To the High Court of Parliament of England, Scotland, and Ireland:  
The humble Petition of Richard Ford, Nathaniel Manton, and Thomas Papillon, of London, Merchants.  
Showeth,  
THat your Petitioners taking notice that the fishing Ships lately returned from Greenland, had taken only two Whales, whose oil and fins are but a drop to that Ocean which the necessary occasions of this commonwealth require: Your petitioners presumed that this Honourable House, would for this season suspend that Law which prohibits the Importation of those Commodities from foreign parts; and in confidence thereof did presently cause to be bought in Holland, a very large quantity of oil and fins, earnestly awaiting the Resolution of this Honourable House thereupon: And in the mean time having an offer made them by one Thomas May, Agent for Major John Harris, of a certain Licence, which they both pretended the said Harris had obtained from his Highness, the Lord protector and his Honourable council, for the free Importing of 1500 Tunns of Whale oil and Whale fins by him or his assigns, they did pay unto the said Harris 900l. upon the exhibiting and assignment of the said Licence before the Commissioners of the customs: And did thereupon give order to their Factors in Holland; presently to lade for this Port of London 200 Tunns of oil, and 100 Tunns of Whale fins, and for the Port of Hull one other hundred Tunns of Whale oil, in confidence that they should enjoy the benefit of the said Licence.  
But your Petitioners have since understood and are satisfied, that the said pretended Licence was never signed by his Highness, but forged by the said Harris and his complices; and the said Harris notwithstanding his highness' order to apprehend him, being fled and escaped with the said money, your Petitioners are in apparent danger, not only to lose the said 900l. which they have paid, but also to their utter ruin to incur the penalty of the Law upon all that very considerable quantity of oil, and Whale fins aforesaid, when they shall arrive, of which they are in daily, expectation, and therefore do humbly pray, in regard that they cannot seasonably countermand their orders,  
That it may please this Honourable House, to take their sad condition so far into your gracious consideration, as to afford them such relief and protection for their said goods against the rigor of the Law, as to your wisdoms shall be found most agreeable to equity, and the pressing exigency of their case, that they and theirs may not at once be ruined in their innocency, by the wretched circumvention of so notorious an Impostor.  
And your Petitioners shall ever pray, &c.