SECVNDA PARS, De COMPARATIS COMPARANDIS: Seu Justificationis Regis CAROLI, comparatè, contra Parliamentum. Or the second part of Things compared, &c. Wherein( according to the Authors promise in his first part of this subject) is at large declared, the egregious injustice and oppression, arbytrarie and violent acts and practices, and the palpable violation of the Laws and Liberties of this Nation, by certain unfaithful, wicked men in this present Parliament, contrary to their Covenant and Protestation, the end of their election, and the Trust by their Countries reposed in them. And whatsoever is not here accomplished, shall( God willing) be fulfilled in the next. AMON willbee. Isaiah 1. 23. Thy Princes are rebellious, and companions of Thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the Fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come before them. Vertimur in Gyro. Parve nec invideo, sine me liber ibis in Urbem: Hei mihi quod Domino, non licet ire tuo. Printed at OXFORD, 1647. FRiends and fellow-Commoners of England, ye may remember that in my first part of this subject, called Prima pars de comparatis comparandis, seu justificationis Regis Caroli comparate contra Parliamentum, page. 27. of that book, I promised( by Gods help) first to show you how the King had made us amends, so far as lay in him, for the oppressions and abuses we had suffered by his evil instruments: the which I then did, as ye may there red. Then, 2. To manifest unto you certain particular actions of injustice, fraud, oppression, and violence, of treason, breach of trust, and the usual abberrations and violation of our Laws and Liberties, &c. by certain members of both Houses of Parliament, and through the influence of an evil party there. The chief, Authors and Actors whereof, I then gave you in that my first part 1 and now purpose( God willing) to prosecute in this my second. Of which preposterous and illegitimate actions, I have already given you some testimonies and examples in my first part, and that my Treatise of Plain Truth without fear or flattery: and do now determine here to dilate and further exemplify. This second part I know hath been long expected: And truly hopes and expectation of a plenary redress by public and impartial justice according to the Representations and Declarations of the Army, hath principally with-held my pen until this time, from publishing what I then promised. But finding that justice is still driven backward, and that truth cannot yet enter, by reason that the wicked are yet in power, yea and that some of her professed champions seek still to keep her out of doors: I could not( notwithsTanding the late new thundering Ordinance) but according to my engagement to my country, adventure myself once again within the list, to fulfil my word. That in horror of the evil acts I shall declare, the whole Land may yet at length as one man ( vis unita fortior) stir up themselves to have justice impartially executed, upon the great and mighty, aswell as the small and mean, and that the eminent Actors and Obstructers thereof, who stand still as great mountains and Oaks in the way, may be removed and hewn down, for until this be done, there neither will nor can be any firm peace established, or true judgement executed in the Land. And now for the further manifestation of Acts of injustice, The shameful injustice, dishonesty, and oppression of Mr. Roger Hill. fraud, oppression and violence &c. I will instance you an example of Mr Roger Hill, a Member of the House of Commons, and chairman of the Committee for Sequestrations at Haberdashers Hall in London. After Lieut. colonel Penfound Corey, Captain Henry Thornton, and others, had been long in that hard and perilous service at lime; they left the garrison and came to London, with other Commanders, mayor Shepherd, Capt. james Smallpeece, and one Capt. William Pease, to get some of their Arrears toward their subsistence. And being in exigency and distress, they Petitioned the Parliament for payment of some of their pay, who commended them to the Committee of Haberdashers Hall, where they obtained an Order that they should have the Moiety, or one half part, of all such Papists and Delinquents estates as they should discover, or procure to be discovered, toward the payment of their Arrears. Hereupon they agreed with Cap. Pease, an Inhabitant in Town, that he should disburse 20. pounds to follow the business, for payment whereof, they gave Mr Pease a bond of 40. pounds. Then did Mr Broughton of the crown Office, discover unto them a judgement of 460. pounds recovered in the Kings bench, against John Fortescue Esquire, and Kathrine his wife, for her recusancy; which discovery, they made known to the aforesaid Committee, who liked well of it, and willed them to bring them a Copy of the Judgement, and there should be a Sequestration made of it: wbereupon they desired the Committee to commend them to some council, and they directed them to wait on this Mr Hill the chairman, who undertook and promised to assist them with directions and advice: and the next morning they went to him to his Chamber in the Temple, and offered him a Fee, which he refused, * Note and compare this, with what follows. saying, I cannot take a Fee, for I am one of the Judges in the case.( And I wish that other his brethren in the House, that sit as Judges, did not use it.) The next day the Gentlemen carried a copy of the Judgement to the Committee, who presently made a Sequestration of it: but now * Observe. observe the hypocricie of this pretendingly conscientious Mr Hill, who even now would not accept a Fee, because he was a Judge in the case. On the next day morn,( being Thursday) he took a Fee of Mr Fortescue, against whom the Judgement was signed, and Sequestration made for his wifes recusancy, and moved for him at the Kings Bench bar, falsely suggesting, that the Judgement was surreptitiously and illegally gotten, and thereupon it was ordered by the Court, that the Gentlemen should show the Legallity of the Judgement, the which they did by Mr Recorder Glyn, Mr Bradshaw, and Mr Rich,( to their no small charge) and this shameless Mr Hill, Mr Maynard, Mr Harvey, and more, were entertained by Fortescue, to argue the case against them:( thus do these kind of caterpillars, like Tinkers make work one for another, deviseing nothing but to consume men by contention, for their own accursed gain) but the Judgement was confirmed, and then the Gentlemen repaired again to the Committee, who confirmed the Sequestration: and upon the seizing of one Master Fortescues houses in Lincolns Inn fields, by virtue of the same, they found a letter written by Master Bailes the council, to Master Fortescue, giving him advertisement, that if he was Sequestered at Haberdashers Hall, he was remediless; but if he could get the business put to common Law, he would tyre out the Captains) an advice and resolution I confess suitable to a man of his Conscience and Vocation) for which Mr Fortescue upon the back of the Letter returned him thanks for having such a care of his business, but told him, he need not trouble himself about it: * Note this. for his very good friend Mr. Hill had undertaken, that nothing should be done in Haberdashers Hall( which accordingly proved true) for the business was through Hills indirect and injust means and practices, put by that Committee to the Committee for the Revenue, and by them to the Exchequer; where it now lies. The poor Gentlemen spent in the prosecution hereof above 100. pounds, and at last were utterly dis-appointed and defeated by the injustice, oppression, and false dealing of the same Hill,( who pretended at first to be their friend, and so great justice, as not to take a Fee, because a Judge in the case.) Thus ye see ye people of England, that instead of assisting these well-deserving gentlemen,( who had adventured their dearest blood for the Parliament and the public) to part of their Pay to buy them bread; he most injustly( contrary to his Oath, Trust, and Duty of his place,) protected a Papist and Delinquent, brought the distressed gentlemen into an expensive vexatious svit of Law, & a labyrinth of trouble, even to some of their undoing. For Captain Thornton and Captain Smallpeece were afterwards( for want of these moneys) both sued by Pease, for the twenty pounds he disbursed in the business for them, and were laid up in Prison, upon execution for it,( to wit) Mr Thornton in the Fleet, and Mr Smallpeece in the Marshalseas. Nor is it to bee doubted but he that proved himself so notoriously dishonest and injust in this thing, hath been likewise in many others. Mr Henry Pelham of Grayes inn, a Member of the House of The sinister & unjust practices of Mr Pelham. Commons, and one of the Committee of Lords and Commons for Sequestrations, one of the Judges in cases of Appeal upon Sequestrations, and sometimes chairman in absence of Mr Samnel Brown, another of the same stamp, did usually for Fees( or rather Bribes) advice and assist Delinquents in getting off their Sequestrations: He drew their Petitions, and countenanced their Causes, for his own private Lucre and advantage, taking of some twenty, some forty shillings, of some fifty, of some three pound, of some more for Fees: Are these things just and meet, actions becoming the Trustees of a Kingdom, men, called senators, Parliament men, Judges of the supreme Court of England? I am certain that by the Law of the Land, no Judge of any other Court, is in any cause or case, to receive Fee or reward, or to give council assistance, or advice; much less then sure, ( a minore ad majus) ought the