A TRUE RELATION OF THE ABOMINABLE Injustice, Oppressions and Tyranny, which Captain Henry Bell suffered nine years together at the council-board, before this Parliament began, as the said Captain Bell did humbly Exhibit the same to the King at White-Hall, on the second day of December 1640. and what His Majesty was graciously pleased to do thereupon.  
AND ALSO, HEREIN THE SAID CAPTAIN Bell doth exhibit his humble Petition to the Right Honourable the Lords Assembled in Parliament.  
Wherein he truly showeth, what Lamentable passages have happened unto him, and what misery he hath suffered now almost six years together since the beginning of this Parliament; only by reason their Lordships have not yet taken his grievances into hearing, which the King did refer and send unto their Lordships, by the Lord Privy Seal, and by Sir John Banks when this Parliament began.  
Printed in the year 1646.   

TO THE KING'S MOST Excellent MAJESTY. The humble Petition of Captain Henry Bell.  
Most gracious Sovereign:  
I Your Majesty's most humble Petitioner, would rather be a Bond slave among the Turks, than Your Majesty's Freeborn man (as I am) to be used as I have been nine years together before this Parliament began, at your council-board here in England: For the courses which were taken against me by the whole Council board, were more unjust than the ungodly proceed that were taken against Naboth, in the time of wicked King Ahab, who by false accusation was unjustly bereft of his Vine-yard, whereby both Ahab and Jezabel were destroyed: which fearful example of God's wrath may well serve at this time to be a lookingglass for my Adversaries at the council-board, who likewise did bend their utmost endeavours unjustly to bereave me of my Vine-yard also (that is) of my poor estate, which I disbursed in a service, wherein I was employed by your Majesty's Royal Father King James, amounting to 5268 l the Service being of no less moment then for the preservation of both your Majesty's lives, as M. Secretary Morton, by your Majesty's command did certify your Majesty in writing at Holbery shortly before his death.  
Wherefore I do most humbly pray your Majesty will be graciously pleased to refer this Petition and my grievances hereunto annexed, to be speedily heard before the Assembly sitting in the Commons House in Parliament, that so I may have and receive payment of such moneys, as are due unto me from your Majesty, together with such satisfaction for my nine years wrongful Imprisonment, Losses and Disgraces, as shall be found agreeable with Justice and Equity.  
And I shall ever pray for your Majesty's long and happy Reign. HENRY BELL.   

A true Relation of the state and proceed of Captain Henry Bells Cause, nine years together at the council-board.  
I. THAT I Captain Henry Bell was employed beyond the seas four years together by your Majesty's Royal Father King James, about the pretended loving Letter which the Empress wrote to her Highness the Lady Elizabeth your Majesty's Sister, Anno 1618. under the colour of which Letter that horrible plot should have taken effect at Ratisbone, which was contrived at Vienna, against the Lady Elizabeth, and the young Prince her then only Son, and also against King James and your then Princely person, certified more at large unto your Majesty by Secretary Morton, as is before related.  
II. That in the said employment (as also in another employment here in this Kingdom) I disbursed out of purse for the use and service of King James, of your Majesty, and of this State the Sum of 5● 38 l, in monies.  
III. That in satisfaction of the said Sum disbursed, his Majesty Anno 1619. (with the full consent of the whole council-board) did grant unto me under the great Seal of England the yearly Pension of 500 l, for the Term of 31. years to endure.  
iv That after the death of King James (in regard my Pension could not be duly paid unto me) your Majesty (upon the foresaid Mr. Secretary Mortons' Certificate) did graciously grant two Privy Seals for the payment of 900 l in part of the foresaid sum disbursed, therewith to relieve me in my then present wants.  
V That Anno 1630. your Majesty was graciously pleased to give order to the Lord Treasurer Weston to cause another Privy Seal to be drawn up and passed unto me for the payment of 5000 l more in lieu of my foresaid Pension, and in satisfaction of the monies by me disbursed as aforesaid.  
