THE JUST REQUEST OF The Officers, and soldiers of this ARMY, under the Command of his Excellency Sr. Thomas Fairfax, to their free Elected council Agitators,  
Right worthy, and betrusted Servants to this kingdom and ARMI●,  
ACcordingly as we by our free Election, have betrusted and conferred our own natural and inherent power upon you, to be come Agitators in our behalfs for the good of the Army, the Parliament and kingdom, and so consequently, for the safety, freedom, and liberty of every free man of England: We do desire, that you would like faithful servants unto us discharge your trust and utmost endeavours for and towards the effectual relief and speedy deliverance of the unjustly imprisoned and oppressed of the Land; And in Order thereunto, we here offer a Petition unto your just and speedy concurrence with us in the premises, on and in the behalf of lieutenant colonel John Lilburne, Richard Overton (this kingdoms and Armies Appellant) his Wife, Brother, and others unjustly by Prerogative pleasure, contrary to the GREAT CHARTER of England, and the Petition of Right imprisoned in and about the City of London, the which we have prepared, and is subscribed by us, to be presented to His Excellency, earnestly desiring, that as it is your duty, so you would not fail, to become Petitioners with us in the premises, and so jointly with us implore His excellency's concurrence with his Army and council therein, for the present safety and deliverance of the said unjustly imprisoned freemen of England.  
The Petition followeth.   

To his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, the just Petition of the Officers and soldiers of the Army, under his Command.  
Showeth,  
THat whereas we the Officers and soldiers of this Army, (raised by the great Authority of this kingdom, for the just freedom both of Parliament and people) have in, and ever since our late solemn engagement to and with each other, to and with the Parliament and kingdom in our several papers, given very large hopes to the oppressed of the kingdom, of impartial justice and freedom; And having in a most special manner by our council of Agitators in their letter to the Seamen given our most solemn Assurance, upon the faith of honest men and soldiers, that (whatever may be suggested by any) we have no other aims, but that justice might act in all its parts, and to all its ends, as relating to all estates and persons in the kingdom, that the yokes of oppression might be taken off the necks of all, and Justice equally distributed to all, and the Rights of any (though now detained from them) restored & settled upon them; elsewhere in the said Papers expressing our resolution to go on in the prosecution of so good a work; till we see oppression and oppressors from us and the kingdom removed, a firm and happy Peace settled, and this poor kingdom from ruin and destruction delivered: And in our last Declaration giving further assurance and confirmation, that it is our chief aim to settle peace with truth and righteousness through the kingdom, that none may be oppressed in his just freedom and liberties.  
So that by these & the like professions, promises, & expressions of ours in this time of public calamity and distress, we have administered to the helpless and destitute, a just cause of appeal and address unto us, as a sure Refuge, to fly to for succour and reli●fe against the merciless devouring oppressor.  
Whereupon many of the distressed, destitute, oppressed Commons from several parts of this kingdom, out of their good opinion of the sincerity and uprightness of our professions and intentions, have been encouraged to make their sad complaints and Addresses unto this Army, by whom as also by your Excellency they have been entertained with great acceptation and Commiseration: And amongst the rest we find, and in especial manner take notice of a certain appeal from and against certain Gentlemen, residing at Westminster surprising, usurping, and abusing the place▪ name, power, and Authority of Parliament unto the Body of the people, and chiefly to the Body of this Army, by Richard Overton, who as by his appeal & otherwise publicly and certainly appeareth) hath by some Prerogative men of this kingdom been most barbarously and inhumanly abused, for no other cause, then for his strict observation and just vindication of the free Commoners Rights, according to the Great Charter of England, himself being thrown into the goal of Newgate, his wife into Bridewell (both dragged through the streets headlong, through the dirt and mire) his Brother into Maiden-lane Prison, his house plundered and rifl●d, and his Children exposed to the streets, and yet for above these 12. months' space, the said Appellant continuing in the said merciless durance, cruel and unnatural divorce, cannot obtain any justice either for himself, his wife, or his brother, notwithstanding all the ordinary & formal ways & means that either by himself or his friends could be used, himself not only appealing, complaining, and petitioning to the Parliament of England; but also many thousands of the Gentlemen and yeomen of the Connties of Buckinghamshire, and Hartfordshire in his, and in the behalf of Lieutenant Colonel●●hn Lilburne, &c. yet through the obstruction of the said factious confederate, traitorous Party in the House could obtain no manner of relief or redress, in somuch, that in pursuance of his and their natural safety and freedom, and of just determination of his cause, he was 〈…〉 the just (although 〈◊〉 ordinary 〈◊〉) way of appeal unto the represented body of the people, and in especial to y●ur Excellency and the Body of this Army, no other visible formal power for relief and protection appearing in the land, therein resigning, submitting, offering, and casting his person and cause (as much as in him lieth) into the verge of our solemn Engagement for deliverance and protection from the foresaid oppressors and tyrants, still surprising and usurping the place, name, and Authority of the supreme Auth●rity of this kingdom: That so in point of Common liberty (wherein every free Commoners right is concerned) he may be preserved from the unjust trial and censure of his, this Armies and the kingdoms open and dec●a●ed enemies, and suffer no longer nor any further Oppression by them.  
And further, whereas according to, and in pursuance of the particular mentioned under the fifth head of the representations of the Army, we did earnestly desire that lieutenant Colonel John Li●burne, the said Richard Overton, with others in their condition imprisoned in and about the City of London, should be put into a speedy, regular and equitable way of trial, or if the necessity of settling the general affairs of the Kingdom could not admit their present trial, that then they might have present liberty upon reasonable security. &c.  
Nevertheless, no more justice or freedom can be obtained for them, then if such a desire of your Excellency, and this Army never had been proposed  
Wherefore we your Officers and soldiers being deeply sensible and intelligent, how insufferable & destructive, such Anti-parliamentary illegal proceedings & Commitments are to the laws, Rights, & Liberties of the freemen of England how contradictory, derogatory, & contemptory such delays & d●nyals of justice to the reasonable and just desires of the said Counti●s, & to the proposal of this Army are, we cannot but in equity (as in duty we are bound to our own solemn engagement, and do hereby in pu●suance thereof, own the said Appellant, to be with us numbered under the verge, power, and protection of this Army, to be together and equally with us saved and defended from the further violence, oppression and injustice of the said usurpers and abusers of the places, name and authority of Parliament, ours and this kingdoms open and declared enemies as well as his; resolving, as much as in us lieth, to make good our foresaid professions and promises of justice and right, to the said Appellant equally as to ourselves, in behalf of the Kingdom & of that common cause of freedom and liberty, wherein the said Appellaent is engaged for the general safety rights and immunities of the Commons of England with the loss of his own.  
And we do hereby represent our further Resolutions, to confer the utmost of our endeavours for his, his wives, his Brothers (together with lieutenant Colonel John Lilburne and others imprisoned in the same condition in and about London) present release and Assumption into the power, custody, and protection of this Army for the ends and purposes aforesaid, both for a just and free Parliamentary trial and judgement, and representations according to Law.  
Wherefore we humbly beseech your Excellency, that you would be pleased to concur with us, and with our council of Agitators who have ●●ready most justly (concurred therein) for the more orderly effecting thereof, and representation of the am to the free legal Parliament of England▪ which was fo●●●d to fly to this Army for refuge, that so no dssatisfaction may be administered either one ways or other.  
And your Petitioners shall pray, &c.  
FJNIS: