To the High Court of Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Remonstrance and humble Petition of Susanna Bastwick (the distressed Widow of John Bastwick Doctor in Physic) and her Children.  
SHOWETHS,  
THat upon your Petitioners Husbands just Complaint made to the Parliament in the year (1640) they called him home from his long Exile in the Isles of Scilly, and freed him from his many years cruel close Imprisonment, He then petitioned the House of Commons for Reparations, They referred his Petition to a Committee, Witnesses were examined, and after a full Hearing of his Cause in the House of Commons, it was there Resolved upon the Question, That all the Proceed of the High Commission Court, Star-Chamber, and Council Board, in Sentencing, Excommunicating, Suspending from the practice of Physic, Fining, Pilloring, Cutting off the Ears, Close Imprisoning, and Banishing of your Petitioners Husband, were contrary to the Law, and the Liberty of the Subject; and that all those who had so unjustly sentenced him, should make him satisfaction for his Sufferings and Damages sustained thereby. That troubles coming suddenly upon this Nation, the Lords and Commons Ordered no private business (for a time) should be heard, and that Order being often renewed, put a stop to the begun Justice in his Cause.  
That your Petitioners Husband being then employed in special Service by the Parliament, was taken Prisoner, and for full two years and four months kept close Prisoner in Dungeons and loathsome places for his fidelity to the Parliament, which hindered the further prosecuting of his Petition; but when by way of Exchange he had obtained his Liberty, his Cause was presented unto the House of Lords, where it had also a full and deliberate Hearing, and his shameful Sufferings (which were so cruelly executed that thereby he lost the hearing of one Ear irrecoverably,) his cruel close Imprisonment, Banishment, great Losses in his Estate (being necessitated to sell his Land, which was your Petitioners Jointure,) besides the loss of his practice in Physic (which before his troubles was very great,) were by sufficient Witnesses (sworn and examined) fully proved. The Lords Ordered, That the several Sentences and Proceed against your Petitioners Husband should be for ever totally vacated, obliterated, and taken off the File in all Courts where they were remaining, as being illegal, most unjust, and against the Liberty of the Subject, the Law of the Land and Magna Charta, and unfit to continue upon Record.  
That the Lords gave Judgement, That your Petitioners Husband should have four thousand pounds paid him by way of Damages: They appointed a Committee to consider how to raise the four thousand pounds.  
That it was Ordered by the Lords, your Petitioners Husband should by the advice of his Council Learned, bring in an Ordinance to be passed both Houses of Parliament, That the four thousand pounds assigned him by that House, may be raised out of the Estates real and personal, of the Duke of Lenox, the Earl of Dorset, the Lord Cottington, and Sir Francis Windebank; An Ordinance was presented, passed in the House of Lords, and from them sent by their own Messengers unto the House of Commons, where it lay Dormant a long time, but at length it was there read the first and second time, and the House of Commons in the Debate thereof (considering that your Petitioners Husband and his whole Family were utterly ruined by the foresaid unjust and cruel Sentences) referred it to a Committee, to proceed upon that Ordinance sent from the Lords with Amendments and Additions of Names for the raising his Reparations out of the Estates of all those which that House had formerly voted aught to give him Damages.  
That Committee met, They proceeded upon and perfected that Ordinance, and in their Amendments it was Ordered and Ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, That for increase of Reparations your Petitioners Husband should have five thousand pounds paid unto him, and to be raised out of the Estates of Dr Juxon, James Duke of Linox, James Marquis Hambleton, Philip Earl of Pembroke, Henry Earl of Holland, Edward Earl of Dorset, John Earl of Bridgwater, Francis Lord Cottington, Sir Henry Vane (the elder) Knight, Sir Nathaniel Brent Knight, Sir John Bramston Knight, Sir John Finch Knight; or out of the Estates of any one of them, as in that Ordinance it doth more fully appear.  
That Colonel Rigby Chairman to that Committee was appointed to make the Report and to present that Ordinance with the Amendments and Additions of Names to the House of Commons, but in the interim he was made a Judge, and (as he said) could not sit in the House except they called him in to sit amongst Them; yet he earnestly desired some others of that Committee to make the Report and present the Ordinance; and for that end, when he was to ride the Circuit, he delivered unto your Petitioners Husband all his Orders and the foresaid Ordinance of the Lords and Commons as it was agreed upon and wrote with his own hands in the Committee, promising if it were not presented by some other, that when he returned he would adventure to go into the House of Commons to present that Ordinance unto them; but soon after his return from the Circuit he departed this life: others promised fair, but delayed the performance; in so much as that Parliament was dissolved before the full consummation of our Suit was obtained, and our Ordinance then lay as dead until the Sessions of the last Parliament, to whom your Petitioners Husband presented his Grievances.  
