Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	life_n	part_n	write_v	3,080	5	5.3628	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88210	L. Colonel John Lilburne revived. Shewing the cause of his late long silence, and cessation from hostility against alchemy St. Oliver, and his rotten secretary; as also of the report of his death. With an answer in part, to the pestilent calumniation of Cap: Wendy Oxford (Cromvvels spie upon the Dutch, and upon the English royallists, sojonrning [sic] in the United Provinces) closely couched in a late delusive pamphlet of the said Oxfords, called The unexpected life, & wished for death, of the thing called parliament in England All vvhich, vvith many historicall passages, giveing light into the unvvorthy practises of the English grandees, is contained in three letters (The first to a friend in the United Provinces, The second to a friend in Scotland. And the third, to the honourable, Colonel Henry Martin, in England VVritten by L. Colonel John Lilburne.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.; Oxford, Wendy. Unexpected life, & wished for death, of the thing called parliament in England.	1653 (1653)	Wing L2128; Thomason E689_32; ESTC R206981	43,475	37

meanes whatsoever secret or open prosecute to the death the said Judge or Justice and all their principall abettors and I doe hereby invite and exhort all generous free-borne Englishmen to the like resolutions and to enter into League defensive and off nsive and Sacramentall associations seaven or eight in a company or as many as can well confide in one another to defend and revenge mutually one anothers persons lives limbs and liberties as a foresaid against this and all other illegall and tyrannous usurpations And in his third part of his said history of independency he sufficiently shows his enmitie against them by arraigneing the high Court of Iustice or Cromwels new Slaughter house in Engeland as he calls it with the authoritie that constituted it ordained it and by law convicting and condemning them both of usurpation treason tyrannie theft and murder in which third part of his said historie are the notablest things against the illegallitie and being of a high Court of Iustitie that ever I redd in my life all which three parts bound up together are openly and avowedly to be sold at the Hague and of which the said false Knave Oxford in the 15. page of his said booke declares he is not ignorant of for there speaking of the late Earle of Essex he setts downe his Character compleatly transcribing it out of the first part of the said historie of independencie pag. 25. And the Apostle Paul declares Act. 17.28 Titus 1.12 13. that there is no better testimonie in the world to witnes against a man then the testimonie of one of his owne party and that the considerations aforesaid towards my person and not a designe to make the Parlement rationally odious as he would seem by his booke to doe to Forraigne Nations is Oxford designe is to me very evident by the simplicitie and Falshood of Oxfords said booke which upon my life I dare aver and easilye undertake to proove undeniably that it hath above halfe a dozen if not above halfe a score lyes and falshoods in only one lease and therefore when any peece of a rationall and pertinent answer is published against it its effects in that particuler cease But if by books it had been his designe indeed to have don the Parlement a mischeife with a witnes he then should either have gotten the said most notable three parts of that most mischeiuous booke to them that ever was pend in the world against them and which was done by a learned man in the knowledge of the lawes of England and one commonly reputed one of their owne members and therby immediately furnished with the true and certaine knowledge of abundance of matter of fact contained in it which one without doores could have but by heare say translated and published in Severall languages or else have got divers thousands of them disperst in England where 3. yeares agoe to my knowledge one single booke of one single part of them hath been sold for 10. sh 20 apiece and tenn or twenty thousand of the last part against the high court of Iustice which in it selfe is but a short booke well dispersed in England its territories by the operation of it in a very few moneths after would pussell Cromwel and his grandees there more I am confident of it then van Tromp and all his fleet at Sea which yet many letters out of Engeland say is not a little My deare faithfull friend I have been the more large and plaine in unbowelling my Soul in my present condition to you who in tymes by past I have found so much truth faithfullnes and simpathizeing in and so much willignes readines activitie to be a fellow Soliciter and helper to my wife in her former greatest straites especially in my Guildhall busines in 1649. on purpose if it be possible and savour not of toe much unreasonablenes to create in you a serious apprehension of that extraordinary steed you may stand me and my poor wife and babes in in reference to our estate onely by as speedie repaireing to London to helpe her me and where yet I have something of instructions about it more to say unto you when you come thether then is fitt to be put in this hazardable to miscarry paper as possible the parting with your own delightfull injoyments will permitt you and the season of the weather will rationally afford you safetie to travell in which will be the greatest obligation that ever you put upon me in your life and probably of the greatest conse quence to me of any action that ever you did in your dayes and of which journey I am confident hereafter you will have no cause to repent So with my heartie and affectionate respects presented to your whole selfe with my true love to all the honest Sea-green blades that in your quarters shall aske for me I committ you to the protection of the most high and shall rest Your faithfull and very loveing Freind and Servant JOHN LILBVRNE Bridges in Flanders Saterday the 18 Ianuary 1653 new or the 8 Ianuary 1652 3. English stile POSTSCRIPTVM I hear by a letter from London there is likely to happen a strange thing viz a resurrection from the dead or a conjunction of severall honest blades of formerly disjointed interests once more vigourously to act againe for their known full and declared libertyes and I perceived this is occasioned by van Trumps late beating of Blake If such good effects follow such kind of actions I wish he would come and doe as much for you in Scotland provided it would make you rise againe from your dead condition in most unworthily and basely turneing your backs upon all your printed promises and solemne ingagements in reference to the peoples liberties thereby rendring your selves the scorne and contempt of all Europe and also therby haveing given too just occasion to the nations round about you to Iudge you lesse faithfull and your oathes and promisses lesse to be regarded then Turks Pagans and infidels with abundance of whom as History doth fully witnes their solemne Publique faith hath often times been more valued then their lives or all other earthly relations the so open palpable and not to be hid or covered over or pleaded for breach of it in you undoubtedly wil be the visible occasion of the hazard of a totall ruine of the English nation which must needs and unavoidebly fall upon you if speedily you doe not manifest your repentance by a speedy settleing the nation upon that just fundation or principles of rightiousnes you have so often before God and the World solemnely declared for as the only and alone Iustifiable ground and reason to warrant you either before God or man for breaking all the setled and legally established power and Magistracy in England as you have done and as the only and Iustifiable reason to acquit you before God and man of being reputed absolute and willfull murderers of all those persons

door at the very nick of time he delivered it and principally because Cromwels hands were full with others with whom in the originall I was not in the least joyned with against him And the next day after I writt Cromwell then in straits enough a letter and sent it by an express the copie of which letter as it is recorded in the 32 Page of that notable book called The Legall fundamental liberties of the People of England revived asserted and vindicated for pretended makeing of which I was also arraigned for a Traitor at Guildhall the foresaid October 1649. thus followeth Sir What my Camerade hath written by our trustie bearer might be sufficient for us both but to demonstrate to you that I am no staggerer from my first principles that I ingaged my self upon nor from you if you are what you ought to be and what you are strongly reported to be although if I prosecuted or desired revenge for an hard and almost starving imprisonment I could have had of late the chief of twenty opportunities to have paid you to the purpose But I scorne it especially when you are low And this assure your self that if ever my hand be upon you it shall be when you are in your full glory if then you shall decline from the Righteous wayes of Truth and Justice which if you will speedily and impartially prosecute I am Yours to the last drop of my heart blood for all your late severe hand to me JOHN LILBVRN From Westminster this 3 of August 1648. Being the second day of my freedome ANd besides this particular I could instance severall others of the like nature with this very CROMWELL at other times and with severall other persons of severall other intrests both Caviliers Presbyterians and Independantes but they would all put together be too longe for the intended brevitie of this Epistle onely one more I will take the boldnesse to insert and that is this There is one Captain Edmond Chillington a Captain of Horse now in Commissary Generall Whaleys Regiment one of the fals-hearted Independents who to purchase his own Libertie in the Bishops time in 1637. in the Starr-Chamber as their Agent swore two false and wicked affidavitts there against mee by vertue of which principally I suffered al those unexpressable miseries I underwent in the Bishops time which are partly expressed in my late Apologie to the People of the Netherlands which Chillington when I was a prisoner under the King in the yeares 1642. and 1643. at Oxford Castle was also brought in thither as another Prisoner where he was brought to those straits that he was ready to starve and where wanting money to buy him bread he could not of any there borrow Six-pence to buy him food to keep him alive from Starving but what he had of my self who freely out of meere humane compassion upon his own bare intreatie lent him both Silver and Gold in the day of his very great Calamitie to supply his necessities and keep him alive and afterwards upon his earnest intreatie when at libertie I improved my interest in An 1643. in the Earle of Manchesters Army to make him an officer of horse in that very Regiment which as I beleeve he hath remained ever since in and therby is growne now a rich and great man But the ungratefull knave like a false hearted Independent indeed in my late imprisonment in the tower of London and my contests with Cromwel then was one of my principallest reproachfullest maliciousest and most mischievous Enemys I confesse this constant practice of mine is not according to the Policie the great men of the world walk by yet I must averr I finde a great deal of peace and tranquilitie of minde in the practising of it And must averr and that in truth I am never so much an Heroick and dareing man nor so much carried out with Divine supportation strength assistance counsell and presence of the Lord God Almighty as when by my wicked base cowerdly