which hee replied and said in these words Come said he be not sad you are but fallen into the Knaves hands To which I said I am not sad in the least and for my falling into Knaves hands I verily beleeve without any questioning that which you have said And then he swore another Oath and said it was true enough So good Christian Reader take notice of thus much by the way that the Prelates and their Creatures are a company of Knaves by Boniragge his owne confession That night I was kept at Elamstedds house where I blesse God I was merry and cherefull and nothing at all danted at that which had befalne me And about twelve of the clocke the next day I was committed to the Gatehouse by Sir Iohn the Prelate of Canterburies Chancellour with others without any examination at all for sending of factious and fcandalous Bookes out of Holland into England And having not beene at the foresaid prison above three dayes I was removed by a Warrant from the Lords of the Counsell to the Fleet where I now remaine And after my being there some time I drew a Petition to the Lords of the Counsell for my liberty and their answer to it was that I should be examined before Sir Iohn Bankes the Kings Atturney The Coppy of which examination thus followes Vpon Tuesday the 14. of Ianuary 1637. I was had to Sir Iohâ— Bankâ— the Atturney Generall's Chamber now Lord chiefe Justice of the 〈◊〉 of Pleas and was referred to be examined by Mr. 〈◊〉 his chiâ—â—â— Clerke And at our first comming together he did kindly intreat me and made me sit downe by him and put on my hat and began with me after this manner Mr. Lilburne what is your Christian name I said Iohn Did you live in London before you went into Holland Yes that I did Where Neare Londonstone With whom there With Mr. Thomas Hewson What Trade is he A dealer in Cloath I told him How long did you serve him About five yeares How came you to part After this manner I * perceiving my Master had an intention to desist his Trade I often moved him that I might have my liberty to provide for my selfe and at the last hee condescended unto it and so I went into the Country to have the consent of my friends and after that departed into Holland Where were you there At Rotterdam And from thence you went to Amsterdam Yes I was at Amsterdam What Bookes did you see in Holland Great store of Bookes for in every Bookesellers shop as I came in there were greate store of Bookes I know that but I aske you if you did see Dr. Bastwicks Answer to my Masters Information and a Book called his Letany yes I saw them there and if you please to goe thither you may buy an hundred of them at the Bookesellers if you have a minde to them Have you seene the Vnbishopping of Timothy and Titus the Lookingglasse and * a Breviate of the Bishops late proceedings Yes I have and those also you may have there if you please to send for them Who Printed all those Bookes I doe not know Who was at the charges of Printing of them Of that I am ignorant But did you not send over some of these Bookes I sent not any of them over Doe you know one Hargust there Yes I did see such a man Where did you see him I met with him one day accidentally at Amsterdam How oft did you see him there Twise upon one day But did not he send over Bookes If he did it is nothing to me for his doings is unknowne to me But he wrote a Letter over by your directions did he not What he writ I know no more than you But did you see him no where else there Yes I saw him at Rotterdam What conference had you with him Very little But why doe you aske me all these questions These are besides the matter of my imprisonment I pray come to the thing for which I am accused and imprisoned No these are not besides the businesse but doe belong to the thing for which you are imprisoned But doe you know of any that sent over any Bookes What other men did doth not belong to me to know or search into sufficient it is for me to looke well to my owne occasions Well here is the examination of one Edmond Chilington doe you know such a one Yeâ— How long have you beene acquainted with him A little before I went away but how long I doe not certainely know Doe you know one Iohn Wharton No Doe you not he is a Hot-presser I know him but I doe not well remember his other name How long have you beene acquainted with him And how came you acquainted I cannot well tell you How long doe you thinke I doe not know What speeches had you with Chillington since you came to Towne I am not bound to tell you But Sir as I said before why doe you aske me all these questions these are nothing pertinent to my imprisonment for I am not imprisoned for knowing and talking with such and such men But for sending over Bookes And therefore I am not willing to answer you to any more of these questions because I see you goe about by this examination to insnare mee for seeing the things for which I am imprisoned cannot be proved against me you would get other matter out of my examination and therefore iâ— you will not aske me about the thing laid to my charge I shall answer no more but if you will aske me of that I shall then answer you and doe answer that for the thing for which I am imprisoned which is for sending over Bookes I am cleare for I sent none And of any other matter that you have to accuse me of I know it is warrantable by the Law of God and I thinke by the Law of the Land that I may stand upon my just defence and not answer to your intergatorie and that my accusers ought