To the Honourable House of Commons Assembled in PARLIAMENT: THE CASE AND Humble PETITION OF Benjamin Harris, BOOKSELLER, Prisoner in the KINGS-BENCH.  
Humbly Sheweth,  
THat Your Petitioner being a Citizen of London, that formerly Lived in Good Fashion and Repute, Hath not only been Exposed to the Indelible Ignominy of Standing In the Pillory, before his Own House, near the Royal Exchange; But also Confined for above Thirteen months' last passed, and still continues a Prisoner in Execution for 500 l. Fine, Imposed upon him in Hillary Term, 1680. by the Lord Chief-Justice Scroggs, and the rest of the Judges of the Court of King's-Bench: Which Your Petitioner being altogether Unable to Pay, is consequently doomed to as wretched a state, as if he had been Condemned to the Galleys, since, like them, his Misery has no Prospect of Terminating, but with his Life: And withal his distressed Wife, and many Innocent Helpless Children, sharing in the same Calamity, and being hereby inevitably reduced to Ruin, and the utmost Extremities.  
And all this for no other Crime or Offence, so much as Alleged against him, save only, That he did (In the way of his Trade) cause to be reprinted, and sell a certain Book, Entitled,  
An Appeal from the Country to the City, for the Preservation of His Majesty's Person, Liberty, Property, and the Protestant Religion.  
In which Book, the Only Words excepted against, and charged as Criminal in the Information brought against Your Petitioner, and upon which he received this Unparallelled Judgement, are these, [Speaking concerning Electing of Members to serve in Parliament.]  We in the Country have done our Parts, in Choosing, for the Generality, Good Members to Serve in Parliament; But if (as our Two last Parliaments were) they must be Dissolved, or Prorogued, when ever they come to Redress the Grievances of the Subject, we may be Pitied, but not Blamed. If the PLOT takes Effect, (as in all Probability it will) our Parliaments are not then to be Condemned, for that their not being suffered to Sat, occasioned it. 
And as these were all the Words charged, as by the Information appears; And that Your Petitioner did only Re-print it from and by a Printed Copy then commonly Sold about Town, Published (as hath been offered to the Lord Chief-Justice Scroggs, to be proved) by Thompson, commonly called, The Popish Printer: So after all this Hardship to Your Petitioner, the said Thompson, who first set it abroad, was never in the least Questioned or Prosecuted for the same.  
And as Your Humble Suppliant with all Gratitude acknowledges the abundant Charity and Kindness of the Honourable House of Commons, in the late Ever-honoured Parliament, towards him, in Repeating on his behalf the Addresses and Requests of that Honourable House, to His Majesty, That He would Graciously be pleased to Remit Your Petitioner's Fine. So nothing in all Your Petitioner's Troubles has more sensibly afflicted him, than that he should be so Unhappy, as to be misrepresented to His Majesty, by some ill Men, (speaking either out of Malice, or merely on false unjust Reports) as a Person of Disloyal or Seditious Principles, Your Petitioner being really and sincerely a most Dutiful and Affectionate Honourer of His Majesty's Person and Government; Both which he prays Almighty God, long to preserve and continue. And as to the Expressions alleged to be spoken, That Thousands would stand by him, etc. No such words were ever uttered by Your Petitioner; And one of the Witnesses that testified against him at his Trial, has since Publicly and Freely acknowledged before divers Witnesses, That he there swore falsely, and asked Your Petitioner pardon for the same.  
Wherefore, since Your Petitioner's Misery is so Unsupportable, and the Occasion thereof, no other than as aforesaid; And for that in the Resolutions of the late House of Commons, the said Proceed against Your Petitioner as to such Excessive Fine, were declared Partial, Arbitrary and Illegal; And because Your Petitioner can never hope for Liberty, but must certainly perish in this Loathsome Confinement, and his Numerous Family Beg their Bread, unless His Majesty, at the Intercession of You His most Great and Wise Council, shall be Graciously pleased to Remit that Disproportionate Fine, which 'tis impossible for Your Petitioner ever to Raise.  
And since Your Petitioner has been thus Ruined, and remains still under such Severity, And that the late Parliament were pleased to have Your Petitioner under Nomination for Printing Their VOTES, [Though Your Petitioner did not then get any thing thereby, but Others went wholly away with the Profit] Your Petitioner humbly begs, That this Honourable House would take him into Their Pious Consideration, and Allow him Now the Privilege of Printing the Votes of this Present Parliament at Oxford, or of the sole Reprinting them at London, from time to time, or such Share therein (to support himself and Family from Perishing) as the Compassion and Wisdom of this Honourable House shall deem meet.  
In which Your Petitioner assures himself he shall not, because Confined, be Postponed for the Importunities of others, who, enjoying Liberty, cannot pretend so much Equity in their Requests, though they may have Opportunities of making greater Interests: For he is confident the Justice of so wise a Senate, will charitably extend their Favours not merely to those that stand Next, or are most Importunate, but to such as have the most Need of them.  
Or should it be said, That Your Petitioner, because in Prison, cannot so well manage that Affair for the Service of the House, and the Public. Your Petitioner hopes, there will not appear any weight in that Objection, since 'tis well known, That Your Petitioner has, for divers Weeks together, during this Rigid Confinement, Published (though with very little Encouragement of Advantage, by reason of the Swarms of Papers daily Emitted) his Intelligence, and divers other Sheets, tending to Unveil the Designs of the Papists, Advance the Protestant Interest, and Vindicate the Justice and Loyalty of the Last Parliament; And also has given the World, a true Account of more PETITIONS, ADDRESSES and APPLICATIONS for the Sitting of this present Parliament, than any Pretender to Intelligence whatsoever; And therefore does not doubt, but by his Servants and Agents, he may as well either at Oxford or London, dispatch the VOTES, where there is a certain Prospect of Profit, as he did those other things, where there has been very little private Advantage: But besides, Your Petitioner being an Evidence against Sir William Scroggs, who stands Impeached of Treason, and other High Crimes and Misdemeanours in Parliament, aught, and may, (as he humbly conceives) on an Habeas Corpus (if the Honourable House judge his Testimony material) be brought down, and allowed the Die in Diem, to Attend as long as You shall Sat, or till that Charge be Tried.  
Your Poor Petitioner is not insensible of Your manifold weighty Affairs, which much deterred him from interrupting You with this his private Concern; But hopes the Dismal Circumstances he is under, and the Afflicting Complaints of his Poor Wife and Children, may Excuse the Unusual Boldness of it, and prevail with so Christian an Assembly, to take Pity on Him and Them, so far as 'tis Just and Reasonable.  
And Your Petitioner (as in Duty bound) shall ever pray for Your Respective Safeties, the Blessing of God on all Your Consultations, an Hearty Agreement between the KING and His good Subjects, the long Life of His Majesty, the Preservation of the Protestant Religion, and our just Liberties and Properties. From my Confinement in the Kings-Bench, Mar. 19 1680/ 1.