The humble petition of Mr. Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the isle of Iersey presented to the Honorable, the knights, citizens and burgesses, of the Commons House of Parliament. Prynne, William, 1600-1669. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A56174 of text R5106 in the English Short Title Catalog (Wing P3981). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 14 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 7 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2017 A56174 Wing P3981 ESTC R5106 12376733 ocm 12376733 60641 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A56174) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60641) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 223:1) The humble petition of Mr. Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the isle of Iersey presented to the Honorable, the knights, citizens and burgesses, of the Commons House of Parliament. Prynne, William, 1600-1669. [2], 10 p. s.n.], [London : 1641. Place of publication from Wing. Reproduction of original in Huntington Library. eng A56174 R5106 (Wing P3981). civilwar no The humble petition of Mr. Prynne, late exile, and close prisoner in the Ile of Iersey. Presented to the Honorable, the knights, citizens an Prynne, William 1641 2442 4 0 0 0 0 0 16 C The rate of 16 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2002-04 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2002-04 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-05 TCP Staff (Michigan) Sampled and proofread 2002-05 John Latta Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-06 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion THE HVMBLE PETITION of Mr. Prynne , late exile , and close Prisoner in the I le of Iersey . Presented TO THE HONORABLE The Knights , Citizens and Burgesses , of the Commons House of Parliament . Printed Anno Dom. 164● TO THE HONOVRABLE The Knights , Citizens , and Burgesses , of the Commons House of Parliament . The humble Petition of William Prynne , late exile and close Prisoner in the I le of Iersey . In all humblenesse sheweth . THat your Petitioner , though not conscientious to himselfe of any voluntary or apparant offence against the Lawes of the Realme ( to which he ever studied to conforme himselfe ) through the malicious practices and persecutions of some Prelates and Church-men ( especially the now Arch-Bishop of Canterbury , and Peter Heylin , Doctor in Divinity ) whose errors and innovations , contrary to the Doctrin & disciplin of the Church of England , & extravagancies , in the High Comission & other Ecclesiasticall Courts , your Petitioner for his owne reliefe , being there uniustly prosecuted ( had to his wo●ke power oppugned ) hath within eight yeares last past , undergone two heavy Censures in the Starre-Chamber Court . The first upon an Information there exhited against your Petitioner , by Mr. Noy , deceased , then Atturney Generall , for some misconstrued passages , inoffensive in themselves , and in your Petitioners true intention , being for the most part the words of other approved Authours , comprised in a Booke , stiled Histrio-mastix , written by the Petitioner , against common Interludes , and lycensed for the Presse by M. Thomas Buckner , houshold Chaplaine to the then Arch-Bishop of Canterbury , authorized by the State to lycense Bookes , and by him exactly perused and approved both in the written and Printed Copy , before its publication , and so confessed in the Information ; for which authourized Booke and passages , your Petitioner before the hearing of the cause , was not onely imprisoned in the Tower of London without Baile of Manuprise , for a whole yeares space , denyed accesse to his Counsell , convenient time to examine witnesses , and make Breviats to instruct his Counsell ( the information being Generall , and reciting no particular Clauses of the Booke excepted against ) this exhibits , the onely meanes of his defence , Illegally sppressed : some of his Councell Tampered with to make no Iustification , contrary to your Petitioners instructions , and desire , whereby his cause was miscarried : But also at the Hearing , by reason of those malicious and perverse glosses on the said passages , which the said Heylin had collected and presented to his Maiesties learned Counsell , who repeated his Instructions onely ; your Petitioner was fined 3000l . to his Maiesty , expelled the Vniversity of Oxford , and Lincolnes-Inne , degraded from his profession of the Law , wherein hee never offended , Set in the Pillory in the Pallace-yard at Westminister , where he lost one of his Eares ; And two dayes after on the Pillory in Cheapeside , where he lost the other Eare , and had his said Lycensed Bookes there publikely burnt before his face , by the Hang-man , in a most disgracefull manner ; and aiudged after to remaine a prisoner during his life . That after the said censure , to defame and iniure your Petitioner the more , hee was charged wrongfully in the Decree , as censured for Periury , ( though not taxed for it by the Court ) and betweene his sufferings in the Pillory , the Bookes of his Study ( twice survayed , and restored to him by order from the Lords ) before any ( fine estreated ) by a warrant out of the High-Commission signed by the said Arch-Bishop & others , were seised by on Crosse a messenger , who carried them to his house , with which your Petitioner charging the said Arch-Bishop upon occasion , in the open Court of Star-chamber ; hee there publikely disavowed the same ( though your Petitioner can yet produce it under his owne hand ) promising withall , that the Books should be restored forthwith ; which notwithstanding were all still detained by his meanes , till they were extended and sold for your Petitioners Fyne : Who shortly after by an order out of the said Court , sent to the Tower to bee executed , was there shut up close prisoner , and Doctor Rheeves sent thither to search his Chamber for the Pamphlet , which the said Arch Bishop would wrongfully have Fathered upon your Petitioner , whose friends have beene unjustly prosecuted in the Exchequer , and elsewhere sundry yeares , for his Fine aforesaid . And your Petitioner further saith , that about Faster was three yeares , during his imprisonment in the Tower , by meanes of the said Arch-B●shop , a new information was exhibited in the said Court against your Petitioner , and others , with certaine Bookes thereto annexed ; Denying the Prelats Iurisdiction over other Ministers , to be Iure-divino . Charging them with mony errours and Innovations in Religion , Vsurpation upon his Maiesties Prerogative , and Subucts liberty , Abuses , and extortions in the High-Commission , And other Ecclesiasticall Courts , suppressing Preaching , And pain-full Ministers without a cause ; Lycensing Popish , Armintan , and other Erroneus Bookes against the Sabboth , setting up Altars , Images and Crucifixes , Removing and Rayling in Communion Tables , and bowing downe to them , Altering the Booke of Common Prayer , The Bookes for the Gunpowder Treason , And late Fast in some Materiall passages in fauour of Popery and Papists . Which thing ( though very notorious , and oft complained against by this Honourable House , in former und late Parliaments ) were yet reputed Scandalous . And though neither of the said Bookes was perticularly charged on your Petitioner , in the said Information , nor any witnesse produced to prove him either Authour or disperser of any of them , yet by denying your Petitioner liberty to draw up his owne Answere , ( though once a Baristor at Law ) when as his assigned Counsell refused to doe it , by close Imprisoning your Petitioner , and his Servant , by debarring him Pen , Inke , and Paper , whereby to Answere , or instruct his Counsell , searching his chamber , and taking away part of his Answere there found , denying him Accesse , to his Counsell , and conference with his Co-defendants , even at Counsell , though joyntly charged with him , Rejecting the Crosse Bill exhibited by him for his defence ; threatning Master Holt , one of your Petitioners assigned Councell , sent by the then Lord Keeper to the Tower , to draw up your Petitioners Answere , and commanding him not to signe it , after it was engrossed : Whereupon he refused to subscribe it , contrary to his promise to your Petitioner , and by refusing to accept your Petitioners Answers to the said Information , signed with his owne , and Master To●●lins , the other of his Counsells hands , though tendred by your Petitioner , both at the Star-chamber Office , and in the open Court at the hearing the sayd Information , for default of Answere , ( though two Answers were thereto tendred by your Petitioner ) was taken Pro confesso against your Petitioner , and he thereupon Fin'd five thousand pounds to his Maiesty , Pillored , Stigmatized on both cheekes , Mutilated and dismembred , in a most Barberous manner , and the small remainder of his Eares , left after his first execution , out off , to the hazard of his hearing , and life , Adiudged to perpetuall close imprisonment in the Goalt of Carnarvan castle in North-wales , a Nasty . Dog-hole , farre remote from your Petitioners Friends . Which sentence was undu'ly drawne up and executed upon your Petitioner , as his Atturneys Clerke informed him , before it was entred into the Booke , or your Petitioner could get any Copie of it , to except against the same , as hee had iust cause . That immediately after the execution of the same sentence , your Petitioner sent to the sayd Arch-Bishop to desire him to release , or Bayle his servant ( who was detained close prisoner for ten weekes space in the messengers hands , and oft examined and solicited by faire promises , and threatnings causlessely to accuse your Petitioner , against whom they wanted evidence ) that so hee might attend him during his soares , which the said Arch-Bishop out of his Grace and