Declaration and Petition, Text
To the moſt honourable the Lords and Commons in Parliament aſſembled: The humble Declaration and Petition of Major Geo. Wither.
THough a prayer of this length, is not uſually preferred to your Honours, let it nevertheleſſe appeare, for this once, excuſable, in regard, the hardſhip of bearing, what occaſions this tediouſneſſe, to exercize your patience in hearing, may perhaps, merit the more compaſſion.
Your ſaid Petitioner, having long and patiently waited when the Publike-Affaires, would afford leaſure to redreſſe his private-grievances; and, then, perceiving his many ſufferings, to be almoſt paſt remedy; his family nigh deſtroyed; his life declining to the grave, and his juſt expectations every day further off then before; he began to conſider, that, charity to himſelfe, being the rule of regulating his love to others, ought not to be infringed; that workes of juſtice and mercy, ſhould at no time be neglected, or ſeem impertinent; that, a generall-well-being is not poſſible where particulars and Individuals, (whereof a Generality conſiſteth) are needleſly expoſed to deſtruction; and, that, no man is bound, ſilently, to ſuffer in, or for, that Common-wealth, which is ſo unequall in her Diſtributions, as not to adminiſter, equally, deſerved rewards and puniſhments, to her own Members; much leſſe, when ſhe will find Times to heare; Bread to feed; and Bowells to compaſſionate her malitious Deſtroyers; and, yet, hath neither Leiſure, nor Food, nor Pitie for them, who thought nothing too precious, to be hazzarded for her Preſervation: And, your ſaid Petitioner thereupon intended to expreſſe his Grievances, publikely, at large, and in ſuch manner, as an unſufferable Oppreſſion, joyned with Deſperation of reliefe, might ſeem to require. But, having ſomwhat renewed his loſt hopes, by diſcovering Symptomes of your removing thoſe Obſtructions, of juſtice and mercy, which of late, eclipſed the honour of the Parliament, fruſtrated the endeavours of her beſt affected Members, and oppreſſed her moſt faithfull Servants; he hath now changed his purpoſe; and humbly offers unto this high Court, an occaſion of performing an Act of Juſtice, and a Work of Mercy, by imploring your favourable anſwer to his following Declaration and Petition; conceiving, it ſhall be a thing acceptable to God, honourable to the Parliament, and an Omen of a generall mercy to this Kingdome. Motives, to procure his humble Suit, he could alledge too many, to be here added; and, ſome of them are ſuch, that, out of reverence to the honour of this Nation, he will not openly mention them, whilſt he hath any hopes of redreſſe: And, yet, leaſt the concealing of all, may render him, and his neceſſities, inconſiderable, till his deſtruction be irrecoverable, he humbly offers theſe that follow:
1. That, your ſaid Petitioner hath not onelyonly given publike teſtimonies of his love to this Common-wealth, many years before this Parliament, or Army, appeared againſt her Oppreſſors; and hath continued conſtant to this Parliament, ever ſince it began, notwithſtanding many provocations, occaſioned by malignant Members: But, was the firſt alſo, (though without any particular encouragement) who, in thoſe, parts where he lived, contributed his goods, and ingaged his perſon, for the Publike-ſafety: And, that, he having frequent ſolicitations, and large offers from the contrary Party, did nevertheleſſe proceed, and disburſe, voluntarily, out of his owne eſtate and credit, above 700. l. in your greateſt need; for which, he muſt pay interest, untill the principall is diſcharged; and, for part of which money (the ſame having already been owing above four yeares, he is now a Priſoner in the Gate-houſe, to his great charge and diſgrace, who was never a Priſoner for any debt of his owne.
2. That, in the beginning of this warre, he was by ſpeciall Order, plundered by the Kings Forces; and that, the honourable Houſe of Commons, being certified, by an Inventorie teſtifying, under the hands of ſixteen perſons, that this Petitioners damages (as hath been ſince alſo averred by ſeverall Oaths) amounted to above 2000. l. did thereupon, by their Order, of the 19. of February, 1642. charitably, authorize your ſaid Petitioners repaire the ſaid dammages, out of the eſtates of his Plunderers, and other Delinquents.
