Discovery of Free-State Tyranny, Letter 3
The third Letter to Mr. Bradſhaw.
SIR,
I And my Servant attending on me, have for above 6 weeks ſpace, againſt all Rules of Law, Juſtice, and the Votes of both Houſes in my very Caſe, been already kept cloſe Priſoners in Dunſter Caſtle, debarred all free converſe with others, by Diſcourſe or Letter, and acceſſe to Gods publike Ordinances, by your illegal Warrant; and although I have ſent 5 ſeveral Letters to your ſelf, and others of your Colleagues, declaring the illegallity, the extremity of theſe your Proceedings, and demanding nothing but Jnſtic… from you, which not only one Chriſtian, but Turk, Infidel, might juſtly challenge and expect from an other; yet, I can neither receive anſwer, nor ſatiſfaction from you in the leaſt meaſure; when as I never ſought to the late King himſelf in my former troubles, for any thing I deſired, but he ever gave me ſome poſitive anſwer or other, at the firſt, without one quarter of that ſollicitation which you have had, who profeſſed your ſelf, my cordial Friend; Yea whiles I was cloſe Priſoner in Mount Orgueil Caſtle, he was ſo pio…s, as upon the very firſt motion of the Governour (without any Petition from me) to grant me free acceſſe to all Gods publike Ordinances, Sermons, and the Sacrament, which I cannot yet obtain from you (pretending far more Piety and Liberty) after ſo many Letters; who are now ſo far from returning me any anſwer, that my Brother Bastwick (my Sollicitor) I know not by whoſe direction, informed me, he can obtain no admittance to your preſence, being put off, or denyed entrance by your Attendants. A ſtrange carriage of any Mortal towards his fellow Creature, but ſtranger in any Chriſtian towards his Chriſtiun Brother, and Profeſſed Friend; when a… the moſt high, moſt glori…us, …mnipote…t, incomprehenſible God, who dwelleth in the higheſt (a) Heavens, and in that light that no man can approach nnto; though bPſal. 123. 8. Eſay 57. 15. 1 Tim. 6. 16.b1 Tim. 6. 15. Pſal. 47. 2, 7.King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and a great King over over all the Earth, doth▪ ſo far humble▪ himſelf▪ (to teach the higheſt Mortals the like humility, and charity to their loweſt afflicted Brethren) as, always to give cEpheſ. 2. 10. c. 3. 12.fr…e acceſſe, a… dPſ. 34. 15.open ear, a ePſal.speedy audience, & ready anſwer to all the juſt prayers, & requeſts of the very mean…ſt of his Creatures, Servants here on earth (eſpecially in the times of their D…streſſe) and hath regiſtred this comfortable Precept, backed with a Pr…miſe, not only of audience, but Deliverance, for every faithfull Chriſtians encouragement▪ Pſal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the time of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou ſhalt glorifie me, The accompliſhment whereof hath experimentally been made good unto them, upon all occaſions, and is thus recorded to Poſteriry by the Palmiſt in his own and others Caſes. Pſal. 34. 4, 5, 6. I ſought the Lord, and he he…rd me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to him, and were lightned, and their faces were not aſhamed. This poor man cryed, and the Lord heard him, and delivered him out of all his troubles. Whoſe celeſtial example you are ſo far from imitating, notwithſtanding this Evangelical-Precept, Luke. 6. 35, 36. Be ye therefore merciful, as your heavenly Father is mercifull; for he is kind unto the unthankfull and evil; (then much more to the good) that as yet I cannot find you ſo righteous, as that Dilatory fLuke. 18. 2, 3, 4▪ 5, 6, 7, 8.Judge, which feared not God, nor regarded man, who although for a while he refuſed to avenge the importunate Widdow of her Adverſary, …et afterward ſaid within himſelf; Though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet becauſe this Widdow troubleth me, I will avenge her, leſt by h…r co…inual coming ſhe weary me. And therefore you may juſtly fear what follows in the next enſuing verſes. And ſhall not God avenge his own Elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you, that he will avenge them speedily, of all thoſe that injure, or refuſe to doe them right, according to that memorable Scripture, Prov. 21. 