A LETTER FROM Sir LEWIS DYVE: WRITTEN Out of FRANCE to a Gentleman, a Friend of his in LONDON.  
GIVING Him an account of the manner of his Escape out of the KING'S BENCH, and the Reasons that moved him thereunto.  
Printed in the Year, 1648.   

A Letter from Sir LEWIS DYVE: Written out of France to a Gentleman, a Friend of his in London, etc.  
TO prevent the or edit that malicious and false reports may gain, in the opinion of those that know me not, concerning my escape out of Prison, which the wickedness of this age is most fruitful in producing; I conceived it necessary for me, as well for the satisfaction of my private Friends, as to dis-abuse others, who for want of true information, may by delusions and forgeries (wherewith the worth, God knows, hath of late years been too much abused) be led into a misbelief of me, to give you this true account, both of the occasion that induced me to thrust myself into so great a hazard, in the attempt (wherein, by the Almighty's blessing, I was in a manner miraculously preserved) as also by what means I effected it; which I shall desire you, even for the love which I know you bear to truth, and the particular affection wherewith you have always been pleased to honour me, that you will, if occasion be offered, publish this Paper unto the world, that the malice of my enemies may not prevail; by their evil tongues to wound me behind my back, in my honour and reputation, which I have ever held in fare dearer esteem than my life.  
In the narrative, I intent brevity, and shall not therefore look bacl upon those many miseries I suffered since my first imprisonment in the Tower, nor upon those ●eavie Oppressions wherewith I was there loaded, contrary to the Law of Arms, the Law of Nature, and Nations; and all this for no other offence (God is my witness) that (I either know or can imagine) those men that have thus persecuted me, can lay to my charge, save my loyalty to my Sovereign, my love unto my Country, in the preservation of the Laws and Liberties thereof, and my constancy to both. For if I should begin my Story from thence, it would fill a volume, and carry in it many bitter marks of the strange inhumanity of these sad times, which for the honour of this Nation I could hearty wish, (were it possible) that both in my own case, and divers others of like nature, the memory might eternally be forgotten, and no record left thereof to remain as a brand of infamy upon this people to all posterity.  
It shall therefore suffice, that I begin from the time of my being removed from the Tower, where I continued above two years, and the greatest part of that time close Prisoner; from whence towards the latter end of last Michaelmas Term, I was by pretence of a Habeas Corpus, procured by the subtlety of my Adversaries, by force and violence brought before the King's Bench Barce, by Colonel Tichborne the Lieutenant of the Tower, upon an Action of Debt, whereas I stood charged, and committed before for High Treason by the Speaker of the House of Commons; a strange precedent, and not to be paralleled, as I believe, before these unhappy times: but new precedents and privileges are now every day created at pleasure, by some of those that sit at Westminster, to the subversion of the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom, and the utter ruin of the Subjects just Liberties and Freedoms.  
From the King's Bench Bar, I was immediately turned over to be a Prisoner at the King's Bench, without any due Process or form of Law, not so much as one syllable being spoken unto me, by those that fate there usurping the place of Judges; for I have heard, That by the Laws of the Kingdom no man may execute that Office without his Majesty's Commission whereby to authorise him so to do, which they have not to show, nor is it to be presumed, that any such authority can be derived from his Majesty, who is made a Prisoner by those, whose duty it is, both by the Laws of God and the Land, to honour and obey him, and which they have bound themselves by Solemn Oath to perform.  
Now for the better illustration of the equity and justice of their proceed with me, in this particular; I must let you know, that before the beginning of these unhappy troubles, I became engaged for divers great sums of money for the Earl of S. Alban, and for Sir Edward straddling, who were persons of much honour, and had that interest in me, as I should not have refused to expose my life and fortunes whereby to have done them service, they in a reciprocal way of friendship towards me, were so careful to preserve me from any damage I might for the future sustain, by reason of my engagements for them, as they made over unto me Lands of very great value, whereby to secure and save me harmless from any encumbrances those debts might bring upon me: with the Rents I received from these Lands, I not only satisfied the Creditors with purctuall payment of their interest, but in a short time by Fines and other improvements, made a shift to pay a good part of the principal debt, and had not these miseries fallen upon the Kingdom, under which it now languisheth, I might probably before this time have cleared the greatest part of the whole debt.  
These Lands made over to those uses as is declared, are by Ordinance of the two Houses Sequestered, and all the profits thereof violently seized and taken forsooth, for the use of the State, whereby the Creditors for divers years have been defrauded of their right, contrary to all Justice and Equity; For this cause, and for no other that I can imagine, it was contrived by my Adversaries to have me carried to the King's Bench, that I might there rot in Prison for Debt, whilst they in the mean time take unto themselves, not only the Profits of those Lands which are liable to pay the Debts, but of all the rest of my Estate, leaving me in that miserable condition, as I have nothing left me to depend upon but the Almighty's Providence, to preserve me and my Children from famishing.  