and cruell adversaries I am most dealt with in the quite contrarie and thereby and by their Barbarisme robb'd and stript as it were many times of all humane power meanes earthly support and advise even then and at such time as this and never before am I in my delight-some Eliment beinge then accompanied with Divine strength and power through the Lord Almighty to grapple and and incounter with a Legion of wicked men and deuills and then with ease at least in my own minde to over-come all the difficulties that it is possible for the wickednesse and greatnesse of my adversaryes to inviron me withall which was clearly and evidently manifested to an observant spectator at my carriage at my bloodie and intended murdering triall in October 1646 and which in a great part may easily be discerned by a judicious and serious reader of the first and second parts of the said printed triall which containes betwixt 20 and 30 sheets of paper of which triall I can truely say thus much to the praise of the Almightie that I had not a friend in the world neither male nor female but to their cleare apprehensions their spirits all failed them and gave me over for a dead man and indeavoured with me as Peter did with Christ when he said Master save thy selfe at all of which and whom through the assisting strength of the Lord God I laught being absolutelie confident that there was that unresistable strength and fortitude in naked truth and reason alone that if I singlelie and throughlie cast my self upon it it would with a witnesse carrie me through with a merrie countenance and a cheerfull heart which I was as visiblie and sensiblie possessor of without one minutes wavering from the very first beginning to the latter end of all till the jurie cleared me and then I confesse my countenance fell and changed as being rapt up with Spirituall singing praises unto God even at the very Barr for that infinite faithfulnesse wisedome and truth that he had clearlie evidently and sensiblie manifested unto me his unworthy servant even in that verie triall and great deliverance about my methode of mannageing of which I neither did nor durst tell any man or woman in the world what was my intentions til I came to the Barr least my adversaries should get a hint of it who I beleeve never expected but I would have dealt with them upon a ranting high-flown score in totally denying their jurisdiction and the authoritie of those that constituted them but through the strength of the Almightie I went beyond their expectations and gave them such a cuff under their other eare as I beleeve they wil never throughlie shake of the smart and paine of it whilest Cromwels beastlie most grosselie abominable Tirannie lasteth And yet through the goodnesse of God I kept my principles to the breadth of an haire in the whole mannagement of my defence that Master-piece of all the earthly workes in my thoughts that God

when it was in danger A late Book of one Captain Wendy Oxfords a Spie in pay to Cromwell or Scott of the Counsell of State at white Hall and the hazards accruing to my life and well-being thereby hath at the present put me out of my intended method and because there is an absolute necessitie that one thing which already I have writ saving a short introduction to it be published in print before my answer at large to that false and lying Book of Oxfords comes out and yet the perfecting of that Introduction will take up more time then in prudence and wisdome is fit for me to delay being already lately allarumd from severall places and from severall of my loving friends by more then bare hints that a private Pistoll a dagger or a potion of Poyson is my speedy defined ruine by reason of the charge upon me in the 20. 21. 22. Pages of that Book some of which the foresaid Author Wendy Oxford was in hopes by his wicked cowardly and bloody instruments had so operated upon me that he hath alreadie all over Holland reported me to be dead as a late letter from a speciall friend of mine there doth signifie unto me and therefore in the interim I have judged it convenient to send herewith unto you a copie saving a few words of alteration of a late Epistle of mine sent to Scotland in which this book and the designes of Oxford is so farr mentioned as the publishing of it may at present be a rationall securitie to my person till a further answer come from me which I hope a little time will effectually produce also seeing my foresaid piece which is purposely pend for the use of England the greatest part of it being long since in Mr. Peters hands on purpos to communicate to Cromwell to teach him if he were capable of receiving good counsell or instruction to be wise be times will be delayed a little by my going on with this and seing as from England I am informed divers of the rationall sort of people there are a little awaked once more vigorously to looke after the injoyment of their often and long promised liberties and seing also by the like information I am informed the officers of the Army are also againe at worke to find out a speedy convenient way for the procurering of a new representative for that end as they pertend have chose lately a committie of officers to consider of the busines which according to their names sent unto me I Judge out of a long knowledge or experience of them to consist partly of evident knaves or creatures Secondly of neuters and lastly mixed with some of their honestest Officers they have but in the whole I looke upon the establishing that committie to be in its intention a perfect cheat as all the actions and pretences of the Officers of the Army to the peoples liberties are set up on on purpos to gull the people and to keep of if it be possible from acting a more serious honester and through paced generation of men The Grandees straits at the present being very great as to any knowing man in the affaires of England may