I. THAT I Captaine Henry Bell was imployed beyond the seas foure yeares together by your Majesties Royall Father King James, about the pretended loving Letter which the Empresse wrote to her Highnesse the Lady Elizabeth your Majesties Sister, Anno 1618. under the colour of which Letter that hor­rible plot should have taken effect at Ratisbone, which was con­trived at Vienna, against the Lady Elizabeth, and the young Prince her then only Sonne, and also against King James and your then Princely person, certified more at large unto your Majesty by Secretary Morton, as is before related.

II. That in the said imployment (as also in another im­ployment here in this Kingdome) I disbursed out of purse for the use and service of King James, of your Majestie, and of this State the Summe of 5 [...] 38 l, in moneyes.

III. That in satisfaction of the said Summe disbursed, his Majesty Anno 1619. (with the full consent of the whole Councell-board) did grant unto me under the great Seale of England the yearly Pention of 500 l, for the Terme of 31. yeares to endure.

IV. That after the death of King James (in regard my Pen­tion could not be duly paid unto mee) your Majesty (upon the foresaid Mr. Secretary Mortons Certificate) did graciously grant two Privy Seales for the payment of 900 l in part of the foresaid summe disbursed, therewith to relieve me in my then present wants.

V. That Anno 1630. your Majesty was graciously pleased to give order to the Lord Treasurer Weston to cause another Privy Seale to be drawne up and passed unto me for the pay­ment [Page 4] of 5000 l more in liew of my foresaid Pention, and in satisfaction of the moneyes by me disbursed as aforesaid.

VI. That I attended the said Lord Treasurer two yeares for the passing of the said Privy Seale, in which time I had nothing from him, but only fayre promises (without any per­formance) for the passing of the same, insomuch as I was for­ced to make my griev [...] us case knowne unto him, and tell him that my selfe, my wife and children were like to perish for want of my moneyes and meanes, and therfore I humbly prayed his Lordship to give directions for the drawing up of the said Privy Seale according to your Majesties order in that behalfe, otherwise (I told him) I should be forced to com­plaine of him to your Majesty, and to the State.

VII. That his Lordship thereupon grew very angry, and said thus unto me, Captain Bell, seeing you are so peremptory, you shall stay yet longer for your Privy Seale, and because you say you will complaine of me, therefore I will goe to the Councell Table and complaine of you to the Lords; which he did forthwith according, and told the Lords that I threat­ned to complaine of him.

VIII. That within a few dayes after the late Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Treasurer the Lord Cottington, and others of the Austrian and Spanish faction, who concei­ved, and did beare an inward hate toward me ever since I per­formed the foresaid service, did procure a warrant from the whole Councell-board to commit me to prison in the Gate­house Westminster without shewing any cause why they com­mitted me.

IX. That upon the said Warrant I suffered nine yeares imprisonment most wrongfully, and innocently by apparent oppression, injustice, and tyranny.

X. That after I had been two yeares in Prison, and with­out intermission did daily petition their Lordships to know the cause why they kept me in prison, then (because for shame of the world they must shew some colour of cause for keep­ing mee in Prison) there was most wickedly contrived such a Bill against me, as that the like thereunto was never [Page 5] heard of nor known so long as this Kingdome hath stood, for from the beginning of the first word in the said Bill, to the end of the last, there was nothing true in the whole Bill, nei­ther was the said Bill drawne upon any information at all, but it was only devised by and upon their Lorships meere con­ceits, and pretended cogitations and weenings.

XI. That I forthwith did put in my answer to the said Bill, and thereupon I sent continually one petition after an­other to the Councell board humbly desiring their Lord­ships to give order that the said Bill and answer might be brought to a speedy tryall.