And if this be the Justice that our Worthy Reformers of Church and State, hold out unto the world as a Model, whereby to take a measure of their future Government: What can other men expect, whose case it may be as well as mine, when they shall happen to fall into the displeasure of our new Lawmakers (which, in truth, it is impossible to avoid, for any man that shall endeavour to keep a good Conscience, either towards God or man) but Ruin and Destruction to them and their Families, and in conclusion, to the whole Kingdom?  
Having thus stated the Cause of my being sent to the King's Bench, I ●●all proceed to the giving you a true account of my entertainment there by Sir John Lentall until I made my escape.  
When the Lieutenant of the Tower had discharged himself of me, by delivering me over into the hands of other Jailers, I was by them that Evening brought to Sir John Lentall, who treated me with much civility; and having (as it should seem) understood by some who had long known me, that if I would engage my Word unto him, of being a true Prisoner, it would hold me faster than all the Locks and Guards he could devise to put upon me: he in a very generous and free manner proposed it unto me, telling me withal, that he had ever heard me esteemed for a man of honour; so as, if I would engage my Word, he would esteem it as the best Security that could be given him. The frankness of his proceeding prevailed with me (I must confess) even against the Resolution I had raken, not to bind myself up by my Word, upon any Condition whatsoever: which I yielded nevertheless to do, being overcome by his kindness; adding this Protestation withal, That were it to save my Life, he might be confident I would not break with him, until I should first give him fair warning, by revoking it: Provided always, that he should put no Guards nor Keeper upon me, which I should understand as a disengagement of my Word, for that it would be an argument unto me, that he did not rely upon it: Which he approved as reasonable, and so I parted from him for that time, and went to provide me a Lodging within the Rules, as might afford me best accommodation.  
After this, there was seldom any day past that I came not by way of Gratitude to visit him or his Lady, resolving in my heart not only to pay him all Respects that was due to him from me as a Prisoner, but to requite those Civilities I received from him, whensoever I should by God's blessing be in a capacity to do it: Sometimes, as my Occasions required, I went abroad, which I did openly and avowedly, not conceiving it would have been judged a Trespass in me, more than in other men in the same Condition that I was. But it soon grew an occasion of exception to some, who never satisfied with their own unlimited Privileges, held it too great a one for me to breathe the common Air with other men, and through the fears and jealousies which the guilt of their own souls suggested unto them, did fancy my being seen abroad a matter of most dangerous consequence, insomuch, as M. Speaker of the House of Commons was immediately informed of it, who thereupon sent to his Brother Sir John Lentall, giving him a strict Charge (as he told me himself) to have a special care of me as of a most dangerous person. He therefore in a friendly way desired me, that for his sake I would for some days forbear to be seen abroad, until the heat of this anger were overpast, lest it might turn to his prejudice. The answer I made him, to my best remembrance, was to this effect; That I could not but think myself very unfortunate, after so many miseries, to be still made the object of their malice: which since I saw I could not otherways avoid, but either by forfeiting my Loyalty to my Sovereign, or betraying my own innocence, I had by God's assistance armed myself with that Resolution, that I little regarded what their Power could exercise upon my person, and should esteem my Sufferings a happiness and glory unto me in so good a Cause: so that if I restrained myself of that just Liberty I ought to take, it was merely for his sake; wherein I would be so careful for the future, that when the necessity of my occasions should draw me forth, it should be with that Caution, as should give no advantage against him: And I was so precisely careful herein, as for divers days after I stirred not out of the Rules.  
By this Retirement, I well hoped to have taken away the occasion of troubling their thoughts with a subject so little considerable as myself; which would have been fare better employed in perfecting the happy Reformation, so worthily begun, and in settling a well-grounded Peace in the Kingdom, which, in that Confusion they have now brought it, will be a Work of their best skill to perform: But contrary to my hopes, the next news I heard, was, that it was resolved, the fittest place to secure me, was in the Common-Goale: and I had farther intelligence given me by two persons considerable with them, and no strangers to their Counsels, that there were desperate intentions against me, and therefore wished me as I tendered my Life, to make an Esc. ●● now I had opportunity to do it, for the means might otherways be suddenly taken from me.  
This intelligence coming to me at so seasonable a time, and my own innocence, besides the authority and credit of the persons from whom I received it, made me the apt to believe it to be true (knowing that my enemies thirst most after innocent blood) and might have prompted me (considering the danger I was in) to have followed his Advice: but my Word being given to Sir john Lentall, I was resolved to run the uttermost hazard of my Life, rather than violate that in the least degree: This made me bethink myself how I might best come off from that engagement, with least suspicion, which the very next day was offered unto me upon this occasion.  
