For every individual Member of the Honourable House of Commons. Concerning the Major, Magstracy, and Officers of Dover. 

SIR, ACcording to what is mentioned in the Letter, one of my services to my Native Country, Parliament, and City of my birth; was the serveing an Order from Grocer's Hall, when the Parliament retired thither for safety upon the breach of Parliament privileges, and the demand of five of their Members: and I believe M. Corbets hand to it, which Order I served upon Sir John Byron L. of the Tower, when none would readily attempt it, but myself, as some Citizens which yet are living can testify; and then amongst the rest I watched the Tower, both by Land, and Water, as Order was given, least Irish men should be let in for a guard, and it should be victualled also, and proved the dismounting the Cannons then moun●ed in Terrorem, both to Parliament and City.  
1. The gaining Mr. Willoughby of wapping a Commission, and discyplineing himself and others for Officers, and about 140. volonteeres, soldiers for any present Parliamentary service, in which I was L. to Cap. Willoughby, and was with him, and these my fellow soldiers at the securing of Gravesend, and Essex Blockhouses, when Kent opposed (many of them) the Parliament, as Col. Dean can testify, who I believed belongs now to the Navy as an Admiral, and was then employed in Gravesend Fort, for and by my Cap. Willoughby; but whither or no Col. Deane remembers I had no pay in this service, can I not tell, as in my other I am sure I had none at all.  
Then I was with Cap. Willoughby to secure the Royal Sovereign, a ship so called, lay at Gillingham, which it was feared the Kentish men should fortify, at another time, and I set a Guard and Watch upon it, till afterward the Guns, Tackle and Officers were removed, and yet nothing paid to me.  
Sirs, you may plainly see how Willoughby may well be rich, and I poor, he received money.  
Amongst my many services I went to Chichester in Sussex, I speak something now in part of Col. Mor●ies knowledge, and spent near 4. month's time before I returned, whiles the Forces were raising, proceeding to Arundel, and had taken in Chichester, wherein I was promised Captains pay for my assistance therein, as some yet surely remember: And I was paid with a witness; for after we had by God's blessing possesed ourselves as of Arundel, so of Chichester, my place I had served in under L. Col. Roberts, Col. Stapely not being present by reason he was sick, was by him either sold or given away for some reward to a Lawyer of Lewis, who had not at all engaged, or some one advanced to make way for him: and I was colourably confined to my Chamber, and set before a Council of War, where my Adversary was my Judge, when Sir William Waller was departed, and he wanting matter of charge to lay on me, made me prove how I came by money to maintain myself while I was employed in that service, which being proved by Cap. Temple of Essex Block House, a Sussex Gent. since a Col. who at first persuaded me to go into that Country, knowing I had received money of my Col. Sir William Brookes at Graves End, who had disbanded by Order not only for my pay, as his Cap. L. But also for the Trophies of Arms for his Regiment, for which I engaged myself to one Master Webster in Milk street London, an Armourer, or such like, which moneys I carried along with me also, and out of which moneys I paid Cap. Temple at his own house in Sussex, where he lodged me the first night, for a Bay nag he sold me, which was lost in the said service, for which entertainment I thank Cap. Temple, but I do not thank him for keeping Sir Richard Lashfords sword, I took when I commanded a party to the Lady Shellies at Michael Grove, by Col. Morleyes' Order, and others, to search her house, where I took Sir Richard Lashford; and some Letters than come from Oxford, which was a great furtherance to our taking in of Chichester; and upon Cap. Temples knowledge of this truth, and others testimony, I was quitted at the Council of War, and L. Col. Roberts gave me his pass under his hand and seal, which I believe I can yet produce, which was as though I had leave given me to visit my family for some time, and then to return to the said service again; and I did not only here spend a sum of money of my own, and M. Websters, which is since satisfied, but was also cozened and defrauded of my promised pay, and yet never received any pay at all for Sussex service, one thing I had like to have forgotten, I was sent out from Lewis in Sussex, with a party and a Commission, or warrant to feeze upon the man supposed, which since was made Lord Culpepper, but remanded back, by a Letter which was written, must be burnt by me at my return, which Letter, and Warrant, or Commission, I believe I have still, and because I then disliked it I was after that abused; as before related, as I conceive in