TRUTH'S VICTORY Over TYRANTS AND TYRANNY. Being the TRIAL of that Worthy Assertor of his countries' Freedoms, Lieutenant Colonel JOHN LILBURNE, Defender of the Ancient and known Laws of England, against Men and Devils, whether in King, Parliament, Army, or Council of State. Guildhall London, Octob. 26. Freed in open Court, from his unjust and Illegal Charge of High-Treason, and cruel Imprisonment in the Tower, by the and just Verdict of this Jewry, whose Names are here inserted; Miles Pettit, Holburn-Condu. Stephen Iles, Friday-street. Abraham Smith, Smithfield. John King Smithfield. Nicholas Murrain, Gosling-str. Thomas Dainty, Cheapside. Edmund Keysar, Holb-bridge Edward Perkins Smithfield. Ralph Packman, Smithfield. William Cummins, Cheap. Simon Weeden, Bredstr. Henry Tooley, Bredstreet. All Good Men and true. Printed in the fall of Tyranny. 1649. TRUTH'S VICTORY Over TYRANTS AND TYRANNY. I Should before this have given you the Trial of honest John Lilburne in Print, by Order of the House, but that it was so ridiculous on their part, that they cannot endure so much as to hear of it; so far as I can gather from Mr. Hind, and others who took his Trial in Shortwriting, (besides myself) being both eye and ear witnesses of their Proceed against him in that Court. His Charge was not one Jot less than High-Treason (with a new found-diddle) for which that honest Lieu. Colonel John Lilburn, was a week before he came to Guildhall condemned by their Tyrannical Counsel of State, only they would venture at a legal Trial, thinking with their big looks, and Guards of Soldiers to make honest John and the jewrie faith after them; but it proved otherwise; The most material things that the forsworn judges did accuse him of, was. THat he the said john Lilburne did at or about Easter last, 1648. and divers times before and since, against the Peace of the Commonwealth of England, and the Testimony of his own Conscience (not setting God before his eyes) most perfidiously, wickedly, perniciously, and Treasonably write, and cause to be Printed, Published and Divulged divers Papers and dangerous Books of very evil Consequence, to the derogatition of divers Members of Parliament, and the subvertion of the Parliament and present Government by Slanders, Lies, and false Suggestions cunningly by him insinuated and spread amongst the People, to take off, & divide the People, and alienate their Affections from that just Authority which is set over them for their good and safety, and to bring a low and mean esteem upon the Persons, and a suspicion and hatred upon the courses and intentions of the most faithful Members of the People's Representative in Parliament, and of other Ministers of State, that are most conscientious in discharging their trust, & are therefore become the utmost object of his wretched spleen and malice. Here they began to read over his Books, which pleased the People as well, as if they had acted before them one of Ben johnsons' Plays, for their excellency, I shall give you the names of them, desiring all well affected People to buy them; because they are filled with Law and Truth. 1. His two Pictures of the Counsel of State, in which Books you may see them, as in a glass, sitting together to cheat the Commonwealth, like a pack of Juggling Knaves. 2. His DISCOURSE with Mr. Peter's, in which Peter told him, That there was no Law; whereupon honest Lilburn, replied, That he & his masters were then a company of Rogues, or Fools, to fight for the Laws, when there were none. 3. His INPEACHMENT of High Treason against CROMWELL and IRETON, in which there is an excellent Epistle directed to William Lenthall Speaker, to those Knights Gentlemen and Burgesses left by Colonel Thomas Pride Esq (late Dray-man in Smithfield) in his purge to the House of Commons, who with the Assistance of the Army (saith JOHN) are setting up their own Ambition and Tyrannical Wills. 4. A HUE and CRY after Sir Arthur Haslerigge Governor of Newcastle, and Tyrant of the North. 5. His DISCOURSE with Prideaux some few days before his Trial, in which he plainly made it appear, That this Parliament was Null and VOID; First by the death of the KING, which was by them Illegally acted; Secondly by their own Arguments. For at that time when the House was Affronted by some disorderly Apprentices for one afternoon, the next day (like a company of Cowards,) some Thirty or thereabouts, (being but a small part of the House,) fled to the Army about Uxbridge, and would not own them at Westminster as a House, as they Sat, though Free and without any Force; but wrote to them by the Title of Knights and Gentlemen Sitting at Westminster: And when the Speaker with his Crew was again put into the House, he said, Those which had Acted in their absence was no Parliament; and that all their Acts and Orders were Null and Void: then surely saith he, this is none; for that the Major Part was by Force pulled out of the House, and a Guard set to keep them out, and to awe them who sat to Act according to the Humour of the Grandees; which Prideaux could not deny: The Particulars out of these Papers, with malicious agravations of jeering jarman, sneaking Keeble, and the puppet Prideaux; they