The Warrant for my Close Commitment I knew precisely (as I said before) when it would be brought to Sir john Lentall; and that very night, Friday the fourteenth of january, I went (as I was formerly accustomed to do) to visit Sir john Lentall at his own House; where, finding him sitting in conversation with his Lady and some others of his Family, I fell into discourse with him, and after a while I took occasion to tell him, that out of my respects to him I had confined myself in the nature of a Close Prisoner for a good while but that having some special occasions to draw me into the Town the next day, I intended to go in the Evening, which should be done with that wariness, as no notice should be taken thereof. This stroke gave fire immediately, according to my expectation; whereupon he said, that it was in his thoughts to have spoken unto me the next morning by way of prevention, for that divers of the House were so much incensed at my going abroad, as he believed there would be an Order for my Close Imprisonment: I seemed much moved with the news, and told him, I hoped he would not be the instrument to execute so unreasonable and unjust an Order, having given him my Word to be his true Prisoner: Alas (said he) what would you have me do, in case I am commanded? For as I am their servant, if I disobey their Orders, they will thrust me out of my place, and ruin me: By the same reason (said I somewhat tartly unto him) if they should bid you knock out my brains, or starve me, you must then do it. He desired me not to make such inferences, for that he knew they would command him no such thing; but for the keeping me a Close Prisoner, in that he was bound to obey them. When he had thus fare declared himself, I held it a fit time for me to revoke the engagement of my Word; which, that he might suppose it to be done rather out of Choler than Design, I fell into a strange passion (not misbecoming my Usage, though it might be thought it did my Condition) and in great heat told him, I would not longer be engaged upon my Word, with some other expressions of deep resentment, of the barbarous usage I had from time to time received, but that I valued not the uttermost extremity that Tyranny could inflict upon me: and so thrusting the Chair from me whereon I sat, I made a short Turn in the Room, taking a Candlestick in my hand which stood upon a side Table, and striking it with violence upon the Board, did much bruise the fashion thereof; and all this was done in a breath, so as it seemed but one motion.  
The women that were there, were somewhat amazed at this, but the Lady Lentall herself, who holds it a high reputation to be thought a woman of spirit, what with the bruising of the Candlestick, and some words that fell from me, which she interpreted to the disparagement of her Husband, though I profess they were spoken with no such intent, grew suddenly in such a fury, as passionate women are wont to express when they are throughly angered; the words that kindled her choler, was, as I remember, somewhat that touched upon my being turned from Jailor to Jailor, which she highly aggravated after her manner, entering into comparisons of her Husband's worth, which I meant not in the least to diminish; with whom being unwilling to have any dispute, the work for which I came being performed, I went towards the door, with intention to retire to my lodging, there to bethink myself of what more imported me; but as it happened, her Ladyship at that time filled up the passage with her person, so as to pass by, I took her by the hand to remove her a little out of the way, which she took for so great an affront, that she presently cried out that I had struck her; but the truth is, had not Sir John Lentall himself, and some of his Daughters in the room, interposed between her and me, I verily believe it would have fallen to my share to have complained of a beating, which I should much better have borne from a Lady's hand, than the reproach she laid on me of having strucken her; I than became a stickler to persuade her to patience, and to desire her that she would not through passion do herself so much wrong, as to say that of me, which should she swear, would never be believed by any body that knew me, and to entreat her pardon, if by transportation of the same passion which was now so prevalent in herself, I had either said or door any thing that might give her the least offence; with these and the like persuasions, we all grew after a while into a more sober temper, and then I took my leave of them both, & was from thence well guarded to my Lodging. The next morning, my Kinsman, Sir John Wake, came unto me, and told me for certain, That Sir John Lentall had received an Order from the House of Commons to remove me that night into the Common Goal; I desired Sir John Wake to go to Sir John Lentall from me, to request this favour in my behalf, that my removal might be suspended for a day or two until I might be able to furnish my Lodging with Bedding and other necessaries fit for me; but the answer I received, was, That he durst not do it for fear of the displeasure of the House. When I saw there was no remedy, I sent to ha●e the Chamber made clean, & aired with a good fire, as there was good cause, for I was told by some that saw it, that it was a most nasty and filthy room, not fit for a Dog to lie in. Whilst this preparation was making, and a heap of Coals which lay in the Chamber removing, the evening grew on, and my fatal hour of removing to a quick burial; In the mean time I bespoke supper, and invited divers Gentlemen of my acquaintance in the Rules to sup with me, to take a farewell of them, not knowing when I should have the happiness to see them again: four or five were pleased to come to me, to afford me that favour, all of them much lamenting my condition: by this means there was a necessity of passing to and fro out of my Lodging, by reason my Supper was dressed abroad. I sent for Wine, and disposed myself to be merry with my Friends, not imparting my intentions to any creature; always having a watchful eye, how those that were set to guard me, were placed; with a resolution to have forced my way through them, if there had been no other remedy: But the darkness of the Night favoured my Attempt so, as taking the nick of time when Supper was bringing in, I slipped from my Company, and got out of the Gate unespyed, conveying myself suddenly into a place where I knew I should be welcome, leaving my Friends to be merry without their Host.  
For some few days I lay close, until I found an opportunity to convey myself, where by God's blessing I have now the leisure to satisfy both you and the rest of my Friends with this true relation of the Business; hoping there can nothing be objected against me in the whole progress thereof, misbecoming a man of Honour and Honesty, who desires, and shall ever, endeavour to approve himself so in all his actions to the World, and more particularly to yourself, in the quality of,  
SIR, Your affectionate humble servant, LEWIS DYVE. Febr. Stilo novo, 1647. 1648.  
FINIS.