Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	baronet_n	john_n	sir_n	29,057	5	7.5185	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85890	The true case of the state of Sir John Gell, prisoner in the Tower: accused of high treason, and misprision of treason. With a short argument thereupon.	Gell, John, Sir, 1593-1671.	1650 (1650)	Wing G467; Thomason E612_17; ESTC R206494	5,683	11

The true Case of the state of Sir JOHN GELL Prisoner in the Tower Accused of High Treason and misprision of Treason With a short Argument thereupon THat John Barnard with one Pits by the name of Smith desired Mr. Andrews to joyn with them in a plot to surprize the Isle of Ely That Andrews was thought to be somewhat inclinable thereunto Barnard comes to the Lord President Bradshaw and acquaints him with it The Lord President bids Bernard go forward with the plot as Bernard declares in Court at the trial of Andrews That Bernard did go again with Pits to Andrews and told him that if he would draw an Oath of Secresie and signe and seal the same then Bernard would help him to two hundred pounds to bear his charges beyond Sea to get Commissions to raise men for the effecting the said plot and that both Bernard and Pits did promise to sign and seal the Oath of secresie likewise That Andrews being in necessity upon Bernards motion did sign and seal the Oath aforesaid That Bernard and Smith did sign and seal the Oath also Then Bernard desired Andrews to write a Letter to some Persons of Note to subscribe the Oath Andrews thereupon writes a Letter directed to Sir John Baronet That as soon as this was done Bernard had Officers ready and seized on Andrews for high Treason and then brings the Letter directed to Sir John Baronet to the Lord President Bradshaw That the Lord President kept the Letter and lets Bernard and Pits have a Copy of it That Bernard and Pits brings the Copy as they say to Sir John Gell. That Bernard and Pits both say Sir John Gell did refuse to Act in the same Plot and so burnt the Letter That the Letter was brought to Sir John Gell as Bernard and Pits saith on a Saturday-night after ten of the Clock That Master Spittlehouse a Messenger had a Warrant the next morning early being the Lords day to apprehend Sir John Gell. That Sir John Gell hath for the space of above five moneths been Close Prisoner in the Tower and now to be tried before the high Court of Justice for Treason and misprision of Treason That it doth clearly appear that the Lord President was privy to all these Proceedings The Argument Upon the whole matter here must needs appear a a foul Conspiracy and foul practise against the Life and Estate of Sir John Gell by Bernard and Pits to the knowledge of the Lord President as appears thus 1 THe Letter was directed to Sir John Baronet what was that to Sir John Gell 2 The Letter was delivered by Bernard to the Lord President why then a Copy sent to Sir John Gell unless it were to ensnare him 3 The Warrant was made to apprehend Sir John Gell why not to take Sir John Baronet to whom the Letter was directed Then had Sir John Gell been never questioned 4 It doth appear that the Lord President knew that Bernard and Pits would deliver the Copy of the Letter to Sir John Gell or else why should the Warrant be made to take Sir John Gell 5 The pretended Letter was delivered Saturday night after ten of the clock and the Warrant to take Sir John Gell was the next morning in the Messengers hands so that it is more than probable that the Warrant was made before the pretended Letter was delivered for that the Councel of State seldom sits of a Saturday-night after ten a Clock and on Sunday morning to be sure they did not sit now let all rational men judge what a Snare here was laid and by whom to catch Sir John Gell Is this Justice to make a Warrant to take a man before any pretended Crime be committed Again Sir John Gell doth deny that he received any such letter or Copy of letter and for that the High Court of Justice hath no colour of proof but the othes of this Bernard and Pits who are no evidence in law neither is their testimony valid by the Common nor Civil law for that they are both perjured and scandalous 1. Perjured they are twice over in this copy 1. For that they entred into an oath of secrefie with an intent to break it and did break it 2. For that they have sworn they delivered Andrews his letter to Sir John Gell and the Lord President saith it was but a copy and it wil be proved that the Lord President had the letter and that it never came to Sir John Gell now it is evidently seen that they are both already perjured in this very case what men in the world ought to believe these witnesses And then for forgery subornation Bernard hath been very frequent in as in forging or countenancing the forgers of severall Acts of Parliament and other deeds and writings against Mr. Brown formerly Clerk of the Parlament and for his subornation he the said Bernard did offer to John Benson a large summe of mony to swear to the articles he had against Mr. Speaker although he knew well that Benson did not know any word in the articles to be true Again Barnard hath been a Cavalier in arms against the parliament he is a known Papist and a reputed Jesuite a contriver of plots to set the nation at variance and to make the Parliament and Councel of State