evidently appeare by there calling for to debate in the house the long-winded act for a new representative their common and well known cheat to gull the people and to draw in there immaginations the peoples affections to them when they are in great straits and that they are in great straits and great feares evidently appeares to me more fully out of these considerations First I know when I was in England it was the master piece of Cromwells and his Knipperdollings Achitophels or wise Oracles or Counsellers designes to perpetrate their arbitrary and Tyrannicall power over the people of England so to make a peace and league with the Hollanders if possible that if hereafter he and his perjured faith-breaking party should any wayes by the people of England struggling for their liberties come into any straits that then for his help and ayd he might have some sure friend in Holland to give him assistance against them but being not in his defired way able to accomplish this his intrest led him to ingage in a plundering war wirh Holland to begger if it were possible and spoyl their Merchants and thereby destroy their trade that so the averse people in Holland to an agreement with him might thereby be themselves necessitated to desire peace with him in a manner upon his own termes and having in his own thoughts by his said plundering warr and by his underhand tamperings brought his designe at least in his own imaginations to a great perfection before van Tromp his late foyling of Cromwells Generall Blake which action hath given Cromwell and his Knipperdolings or Counsellers a cleare demonstration that the Dutch will not be brought to his bow in his way and also he clearely now sees that if the warr with them hold long in a lingring way it will unavoidably proove soe chargable to him that in a short tyme it will sorce him to increase the taxes in England to that extraordinary hight that in the eye of reason must mad vex the people and by consequence occasion the apparent ruine and destruction of him and his wicked and cruell tribe in which regard and to avoyd that eminent danger by lingring out the warr they are resolved at once to put all to a push and either as in our English proverbe we say in England winne the horse or loose the saddle in order to which their interest leads them not only to make all the preparation that the strength of England is able to furnish them with to offend the Dutchat Sea but also to make it so strong as that in their imaginations at least they shall be inabled therby to be absolute Lords at Sea this next summer against all comers goers by consequence therby be able to land in their own season when where they pleas a formidable land-army of Horse and Foot to be commanded by one or both of those notable shrew'd men viz. Leutenant Generall Monck or Major generall Deane only here is their alone feare that now troubles them viz. That in the absence of their land-armie the true lovers of the liberties and freedomes of England should have an oportunitie thereby to imbodie together and so force the establishing of their long-promised and long-contended-for rights and freedoms and then good night Oliver and all his hypocriticall cheates To countermine and delude whom once again if it be possible I am confident Cromwel and his Caball associates hath under hand set the said Committie of the Armie a foot To over-ballance whose specious pretences even to the publick view of the people of England with reall actions of transcendent good done by gallant old Heathens and Pagans who in actions were better Christians then our great ones for their own Countrey and their oppressed Neighbours I have sent you a

Cromwell in the possession of his beastely and grosse Tyrannie and me in the earnest pursuite of my just freedome and therefore I ptayed her as she loved my life and her own welfare not to expose me to such hazerdous and dangerous new temptations which whilst I was in England I was scarce able to resist being satisfied in my own conscience that Cromwel was grown as perfect a bloody devouring Wolf as any was in the world and justifiably both before God and man might be dealt with as such a one having inclosed himself with such a strong unovercomable power of the Sword as no law can possiblie lay hold of him for all his visible murders rapines and treasons protesting further unto her that if it had not been for the strong affection I bare unto her and my poore babes whom willingly I would not leave beggers when I did and for that I had some grounded assurance in my own spirit that I should live to see his downfall and the full restauration of our English Liberties and freedomes and my self be an actor or instrument to procure it without so apparent hazard to my life as such an Act would be I had with my own right hand at the house doore avowedly ended the quarrel betwixt him and me and the rest of the free-born people of England with a Paper of reasons in my left hand ready to be sent unto the Speaker and with severall others in my pocket to justifie to the whole world the lawfulnesse and justnesse of such an action both by the laws of God nature and Nations and therefore her company by reason of her unreasonable and not to be satisfied importunity was a burthen unto me and I longed I must confesse to be quit of it and in hast upon those tearmes shall not defire to enjoy it again yet professing most truely unto you thus much that her company and societie if I could injoy it with security as not being opprest with those most unpleasant importunities of submitting or acting in things which my own reason and judgement is point black against is more delightfull to me and more to be desired by me then all the delights in this world besides And therefore that we might part with as little disgust of Spirit as possible could be and that I might stoop to her as low as possible I could and