to be brought face to face to justifie what they accuse me of And this is all the answer that for the present I am willing to make And if you aske me of any more things I shall answer you with silence At this he was exceeding angry and said There would be course taken with me to make me answer I told him I did not way what course they would take with me onely this I desire you to take notice of that I doe not refuse to answer out of any contempt but onely because I am ignorant what belongs to an examination for this is the first time that ever I was examined and therefore I am unwilling to answer to any importinent questions for feare that with my answer I may doe my selfe hurt This is not the way to get liberty I had thought you would have answered punctually that so you might have beene dispatched as shortly as might be So I have answered punctually to the
Brethren to all you that love the Lord Jesus Christ and desire that he should raigne and rule in your hearts and lives to you especially and to as many as heare me this day I direct my speech I stand here in the place of ignominy and shame yet to me it is not so but I owne and embrace it as the Welcome Crosse of Christ and as a badge of my Christian Profession I have beene already whipt from the Fleete to this place by vertue of a censure from the Honourable Lords of the Star-Chamber hereunto the Cause of my censure I shall declare unto you as briefly as I can The Lord by his speciall hand of providence so ordered it that not long agoe I was in Holland where I was like to have settled my selfe in a course of trading that might have brought me in a pretty large portion of earthly things after which my heart did too much runne but the Lord having a better portion in store for me and more durable riches to bestow upon my soule by the same hand of providence brought me backe againe and cast mee into easie affliction that thereby I might be weaned from the world and see the vanity and emptinesse of all things therein And hee hath now pitched my soule upon such an object of beautie amiablenesse and excellencie as is as permanent and endurable as Eternity it selfe namely the personall excellencie of the Lord Jesus Christ the sweetnesse of whose presence no affliction can ever be able to wrest out of my soule Now while I was in Holland it seemes there were divers Bookes of that noble and renowned Doctor Iohn Bastwicke sent into England which came to the hands of one Edmond Chillington for the sending over of which I was taken and apprehended the plot being before laid by one Iohn Chilliburne whom I supposed and tooke to be my friend servant to my old fellow soldier Master Iohn Wharton living in Bow-lane after this manner I walking in the street with the said Iohn Chilliburne was taken by the Pursevant and his men the said Iohn as I verily believe having given direction to them where to stand and hee himselfe was the third man that laid hands on mee to hold mee Now at my censure before the Lords I there declared upon the word of a Christian that I sent not over those Bookes neither did I know the Ship that brought them nor my of the men that belonged to the Ship nor to my knowledge did I ever see either Ship or any appertaining to it in all my dayes Besides this I was accused at my examination before the Kings Atturney at his Chamber by the said 〈◊〉 Chillington Button-seller living in Canon-street neere Alchurch Lane and late prisoner in Bridewell and Newgate for printing ten or welve thousand Bookes in Holland and that I woud have printed the Vnmasking the mysterie of Iniquitie if I could have gotten a true copy of it and that I had a Chamber in Mastor Iohn Foot 's house at Delfe where he thinks the Books were kept Now here I declare before you all upon the word of a suffering Christian that hee might as well have accused me of printing a hundred thousand hookes and the one been as true as the other and for the printing the Vnmasking the Mysterie of Iniquitie upon the word of an honest man I never saw nor to my knowledge heard of the Booke till I came backe againe into England and for my having a Chamber in Master Iohn Foot 's house at Delfe where he thinks the Bookes were kept I was so farre from having a Chamber there as I never lay in his house but twice or thrice at the most and upon the last Friday of the last Terme I was brought to the Star-Chamber Barre where before me was read the said * Edmond Chillingtons Affidavit upon Oath against Mr. Iohn Wharton and my selfe the summe of which oath was That hee and I had printed at Rotterdam in Holland Doctor Bastwicks Answer and his Letany withdivers other scandalous Bookes Now here againe I speake it in the presence of God and all you that heare mee that Master Wharton and I never joyned together in printing either these or any other Bookes whatsoever neither did I receive any money from him toward the printing any Withall in his first Oath hee peremptorily swore that wee had printed them at Rotterdam unto which I likewise say That he hath in this particular forsworne himselfe for mine owne part I never in all my dayes either printed or caused to be printed either for my selfe or for Master Wharton any Bookes at Rotterdam neither did I come into any Printing-house there all the time I was in the Citie And then upon the Tuesday after he swore against both of us againe The summe of which Oathes was that I had confessed to him which is most false that I had printed Doctor