3. That, your ſaid Petitioner, with humble thankfulneſſe, and with due reſpect to the honour of the Parliament, endeavoured to execute the ſaid Order; But, ſo diſcountenanced was he therein, Delinquents, ſo impudently befriended, and the ſaid Order ſo ſleighted; that, he could not, thereby, recover halfe ſo much as the Intereſt of his principall damages, (as by Accompts upon Oath, and by Inventories of the particulars apprized, by ſworne Apprizers; it doth, and may appeare) and, that, inſtead of the Repaire intended by the ſaid Order, he is ingaged into ſo many troubles and ſuits, by ſeeking to execute the ſame; that, he who had never before one Suit in Law, hath now five ſuits, unjuſtly occaſioned, meerly, by the ſaid Order, to his intolerable charge and vexation.
4. That, by being plundered as aforeſaid, he hath now been deprived almoſt five yeares, both of his Stock, and of an Imployment: wherey he cleared, and might probably have cleared, for ſixteen yeares then to come, above 400. l. per annum, toward his maintenance, and the advance of his Eſtate, over and above all Rents and charges: And, that, by looſing the ſaid Stocke and imployment, in your Service; and by the Oppreſſions ſuſtained in ſeeking reliefe, by meanes of the foreſaid Order, this Petitioner, hath not onelyonly loſt ſo much yearely profit; but, hath been thereby, compelled alſo, to borrow almoſt halfe ſo much, to maintaine his Family, and to pay Taxes, Houſe-rent, and Duties, during moſt part of the ſaid time.
5. That, there is likewiſe due to this Petitioner (as appeares by his Accompts ſtated in Febr. 1646.) above 1681. l. for Arreares, beſides other juſt demands, amounting to 523. l. more then was certified by the Accomptants; all which ought to have been paid unto him above three yeares now paſt, and moſt part of it above foure yeares ſince, as will appeare by Deben…ers, and Warrants iſſued upon them by the late Generall Eſſex, and the Committee of Safety ▪ according to the allowances and payments, then made to others. And there is now juſtly due to this Petitioner, above 4150. l. for Arrears, and Diſburſements, with … the … (and as well, if not better proved, then moſt other mens loſſes) all which he is the more hopefull to receive, becauſe if it … wittingly, demanded more then is due, he will ask no favour.
6. …hat, inſtead of what was graciouſly promiſed to ſuch as had eminently ſuffered, and of what was charitably intended, by the honourable Houſe of Commons, to this Petitioner, he hath been many waies injuriouſly oppreſſed, yea publikely, and falſly ſcandalized and miſrepreſented to the ſaid Houſe, to the occaſioning of his being fined in 500. l. and of his confinement, to this day (being now almoſt a yeare and a halfe) by the unjuſt Report of one then ſitting in the ſaid Houſe of Commons, and by the concurrence of others, (of whom ſome are now departed the Kingdome) who did then condemne the innocent, and juſtifie the offender, contrary to evidence; and to the diſabling of your ſaid Petitioner, to defend himſelf, who was not only thereupon diſgracefully fined, & confined, as aforeſaid, for having honeſtly diſcharged his duty; but, ſo impoveriſhed alſo, that of above twenty horſes (which he kept conſtantly, before his ingagement for the publike) he hath, now, none; of eighteen houſhold ſervants, he hath but one, which he is likewiſe unable to maintain; and, inſtead of many diſhes at a meale, is faine to make many meales of one diſh; which, at this preſent, also, he can hardly provide: yet, theſe are not the worſt requitalls of his knowne faithfulneſſe; as will appeare hereafter more at large, if there be cauſe.
7. That, your ſaid Petitioner, having had for many years paſt, as aforeſaid, neitheir Stocke nor Imployment, whereby to maintaine his Family, or defend himſelfe, againſt his powerfull ſcandalizers and oppreſſors, was forced (after he had borrowed, untill he was aſhamed to borrow more) firſt, to ſell, at low prizes, much of his moſt neceſſary goods; and afterward, that, which he would not have left, for ten times the value; even Jewels and Plate, given as teſtimonies of their reſpect, by the Queen of Bohemia, the late Dutcheſſe of Richmond, and other honourable perſons; and yet, had perhaps periſhed, if God had not moved a charitable Member of the Houſe of Commons, to ſupport him, hitherto, beyond hope.