part, both before and after this, I had, and and was faithful and vigilant to discover Arms brought by water, and to seize them when I had warrants, as will appear under many of the Lords and Commons hands; and all gratis, without either bribe, pay or part datained, or converted to, or for my own use; (which is enough to spend a vast estate, which I am sure my dear wife and daughter, and other my friends have found by woeful experience.) After this I yet helped my Cap. Willoughby again, hoping he would be honester, the times requiring it, England growing into a lower condi●ion, and he amongst divers others had vowed to Almighty God, so to be by Covenant: This made me accept of a Captain's place under his Government; he to be the superior Officer, and to command the said Regiment which indeed I should have been the Major of the said Regiment, for I was the first Cap. and the instrument to disperse the several Commissions, and to raise and form the said Regiment: And though I lost my right of Majorship, I did not then desert the said service, as I believe M. Bradshaw one of the Committee at Salter's Hall, doth or may remember, which is since Lord Precedent, who then laboured with me to deny myself, and refer my place and self to the said Committee, which I then did: but preferment goes by favour, more than true and real deservings, but how the said Willoughby abused me and defrauded me again, I have sufficiently set forth in my protest made against him, printed and posted upon the Royal Exchange, and other places, Anno 1644. For which afterwards I was imprisoned in Maiden lane Prison complete 4. months; because forsooth I had expressed therein that the then Militia Committee of London, after so long debate and report made thereupon, kept my report from me, and would not do me Justice, which is truth: after these my losses and imprisonments, and trials by two several Counsels of War, and several suits by this caused, and by combination of some was cozened of my lease of the Hermit of Wapping in my low estate, being beaten out of trading which cost me about 230 l. besides other household goods: And I went L. to sea, with one Cap. Hodges in the Lorne Frigate, no purchase, no pay, and after 5. month's service being possessed with purchase, yet never had any shares, though they did amount to near 150. l. upon this I set up to work at Dover: and you that read this my Epistle, It was not for riches and honour, or favour of men only, that I engaged in this cause, but for the honour and favour of God in ●hrist, which saith, 8. Mark 35.36. But whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, and the Gospel, he shall find it. For what shall it profit a man, though he should win the whole world if he lose his soul? Thus I have truly related some part of my services, and sufferings: yet never received any advance money, place, profit, assistance in trouble, justice upon complaining, or reward when others have been provided for by place, or rewarded that have not done or suffered. 100 fold, what I have done, but my reward is with Jehovah.    
SIR,  
BEing encouraged by former precedents to you severally presented, and by your favourable receiving thereof and prosecution therein for divers of my Brethren, fellow-soldiers, and Citizens; It hath likewise emboldened me who am a freeborn Englishman, and free Denizon, who am thereby entitled unto equal privilege with any of my rank, or descent, by which the Freedom and Liberties of the Laws of England are entailed to me and mine, borne in England, or to be hereafter borne: besides, the right that I have by right of Conquest, and as 23. October, 1642. 1 part of your Book of Declar. pag. 660. and our trusties in Parliament then declared, they were ready to lay down their lives to preserve, affirming our Laws and Liberties the greatest earthly treasure we could or can here possess, and likewise adjudged those who would not help in the day of their straits profane Esau's, who would sell their birthrights, and vassalage ●heir posterity. Now before this time God stirred me ●p to stand and act for England's freedom, and Parliaments Privilege, who had enabled me to withstand the illegality of Ship-money, and other abuses offered my ●eare Countrymen, and fellow-Citizens, as also in the ●ower of London to withstand heinous things of a destructive nature to the Subjects Privilege, where I lived Anno 1638. and were by some there practised, and because I would not consent thereunto, I lost my Tower-place, and profits, as I have in other places done several times since, and am like now to lose my Lease of ●7. years to come, and benefit of my Trade by those men's oppression and violence in Dover; also God made me active and courageous both at home and abroad, in those Martial abilities I was blest withal of, or from him, as Mr. Corbet and many others may yet please to remember.  