XII. That when the Lords understood that I would not cease from petitioning to have that Bill and answer brought to a tryall, then their Lordships directed Sir John Bankes Attorney Generall to send for me, who said unto me as fol­loweth; Captaine Bell, the Lords of the Councell have com­manded me to send for you, and to tell you that the Bill was not drawne against you with any intent to bring it to a tryall, but only to see what answer you would make thereunto, and the Lords are now satisfied with your answer to the same, and they have ordered the Bill to be dismissed, and that the reason they committed you to Prison was, because you kept such a continuall clamouring for your mony which the King ow­eth you, whereas my Lord Treasurer many times told you, that there was not yet money to pay you, and the Lords have commanded me to tell you further, that if you will be bound with good security in a Bond of 2000 l that you will be quiet, and not make a clamouring for your money, but with pa­tience will forbeare yet one yeare to trouble their Lordships untill money comes in to pay you, then the Lords will set you at liberty, and for your maintenance their Lordships will con­tinue your allowance, which you have had in Prison, (viz.) a Noble per diem, untill you receive your money due unto you from the King; whereupon I told Sir John Bankes, that I would be bound with good Security to performe the same.

XIII. That two dayes after I sent word to Sir John Bankes that I had my Security ready, and I sent him their names, and [Page 6] gave him notice where they dwelt, then he sent for us to come unto him to his chamber in Grayes-Inne, where we entred in­to Bond of 2000l for the performing of the particulars a­bove related; whereupon Sir John Bankes tooke the said bond and told us he would shew it unto the Lords, and that the next morning he would send a Warrant to the keeper of the Gate­house to set me at liberty.

XIV. That I was not only kept still in Prison five yeares after we had given Bond as aforsaid (without any warrant for my enlargement) but also Sir John Bankes kept our Bond still in his hand, and would neither deliver it up unto us, nor would he give Warrant for my enlargement, whereby my Security were forced to neglect all their owne affayres in Trading, and to attend continually in Petitioning, either to have the said Bond delivered up unto us, or els that a Warrant might be gi­ven for my enlargement out of Prison; But all petitioning was in vaine, insomuch as thereby I forfeited my Counter­bond of two thousand pounds which I gave my Security to save them harmelesse.

XV That during the time of my imprisonment I sent 214 Petitions to the Councell-board, in all which my Petitions, I made humble sute unto their Lordships only for Justice, that I might know why they kept me in Prison, seeing no man could justly charge me that I had offended the King either in word or in deed, or that I had transgressed the Lawes of this Land, but that on the contrary I had done good and excepta­ble service to and for the King and this State, all which I of­fered to prove apparantly if their Lordships would be but pleased once to heare me, but all my Petitioning was in vaine, I could never obtain so much Iustice at their Lordships hands, as once to be called before them, nor to be heard to speake so­much as one word, nor could I ever know any cause why they kept me in prison, but only they sent me word many and often­times (especially the Lord Privy Seale) that they were assured if I were set at Liberty, I would keepe a Clamouring for my money, and there was not yet, money for to pay me, inso­much that thereupon I sent a Petition to the late Archbishop [Page 7] of Canterbury, and another to the Lord Priuy Seale, wherein I told their Lordships that if ever it pleased God to send us a Parliament, their Lordships would [...]these courses they took against me; The Lord Privy Seale shewed my said Petition to the Lords at the Councell-board; And said; By this peti­tion we may easily gather, that Captain Bell would be a very troublesome man unto us if we should set him at liberty, therefore (he said) by my consent he shall still remaine where he is, untill his money can be paid him.

XVI. That these tyranicall unjust and oppressive courses taken against me at the Councell-board, did cause and worke the untimely deathes of my wife and of my young children, who lamentably perished and were starved to death, in the time of my nine yeares unjust, and wrongfull imprisonment, whose innocent bloods and untimely deathes God will re­veng, and will require the same at the hands of the authors and causers thereof.

Thus and hereby your Majesty may be graciously pleased plainly to find and see, that this Land is even now ripe for punishment, and it is much to be feared that Gods Anger is already kindled against us, by reason of the heavy sinnes of injustice which fearfully have taken the upper hand, doe sway and florish heere amongst us, and that Gods Judgement will ere long be powered downe upon this Kingdome.