give her all the satisfaction that my intire and unshaken affection to her and the utmost of my braines could possible imagine stil with a Salvo to my own peace and tranquillitie of minde which I protest seriously in the presence of God I value at that high rate and by above twice seven yeares experience finde it so full of sweetnesse and soul-satisfying content that I had rather a thousand times over part with my life then part with it for to die to me is gaine which ever since 1637. was never one moment more dreadfull to me then to eate and drink when I am hungry I engaged to her to petition the Parliament in my own way of Law and reason for the takeing off my whole Sentence that so if it were possible my little estate might once again be free which I should willingly and absolutely surrender into her hands to settle with the advise of her owne friends and doe what they would with so that I might be left to my self to mannage my own present businesse as a master workman or a poore instrument in the hands of the Almighty to the purpose to chastize that hypocriticall and Alchemy Saint Oliver Cromwell betwixt whom and my self without a new Representative so undeniably the people of Englands due as in my late printed epistle to him I have undeniably proved it is impossible to have any medium come life come death But thirdly after she had past her promise to send me speedily over my bookes to inable me the more masculinely to compleat such a petition and after shee and I had seriously and solemnely agreed upon the Mode or Methode to manage it in and I had told her the heades upon what I would compose it of yet through childishnesse weakenesse or womannishnesse she in England falles off from all and takes new counsell from some friends wise enough in themselves yet I am confident unto whom she never declared what I had said unto her as is above exprest and enters into new paper skirmishes with me something filled with womannish passion and anger which yet by reason of the sicknesse of my children which I knew might not a little trouble her afflicted minde I bore with her in with all the patience that possible I could and tooke so much paines in readeing studying and writeing large Epistles to her to satisfie her with reason that I have sometimes therewith almost made my self Blinde and which I seriously protest to be hired with gold to doe the like againe in so short a time I would not be tyed to doe it for a thousand poundes the fruits of which in part the world with some new additions had seen ere now had she not with sadnesse sent me word of the continuance of my Daughters dangerous sicknesse which made me out of meere compassion and because I would not justly be judged apparently guiltie of totally over-whelming her forbeare these many weekes the printing thereof although long since I had sent severall sheets into the Vnited Provinces on purpose to be printed but finding no satisfaction from her especially about sending me my bookes but dodgeing with me for these three or foure moneths together about them and thereby necessitateing me to resolve that if speedily I doe not receive them from her to procure money and hire a messenger to goe to England and buy them all over anew and bring them to me so that in the conclusion of all through her own folly she hath forced me to bid her set her heart at rest for I am now totally and positively resolved if I can avoid it never to see England so long a CROMWELS most hatefull and detestable beastely Tyrannie lasteth unlesse it be in a way to pursue him as the grandest Tyrant and Traytor that ever England bredd or the people therof ever redd or heard of And therefore once again in good earnest sound Trumpets and Drumms and have at thee Oliver once again with all my might for the liberties of the free-born blades of England by the agreement of the people but withall I with this sent her word that seeing Haselridge and Cromwel c. pretends much compassion pittie and affection to her that if by her own pitition she wil endeavour to strive for her self and her childeren and let me alone to shift in the world for my self and get of the sentence upon my estate I have engaged to her and will stand to it to signe and seale any thing by way of further settling of it upon her and her children that she and my adversaryes themselves rationally will have me provided in

the manageing of my busines she doe it soe as that it is like the action of the wife of J. Lilburn and that to the General nor Haselridge nor none besides she by promise c. ingage not for me in any thing that is dishonourable to me for I assure her before hand I wil keep and perform nothing in that kinde she promiseth to them in my behalf notwithstanding which if she should doe that which is unworthy my wife I am confident it would take such a deep impression upon my Spirit that notwithstanding my now entire affection to her I should never owne her again as the wife of my bosome while I breathed although I should force my self thereby to live in a voluntarie Widdowhood all my dayes which truly in my present apprehensions of it would be a condition almost as upleasant to me as to live under Cromwels bloody tiranny And in her last Letter to me she tels me she is now vigorously going about her said petition the consequence of which nor nothing else can make me delay any longer from speedily and effectually endeavouring to appeare in print again because one of Tho Scotts Spyes whom he sent over on purpose to contrive my murder as I have too evident and apparent cause to judge hath lately published a Book at the Hague called the unexpected life and wished for death of the thing called Parlament in England wherein he incites all the Princes and Potentates of Europe to rise up in armes as one man against them and to extirpate them from the earth as a pack of the bloodiest wickedest and faithlessest Tyrants that ever breathed and to Re-inthrone his gracious Soveraigne Charles the Second in his three Kingdomes The book is dated from his Lodging at Delf the first of September 1652. but I could never get sight of it untill a little before Christmas hollydaies and reading it over and over very seriously I clearly perceived that in the 20. 