A true and most sad RELATION OF The hard usage and exrtrem cruelty used ON Captain Wingate, Captain Vivers, Captain Austin, Capt: Lidcott, Capt: Walton, Capt; Catsby, Capt: Lilbourne, Master Franklin, Master Freeman, Edward Chillendon, Master John Bayley and his Father, with others of the Parliament Soldiers, etc. Prisoner at OXFORD, under the custody of ONE SMITH provost-marshal General to the KING'S Army: Written by one of the same Prisoners in behalf of them all, TO A Worthy and eminent Citizen of LONDON, Dated 9th of February, 1642.  
London, Printed for GEORGE HUTTON, at the Turn'd-Style in Holborn, Feb: 13. 1642.   

A True and most sad Relation of the hard usage and extreme cruelty used on Captain Wingate, Captain Vivers, and others.  
SIr, I was desired (by the Captains and Gentlemen here in prison) to let you understand the truth of our usage here by Captain William Smith, who is provost-marshal General to the King's Army; Sir it is thus, That Captain Wingate, Capt. Vivers, Cap. Austin, Capt. Lidcott, Cap. Walton, Capt, Catsby, Capt. Lilburne, and Master Franklin, Burgess of the Parliament for the Town of Marlbrough, and Edward Chillenden, are all of the locked up close prisoners in their Chambers, and no man suffered to speak with them, and though they have Beds of their own to lie on, yet when he pleases he will displace them out of their own beds, and place others in them contrary to their wills: and for the common Soldiers and such as myself their usage is thus, upon the complaint of any of those they call the King's Soldiers, which are here in prison, though the things were false and never was spoken nor acted, yet if they do but say it, we are presently clapped in irons and tied neck and heels together, and called damned Traitors, we shall all be hanged and starved, and are beaten by him with his Cain; and abused by every boy of his, yea even the Captains as well as the rest, and his boys will abuse them so too; And further he hath a Protestation, which he doth tender to all that do come into prison here, and doth force them to take it, and if they will not take it, (though it be against the light of their conscience and knowledge, and against the Law of this Land, and the liberty of the Subject, as indeed it is in a high degree; yet he will clap them up in irons, neck and heels, and feed them with bread and water, nay he'll make them to be all a whole day without a bit of any thing, as he did one Master Freeman, and one of Marthrough Soldiers to force them to take it, and a guard was set on them, and no man suffered to give them any relief: and after all this when his pleasure is, that they have been long enough thus, he clapped them up into the Tower as they call it, and there feed them with bread and water, which is at night, once a day half a penny lose and a can of water, and will not suffer any friend neither in prison nor out, to relieve them with any thing: but locks them up close that none can come to them, and thus he swears he will use us all if we will not take the Protestation: and this day there was meat sent to the prisoners in the Tower, and it was not suffered to come to them.  
And upon Saturday being the twenty seventh of January, there was some moneys sent to the aforesaid Master Freeman that he had clapped neck and heels together for not taking the Protestation, and he himself took it from him and will not let him have it to buy himself food with, but still feeds him with a half a penny bread and water a day, and swears most fearful oaths he will make him and all that will not take the Protestation to shit as small as a Rat: and here is one Master john Bayley that was taken at Marlbrough, and his father hath paid two hundred pounds for his and his son's ransom, yet his said son is kept prisoner, only because he will not take the Protestation: And here is one Mr. Dunden a Counstable that hath taken the Protestation, and because he will not pay 59 pounds for his Fees, he is kept here prisoner.  
Sir, this is miserable to consider and think of, and if you were here to see it your very heart would be filled with grief, to see that poor Christians should be so used; Therefore Sir I am entreated in the name of all the Gentlemen here in prison, that you would make this known to the Parliament and to the honourable City of London, and in particular to the Right Honourable the Lord Brook: And it is desired and that by the Gentlemen here, that those prisoners you have there may so be used, and not released from such usage till there be a Certificate come from us to you of our better usage, and withal I am further desired to let you know, that the Gentlemen and Prisoners have preferred to the King and Council of War, a Petition and Articles against this Smith and no hearing can be obtained; Therefore it is desired you would be pleased to move the Parliament, and in particular my Lord Brook, that they would write to the Earl of Lindsey to desire him to write to the King, That His Majesty would be pleased to give command that the Petition and Articles may be examined, and then no question is made but the King will see how basely He is abused by those who say they are His best Subjects.  
One thing more of special note is, that the Gentlemen of this house taking pity of us poor distressed men that want both money and food, did liberally contribute to our relief, and made one Master Kinssly a Lieutenant of horse to be steward of it to see it disposed of, the which if they had not down, I am confident half of us had been dead ere this with hunger, one was starved to death, another which was wounded by Smith, the Chirurgeon not permitted to come to dress him, died also for want of looking to; another died, and another is like to die, and all with ill usage, and now Smith will not let the money be given to them, but hath given strict command to the contrary, and hath charged his servants to see that it be so observed as he hath commanded.  
The Chirurgeon is committed here to prison because he reported the truth, that the prisoners were starved and lost for want of looking to.  
This is all truth that I have written every tittle of it, which all in the prison will witness and seal to.  
Oxford, Febr: 9 1642.  
FINIS.