A Letter writ to Sir John Robinson Lieutenant of the Tower,  By EDWARD BAGSHWE, Close-Prisoner there. 
SIR,  
THough I believe you have no Remorse, yet I suppose you cannot but be conscious, how unworthily you have used me; and because, whenever you do any thing which is injurious & oppressive, you are apt to excuse yourself by your Orders, in the observance of which, especially when they are harsh and severe, you pretend to a great deal of care and strictness; I desire therefore to know what Warrant you had to commit me unto the Dungeon, and to detain me there four days, under such Rigorous and Unchristian Circumstances, that none could have been guilty of doing, but one, who, together with his Religion, had put off all sense of common Humanity. You have told me indeed, and it is a Position, not only false and damnable in Divinity, but utterly destructive of our English Liberty, that The King hath a Prerogative above the Law, by which he may punish Whom and How he pleaseth: But were I willing so far to unman myself, and to deny both my Religion and Reason, as to admit of that, yet I am sure, His Jailor hath no Prerogative, but stands upon the 〈◊〉 Levelly with the rest of his Brethren: And therefore it is my purpose to call you to an Account for that barbarous, and, in a Christian State, never sufficiently to be abhorred Action, unless you have the King's, or his Secretary's Hand to authoririze you for the doing of it.  
But, Sir, that saying, how unjustifiable soever, is but part of your Crime, for when I advised You not to do any thing but what you could justify by Law: You replied, that You had nothing to do either with the Law or Parliaments; and You do daily manifest by your Lawless carriage, both to myself and the rest of the Prisoners here, that you spoke as you thought. But, Sir, such an Assertion, in persons who are entrusted with the Lives of others, is so Black and Horrid; and the condition of those who are under your Power, is by it, made so Unsafe, that I dare no longer conceal my knowledge, but intent forth with to signify unto some Members of the House of Commons, what a Monstrous and Unnatural kind of Offender you are; of which I thought fit to give you this private Notice, that you might not be surprised, but prepare yourself, either to defend, or, which I rather wish, to expiate your Fault by Repentance.  
Sir, It is possible you may think, that a just and due sense of my own Unmerited and Illegal Sufferings, hath excited me to seek for Justice upon 〈◊〉 Inflicter of them; but I can assure you, that, in t●●● Action, I am as free from Malice, as You, in yo●● late one, was from Piety and Honour: It is a service which I owe, first to God, and next to my Oppressed Countrymen, who are in Bondage unde● You, to discover unto the Parliament, what a wretched and unworthy Taskmaster is set over them, who, though he is crept in to be one of their Number, by whom Laws are made, and Grievances should be redressed, yet is not afraid to profess, that he hath nothing to do either with the Law or Them.  
Sir, As a Friend, and one that is ready to forgive you all my Personal Injuries, let me entreat you to bethink yourself in time, and by a solemn Retracting of what you then said, prevent your being brought upon the Stage: Or if, in confidence of your present Power, you resolve to persist in the owning of such Tyrannical Principles, and in Practices correspondent to them, hereafter, you can accuse none but yourself, if your sins 〈…〉 ut and hunt you unto punish 〈…〉 〈…〉  
Sir, Ready to serve you in all Christian Offices, EDW. BAGSHAWE. March 16. 1663./ 4.   

POSTSCRIPT.  
SIR,  
THe foregoing Letter had been delivered into your own hand, in the same private and concealed manner which there is mentioned: But your Uncivil, as well as Illegal, denying me the Use of my Pen and Ink, hath forced me to send it you from the Press, so that now it is no longer in my power to keep your Counsel: But hereafter, if this occasions your being questioned for so Insolent an Expression, I hope you will be satisfied that Gild is a very Ill Counsellor, since the very means you designed unduly to silence my Complaint, hath made me find out another, which you will be less able to resist the effects of. And now, Sir, that the World will take notice of your Absurd and Ungodly Demeanour, never imagine that any thing but speedy Repentance can secure you: And because I fear, that you have sinned even in your own thoughts, so much unto Death, that you despair of any Recovery, I leave you to the Anguish of your Conscience, till the Hand of Justice brings your Fears upon You.  
FINIS.