I am confident some hundreds yet can testify what time the House removed to Grocers-hall, in which services (for my native Country's Liberty, and Countrymen's safety, and Privileges of Parliament) I have spent and lost a fair estate, which London the place of my birth and kindred, is sensible of; yet God hath been pleased to keep me faithful, and to uphold my spirit through all tyrannical defrauding, oppressions and illegal imprisonments I have seen, felt, and been under, both in London and many other places, indeed rather the subject of a book then a letter, and I never was rewarded or gratified with any place to restore my losses, neither have I pursued the same, but have laboured honestly for bread for my wife and daughter, whom in the world's eyes are undone by my zeal for my Country's good, rather than to live on the Nation's loss, which good I have always promoted before my own interest, or earthly profits, as Jehovah knoweth, and having read your Declaration also Die Sabbati, 17. Martii 1648. wherein you express the grounds of your late proceed, and settling the present Government in the way of a free State, wherein you declare pag. 5. you are authorized for the common good, having contended against Tyranny, and to procure the well-being of those people for whom you serve, to remove oppression, arbitrary power, and all opposition to the peace and freedom of the Nation, and to prevent their power to revive Tyranny, Injustice, War, and all our former evils; this hath very much encouraged me to protest against Mr. Day, as Mayor, and other Justices, and common-councel-men of Dover, and others, Constables, and grand Jurymen thereof, about 24, in number, who yet continue in places unsequestred, though they have been as active as any of those which have been sequestered for those open rebellions, and Insurrections in Wales, Surrey, and Kent, as is set forth in your Act for Thanksgiving, with the reason and grounds thereof, die Veneris, 1 Junii, 1649. that you and the Army had not been thereby destroyed by the revolt of divers Castles at once, and the defection of a great part of the Navy; these men many of them continue at this time in place, who are mentioned before, and protested against by me for their hypocrisy and injustice, these are terms in the said Act by you expressed, pag. 275. 276. these promoted that perfidious Engagement by such an Authority, which might denominate the breach Nationall, who yet corruptly side and combine together, ruling according to their wills, and not Law, they upholding a Monopoly in Dover, called the Leather-Corporation, which was never granted by Parliament, for which they in my sight at one time received six pound of money in Dover-Court, taking their goods away by force, or otherways, which will not obey thereunto, and imprisoning and prosecuting all those to destroy them by illegal and delaying Suits in Law, who oppose their arbitrary wills, yet they exact it expressly against Law, which things you declare to be against that excellent Law of the Petition of Right done in the Person of the late King, who was tried for the same, and why should not these also be tried, as Declar. 17. Martii, pag. 7. & 14. and these Antimagistratical, Anti-Justiciaries, hold only the place, ruling by power and policy, not by reason and honesty, they being tyrannical creatures, though to the world pretend otherwise, according as their linsey-woolsey Priest John Dix hath in his Negative Oath plainly discovered to all judicious and impartial judgements, yet these Ordinances of Parliament are against their choice or sitting, if chosen, or their Voice to choose, they being uncapable by some of these Ordinances of Parliament, die Junii, 9 Septemb. 1647. 4, Octobris, 1647. by which these men outed their neighbours of Dover both from Voice and Choice, as they outed Edward Ranger June the 8. 1648. by Act of Common-council from the Foot-Posts place of Dover, for that he bore Arms in the Engagement 1648. for which he hath been sequestered and hath agreed it, yet many of them have done the same which are here charged, a fair precedent for themselves. Again, London's Precedent, a rule sure for the whole Land where Corporations are to choose Officers, die Lunae, 18. Decemb. 1648. for the choosing of common-councel-men for the year ensuing, and other Officers within the City of London, and the Liberties thereof; and die Mercurii, 20. Decemb. 1648. the Lords and Commons do ordain, that no person whatsoever that subscribed, promoted, or abetted any Engagement in the years 1648. or the treasonable Engagement 1647. or relating to a personal Treaty with the King at London, shall be chosen Mayor, Alderman, or put into any of the offices or places expressed upon the penalty of two hundred pound, by which Ordinances London is made obedient, though these Dover-men presume to sit Mayor, Jurats, or Justices, common-councel-men, Constables, and other Officers, contrary to all these Parliament-Ordinances, and other precedents of London, Yarmouth, and Weymouth, they being sequestrable as well as other their neighbours before specified, in that they have been aiding some of them, by subscribing the Petitions, others promoting and abetting the Engagement, 1648. for which your humble Suppliant being a free Commoner of England, besides his protest he made against them in the Sessions at Dover, May 24. 