VI That I attended the said Lord Treasurer two years for the passing of the said Privy Seal, in which time I had nothing from him, but only fair promises (without any performance) for the passing of the same, insomuch as I was forced to make my griev● us case known unto him, and tell him that myself, my wife and children were like to perish for want of my monies and means, and therefore I humbly prayed his Lordship to give directions for the drawing up of the said Privy Seal according to your Majesty's order in that behalf, otherwise (I told him) I should be forced to complain of him to your Majesty, and to the State.  
VII. That his Lordship thereupon grew very angry, and said thus unto me, Captain Bell, seeing you are so peremptory, you shall stay yet longer for your Privy Seal, and because you say you will complain of me, therefore I will go to the Council Table and complain of you to the Lords; which he did forthwith according, and told the Lords that I threatened to complain of him.  
VIII. That within a few days after the late Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Treasurer the Lord Cottington, and others of the Austrian and Spanish faction, who conceived, and did bear an inward hate toward me ever since I performed the foresaid service, did procure a warrant from the whole council-board to commit me to prison in the Gatehouse Westminster without showing any cause why they committed me.  
IX. That upon the said Warrant I suffered nine year's imprisonment most wrongfully, and innocently by apparent oppression, injustice, and tyranny.  
X. That after I had been two years in Prison, and without intermission did daily petition their Lordships to know the cause why they kept me in prison, than (because for shame of the world they must show some colour of cause for keeping me in Prison) there was most wickedly contrived such a Bill against me, as that the like thereunto was never heard of nor known so long as this Kingdom hath stood, for from the beginning of the first word in the said Bill, to the end of the last, there was nothing true in the whole Bill, neither was the said Bill drawn upon any information at all, but it was only devised by and upon their Lordship's mere conceits, and pretended cogitations and weening.  
XI. That I forthwith did put in my answer to the said Bill, and thereupon I sent continually one petition after another to the Council board humbly desiring their Lordships to give order that the said Bill and answer might be brought to a speedy trial.  
XII. That when the Lords understood that I would not cease from petitioning to have that Bill and answer brought to a trial, than their Lordships directed Sir John Banks Attorney General to send for me, who said unto me as followeth; Captain Bell, the Lords of the Council have commanded me to send for you, and to tell you that the Bill was not drawn against you with any intent to bring it to a trial, but only to see what answer you would make thereunto, and the Lords are now satisfied with your answer to the same, and they have ordered the Bill to be dismissed, and that the reason they committed you to Prison was, because you kept such a continual clamouring for your money which the King oweth you, whereas my Lord Treasurer many times told you, that there was not yet money to pay you, and the Lords have commanded me to tell you further, that if you will be bound with good security in a Bond of 2000 l that you will be quiet, and not make a clamouring for your money, but with patience will forbear yet one year to trouble their Lordships until money comes in to pay you, than the Lords will set you at liberty, and for your maintenance their Lordships will continue your allowance, which you have had in Prison, (viz.) a Noble per diem, until you receive your money due unto you from the King; whereupon I told Sir John Banks, that I would be bound with good Security to perform the same.  
XIII. That two days after I sent word to Sir John Banks that I had my Security ready, and I sent him their names, and gave him notice where they dwelled, than he sent for us to come unto him to his chamber in Grays-inn, where we entered into Bond of 2000 l for the performing of the particulars above related; whereupon Sir John Banks took the said bond and told us he would show it unto the Lords, and that the next morning he would send a Warrant to the keeper of the Gatehouse to set me at liberty.  
XIV. That I was not only kept still in Prison five years after we had given Bond as v (without any warrant for my enlargement) but also Sir John Banks kept our Bond still in his hand, and would neither deliver it up unto us, nor would he give Warrant for my enlargement, whereby my Security were forced to neglect all their own affairs in Trading, and to attend continually in Petitioning, either to have the said Bond delivered up unto us, or else that a Warrant might be given for my enlargement out of Prison; But all petitioning was in vain, insomuch as thereby I forfeited my Counterbond of two thousand pounds which I gave my Security to save them harmless.  