Judges of the supreme Court of the kingdom which prescribes laws to, and Judges of all other Courts, to do any such thing. Yet so transcendently injust is the whole Tribe of the covetous contentious Lawyers in the House of Commons, and every where, wheresoever any of them are in the Committees. They are the only men indeed that increase our burdens, and strengthen our cords of bondage, to enrich themselves and raise their own families, whose ill-gotten estates and contracted greatness,( like the cankered wealth and glory of the Citizens and Clergy) may be observed seldom to continue( I am sure not in their splendour) unto the third heir. And here give me leave to deviate a little more in commendation of the Parliaments of Scotland, * A wise provision. which admit of no professed Lawyer to be a member of Parliament: but certain most judicious in their laws and customs, are chosen and appointed by the Parliament, to give their attendance in a by room, as our Judges and Masters of Chancery do in the house of Peers; to whom in any point of Law or Custom, which is difficult, the Parliament repairs to( or calls for) for solution: but no Lawyer there hath either interest in voting, or Law-making. For it must needs be conceived that a bitter three can yield nothing but bitter fruit. And it is the nature of the Salamander to love and live in the fire, the which, that it may never dy or be extinguished, is his desire: and I would to God hat the same fiery nature and disposition, was not in this turbulent and Peace-troubling generation: I could wish therefore that we should rather imitate our brethren in this and some other points of their civil customs, then become their Apes in erecting their roving Presbyterian Kirk government over our Consciences. But to return to Mr Pelham and the rest of his brethren in the house of Commons; who sit as Judges, and yet will receive Fees, and be Lawyers and pleaders in the same cases. As no man can serve two Masters, so these men cannot be honest and discharge their trust as Judges and servants to the Kingdom, and nevertheless become servants and mercenaries in the same cases, for money and reward to delinquents and offenders. No it is impossible: but thus hath the Kingdom been cozened and abused, the Enemies thereof and trespassers and transgressors protected and emboldened, the great and mighty though most guilty for reward, have escaped unpunished, whereas the mean and poor man who hath not been able to give a Fee or gratify, though much less guilty, and more innocent; hath been ground and crushed to pieces. To the Committee for the relief of gloucester, where Mr Pury, Strange deceitful dealing by the Committe for gloucester. was chairman, there were certain Trunks of sir John Saltanstalls a Delinquent, then with the King at Oxford, discovered to be in the house of one Mr Wheeler a Parliament man( the which Mr Wheeler if he had been true to his trust, ought himself to have discovered) in which Trunks amongst many other things of value, there was found a bond made from one Mr Say of Kent, Mr Sands, and Mr Sands, of 1000. l. penalty, for the payment of five hundred pounds, which had been so many years due, as that the debt and interest thereupon accrued, amounted to above nine hundred pounds: Mr Say was a responsible man, and well able to pay: but Mr John Stephens one of this Committee, and a Member of the House of Commons, was indebted to this Master Say, fifty pounds, so that the Committee compounded this debt with Say, for fifty pounds onely that ever was taken notice of, and how the rest was disposed or determined of, is yet unknown. Say had a Release from the Bond, the which is a bar in Law to both the Sandses. by which means, neither the common wealth nor the Owner of the debt had any benefit of it, but were both defrauded. And yet the seizure was made for the use of the public, and at that time was the garrison of gloucester distressed for want of moneys: but I have ever observed that this kind of men did ever prefer their own ends, were they never so unreasonable and unjust, before the necessities of the public, were they never so great and urgent, propounding alway the urgency of the public necessities, principally to get the Countries moneys to fill their own purses. There have been too many such examples as this, to the doleful defrauding of the public, and destroying of the subject. Here in this particular there was no less then eight hundred pounds swallowed at once, for( as I remember) by the Ordinance no Committee hath power to compound for any debt; and I am not so stupid, nor is my faith so weak, as to believe a Parliament man so charitable to any, or so far out of love with money as to remit eight hundred pounds where it is to be had. I could tell you of such another piece of justice done through the means of sergeant wild, upon the Sequestration of ten thousand pounds of the Lord Byrons, in sir John Stonyers hands; but I will not here be too tedious, and therefore I will refer it to another Here follows Mr Miles Corhet his injustice and breach of trust. time and place. There was one Thomas Auger a Cannonier of the Kings apprehended in London, and brought before the Committee for Examinations, whereof Mr Corbett was then chairman; where it was proved that Auger had confessed he had once kindled a fire in London, which took not effect as he expected, and that he said He hoped before such a time, to kindle a greater fire, and more effectual, in the City. nevertheless Mr Corbett discharged him, contrary to the duty of his place, the trust reposed in him and the Covenant. Whereas the Lords and Commons by three several Declarations, Miles Corbet his injustice double dealing and obstruction of Iustice. the first on Ian. 21. 1642. the second on April 18. 1643. the third on May 30. 1643. upon his Majesties Proclamations for removing the terms to Oxford, do amongst other things Declare and Order that no Iudgement, Decree, Order or Proceedings whatsoever, which should be given, made, or had, by or in, any of the Kings Courts so removed out of their usual places( the usual place for keeping whereof was at Westminster,) should bind any person that should or might be concerned therein, without his own voluntary consent, and that they the said Lords and Commons, would by the authority of both Houses of Parliament protect and keep indemnified all Iudges, Officers and other persons, from any damage or inconvenience that should or might happen to them for yielding obedience to the said Ordinance. Notwithstanding all which several Ordinances, One sir Stephen Scott plaintiff in an unjust and false bill exhibited by him, in Chancery, against one Georger Morgan, to which Mr Morgan put in a plea and Demurrer which was never over-ruled; went afterwards to Oxford, and obtained an Order from the Lord Littleton, then Lord Keeper, for decreeing the matter against Morgan, and it was accordingly done, to the value of two thousand pounds: and the decree afterwards injustly sealed at Westminster by * Mr Prideaux his injustice: but of him more at large in another place. Mr Prideaux, without hearing the matter or merits of the cause: upon which unjust decree, so illegally and unjustly obtained and sealed, Mr Morgan now lieth prisoner in the Fleet. Which Order so obtained by Scott at Oxford, for passing the Decree, contrary to the aforesaid Ordinances, Mr Morgan shewed to Mr Corbett, and petitioned the Committee for Examinations several times, ( Corbett being chairman) for Justice and redress according to the said Ordinances, that he might be kept indemnified, and Scott punished for his contempt of the Parliaments authority, and for his Delinquency: * Note this notorious violation of our liberties. But Mr Corbett would not so much as suffer his Petition to be red or proceeded upon, nor yield him any relief therein: yea his man said that his Master commanded him to burn it. So that ye may observe, here was * For there is Iustitta punient, & iustitia resuruens: so a contrario. double injustice( besides wilful obstruction in the way of Justice) first in not punishing the Delinquent and Couremner of the Parliaments Ordinances. 2ly In not protecting and keeping indemnified the injured and obedient, according to the Ordinances: yet this Miscreant aggravated the transgressions of others that had gone to Oxford about their Law business, and was most austere and severe against them: yea it will be proved that Scott * Mark I pray. confessed Corbet gave him leave to go to Oxford; and it is more then probable, because he was so indulgent to him, and would not admit of any complaint against him. Now is not this a brave Parliament man? More I could say concerning this man, but I have many things concerning many to denote, of large circumstance and eminent consequence, therefore I will now thus pretermit this man and this matter, and come to others of like nature. sir Thomas Walsingham Knight, one of the corrupt Members sir Thomas Walsinghams abominable injustice, violence, and oppression practised against Mr Ramsey, violating all law and equity. of the House of Commons, having injustly and illegally got a great estate of one Mr Robert Ramseys into his hands, hath by violence and indirect practices to prevent his recovery of it, kept Mr Ramsey prisoner in the Fleet, and elsewhere, above these eleven years, by virtue of a false Decree, indirectly obtained against him by default, in the Court of Exchequer, when Mr Ramsey was sick in his bed, and in danger of death; and that there was no council then there to speak or pled for him: Nor was he or any council for him ever heard