Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	earl_n	lord_n	thomas_n	11,465	5	9.2873	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74791	A whip for the present House of Lords, or the Levellers levelled. in an epistle writ to Mr. Frost, secretary to the Committee of State, that sits at Darby House, in answer to a lying book said to be his called A declaration, &c. / By L.C. Io. Lilburne, prerogative prisoner in the Tower of London, Feb. 27, 1647.	Lilburne, John, 1614?-1657.; Frost, Walter, fl. 1619-1652.	1648 (1648)	Thomason E431_1	47,524	30

Lawyers had proctered for them in the open House against● me a little before of whom face to face in that particular in their own profession I dare ingage my head to make Novices and lyars of provided I may be suffered my selfe to answe● their obiections and when the discourse is done I shall readily and cheerfully submit to the finall determination and judgement of this House in it or if I cannot obtain this at your hands Then in the second place Mr. Speaker I most humbly intreat this honourable House that they will be pleased to appoint a day to reade over my Plea J made for my self before Mr. Iohn Maynard c. † Who I doe aver delt most unworthily trecherously and not like a righteous iudg nor a●just English man with me who though the House had expresly ordered him and the rest of the Committee not only to heare and examine my businesse but also to conclude their opinions upon it and report their results to the House yet notwithstanding Mr Maynard being then in the Chaire as some of the Committee told me would not upon any tearmes suffer them to doe it by meanes of which he rob● me of my reall benefit of that Committee which the House intended me and hath done like a trecherous man as much as in him lyes to destroy me and my liberties and the liberties of all the Commons of England the Lords being encouraged thereby to deale since as illegally with Sir John Maynard and other Commons of England as they have done with me see Sir Iohn pleas of the 5 and 14 Feb. 1647. and which since I have printed and delivered some hundreds of them to the members of this House and upon the reading of it to proceed to give a final Judgment in it that so I may after almost 2. years waiting know what to trust to and not be kept everlastingly in Prison in a condition worse then death it self for truly Mr Speaker my pressing and unsupportable necessities compels me to deale ingeniously with this House and t●uly to acquaint you that I have not being a yonger Brother one foot of land in the whole world nor a penny of any rents coming in to maintaine me my wife and litle Children nor any trade agoing to bring me in one farthing nor a penny allowed me by those that uniustly imprisoned me to buy me bread and all these things considered with my 11 years in a manner constant sufferings laid unto them I cannot apprehend how this house can rationally conceive how without maricle I should live or subsist especially seeing I am necessitated to contest for my own preservation with all the corrupt grand interests in England therfore in the second place I humbly intreat this honourable house to let me have somthing at the present out of my Arreares to keepe me alive which I dare with confidence Mr Speaker avere before this House Iustly amounts to the greatest part of a Thousand pounds And in the third place Mr. Speaker I humbly intreat this Honourable House seriously to consider and passe my Ordinance that long hath laid dormant here for my 2000. l. reparations against my cruell Star-Chamber Iudges and that I may speedily and effectually by you he put into a certain way where to receive my money and not be sent unto those for it where it is impossible for me to get it * The names of those my unrighteous and barbarous High Commission and Star-Chamber Iudges are Dr. Lamb Dr. Gwin and Dr. Alylet whose hands were to my first commitment and yet never see my face these that past my first bloody whipping sentence upon me c. were Lord Coventry Earle of Manchester Lord Newburgh old Sir Henry Vaine Lord Chiefe Iustice Bramstone and Iudg Jones those that past my second most barbarous sentence to starve me c. were Canterbury Coventry London Manchester Arundell Salisbury Cottington Secretary Cook and Windebank the severall sentences you may read at large in the 1 2 3 4. pages of my printed relation before the Lords of the 13. Feb. 1645. and from the fattest and ablest of these I expect my reparations viz. from old Sir Henry Vain the Earl of Salisburys whose greatnesse alone in both Houses I have cause to iudg hath kept me all this while from my reparations and therefore O all true hearted English men help me to grapple with their lawlesse greatnesse without the losse of a great deale of time and the expence of a great deale of money if ever I get it at all which I have not now to spend having I dare with confidence aver it spent above 1000. l one way and another in following this House c. for it and so Mr. Speaker I have done with what