Bastwicke◠Answer to Sir Iohn Bancks his Information and his Letany and another Booke called Certaine Answers to Certaine Objections and another Booke called The Vanity and Impiety of the old Letany and that I had divers other Bookes of the said Doctor Bastwicks in printing and that Master Wharton had been at the charges of printing a Book called A Breviate of the Bishops late proceedings and another Booke called sixteene new Queries and in this his Oath hath sworne they were printed at Rotterdam or somewhere else in Holland and that one Iames Oldam a Turner keeping Shop at Westminster-hall-gate dispersed divers of these Bookes Now in this Oath he hath againe forsworne himselfe in a high degree for whereas he tooke his Oath that I had printed the Booke called The Vanity and Impiety of the old Letany I here speake it before you all that I never in all my dayes did see one of them in print but I must confesse I have seene and read it in written hand before the Doctor was censured and as for other Bookes of which he saith I have divers in printing To that I answer that for mine owne particular I never read nor saw any of the Doctors Bookes but the forenamed foure in English and one little thing more of about two sheets of paper which is annexed to the Vanity of the old Letany and as for his Latine Bookes I never saw any but two Namely his Flagellum for which he was first censured in the High Commission Court and his Apologeticus which were both in print long before I knew the Doctor But it is true there is a second edition of his Flagellum but that was at the presse above two yeeres agoe namely Anno 1634. and some of this impression was in England before I came out of Holland And these are the maine things for which I was censured and condemned being two oathes in which the said Chillington hath palpably forsworne himselfe and if hee had not forsworne himselfe yet by the Law as I am given to understand I might have excepted against him
that you be not partakers of her sinnes and that you receive not of her plagues for her sinnes have reached unto heaven and God hath remembred her iniquities Here is the voyce of God himselfe commanding all his chosen ones though they have lived under this Antichristian slavish power and estate along time yet at last to withdraw their obedience and subjection from it My brethren we are all at this present in a very dangerous and fearefull condition under the Idolatrous and spirituall bondage of the Prelates in regard wee have turned traytors unto our God in seeing his Almighty great name and his heavenly truth troden under foot and so highly dishonoured by them and yet wee not onely let them alone in holding our peace but most slavishly and wickedly subject our selves unto them fearing the face of a piece of dirt more than the Almighty great God of Heaven and Earth who is able to cast both body and soule into everlasting damnation Oh repent I beseech you therefore repent for that great dishonour you have suffered to be done unto God by your fearefulnesse and cowardlinesse and for the time to come put on couragious resolutions like valiant souldiers of Iesus Christ and fight manfully in this his spirituall battell in which battell some of his souldiers have already lost part of their blood and withall study this Booke of the Revelation and there you shall find the mysterie of iniquitie fully unfolded and explained and also you shall see what great spirituall battels have beene fought betwixt the Lambe and his Servant and the Dragon the Divell and his vassals and some are to fight Therefore gird on your spirituall armour spoken of Ephes. 6. that you may quit your selves like good and faithful souldiers and feare no colours the victory and conquest is ours already for wee are sure to have it I doe not speake of any bodily and temporall battell but onely of a spirituall one and be not discouraged and knocked off from the study of it because of the obscurity and darknesse of it fore Lord hath promised his enlightening Spirit unto all his people that are laborious and studious to know him aright and also hee hath promised a blessing and pronounced a blessednesse unto all that reade and labour to keep the things contained in this booke Rev. 1. 3. My Christian brethren in the bowels of Jesus Christ I beseech you doe not contemne the things that are delivered to you in regard of the meannesse and weakenesse of me the instrument being but one of the meanest and unworthiest of the servants of Jesus Christ for the Lord many times doth great things by weake meanes that his power may be more seene for we are too ready to cast our eye upon the meanes and instrument not looking up unto that Almighty power that is in God who is able to doe the greatest things by the weakest meanes and therefore out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings he hath ordained strength Psal. 8. 2. And he hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen yea things which are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 1. 27. 