Letter to Sir John Robinson, Letter – Postscript
A Letter writ to Sir John Robinſon Lieutenant of the Tovver,
By EDWARD BAGSHVVE, Cloſe-Priſoner there.
SIR,
THough I believe you have no Remorſe, yet I ſuppoſe you cannot but be conſcious, how unworthily you have uſed me; and becauſe, whenever you do any thing which is injurious & oppreſſive, you are apt to excuſe your ſelf by your Orders, in the obſervance of which, eſpecially when they are harſh and ſevere, you pretend to a great deal of care and ſtrictneſs; I deſire therefore to know what Warrant you had to commit me unto the Dungeon, and to detain me there four dayes, under ſuch Rigorous and Unchriſtian Circumſtances, that none could have been guilty of doing, but one, who, together with his Religion, had put off all ſence of common Humanity. You have told me indeed, and it is a Poſition, not only falſe and damnable in Divinity, but utterly deſtructive of our Engliſh Liberty, that The King hath a Prerogative above the Law, by which he may puniſh Whom and How he pleaſeth: But were I willing ſo far to unman my ſelf, and to deny both my Religion and Reaſon, as to admit of that, yet I am ſure, His Jaylor hath no Prerogative, but ſtands upon the … Level with the reſt of his Brethren: And therefore it is my purpoſe to call you to an Account for that barbarous, and, in a Chriſtian State, never ſufficiently to be abhorred Action, unleſs you have the King's, or his Secretaries Hand to authoririze you for the doing of it.
But, Sir, that ſaying, how unjuſtifiable ſoever, is but part of your Crime, for when I adviſed You not to do any thing but what you could juſtifie by Law: You replied, that You had nothing to do either with the Law or Parliaments; and You do daily manifeſt by your Lawleſs carriage, both to my ſelf and the reſt of the Priſoners here, that you ſpake as you thought. But, Sir, ſuch an Aſſertion, in perſons who are entruſted with the Lives of others, is ſo Black and Horrid; and the condition of thoſe who are under your Power, is by it, made ſo Unſafe, that I dare no longer conceal my knowledge, but intend forth with to ſignify unto ſome Members of the Houſe of Commons, what a Monſtrous and Unnatural kind of Offender you are; of which I thought fit to give you this private Notice, that you might not be ſurprized, but prepare your ſelf, either to defend, or, which I rather wiſh, to expiate your Fault by Repentance.
Sir, It is poſſible you may think, that a juſt and due ſenſe of my own Unmerited and Illegal Sufferings, hath excited me to ſeek for Juſtice upon … Inflicter of them; but I can aſſure you, that, in t… Action, I am as free from Malice, as You, in yo… late one, was from Piety and Honour: It is a ſe… vice which I owe, firſt to God, and next to my O… preſſed Country-men, who are in Bondage unde… You, to diſcover unto the Parliament, what a wretched and unworthy Task-maſter is ſet over them, who, though he is crept in to be one of their Number, by whom Laws are made, and Grievances ſhould be redreſſed, yet is not afraid to profeſs, that he hath nothing to do either with the Law or Them.
Sir, As a Friend, and one that is ready to forgive you all my Perſonal Injuries, let me entreat you to bethink your ſelf in time, and by a ſolemn Retracting of what you then ſaid, prevent your being brought upon the Stage: Or if, in confidence of your preſent Power, you reſolve to perſiſt in the owning of ſuch Tyrannical Principles, and in Practices correſpondent to them, hereafter, you can accuſe none but your ſelf, if your ſins …ut and hunt you unto puniſh… …
Sir, Ready to ſerve you in all Chriſtian Offices, EDW. BAGSHAVVE. March 16. 1663/4.
POST-SCRIPT.
SIR,
THe fore-going Letter had been delivered into your own hand, in the ſame private and concealed manner which there is mentioned: But your Uncivil, as well as Illegal, denying me the Uſe of my Pen and Ink, hath forced me to ſend it you from the Preſſe, ſo that now it is no longer in my power to keep your Counſel: But hereafter, if this occaſions your being queſtioned for ſo Inſolent an Expreſſion, I hope you will be ſatisfied that Guilt is a very Ill Counſellor, ſince the very means you deſigned unduly to ſilence my Complaint, hath made me find out another, which you will be leſs able to reſiſt the effects of. And now, Sir, that the World will take notice of your Abſurd and Ungodly Demeanour, never imagine that any thing but speedy Repentance can ſecure you: And becauſe I fear, that you have ſinned even in your own thoughts, ſo much unto Death, that you despair of any Recovery, I leave you to the Anguiſh of your Conſcience, till the Hand of Juſtice brings your Fears upon You.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edward Bagshaw, Letter to Sir John Robinson (1663)