1649. in the name of all freeborn Englishmen, which have not forfeited it, and in the name of the Supreme Authority of this Nation, and since hath petitioned also the honourable Committee of Indemnity against them and their proceed against Parliament-Ordinances, and London, and other Precedents; yet still these continue their places of trust, and upon your Petitioners Protest ut supra, these men on the 29. of May, 1649. with the assistance of some other, ordered your Petitioner to be committed to Dover-Castle without Bail or Mainprize, persuading Capt. Dixall (a Member of this House, then at Dover, he being the Burgess thereof) that I was a Mutineer; but I suspecting their malicious and illegal practices, came away from Dover about four hours before the Castle-Souldiers came to my house to take me into their custody, having been strongly urged by others so to do. Now I appeal to you, whether I am a Mutineer for labouring to do the Nation and you faithful service and right: What, because I claim the Law of the Land? which as Sir Edward Cook in his Exposition of 29. Cap. of Magna Charta, distinction 3. Law (saith he) is called right, because it is the best right the Subject hath, for thereby his goods, lands, wife, children, his body, life, honour, and estimation are protected from injuries and wrong, it being (as he saith) the surest sanctuary that a man can take, and the strongest fortress to protect the weakest of all, to every one of us there comes a greater inheritance by right and the law, then by our Parents; and for pleading this Law for my right and protection, and for standing for my legall-Liberties given me by the Law of the Land, and your Declarations, Ordinances and Acts; these men of Dover which sit as Magistrates, yet act Antimagistratical, they make their wills a Law against me, become Judges in their own causes, making me fly from my house, family and trade, for protection from their exorbitant wills, they living in a Seaport Town, where no habeas Corpus they will suffer to be granted, though themselves would have the benefit of the Law, so that no Law can or shall take place against their lusts & corrupt wills, for they hinder any copy of Indictment, or any else to be taken out to advise on, and the Lawyers there as well as the Priests are joined in the work of their corrupt interest the better to vassalage the minds of the ignorant, or fearful people to uphold their own dignity and wealth, which must be of all the people Idolised through cringing, and readily believing, honouring and obeying to them in their corrupt interests to enrich themselves and destroy the people; as the lean and evil favoured kine did devour the seven fat kine, and it could not be known they were so evil favoured, Gen. 41.20, 21. though they had eaten them up, so these juggle and dissemble with the people, and say, they have not done them wrong, but many of us are sensible these of Dover, as well as others, do such things and do wrong, which further to illustrate that they might keep the Inhabitants thereof in fear, July 13. being Friday, they sent for me to come to them to their Court at Dover, by one Walter Smith that then attended them, which I refused, telling the said Smith that they ought first to appear to my Complaint against them in the honourable Committee of Indemnity at Westminster, I having summoned them so to do above fourteen days since, and I then going away to attend my trial there, which message Smith having returned, they presently send one John Filly, who said he was a Constable, and pretended he had a Warrant from Court to bring me before them, who was accompanied with about six persons more, and two of them, if not three, Constables, who had borne Arms in the Engagement 1648. in that Rebellion and Insurrection, Dover-Castle being kept by the Parliament Forces, and straightened and besieged by the County and Townsmen of Dover, of which force some of these men are part now charged in the Committee in the Inner Court of Wards, to which they have appeared unto, though eleven of the twelve charged never yet was sequestered. Now I was forced to complain here because of the great hypocrisy, partiality, and injustice I saw used by these men and their friends, in the said Town and County, and most of the Town of Dover being actors in the said open Rebellion, howsoever they would conceal it or hypocritically cover it, most of them being of kin, or cemented by some self-interest, or profit, and trade, and so loath to discover one another, lest they should lose the friendship of this world, which is enmity with God and goodness; thus men live by sense more than by faith: Now the reason Filly with his guard of incapable Constables took me not by force, was because my door being shut, which was as a hatch very low, though Filly told the assistants to him, if they would assist him therein he would break open my door, and fetch me out with a witness, I then stood in my defence, and so I told them, and would not yield myself, but withal I pulled out the honourable Order of the Commit under M. Miles Corbets hand, than Chairman, dated June 11. 1649. which Filly had heard on sufficiently, yet Filly would not respect or obey it, saying, what if this be M. Corbets hand, I know him well enough, but what is M. Corbets hand worth in this place? saying, he would make me obey his Warrant, but would not let me see it near enough to read it; at length Filly departed, and bid the other stay of his assistants, saying, he would go and fetch, or receive other Orders, upon which it was rumoured by the Town people, that these roaring Lions or ravening Wolves, would break my bones  evening, as Zeph. 3.3, for said they, shift for yourself, or else they of the Town-Hall will procure a Squadron of Soldiers from Dover-Castle to take you, that they might have their wills of you, thus they would use any means to satisfy their envy, they invite the abusive soldiery against me, or possess the people they would, upon which I caused my shop to be quite shut up, and retired myself private for my more security and peace, knowing too well