A Salva Libertate, Sent to colonel FRANCIS WEST lieutenant of the TOWER of LONDON, on Friday the fourteenth of September 1649. by lieutenant colonel John Lilburne, unjustly, and illegally imprisoned, in the said Tower, ever since the 28. of March, 1649. Occasioned by the receipt of a verbal Command (which in Law is nothing, nor signefies nothing) whereby the said Leiut. was seemingly authorized, to carry the said John Lilburne before Mr. Prideaux the nicknamed, and falsely so called attorney general on Friday 14. Sept. 1649  
SIR.  
BEtwixt eight and nine a clock last night you sent your servant to me, who desired me in your name to come and speak with you, which I accordingly did, and you told me to his effect, That you being out of Town in your absence the attorney general had sent to you: to bring me up to him to the Temple in the morning by eight a clock, which you thought good to acquaint me with; and to know of me whether I would go or no, and you would go with me yourself.  
Vnto-which I answered to this effect, Alas, Sir, go with you? I must, for I know, if I refuse, you can compel me by your Guards and therefore I must▪ nolens, volens go, which I would not do, were I rationably able to resiist you; but being I am not I shall go, but this I must tell you aforehand, that I know no such man as Mr. Attorney general, neither when I come before him shall I so much as put off my hat unto him, or give him any reverence or respect; but slight him, and contemn him with the greatest scorn I can imagine. And withal I gave unto you a new book of mine not then published to the view of the world, though the chiefest part of it was penned many weeks ago, which I read to Sir Arthur Has●eriggs one Leiut. colonel Paul Hobson, at his inn at the Bull in bishopsgate-street divers weeks ago, entitled, A preparative to an Hue and Cry after Sir Arthur Has●erigge, for his several ways attempting to murder and by base plots, conspiracies, and false witness to take away the life of Leiut. Col John Lilburn. Which book I entreated you seriously to read, because there was something in it which did a little concern you. And in the way as I came from you, I was musing upon the frame of a Salva Libertate to send to you, in the nature of my quondam fellow prisoners. Sir John Minard, Alderman Adam's, Alderman Langham, and Alderman Bunch, their Salva Libertate in the Case of the House of Lords unjust dealing with them in summoning them up to their bar, which they sent to your late predecessor Col. Tichburne, whose said Salva's are Recorded in Sit John Maynard's Case truly stated, entitled, The Laws subversion. pag. 36. 37. and in the alderman's printed and excilent Petition presented to the Lords, 25. of April 1649. But before I got up into my Chamber, I came back and told you, I had forgot to demand of you a sight of the warrant by virtue of which you were to carry me up, and you told me, you had received none in writing, but only there was sent unto you a verbal command, unto which I answered, That was higher than the Kings own practices, and was so vissibly imperious, and arbitrary, that I could not but scorn to be such a scounderill as to stoop unto, or obey any such command, although I apparently hazarded my life in resisting of it, and therefore told you, if you would have me go upon them terms, you should carry me by the neck and heels, for I would find no legs to go; but if you would produce unto me a written warrant, which had some more face of legal magistracy in it then verbal commands, and according to my Right and privilege let me read it, I would go with you either by land or water as you pleased; because I was in no capacity to resist you, although I then told you I judged a paper warrant (although in words never so formal) coming from any pretended power or Authority in England now vissible, to be altogether illegal, because the intruding general Fairfax and his forces, had broke and annhilated all the formal and legal Magestracy, of England yea the very Parliament itself, and by his will and sword (absolute conqueror like) had most tyrannically erected and set up, and imposed upon the free people of this Nation, a Juncto ●o Mock powersitting at Westminster, whom he and his associates call a Parliament; who like so many Armed thieves, and robbers upon the highway, assume a power by their own will most traterously to do what they like; yea, and to fill the land with their mock, or pretended magistrates, amongst the number of which is the pretended Atturnney general, in perfect opposition of whom, to the utmost of my might, power and strength, I am resolved by God's gracious assistance, to spend my blood, and all that in the world is dear unto me, supposing him not really and substantially worth the name of an English freeman, that in some measure in this particular is not of my mind.  
But upon my foregoing Answer to you, you were pleased to tell me, upon a verbal command you would not force me; but you would acquaint the attorney general with my Answer which I entreated you to do, conceiving your practice therein abundantly every way more safe for yourself, then to execute verbal commands, as is legally illustrarted in the 16. pag. of my forementioned book I gave unto your hands.  
And Sir, accidentally, seeing you betwixt 11. and 12. a clock to day, I desired to know if you heard any more of the business, and you showed me a pretended warrant the Copy of which thus, followeth.  
These are to will and requite you to bring before me at my Chamber in the Inner Temple, this present day at 3. of the clock in the afternoon, the body of Col. John Lilburne, to answer to all such matters as shall be objected against him, and hereof you are not to fail. Given under my hand this 14. day of Sept. 1649.  
To Francis West Esq. lieutenant of the Tower of London. Edmond Prideaux.  
Which said pretended warrant is not only illegal in him that makes it, who is no attorney general either in Law, or Reason; but if he were attorney general, I am sure he hath no power in Law to send his warrant for me, or any man in England, to answer to all such things as shall be objected against me, and therefore I am constrained, to inform you hereby, that my person ought not to be hurried to and fro, or disturbed at the pleasure of any man, neither can I yield obedience to the commands of any which are not just and legal; and therefore in case you disturb me by such an illegal warrant, I doubt not but though I should in a sudden perish (which as to this life, I do hereby acquaint you, I shortly expect) but some well wisher to England's Freedoms, will hereafter call you to a strict account for your illegal dealings with me; for I must let you know hereby, I cannot voluntarily go to the Inner Temple to the pretended attorney general, but shall suffer you to carry me if you shall send force which I cannot resist; And because I know not whether ever I shall have opportunity to write another line, by reason of the bloody unsatiable rage of my tyrannical adversaries after the last drop of my blood.  
I can not choose but acquaint you, that I have long since drawn, and published my plea against the present power, in my 2. Edition of my book of the 8 of June 1649. entitled, The legal fundamental Liberties of the people of England, revived, asserted, and vindicated, which you may in an especial manner read in the 43. 44. 45. to the 59 pag. which by the strength of the Lord. God Omnipotent, my large experienced, help in time of need I will seal with the last drop of my blood: so being in Post hast by reason of the shortness of time that I have had knowledge of your pretended warrant, I rest,  
As much a Christian and an Englishman as ever,  
From my Chamber in the Tower of London this 14. of Sept. 1649. JOHN Lilburne.