therein. The svit being for some profits of Lands pretended to bee escheated for want of an heir, which said lands were devised by a Will proved by sufficient witnesses, and charged with several Annuities for 40. l. years, or several lifes, if they so long lived: and the said Anmities were heretofore accordingly paid by Mr Ramsey, according to the device and tenor of the Will, and intent of the Testarour, and a Decree obtained for the confirmation of them in Chancery; which device( as it was proved in the high Court of Chancery) should and ought to have been conveyed by the said heir unto Mr Ramsey: But sir Thomas Walsingham, during the svit, contrary to the Statute, bought the said Lands in reversion( being so charged as aforesaid) of him who was heir at Law, and hath ever since kept them in possession, and received the whole profits thereof to his own use:( which profits were and ought to have been paid toward the satisfying of the said Annuities.) Hereupon Mr Ramsey procured a hearing of the business before a Committee of the House of Peers, viz. the Earl of Warwick, the Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brook, Lord Roberts, the Bishop of Durham, and the then Bishop of Lincoln, which Lords seemed then very zealous for the glory of God and relief of the oppressed. But quantum mutati ab illis. Who after hearing of council on both sides, their Lordships were fully satisfied of the justness of Mr Ramseys cause: whereupon Mr Ramseys Council moved for his damage and Reparations, and they thereupon took three dayes to consider of it, at the end of which Mr Ramsey attended without council( being so advised by his council, because he conceived it needless, and the cause to be past doubt, except only in point of damage and reparation) at which time nor one of the said Lords which were of the said Committee did then meet, but only the Bishop of Lincoln, who was then in a little private room beyond the Lords house, with the Earl of Bristol, the Earl of Dover, the Earl of Bath, the Earl of Lyndsey, and the Bishop of Exon, who were all mere strangers to Mr Ramseys cause: before whom when Mr Ramsey was called in, albeit there was no report then made in the cause, nor Vote in the House thereupon, or Declaration of the said Committee of Lords therein, the which there ought to have been before any further or small Order in the same. The Bishop of Lincoln instead of relieving Mr Ramsey with damage and Reparation( as by the Committee of Lords which heard his cause was i●… needed) did then by his own extrajudicial Order, recommand Mr Ramsey again prisoner to the Fleet, and ordered the said false Decree to stand good until Mr Ramsey should reverse it by course of Law, the which Mr Ramsey hath never since been able to do, by reason of the power and wicked combination of Walsingham, with the Warden of the prison, who hath injustly and contrary to Law, denied Mr Ramsey liberty to go forth to prosecute his business: and although Mr Ramsey hath since the aforesaid Order caused sir Tho. Walsingham to be served with a process to appear, and filled a bill of review against him, in the Court of Exchequer, to the end he might reverse his injust Decree, yet cannot Mr Ramsey proceed any further therein against him without licence from the House of Commons, because he is privileged as a member thereof, who hath since by his power and indirect practise removed the said cause from before the Lords to the House of Commons( conceiving himself the better able to shelter himself there: A pure age, and a pure Parliament, when the supreme Court for Justice is made the sanctuary of injustice and injust persons) and there endeavoured at the Committee for Examinations to have had the * Note here the violence and impudence of this Parliament man. Decree taken as it was, and not to be heard upon the merits of the cause; and then as wickedly and injustly, without any cause, he pressed for a Sequestration of Mr Ramseys office in the Court of Wards, for satisfying the said Decree: and nevertheless he had at that instant 900. l. of Rents of Mr Ramseys in his hands, which he had received without any right or colour for the said Lands: and the whole sum of money so injustly Decreed against Mr Ramsey was onely 552. l. 14. s. and therefore his demand of having Mr Ramses Office sequestered to satisfy his Decree, was so much the more unreasonable, and injust, and as unreasonable, conscientiouslesse, and injust,( for that he hath near double, as you see the sum mentioned in the decree, in his hands of Mr Ramseys) is his keeping of Mr Ramsey under pretence of satisfying the decree so long and close a prisoner as he hath been; yet so palpable and gross hath been the oppression and injustice of this wicked Parliament man;( and I wish he hath no fellows, but I fear it may generally be spoken of them, as the Fox said sometime by his Cubs, If there be one good, there is never a bad.) And note I pray that it hath ever been the study and endeavour of the Deceiver and oppressor, not only to rob and spoil a man of his goods and estate, but utterly to disable and destroy him whom he hath injured and undone, that so the party oppressed nor his children may ever be able, for his cruelty and injustice to question him, an accursed practise too familiarly and frequently used in these pernicious times, wherein for the most part every man is become Homini Lupus, and that there is no love of Truth or Justice. And although Mr Ramsey hath endeavoured by all means possible to obtain an hearing, he never could; being alway obstructed & prevented by the power, cunning, and indirect courses and contrivances of sir Thomas Walsingham: Nay, such hath been the unparelled malice violence and injustice of this man sir Thomas against Mr Ramsey, that after Mr Ramsey was removed from the Fleet to the Kings Bench, by the knavery and means of the Warden of the Fleet and his man Revet,( that * Revett the clerk Fox and wolf who hath devoured more harmless Sheep then his skin and life are worth) he procured of sir William Middleton( then Marshall of that prison) liberty to go abroad, the which sir Thomas Walsingham taking notice of caused him to be arrested and carried again to prison, and there without any just cause, or lawful authority, to be by the Warden of the Fleet, kept close prisoner in his chamber for two years space together, during which close imprisonment, and by means whereof Mr Ramsey had his Letters of Administration, by virtue of which( and some certain Deeds, he had been for 12. yeers then past possessed of lands to the value of 700. l. per annum( appertaining to the same estate Walsingham hath now of his in his hands) surreptitiously vacated in the Court of Delicates, and new ones granted to others strangely, for want of liberty to go to council and to the Court to answer Allegations, and so he hath ever since been dispossed of the said 700. l. a year, and had it injustly detained from him: whereas Mr Ramsey had before answered sieve several Bills for the same in Chancery, and four in the Prerogative Court and prevailed in them all, against the same persons pretenders: who before now for want of these Letters of Administration,( which till now they could never obtain) had not the least ground or colour of title or claim to found or commence any svit at equity or Law upon. But having now thus indirectly obtained Mr Ramseys Letters of Administration to be rovoked after his 12. yeers, continued Administration and Possession of the said Lands, and themselves to be admitted Administrators: they immediately by virtue and colour of their surrepted Administratourship, exhibited a Bill in Chancery against Mr Ramsey concerning the same 700. l. per annum land, which Bill Mr Ramsey by reason of his close imprisonment, could never answer, nor be so much as admitted to have sit council come to him to take his answer; for want whereof ( contrary to all Law, as appears 15. H. 6. ch. 4. justice and equity) the Bill was taken Pro confesso, and decreed against him to his irreparable damage: notwithstanding he had( as abovesaid) answered five several Bills before in Chancery, for the same Lands, and been Victor in all: By virtue of which last unjust Decree, Mr Ramsey had also some of his Trunks violently taken out of his Lodging, carried away by strangers and broken open, he knoweth not by whom, nor where they be, nor what he lost: and others of his Trunks in another place, were under pretence of an Order to search for writings( which were falsely sworn to be there, by a seditious woman who followed the cause, and had a share in the profit) all of them opened and preached: all which fore-mentioned notorious detriment and destruction happening to Mr Ramsey( in the revocation of the Letters of Administration, and obtaining of the said last unjust Decree, for want of an answer, taking away of his Trunks, carrying them away by force, and rifling them, to the value of 700. l. year land, besides what they had in the Trunks) by sir Thomas Walsinghams unjust, illegal, barbarous and inhuman close imprisonment, and his confederacy and conspiracy, with the Warden of the Fleet and Revett his clerk, ought in conscience, Law, and reason, to be repaired and satisfied, by the said sir Thomas, the Warden, and Revett, or one of them: forasmuch as they have all combined to destroy him, as will more manifestly appear in convenient time. Yet here neither ceased the prosecution of injustice by this unreasonable man Walsingham, against Mr Ramsey, nor his sufferings by reason thereof: For after all this, this restless Imp Walsingham cunningly employed one * Like cause like