaths we are ready to aver, Mr. John Blackston took out a Particular, and purchased Durham Castle, and divers of of those Woods and Lands, to the value of about 5000 pound; after the purchase of which, the said Mr. John Blackston, or some other for him, dealt with one Edward Colston (who was a Surveighor, but never surveighed any of those Lands) together with the aforesaid Mr. Sanders, to make him some reprisals for Pannage and Mastage, and many other things, which ought not to be done, nor could be found by the Jury to be incident to any of the said Lands: by which he got an abatement of a thousand and odde pounds more then what was allowed by the former Jury, as by the reprisals doth ap­pear. And because there was an Ordinance of Parliament that no certificate should be valid, unlesse it were under the hands of three Surveighours, the hand of one Mr. John Dun­calfe was counterfeited to the said certificate, who then was out of the County, as he hath before witnesse affirmed; whereby the State was cheated of above a thousand pounds.

Now because I have from time to time discovered the un­just and indirect dealings of the said Mr. John Blackston and his accomplices, he hath from time to time endeavoured by Scandalous informations to the Parliament, and severall Members thereof, to blast my repute by terming me a delin­quent, &c. the very thought whereof I abhorre, and desire no other favour for all my service, but to obtain a speedy and fair tryall, by which I doubt not but that their envie and my innocency will plainly appear.

To conclude,

I desire you to observe in the first place, that these crimes I am accused of are crimes of almost seven years standing; and if true, by them concealed, and I suffered to act with them by authority of Parliament, which they ought not to have suffe­red, but rather to have sequestred me; but it seems when they found me opposite to their interest, and themselves like to be brought upon the stage, they sought for matter against me, and finding none, they were resolved they would frame something that they might found a slander upon, hoping thereby to prevent their further prosecution.

Secondly, I pray observe that Mr. Shadfords charge was ex­hibited, and the greatest part of it proved about Au­gust, 1647, but yet in all this time he hath not answered thereto, and that my charge was exhibited about September, 1647, and answered the same mouth, but never a word proved to this very day, although I have from time to time so­licited to obtain a legall hearing, that by the law I might be justified or condemned.

Thirdly, I appeale to all rationall Gentlemen to be judges in this case, whether it be not a sufficient ground for me to except against Mr. John Blackstons being one of my Judges, being brother in law to my accuser, and a person who from time to time harh privately and publickly by slanderous sug­gestions endeavoured to destroy my repute, by which actions he hath apparently prejudged me a Delinquent with­out evidence or hearing, as is known to severall Members of your House; by which means he hath (being indeed a par­ty interested in the accusation) made himself incapable of being a Judge, no man being by Law or reason to be Judge in his own case.

Nor do I this as fearing the Justice of my cause (for were my worst enemies my Judges herein, I could not feare) only re­serving unto my self the benefit the law allowes me as an Eng­lishman. For my part (although I shall be carefull to prevent a surprize, yet) not being conscious of guilt, I am not care­full what to answer; truth needs no Sophistry, nor fidelity friends or supporters, I fear not the Justice of my Judges, and [Page 8] being innocent I shall not need their mercy; Tis fit for Tray­tors and perfidious persons (not those whose deeds are done in the day) to fear a tryall, and flatter a Judge. According to the utmost of my power I have been upright, and having betrothed the interest of the Nation; and in all things done unto others, as I would they should doe unto me; am bold to say my innocency and fidelity will shine maugre the cloudy calumiations of Mr. Blackston and his accomplices.

Sir, The nations interest hath engaged me on the one side, and my reputation (which to an Englishman should be dear­er then life) hath engaged me on the other, for the preser­vation whereof I am resolved to hazzard all my possibilities, interest and relations; In order whereunto in this way I presse to obtain a fair and legall Tryall, that Justice may take place, and the truth be manifest, which is the only desire of.