THat your Petitioner was for a long time im­ployed in printing those things that were commanded to be printed by both Houses of Parliament, for their vindication and satis­faction of the People, and was faithfull there­in; and upon command of the Honourable House of Commons, did print severall things for them to be sent down into the Country, which amounted unto neer forty pounds, which your Petitioner is not yet paid for. And that notwithstanding your Petitioner hath been very for­wards in all voluntary Contributions and Taxes with Mo­neys, Horse and Men, having ever since the first of these unhappy differences had three Servants and his own Son in the Service, voluntary upon his own charges for the most part, for want of their pay, loosing thereby his Trade and Servants, and moreover hazarded his own life in the Cause, for at the beginning of these troubles your Petiti­oner went down to the Army at Coventry, from whence [Page 2]returning, he had like to have been surprized by three Troops of the Kings Horse, which were coming from Not­tingham for Oxford, your Petitioner, with some others, having used their best endeavour to escape them (they be­ing routed at Brackley, and some of them taken that very evening) your said Petitioner, with seven others only in his company, fell into the hands of fourteen of the said Troopers, who were well horsed and provided, your Pe­titioner (being in this straight) with two more of his said company, adventured to fight with them, and in a short time (through Gods blessing) disarmed them all, and carri­ed them prisoners to Northampton, from whence they were sent to London, (they being the first that in that kinde were brought up to London:) And your Petitioner is confident to affirme, That had the Country and the Officers in chief in Banbury been wise, faithfull and couragious, neither Ox­ford nor Banbury had been taken, as shortly after they were. That in the meane time one John Wright, by some friends, got to be nominated Printer for the Lords House, and one Husbands Printer for the House of Commons, al­though neither of them are Printers, (Wright being a Bookseller, and Husbands but a Paper Stationer,) which said Husbands hath since re-printed those Copies appertai­ning to your Petitioner, which cost him above 100 l. with­out his consent, or giving him any satisfaction. That your Petitioner hoping that restitution would have been made to him long before this time, desisted to make known his said grievance. Your Petitioner further shewes, That he hath been put upon all services of trouble ever since in searches and apprehending wicked and pernicious persons, that molest the State in printing and venting most malici­ous, false, and traiterous Books or Libels, against both the Honourable Houses of Parliament, not sparing the [Page 3]principallest men on both Houses, taxing them by name to be Traytors, and all perjured persons that do not put out all the Cleargy of the Land, and cals and incites all people to rise as one man to call the Parliament to questi­on, and striking at the very fundamentall Lawes of this Kingdome, crying down the Government by Kings, and also against the Honourable House of Lords, and only to stick to the Commons of England, and many inveterate speeches against the Nation of the Scots, as much as in them lyes, to make a breach between them and us, which God of his mercy prevent; That your Petitioner for his reward herein is most shamefully reviled, slandred, and re­proached, by these Libellers in all their Libels, and also the Companie of Stationers are called Theeves, Robbers, setting-doggs, the Bishops old Rogues, and the persecu­tors of the Saints, with divers other base names, and in the open streets reviled at by these Saints, Anabaptists and Sectaries, being notorious impudent persons, as may be judged by their Writings, abusing those that be Saints in­deed, all the godly Ministers in the Kingdome, and the As­sembly of Divines at Westminster, that sit there by your Command and Authority, although your Petitioner did never do any thing but by your Warrants and Commands, having a Command from the Commons to search for scan­dalous Books, and having found some selling them in the streets, your Petitioner particularly examining one wo­man of whom she had them, she (not knowing who your Petitioner was) confessed she had them of one Lil­burne in Newgate, and her name being demanded, with her place of aboad, she refused to tell the same, but at that instant one passing by, acquainted your Petitioner that she was one Brownes daughter, that did ordinarily sell such Books, whereupon your Petitioner and others repairing [Page 4]to his House, found great store of them, and took the said Brownes words to meet your Petitioner and the rest at the Committee of Examinations in the afternoone, but he failed, and kept out of the way for halfe a yeer, (there being divers Warrants out for him:) Your Petitioner and the rest then went to Lilburnes Chamber to search for the said scandalous Books, but at that time found none. But immediately after there came forth another base Booke, supposed to be made by Lilburne and his fellowes, Intitu­led, Englands Birth-Right, wherein, besides the former scandalous passages against the King, Parliament, and As­sembly, a most false, scandalous, and felonious charge, is against your Petitioner and others, being eminent Mem­bers of the Company, for searching the said Lilburnes House, charging them with taking away his Linnen, but your Petitioner and the rest, in regard no body will owne the said Booke, are left remedilesse for vindicating them­selves by Law. That shortly after the Committee of Exa­minations being informed that the said Browne and his daughter did frequently sell the said Books, a Warrant is­sued out from them for the said Browne and his daughter to your Petitioner and others, whereupon they repaired thither, but the said Browne was denied at his House (be­ing in a Garden, and having three or foure severall doors) but setting a strict watch about his House, after entrance thereinto, the said Browne was discovered and apprehend­ed, and also divers scandalous Books and Pamphlets were then and there found; but the said Browne then made an escape from the Constable, so that his daughter only was apprehended, and being brought before Sir John Wollaston, she was committed