8. Laſtly, that, your ſaid Petitioner, hath been impriſoned ſo long, for what the State owes; and ſuffered ſo much, by them, againſt whom the State ought to protect him; that, if he be not ſpeedily relieved, he perceives no poſſibility of feeding his Family, one monethmonth longer; much leſſe, of paying his Creditors, or avoiding the inconveniences, whereto hee ſhall be ſhortly liable, by not anſwering or proſecuting, according to the chargeable Formalities of Law and Chancery; and, whereby, he hath already ſuffered above 150. l. damage, through want of wherewith, to proſecute his right, and defend himſelfe, as the ſaid Formalities, require. In a word, he is totally ruined, meerly by his ingagements for you, and by Petitioning and attending, now above foure years, without redreſſe: his eſtate is ſo confuſed; his neceſſities are ſo many; his credit ſo impaired, by being clamor'd on, for truſting to the publike-faith, other mens goods, aſwell as his own; and, his friends have hitherto been ſo few, or ſo unable: that, he knowes not which way to turn himſelf; nor, by what, he may fully illuſtrate, his preſent condition, except by the diſtractions and confuſions of this Kingdome, which, are epitomized in his: For, theſe lines containe not the tithe, of what, he can, and will further alledge, as motives of your commiſeration, if there be cauſe.
In conſideration, therefore, of what is already expreſſed; and in regard your ſaid Petitioner hath now been wheeled about, in, and by References, and Committees, nigh foure years, as aforeſaid, without other effect, ſave increaſe of ſcandalls, coſt and troubles, which are likly to out-laſt the nigh expired terme of his life; and, whereby he is now diſabled to toile any longer in thoſe Labyrinths, which have made wiſer men giddie, and ſome of them mad, both to the publike ſcandall, and their owne deſtruction; he humbly beſeecheth your Honours, to ſet a period to his troubles; and not to expoſe him to thoſe deſperate courſes, or expreſſions, which others have imprudently fallen upon, in leſſe-ſufferable extremities, to the diſhonor of the Parliament, to the loſſe of the peoples affections thereunto, the prolonging of the generall calamity, and to the hazzarding of all our happineſſe. Be pleaſed, for preventing the ruine of his innocent children; the making of him a ſcorne to his Foes; a ſhame to the Nation; and a burthen to this Common-wealth, (whereto he might perhaps, be ſome way as ſerviceable, as many others, who have better thrived, by her undoing) to vouchſafe him, ſome part of thoſe great ſums, whereof others have ſhared: yea, for your owne honours ſake, be pleaſed, according to the ancient Juſtice, and Clemency, of Engliſh Parliaments, and the many Religious Proteſtations made at the beginning of this, to take, his neceſſities and faithfulneſſe, into your ſpeedy and ſerious conſideration; and vouchſafe, that the money due to him for his Repaires, Diſburſements, and his Arrears (the price of his blood) may be forthwith paid; or, at leaſt, ſo much thereof, as may diſcharge his ingagements for the publike; being about 1400. l. and ſo much more, alſo, as may, once again, put him into ſome imployment, for his ſubſiſtance, before, that, which he hath in hope, be quite waſted, by Ʋſury, or his life, by time. And, be likewiſe pleaſed, to grant, that, the payment of the remainder, may be ſecured by an Ordinance, with intereſt for the ſame, untill the principall ſhall be diſcharged; or elſe, that in lieu of ſuch Intereſt, ſome Imployment, (if he be thought worthy or capable of any, in this Kingdome) may be conferred upon him, whereby, without charge to the State, his Family may be fed, and his children educated, the meane while, by his owne labours. Herein, your Wiſdome ſhall do an act of Juſtice, and a work of Mercy; which, as this Petitioner is perſwaded, ſhall be improved to a bleſſing; redound as much to your honour, as, a free bounty, of greater ſums, conferred; give good contentment to all the well-affected, who ſhall heare thereof; enable this Petitioner, to perform ſome future ſervice, not altogether unworthy the deſired favour; and make the whole Kingdome hopefull, that, thoſe are, or, ſhall, ſuddenly (according to the generall deſire) be purged out of both Houſes, who have been the obſtructers of Juſtice, and the prolongers of our preſent miſeries. Howſoever it ſhall ſucceed, your ſaid Petitioner will indeavour to reſt contented with Gods good pleaſure; to wait his leiſure, as patiently as he can; and, to pray for this Parliament, as in duty he is bound.
End of the text · George Wither, Declaration and Petition (1646)