Overton's DEFIANCE OF THE ACT of PARDON: OR, The Copy of a Letter to the Citizens usually meeting at the WHALE-BONE in Lothbury behind the Royal Exchange; And others commonly (though unjustly) STYLED LEVELLERS.  
Written by Richard Overton Close prisoner in the Tower of LONDON.  MATTH. 16. 24, 25. 
Then said Jesus unto his Disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.  
For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.  
July .4th. Imprinted at London, 1649.   

OVERTON'S DEFIANCE OF THE ACT of PARDON.  
Honoured Friends,  
I Understand, that at the silence of my pen since my close imprisonment many have wondered, & some even amongst you (though tacitly) been ready to draw my integrity into suspicion, but could such as well un●old the riddle of my silence, as in other things, judge of what is visible and ●●vious to the eye, their thoughts sure would be far from such jealous surmises of me, neither would they (I suppose) so much as tax me of imprudence or negligence in the matter, though my silence indeed had been as ●●…ep as is suspected, and let it be so taken for granted, and also taken in the ●orst sense, I care not much how I am judged; yet I must needs confess, is no pleasure unto me, to be misjudged, or condemned before my time, hen my deeds are apostate or contradictory to what I have begun in behalf of the public, then is the time of my condemnation, and before that ●●y patiented endurance in bonds (one would think) were a guard sufficient against misconceptions in that kind, especially with my friends.  
But knowing, that even the suspicion of any one of us four; yea, though the unworthyest, Myself, is an arrow of so piercing a kind, that it e●●n woundeth through the sides of that person▪ the righteous cause of the ●●ople, which never more needed indulgence, watchfulness, and help ●●en now, it being (by perfidious usurpers and hypocrites, now clothed 〈◊〉 Angels of light with the radiant beams of Majesty and Sainship, that no English mortal is able to peep it to their glory and live) become like the man that traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thief's, stripped of his raiment (an Agreement of the people, and it faithful Asserters) wounded and beaten, deserted and left half (if not altogether) dead, spurned, trampled and trod under foot, and the Priest and the L●vite, and (which is most to my grief and confusion of face) my very brethren the Churchmen pass by on the other side, yea, and which is worse, are not ashamed with their envenomed invectives, lies, calumnies, and bitter persecutions, (and yet all forsooth in the name of God, of Jesus Christ, of Reliligion and the like) to stab and wound it afresh; having forked stings like Serpents to sting every hand that toucheth, swollen with venom like Toads to spit at every person that owneth, and like Vipers ready at all times to fasten on every man that shall dare to be an asserter thereof; that now none so persecute as they, enough to affright me from Church ship, to renounce and abominate it for ever; did not I know its institution to be holy and good, and the ways of those men no natural product or fruit of Church constitutions.  
I tell you (my dearest friends, and fellow asserters of the public cause) knowing how circumspect, tender & careful we ought to be; now especially to show our affections, our truth and fidelity to our persecuted wounded, forsaken, and almost murdered cause, when none there is scarce that dare own it or indulge it in public, and to approve ourselves like the good Samaritan indeed to bind up its wounds, to pour in our wine and oil, and have a care of it; I shall therefore (lest your jealousy over me should take too deep an impression upon your spirits, and so work an in confidence in you, in any future asserters of our cause, to the extreme damage and prejudice of the cause itself) unbosom the present disposition of my heart and resolutions concerning the same, although to give you the particular reasons for the late obscurity or silence of my pen, at present I judge not convenient.  
My Friends, of this therefore be ye confident, that my silence hath not proceeded from any degeneration or instability in me to that Righteous Cause (summed up in our draught of an Agreement of the people, subscribed, published and offered by us four as a peace offering, to the consideration of the people of England, 1. May. 1649,) that Paper, (or rather the contents or premises thereof) is the price, glory and end of my endurance, neither life, liberty on reparation, or any thing that man or earth affords is valuable with me in comparison thereof, that is my all in all; I desire neither life liberty, or reparation (seeing God hath called me to the work) but as may stand in subordination to that Agreement; while I have life or breath it shall never want a true asserter to uphold and promote the same to the utmost of my power, let the hazard and danger to myself be what it will.  
Although I have sat thus long in the shadow of silence, yet let not my friends suspect me, nor mine enemies vaunt over me, for though my person is their captive, yet have I so much spirit and fidelity left, to scorn their tyrannies, and dare them to their teeth to do their worst; let them find Gallows, Gybbets, Prisons, Halters, etc. I'll find carcase to encounter, till I have encountered out my life, I fear none of their Treason traps, I scorn and defy them; for that Agreement I will have, or else I'll die at their feet; I'll have no accord or peace with them at all till they have yielded that: whether at liberty or in prison, it is all one to me.  