XV That during the time of my imprisonment I sent 214 Petitions to the council-board, in all which my Petitions, I made humble suit unto their Lordships only for Justice, that I might know why they kept me in Prison, seeing no man could justly charge me that I had offended the King either in word or in deed, or that I had transgressed the Laws of this Land, but that on the contrary I had done good and exceptable service to and for the King and this State, all which I offered to prove apparently if their Lordships would be but pleased once to hear me, but all my Petitioning was in vain, I could never obtain so much justice at their Lordship's hands, as once to be called before them, nor to be heard to speak somuch as one word, nor could I ever know any cause why they kept me in prison, but only they sent me word many and oftentimes (especially the Lord Privy Seal) that they were assured if I were set at Liberty, I would keep a Clamouring for my money, and there was not yet, money for to pay me, insomuch that thereupon I sent a Petition to the late Archbishop of Canterbury, and another to the Lord Privy Seal, wherein I told their Lordships that if ever it pleased God to send us a Parliament, their Lordships would 〈◊〉 these courses they took against me; The Lord Privy Seal shown my said Petition to the Lords at the council-board; And said; By this petition we may easily gather, that Captain Bell would be a very troublesome man unto us if we should set him at liberty, therefore (he said) by my consent he shall still remain where he is, until his money can be paid him.  
XVI. That these tyrannical unjust and oppressive courses taken against me at the council-board, did cause and work the untimely deaths of my wife and of my young children, who lamentably perished and were starved to death, in the time of my nine years unjust, and wrongful imprisonment, whose innocent bloods and untimely death's God will revenge, and will require the same at the hands of the authors and causers thereof.  
Thus and hereby your Majesty may be graciously pleased plainly to find and see, that this Land is even now ripe for punishment, and it is much to be feared that God's Anger is already kindled against us, by reason of the heavy sins of injustice which fearfully have taken the upper hand, do sway and flourish here amongst us, and that God's Judgement will ere long be powered down upon this Kingdom.  
Given this second day of December, 1640. HENRY BELL.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORDS Assembled in Parliament. The humble Remonstrance and Petition of Captain Henry Bell.  
Humbly showing:  
I. THAT before this Parliament began, after the Petitioner had suffered nine year's imprisonment most wrongfully and innocently, and that his monies amounting to five thousand two hundred sixty eight pounds, were most unjustly detained from him, whereby his wife and two small children lamentably perished and were starved to death, in the time of his said wrongful imprisonment, which with many more oppressions, injustice and tyranny, your petitioner suffered only by warrant from the council-board, then at the beginning of this Parliament your Petitioner humbly besought his Majesty to refer his grievous complaint against the council-board to be heard and determined in and before the Honourable Houses of Parliament, whereupon his Majesty presently reading the said grievances did straight charge the Petitioner that he should not bring his great complaint against the council-board into the House of Commons, but his Majesty did forthwith refer, and did send the same to your Lordships by the Lord privy Seal, and by Sir john Banks, requiring your Lordships to take the Petitioners grievances into a speedy and a private hearing, and to determine thereof for your Petitioners just relief, and to the intent your Lordships might be pleased the sooner and with the more ease dispatch the same, his Majesty did then also send unto your Lordships the Empress letter which she wrote to his Majesty's Sister the Lady Elizabeth, and Mr. Secretary Mortons' Certificate touching the same, which do clearly demonstrate the service done by your petitioner, in his Majesty's employments beyond the Seas, in and about the discovering and preventing that horrible plot which was contrived at Vienna Anno 1616. against her Highness the Lady Elizabeth, and also what moneys he disbursed therein, the which letter and Certificate were by your Lordship's directions delivered into Mr. Smiths custody one of the Clarks attending on your Lordships.  
