TO THE Supreme Authority OF ENGLAND, THE REPRESENTORS OF THE PEOPLE in PARLIAMENT assembled; THE Humble Petition OF Richard Overton, late Prisoner in Newgate by the House of Lords, in behalf of himself and other Commoners that have suffered under their Prerogative Jurisdiction.  
London, Printed in the year, 1649.   

To the supreme Authority of England, the Representors of the People in Parliament assembled;  
The humble Petition of Richard Overton, late Prisoner in Newgate by the House of Lords, in behalf of himself and other Commoners, etc.  
Shows,  
THat whilst the People's Sovereignty, in their Parliaments, was held captive under the Norman Preorgative of the King and Lords, your Petitioner expected no right or freedom in any wise to this Nation; and in the since thereof hath long groaned under the weight of his sufferings, counting it bat as water spilt upon the ground for the Asserters of the People's Authority (bow suffering soever) to make any Address or Petition to this House, for any case or relief, during the Negative Interposition of that destructive Interest.  
But your late Proceed in taking off the King, (the supremest piece of Justice that ever was in England), your rejection of the House of Lords, your vindication of the supreme Authority of the Nation, declaring and avowing it to be originally (as of right it is) in the People, and legally in their Representative, clearing the same from all pretences of a Negative Voice, doth animate your Petitioner with lively hopes, that now at last after all the blood, the sighs and tears of the people the horrid treacheries, defections, and revoking amongst yourselves, we shall yet find a Sanctuary of Refugt in this House, to save and deliver us from our oppressions, and give us Justice and Right upon our oppressors.  
Many of us (even of the ●●●t affected to the Commonwealth) have formerly with uncessant importunity cried out and complained unto this House against the Oppressions of the Land, praying for Redress, but we have been meniced, abused, imprisoned, our Petitions burnt by the hand of the common hangman, although the Votes and Orders to that purpose more deserved the same; and all our just Assertions of the supreme Authority of the Nation, and Endeavours after Foundations of common Right, (as is evident to the whole world) voted treasonable and seditious, being branded for the vilest of men, bearing the reproach of Levellers, Jesuits, Heretics, Sectaries, Despisers of Government, Contenders for nothing but Anarchy and Confusion.  
But now, Right Honourable, you being in a great measure purged of a traitorous Faction from within yourselves, we look for better things at your hands, free admitrance and access with our Complaints, and them not to be slighted, or our persons imprisoned or abused for the same; for we know none hath more faithfully asserted your Authority, and the Freedom of the People, than we; and that you now stand in the strength of those righteous principles (more than in the strength of an Army) which we (enduring the shock of all changes) have held forth unto the people.  
Hence your Petitioner is emboldened humbly to desire exemplary & impartial Justice from this House upon the E. of Manchester, and the rest of that late prerogative Order of Lords, for their treasonable, exorbitant practices over and against the common Rights of the people during their late Session, with ample and full Reparation out of their Estates unto all good people of England, that have illegally contrary to the common Interest of the Nation suffered under their usurped Power, hoping that you will not suffer our Laws, our Rights, our Lives, Liberties and Estates, by them to be trod underfoot; our houses to be plundered, our wives, and our servants to be imprisoned, our children exposed to the wide world, and ourselves to be tossed from Goal unto Goal, lay most unreasonable fines upon us, ten times beyond our estates, disfranchise us from all Right in the Commonwealth, damn us to perpetual imprisonment, throw us into noisome dungeons, tetter us in irons, drag us like dead dogs through the dirt and mire of the street, deprive us of the benefit of pen, ink and paper, deny us the comfort and visitation of our friends, and not suffer so much as our wives or servants to be admitted unto us, to bring victuals or other necessaries, and not allow us bread, but leave us to merciless famine, execute their cruel Orders upon us in a warlike manner, beset our houses with Musquetteers, burst open our doors, emer the same with drawn Swords, and Pistols ready cockd, threatening death to him that oppose, and that in a place under civil Government, which in the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford was adjudged a levying of War against the King's Majesty and his liege people of Ireland; break open our locks, our trunks, chests, desks, etc. Rasle, rob, steal, and carry away what they please; impose oaths upon servants to betray their Masters, examine the free People of this Nation upon Star-Chamber, High Commission, Interrogatories, to ensuare and destroy themselves and nearest relations, stop the proceed at Law by their immediate Orders, disinherit whom they please, conspire and confederate in the treasonable designs of the late King, assert themselves the most supreme Court of Judicature, above the Parliament and People; introduce and set up an absolute Arbitrrry Government amongst themselves, contrary to the fundamental Laws of this Commonwealth, and crush and destroy all that submit not thereunto; Acts and Crucities for which the said Earl of Strafford and the Bishop of Canterbury &c, were adjudged and attainted of high Treason, forfeited their Heads, their Goods, Chattels, Lands, Tenements, Heredaments and Freeholds; and such as hath formerly been by this House (in your Petition and Ramonst. to the King Decemb. 1. 1641.) declared to be more the proper issues of Turks, Pagans, Tyrants, and men without any knowledge of God, then of those that have the least spark of Christianity. Honour or Justice in their breasts; and which, in the case of Lieut. Col. John Lilburn against the Bishops, you voted not only illegal, and against the Liberty of the Subject, but also to be bloody, wicked, cruel, barbarous and tyrannical, and voted him 3000 l. reparation for the same.  
