[13]
Lieut: Col. Lilburne. And although no crime in Law (which ought to be particularly expressed) was laid unto my charge, yet when I was first imprisoned, there were thousands of my friends (well wishers to the freedomes of England, and to the common cause in which they had been ingaged in for these eight yeares together) both old and young, both masters of families, young men and apprentises, and abundance of others of the feminine sex too, with abundance of cordiall honest men in severall Countries, joyned in severall rationall and fair petitions, and delivered them to the House in the behalfe of my selfe and my three fellow Prisoners; in which they most earnestly intreated them, that they would not prejudges us before we were heard, and knew our accusers and accusations; but rather that they would release us, and take off their prejudgeing Votes against us, which they have caused to be proclaimed in all the publique places of the Nation against us, and let us have a fair and Legall Triall according to the Lawes of England, and according to the undenyable Priviledges of the due processe of the Law from first to last, and they would put in any security that they would require of them, that we should be forthcomming at all times, to answer whatsoever in Law could be laid to our charge; unto all which petitions which were very many, they could get no manner of satisfying answer, but slights, abuses, and scornes.
But besides this Gentlemen, that you may see that I am rationall, and that you may see I have an innocent and quiet Conscience within me, that does not accuse me nor terrifie me, therefore I must acquaint you that I again and again proffered my chiefest Adversaries, and sent often to them, being earnestly desirous to chuse two Members of the House of Commons, and let them chuse two m ore whom they pleased, and I would withall my heart freely refer all manner of difference betwixt them and me, to the finall determination and judgement of four of their fellow Members; but all this would do no good, and yet they would not in the least let me understand what was the thing they desired of me, but by their Power and Will, I had my pockets and Chamber searched to find out advantages against me, and also lock’d up close Prisoner, with Centinells night and day set at my door, and denyed the accesse and sight of my Wife and Children for some certain time, and for about twenty weeks together in the heat of summer, kept close Prisoner, and denyed the liberty of the Prison, and my estate with a strong hand taken away from me, without any pretence (or due process) of Law, to the value of almost three thousand pounds, that was Legally and justly invested in me, and in my