28. And he gives the reason wherefore he is pleased so to doe That no flesh should glory in his presence So you see God is not tyed to any instrument and meanes to effect his owne glory but hee by the least instrument is able to bring to passe the greatest things It is true I am a young man and no Scholler according to that which the world counts Schollership yet I have obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull and bee by a divine providence hath brought mee hither this day and I speake to you in the name of the Lord being assisted with the spirit and power of the God of heaven and earth and I speake not the words of rashnesse or inconsideratenesse but the words of sobernesse and mature deliberation for I did consult with my God before I came hither and desired him that hee would direct and enable me to speake that which might be for his glory and the good of his people And as I am a souldier fighting under the banner of the great and mighty Captain the Lord Iesus Christ and as I looke for that crowne of immortality which one day I know shall be set upon my temples being in the condition that I am in I dare not hold my peace but speake unto you with boldnesse in the might and strength of my God the things which the Lord in mercy hath made knowne unto my soule come life come death When I was here about there came a fat Lawyer I doe not know his name and commanded me to hold my peace and leave my preaching To whom I replyed and said Sir I will not hold my peace but speake my mind freely though I be hanged at Tiburne for my paines It seems he himselfe was galled and touched as the Lawyers were in Christs time when he spake against the Scribes and Pharisees which made them say Master in saying thus thou revilest us also So he went his way and I think complained to the Lords but I went on with my speech and said My brethren be not discouraged at the wayes of God for the affliction and crosse that doth accompany them for it is sweet and comfortable drawing in the yoake of Christ for all that and I have found it so by experience for my soule is fild so full of spirituall and heavenly joy that with my tongue I am not able to expresse it neither are any capable I think to partake of so great a degree of consolation but onely those upon whom the Lords gracious afflicting hand is And for mine owne part I stand this day in the place of an evill doer but my conscience witnesseth that I am not so And hereabout I put my hand into my pocket and puld out three of worthy Dr. Bastwicks Books and threw them among the people and said There is part of the Bookes for which I suffer take them among you and reade them and see if you find any thing in them against the Law of God the Law of the Land the glory of God the honour of the King or State I am the sonne of a Gentle man and my friends are of ranke and qualitie in the Countrey where they live which is 200. miles from this place and I am in my present condition deserted of them all for I know not one of them dare meddle with mee in my present estate being I am stung by the Scorpions the Prelates and for any thing that I know it may be I shall never have a favourable countenance from any of them againe and withall I am a young man and likely to have lived well and in plenty according to the
justification Well my Lords said the great Prelate this fellow meaning me hath been one of the notoriousest disperser of Libellous bookes that is in the Kingdome and that is the Father of them all pointing to old Mr. Wharton Then I replied and said Sir I know you are not able to prove and to make that good which you have said I have testimony of it said he Then said I produce them in the face of the open Court that wee may see what they have to accuse me of And I am ready here to answer for my selfe and to make my just defence With this he was silent * and said not one word more to me and then they asked my fellow Souldiour old Mr. Wharton whether he would take the Oath which hee refused and began to tell them of the Bishops cruelty towards him and that they had had him in * five severall prisons within this two yeares for refusing the Oath And then there was silence after which was read a long peece of businesse how the Court had proceeded against some that had harboured Jesuits and Seminary-Priests those Traitors who refused to be examined upon Oath and in regard that we refused likewise to be examined upon Oath it was fit they said that we should be proceeded against as they were so they were the president by which we were censured though their cause and ours be much unlike in regard theirs were little better than Treason but our crime was so farre from Treason that it was neither against the glory of God the honour of the King the Lawes of the Land nor the good of the Common-wealth but rather for the maintaining of the honour of them all as all those that read the bookes without partiall affections and prejudicate hearts can witnesse and declare and if the bookes had had any Treason or any thing against the Law of the Land in them yet we were but subposedly guilty for the things were never fully proved against us indeed there was two Oathes read in court which they said was sworne against us by one man but he was never brought face to face and in both his Oathes he hath forsworne himselfe as in many particulars thereof wee both are able to make good In the conclusion my Lord Keeper stood up and said My Lords I hold it fit that they should be both for their contempt committed close prisoners till Tuesday next and if they doe not conforme themselves betwixt this and then to take the Oath and yeeld to be examined before Mr. Goad then that they shall be brought hither againe and censured and made an Example * Unto which they all agreed and so we were committed close prisoners and no friends admitted to come unto us And upon Munday after we were had to