21. 22. pages of it the wicked and lying Villaine hath layn a notable and close designe to have me murthered I having already for his former villanous practises in that kinde acted upon me in Amsterdam by Scotts instigation as Cromwels chief Agent put him in Print in my late printed Epistle to Cromwel in May last intituled As you were Page 1. 2. by the name of Capt. Wendy Oxford where I positively accuse him as being a Spye in pay for Cromwel and Scot among the Hollanders and Caviliers but the impudent knave takes no notice of the accusation to make any defence against it it being too true and too evident to be denied and too easie for me as he very wel knows punctually to prove and which in a Letter to an eminent person in the Hague I have already proffered to prove face to face before the States General themselves but he being at Amsterdam discovered by me to be in truth what he was and thereby in danger not onely to loose his large Salarie as being no farther usefull to Scott but it might probably be his life also to gull and cheat the Credulous Cavaliers and Dutch men and the better to take them off from the conceit of his being a Spie I beleeve with the advice or consent of Tho Scott himself he hath published his said Book for his Wife alias his Whore as she is avowedly by divers reported to be hath severall times since I came into these parts gone and come to and from England from Mr. Scott and I could name her the City and the Person where she either begged or borrowed money the first time she went to beare her charges thither and I could also tell her of a Message that that very Person from whom she had the said monie immediately after brought me to Bridges from her pretended Husband And the knave to be revenged to the purpose of me knowing the Kings partie to be so madd against al those that were actors in the taking away of the late Kings life that about 18 of them in the Hage in May 1649. beset the house of Doctor Dorislaus the Parlaments Agent there and slew him therefore although at most he was but one of the petty under actors prosecutors or Lawyers to pleade against the late King at his tryall and if one of the inferior prosecutors of him in the Cavaliers thoughts deserve forcibly in his own lodgeing to be stabd and murdred then what in their opinion must one of the chief complotters and layers of the designe deserve But in the foresaid pages he accuseth the people nicknamed Levellers to be the principall contrivers of the Kings death and me by name to be one of the principallest among them and therefore if I have any affection left to my own life and being notwithstanding all my Wives irrationall perswasions to be quiet and silent or any reason left in me to judge of things it behooves me well to look about me and not too long delay to publish my Vindication in this particular Especially considering besides the attempts that have been upon me by this very Rogues underhand meanes at Amsterdam as I have too cleare cause to judge which are partly mentioned in my already printed books At my coming from Holland to Bridges to meet my Wife I was certainly informed that as I past through that City at my first coming out of England where I lodged but two nights ther was a conspiracie to have stabd or pistold me there the actors in it as my information told me were to have been a Major or such an officer of the late Kings and two of the Duke of Lorraigns soldiers that were hired for that purpose as I have too much ground to feare by the foresaid Oxford and the first of the three came into my Lodging though unknown to me to view my person and countenance that so when the intended blow should be given me they might not be mistaken in my person and thereby destroy another for me and upon a jealousie of a person in the world asking the reason of his earnestnesse to know me the intention was discovered and prevented and the said Cavilier for his intended rashnes could render no other reason for it but that I had been a devilish or zealous Parlamentier an active man against the King in the late warr which actions and sayings makes it evident to me that my Friends that petitioned for me to the Parliament upon the 20 of January 1651. English stile before I came out of England which Petition is recorded in my Apologie to the people of the Netherlands Pag. 53. 54. 55. 56 were no false Prophets in that assertion of theirs there laid down viz. that my banishment in relation to my person considering my affection to Parliaments and my zeale to and for publique freedome renders all forraigne nations so unsafe to me as that in effect as they say I am bannished into a wildernesse exposed naked to the furie of Beares and Lions Whose affection