means, and like prosecutor like instrument. Ballard, a notorious person, eminent for representing( as I am informed) in his own person five several witnesses, in five several disguizes, by five several Names, in one and the self same cause in Star-chamber) to treat with Mr Ramsey and compound the difference with him; the which because Mr Rams. refused, * Note still the mans violence, & presumption, continuation and aggravations of injustice: yer he is not alone, for the land swarms with the like ver●… Ballard threatened him, and said he would repent it when it was too late, and that he should see within two daies: and accordingly the next morning, by a warrant indirectly obtained by sir Thomas Walsingham( and as unjustly by Corbet granted) Mr Ramsey was plundered( or in old English Robbed) of all the money he had to maintain himself and children in prison; since which he findeth that he had then taken from him in Gold and Silver, about 190. l. and what besides he knoweth not; of which he could never recover one penny, nor had one farthing restored to this day. Concerning which illegal arbitrary Order, and Act upon it, * injustice upon in iustice. Mr Ramsey could never obtain a hearing, though he sought it earnestly. At last Mr Ramsey coming unexpectedly before the Committee for Examinations, concerning sir Thomas his injust Decree, at such time as the Committee was not composed and packed to sir Thomas his mind: he was by sir Thomas his subtilety put * Observation they juggle. off unto another day, that he might in the interim sit the Committee for his purpose( as by the sequel appears) For when Mr Ramsey appeared again before the same Committee, Mr Whitakers( a bide of the same feather) who was then chairman, instead of hearing Mr Ramseys cause, and doing him justice, asked him why he did not satisfy that Decree? Mr Ramsey desired a day to be heard upon the merit of the cause, with council, and then he should understand the cause, why he would not perform the Decree: * See what a concurrence here is between these 2. injust persons Walsingham and Whitakers. The which Whitakers refused, and absolutely refused to hear Mr Ramseys councils therein; saying he would take the cause as he found it. But least Mr Whetakers should make a false report upon it to the House( as he did in the business against sir John Lenthall and others) Mr Ramsey left with him. Petition to be delivered to the House, with exceptions in writing against the said Decree, desiring that he would deliver them when he made his report upon the same, if he made any: all which Mr Whitakers promised faithfully to do: yet Mr Ramsey doubting his performance( as he had just cause) procured Mr. G●imston another member of the House of Commons, to take a petition of his besides with him, to the House daily, to bee presented if any report was made: but in a long time there was nothing done: wherefore Mr Ramsey addressed himself to a special Committee appointed by the House of Commons to hear grievances, in whom Mr. Ramsey did See how one knave assists another to destroy the innocent and pervart Iustice. conceive the power of the House did reside, and there by his council moved for relief, and the 7. of November was appointed for a day of hearing: But sir Thomas Walsingham did that very day in the fore-noon, when as the cause was to have been heard in the afternoon, * Notorious falsehood and injustice. procured a report to be made of it for him, by Mr Whitakers in the House of Commons, unknown to Mr Ramsey: and then Mr Whitakers most vilely and wickedly contrary to his promise( but if oaths and Covenants will not bind men, what will?) concealed and suppressed Mr Ramseys petition, and exceptions, purposely to perplex and precepitate the cause: by which means sir Thomas Walsingham * The House abused into injustice, by Mr Whitakers false report. Is he not therefore punishable? obtained an Order of the House for satisfying the said Decree; yet was not Mr Ramsey so much as called thereunto, or heard therein; and thus also was his hearing before the Committee of Grievances,( which should have been that day in the afternoon) utterly prevented and made frustrate: But this miscreant sir * St Tho. insatiablenesse in his oppressive & injust ways. Thomas being not yet satisfied with rapine, nor glutted with injustice and oppression, thirsted for Mr Ramseys office of clerk of the Liveries in the Court of Wards, as Ahab did after Naboths Vineyard, thinking( as it seems) Mr Ramsey had yet too much left to live on; and having hitherto failed in getting the Office sequestered, and wanting a device and Agent to accomplish it, as Naboth did, the Devil helps him to one, and who more ready to obey illegal commands, and execute injustice, then extorting gaolers? so he combines and contrives with Mr Hopkins now Warden of the Fleet, for keeping Mr Ramsey again close prisoner, alleging he had better have given the Warden 200. l. then that he should have given Mr Ramsey that one dayes liberty to go abroad.( And is it not horrid that a man must not only be injustly cast into prison, but cruelly imprisoned within a prison, and contrary to all Law of God, Nature, and Nations, and all rule of equity and conscience, be restrained from going abroad to see to his estate, and seek for redress? O how long shall these Harpeys, these House Tyrants, these Mendestroying gaolers, be suffered thus to transgress the laws of the Land, to the ruin and destruction of the Free-born subjects, upon illegal Orders or Warrants, and upon great mens private words and commands; and which is worse( as they do daily) to * witness Mr Ereze and Mr Robins, who are now both kept close merely for the Warden and Revets pleasure. satisfy their own wicked and injust wills and humours?) This cruel and illegal act being thus effected, and Mr Ramsey( to pleasure sir Thomas) kept up close by the Warden, without any legal( though he so pretended) Warrant or authority. * Note I beseech you. sir Thomas moves the Court of Wards before the Lord Say and Seal, then Master there, and the attorney, for a Sequestration of Mr Ramseys office, because he did not attend it; and yet he had so contrived that Mr Rams. neither could or should awend it: a damnable combination and project: Vpon which motion and impious falsely pretended allegation( even as Ziba wickedly did to David against Mephibesheth( Mr Ramsey was dispossessed of his Office, and dizseized of his Freehold by Arbitrary power and grearnes, without any bill, Information, or Indictment preferred against him, trial or conviction of him, according to the Law and Custom of the Land, contrary to the Great Charter of England, and Petition of Right, and the Liberty and privilege of every Free born English man: and then was the Office conferred upon one Mr Young one of the clerks of the Office, who did answer the profits thereof to St Thomas. And now all ye friends and Free men of England, if this sir Thomas Walsingham and the others before name, and such as these, be meet and sit persons to be entrusted by us, with our laws, Lives, and Estates, and Liberties, and all that is near and dear to us, as to our outward being and to sit as Parliament men, and to be Judges over us and all that is ours: Do ye judge? Account for their injustice and breach of Trust; and hence forward be more wise and judicious in your elections, and choose not Vipers instead of Pellicans. And now if any suspect the truth of all this Torrent of Oppression, violence and injustice of this worthy Member( as they are usually called) of the House of Commons, sir Th. walls. Mr Rams, is ready and will when-soever called upon his corporal Oath, yea by sufficient Testimony, upon peril of his life, prove and justify it, and much more also of like nature. One Mrs White, wife of Mr Ioha White, sometime Secretary to Another instance of sir Tho. Walsingham his arbitrary and injust actions. the Earl of Dorset, who came home upon the Articles at Oxford, and was admitted to his Composi●ion, being lawfully possessed of her own house in Eltham Park in Kent, upon which her husband had expended many hundred pounds: This sir Thomas after he had by indirect practices got her husband into prison,( his trade as ye have heard with M. Rams.) on the 18. of Feb. last, came with the High sheriff of the County, the high Constable and others, and by force broken open Mr. Whites Chamber doors upon her, and told her, that if she would not go out of her House, they would turn her out, and did bid some in his company carry her out. She good Gentlewoman, both told and shewed them by what authority she was there, conceiving that that in reason would have satisfied them: Notwithstanding they nailed up her doors upon her, so that none with her could go out, or any come in, unto her, and gave strict Order and command that neither she nor any with her, should have any * Good Christian usage, & wel-befitting one that is chosen a Patriot of his country. meat, drink, or firing, and left a guard of 6. men, armed with Swords and Muskets( which were relieved every 12. or 24. hours) to watch night and day, and see his inhuman and heathenish commands fulfilled, endeavouring thereby to starve her out or her possession:( which of them would be at half, yea any charge or trouble, yea or improve their authority according to their duty, to restore a man oppressed, or by force expelled, to his own?) which injust commands were by his Buffens so strictly and exactly performed, that for 28. dayes shee could not prevail * Was not this more barbarous, then congruous to Law, or Iustice? for one cup of could water, nor so much fire as