I have to say to you at present wherupon I was commanded to withdraw which I did And immediately upon it Mr IOHN WILDMAN was called in a severall times and myselfe having sent in word to Mr. Speaker that I earnestly desired to come to the Bar againe to speak two or three words more to the House and accordingly I was called in coming to the Bar very hoarse by reason of my straining my selfe to speak audably in my former speeches one of which lasted above an houre and half I said with a mild voyce Mr. Speaker a Prison by the law of this Land is appointed not for the punishment or distuction of the Prisoner but for the secure and salf-keeping of him for a speedy tryall at the next Assises Sessions or Goale del●very And truly Mr Speaker J have now been many assizes Sessions and Goale deliveries in Prison and never called out to have any crime in the world laid legally unto my charge being commited by those that J must and do averre with confidence before this house have no more power or authority by the law of England to commit me then so many Turkes or Tertors and this House was lately pleased to doe me so much Iustice and right as to give liberty day by day to goe obroad to follow my businesse and yesterday I understand they have taken of that order and left me a Prisoner under the power of the Lords by reason of this information of Mr. Mastersons which I aver is a most malicious lying one truly Mr. Speakes my necessities are such and I count it no disgrace to repeate it over againe to this House especially considering my eleven year● hard and constant chargeable sufferings for the liberties of my native Country that I have neither Lands houses nor tade ●going to bring me in a penny to buy me bread to preserve alive my wife and little children and I never die any action in my life but I was alwayes willing and still am ready to answer for it at the touchstone of the Law and by it to iustifie it at my perrill without ever craving o● now desiring the least dram or courtefie in the world at the hands of any flesh

desire to have the Lords 〈◊〉 Lords to come and sit with the House of Commons and vote as one House the endeavouring of which 〈◊〉 more abhorre then to have them sit as they are but this I acknowledge that if they will put themselves upon the affections of the people to be chosen for Knights of the shire c. And if they be legally chosen I thinke then they will have as good a right to sit and vote in the House of Common● as any that sits there and if they would doe this I should never be angry at the continuance of their titles of honour to their posteritie for ever and to their enjoying their large estates as their reall proprieties and not in the least to be taken from them but by their own free consent either generall or particular provided they be subiect to the law as other men are in paying their debts c. But seeing the man would faine be doing the Lords some service or else he would never have framed a fixion of his own braine and then goe fight with it iust li●● a Coward that in the dark drawes his sword against and upon a gates post and falls a beating and sl●shing it and then raiseth up his courage to a great hight as though it were some body indeed because it stands still and doth not not b● is sure will not fall againe upon him And truly he that contests without a reall adversarie to incounter him may easily be a Conquerer and yet as attant an Ignoram i● and Coward as any is in the world and therefore Mr. Frost that you and Mr. Prinn may have something of new in reallitie to lay your heads together to study how to ●udge● that so your mettell may battled indeed I shall there insert for your speciall perusall what I delivered in my speech at the House of Commons barre as I have already pend it upon the 19 Ianuary 1647. against the House Lords but in regard it was spoken about the middle of my second speech that day I shall make a little introduction to it thus that upon the 18. of Ianuary 1647. I had information that one Mr. Masterson the Priest of Shareditch had accused me and Mr. Iohn Wildman who hath already published his defence and called it Truths triumph or Treachery anatomised to the Parliament of plotting dangerous things against them of which being in London informed I went immediately to Westminster and freely promised the Sergeant at Armes without any warrant being served upon me the next morning to be at the House of Commons doore and accordingly the next morning preparing for the journey I arrived with other of my friends at Westminster and being not long at the House doore Where was many of my friends come down from London and Southwarke to beare and see how things went J addressed my self to the Serieant of the House to let him know J was there to tend upon the houses pleasure and he immediately came out with his Mace and called for Mr. Masterson the lying malicious Judas Priest and my self so in we went and also the Lievtenant of the Tower as my Guardian and having given them that due respect that I conceived