I. THAT before this Parliament began, after the Petitioner had suffered nine yeares imprisonment most wrongfully and innocently, and that his mo­neyes amounting to five thousand two hundred sixty eight pounds, were most unjustly detained from him, whereby his wife and two small children lamentably perished and were starved to death, in the time of his said wrongfull imprison­ment, which with many more oppressions, injustice and ty­ranny, your petitioner suffered only by warrant from the Councell-board, then at the begining of this Parliament your Petitioner humbly besought his Majesty to referr his grievous complaint against the Councell-board to be heard and de­termined in and before the Honourable Houses of Parli­ament, whereupon his Majesty presently reading the said grievances did straitly charge the Petitioner that he should not bring his great complaint against the Councell-board into the House of Commons, but his Majesty did forthwith referre, and did send the same to your Lordships by the Lord [Page 9] privy Seale, and by Sir Iohn Bankes, requiring your Lordships to take the Petitioners grievances into a speedy and a private hearing, and to determine thereof for your Petitioners just reliefe, and to the intent your Lordships might be pleased the sooner and with the more ease dispatch the same, his Maje­sty did then also send unto your Lordships the Empresse letter which she wrot to his Majesties Sister the Lady Elizabeth, and Mr. Secretary Mortons Certificate touching the same, which doe cleerly demonstrate the service done by your petitioner, in his Majesties imployments beyond the Seas, in and about the discovering and preventing that horrible plot which was contrived at Vienna Anno 1616. against her Highness the Lady Elizabeth, and also what moneys he disbursed therein, the which letter and Certificate were by your Lordships directi­ons delivered into Mr. Smithes custody one of the Clarks at­tending on your Lordships.

II. That since his Majesty did send the said perticulars un­to your Lordships, the Petitioner hath received divers Orders from your Lordships in writing, and dayes of hearing his cause set downe, but nothing at all hath beene done therein.

III. That neare three yeares past the right Honrable, the Lords and others, Commissioners of Scotland did write their letters unto your Lordships in the Petitioners behalfe, and therein did earnestly entreat, that your Lordships would be pleased to take a speedy hearing of the Petitioners grevances, in regard his moneys and meanes were still detained from him, and was not able to subsist any longer without order for maintenance to be allowed him, untill his cause were heard and determined, upon which letters your Lordships were pleased to returne this answer following to the Com­mons of Scotland viz. that whereas your Lordships had not time and leasure to heare the Petitioners cause by reason of many other weightyer affaires: your Lordships therefore with the house of Commons would order a competent main­tenance [Page 10] to be allowed unto the petitioner untill his cause were heard and determined.

IIII. That notwithstanding your Lordships said answer and promise made and sent to the Commissioners of Scotland: there hath been no order at all yet taken for your Petitioners reliefe or maintenance: by reason whereof another child of his came likewise to an untimely death and perished in lamen­table sort for want of necessary sustainance, & the Petitioner himselfe is now thereby also sunck into such a depth of mi­sery and poverty, that he is meerly destitute of Food, Ray­ment and Lodging, and must needs likewise perish if he be not speedily relieved.

And so hee leaveth it to the Worlds censure whether the perticulars above related doe any way agree with Justice, or doe concurre with the solemn Oath and Covenant lately taken and sworne unto, or whether they be not quite oppo­site to the same.

Forasmuch now as it was not his Majesties will and pleasure to suffer the Petitioner to addresse himselfe with his greevances to the House of Commons (where he might long since have been relieeved) but was graciously pleased to put him and his cause into your Lordships hands Justlie to be repaired.

Your Petitioner therefore humbly prayeth that your Lord­ships will not suffer him to be destroyed, to starve and perish in your Lordships hands for want of Justice, but rather to order and nominate a certaine day unfayleably for the hear­ing of his grievances either in publique or in private as your Lordships shall thinke fitting, and thereupon, that your Lord­sh ps will be also pleased (together with the Honourable House of Commons) to order unto the Petitoner, payment of such moneys as he shall make plainly appeare to be justly due unto him from his Majesty, and also to order him satis­faction [Page 11] (out of the estates of these Privy Councellers and o­thers whether they be living or dead) that are and have been the authours of the petitioners nine yeare wrongfull impri­sonment, and who have caused the untimely deathes and star­ving of his wife and Children as is above related, a List of whose names are set downe hereafter following,