would light a candle. After these 28. dayes were ended, shee was permitted to receive any thing up to her by a rope, and sometimes by a Ladder: but finding that some persons of honour and quality came to see her, the Ladder was taken away: and now finding they could not prevail by extremity; upon the 24. of May last, they used down-right blows, and about ten men with swords and other weapons,( by sir Thomas his own Order ye may be sure, for mauy of them were his own servants) broken open the doors, which they had before nailed up, and by force of Arms, and with much insolence, barbarously dragged Mrs White and those which were with her, out of her House, and exposed her to the wide world. Now if force and arms in such cases, without any just Right to a mans estate, or Legal process awarded, bee a Parliament mans means and method to maintain the Law of the Land, and the propriety and Liberty of the Subject( as they have protested and declared) my desires shall be to live rather under a Patroone in Turkey, then under the power of those called( though falsely) Patrons of my country; or to inhabit amongst the rude Savages, who have neither the knowledge of God, nor form of Law or rule of Government, rather then to abide under the power of an English Parliament, the which in its own pure and primitive constitution, is most admirable and Honourable, but through the corruption and accursed deprivation thereof, by those dregs of humane-kinde, is now become most audible and counterrptible. And I pray you observe, that all this mans Law and Justice, is close imprisonment, violence, cruelty, oppression and force, and all by reason of his power, as a Parliament man: O degenerate man! to pervert so sacrid a power and constitution: such a senator as he hath made himself eminent by injustice, would bee made eminently exemplary by Justice. Fiat Iusticia ruat Coelum. I could city you such another piece of Justice, executed by the Col. and Captain Purefoy, and Mr Allen. Purefoyes in point of another mans possession in the County of Warwick: and the like of Mr Allen a Parliament man, and a pretending independent, against one Mr Stephenson here in London; whom Mr Allen hath injustly shut up prisoner in the Fleet, and by force contrary to Law driven out of his possession. Whatsoever he professeth, I will maintain and justify, he hath falcifyed his trust to the public, and wilfully done acts illegally, unconscionable and unjust, to the violation of the laws and destruction( so far forth as in him lies) of our liberties and proprieties: contrary to the end of his election, the Covenant and protestation. And truly with sorrow of heart I speak it( because truth and true godliness, and all such as are of an upright heart, suffer by it:) Many of late time, because the people called Independents have had a general repute of religious and honest, have professed themselves the same, and seemed to affect and adhere to that party, whereby they have gained themselves good credit and esteem, but their hearts were never upright and sincere, nor ever had they any love of truth or justice in them only by this means they have interested themselves in good mens opinions, and obtained places and employments of profit and power, received moneys, advanced their own ends and designs, and taken occasion thereby the more colourably and securely to act the highest Treasons, injustice, oppression and villainy: I know what I say, and whereof I affirm; and do but wait the time when God will unmark them: some of these are already descried and discoved, and their cunning craftiness in their workings: the rest I am certain cannot long ly hide, for the time is at hand, that will try and sift them even as bran: These are wolves in sheeps clothing, they look lambs, speak like Innocents, walk like Foxes, but act works of darkness like the devil: they dig deep to hid their councils from the Lord, and they say no eyes sees us; but God will drive their councils headlong, and reveal their works wrought in the dark to the sight of all men, before the Sun at Noon: Alas, the bed is too short to stretch themselves on, and the covering is too narrow to cover them; and what will they do in the end, whether will they flee to hid their shane? Pardon this digression, it is that these Mummers may know they walk not without notice and observation; and some become the more wary and wise by a caution; though the Fool hardeneth himself and goeth on to destruction. But as for the two last Presidents of Mr Purefoy and Mr Allen, I will defer to explicate and expaciate them till my third part come( which God willing shall not be long:) For such a multiplicity of odious and abominable presidents and practices, I have to recite and exhibit to the Kingdoms view, that they may know where and upon whom to challenge Justice, and to beware of the persons for time to come, that this my second part will not comprehend half; and to extend it in Volume above that which is meet, and every mans purchase, I conceive it not so expedient: for I would not onely have it published in Gath, but declared in Askelon: and not that I glory in blazoning any mans private or personal infirmities; God forbid, far, O ever far bee it from me: But these are public cases, which require redress, perpetrated against the public, by men sent and entrusted by the public, and that for their weal, not for their own, and for their preservation, not for their destruction; and therefore( I hope it cannot but be by all conceived) both requisite and just, that the public, or parties trusting should have information of the abuses and injuries done them by their trustees, that they may apply themselves to means for the removing those pests, and easing themselves of their sufferings: And how can a Master call his servant to an account, or reclaim him, if he know not his errors? and how soon and unavoidably may an unfaithful servant, by his secret wicked ways, bring his Master unto ruin, if his Master have not timous notice of it? and according to the old roman rule, Non scipioni, said Senatui, Non Senatui, said Reipublicae Respondenda: Et ergo Rei publicae necesse ostendenda sunt. But dear country men and Friends, I beseech you, before wee go any further, observe this with me; To wit, how easy a thing it is, and as usual it hath been, and still is; the more miserable hath been, and still is the condition of this Free-born Nation) for a man rich in purse, and great in power and place, to defraud, rob, and wrong another of his moneys, lands, and possessions, and then if the party grieved do, or that he may not question the fact, nor take course for his own) to cast him by injustice and violence into prison, and destroy both him, and his posterity after him: And truly friends, till this monstrous evil be by impartial Justice removed, the mean and poor man of this Kingdom lives but at the mercy of his Lord and Land-lord, of the rich and man of power, although the beggar of this Land be as free born, as the King on his Throne: and the Law( which is his birth-right) be as open for him in any case whatsoever, as for the greatest and highest Peer. The verity of this misery hath been too well experimented, to the ruin of millions of men and their families in this woeful Land. Cease not therefore now countrymen, till ye have obtained a free current of Justice, and that the good old laws of the Land may be truly and justly executed, without respect of persons. And nothing but the establishment of this( to wit, of true justice and judgement can secure you and your posterities in your persons, estates, lives, and liberties: As Faith, that cardinal virtue is in the Government spiritual, so is this primary Civil virtue of Justice, in the Regiment temporal; it directs all things to a right end, it makes all public Acts acceptable, it quells swelling humors, qualifies distempers, subjects the proud, encourages the humble, and safely carries on the ship of a State or Common wealth, not only by 〈◇〉 rocks of Cjvil dissensions and discontents, whence arise rebellions and wars: but also by all dyrts and sands of corruption, and ill manners which use to gather, to the endangering of a State in the calms and smooth waters of peace and plenty: and to make the parallel between these two eminent vertu●s, as they stand in their several spheres, a little more obvious: As Faith subdues Kingdoms, so doth Justice in subjecting all his Majesties subjects to a sweet harmony of legal obedience: Faith stops the mouth of Lions; so doth Justice, it restrains all Ravenous and devouring Rulers;( viz.) injust Judges, Justices, and other corrupt Officers and Ministers of State, and all Extortioners and oppressors of the poor; all which sort of Creatures are in a State or Common wealth, as so many devouring lions and ravenons bears, Pro. 28. 15. Faith quenches the violence of fire, so doth Justice, is quencheth the fires of Insurrections, Deadly feuds and revenge,( the fruits of malice) which are often kindled between families, and among the people; by Faith the weak are made strong, wax valiant in fight, and turn to flight the Armies of the Alien●s: So by Justice the poor and mean become strong, and grow courageous and valiant, for so much as by this virtue, they live without fear of the rich, cruel and great man, and whole Armies of Alients are also put to flight by it,( to wit) all reigning, raging mischeefs, insolences, and outrages of men are expelled and banished: in a word, By Iudgement the Land is established, It is not my saying, but Gods, pro. 29. 