Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	king_n	time_n	year_n	19,963	5	5.0438	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83960	Englands dolefull lamentation: or The cry of the oppressed and enslaved commons of England: set forth in two severall petitions, the one delivered to his Majesty June 15. 1647. The other presented to his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax Generall, and to the honourable commanders in chief, and to the whole body of that pious and victorious army: with two severall petitions formerly exhibited to the High Court of Parliament. From all their brethren and enslaved fellow commons of England; and from the distressed in the several goals and prisons, (for an unlimited time) within this kingdome of England and principality of Wales, imprisoned for debt, and other unjust illegall restraints. Wherein is set forth many horrid notorious inhumane acts of cruelty ...		1647 (1647)	Wing E2962; Thomason E402_11; Thomason E402_12; ESTC R201819	6,418	7

To the right Honorable Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX K. His Excellency General of all the Forces raised for the regaining of Englands Liberty the Honorable the Commanders in chief and others the Commanders and Soldiers of that pious and victorious Army Now appearing as Englands Champions for the maintainance of Gods honor and this their native Countries just Liberty Peace and Tranquillity The humble Petition of all the inslaved Christians in the several Slaughter-houses of this Kingdom called Gaols and Prisons being your Brethren Fellow-Common of England conceived to be about 10000. in number imprisoned for Debt and by Arbitrary Power and other illegal restraints contrary to the Law of God and all other Nations both Christian and Pagan and flatly against the Contents of the great Charter of Englands Liberty formerly purchased and now againe regained by the blood of many thousands of the Commons of England in all humility complaining Sheweth THat by the ancient and fundamental common Laws of England a Mirror of Justice cha 5. Int. 1. num 57 declared and asserted by the great Charter of our Liberties b 9 of Hen. 3. cha 8. Magna Charta no mans person was to be Imprisoned for Debt nor his Sureties to be troubled if the principal Debtor were able to pay But their Estates only made liable in the two third parts thereof to satisfie the Debt Which Statute being the inexpugnable fortress of Englands Freedom Hath not only been 32. times confirmed by several Acts of Parliament in former Kings reigns c Cooks Instit 4 part P. 35. Anno 3. Caro. Anno 17. Caroli but also hath been since ratified by our Soveraign Lord King Charls both by the Petition of Right 3º Car. and by Act passed by his Majesties royal assent this present Parliament Anno 17. Caroli Against which Charter All Statutes and Judgments formerly made or given or hereafter to be made or given are d 28 of Ed. 1. c. 1. 42 Ed. 3 cha 1. by several Acts declared to be null and voyd e Fleta p. 1. c. 26. Bracton P. 3. fol. 105. 137. Britton c. 5. fo 14. Mirror c. 2. s ct 9. also c. 5. sect 1. 8 Ed. 2 Fits Coron 432. 7 Edw. 3 BR rot 44. 24 He. 8 Diet 249. I le Com. 360. Cook l. 3. fo 44. lib. 8. fo 100. vox plebis P. 55 56 57. Oppressed mans Oppression P. 2 3 4. And that neither those that are imprisoned for Debt at the Kings suit only nor any others committed for Treason Felony Murther or Trespass before conviction or attainder ought to be put into Irons or otherwise to be punished but only to be safely kept Prisons being only for custody and not for punishment to the Prisoners f Mirror c. 4. sect 9. And whereas by the said common Laws of England Gaolers that detain their Prisoners in Prison by colour of right for their fees until they dye or cause their Prisoners to perish by famine beating or wounding by hard usage strickt or close Duress or by putting them into Irons or Dungeons which procure their death are guilty of Homicide or Man-slaughter That by the said Laws Gaolers or Guardians of Prisons are prohibited to spoil their Prisoners of their goods or to take any thing from them for by or under any pretence of Fees either at their coming into the Prison or going out g Mirror c. 5. sect 1. Mirror 52 53. And whereas likewise all manner of Extortions Oppressions and illegal vexation of Sherifes Gaolers and Prison-Keepers exercised and practiced upon their Prisoners is strictly prohibited and defended by divers good and wholsome Laws and Statutes of this Realm h 4 Ed. 3. c. 10 23 He. 6. c. 10. 3 Ed. 1. c. 26. 25 Ed. 3 c. 17. Liberty against slavery fo 4 5 7. And Gaolers and Guardians of Prisons and Sherifes are to take nothing for the execution of their offices but only of the King except 4 pence to be required and taken of the Prisoner at the time of his discharge and not before conferred on them by the Statute of the 23. of Henry 6. chap. 10. That contrary to these good Statutes and the great Charter of Englands Liberty the persons of the free-commons of England are still most unjustly and cruelly for an unlimited time inslaved in the several Gaols and Prisons and thereby inhumanly robbed of their just and precious Liberties Estates and Callings whereby they their wives and children are exposed to the cruel wills of their Oppressors and so become the very specticle of misery not pityed by any nor hitherto by the State regarded nor relieved Notwithstanding their many several Petitions for these 6 years past presented to them for Release from this Aegyptian bondage That in pursuance of their uncontrouled inhumane cruelties Gaolers and Prison-keepers have and dayly do inforce from Prisoners their goods and moneys illegal fees and excessive Chamber-rent viz. Fees of a Mark five Mark five pound and ten pound and for Chamber-Rent from each Prisoner no less then 5 s. 8 s. 10 s. 16 s. yea from some 20 s. a week and in the Common Wards where nothing of Right ought to be by them required or taken they exact from each poor prisoner although two lodged in one bed no less then 14. pence a week besides divers others unexpressible exactions That many hundreds of prisoners have been