And your Petitioner offereth upon the forfeiture of his 〈◊〉 to make good, in behalf of the Commoners of England, and of himself, the said Charge of Treasons, Oppressions and Cruelties against them, and hopeth, that you cannot in reason and conscience hear and behold the same, and not do us right upon the Tyrants and Traitors themselves. He further hopeth, that you are so sensible of your own future preservation, that for your own sakes, if not for ours, you will expire your Session in honour and renown with the people, which will not be but is their relief; ease our afflictions, and state us in perfect freedom, and you will be safe, otherwise you have but left us a Precedent of an High Court for our next Representative to call you to an account (but in a juster manner allowing you your Juries etc.) which you shall never be able to prevent, for your Session must have an end: If you do us not right, we shall never cease, if God prolong our days, till, with the King, you have tasted the stroke of like impartial Justice, according to your demerits; and amongst other things we shall not be satisfied without just recompense upon the Lords, and satisfaction, according to Law, for our several sufferings and abuses under them. It availeth not to change their Prerogative Session into a monstrous Council of State, to shelter them from Justice. It is not expected, that the two pernicious Interests of Lords and Lawyers (the Vermin and Caterpillars of the Commonwealth) should be disguised in new robes, from the present discerning of the people, by insensible transmutation, into the specious Garb of a Council of State, under new forms and figures to prolong our miseries; for may we look for grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Can we expect Freedom from the Masters of Oppression? You may as well Interest the Lord Bishops thereunto; for 'tis not the change of Tyranny from old names and forms into new that will satisfy.  
If you do not mean to right and repair us, but let them scape unpunished, your own Votes and Actions against them will be as a thousand witnesses on our side, for else what meaneth your period to that Court? It is equally just to repair the oppressed, as to remove the oppressor from his place; to throw down and not repair, would be a small precedent of honour to this house, lastend of terron for the name at would be an encouragement to such Arbitrary spirits to be as exorbitant as these, for no punishment, no fear. Your Petitioner therefore humbly prayeth, that Justice and Right may be done upon them, that you will not deny is nor deter it is is but the benefit of the great Charter of England he desueth, and what you have often 
Col. of Dec pag. 264. 336. 382. 50●. col. of Declare. page. 81 172. 262. 266. 267 340. Coll. De●●. 666. 673.  before God and the world sworn to do, and in divers of your Declarations declared to be your duty without any private aims, personal respects or passions whatsoever, to do Justice and Right, and secure the persons Estates and Liberties of all that joined with you, imprecating the Judgements of Heaven to fall upon you, when you declined the same: Remember the King's Imprecations, and the vengdance that fell upon him; and slight not the suit of your Petitioner, though he be mean and despicible in the eye of the world.  
Thus then (Right Honourable) in his own behalf he humbly desires you would be pleased to consider, that after his opposition of Episcopacy, High Commission, Star-chamber, Scoth-Presbytery, etc. and deep sufferance for the same, he became a witness against this Prerogative Session of Lords, and for the same, without any legal summons, Indictment, or other due procese at Law, preceding, contrary to the great Charter, and other the good Laws and Statutes of the Realm. [Mag. Cart. c. 29. l. Ed. 3. c. 9 25. Ed. 3. c. 4. 28. Ed. 3. c. 3. 42. Ed. 3. c. 3. 25. Hen. 8. c. 14. 1. Eliz. c. 1. Petstion of Right, 2, Caroli. Stat. for abolishing the Star-Chamber.] Had his house suddenly surrounded with Muskerreets, taken in his bed with their swords drawn, threatened to be shot, fun through, basely and barbarously dragged through the dirt and mire, beat, abused, and vilified, endured a most tedious and cruel imprisonment for the space of 12 months in the Goal of Nemgate, laid in double irons on the common side amongst the Theives. Murderers and Felons, his wife at the same time thrown into Bridewell, his brother into Maiden-lane prison, (who then depended upon his charge) both continuing in that durance the space of eight months, his house rifled and plundered several times, his three small children left go the mercy of the streets besides other inhuman abuses and sufferings, which he here omitteth, all executed upon him and his, by several tyrann nical Orders of that Prerogative Court, (whereof the Earl of Manchester was then Speaker,) to his utter ruin and beggarly 〈◊〉 being, thereby reduced to extreme want and misery, and for 〈◊〉 other cause, but for his just Vindication of the supreme Authority of this House, his open defiance and resistance of their usurped Jurisdiction, Writing, Printing and Publishing Papers to that end, refusing to answer to their High-Commission, Interrogatories, and the like; all which your Petitioner by the just Laws and Freedoms of this Nation was allowed, and as a true Englishman obliged to do, and yet notwithstanding your Petitioner could never gain any consideration or recompense for himself, or any Right or Justice upon those destroyers of the people, being still born down with their might, and trod under their merciless feet; he hath petitioned and apealed formerly to this House against their exorbitant crueleled upon him, and had his Case with Leiu: Col. John lilburn's, and M. Larners referred to a Committee for consideration of the Commoners Liberties, where Col. Henry Martin had the Chair; and our sufferings were there determined and found upon due eximination and proof to be illegal and unjust, deserving Repetation; but hitherto none of as have tasted either Right or Repetation at all from this House, whereby your Petitioner, with his charge, are even ready to perish through want.  
Be pleased therefore to reassume the Cause of your Petitioner, and other the like sufferers, into your timely and serious Consideration, forthwith to resign up those impeached Delinquents, as well as other traitorous Lords, to trial, (saving in a more just & legal manner than the present Proceed of this High Arbitrary Court, exalted above all Law, Right and Freedom of the People, it being both Judge, Jury and Prosecutor, overruling all liberty of exception of Tryers, etc.) And your Petitioner (in this extraordinary case, no other way of remedy being left) humbly desireth your assigument unto him of such Repairations as for his suffirings and just demerit of so public a cause you shall, in justice and Reason, judge meet.  
And your Petitioner shall ever pray, etc.  
FINIS.