Grayes Inne and I being the first there Mr. Goad said to me according to the Lords Order upon Friday last I have sent for you to tender the Oath unto you Sir I beseech you let me heare the Lords Order So he caused it to be read unto mee and then tendered mee the Booke Well Sir said I I am of the same minde I was and withall I understand that this Oath is one and the same with the High Commission Oath which Oath I know to be both against the Law of God and the Law of the Land and therefore in briefe I dare not take the Oath though I suffer death for the refusall of it Well said he I did not send for you to dispute with you about the lawfulnesse of it but onely according to my place to tender it unto you Sir I dare not take it though I loose my life for the refusall of it So he said he had no more to say to me and I tooke my leave of him and came away And after that came the old Man and it was tendered unto him which he refused to take and as he hath told me he declared unto him how the Bishops had him eight times in prison for the refusall of it and he had suffered the Bishops mercilesse cruelty for many yeares together and he would nownever take it as long as he lived and withall told him that if there were a Cart ready at the doore to carry him to Tiburne he would be hanged before ever hee would take it And this was that dayes businesse Upon the next morning about seven a clocke we were had to the Star-Chamber-bar againe to receive our Censure and stood at the Bar about two boures before Sir Iohn Bancks came but at the last hee began his accusation against us that we did still continue in our former stubbornenesse and also there was another Affidavit of the foresaid Edmond Chillingtons read against us the summe of which was that I had confessed to him that I had printed Dr. Bastwickes Answer to Sir Iohn Bancks his Information and his Letany and an other booke called An Answer unto certaine Objections and another booke of his called the Vanitie and Impiety of the old Letany and that I had divers other bookes of Dr. Bastwickes a Printing and that Mr. Iohn Wharton had beene at the charges of Printing a booke called A breviate of the Bishops late proceedings and an other booke called Sixteene new Quertes and divers other factious bookes and that one James Ouldam a Turner in Westminster-Hall had dispersed divers of these bookes So it came to me to speake and I said after this manner Most Noble Lords I beseech your Honours that you would be pleased to give me leave to speake for my selfe and to make my just defence and I shall labour so to Order my speeches as that I shall not give your Honours any just distaste and withall shall doe it with as much brevitie as I can So having obtained my desire I began and said My Lords it seemes there was divers bookes sent out of Holland which came to the hands of one Edmond Chillinton which made this affidavit against us and as I understand he delivered divers of these bookes unto one Iohn Chilliburne servant to this old Man Mr. Wharton I said he my Lords and I had given him a strict charge that he should not meddle with any and his Master being in Prison he dispersed divers of them for the foresaid Chillingtons use whereupon the bookes were taken in his Custody and he being found dispersing of them gos to one Smith a Taylor in Bridewell as I am informed desires him to get his peace made with the Bishops whereupon he covenants with some of the Bishops Creatures to betray me into their hands being newly come out of Holland which as he said did send over these bookes So my Lords he having purchased his owne libertie layes the plot for betraying me and I was taken by a Purfevant and foure others of his assistance walking in the streets with the foresaid Iohn Chilliburne who had laid and contrived the plot before as I am able to make good and the next
morning I was committed by Sir Iohn Lamb to the Gate-house now my Lords I doe protest before your Honours in the word of a Christian that I did not send over thefe bookes neither did J know the Ship that brought them nor any that belongs to the ship nor to my knowledge did never see with my eyes either the ship or any that belongs unto it But before I proceede with my Speech I desire to digresse a little in regard that Iohn Chilliburne doth yet stifly maintaine that he did not betray me nor laid the plot and therefore I doe him wrong for accusing him he saith To which I answer and say in this he is worfe than Iudas himselfe for after he had betrayed Christ he came and confessed his sinne and said I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood and this man hath betraied Christ in betraying me his member for what is done to his servant he takes it as done to himselfe but he is not so good as Iudas who confessed his fault but he hides and justifies his sinne and therefore I will declare my Grounds and Demonstrations whereupon I am sure he was the Judas The first is thus He and I appointed to meete one day upon the Exchange at two a clocke unto which place I came and staid long for his comming but hee came not and I verily thinke he sent two or three in his place two of them being Arminians living in Cornehill which J my selfe knew who passed againe and again by me vewing very narrowly my apparell visage and countenance as J thinke for that end that they might know mee againe and when J sat downe they would passe by and goe a little from me and sit downe and fix their eyes upon me