LUDGATES Late PETITION, TO THE PARLIAMENT.  
And the Prison of the Fleets Letter to Mr. Caril, answered, &c.  
Printed in the Year, 1659. Oct ▪ 14.   

IT is not to be doubted but the Parliament both know that public spirited person, James Frese: Gentleman, and his Book styled, The Outcry of the Parliament and Army. But that those forty thousand( if Prisoners) which signed your Petition were well affencted persons to the present Government is a great question, for all the Prisons and goals in England, will not yield half that number so qualified.  
It was but reason that he should pray for the regulating of the Law, and for abolishing the Capias that so he might quit himself from the payment of his just Debts.  
If Perjuries should be punished according to the Letter of the Law, and your Petition, a great number that have received the be●efit of the former five pound Act, would be forced to be Overseers of many Markets and public streets in England, having fraudulently made away their Estates on purpose to receive benefit by the said Act.  
If any of you were tossed from Prison to Prison, it is well known it was not for any virtue in such, but for punishing their viciousness; to put men in Irons and thrust them in Dungeons deservedly, is not contrary to Law, seeing Authority commandeth that such as do such offences should be so punished, and put in such safe custody, witness that Metrapolitan goal of Newgate, for your being tormented by vermin may be true, but your being starved to death is most notorious false, nor can you bring one true example thereof since Qu ▪ Maries dayes, their case and yours differing in this, they were imprisoned for the testimony of a good Conscience, you for none: God, the fundamental Laws of England, and the rules of Christian Charity, will not any such thing, as that men should starve in Prison, and the relief you daily receive gives you the Wherstone. Some of you peradventure may have spent your estates and fortunes in the Parliament service( but that was not the original cause of your imprisonment) but none of you your lives, if so you could not have  told them so, the rest of your Petition is not worth answering saving your quotations of Scripture, Nehemiah 5.5, 6. The complaint there is, that they having borrowed money upon their Lands and Vineyards, and not having wherewith to redeem them, they their Sons and their daughters were brought into bondage, but that was not that, that the Nobles and the Rulers were reb●ked for, but for exacting usury, every one of his Brother, as you may see in the next verse, It is no usury for any man to exact his own, nor cruelty to cast any one in prison for not paying a just debt. If you consult the words of our Saviour in Matthew 5.25, 26. verses, and the 12. of Luke 58, 59. verses, you will find it so, but you like the Prince of this World, quote Scripture by the halves, taking into you so much as may serve for your interest, and leaving out the rest; your other quotati●ns is Nehemiah, Chapter the 19.12, 13. Verses, where mention is made of the Lor●s leading the people of Israel both by day and night, and his giving them upon Mount Sinai, right judgements, true laws, good Statutes and Commandements,: There is none I hope so impudent, as to deny the whole Decalogue to be right, just, and good. But I shall refer you onely to the two last, what juster Law then that a man pay what he oweth, and to give caesar his due? but to pay Debts by swearing, is this to do as we would be done unto? Lastly your Petition is Printed for the Prisoners of Ludgate, being above two hundred freemen of London, &c. Freemen and yet Prisoners is Nigro Signo, a White Blackbird. As for the Letter sent from the Fleet to Mr. Caril, on Thursday October the sixth, where they tell him if he were acquainted with those thousands of persons of Quality confined, and of whom excellent use might be made in their several degrees and stations; he would need no other Moniter to mind him to exhort his hearers, and our Masters, to remember their often Remonstrances and Declarations, for your just liberties, his non-acquaintanse then is the cause they remember not their former Declarations; and should they inquire into the many thousands you speak of, they would hardly find one of a thousand of whom such excellent use may be made of, as to hazard the confinement of their souls, for the freedom of their bodies, but you desire no more, and less as English men you deserve not; but they that subscribed those desires, are persons not merely known in, but have served your Country, some in the Civil, some in the military, some in both Governments; certainly in all you served well, otherwise you could not have merited so just a reward: your Prayer is the onely thing reasonable in your Letter, which is, that they might be heard, then th●se who shall be found able, let them be constrained, those who are put in upon design and knavery of their prosecutors be repaired in their credits and fortunes, those who are unable to be set at liberty to earn their bread, yet not altogether so reasonable, for though you may be heard, who shall be able to judge of your ability, or no non ability, when you have fraudulently conveyed your estates to others; you have given directions what shall be done to such who are put in upon design and knavery of their prosecutors, but not of such as put themselves in prison upon design and knavery of their own; and they it is presumed are the greater part of the many thousand before spoken of. Next how should they who are unable being set at liberty, be able to earn their bread, it is to be feared, if they have no more then what they shall earn, they will starve, which is a sad period ▪   
FINIS.