Charity , utterly refused : saying that hee intended to proceed against his said servant in the High Commission , where he hath ever since vexed , censured and banded him from Prison to Prison , onely for refusing to accuse and betray your Petitioner . That after the said heavy sentence , your Petitioner by an order in the said Court , ( by way of addition to the said Censure ) was inhibited the use of Pen , Inke and Paper , and all Bookes , except the Bible , and the Booke of Common-Prayer , and some few Bookes for private Devotion , and before his wounds were perfectly cured , he was by order removed from the Tower to Carnarvan ; and some of his friends in Chester , who visited him there in his passage , in the presence of his Conductors , who had no order to restraine any person from resorting to him , were for this very cause sent for by a Messenger , to appeare before the Lords of the Privy Counsell , and likewise cited into the High-Commission at Yorke , where they were imprisoned , and fined , to the ruine of their estates , enjoyned to make a publique Recantation in the Cathedrall Church , and in the Towne-Hall of Chester . The said Commissioners further decreeing that three pictures of your Petitioners found in Chester , should bee publikely burnt at the high Crosse there , which was done accordingly . That your Petitioner since his said sentence , hath beene publikely reviled at , and libelled against , both by the High Commissioners at York , and in sundry Churches , both at Chester , and else where , and in divers licensed printed bookes compiled by the said Heylin , and published by the Arch-Bishops privity or command , and that sundry of his friends houses , studies , Bookes , and writings have beene violently broken up , ransacked and taken away , and themselves prosecuted in the High Commission , out of malice , for the relation they had to your Petitioner . That after your Petitioner had continued some ten weeks space close prisoner in Carnarvan , he was about three years since by a warrant from the Lords of the Counsell , made in the summer vacation ( to which the said Arch Bishops hand was first subscrib'd ) ordered by way of Exile , to be imbarqued and transported with all privacy into one of the Castles in the Isle of Iersey , and his conductors thereby charged not to admit any person whatsoever , but themselves onely , to speak with your Petitioner in his passage : whereupon after some injuries there received by Mr. Griffith , the Kings Atturney in those parts ( who endeavoured to seize upon the furniture of his chamber for his owne use ) your Petitioner was imbarqued amongst Papists , in a bruised ship-wrackt vessell , full of leakes , and after foureteene weekes voyage in the Winter season , through dangerous stormes and seas , which spoyled most of his stuffe and bedding , and threatning often ship-wrack to him , he arrived at the said Isle , and was conveyed close prisoner into Mount Orgatile Castle , there where the Lieutenant Governour by an other extrajudiciall Order , to which the sayd Arch-Bishops name was first ordered , to keepe your Petitioner close prisoner in a chamber , suffer none but his keepers to speake with him , to intercept all letters to him ; to permit him neither Pen , Inke nor Paper , either to write to his friends for necessaries , or to petition for reliefe , and to permit him no Booke but the Bible , and those aforenamed bookes , without giving any order for his dyet there , so that beeing deprived of his calling and estate , exiled and shut up close prisoner among strangers , remote from all his friends , denyed all adresse to him by person or letters , hee had certainely perrished in his almost three years close imprisonment there , had not the extraordinary providence and goodnesse of God ( which he shall ever adore ) & the noble charity of those , under whose custody he did remaine , furnished him with such dyet and necessaries , as dyet him both in health and life , in this his close imprisonment and exile . May it therefore please this Honourable House , to take these your Petitioners almost eight yeares tragicall grievances , of new and dangerous example , into your most sad and just cosiderations , that so they may not become presidents to the prejudice of posterity ; to grant him liberty to send for , and examine all necessary witnesses : to order all Clerks , Registers , and other officers of the Star-Chamber , or elsewhere , speedily and freely to grant him the copies of such orders , decrees and writings , as his cause shall require , to release him upon Bale , ( being now but a prisoner upon an extrajudiciall order of the Lords , and not by vertue of any sentence or decree in Court ) to grant him liberty to plead and prosecute his owne cause , since Counsell hath so often failed him , and to give him such satisfaction and reliefe as the justice and equity of his cause shall merit . And your Petitioner shall ever pray for you safeties , WILLIAM PRYNNE .