7. The robbery of the wicked ſhall destroy them, becauſe they refuſe to doe judgement. If you ſtill pretend, want of leiſure to do me right▪ I ſhall fi…ſt mind you, that Ki…g Philip of Macedon, giving this anſ…er to a p…r Petitioner, who demanded Iuſtice at his hands, that he had no leiſure to do her right; received this bold reply from her, gPlutar…i Apothegmat….Noli itaque Regnare; Be you then King and Preſident no longer over us, but let thoſe reign who will find leiſure to to doe us juſtice; Whereupon he immediatly did right, not only to this ſuter, but divers others. It ſhall be my reply to your Dilatory excuſe, and I wiſh it may produce the like effects in you as it did in Philip. Next I find, that ſi…ce my impriſonment in Dunſter Caſtle, you have found leaſure enough to grant out an O…der for the ſlighting of it, and removing the Garriſon thence to Taunton Caſtle, and therefore I conceive you might at the ſame time, have found leaſure enough, had you not wanted will, for my releaſe from thence, who now am like to be toſſed up and down by you, like a Tennis-Ball, from one Caſtle, and illegal Priſon to another, to my greater trouble and expence, as I was by the late Tyrannizing Prelates malice, contrary to Law, and the Subjects Liberty, as both Houſes hA New diſcove…y of the Prelat…s Tyranny. p. 142. Reſolved upon the Q…eſtion, that the War…ant dated 27 of Auguſt 13 Caroli, made for the Tranſportation of Mr. P…ynne from Carnarvan Caſtle to the Iſle of Jerſey, and his Impriſonment there, & other reſtraints therein mentio…ed, are againſt the Law and Liberty of the Subj…ct, and that he ought to be diſcharged of that impriſonment, and to have reparations for his damages ſuſteined thereby.voted in my very Caſe, which will be a further addition to my oppreſſion, and your Injuſtice render you altogether as injurious, if not as malitious towards me, as beheaded Canterbury, & add very little reputation to your new Regency over us. And is this the only fruites of your pretended friendſhip and juſtice? the only guerdon, recompenſe of all my former Labours, Loſſes, Sufferings, for the Commonwealth, and Liberty of the Nation, even in the worſt of times? is this the only Native Engliſh Freedom▪ I and other Patriots of our Country muſt n…w enjoy, expect, after ſo many years ſufferings, wars, prayers, tears, faſts, (both publike and private) ſo profuſe an expence of our Treaſure▪ Blood, and exhausted Eſtates, to regain, maintain our hereditary Liberties againſt all invaſions, to be now at laſt, without, before any legal pr…ceſſe, or Inditement, upon m…er general ſurmiſes, fears▪ ſuſpitions, thus violently pulled out of our houſes, baniſhed our habitations, divorced from our families, deprived of our Callings, diſſeiſed of our Offices, T…uſts, Freeholds, attainted in new kind of Premunires, put out of protection of thoſe very Laws to which we were born undoubted heirs; ſequeſtred from all free converſe with our Friends, Country-men, by conference or writing; debarred acceſſe to all Gods publi…e Ordinances, for the inſtruction or conſolation of our Souls; plundred of our Papers, Writings, Records, Horſes, Armes, at the arbitrary Diſcretion of every Sowldier or New iCondemned by the Declaration and Judgement of both Houſes, Exact Collection, p. 853, 854, 855, 8 87.Militia-man, carryed through the Country in triumph, like Turkiſh Galleyſlaves, conſined, baniſhed, impriſoned, toſſed up and down from one illegal Priſon to another, from one illegal Judicatory to another, and ruined by unceſſant new Taxes, Exciſes, Payments, without and againſt all rules of Law and Juſtice, contrary to ſo many ſolemn Proteſtations, Declarations, Remonſtrances, Leagues, Covenants, ratified, ſubſcribed in Gods ſacred preſence, with hands lifted