THat whilest the Peoples Soveraignty, in their Parlia­ments, was held captive under the Norman Preorgative of the King and Lords, your Petitioner expected no right or freedom in any wise to this Nation; and in the since thereof hath long groaned under the weight of his sufferings, counting it bat as water spilt upon the ground for the Asserters of the Peoples Authority (bow suffering soever) to make any Address or Petition to this House, for any case or relief, during the Negative Interposition of that destructive Interest.

But your late Proceedings in taking off the King, (the su­preamest peece of Justice that ever was in England), your re­jection of the House of Lords, your vindication of the supream Authority of the Nation, declaring and avowing it to be ori­ginally (as of right it is) in the People, and legally in their Re­presentative, clearing the same from all pretences of a Nega­tive Voyce, doth animate your Petitioner with lively hopes, that now at last after all the blood, the sighs and tears of the people the horrid treacheries, defections, and revokings a­mongst your selves, we shall yet finde a Sanctuary of Refugt in this House, to save and deliver us from our oppressions, and give us Justice and Right upon our oppressors.

[Page 4] Many of us (even of the [...]t affected to the Common-wealth) have formerly with uncessant importunity cryed out and complained unto this House against the Oppressions of the Land, praying for Redress, but we have been meniced, abu­sed, imprisoned, our Petitions burnt by the hand of the com­mon hangman, although the Votes and Orders to that purpose more deserved the same; and all our just Assertions of the supream Authority of the Nation, and Endeavors after Founda­tions of common Right, (as is evident to the whole world) voted treasonable and seditious, being branded for the vilest of men, bearing the reproach of Levellers, Jesuits, Hereticks, Sectaries, Despisers of Government, Contenders for nothing but Anarchy and Confusion.

But now, Right Honorable, you being in a great measure purged of a trayterous Faction from within your selves, we look for better things at your hands, free admitrance and ac­cess with our Complaints, and them not to be slighted, or our persons imprisoned or abused for the same; for we know none hath more faithfully asserted your Authority, and the Freedom of the People, then we; and that you now stand in the strength of those righteous principles (more then in the strength of an Army) which we (enduring the shock of all changes) have held forth unto the people.

Hence your Petitioner is imboldned humbly to desire exem­plary & impartial Justice from this House upon the E. of Man­chester, and the rest of that late prerogative Order of Lords, for their treasonable, exorbitant practices over and against the com­mon Rights of the people during their late Session, with ample and full Repairation out of their Estates unto all good people of England, that have illegally contrary to the common Inte­rest of the Nation suffered under their usurped Power, hoping that you will not suffer our Laws, our Rights, our Lives, Liber­ties and Estates, by them to be trod under-foot; our houses to be plundered, our wifes, and our servants to be imprisoned, our children exposed to the wide world, and our selves to be toss'd from Goal unto Goal, lay most unreasonable fines upon us, ten times beyond our estates, disfranchise us from all Right in the Common-wealth, damn us to perpetual imprisonment, [Page 5] throw us into noisom dungeons, tetter us in irons, drag us like dead dogs through the dirt and mire of the street, deprive us of the benefit of pen, ink and paper, deny us the comfort and vi­sitation of our friends, and not suffer so much as our wifes or servants to be admitted unto us, to bring victuals or other ne­cessaries, and not allow us bread, but leave us to merciless fa­mine, execute their cruel Orders upon us in a warlike manner, beset our houses with Musquetteers, burst open our doors, emer the same with drawn Swords, and Pistols ready cockd, threatn­ing death to him that oppose, and that in a place under civil Go­vernment, which in the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford was adjudged a levying of War against the Kings Majesty and his leige people of Ireland; break open our locks, our trunks, chests, desks, &c. Rasle, rob, steal, and carry away what they please; impose oaths upon servants to betray their Masters, examine the free People of this Nation upon Star-Chamber, High Commission, Interrogatories, to ensuare and destroy themselves and neerest relations, stop the proceedings at Law by their immediate Orders, dis-inherit whom they please, conspire and confederate in the treasonable designes of the late King, assert themselves the most supream Court of Judicature, above the Parliament and People; introduce and set up an absolute Arbitrrry Government amongst themselves, contrary to the fundamental Laws of this Common-wealth, and crush and destroy all that submit not thereunto; Acts and Crucities for which the said Earl of Strafford and the Bishop of Canterbury &c, were adjudged and attainted of high Trea­son, forfeited their Heads, their Goods, Chattels, Lands, Te­nements, Heredaments and Freeholds; and such as hath form­erly been by this House (in your Petition and Ramonst. to the King Decemb. 1. 1641.) declared to be more the proper issues of Turks, Pagans, Tyrants, and men without any knowledg of God, then of those that have the least spark of Christianity. Honor or Justice in their brests; and which, in the case of Lieut. Col. John Lilburn against the Bishops, you voted not only illegal, and against the Liberty of the Subject, but also to be bloody, wicked, cruel, barbarous and tyrannical, and voted him 3000 l. repairation for the same.