4. Wherefore good Friends and Fellow Commoners rest not, spare no pains, grudge not at cost, nor neglect any opportunity, but improve and employ all your powers and interests, without weariness, until the King, Parliament and Army do accord and agree, to make up unto you this sovereign balm, this only curing medicine of all our public maladies, the chief Citadel and fortress against all incursions and invasions of violence, oppression and injustice. And then are we happy, yea thrice happy, and the remembrance of that Sea of blood, mass of Treasure, and Hell( as I may say) of sufferings, which we have lost, expended, and sustained, under the notion of acquiring this Celestial gem, but as yet have not attained to it, will be but as a dream to us, yea as nothing, in respect of this unvalueable virtue of Peace-securing, Judgement, and Justice, by which we shall felicitate ourselves and the generations after us: I have the more degressed to show the excellency and necessity of establishing true Justice and Judgement amongst us; because otherwise without this, whatsoever our Grandees and wise men( that would or should be) tell us or pretend to us, all their propounding and proposing, hawking and halting, Iame and blind doing and dealing, will prove but as broken reeds in our sides, and they Physitians of no value. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And so I will return again to my Subject in hand. A notorious piece of injustice, done comtrary to the Law and his Oath, by Mr Glyn Recorder of London. Take one president or two more of high Injustice done by Mr Glyn Recorder of London, one of the 11. accused Members, and others Parliament men,( though never good commonwealths-men:) The case follows thus( viz.) one Thomas Scrivener sometime Trumpeter to Capt. Wingate, a Member of the House of Commons, when he went first forth with the Earl of Essex to Worcester, who after the Cap. was there taken in fight, by P. Rupert, and carried captive to Shrewsbury, continued in the Troop, under one Thomas Evans, a Baker in Long Acre: Captain Wingates then lieutenant( since if I mistake not, made a Captain under sir Sam. Luke, and afterwards served under mayor general Massey, in the West, and marched with him from Worcester to a place called Haselow not far from Eresham, and there the Troop quartered: where he received orders from his Lievet. Evans to sound a march to another place: the which Scrivener the Trumpeter did: and when the Troop was horsed and ready, he had command given to sound a march, and did, in obedience to his command: But the lieutenant Evans having a design at that instant( as himself afterwards confessed) to destowre the Constables daughter of the Town, and perceiving the Troope was marched so far before, that he could not stay to accomplish his impious purpose without danger; He was enforced to decline his silthy design, and to hasten away after the Troope: the which he overtaking about two miles off, presently in a fury road up to the other Trumpeter, and struck him, swearing God damn me, I could find in my heart to pistol you: but fell with much more violence upon Tho. Scrivenor, and give him many great and sore blows with his thick Cane about his head and called him Rogue, and Base Rogue; saying, Who gave you command to march? The Trumpeter answered, The Cornet: whereunto the lieutenant replied, How durst you march without my command? and so the Troope marched on to Evesham, where they quartered that night: and where( to be brief) the Trumpeters head exceedingly swelled, and he fell presently blind, by reason of those blows Evans had given him: and after he had lain under the hands of three chirurgeons, by the space of ten dayes, or thereabouts, * Here is plain murde. See the Statute 1. jac. 8. he dyed of the same blows, his brains( as I have been told) purging afterwards out of his nose. After this, the Trumpeters wife( poor widow) brought Evans before a council of War, when the Earl of Essex lay at Windsee, where she fully proved the murder by good and sufficient witnesses, as appears by the depositions then taken, and here Printed to the view of the world, that all men may see the extreme injustice of this Recorder Glyn; and judge if such a Magistrate deserve not hanging. Depositions taken before the council of War. Christopher Sanders jur. 1. Christopher Sanders sworn, doth affirm that he was with Thomas Scrivener the Trumpeter some five dayes or thereabouts before he dyed, and heard him say, that lieutenant Evans was the cause of his death, if he could not be recovered of those blows he received by the said Evans, upon the march from Haselow to Evesham. 2. And further that he heard the lieutenant say, that the cause Note I pray. he was so offended at the aforesaid Trumpeter, was for leading the Troop onwards on the march: Evans as he said, having an opportunity to be nought with a Constables daughter in Haselow, which he had not before from his coming out of London, till that time. 3. And further that Lieut. Evans being at supper at Captain Biggs his house, boasted what an opportunity he had at Haselow: and being asked by Mrs Biggs, what satisfaction he could have given the Lasse, if she had proved with child? he replied, that if it was a girl, he would give it 100. l. if a boy, he would take it home, and make a Baker of him. 1. John Burliman sworn, John Burliman jur. saith That in Haselow in the Constables yard, he heard Henry Dalden, Captain Wingates Cornet, give the word of Command to the Trumpeters to sound a march: and so they did, and the Troop did presently advance, and the lieutenant stayed behind to dine. 2. That after the Troop had marched some two miles, or thereabouts, the lieutenant overtook them, and road up to the surviving Trumpeter, and struck him, swearing God damn him, he could find in his heart to pistol him: and fell upon the deceased Trumpeter, and struck him divers blows with a Cane, calling him Rogue, and base Rogue; demanding of him, who gave him command to march? who answered that the Cornet did command him so to do. And the Leivt. Evans replied, How durst he march without his Command? 3. The Corner did at that present affirm that he had Command from the Lievt. to march away with the Troop: but the Lievt. not denying that, swore, How durst those Rogues( meaning the Trumpeters) advance without him? 4. That the deceased Trumpeter came to Evesham that night. and the lieutenant asked him how he did? and he answered him, the worse for him; for he thought he had given him his death: The Lievt asked him, if he would make Oath of that? the Trumpeter replied, that if he could not be recovered of those blows, he would affirm that he was the cause of his death. 5. And further that the Lievr. had a bog Cane in his hand, with a brass ring on the end of it, with which he struck Scrivener the Trumpeter a principle blow, under the list of the ear, which presently swelled, and of which he was forced to keep the Chamber ten dayes or thereabouts, and then dyed in Evesham. 6. And further this Deponant saith, That he visiting of him, some three dayes before his death, he heard Scrivener the Trumpeter say, that he should never recover it; and that Lievt. Evans had killed him. And he saith further, that he was present at the time when the said Lievt. Evans struck the said Trumpeter the said blow under the list of the ear. And he further saith that some four dayes after, when the said Lievt. came to see the said Trumpeter, who lay a bed very ill in Evesham. The said Lievt. asked this Deponent, how the said Trumpeter could possibly come by such a blow and this Deponent replied, that the Trumpeter turning his head might take a blow that way: whereupon the Lievt. replied, I am hearty sorry for it. Vpon which Scrivener the Trumpeter said, That will make no satisfaction to my poor wife and child. A doleful story. This is a true copy of the Depositions, and the matter willbe( if cause require) proved by many more witnesses personally. Notwithstanding which manifest proof: by the means of sir Philip Stapleton deceased, and some others,( after they had wearied our the poor widow with long attendance for a trial, till all her money was spent so that she was forced to return to London: while she was away, Evans was cleared by the council of War: but the widow not ceasing to prosecute, and importuning the Earl incessantly for Justice, He at length referred her to the Common Law, and turned Evans out of his Command. Whereupon after a long time, and much trouble and abuses passed and sustained by her, by reason of her poverty and disability; and Evans his poteney and refuge in the Army, who was now gotten to serve under mayor general Massey. She after his coming home out of the West, upon the disbanding of mayor general Masseys Brigade, procured first Justice Edwards( a Member of the House of Commons) his Warrant to apprehended him; and having thereby seiz●d him, she charged him( before the said Justice) with killing her husband, and desired to have him committed, to the end shee might prosecute the Law upon him: But Justice Edwards did not only talk with the murderer in private( which he ought not to have done) but openly denied the poor widow Justice, and said plainly, * Here is manifest violation both of Law and Iustice, by Mr Edwards that he would commit the malefactor, and did accordingly free him: and she the day following meeting Mr Edwards in Westminster Hall, importuned him for Justice: whereupon he thus answered Woman thou wouldst have Justice, and there is none. A true saying,( but an impudent one, and ill becoming a Parliament-man and a public Magistrate, whose place it is to do Justice, and to redress injustice) to the shane of him and all such be it spoken. nevertheless in confidence of better redress by Mr Glyn the Recorder of London, this poor oppressed widow went unto him, and obtained his Warrant, by virtue whereof, she re-apprehended Evans: and Mr Glyn being not in the way when he was first taken, the widow had him before sir Robert pie the Elder, who would not meddle in it, because he was taken upon the Recorders Warrant, but referred it to him: But before the Recorder could be spoken with, the murderer Evans, and Mr Recorders clerk( who is said to be as good * Trim Tram. as his Master) according to that of Solomon, Prov. 29. 