up to Heaven; And that by a few of our meer fellow-Subjects, who have not the leaſt ſhadow of any lawfull jurisdiction over us from God or Man, much leſſe of any ſuch abſolute, arbitrary, Tyrannical Domination over our Perſons, Estates, Liberties, Lives, as they now dayly exerciſe: which the beheaded King, yea the moſt oppreſſive of his Royal Predeceſſors, never exerciſed, nor pretended to, but kExact Coll…ction. p. 242, 28, 29, 267, 500.abſolutely diſclaimed and proteſted againſt, as both illegal and tyrannical? And muſt we ſtill be conſtrained to pay heavy monthly Contributions, Exciſes, only to maintain Souldiers, to ſupport ſuch an oppreſſing lHab. 17.Self-created Authority, power over us, and execute all their iregal Warrants, to break up, ſearch, command our Houſes, ranſack our Studies, writings, ſeiſe, in priſon our perſons, plunder our goods, diſſeiſe us of our Freeholds, take away our lives, and make us more abſolute Vaſſals to our new Supremacie, than the moſt Slaviſh Turks are to their Grand Seignior? Did ever the free people of England (voted by the Army and thoſe at Weſtminſter the mJan. 4. 1648.only Supreme Authority of the Nation next under God▪ and the only fountain of all lawfull Authority) ever transferr ſuch an exorbitant Iuriſdiction as this, over themſelves, or me, to thoſe at White-hall, or any other, who ſtile themſelves, their Repreſentatives, or authorize them to do the leaſt Action contrary to Magna Charta, the Statutes of 25. E. 3. c. 4▪ 42. E. 3. c. 3. the Petition of Right, the Statutes of 25. E. 1. c. 5, 6. 28. E. 1. c. 1. 34. E. 1. De Tallagio non concedendo. 1, 2, 3, 4. 14 E▪ 3. Stat. 2. c. 1. 1. R. 3. c. 2. 35▪ E. 1. De Aſp…rtatis Religioſorum, and other Acts, but lately made and aſſented to by the late be-headed King, An. 1640? And if not, as is moſt certain, then how can, or dare you, thus illegally ab…ſe, impriſon, cloſe impriſon m…, and ſundry others, as you have done; and to levy nSee my v…nd…cation of the Subj…cts L…e…ty againſt …llegall T…xes. Exact Coll…ct… o…, p. 882, 883, 884, 885, 886.illegall Contributions, and Taxes, on me ſince my chargable impriſonme…t, not granted, nor impoſed by the Common Conſent of the Earls, Barons, Great men, and Commons of the Realm in full Parliament, by Act of Parliament, only to maintain Souldiers to apprehend▪ ſecur…, impriſo… my ſelf, and th' other free-men of England, and Lord it …ver us, by colour of your unlawfull warrants, contrary to the expreſſe Letter of all theſe Acts and Reſolutions of our two laſt Parliaments?
Yet this is not all the Oppreſſion I now groan under; but as if the former had not been ſufficient, ſome Malitia (rather then Militia) Gentlemen of our County, (the originall Contrivers of my preſent Commitment, if I be not miſ-informea) in the proſecution of their further malice towards me, on Tueſday night laſt, ſent a Warrant by the Conſtable to my houſe (I know not by what new pretended Authority) to ſend in an horſe and man, (ſuch as they ſhould approve of) compleatly furniſhed, to their worſhips, at Wells (17. miles from my houſe) the very next morning, without fail: To whom my Siſter returned this anſwer; that I was a cloſe Priſoner, fifty miles off: that I had neither …orſe, nor Arms to ſend, and it was impoſſible to provide any at ſo ſhort warning, neither would my eſtate bear ſuch an heavy new Charge (being not chargable with an horſe, by their late inſtructions) He replyeth, that no excuſe would ſerve, but and horſe and man muſt be ſent, under I know not what heavy penal…y…; & none beingſent upon theſe Grounds, I daily expect to hear of their utmoſt Ex…remitys againſt this my pretended Default, being encouraged thereto by my preſent reſtraint: The illegallity and dangerouſneſſe of which new Arbitrary Authority in theſe Commiſſioners of the Militia, arraigning, Aſſeſſing men with Arms & impriſoning, fining men at their arbitrary Diſcretion, without any legal tryal being largely argued, vored, reſolved, … to the Kingdom, by the oExact Col…etion. p. 380, 442, 462, 485. 