as some stil are by Gaolers and Prison-keepers and their hellish Substitutes close imprisoned in Chambers and Dungeons for divers days moneths and years assaulted bearen wounded robbed and violently at midnight dragg'd out of their own beds and lodged are then sold bare ground Tormented and decripped by Iron Fetters starved and violently murthered yea some kept in Irons hands and feet till their Excrements coming from their body rotted their fundaments Others being by their creditors discharged are notwithstanding by Gaolers detained in Prison meerly for their own unjust exacting fees where many have thus miserably perished And also usually comming Felons Murtherers with Debtors contrary to the Statute of safety Thus Prisons are none other then places of Torment ruin and destruction to the Commons of England and Gaolers and Prison-Keepers none other then tormenters and lawless executioners of their own cruel wils who although complained of yet the Prisoners just complaints are not heard but they stil suffered to persist in these their cruel illegal courses and like vipers sucking the vital blood of the poor Prisoners and defrauding them of their Legacies and Collection moneys gathered in every County of this Realm and Courts of Justice for their relief they murther the poor innocent to whom they deny the priviledg which is by them dayly afforded unto Felons The premises justly weighed and for that Imprisonment of the body for 10 20 30 or 40. years discounts not one penny of Debt to the Creditor but only for a time brings the Grift of wicked gain to the Lawyers and Attornies covetous mills of ungodly

to buy it for the Corrupt price of Iniquity nor at such high Rates as hitherto they have done to the utter Ruin of their Estates Houses and Families And that according to Magna Charta the Debtors Estates if any Remaining may be made Lyable In the two third parts thereof to the satisfaction of their Just Debts By which great Charter a Charitable Consideration is had to the future Subsistence of the Debtors their wives and children and also that Prisons may be Regulated and Prison keepers abridged of their Illegal unlimitted Tyrannical Power Potency and Exactions That so we and all our Posterities being freed from this Aegyptians bondage may have Just cause to Eternitie the memory of his Majesty and of this Honorable assembly as of the Restorers of their Ancient and Just Birth-right and Liberty 1646. To the Honorable the House of Commons in Parliament assembled The humble Petition of divers wel affected Commons of England in the behalf of their poor in slaved Brethren languishing in several Prisons within this Kingdom Most humbly sheweth THat this Honorable Assembly was pleased some 5. years since to heare the Petition of the poor prisoners for Debt and to refer the same to a Committee whereof Henry Martine Esquire was then Chair-man for the drawing up of an Ordinance for their remedy and redress which was done accordingly But yet hitherto unhappily obstructed whereby many poor Prisoners their wives and children for want of timely redress have since perished and many others are consumed and utterly disabled to subsist Now for that the said Ordinance was long since resolved on and by M. Martine brought into this Honorable House to be read Yet there hitherto obstructed so as the hearts of the oppressed though this long delay ready fayne within them their miseries being thereby augmented and for that also a great number who have with al fidelity served the Parliament and have not received their pay Due are at this present Imprisoned for their debts which they can no ways satisfy until they have received their arrears for the said service by which means many of them have perished and the rest likely to perish miserably and their families to be utterly ruined Your poor Petitioners therefore in the bleeding sence of their unjustly inslaved brethrens extream sufferings do humbly pray That ye the chosen convened for their deliverance from oppression and injustice and for the preservation of their just Rights and Liberties wil now after so long time of their expectancy in durance and misery be pleased forthwith to comiserate their deplorable estates and according to your duty the fundamental Law of the Land and Petition of Right seriously to consider the premises and speedily according to justice to assign unto every of them their just liberty freedom from this unjust bondage and slavery They having long cryed and none have regarded this their unjustly imposed miserable Thraldom in which not only the present Petitioners but the posterity of all the freeborn Commons of England are meerly concerned this being by you accomplished then not only your Petitioners but future generations shal be ever bound to call you the blessed instruments of justice for the Regaining of their ancient and just Rights and Liberties Ye shal do no unrighteousness in judgment Levi. 19.15 Thou shalt not oppress nor vex the stranger the widdow the fatherless child nor the poor For if thou afflict them and they cry unto me I wil surely hurt their cry And my wrath shal wax hot and I wil kill you with the sword and your wives shal be widdows and your children fatherless Exod. 22.21 22 23 24. Therefore execute true judgment shew mercy and compassion every man to his Brother and oppress not the widdow the stranger nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart and execute the judgment of truth and Peace in your Gates and l●ve 〈◊〉 false oaths Zach. 7.9 10. Zach. 8.16 17. Nor sel justice for the price of iniquity as hitherto you have done vivat rex FINIS Many more Petitions of the like nature being from time to time presented have bin obstructed and the parties greived not heard nor releived but their miserable Bondage rather augmented and they thereby discouraged from renewing their complaines against these their Aegyptian task-masters viz. Lawyers Attornies Gaolers and cruel creditors Distressed and miserably inslaved Englands Canker-wormes and devouring Caterpillers of mens Estates Liberties and lives and fomenters of all Contention Tyranny and Oppression vivat Rex