insomuch that J was afraid that J should there have beene taken which forced me to depart And at our next meeting J told him of it and how that unlesse J had knowne him well J should have beleeved he had betrayed me Unto which hee gave me no satisfactory answer but put it off and said his libertie was as precious as mine and if he should betray me he must betray himselfe and therefore J needed not to doubt any such thing the Lord having blinded my eyes J could not see into his treacherous heart but tooke this for a currant answer J knowing that he had had a deepe hand in the dispersing of bookes and therefore J gave credite to that which he had said as being a reall Truth the Lord having a secret hand of providence in it J hope at the last for his glorie and my good did so Order it that I should not take notice or perceive his perfidiousnesse though I had an incling given me of it before by some friends yet J could not beleeve it till the event manifested it for that day J was taken he hearing by what meanes I doe not know that I was to meete one at the Temple and understanding that I had a desire to see his Master at his owne house being newly let out of prison we came towards the Temple and met me in Fleet-streete and so we went backe towards the Temple and had some discourse there in which he put me forward to goe see and speake with his Master unto whom I declared how fearefull I was to goe thither in regard I heard they laid waite for me least I should be taken but he made all things cleare and contrived a way by meanes of which he said I might without any feare goe speake with him So we parted and appointed to meete at the staires that goes from Bridewell to Black-Fryers I came to the Staires and stood a great while but he came not till I was a comming away and I expecting him to come out of Bridewell I having sent him in thither to speake with one unto whom I thinke he did not goe but yet he told me he was with him but rather he went to Flamsted the Pursevant to get him in a readinesse for he came to me from Flamsteds-houseward downe from Black-Fryers being a cleane contrary way to that I sent him So we went towards his Masters house and parted againe and appointed to meet at Tantlins-Church and when I came there I saw one walking with him which I verily beleeve was one of the five that tooke me and when I came to him I declared unto him that comming downe Soper-lane I saw a fellow stand in a corner very suspiciously who looked very wishfully at me and I at him and therefore I desired him to goe and see who it was and whether I might goe safely to his Masters or no So he went and came backe and told me his Master was come to the doore and I might goe without any danger and as we went I declared unto him my fearefulnesse to goe to his Masters and I told him I would halfe draw my sword that I might be in a readinesse and he went before towards his Masters and I doe verily thinke acquainted them how it was with me and I going after him in the narrow Lane I passed by two great fellowes suspecting nothing and by and by they seazed upon my backe and shoulders and cried out in the Kings Name for helpe they had taken the Rogues Whartons men and Iohn was the third man that seized upon me laying fast hold of my left shoulder and they three pulled my cloake crosse over my armes that so though I had my sword halfe drawne yet by no meanes could I get it out which if I had and got my backe against the wall I doe not doubt but I should have made them be willing to let me alone for though they had fast hold of me they quaked and trembled for feare and though they were five or sixe yet they cryed out for more helpe to assist them I being but one and when they all seased on me then they called me by my name and though we were in the darke yet they knew my habit that I was in as well as my selfe and shewed me their warrant with my name in it I have beene forced of necessity to recite these things in regard of his dayly speeches against me and his writing to me in justification of his innocency though as yet for all I have sent for him hee would never come face to face Tart Letters likewise I have received from Smith and Chillington for speaking that which I have said in publique of them and as for Smith take notice what I said of him and I here give my reasons for that I said it is knowne that at the last time the bookes were taken at Mr. Whartons part of them was not taken which Iohn can not deny but he carried them unto Smith and what passed betwixt them they themselves best know but this is sure Iohn was never troubled for the bookes though hee was taken dispersing of them and I am sure his libertie was obtained by Smiths and Sam Bakers the Prelate
