I Should before this have given you the Tryall of honest John Lilburne in Print, by Order of the House, but that it was so rediculous on their part, that they cannot endure so much as to hear of it; so farr as I can gather from Mr. Hinde, and others who took his Tryall in Short-writing, (besides my self) being both eye and ear witnesses of their Proceedings against him in that Court.

His Charge was not one Jot lesse then High-Treason (with a new found-diddle) for which that honest Liev. Colonell [Page 4] John Lilburn, was a week before he came to Guild-hall condem­ned by their Tyrannicall Counsell of State, only they would venter at a legall Tryall, thinking with their bigge looks, and Guards of Souldiers to make honest John and the Iewrie fay after them; but it proved otherwise; The most materiall things that the forsworne Iudges did accuse him of, was.

THat he the said Iohn Lilburne did at or about Easter last, 1648. and divers times before and since, against the Peace of the Common-wealth of England, and the Testimony of his owne Conscience (not setting God before his eyes) most per­fideously, wickedly, perniciously, and Treasonably write, and cause to be Printed, Published and Divulged divers Papers and dangerous Books of very evill Consequence, to the derogati­tion of divers Members of Parliament, and the subvertion of the Parliament and present Government by Slanders, Lyes, and false Suggestions cunningly by him insinuated and spread a­mongst the People, to take off, & divide the People, and alie­nate their Affections from that just Authority which is set o­ver them for their good and safety, and to bring a low and mean esteem upon the Persons, and a suspition and hatred up­on the courses and intentions of the most faithful Members of the Peoples Representative in Parliament, and of other Mini­sters of State, that are most conscientious in discharging their trust, & are therefore become the utmost object of his wretch­ed spleen and malice.

Here they began to read over his Books, which pleased the People as well, as if they had acted before them one of Ben Iohnsons Playes, for their excellency, I shall give you the names of them, desiring all well affected People to buy them; because they are filled with Law and Truth.

• 1. His two Pictures of the Counsell of State, in which Books you may see them, as in a glasse, sitting together to cheat the Common-wealth, like a pack of Jugling Knaves.
• 2. His DISCOURSE with Mr. Peters, in which Peters told him, That there was no Law; whereupon honest Lilburn, re­plyd, That he & his masters were then a company of Roagues, or Fools, to fight for the Laws, when there were none.
• [Page 5]3. His INPEACHMENT of High Treason against CROM­WEL and IRETON, in which there is an excellent Epistle di­rected to William Lenthall Speaker, to those Knights Gentle­men and Burgesses left by Colonel Thomas Pryde Esq (late Dray-man in Smithfield) in his purge to the House of Com­mons, who with the Assistance of the Army (saith JOHN) are setting up their own Ambition and Tyrannicall Wills.
• 4. A HUE and CRY after Sir Arthur Haslerigge Governour of New-castle, and Tyrant of the North.
• 5. His DISCOURSE with Prideaux some few dayes before his Tryall, in which he plainly made it appear, That this Parlia­ment was Null and VOID; First by the death of the KING, which was by them Illegally acted; Secondly by their owne Arguments.

For at that time when the House was Affronted by some disorderly Apprentices for one afternoon, the next day (like a company of Cowards,) some Thirty or thereabouts, (being but a small part of the House,) fled to the Army about Ʋxbridge, and would not owne them at Westminster as a House, as they Sate, though Free and without any Force; but wrote to them by the Title of Knights and Gentlemen Sitting at Westminster: And when the Speaker with his Crew was again put into the House, he said, Those which had Acted in their absence was no Parliament; and that all their Acts and Orders were Null and Void: then surely saith he, this is none; for that the Major Part was by Force pulled out of the House, and a Guard set to keep them out, and to awe them who sate to Act according to the Humor of the Grandees; which Prideaux could not de­ny: The Particulers out of these Papers, with malitious agra­vations of jeering Iarman, sneaking Keeble, and the puppit Prideaux; they drew up their Indictment, which lasted a whole day the Reading; which when they had ended, they Required honest JOHN to Answer them presently: He said unto them,

Then Ieering Iarman bawl'd out, and said, with vehemency of Malice,

But then that Innocent Gentleman, Liev. Colonel JOHN LILBURNE desired, That if he might not be allowed two dayes time to answer their tedious CHARGE, that they would grant him but two houres.

But the States three Beagles yelped out with full mouth, No, no, no, not an inch of Time.

So soon as they had said this, a Scaffold in the Hall fell down, some (being hurt) crying out, which so amazed, and terrifyed the unjust Judges, that for almost the space of an houre, they did nothing but stare one upon another, in which time Mr. Lilburne did so prepare himself for them that when he came to speake, he did confute them with good Law, and honest Reason (telling them, that they had prated like Fools, and knew no more LAW then so many Geese) whereupon the Lubbers of the Keepers of ENGLANDS LIBER­TIES had not a single Sillable to utter in the defence of themselves or MASTERS, but left it to the Iewry, with as many Items and Nodds as they durst give them, to fol­low their Wills.

But the honest-hearted JEWRY-MEN [being all unbyas­ed men, and such as had no dependency on them by OF­FICE or the like] did as justly as honestly and gallantly discharge their Consciences; not fearing their great looks, nor new invented ACTS; but in their Verdict did unanimous­ly declare,

At which time the People (for Joy) gave a great shout, that made Guild-Hall to ring again, which made his unjust [Page 7] Judges to pull in their hornes, slip off their Gowns, and be­take themselves to run, as if they had been so many Gadarines, for fear the PEOPLE should pull them off their seats of JUSTICE by the eares; and in their Passage home, were scoff'd mock'd and derided by Men, Women and Children.

Then was that worthy Champion, and Patriot of his COUNTRY, Lievtenant Colonel JOHN LILBURNE attended back to the TOWER, not onely with the Joy and acclamation of his friends, but of all sorts of PEOPLE; for his unexpected delivery from the cruel pawes of his mer­cilesse and fell Enemies, who made no other account but to sacrifice to their unlimmited, Tyrannical, lawlesse and un­bounded Wills that worthy and gallant Suffere for his Coun­treys FREEDOMS, who had been so long, and so cruelly handled by them, and illegally kept their Prisoner without any just Cause, and had so remained all his Life time, had it not been as the common Proverb saith; FOR SHAME OF THE WORLD, AND SPEECH OF PEOPLE.

There was at night Ringing of Bells, and Bonfires in many places of the City of LONDON, and a gennerall joy in his very Enemies, so odious are the now present Juncto sitting at Westminster, that al the Tyrants that ever exerciz'd Power here were not halfe so hatefull to the PEOPLE, or halfe so bur­thensome to their shoulders, as these perjnr'd Hypocriticall Changlings are to the over-ridden People of England, as ap­pears by their love to those that oppose them.

And that the sordid basenesse of both them and their Crea­tures, may more evidently appear (next the Names and abodes of the Ieury that stood so firmly to the Law, and their fellow-Commoner) I will give you the Copy of his Discharge, signed by Bradshaws own hand.

• Miles Pettit, Holburn-Condu.
• Stephen Iles, Friday-street.
• Abraham Smith, Smithfield.
• John King Smithfield.
• Nicholas Murrin, Gosling-str.
• Thomas Daintie, Cheapside.
• Edmund Keysar, Holb-bridge
• Edward Perkins Smithfield.
• Ralph Packman, Smithfield.
• William Cummins, Cheap.
• Symon Weeden, Bredstr.
• Henry Tooley, Bredstreet.

All Good Men and true.