the world but they were cause allso of encreaseing their dominion and Empire over all Nations and that the world afterwards had great Affiance and trust in them and that most justly So that the People and Citties did not only receive the Captaines and Governouis the Romans sent them but they allso went unto Rome and procured them to come and did putt themselves into their hands And not only the Citties and Commonalties but Kings and Ptinces also that were oppressed by others more mighty then themselves had no other refuge but to put themselves under their protection by reason whereof in a very short time with the favour and helpe of the Gods as my Author is persuaded all the world came to submit themselves to their obedience and to bee under the protection of thir Empire Titus himselfe also did glorie more that he had restored Grece againe unto libertie then in any other service or exploit he ever had done and having besides all this done many more famous things he went to Rome with a world of riches and treasure and triumphed And this year being out longer then which no Roman Generall did ordinarilie hold his place especiallie in the puritie and glorie of their common-wealth and mischeife in his absence being a brewing amongst the poore Grecians by the forementioned Antiochus a potent king who went out of Asia into Greece with a potent fleet of Shipps and a very puissant Armie to stir up the Citties of Greece to forsake their league and alliance with the Romans Thereupon the Romans fearing the riseing of the People in Greece and the fame of the power of that great king Antiochus they chose and sent out for the next yeare Manius Acilius for a Generall and Titus was content without scruple to goe under him as one as his Lieutenants Whose behaviour in that Journey was as full of wisedome and humanitie as in the former in saveing severall Citties by his sweet and overcomeing perswasions from the furie of the present Generalls Rage who in battell haveing overthrowne the said great king sought and prosequted revenge on those that had any way sided with him Which made the poore People of Grece when beseiged to looke over the walls to spie Titus and to call unto him by his name holding up their hands unto him and praying him to take pitty upon them But he answered never a word to them at that time but turned his back and fell a weepeing Yet was he their sure Intercessor to prevaile with the Generall for their pardon Which made one of the Citties being preserved by his meanes to consecrate unto him all the remembrances that that heathen Age could devise to honour a Man with And in the Temple that they dedicated to him they had a Preist chosen by the voyce of the People to doe sacrifice unto him After which the People sing a song of triumph made in praise of him the latter end of which runns thus The cleare unspotted Faith Of Romans we adore And vow to be their faithfull friends Both now and evermore Sing out ye Muses nine To Ioves eternall fame Sing out the honour due to Rome And Titus worthy name Sing out I say the praise Of Titus and his faith By whom ye have preserved bin From Ruine Doole and Death And after his return from the warrs with Antiochus he was chosen Censor at Rome which office is of great dignitie and as a man may say the crown of all the honours that a Cittizen of Rome can have in that Common-wealth And he and his fellow Censor by their office having power to put all such as they judged unworthy persons out of the Senate did put out onely foure They did receive also into the number of Cittyzens of Rome all such as would present themselves to be enrowled in their common Register with a proviso that they were born free by Father and Mother unto which last they were compelled by Tenentius Culio Tribune or protector of the peoples liberties who to despite the Nobilitie perswaded the people of Rome by their Supreme authority to command it should be so After all which high dignities and honours and brave and noble actions he abased himself to become a Colonell of a thousand foote being obtained of and by his own seeking of purpose to goe into the warrs to fight for the glory of his Countrie which action in my opinion is to be commended in him For I beleeve none of the great Generals of our age but would scorne after their being Generals to goe into the warrs again as private Colonells And so much for famous and renowned Titus Quintius Flaminius All which you may reade more at large in Plutarchs Lives Fol. 381.382 to 395. Makeing Sir no farther Application of these things at present I onely beg your pardon for my tediousnes to you especially to whom I know large Epistles are no way pleasant intreating you likewise to steale a little spare time from your many great occasions to read these lines seriously which I very strongly imagine may prove of some use to you And oblige me yet so farr unto you as to present my heartie service to my old true-hearted plain and blunt friend Mr. Moyle of your house and tell him from me that he often used to clap me on the back call me Noble Cato which before I came to Flanders did not fully understand what he meant by it But haveing red so much of famous Plutarchs Lives lately with so much delight and seriousnes as I have done reading for many daies together fiftie of his large Folios in a day and also largely takeing notes as I reade my common practise in reading any book that pleaseth me I hope shortly in a few lines which I intend to present him with to let him know I now fully understand his meaning So with my heartie and true love and service presented to you I take leave to subscribe my self SIR Your most affectionate Friend heartily to serve you being yet as much an English man as ever I was JOHN LILBURN Semperidem From my delightfull dwelling in Bruges Saturday Novemb. the 9. 1652. New stile The End