It is neither my own life, liberty, nor reparation that I stand for, as the proper end of my Engagement; I have set my hand to the plough, and that paper hath proclaimed it, and bears testimony thereof, and shall I look back for my own advantage, God forbidden; rather let me die, then live the life of Den (that accursed English Judas;) The bread of Apostasy, Lord, never let it enter into my lips; to drink the blood, and eat the flesh of my Country's Cause; yea, of the children that are yet unborn, as that Viper, that wretched Traitor hath done, or be clothed with the garments of such abhorred abomination; fare, fare be it from me and mine, rather let us be clothed in Rags, and let me linger out my days, fettered and mannacled in some of their noisome murdering Dungeons to bear testimony against them, for that Righteous agreement: God hath given me the heart, and filled it with power and patience for the work; life, liberty and reparations, that golden ball and bait of Apostasy shall not satisfy me, it is not for such flattering pictures, that I am at variance with them, although my condition might invite me to such worldly acceptances; no, I first set my hand to the work out of integrity and simplicity of heart, without all self or by-ends, God is my record, and I trust, he that began that good work in me, will bear me out in it, to the end; and that is my earnest and hearty prayer.  
Therefore, my friends, be not you fearful or jealous of my integrity, I wish none of your heads may ache till I turn apostate, sure I shall first turn into the dust: and for the truth of this my professed integrity, I refer you for proof to my future actings, if they there with commensurate, let me be justified, if not condemned, by the fruit let the tree be judged: other judge I need not much value, for such judgements ever betray an evil spirit in the Judgers.  
But now my dear friends, you especially, which have provoked me thus at this time, to unbosom the secret resolves of my heart, (who perhaps by some, not duly weighing the occasion and necessity, may be ascribed to vain glory and arrogance) you I desire, to rub up your wits, consider and tell me, whether instead of those jealous surmises of me, your time had not better been spent in considering some way wherein you might equally discharge your duties with us, that are so close immured in the Tower; think you, that we are able to remove mountains; we are but men, and no more but four men: Imagine you, that there are no more hands required to the work, or that it is possible for us to do all the drudgery, and perfect the same, while you stretch yourselves upon your beds and take your ease, leaving all at fixes and sevens, and the cause to sink or; swim, to stand or fall, if we look not after to bear it up: My friends, the Cause is as much yours as ours, and your duties with ours are of equal extent; but how comes your practice so short, so dull, and remiss; upon all occasions you expect vigerous actings from us, while you look over yourselves: I cannot see, but that a Prison, the Gallows, or halter would become the best of you as well as any of us, to vindicate or assert that Agreement of the people.  
But you spit in our mouths, and clap us on the backs like Dogs, and cry, ha' looe a-looe, and turn us lose upon all the Bulls, Bears, Wolves, Lions and Dragons of the times, which are thousands to one, (I confess I love the sport) while you shrink, and skulk into you holes: Come out for shame, come out, and catch me the great Bull of Basin by the NOSE, and make him roar.  
Whu— all my brave Levelling Bull dogs and Bear Dogs, where are you? Siz—, ha'— looe— ha'— looe— all fly at him at once: There at him, at him; O brave Jockey with the Sea-green ribbond in his ear! that Dog and his fellow for forty shillings a Dog: Hold, hold, he hath caught him by the Gennitals, stave him off, give the Bull fair play.— A pox— they have burnt my Dog's mouth.  
Ha'— looe— ha'— looe— all at him again, and bate him out of England into Ireland, and there the brave Royal Bandogs will tug him and tear him to some purpose: But stay, first let me clap this nettle under his Tail, and tell him, we'll never leave biting and bating, if all the lusty levelling Mastiffs in England will do it, till we have worryed, or broke the Bull's neck, or else gained our Agreement.  
Martin can sing no other tune since he was caged up in the Tower, but The Agreement of the People, The Agreement of the People; and is resolved to sing no other note but that: all his airy Cantos and sweet roundelays must all be to the good English tune, of The Agreement of the people.  