were that most resorted to me I desired I might be excused in that also Ey but you must give me an answer said he for I must certifie the Lords thereof Then said I I pray you tell their Honours I am unwilling to tell you What were those bookes said he that you threw abroad were they all of one sort Those that have them said I can certifie you of that I my selfe have one of them said he and have read it and can find no wit in it there is nothing but railing in it Sir said I I conceive you are mistaken for the booke is all full of wit it is true this booke which which you lighted on is not so full of solidity as other of his bookes are but you must understand that at that time when the Doctor made that booke he was full of heavinesse and in danger of a great punishment for the Prelates had breathed out more cruelty against him for writing his Apologie and at that time also hee was compassed about on every side with the Pestilence therefore hee made that booke to make himselfe merry But said he hee doth not write any thing in it to the purpose against the Bishops callings Sir said I I must confesse you lighted on the worst of the three And it is true there is not much soliditie and force of argument in it but onely mirth but the other two are as full of soliditie as this is of mirth What were they of three sorts said he Yes Sir that they were said I What were the other two called said he The one said I was his Answer to Sir Iohn Banks his information The other is an Answer to some Objections that are made against that books which you have but if ever you reade his Latine bookes you shall there find solidity enough and the wickednesse and unlawfulnesse of the Bishops callings and practises set forth to the full What Latine bookes be they said he His Flagellum for which hee was first censured said I What hath hee beene twice censured said hee Yes said I hee was censured in the High Commission Court for writing his Flagellum and after that he wrote his Apologie and that little booke which you have which were the cause of his censure in the Star-Chamber But hast thou any more of those bookes said hee Sir said I if I had had twenty of them more they should all have gone yesterday But hast thou any more of them now said hee Sir said I I verily thinke that if I should tell you I had not you would not believe mee and therefore if you please you may search my Chamber So I must said he for the Lords have commanded me so to doe therefore open your Trunke Sir said I it is open already Search it Iohn Hawes said he So he search'd it and found nothing there Open the Cubbard said he So I gave the Porter the key of my Cubbard to search it and he found nothing there but my victualls Search his pocket said the Warden Indeed Sir said I there is none in them yet he searched them and found as I said Then he searched all my Chamber over but found nothing at all Well Sir said I now you can certifie the Lords how you find things with mee but I pray Sir must I still be kept close prisoner I hope now the Lords have inflicted their censure on me they will not still keep mee close No said he within a little time you will be eased of it so wee tooke our leaves each of other and he went away And the next day being Friday and a Star-Chamber-day I hoped I should have had the liberty of the Prison but in stead thereof newes was brought me at evening that I must be removed to the Comon-Gâ—al or a worse place and that I must be put in yrons Well for all this my God enabled me to keepe my hold still and not to let my confidence goe for blessed be his name for it this newes did not in the least manner trouble me And upon Saturday morning Iohn Hawes the Porter came with the woman that looked to me to my Chamber to stand by her that none might speake with me till shee had made my bed and done other things for me and he told me hee was sorry to heare such newes as he did concerning me What is it said I I heare said he that the Lords have ordered that you must be put into the Wards and kept close prisoner there and lie in yrons and none must be suffered to come at you to bring you any thing but you must live upon the Poore Mans Box Sir that 's very hard said I but the will of my God be done For mine owne part it nothing at all troubles me for I know in whom I have believed and I know not one hayre of my head shall fall to the ground without his providence and I have cast up my account already what it wil cost me therefore I weigh not any thing that can be inflicted on mee for I know that God made Paul and Silas to sing in the Stockes at midnight will also make mee rejoyce in my chaynes but it is very much that they will let none come to me to bring me any thing it seemes they will be more cruell to me than the very Heathens and Pagan Romans were to Paul who when he was in Prison did never refuse to let any come to him to administer to his necessities but I weigh it not for I know my God is and will be with me to make me goe through all my afflictions with cheerfulnesse for I feele his power within me so mightily supporting and upholding me that no condition in this world can make mee miserable and for mine own part I do no more set by my life blood in this cause then I doe a piece of bread when I have newly dyned Afterwards the woman telling me she hoped I should not have so sore a punishment laid on me but that I might have things brought me from my friends I told her I did not much care how it went with me for Ieremyes Dungeon or Daniels Den or the three Childrens Fornace is as pleasant and welcome to me as a Palace for wheresoever I am I shall find God there and if I have him that is enough to me and for victualls I told her I did not doubt but that God that fed the Prophet Esiah by a Raven would preserve me and fill me to the full by the way of his providence and if no meat should be brought me I knew if they take away my meat God will take away my stomack therefore I weighed not their cruelty and thereupon uttered to her these foure verses I doe not feare nor dread the face of any mortall man Let him against me bend his power and do the worst be can For my whole trust strength confidence My hope and all my aide Is in the Lord