is due unto their iust and true authority though I owe little or none unto the persons that sate th●●e by reason of their abusing and most abominable m●sexecuting of their righteous authority the things that passed so neere as my memory to the utmost punctillo will serve me I shall faithfully relate unto you rather adding then detracting Upon our comming to the barre where both my lying and false accuser and my self stood the Speaker stept up in his Chaire and commanded Mr. Masterson in the name of the House of Commons to give them againe a narrative of what he yesterday he declared to them So he very formerly begun and spoke as freely as if he had learned his lesson without book and truly J could not but stand amazed at the mans impudence that he durst with so much confidence tell and belcsh out so many lyes as he did but giving not much regard to his accusation to treasure it up in my memory being resolved before hand to take no cognizance of his verball impeachment which in law was nothing J fixed my mind very seriously upon the Lord Iehovah and was a wrestling with him for the incomes of his own self that so J might speak freely and boldly in his might and power if it were possible to the amazement and terror of his enemies amongst those that should heare me divers of whom I was confident would lay in wait to catch and intrap me And now and then the House in my apprehension being very full J cast my eye about me to look upon the countenances of the Members and to observe their behavours most commonly fixing my eye stedfastly upon the Speaker in the Chaire who as soon as he perceived Mr. Masterson had done beckned his hand unto me as J conceived to have me answer the Priest but I stood still and took no notice of his beck at last he wished me to say what I could for my selfe unto it whereupon pausing a little after a Congee made unto him I openned my mouth to this effect Mr. Speaker J desire in the fi●st place to premise this That I look upon and own this honourable House in its constitution and power as the best legallest and iustest interest and authority that it established in this Kingdome or that all the Commons of England visibly hath for the preservation of their Lives Liberties and Estates And I doubt not but so to speake unto you this present day as clearely to demonstrate to you that I am an honourer an owner and a priser of this greatest english authority and interest in which as a free Commoner of England J have a little share And therefo●e if this honourable house please to afford me Pauls priveledge which he inioyed amongst the Heathen and Pagan Roman Governours or Magistrates which was to heare him speake freely for himself before they would condemne him which liberty and priviledge J freely and largely inioyed at the hands of the Cavialeer Iudges at Oxford when I was arraigned m●i●ons before the Lord chiefe Iustice Heath and Sir Thomas Gardner late Recorder of London for drawing my sword and a your command adventuring my life for the great interest of the Kingdome involved and singly represented in this honourable house in the destruction of which it perisheth who before all th● City and Country then assembled at Guild Hall in Oxford gave me free liberty without the least interruption ●o say what I pleased and to plead for my life in the best manner that all th●se abilities God had given me would inable me to doe And if you please to grant me 〈◊〉 priviledge which is my naturall right J shall speake freely with this protestation and S●vo● that I doe not speak nor answer out of any duty or tye that

of his trust and place See also page 266 267. 269. 276 277. 3●4 361. 382. 494. 696 700. 716. 721 726. But that my Warrant is illegall I evince it in those foure particulars First because it is signed by the Speaker of the House of Commons who as Speaker in law hath no power at all in the case in controversie to commit me to prison for the House it self is chosen and betrusted to make and repeale Lawes but is not in the least by law or reason impowred to execute the Law Secondly my warrant had no seale to it as by law it ought to have as is fully proved by the fore recited places but neither of these were the things I stood upon though I might iustly have done i● in Law Thirdly my Warrant hath no legall cause expressed in it and therefore illegall because it only runs in generall but doth not expresse in Particular the treason they lay to my charge and therefore not in law to be obeyed either by me or by the Lievtenant of the Tower or any other against all the executers of which in Law I have my action of false imprisonment if there were any iustice to be had which now I must and will say is destroyed by Sir Thomas Fairfax and his mercionary Ianisaries under his command As is clearly evident in their late condemning W. l. Thomson by Martial Law who is a meer Commoner Fourthly it wanted a legall conclusion viz. and him safely to keep untill he be delivered by due course of Law which two last things I stood upon and ground enough