To the Right Honourable The COMMONS of ENGLAND Assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
The Humble Petition of Sir NICHOLAS CRISP Knight.  
Showing,  
AS God hath made You Instruments of Glorious things, in being the Restorers of many Distressed, and the Repairers of the great Breaches of this Nation; So it is hoped and prayed by Your Petitioner, that yet before You rise, You will give Relief to Your Petitioner, whose hard and most deplorable Case, is scarce to be parralled in this Nation; Who before the late Long Parliament was Owner of a great Fortune, and in a thriving Condition, as any man in that time of his Quality: Who only for being a Farmer of the customs, but for Two Years, and for his Loyalty in adhering to His late Majesty, of ever blessed Memory, as he was bound by Law, and his Oath of Allegiance, was not only spoiled and plundered of all he had, even the very Bed his Wife lay on: But which is the highest of Afflictions, He is now a Prisoner for above 200000. l. of the Late King's Debts, for money lent and advanced for the furnishing of his Navy, and Bread for his household at Whitehall; which Debt stands reported before you, to be 253200 l. paid in money to the Exchequer: For the discharging whereof, and freeing the Farmers, the Long Parliament took of them 165000. l. (which discharged their Two Armies, assuring them to free them of the Debt of 253200 l. Both which Sums amount to 418200. l. which with the Interest, swelleth the Sum to about a Milleon, the farmer's Petition only being to this Honourable House) to state the Payment of the 253200 l. upon the remaining foreign Excise, tax, or any other way, that they may be delivered out of prison, and be just to their Creditors; which though lengthened in the time for payment, will be very comfortable to those that have lain languishing, now, near Twenty years' prisoners: Which if it prevaileth not with this Honourable House, for the Farmers in general, He humbly hopeth and prayeth, in that his Case differeth from all the rest of his Partners the Farmers, who besides this being involved with them in that great Debt, was deprived by a Seizure of his Stock, Trade, and Castle of Guinny, which cost him in the Discovering and settling of it, above 50000 l. clear out of purse, which he may plead as a merit from his Nation, being the first Discover and settler of that Trade; from whence he imported half a Milleon of Gold, before it was taken from him, by the late Parliament, which Castle is now possessed by the East India Company, who from thence yearly have the Gold they manage the East India Trade with, and will yearly yield to the Nation for ever 50 or 60 Thousand pound a year: To which his merit, your Petitioner may add (by his industry) the erecting of Allome-works, Copperise-works, bringing the Invention of Pan-tyles, Growing and Making Madther in England, in which above a thousand persons are every day employed and fed; Your petitioner and his Wife having sold their Land and Houses, by which they have freed and discharged themselves of above 100000 l. of those Farm Debts, (more than his Partners) that he might quit himself from being a prisoner, to pursue those things which may provide for his numerous Family (now in great distress) and employ his remaining time in his Service of his country, and not die in prison.  
His Humble Prayer to this Honourable House is, (the premises being considered) there being due to Your Petitioner for what he hath paid out of his own estate, toward this great Debt, about 30000 l. That, you will be pleased out of somewhat, to order the Payment of 20000 to Your Petitioner, with which he shall be able to discharge himself from the Remain of these great Debts, and free himself out of Prison, which will render him not only, after the long misery of his Family, to be a comfort to them, but give him a capacity to serve his Country, in his great undertakings, and will be a Badge upon him of this Honourable Houses good affection towards him, for his Signal Loyalty, Doings and Sufferings, and in not letting him to suffer for it, under the marks of greatest dishonour, as to die a Prisoner, and not pay his Engagements; which will be a greater affliction unto him, than the highest torture of the eminentest rebels, Dishonour being the greatest wound that a man can suffer in this World; which falleth upon him only for his Loyalty: All which he hopeth will prevail with this Honourable House, that before Your Rising, some or all of you, to whom this Petition cometh, shall obtain it to be read, and do something for the relieving of the Farmers in general, or Your Petitioner in particular; That he may rejoice, and not break his Heart, which certainly will be his portion, if you do nothing for him, for then his Creditors, being hopeless, will be more violent than ever. Your Petitioner being yet confident that he shall be in the number of those who shall ever commemorate the great Deliverance received from Your Hands,  
Shall ever pray for Your Prosperity, &c.