A letter from Mr. Stephen Colledge to a person of quality upon his removal to Oxford to be try'd upon an impeachment of high treason. Colledge, Stephen, 1635?-1681. 1681 Approx. 5 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 2 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2007-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A33882 Wing C5224 ESTC R33355 13281013 ocm 13281013 98754 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. A33882) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 98754) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1547:28) A letter from Mr. Stephen Colledge to a person of quality upon his removal to Oxford to be try'd upon an impeachment of high treason. Colledge, Stephen, 1635?-1681. 1 sheet ([2] p.) Printed for Francis Smith ..., [London] : 1681. In verse. Caption title. Place of publication suggested by Wing. Imprint from colophon. Reproduction of original in the Harvard University Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Great Britain -- History -- Charles II, 1660-1685. 2006-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2006-07 Aptara Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2006-09 Judith Siefring Sampled and proofread 2006-09 Judith Siefring Text and markup reviewed and edited 2007-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A LETTER FROM Mr. Stephen Colledge TO A Person of Quality , upon his Removal to Oxford , to be Try'd upon an Impeachment of High Treason . Honoured Sir , I Hear I am with Confidence Reported to be a Papist ( nay more , a Jesuit ; ) It 's their hour and power of Darkness : they have the advantage and power of me , I was born to suffer , and have no possibility of Righting my self at present , but I hope e're long I shall by a fair Tryall , where all I ask is Justice , no favour ; and had rather dye than live suspected : In the Interim , Sir , I have sent these following lines , not for your own satisfaction , who I am perswaded are so already : But for those to whom you shall think fit to communicate them , that are otherwise , ( that they are true Verse I cannot say , ) but that the matter speaks ( in short ) the Truth of my Case , the Sincerity of my Heart , and the Sentiments of my Soul , I do most constantly affirm : My Time is precious ; I begg your Prayers , and of all good Protestants ( for whom I suffer ; ) and the Lord be with us all : Amen . Stephen Colledge . Tower , 15 Aug. 1681. Wrongfull Imprisonment Hurts not the Innocent . WHat if I am into a Prison cast , By Hellish Combinations am betray'd , My Soul is free , although my Body's fast ; Let them Repent that have this Evil laid , And of Eternal Vengeance be afraid ; Come Racks , and Gibbets , can my Body Kill , My God is with me , and I fear no Ill. What boots the Clamours of the Giddy throng ? What Antidotes against a poysonous breath ? What fence is there against a Lying Tongue , Sharpen'd by Hell , to wound a man to death ? Snakes , Vipers , Adders do lurk underneath : Say what you will , or never speak at all , Our very Prayers ( such Wretches ) Treason call . But Walls and Barrs , cannot a Prison make , The free-born Soul enjoyes it's Liberty ; These Clods of Earth it may incaptivate , Whilest heavenly Minds are conversant on high , Ranging the Fields of Blest Eternity : So let this Bird sing sweetly in my Breast , My Conscience clear ; a Rush for all the rest . What I have done , I did with good Intent , To serve my King , my Countrey , and the Laws , Against the Bloody Papist I was bent , Cost what it will , I 'le ne're repent my Cause . Nor do I fear their Hell-devouring Jawes : A Protestant I am , and such I 'le dye , Maugre all deaths , and Popish Cruelty . But what need I these Protestations make Actions speak men far better than their words : What'ere I suffer for my Countrey 's sake , Not Cause I had a Gun , or Horse , or Sword , Or that my heart did Treason e're affoard : No 't is not me ( alone ) they do Intend But thousands more , to gain their cursed Ends. And sure ( of this ) the World 's so well aware That here it 's needless more for me to say , I must conclude ; no time have I to spare , My winged hours flye too fast away My work ( Repentance ) must I not delay . I 'le add my Prayers to God , for Englands good , And if he please , will seal them with my blood . O! blessed God destroy this black Design Of Popish Consults ; it 's in thee we trust , Our Eyes are on thee , help , O Lord , in time , Thou God of Truth , most mercifull and Just , Do thou defend us , or we perish must ; Save England ( Lord ) from Popish Cruelty , My Countrey bless , thy will be done on me . Man's Life 's a Voyage , through a Sea of Tears , If he would gain the Haven of his Rest , His Sighs must fill the Sayls ( whilst some men steers ) When storms arise , let each man do his best And cast the Anchor of his hopes ( opprest ) Till Time , or Death shall bring us to that Shore Where Time , nor Death , shall never be no more . Laus Deo : Amen . From my Prison in the Tower , Aug. 15. 1681. Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle in Cornhill , 1681.