more louder would the cry of many righteous Abels be against me whose blood must of necessitie in the eye of reason have been shed should I have taken or now should take such a course as to indeavor revenge of the whole for a mischief done me by those that oppresse the nation in generall in a great measure as bad as they doe me and I know it was Judah and Jerusalems condition in the day of her great adversitie as Jeremy in his Lamentations witnesseth amongst all her lovers to have none to comsort her and to have all her friends to deale treacherously with her and to become her enemies for which she wept sore in the night that the very teares remained on her cheeks and their lamentations were beyond expression which made her in the bitternesse of her Soul to cry out to the Lord her God and say Render unto them a recompence O Lord according to the work of their hands give them sorrow of heart thy curse unto them persecute and destroy them in anger from under the Heavens of the Lord. And these their prayers and outcries were not in vain unto God as a little before may partly be seen in Edoms case for the Apostle James saith chap. 5.16 that the efectuall fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much All these confiderations laid together though my provocations are many and aggravated very much not onely by the slightings and forgetfullnesse but also by the base and unworthy dealings with me by some of those for the preservation of whom and their estates I have apparently ran the hazard of a totall ruine to me and mine and my straits as to the outward man great yet through the goodnesse and loving kindenesse of my good God by his speciall assisting me with the foresaid and other the like considerations and by the immediate necessities of self-preservation that my adversaries basely and unworthily have brought upon me the way of my present goeings is not onely cleare to be just and righteous in my own understanding judgement and conscience that lively voice of God speaking in my own soul but I am confident I have so deliberately rationally and justly gone on hitherto in the progresse of my businesse that I am confident through the assistance of God I am sufficiently furnished with a just and grounded plea to answer fully what ever can be objected against my present proceedings by the most maliciousest and cunningest of my adversaries or the scrupulousest of my friends in England And although in my own imagination and invention I have of along time laid down a method to my self which I would not willingly goe from by me to be used in my appearing in print again to the world rationally and methodically to prepare and make way for my formall appeale to the body of the people of England which my wicked and unrighteous judges have severall yeares agone viz. Vpon the 4. of Janury 1648 in words voted to be their masters or the Supreme fountaine or orginall of all just power in England as you may largely and particularly read in the second part of the History of independency Pag 55 56 57 as alsoo the grounds and reasons that moved them soe to vote which I resolved on in my owne thoughs come life come death before I left England which was upon Saterday first of Feb English stile in which appeale seeing my cruell judges meerly for the accomplishment of their owne ends the more coullorably to take away the Kings life that so when they had slain him they might take possession of his power estate and at their pleasure divide it amongst themselves their slaves and by the strength and power of it domineer arbitrarily and Tyrannically over the lives liberties and estates of the antiently free people of England and maintain themselves unaccountable by the strength thereof either to God or man law or reason have in words voted the people of England under God to be the Originall of all just power there but never intended it that ever in actions or reallitie they should in the least injoy it I will by Gods assistance doe the best I can in my appeale to discover the cheates of Alchemy Saint Oliver and his gracelesse Tribe in that vote and also I will instruct the people of England in the best way method or form that I can to set themselves in to obtain the reall exercise of their declared rightfull supreme power and also produce them severall presidents from the practise of the people in the Ancient most famous Common-wealth of Rome and the Ancient Grecian Common-wealths of Athens Corinth Thebes c. how they practifed their supreme power upon many occasions even upon the greatest Generalls Patricians Noblemen Senatours or Parliament-men they had and there is abundantly more reason and ground for the people of England now to contest even to the death for the election from amongst themselves of Tribunes or keepers or desenders of the peoples liberties indued with ample power to preserve them against the annhilating mcroachments that their present Tyrannicall Riders have already made upon them then ever in the dayes of old there was for the old Plebeans or Common people of Rome to contest with their Patricians or Senators for such protectors of their Liberties because even when tbe contests begun or were at the highest in Rome when the people in their numerous and cemented body betook themselves to Mars-Field against their Lords they were abundantly though Pagans and Infidels more just compassionate lesse Lordly and lesse domineering and more free-hearted to the people of Rome then ours are to the poor people of England And also I will shew them grounds reasons to demonstrate clearly to them that ther is in a manner as great a necessitie for them to contest for the establishing by a law as to contest for the preservation of their lives those two essentiall Maxims without which England in a Common wealth can never be free viz First that the chief commander of their Militia or the Generall of their Forces by Sea or Land be often removed at least once every two years upon paine of immediate death upon the least refusall to surrender his command And Secondly that they make strickt and sure provision for the keeping out at one and the self-same time divers of one family or kindred in their chiefest offices And if by the help and benefit of this intended Appeale the people of England come to assume unto themselves the true exercise of their publique declared Supreme power that their present Tyrants in words have already instated them in and deal with my grand adversaries thereby according to their just deserts let my bloody and malicious adversaries thank themselves in not letting me alone to sit under my own Vine in peace and quietnesse when I as much indeavoured it in my own understanding and judgement as much as ever I did since I was a man indeavour to preserve my life