The Committee appointed by that Parliament for Petitions, took special Cognizance of his Cause, and they unanimously agreed that he ought to have five thousand pounds Damages paid unto him out of the Estates of all those, or any one of those, which the former Parliament in their Votes and that Ordinance of the Lords and Commons with the Amendments and Additions of Names, had Ordered and Ordained should give him Reparations: They Ordered, that Alderman Ireton should report their Result, but before he could make the Report that Parliament was also dissolved.  
That your Petitioners Husband then made his Addresses unto his Highness the Lord Protector, who held it most just that he should have the five thousand pounds Damages which was assigned him by the Parliament; his Highness referred it to his Council to consider of a speedy course for the raising of his Reparations, The Council Ordered, That Alderman Ireton should bring in the Report, which he should have made of our Case to the last Parliament, and upon the Hearing thereof, his Highness with his Council, Ordered, That your Petitioners Husband for his then present supply, should have two hundred pounds, which he no sooner had received, but he was forced to pay it away unto several men to whom he was indebted: And his Highness, with his Council, did then also by an Order recommend his Case, and Petition, unto this present Parliament, that so the begun Justice of the two former Parliaments in his Cause might be fully completed, and his Reparations confirmed, and settled upon him in Parliament by your Honours. Now it hath pleased the Almighty lately to put an end to her dear Husband's Sufferings, by receiving him into Everlasting Happiness, but the Sufferings, Afflictions and Miseries of your Petitioner, and her fatherless Children, are thereby daily more and more increased; therefore your Petitioner, humbly spreads their deplorable condition before your Honours, and hath here stated their Cause, which she hat● done with as much brevity as her dear Husbands, her own, and families sufferings, the long depending of the Cause in the former Parliament, and the many impediments of our Redress, would permit.  
Now your Petitioner in a real confidence, that that Justice which hath so far proceeded in her dear Husband's Cause, and was always cordially owned by the two former Parliaments, and by his Highness and his Council so we 〈…〉 approved of, and by them recommended to this present Parliament, will be by your Honours effectuated; She humbly entreats you to look upon his long shameful and cruel Sufferings (it being full one and twenty years since his troubles first begun) and consider how most unjustly he was sentenced, suffered in his Body, Estate, Reputation and Relations; was utterly undone, his Life made miserable, his Death hastened, and thereby your Petitioner is made exceeding miserable, and now in the Winter of her age is comfortless, helpless, left indebted, and reduced to such want and poverty, that unless your Honours do her speedy and impartial Justice, she and her poor Children are like inevitably to perish. Therefore she doth humbly present unto your pious Considerations these particulars. 1. That her Jointure is sold, the money long since spent, with paying many debts contracted by her dear Husbands many years' troubles, and to supply his families necessities. 2. She is now aged, weak and sickly. 3. That by the Death of her dear Husband she is deprived of all ways and means to ●et a subsistence. 4. That as poverty is very grievous to all, so it is extremely bitter to those that have lived in plenty. 5. That she hath been for many years (and now in a more special manner is) a woman of sorrows, and all her hopes of future comfort in this life wholly depends upon your doing her Justice.  
And here we her Children thrice humbly beseech your Honours to consider, 1. That by the unjust and cruel Proceed against our deceased Father we are deprived of our Inheritance. 2. That now with our years our miseries increase, we having no way whereby to get a livelihood, that Estate being sold and consumed by vexatious troubles, which by our Birth, we all both Sons and Daughters, had a right unto for our Portions. 3. We are nipped in the Bud, left poor and fatherle 〈…〉, and by the oppressions and pressing necessities which lie heavy upon us and our most dear Mother, are constrained to cry and humbly to sue to your Honours for Justice 4. That our Father's blood, which was so unjustly and shamefully shed, hath a voice, and cryeth loud to God and to your Honours also for Justice, that so Reparations ●ay be made unto his distressed and ruined family: And as the Lord hath now cast us upon your Honour's care to see us righted, and hath given you full power to help us so we doubt not but he will give you ears open to hear our Cry, and hearts willing to improve that power God hath given you to relieve us; and will bring to your remembrance our Father's piety, and integrity both towards God and men, and that after all his other unjust Sufferings he did undergo close Imprisonment for his faithful adhering to the Parliament, and seriously lay to your hearts how many years, with great expenses and the neglect of all other his affairs, he waited for Justice, which added to his Sufferings; and how in all his sufferings we have deeply suffered.  
In Consideration of the Premises, we both Mother and Children do jointly again and again humbly beseech your Honours, as you are Husbands to Wius, and Fathers to Children, compassionate our sad and distressed condition, and take a speedy course for the raising and sure settling upon your Petitioners the five thousand pounds which was Ordered and Ordained by the Lords and Commons assembled in the former Parliament for our Reparation: That after our so long waiting for Justice it may be so perfected by your Honours, that an end may now be put to our great Sufferings.  
Thus to consider the Cause of the poor Widow and Fatherless will be a righteous and just act in you, well pleasing to God, acceptable to all good men, will draw a blessing from Heaven upon you and your posterity, and thereby you will oblige your Petitioners to praise the Lord for you.  
And ever to pray for your Honours.