469. 478. 550, 551, 850, to 890.Declaration of the Lords & Commons concerning the Diſtractions of the Kingdome, 1▪ 2. Iuly 1642. By the Petition of both Houſes, 20. Iuly 1642. By his Majeſties Declaration to all his Subjects, Aug. 12. 1642. and by the Lords and Commons 2. Declaration, against the Commiſſion of Array, 12. Ian: 1642. I ſhall not diſpute it here, but referr you thereunto. And for their preſent practice, in diſ-arming many well affected Gentlemen and Yeomen of beſt rank and Quality, puiting their arms into Mercinaries hands, and not truſting them with their own or the Kingdomes Defence; as it is againſt all Preſidents in former ages, cited either by the late King or Parliament, concerning the Array or Militia; ſo it was thus publickly declared againſt by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, in caſe of the King and his party, in their Printed pExact Collectio…, …. 575.Declaration of 18. Auguſt 1642. A third obſervation is this; That Arms were taken from the honest Gentlemen, Yeomen, and Townſmen; and put into the hands of ſuch deſperate Perſons as cannot live but by rapin… and ſpoyl. A fourth, That not withstanding all the Vows and Proteſtations to Govern according to Law, which have been diſperſed throughout the Kingdome, to blind and deceive the People. THE MOST qAnd are not they ſopractiſed now, in the very ſelfſam…, or a …rr more dangerous in this and others Particulars▪MISCHEIVOUS PRINCIPLFS OF TYRANNY ARE PRACTISED THAT EVER WERE INVENTED; that is, TO DISARM THE MIDDLE SORT OF PEOPLE who are the body of the Kingdom…, AND TO MAINTAIN SOULDIERS BY FORCED CONTRIBVTION TO CREATE A PROVINTIALL GOVERMENT IN THE NORTH (but now throughout the Kingdom) CLEARLY AGAINST THE COMMON LAW, AND THE JUDGEMENT GIVEN THIS PARLIAMENT, for taking away the Court at York. That the Contrivers and Inſtruments of …h…ſe miſchiefs, for th…ir better ſtrengthning in theſe Deſigns, are about to joyn themſelves in Aſſociation with other Counties; That Directions are given that ſuch as ſhall oppoſe and …ot joyn with them, ſhall be violently plundred and pillaged ▪of their horſes and Ar…es, at leaſt, if not of their goods and eſtates.) VponUpon all which conſiderations, and unjuſt Oppreſſions, now impoſed on, or threatned to me be reaſon of my preſent reſtraint, I do once more, of meer common right, Demand my unconditioned preſent Enlargement, that …o my impriſonment may not ſurvive my now Demoliſhing new Priſon, where there are neer 300. Pioners at work to level, not only the Caſtle Walls▪ but …lling houſe it ſelf, to the very ground, by pretext of your freſh warrant; though the beſt Seat in the County; yea the antient habitation of an Eminent Gentleman, and his Anceſtors, who have been always cordial to, & ſuſtained many thouſand pounds loſſe for the Parliament; who yet, without any Notice, or 3 days warning, rBy an expreſ…e warrant of the new, raſh, inconſiderate Militia, grounded on yours at White▪hall.muſt have his houſe pu…led down over his head, before, yea without any veiw, hearing, or recompence; himſelf, his Wife and Family▪ turned out into the Streets (having no other habitation for the preſent,) & inſtead of receiving recompence for his former Six thouſand pound loſſes or more, be rewarded with neer ten thouſand pound new Dammages, for his fidelity toward you; to the great rejoycing and triumph of all the Malignants in the County, who laugh in their ſleeves, to ſee how gratefully and bountifully you reward your beſt deſerving friends, for all their loſſes and Services for the publick, with greater Injuries, Dammages, Affronts, Oppreſſions and reſtrai… is, than ever they received from the worſt, and crueleſt of their Enemies. Which is the preſent condition o… Mr. George Lutterell; the owner of my Demoliſhing Priſon of Dunſter Caſtle; and of
Your much oppreſſed cloſe Impripriſoned Vaſſall, WILL. PRYNNE. From my Demoliſhing Priſon in Dunſter Caſtle.