12. If a Ruler harken to lies, all the servants are wicked,) had private communication together a long time in a tavern( at the Gallowse had been fitter) and the clerk in this time promised Evans to do him all the good he could,( I am confident not without a bribe) and afterwards when Evans was brought before the Recorder, and charged by the widow with killing her husband, desiring earnestly to have him committed, that she might prosecute the Law upon him; the Recorder would not * Mr Recorders manifest violation of law and Iustice. commit him, but turning himself to Evans the murderer, said to him openly, I discharge you: and used many sharp and taunting speeches to the poor afflicted and oppressed widow, as if she had been the offender, to the murderers great encouragement, and her unspeakable discomfort: and she affirming that she was a Free-born Subject, and did onely desire the benefit of the Law, and the liberty of the Subject: The Recorder replied, * Can we expect that such men will establish our Laws and Liberties, that will not abide to hear of them? No. what dost thou talk to me of the benefit of the Law, and liberty of the Subject, thou peevish woman? Do I hinder thee? the Kings Bench is open, thou maiest indict him. Here note, that the Recorder confesses she might justly take her course at Law against Evans, and yet would not do her Justice to commit him to safe custody, that he might bee forth coming to answer the Law: Yea many other strange dis-heartning speeches the Recorder used, very incongruous both to the person and place of a Minister of Justice: and so wrath and violent was this good member against the poor woman( because like the Gospel-widdow) she importuned for Justice( though he was not so just as the Judge whom that poor widow importuned) that he smote off her hat in disdain, and said, You had best question me too. And truly I think she hath good cause so to do. But how impudent and presumptuous are these sort of men, that they will not onely audatiously dare to do palpable injustice, but to dare the persons wronged by them to question them for so doing? It is more then time they were chastised. Thus this Murderer Evans went away acquitted, and the poor widow was left remidilesse, and open to his rage and malice: For hereupon, he bloody wretch, grew so insolent, that he threatened and also endeavoured to lay her up in prison, under a pretence shee had slandered him. And since( as I have heard) he listed himself for the City, and was to have been a principal Commander under mayor General Massey, in the Cities late intended desperate expedition against the Army. Now by the Law of the land, if a Murderer or Thief be brought Observe I pray. before a Justice of Peace, and changed, and he refuse to commit him, being thereunto required: The Justice makes the felony his own, and becomes an accessary in the highest degree. See Stamfords Pleas upon the Crown, lib. ●. ch. 45. fol. 41. 42. 43. Fitz-Herbets. Coro. Placit, fol. 195. Bracton tract de Coro. lib. 3. Justice Long at the beginning of this Parliament was prosecuted in this very case, for acquitting one Carnaby, who was brought before him and required to be committed by him, for acting a murder. This being the law of the land, what then I pray do these two good Justices demerit? Indeed such Judges and Justices do( as I conceive) more worthily deserve death then common Malefactors, for by corrupting Justice, and justifying the Nocent, they cause all manner of wickedness to abound, and encourage evil persons to persistan their pernicious destructive courses, to the robbing, spoiling, and murdering of many of the Kings people. This Recorder Glyn, within these twelve moneths, committed one Mr show, a Citizen of note, from the Sessions house, to Newgate, not admitting him * Another violation of Law and Iustice by M Glyn. to put in bail, upon pretence bee was a Common Drunkard: because he had upon just cause sued one of his good Masters, that honest man( that should be) sir John Wolaston, to an outlawrye. But the more to aggravate this cardinal piece of injustice and violation of the law, by these two Magistrates; I pray you observe with me what is contained in the Oath of a Justice of Peace, when he is made and sworn to the administration of his Office: amongst other heads contained in the Oath, this ensuing is the first and principal, and the form is thus,( viz.) You shall swear, that as a Iustice of the Peace, &c. In all Articles in the Kings Commission to you directed, you shall do equal right to the poor and the rich, after your * But they now commonly use their power and cunning, to oppress the poor, though innocent, and to acquit the rich, though never so wicked. cunning wit and power, and after the laws and Customs of the Land, and Statutes thereof made: and you shall not be of council of any quarrel( or controversy) hanging before you &c. That you take nothing for doing your Office, but of the King, and the accustomend fees appointed by the Statutes &c. with much more not so needful here to insert. But you by thus much plainly see, that all partiality and bribery, is by the Oath excluded, and by the Justice abjured: and amongst the Articles in the Kings Commission, directed to Justices, this is a principal one,( viz.) ad inquirendum de omnimodis felonis, venificijs &c. to inquire( not only of all, but) of all manner of felonies,( whereof Homicide is the highest) Witchcrafts, Sorceries, &c. and to indict th●m &c.( not acquit them:) so that whether these two Justices have kept their Oath, and faithfully discharged the duty of their place, I refer to all men, and query whether they bee not worthy to be expunged their Commission, and to suffer exemplarily for violation thereof, and of the Law in so high and heinous a manner, in a matter of so high and heinous a nature. I never heard that his Majesty ever tolerated any such act of injustice in the worst of his dayes: He would acquit no Murderer, or pardon any wilful bloodshed, or murder: Nor do we hear that ever the worst of his public Ministers, durst( while he was in power) so transcendantly transgress the Law, and their Duty, in an act of this nature, in such a horrid manner. Nay, I will tell you( as I have received it from right trusty persons) of a special piece of Justice and mercy of his, during these late unhappy warres, with●… his own garrisons, of Justice upon the offender, of Justice and mercy both toward the poor widow, whose husband lost his life, as the widow Scriveners did) by his own Commander. There was a poor man, by calling( as I have heard) a Broomman, A remarkable piece of Iustice, done by the King in the behalf of a poor widow. one of the Kings common souldiers, who standing sentinel in a garrison of the Kings; did according to his charge and duty bid a colonel of the Kings( at his coming into the garrison) scanned: The colonel it seems, being proud and stately, took it ill and in scorn, and would have passed without giving an account, according to the manner of war: the which the soldier refused, and stourly opposed, answering the Collonells imperious terms with as peremptor) speeches: Hereupon the colonel forthwith killed the soldier upon the place. Of which his poor wife having notice, addressed herself to the King, then at Oxford, for redress: And being a poor despised woman, without friends, means or habit, with scarce a shot to her foot; the King at her first appearing and complaint gave her 10. pounds, and Prince Rupert 5. pounds, for her relief. And his Majesty caused the colonel, notwithstanding his place and power, to be apprehended, and imprisoned, and tried: and had he not been a man eminent, and made great friends, he had been executed. Howsoever his Majesty enjoined him to give the poor widow a thousand pounds in satisfaction, to maintain her, before he could be discharged; and she accordingly received it here in London: By means whereof, she advanced her fortime, and obtained another husband within a short time following. GO ye O Parliament, who have declared so much for Justice, and do for this poor widow of yours, likewise; but ye are not so good as to allow her bread. And now let all men judge, if here in this case was not more justice, and sense of the subjects grievance manifested from the King, t●en ever was yet manifested to the Kingdom from the Parliament? And thus ye see my parallel is still verified. will only give you one example more of injustice, transgression sir Peter Temples good payment. of Law, dishonesty and violence committed by sir Peter Temple, another vile Member of the Parliament: and so acquiesce for this Tract, and this time. This sir Peter Temple having run into a Corn Chandlers debt in Covent Garden, for Oats and beans for his Horses, to the sum of 20. pounds; the man having come to him often for his money: sir Peter at last, appointed him to come such a day, and he would pay him, and truly so he did to the purpose: for the Chandler coming according to his appointment, sir Peters