To the Supreme Authority of England, the Commons Assembled in Parliament.  
The Humble Address of Thomas Devenish.  
Showing,  
THat after the setting of this Parliament; troubles arising in this Nation in most places; and he living at that time in the County of Dorset, near the house of a great Recusant, was in great danger of his life, by that family, and those ill affected, who frequently resorted to the said house (they knowing him well to be faithful to the Parliament) which being by a great providence discovered to your suppliant, he was necessitated for the preservation of his life, to fly to London for refuge, and having lived there but a short time, some of this Honourable House, who knew your suppliant and his condition, proffered him Winchester house to keep the Parliaments Prisoners in, as an employment that might be and was thought beneficial, and thereupon got an Ordinance of Parliament dated 14. Novem. 1642. to that purpose; which when one M. Nicholas Young heard of, he appeared and laid claim to the said house, as having in law an unquestionable title for his life, to the profits and benefits of the said house, by Patent from the Bishop, confirmed by the Dean and Chapter of Winchester, whereupon the Committee for prisoners, sent for the said Young, to produce his title, and upon their perusal of his Evidence they judged his title good in Law, and thought it reasonable, if he would consent that the House should be employed as a Prison for the Parliaments use: That the said M. Young should have 52 l. per annum for the use thereof, besides his salary and all other benefits of allowance of diet, Liveries &c. mentioned in his letters Patent, he should keep to himself; which Agreement being made with the said M. Young, the said Committee prevailed with the Parliament to pass another Ordinance dated 3. Decem. 1642. to that purpose; so that your Suppliant, who was to have had the house freely by the former Ordinance, was now to pay out of his own purse 52 l. per annum for the same, to keep the Parliaments prisoners in notwithstanding he never had a penny salary for all his pains and expenses, but was to expect to have it by way of fees from such prisoners as should be sent to the said house, which proved little worth; for this Honourable House than sent few of any ability to that place, but disposed most commonly of such prisoners to Sir John Lenthall and M. Warcop &c and did fill up Winchester house with poor Soldiers, in all near a thousand, which made the house altogether unprofitable, noisome, and brought the plague into it, in which miserable condition, your suppliants wife, & divers other of his family were swept away by death, and his friends stood afar off from him, & durst not come nigh him, to comfort or help him: But besides all this there was yet more that added abundantly to his misery and sorrow, which was that this Honourable House having appointed so many hundreds of the N●zeby poor prisoners, to his custody, voted them allowance for their maintenance, so that the proportion did not exceed six pence per diem for a man; & the Committee for prisoners, by virtue of that Order, appointing him to allow them threepences a day a man; faithfully promising weekly to pay him, that which so he should lay out for them, accordingly your suppliant did honestly and constantly allow them the said allowance, expecting his money weekly according to faith and promise, neither of which hath been kept with him; he being at this day out of purse three hundred and odd pounds for such poor Soldiers, as had threepences per diem, besides poor Officers which had also allowance, besides all which, he further provided them straw, and meat, etc. for the sick, and buried their dead at his own charge. Moreover he hath laid out a 100 l. in repairing the house, which reparations are appointed by the forementioned Ordinance to be allowed out of the Bishop's Rents, but yet there was never penny paid; all which things laid together rendered your suppliants condition most miserable and sad, and the rather because that which was pretended by the Parliament for his good, was apparently turned to his mischief and hurt, and not knowing how to help himself; his frequent and daily addresses to the Committee for prisoners, proving altogether fruitless, and a mere expense of time and money, at last he was necessitated to treat with the said M. Young for the buying his Patent, and all his interest and title in the said house, that he might no longer sit at so great a Rent as 52 l. per annum to do the Parliament service, and no profit at all arising to himself: whereupon the said M. Young and your suppliant did agree (the writings and conveyances being drawn up by your Solicitor General M. John Cook, who then did affirm, and still doth declare, that your suppliants purchase of the premises of the hands of the said M. Young, is as valid and good in law for his life to the whole house, as can be in law made unto a man) so that the entire interest right and title of Master Young to the said house, and all the benefits, and profits, and arrears of profits of the said patent being legally your suppliants, he may well, and he hopes conscionably reckon the 52 l. rent per annum, with the other arrears of profits of the said patent at 100 pound per annum, which for six years' amounts to 600 pound; of all which he your suppliant, never from you, or any for you received a penny, and he is clear out of purse for relieving the poor soldiers; and repairing the house above 400 pound (besides his buying and legally purchasing the patent) which with the  600 pound, makes above 1000 l. and hath no rational nor visible way in his apprehension left him to get his money, which is his due and right, but only his legal and just interest he hath in the said Bishop's house by virtue of his patent. But now so it is at last, as if there were a determinate resolution utterly to undo your suppliant, and all that belongs to him, for his faithfulness to you, it is strongly endeavoured by the trusties of Bishop's Lands violently to put him out of possession of his legal right of the same house, not making him any allowance in the world for the great sums of money due to him, nor showing him any probable way how to obtain his just right and due, but have made complaint against him to the Committee of Parliament for removing of obstructions in the sale of Bishop's Lands, who have sent for him several times, and dealt worse with him, then wicked Abab was willing to have dealt with poor Naboth for his vineyard; who was willing to give him a better vineyard than it, for it, or as much money as it was worth, 1 King. 21.2. but they command him to deliver up to the trusties his legal possession and title, without the proffer of any valuable consideration at all, using him with much reproach, and scorn, and threatening language; and though the last week, as at other times he waited upon them, and could have no audience, there being not a Committee, and being but newly gone out of Town into Essex, the said Committee upon the 14. of March last sent the servants of the Sergeant at Arms, attending your house thither to apprehend him, as a prisoner, and keep him in safe custody to his exceeding reproach, loss and charge, though at that time he was busily employed in the Parliaments service, about Tilbury blockhouse by Colonel Temple, a Member of your House, for which service he receiveth no salary from you or other profit.  
Now your suppliant humbly beseecheth you to judge impartially how sadly he is dealt withal, who hath faithfully adhered to you from the beginning and sent out his three sons in your service, one of which was slain therein, and a son in law of his lost his life in your service also, and left behind him your suppliants poor daughter, a widow with four small children without relief, pity, or help from you; and now he himself, who hath laid out his all for you, must be thus therefore destroyed in his helpless old-age, as also the rest of his children by a forcible taking from him and them their just right, which should purchase them bread, to keep them alive in these starving times; he not in the least desiring to keep and preserve his possession in his house for that single life he hath in it any longer, then till you will audite his Accounts, and pay him what you justly own him, and give him a valuable consideration for his legally purchased interest in it, or else set him some reasonable price upon your future right in the premises, that so he may endeavour to procure some friend of his to pay you ready money for it, allowing him in the price thereof, what is justly his due and right. In the mean time he humbly beseecheth you, that he may have his liberty granted him, that thereby he may be the better enabled to do you further service.  
Thomas Devenish.  
FINIS.