I had so to doe because for want of them I was eternally co●●mitted to pris●n without any legall crime laid unto my charge And therefore me●cinary Ianisary Col Baxster might as well and as legally commanded his Souldiers to have cut my throat as to have commanded them to have drawn their swords upon me and to have dragd ●ee away by force of Armes by vertue of an illegall warrant F●r if my warrant had been legall I could with a Hab●a● Corpus have brought up my self to the Kings Bench bat the last tearm and there according to law have forced my imprisoners to a legall tryall either for my iustification o● condemna●●●● whereas now by the illegallity of my warrant I am deprived of all meanes to bring my self in a ●●st tryall at Law although J desire it as much at to eate when I am a hungry and so now must either starve or rot in prison or troop unto the wills of Tyrants to cry them p●ccavie to get my liberty to the traterous betraying of the lawes and liberties of England the which rather then J would willingly doe I would by Gods assistance be cut in a thousand pieces But expostulating with the Officers and Souldiers that commanded the guard the Serieant at Arms could not get one of them to lay hand upon me and at last it at mercionary cowardly unworthy base fellow Col Baxster came up with a freshguard who hath not the least sparke of a true br●d English man in him as I shall be ready when time serves to testifie to his nose and I begun to expostulate in law and reason with him but he like a professe● Mercionary Turkish Ianisarie told me to this effect It was his office and place not to dispute Orders or Commands but to put them in execution and therefore J must talke no more to him for to prison he would carrie me and most imperiously commanded to cleare the Lobby of all my friends and not knowing but 〈◊〉 intention was to murder me at the House of Commons doore in such a manner that there should be none of my friends by to beare witnesse of his blood guiltinesse I gave my books staff● and gloves to my friends being resolved of p●ssi●le I could to seize upon the very wind pipe of him that first laid hands upon me and to deale with him as a bloody fellow that came to murther and distroy me but the crou● going out of the doore J strove to goe with them and as soon as I was out upon the top of the stai●● he himself laid hands upon me but the croud was so strong that my very armes was ●●nnioned tha● I could doe no more but attempt the throwing him down the staires but the croud became his pro● and safeguard and all of a sudden abundance of swords were drawn about my cares and I so crouded up that I was necessi●ated to have patience perforce although I was resolved if I could have go● any elboe room to have lost my life upon the place like a man rather then to have been robd of my l●gall and naturall liberties standing upon my feet but some of the Souldiers were extreamly desperate and mad upon me upon which I cryed out murder murder murder as loud as ever I could cry whereupon followed a fearefull cry of the people in the same tone Baxsters new Souldiers that hee brought up with him that had heard none of my discourse laid about them like mad men upon a company of naked men and knockt down some of my friends with the but ends of their Muskets and others run severall times a tilt at me with their drawn swords and had undoubtedly dispatched me had not my wife stood betwixt me and them and one young fellow especially I took notice of who run severall times fearcely a tilt at me and had undoubtedly distroyed me but for the ingenuitie of the Lievtenant belonging to the Captain of the guard which fellow upon inquirie I found to be the Ensigne to the Captaine of the guard and as I was led away I found my old acquaintance Captain Groome very active against me and to set up Slavery and Tyranny veryfying that proverb that set a begger on horseback and he will gallop and drive more furiously then he that is acccustomed to riding So being necessitated to yeeld up at present the liberties and freedoms of England to the tyranny of that House of Commons and the Souldiers of that Generall who raised and commanded an Army pretendedly to fight for and preserve the liberties of England and in divers of their Declarations have imprecated the wrath and vengeance of Heaven and earth to fall upon them when they cease so to doe And truly did J not consider there is a iust righteous and powerfull God in Heaven that is able to performe upon these mens heads their own prayers J should even be overwhelmed with sorrow and griefe at their unrighteous blood thirsty and cruell dealings with me And being with a guard of Souldiers by water brought to the Tower and discoursing with Col. Titchburne the present Lievtenant of the Tower I became ingaged upon my perrowle to be a true prisoner and he became ingaged to use me with all civilitie and respect which truly from himself I have at this bout no cause to complain of but yet notwithstanding ever since by his Warders at the gate my