drew up their Indictment, which lasted a whole day the Reading; which when they had ended, they Required honest JOHN to Answer them presently: He said unto them, gentlemans, I Desire time; for have you been this Six Months knocking your heads about this; and must I who am here upon my Life, give you an Answer at this instant; I pray you hold, and make not too much haste to hang True Folks, you know not how soon it may be your own Turns, Than jeering jarman bawled out, and said, with vehemency of Malice, Master Lilburn, either Answer now, or for ever hold your tongue. But then that Innocent Gentleman, Lieu. Colonel JOHN LILBURNE desired, That if he might not be allowed two day's time to answer their tedious CHARGE, that they would grant him but two hours. But the States three Beagles yelped out with full mouth, No, no, no, not an inch of Time. So soon as they had said this, a Scaffold in the Hall fell down, some (being hurt) crying out, which so amazed, and terrified the unjust Judges, that for almost the space of an hour, they did nothing but stare one upon another, in which time Mr. Lilburne did so prepare himself for them that when he came to speak, he did confute them with good Law, and honest Reason (telling them, that they had prated like Fools, and knew no more LAW than so many Geese) whereupon the Lubbers of the Keepers of ENGLAND'S LIBERTIES had not a single Syllable to utter in the defence of themselves or MASTERS, but left it to the jewry, with as many Items and Nods as they durst give them, to follow their Wills. But the honest-hearted JEWRY-MEN [being all unbyased men, and such as had no dependency on them by OFFICE or the like] did as justly as honestly and gallantly discharge their Consciences; not fearing their great looks, nor new invented ACTS; but in their Verdict did unanimously declare, THAT THE PRISONER WAS NOT GUILTY OF HIGH-TREASON. At which time the People (for Joy) gave a great shout, that made Guild-Hall to ring again, which made his unjust Judges to pull in their horns, slip off their Gowns, and betake themselves to run, as if they had been so many Gadarines, for fear the PEOPLE should pull them off their seats of JUSTICE by the ears; and in their Passage home, were scoffed mocked and derided by Men, Women and Children. Then was that worthy Champion, and Patriot of his COUNTRY, Lieutenant Colonel JOHN LILBURNE attended back to the TOWER, not only with the Joy and acclamation of his friends, but of all sorts of PEOPLE; for his unexpected delivery from the cruel paws of his merciless and fell Enemies, who made no other account but to sacrifice to their unlimmited, Tyrannical, lawless and unbounded Wills that worthy and gallant Suffere for his countries' FREEDOMS, who had been so long, and so cruelly handled by them, and illegally kept their Prisoner without any just Cause, and had so remained all his Life time, had it not been as the common Proverb saith; FOR SHAME OF THE WORLD, AND SPEECH OF PEOPLE. There was at night Ringing of Bells, and Bonfires in many places of the City of LONDON, and a gennerall joy in his very Enemies, so odious are the now present Juncto sitting at Westminster, that all the Tyrants that ever exercised Power here were not half so hateful to the PEOPLE, or half so burdensome to their shoulders, as these perjnred Hypocritical Changelings are to the overriden People of England, as appears by their love to those that oppose them. And that the sordid baseness of both them and their Creatures, may more evidently appear (next the Names and abodes of the jeury that stood so firmly to the Law, and their fellow-Commoner) I will give you the Copy of his Discharge, signed by bradshaw's own hand. The Names of the Jurymen. Miles Pettit, Holburn-Condu. Stephen Iles, Friday-street. Abraham Smith, Smithfield. John King Smithfield. Nicholas Murrain, Gosling-str. Thomas Dainty, Cheapside. Edmund Keysar, Holb-bridge Edward Perkins Smithfield. Ralph Packman, Smithfield. William Cummins, Cheap. Simon Weeden, Bredstr. Henry Tooley, Bredstreet. All Good Men and true. A Copy of a Warrant, sent from the Council of State, for the Releasement of Lieutenant Colonel john Lilburne from his Imprisonment in the TOWER. WHereas Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburne hath been Committed Prisoner to the Tower upon Suspicion of High Treason in Order to his Trial at Law; which Trial he hath received, and is thereby acquitted. These are therefore to will and require you, upon sight hereof, to Discharge and set at Liberty the said Lieutenant Colonel John Lilburne from his Imprisonment, for which this shall be your sufficient Warrant. Given at the Council of State at Whitehall this Eight of November. 1649. To the Lieutenant of the Tower, or his Deputy. Signed in the Name, and by the Order of the Council of State, appointed by Authority of Parliament. John Bradshaw, President. FINIS. Mr Walwyn, Mr Prince, and Mr Overton, must either lie in Prison till they were starved, or take the new Engagement; and of two Evils they choose the less; and have set their Hands to the new Engagement, which they promise to keep as faithfully as Bradshaw, Vain, or Prideaux have done the Covenant.