to the Marshall, and from thence to be carried up to the Committee of Examinations, where she being brought, the matters charged against her for breach [Page 5]of the Ordinance of Parliament was fully proved against her, and therupon she was re-commanded to the Marshall. That in a short time after your Petitioner casually at Do­ctors Commons espied the said Browne, and having a War­rant for him, apprehended him, and carried him before the Committee of Examinations, who thereupon was committed to the custody of one Lewis a Messenger, and your Petitioner, with the Master and Wardens, and others of the Chief of the Company, having waited severall daies for a hearing, the said Browne (by what meanes your Petitioner knowes not) so prevailed, that his said con­tempt never came to a hearing, and the said Browne short­ly after obteyning his liberty, hath threatned your Peti­tioner, and the rest that were with him, to sue them for false imprisonment, & moreover they threatned to knock out your Petitioners braines if he came any more to search his house. The Petitioner further shewes, That being im­ployed upon a Warrant from the Speaker of the House of Commons, for the seizing of a Presse in Goodmans Fields, which printed the Book called Englands Birthright: That your Petitioner, with the Master and Wardens of the Company, endeavouring to put in execution the said Warrant, they were kept out by force, untill at last the doores of the house being by authority forced open, those that were at worke got out at a window with a rope into a Garden, and so escaped; But the said Presse was seized upon, which printed that and divers other Books, as was at large proved before both Houses of Parliament at Lar­ners examination by divers honest men; and no parties in it, as Larner in his scandalous Libell taxes the Parliament. Not long after this, there came another base Book out, In­tituled, The last warning to London, threatning the City; they had not long to consider if they did not comply with [Page 6]them, and in it enveyed against the Scottish Nation, and by consequence laboured to make the people of the City fall out with that Army, which deserves praise for their faith­fulnesse, and to breed jealousies between the Army and the City, that God hath so prospered, and an endeavour to keep off Government, under pretence of Liberty of Conscience, that so they may do what they list, and broach any damnable opinion; and in that Book goes further, absolutely denying Kingly Government, and the Lords, House, wishing the people to marke diligently the Lords but to stand to the Commons, to be ruled onely by them; and one of these Books being brought to the Lord Mayor of London, he immediately sent for the Warden, Master Miller, and your Petitioner, and desired them to finde out the Author and Venter of the said Libell, the which ac­cordingly they endeavoured, and upon enquiry found that Larner was a chiefe venter of them, and repairing to his house, found the said Larner, with a parcell of the said Bookes; whereupon the said Larner was charged with a Constable, and carried before the Lord Mayor, who found him, as the Lords did after, being Jesuited, would answer to no question, the Lord Mayor sent him up to the Com­mittee of Examinations, where he was examined, and proofe made against him, he was then committed to the Marshals keeping, (there being in the Book high Treason.) In the meane while the Honourable House of Peers sent for him, but he had learned so much of Lilbornes Language, that he appealed to the Commons, but the said House exa­mined Witnesses against him [...]he refusing to take the Oath, was committed. There was also a sheet of paper published called Every mans case, or a brotherly support to Master Lar­ner, wherein he taxes the Parliament to deale contrary to the Law of God, Nature, Nations, and the Law of this [Page 7]Kingdome, as he saith, was proved lately in Colonell Lil­bornes Case, he there compares the Lords to Pilate, char­geth the House of Commons for breach of trust, in deli­vering up Larner to be tryed by the Lords, with many other things, wherein the liberty of the Parliament is in­trenched upon by meane persons both of state and life, and this was delivered by Larner himself to the Keeper, and thereupon it was thought fit that the Warden of the Company and your Petitioner should search the said Lar­ners Chamber in the Prison, whither they repaired, and there they found divers written papers of his owne hand writing, touching his Examination and proceedings before the Lord Mayor, the Lords and Commons, the which about a week after came forth in print, called, A true rela­tion of all the remarkable passages and illegall proceedings of some satanicall, Doeg-like accusers of their Brethren, against William Larner a freeman of England. The which, as the former, are very scandalous and malicious, especial­ly against both Houses of Parliament, and the Stationers, which said sheet is now re-printed againe with Additions of a new to Master Larner, with directions for better satis­faction of the Natives Freedome of this Land, willing them to read a Book called Englands Birthright, and ano­ther Book called A word to the wise, in all which Books you may perceive the spirits of these men, if they had power in their hands, and might live still as they do, loosely and lawlesse.

Therfore your Petitioner most humbly craves the liber­ty of a Freeman of England, to have justice upon these scandalous persons, and some course, as in your wis­domes, to stop unlicensed printing in corners, and the rather because all their scandalous Libels are stuffed with disgraces of both Houses of Parliament, and [Page 8]of your Petitioner and the Stationers, for executing our Commands, Ordinances, and Warrants, your Petitioner never having one penny thereby, and yet in their Libels they affirm him to have 500 l. a yeer, when as in truth he hath hitherto gone upon his own charge. And he further prayes, That some speedy course may be taken with these libellers, that he may be free from danger of his life: And that some present order may be taken, that his moneys so long owing to him by the Parliament for printing of Books, may be paid him, and some satisfaction from the said Husbands, and a consideration had of his fidelity, good service, and large expences, for these five or six yeares.