how my respective friend M. Henry Teddyman was abused by the rude Soldiery then in Dover-Castle, who came down some number about September last to him, to have him up to the Castle upon some conceited affront, for which they would be their own Judges, whereof see the effect, M. Teddyman would not render himself, but told them he would be answerable by Law, these giddy, bloody, unreasonable soldiers shoot in at his shut doors, and shot his wife big with child, and killed his daughter ●bout thirteen years of age by shot, and then went up to the Castle again without the man; a lamentable story to tell, but very true, though few of Dover would lay it to heart, but shuffled it off I now not how, though the Mayor, which usurps the place, M. Day knew it too well; for he was Mrs. Teddymans' Chirurgeon till she was recovered, and for this blood no body sufferen, either by Law Common, or Marshal, which mischief of war to prevent, and malice of my adversaries, I was forced to fly to London again the second time, and for the ●afety of my dear wife and daughter, which is all the children I have left of ten, since I have been contending in the field for freedom, right, and liberty, as invited by your Declar. 23. O●tober, before specified, yet must I now fly or die, it may be my wife and daughter too as M. Teddymans' child before spoken of, or lie in prison to satisfy the corrupt wills and ravenous affections of my covetous, tyrannical, oppressing Judges at Dover, who amongst them have sought my ruin ever since I came among them, because I would not join with them to work unrighteousness, to rob and oppress freeborn Englishmen, who have not forfeited their freedoms, some of them being of a foreign blood or line, and favour a foreigner more than an Englishman, but that almost all should do so, makes me much admire, and yet no man calleth for Justice, no man contendeth for truth, as the Prophet complains, Isa. 59.4. and the Apostle saith, rather reprove the works of darkness, then have fellowship with them, Eph. 5.11. but it is no new thing to be hated therefore, for it was so of old, Amos 5.10. they have ha●ed him that rebuked in the gates, and they have abhorred him that speaketh uprightly; and this foreign kindred or Inhabitants, meddles not with men, but for their corrupt interest, neither know they English-mens privileges, yea [too few Englishmen now do yet know it] why, saith our Saviour, when he was on the earth, john 3.20, 21. He that doth evil hateth the light lest his deeds should be reproved; but he that doth truth cometh to the light to manifest that they are wrought according to God.  
I would ask mine oppressors and the peoples, why by force or fraud, injustice or connivance, they seek to destroy me, as by their power of Judicature and Council though usurped, and yet (say they believe) I will answer them, and all who sit in power and place and do so. First from Psal. 94. v. 23. Hath the throne of iniquity fellowship with thee. Secondly, with one of your own Declar. 1. part Book Decla. pag. 150. Magistrates are appointed for the protection and preservation, but not ruin or destruction of the people, and the Mayor yet threatneth to lay me fast enough at Dover; and by the Laws of this Land, no man is to be Judge in his own case. 8. H. 6. fol. 21. &. 5. Eliz. Dicr. 220. and Doctor bonham's case, eight part of Cooks reports. But could these Dover men, of usurped place and power have gotten me to their Guild-Hall, or by their power and policy, have gotten me into their Goal; or Dover Castle, They would then, and their having all power in their hands, as a seaport Town: and the Burgess, and soldiers their friends, have been complainants, persecutors, witenesses, Jury and Judges of me as of Edward Ranger, and Hedge his man, and of Edward Chambers lately they have been: than you may easily discern, what would have become of me amongst them, when some of them were so audacious, unchristian, and unmannerly, as to give me scurrilous and sore threatening language, on Wednesday and Thursday the 26. and 27. of July last passed in and about the Court of Wards, as M. Day, M. del, M. Laurence Knot, and M. Henry Hart, as John Filly and John Kenton had done, July the 24. when Filly swore a negative oath, or told an untruth, at which time some Officers of Court, viz. M. Kerke, M. Leichman, and M. Danet reproved them, and caused Filly and Kenton to go out of their room for their uncivil affronts in language: Now the case depending in the inner Court of Wards, and much proved against most of them, all but one, though nine witnesses are not yet appeared, 12. by me is charged, as by the Articles and the Examinations taken, will appear upon hearing, wherefore, I humbly entreat you to take it into your serious consideration, against Friday the 10. of August instant, which is appointed by consent (if the witnesses fail not) that so the case may be looked on without respect of persons, either the Plantifs or Defendants, power or meaness: Ye shall do no unrighteousness in Judgement. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the Mighty, but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. Levit. 19.15. Ye shall not respect persons in Judgement; but you shall hear the small, as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the Judgement is Gods.  
Thus I commit my cause and myself, to your examination and trial; which by your own Ordinances and Declarations named, appears to be the Nations and Peoples, who hath entrusted you, and you, and the People of the Nation into the hand of Jehovah, the faithful Creator, blessed for Evermore, and rest,  
Your Honour's next the Almighty's, to procure truth and Right. Nathaniel Burt Junior. London, August 8. 1649.  
FINIS.