[Page 6] And your Petitioner offereth upon the forfeiture of his [...] to make good, in behalf of the Comoners of England, and of himself, the said Charge of Treasons, Oppressions and Cruelties against them, and hopeth, that you cannot in reason and con­science hear and behold the same, and not do us right upon the Tyrants and Traytors themselves. He further hopeth, that you are so sensible of your own future preservation, that for your own sakes, if not for ours, you will expire your Session in ho­nor and renown with the people, which will not be but is their relief; ease our afflictions, and state us in perfect free­dom, and you wil be safe, otherwise you have but left us a Presi­dent of an High Court for our next Representative to call you to an account (but in a juster maner allowing you your Juries &c.) which you shall never be able to prevent, for your Session must have an end: If you do us not right, we shall never cease, if God prolong our days, till, with the King, you have tasted the stroke of like impartial Justice, according to your demerits; and amongst other things we shall not be satisfied without just recompence upon the Lords, and satisfaction, according to Law, for our several sufferings and abuses under them. It avayleth not to change their Prerogative Session into a monsterous Councel of State, to shelter them from Justice. It is not ex­pected, that the two pernicious Interests of Lords and Lawyers (the Vermine and Caterpillars of the Common-wealth) should be disguised in new robes, from the present discerning of the people, by insensible transmutation, into the specious Garb of a Councel of State, under new forms and figures to pro­long our miseries; for may we look for grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Can we expect Freedom from the Masters of Oppression? You may as well Interest the Lord Bishops thereunto; for 'tis not the change of Tyranny from old names and forms into new that will satisfie.

If you do not mean to right and repair us, but let them scape unpunished, your own Votes and Actions against them will be as a thousand witnesses on our side, for else what meaneth your period to that Court? It is equally just to repair the oppressed, as to remove the oppressor from his place; to throw down and not repair, would be a small president of honor to this [Page 78] house, lastend of terron for the name at would be an encourage­ment to such Arbitrary spirits to be as exorbitant as these, for no punishment, no fear. Your Petitioner therefore humbly prayeth, that Justice and Right may be done upon them, that you will not deny is nor deter it is is but the benefit of the great Charter of England he desueth, and what you have often Col. of Dec pag. 264. 336. 382. 50 [...]. col. of De­clar. page. 81 172. 262. 266. 267 340. Coll. De [...]. 666. 673. before God and the world sworn to do, and in divers of your Declarations declared to be your duty without any private aimes, personal respects or passions whatsoever, to do Justice and Right, and secure the persons Estates and Liberties of all that joyned with you, imprecating the Judgments of Heaven to fall upon you, when you declined the same: Remember the Kings Imprecations, and the vengdance that fell upon him; and slight not the suit of your Petitioner, though he be mean and despicible in the eye of the world.

Thus then (Right Honorable) in his own behalf he humbly desires you would be pleased to consider, that after his oppo­sition of Episcopacy, High Commission, Star-chamber, Scoth-Presbytery, &c. and deep sufferance for the same, he became a witness against this Prerogative Session of Lords, and for the same, without any legal summons, Indictment, or other due procese at Law, preceding, contrary to the great Charter, and other the good Laws and Statutes of the Realm. [Mag. Cart. c. 29. l. Ed. 3. c. 9. 25. Ed. 3. c. 4. 28. Ed. 3. c. 3. 42. Ed. 3. c. 3. 25. Hen. 8. c. 14. 1. Eliz. c. 1. Petstion of Right, 2, Caroli. Stat. for abolishing the Star-Chamber.] Had his house suddenly surrounded with Muskerreets, taken in his bed with their swords drawn, threatned to be shot, fun through, basely and barbarously drag'd through the dirt and mire, beat, abused, and vilified, endured a most tedious and cruel imprisonment for the space of 12 moneths in the Goal of Nemgate, laid in double irons on the common side amongst the Theives. Mur­derers and Felons, his wife at the same time thrown into Bridewell, his brother into Maiden-lane prison, (who then depended upon his charge) both continuing in that durance the space of eight moneths, his house risled and plundered se­veral times, his three small children left go the mercy of the streets besides other inhumane abuses and sufferings, which he [Page 8] here omitteth, all executed upon him and his, by several tyrann­ nical Orders of that Prerogative Court, (whereof the Earl of Manchester was then Speaker,) to his utter ruine and beggerly [...] being, thereby reduced to extream want and misery, and for [...] other cause, but for his just Vindication of the supream Autho­rity of this House, his open defiance and resistance of their u­surped Jurisdiction, Writing, Printing and Publishing Pa­pers to that end, refusing to answer to their High-Commission, Interrogatories, and the like; all which your Petitioner by the just Laws and Freedoms of this Nation was allowed, and as a true Englishman obliged to do, and yet notwithstanding your Petitioner could never gain any consideration or recompence for himself, or any Right or Justice upon those destroyers of the people, being still born down with their might, and trod under their merciless feet; he hath petitioned and apealed formerly to this House against their exorbitant crueleled upon him, and had his Case with Leiu: Col. John Lilburns, and M. Larners refer'd to a Committee for consideration of the Commoners Liberties, where Col. Henry Martin had the Chair; and our sufferings were there determined and found upon due eximination and proof to be illegal and unjust, de­serving Repetation; but hitherto none of as have tasted either Right or Repetation at all from this House, whereby your Pe­titioner, with his charge, are even ready to perish through want.

Be pleased therefore to reassume the Cause of your Petitioner, and other the like sufferers, into your timely and serious Consider­ation, forthwith to resign up those impeached Delinquents, as well as other trayterous Lords, to tryal, (saving in a more just & legal maner then the present Proceedings of this High Arbitrary Court, exalted above all Law, Right and Freedom of the People, it being both Judg, Jury and Prosecutor, over-ruling all liberty of exception of Tryers, &c.) And your Petitioner (in this extra­ordinary case, no other way of remedy being left) humbly defireth your assigument unto him of such Repairations as for his suffir­ings and just demerit of so publike a cause you shall, in Iustice and Reason, judg meet.

And your Petitioner shall ever pray, &c.