But (my friends) to return. Be not ye lulled asleep with none of their blandishments: They now talk much indeed of Reparatious for Colonel Martin's great losses, of our Liberties, of Mr lilburn's and Mr Prince's money, and of such like rattles and toys, but you may remember their old tricks and delusions and understand the mystery of those guilded motions; when at the general rise in Essex, Kent, invasion of the Scots etc. they wanted help, O how honest would they be to the just interest of the people! when the House was to be broken in pieces, than no way but we must have an Agreement of the People 
* See … 〈…〉 Col. 〈…〉 Lega … 〈…〉 Fund … 〈…〉 men … 〈…〉 Libe … 〈…〉 pag. 〈…〉 30. 3● 32, 〈…〉 34. 〈…〉 36, & 〈…〉 ; when the King was to come to the Block, and a bloody High Court of injustice, and a Council of State erected, than what a white Boy was Colonel Martin? A Regiment of horse was voted for him by the House, to keep the pertty Baby at play with that fine tan-ta-rararah tan tarra, while their work was over: when our friends were up about Burford, than a Committee must be appointed to consider of Electons for a New Representative in all haste. And now think you, what is at the bottom of their new smiling Aspects towards us? quicquid id est, timeo Danaos & Dona terrentes: I'll trust them no further than I can ●l●ng their great Bull of Basin by the tail; their smiles are but on purpose to slay. The Prince, the Scots and Irish have prepared them more fish than they are well able to fry, that they are so forward to fetch a col● from our Altar to augment their fire.  
Therefore while it is day consider what you have to do, strike now if you mean to speed, up with your Agreement of the People again, and believe nothing that they say or do, till you be real possessors thereof, and a new free Representative in being: and then let them do their worst, we'll make them honest in despite of their teeth, and till then, and not before can I reckon of my real deliverance from these bonds. Come, who strikes the first stroke? what says old Mother Harry? reach him there an Agreement of the People, it will become him better than his reparations in consideration. And where's my little Grace of Grooby, what's he in a Mousehole? and my old fellow Rebel johnee Wildman Mount Atlas stand on tiptoes where art thee? and behold a mighty stone fell from the skies into the bottom of the Sea, and gave a mighty plump, and great was the fall of that stone, and so farewell johnee Wildman. What my Sea-green gallants, where are you all, what neither hot nor cold, neither fish nor flesh nor good Red-herring? Is your spirits sunk into your heels, or your wits into the napes of your necks? rouse up for shame and show yourselves in your kind, or else out amongst you flies the little whisking mischievous bird, Primate and Metropolitan of all the Swallows and Martin's in England; and then look to yourselves.  
But now to make up the jest, an Act of Grace forsooth is cast into the forge, under which they are pleased to report, that the four arch-Levelling Rebels in the Tower shall be comprised: Smile O Heavens, and clap thy hands O earth, ha', ha', ha'. And must all our sins and trespasses be forgiven us now? but first what is our trespass? The Agreement of the People! Sure there is great need of forgiveness of so high an offence, if it be considered, who they are that therewith can be offended; indeed vice is a virtue, and only virtue a vice with hell's Cabinet Juncto, and so comes to pass the trick of forgiveness for us: but tell them (my friends) that little brisk Levilling Dick in the Tower hath not his integrity yet (as merry as is his worship) at so low an esteem, to desire his Liberty upon so dishonourable and base an account: what have I set my hand to the glorious cause of the free people of England, and engaged my carcase in the controversy, and shall I now hang down mine head like a Bulrush and yield up myself for a little dirty liberty, to be turned out as an Evil doer to the everlasting dishonour of my cause: no, I'll die first.  
Therefore know all men by these presents, that I Richard Overton, now close prisoner in the Tower of London, out of a tender regard that I have to the Libertyes of my Country, and credit of that honourable cause, do hereby defy, renounce, abhor, detest and scorn that Act of Pardon as to my Liberty thereby, and do rather choose continuance and increase of Bonds, then condtionall submission or assent thereunto in the least: And hitherto as I have scorned any clandestine or open compliance with them for any selfish end whatsoever, so let this (my friends) be a witness betwixt you and me, and to the whole world, that I am so far from submission to their corrupt and wicked interest, that I will first eat the flesh off from my bones; first rot and perish in Goal, before I will so far bow to them, as in the least to woe them or any of their creatures, either directly or indirectly in person or by proxy for my liberty: my cause is not so bad, but with patience I can suffer till I be justly delivered without blemish or speck of infamy to the same; the honour of it, I honour above my life or liberty.  
Now were I already upon the dishonourable terms of that act thrust out, it were a thousand to one, I should not keep a month out of Prison: To what end therefore should I trouble my head about my liberty, till I can be at peace, and rest when I am abroad, for without the Agreement or sufficient security for the same, I can have none. I am more at content where I am, then to be with you upon unequal terms.  
Thus my truly dear, and worthy friends, I hope as concerning my integrity and constant faithfulness to what I have undertaken in behalf of the public; I have given you clear and full satisfaction, to the utter removal I suppose of those late jealous incoms amongst you: And so with my entire love and respects unto you all, with inward joy, comfort and gladness of heart in bonds for my Countries sake, rejoicing, I rest.  
Yours, and every English man's for the Agreement of the people faithful to the death. RICHARD OVERTON. From my close imprisonment in the Tower of London, July 2. 1649.  
FINIS.