TO certain NOBLE AND honourable Persons of the honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament.  
RIght Honble: and noble by your birth and breeding; your profession of piety and religion; Your employment and interest, furnishing you with occasion and power of exercising those Offices, which your qualities oblieg you to.  
My hard fortune enforceth me to solicit such friends, & necessitates me thus to seek unto you, that you would be pleased to take notice that I have suffered about 18 months' imprisonment, with what impairing of my subsistence, I forbear.  
As for my Condition,  
It is such as will soon and certainly destroy me, if divine providence prevent not. But if I be destinate to ruin, I wish I might perish by some other way, rather than you should be accessary.  
As for my desires,  
My petition relates, and my request (Right worthy) to You, is only that you would present this Postscript-Petition to the House, and but so far to favour it; as you feel yourselves in honour & humanity concerned. And if any man can object, and convince me of disaffection to your general good and proceedings; or that I have in the least receded from what I believe honourable and conducible, that I may suffer for it: If not, that my sufferings may have expiated for my diversity of judgement in case of Conscience.  
Thus being reduced to this; either to rot in a goal, or thus to importune my liberty; having no other way left me; this necessity (I hope) will justify and excuse the course I have now taken.  
So being yours both by obligation and purchase, I hope your goodness will make me mine own; and remain,  
Your more and more servant, Paul Best,   

To the honourable, the Commons assembled in Parliament. The Petition of Paul Best, prisoner in the gatehouse in Westminster.  
Humbly showeth.  
THat your Petitioner hath suffered a long and close imprisonment, the cause being sufficiently kowne to your honours.  
Wherefore he makes it his humble suit to this honourable House: that in consideration of his service, and sufferings you would be pleased to release him, or grant him a speedy hearing as your Honours shall in charity think fitting.  
Aug: 13 1646 And your Petitioner shall ever pray, &c.