Coachman carried his Master up word: who gave command that he should come up: and the Chandler accordingly went up, expecting his money, but was cozened as the Dog was, which thought he had been called in to breakfast, but it was to be hanged; for so soon as he was come up, sir Peter asked him if he would be paid? and the Chandler told him, he was come to that purpose: whereupon sir Peter and his Coach-man fell upon him, and * Breach of peace. so grievously beat him, as that he kept his bed three or four moneths: and when sir Peter had so done, he told him, that should be his payment, and that he was a Rogue to ask money of a Parliament man. It seems Parliament men are lawless, and by their places exempt from payment of their debts: But if these be Parliament privileges, Give me the royal Prerogative: for King james( as I have heard) obeied an arrest, and paid the debt. And to this action of sir Peter Temples, answers that of Mr nichols, who having long time owed a Gentleman ten pounds, and being told by the Gentleman that he would sue him for it: he asked the Gentleman if he did not know what he was, was he not a Parliament man? As if he was therefore privileged to pay nothing, but cousin every man. And if this bee the Justice of a Parliament man, and his keeping the Law of the Land; it is better for a Commoner to trust a Jew, or a Turk, then any of them. How can these men expect such exact obedience to their illegal Orders and Ordinances, when they themselves will yield none to the known laws of the realm? and indeed did they make more conscience of obeying, they would have more conscience in commanding: according to the old rule, Qui nescit parerenescit been imperare. I had purposed to have proceeded higher; but I see that then this volume would too much swell, for these are but mole-hills, to those mountains, I intend to make bare: and( through the power of Heaven) although they have barracadoed themselves by all possible means, and by subtlety got the Army to become their Screan. I will in my third part make an onslet on some of the tallest among them, Aquila non capit muscas: why should the little thieves suffer, while the great ones secure and defend each others? FINIS. Errata. page. 3. line 19. red, one of. p 3. l. 32. for 40. l. r. 40. years. p. 9. l. 31, for intneded r. intended. p. 16. l. 38, for deprivation, r. depravation. p. 17. l. 5. for hath, r. having. l. 32. for discoved, r. discovered. p. 27. l. 29. for dyrts, r. Syrts. p. 21. in the note, for murde, r. murder. TEN several ORDERS TO Be put in execution by the Lord mayor and Aldermen of London, for the price and sale of meal, Flesh, Butter, and other Commodities; and to prevent Disorders in the Markets: with the penalties to be inflicted upon every person or persons, which shall not obey the same. ALSO, The coming in of twenty thousand Quarters of Como and grain. And a List of the particulars thereof, as it is entred at the custom House. And care is also taken, that every one may buy at the cheapest rate, and that there be no regrating or forestalling the Markets. NOVEMBER, 5. 1647. Imprimatur, Gilb. Mabbot. LONDON, Printed by Bernard Alsop, dwelling near Cripple-Gate, 1647. Ten several ORDERS OF THE Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London, for regulating the price of meal, and other Commodities. THE general dearth which of late hath been on all sorts of commodities, both rich and poor are very sensible of, especially on the price of corn & chiefly of that which makes bread( the staff of man life) which hath not only afflicted the needy but occasioned sunday queries from whence the cause should arise in the richest there appearing little visible cause for the same, the earth yielding a plentiful increase in all parts, and to excuse the matter some are pleased to aive their opinions, 1. That the store of the Kingdom in the time of the late war is exhausted, 2ly. That the quartering of the Army near this populous City was an em●nent cause thereof, And thirdly the great abuse of regrating and forestalling the markets was not of the least; which was chiefly done by those which would fain have woven themselves into a nearer Corporation who not only sorestalled the market and keep back the country people for coming in, but set up meal shops in every corner( a new trade out of the standing of two Apprentishipps) which being lately taken into consideration by the present Lord mayor and Court of Aldermen they found apparent abuse thereby and therefore thought good to order that no meal shops should be kept in the City of London and Liberties thereof after the third day of this instant November and no meal should be sold but in open market the market dayes on forfeiture of such penalties as are inflicted on regraters and forestallers by several good and wholesome laws and statutes in that case provided. There be also several orders for the market ordered by the Lord mayor and Court of Aldermen to bee observed. The laws or orders of the Lord mayor and Court of Aldermen to be observed in every market within the City of London. FIrst in all the markets of this City no victual shall be sold but by the price set by the Mayor of the City. Secondly No man shall forestall any victual coming to the market as for to buy in any june or other privy place, or yet coming to the market, whether it be found in the hands of the buyer or of the seller, under pain of forfeiture of the same, and no Inholder shall suffer any thing to be sold in his house upon pain of forty shillings. Thirdly No man shall regrate any victual which is in the market, or buy any victual to Ingrate in the market, so that the Commons can or may have any part of of such victual, as in special such as be known for Hucksters or other people occupying their living by such victual as they would so engross under pain of such victual so regretted, provided always that any steward for any noble feast may buy or in grace such victual as is convenient ior the same feast. Fourthly No butter shall be sold but according to the time of the year allowed. Fifthly No Poulterers shall deceivably occupy the mark to sell any stale victual or such as the Poulters of this City, for to stand in strange clothing so to do under Pain of forty shillings and forfeiture of such victual. 6ly No Hucksters shall stand or sit in the market but in Lower places and ends of the market to the intent they may be perfectly known and the stranger marketpeople have the pre-eminence of the market under pain of three shillings four pence, if the Hucksters disobey the same. Seventhly No unwholesome or stale victual shall be sold under pain of forty shillings four pence and forfeiture of the same victual. Eightly No Butcher or his servant shall use to drive any ox or oxen a trot in the streets, but peaceably, and if any ox happen to be let go, when he is prepared to slaughter, the Butcher shall forfeit two shillings besides recompense, if any person be hurt thereby. Ninthly No Butcher shall sell any Measell Hog, or unwholesome flesh under pain of ten pounds. Tenthly No Butcher shall sell any old stale victual, that is to say, about the slaughter of three dayes in the winter and two in the Summer under pain of ten pound. No victules of the City shall give any rude or unfittiug language or make any clamour upon any man or woman in the, open market for cheapning of victual under pain of three shillings four pence. Memorandum, that every offence, found in this City It is accustomend that the office, a free man finding it, which is called Primm Iuventor, hath half the penalty by the grace of the Court. Having here given you the good orders of the Lord mayor and Court of Aldermen for the well ordering of victvall that the prizes of Commodities may not be inhuman nor the City and Country abused, It will not be a miss in the next place to give you a brief account of the great penalty of wheat Rice, Barley, malt, oats, beans and pease was brought into the City by water of late in doing whereof for better satisfaction I shall in the next place communicate to you a perfect List of all such corn and grain as hath been entred in the custom house of London from the first of October last to the thirtieth of the same as followeth. Entred in the customs Book of Entries. Of Wheat 1587 quarters. Of Rice. 6845, quarters. Of Barley 965 quarters. Of malt, 1048 quarters. Of oats 2275 quarters. Of beans and pease 1435 quarters, which in all amounts to 14175 quarters. In which may likewise take notice that it is not the usual course to certify the whole quantity of the Lading at the first entry for sometimes near a fourth part more is brought in for a post entry which together with what hath been brought in since it thought cannot amount to less the twenty thousand quarters( in a matter of a month or five weekes) at the least which with the remainder that is expected and comes in daily, with the care and well ordering thereof by the Governours of this City( who daily communicate to the poor out of the store laid every Companies the price of corn will probably be abated of which theat begins to appear some earnest of our hopes though not so nauch informed might be for we have heard some affirm that wheat may be afforded at this time as in the bushel cheaper then it could within this fortnight. A perfect List or Note of all such Corn and grain, as have been entred in the customhouse of London. From the first of October last to the 30. of the same. Wheat— 1587 quarters. Rye— 6845 quarters. Barley— 0965 quarters. malt— 1048 quarters. oats— 2295 quarters. beans and Pease— 1435 quarters. In the whole— 14175 FINIS.