II. That since his Majesty did send the said particulars unto your Lordships, the Petitioner hath received divers Orders from your Lordships in writing, and days of hearing his cause set down, but nothing at all hath been done therein.  
III. That near three years past the right Honrable, the Lords and others, Commissioners of Scotland did write their letters unto your Lordships in the Petitioners behalf, and therein did earnestly entreat, that your Lordships would be pleased to take a speedy hearing of the Petitioners grievances, in regard his moneys and means were still detained from him, and was not able to subsist any longer without order for maintenance to be allowed him, until his cause were heard and determined, upon which letters your Lordships were pleased to return this answer following to the Commons of Scotland viz. that whereas your Lordships had not time and leisure to hear the Petitioners cause by reason of many other weightyer affairs: your Lordships therefore with the house of Commons would order a competent maintenance to be allowed unto the petitioner until his cause were heard and determined.  
FOUR That notwithstanding your Lordships said answer and promise made and sent to the Commissioners of Scotland: there hath been no order at all yet taken for your Petitioners relief or maintenance: by reason whereof another child of his came likewise to an untimely death and perished in lamentable sort for want of necessary sustainance, & the Petitioner himself is now thereby also sunk into such a depth of misery and poverty, that he is merely destitute of Food, Raiment and Lodging, and must needs likewise perish if he be not speedily relieved.  
And so he leaveth it to the World's censure whether the particulars above related do any way agree with Justice, or do concur with the solemn Oath and Covenant lately taken and sworn unto, or whether they be not quite opposite to the same.  
Forasmuch now as it was not his Majesty's will and pleasure to suffer the Petitioner to address himself with his greevances to the House of Commons (where he might long since have been relieeved) but was graciously pleased to put him and his cause into your Lordship's hands Justly to be repaired.  
Your Petitioner therefore humbly prayeth that your Lordships will not suffer him to be destroyed, to starve and perish in your Lordship's hands for want of Justice, but rather to order and nominate a certain day unfayleably for the hearing of his grievances either in public or in private as your Lordships shall think fitting, and thereupon, that your Lordships will be also pleased (together with the Honourable House of Commons) to order unto the Petitoner, payment of such moneys as he shall make plainly appear to be justly due unto him from his Majesty, and also to order him satisfaction (out of the estates of these Privy Councillors and others whether they be living or dead) that are and have been the authors of the petitioners nine year wrongful imprisonment, and who have caused the untimely deaths and starving of his wife and Children as is above related, a List of whose names are set down hereafter following,  
And your Petitioner shall pray for your Lordship's healths and prosperity. HENRY BELL.   

Hereafter are set down the names of those Privy Counsellors, and others, that were and are the Authors of my foresaid, and other wrongful sufferings.  

THe late Archbishop of Canterbury.  
The Lord Covintry, Lord Keeper.  
The Earl of Portland, Lord Treasurer.  
The Earl of Manchester, Lord Privy Seal.  
The Earl of Pembroke, Lord Chamberlein.  
The Lord Cottington.  
The Lord Falkland.  
Master Secretary Cook.   
These eight above named, did subscribe their names to the warrant for my Commitment▪  

The Earl of Strafford.  
The Earl of Arundel.  
The Earl of Dorsot.  
The Earl of Suffolk.  
The Earl of Salisbury.  
The Earl of Bridge-water.  
The Earl of Holland.  
The Earl of Exeter.  
The Lord Wimbleton.  
The Lord Savill comptroller.  
The Lord Goring.  
The Lord New-burgh.  
The Bishop of London, Lord Treasurer.  
The Arch Bishop of York. Doctor Neale.  
Sir Thomas edmond's.  
Sir julius Caesar.  
Sir Robert Naunton.  
Secretary Windebanke.  
Sir Thomas Iermin.  
Sir john Banks.   
FINIS.