odious in the eyes of the people as will appear by this practice and by the articles hereafter resited which articles were long since delivered to some of the Members of Parliament under the hand of Mr. Stephen Sprat which being well considered you may see who is the traytor To the supream Authority the Parliament of the Common-Wealth of England Articles humbly exhibited against John Bernard Gent. now called by the name of Captain Bernard for safety of the Parliament and on behalf of this Common-Wealth by Stephen Spratt 1 THat the said John Bernard did speak to Col. William Eyres to joyn with him the said John to raise five hundred men to cut the throats of the Parliament or words to that effect 2 That he the said Bernard did say to William Learner that it would never be well for England till thirty of the Grandees sitting in this Parliament were cut off and that the onely way for freedome was to raise the people to destroy the Parliament or words to that effect 3 That the said John Bernard did say to Richard Parham that he did prosecute Mr. Speaker for no other end but to throw a bone amongst the Members of Parliament to set them at variance to destroy them or words to that effect 4 That it hath been the daily practice of the said Bernard to foment and create disturbances and distractions in Parliament and between the Parliament and people since England was a fr●ee Common-Wealth and to that purpose did speak to William Lazinby to assist him the said John to raise fourscore men to seiz upon Mr. Speaker and to cut his throat 5. That the said Bernard is reported to be a

Papist and one of a Jesuitical practice and hath been in Arms for the late King against the Parlament and the better to bring about his traiterous Design he did not onely foment and raise Articles against the Speaker of this Parlament but against many other Members of the same and did go to and fro shewing the said Articles to several People to raise the Spirits of the People against the Parlament By these Articles the World may judge whether Bernard be not as great a Traitor as ever yet was heard of in these Times and therefore consider of how dangerous a Consequence it will be to take his Testimony for Evidence against any who hath been for the Parlament if this man be believed for a Witness and let pass with these wicked practises the Parlaments best Friends will be in danger he may as well conntrive Plots to insnare the Members of Parlament one after another as he hath already done or he may put the same Trick upon any Member of the high Court of Justice or any other Person where such foul practices go unpunished no man can be safe for instance when he had the pretended Copy of the Letter directed to Sir John Baronet he might have made whom he please Sir John Baronet he might as well have delivered the Letter to any Sir John who had been or is now a Member of Parlament as well as to Sir John Gell and so he might have brought into trouble whom he pleased And then for Treason there could be no Treason unless there had been some real Design against the Common-wealth but in this pretended Plot there doth not appear any because the Contriver never intended as may be supposed by his Discover that it should ever come to pass so it doth appear that this was a meer feigned Fiction or Resemblance of a Plot not to hurt the Common-wealth but to betray and insnare particular Persons for Bernard's Gain And the Act was not made to prevent and punish Fantasies Fictions or Plays but real and wicked practices and pernicious designes to stir up a new and bloudy War and therefore it can be thought no less than a piece of pure Justice for the Parlament to refer this business to a Committee to examine and report that they may see what Cause there is to try Sir John Gell before they give way for his Triall And for misprision and Concealment of Treason there can be none where there is no Treason for without a Principal there can be no Accessary and misprision or concealment of Treason is onely to know of Treason and not to reveal it to the State which was not intended Sir John Gell should do for that there was not time enough for him to reveal it between the time of the pretended Delivery of the pretended Letter and the granting of the Warrant to take him Again further it could be no misprision or Concealment of Treason in Sir John Gell because it was known to the State before it was known to him as it appears by Bernard's testimony in Court the Lord President knew of it Now if it should be misprision of Treason not to reveal Treason after the State knows of it then it is misprision in all men that hears of this pretended Treason and do not go and reveal it to the State but it is no misprision nor concealment of Treason for any not to reveal Treason to the State when the State knows of it before and they did know of it for Andrews was seized at Gravesend before the pretended Letter was brought to Sir John Gell. And if it shall be objected that Andrews was the principal in the pretended Treason and Sir John Gell the accessary and Concealer of it then the Answer will be thus That nothing brings Sir John Gell in question but the Letter which Bernard sayes he delivered from Andrews directed to Sir John Baronet to Sir John Gell which Letter was brought to the Lord President and a Copy pretended to be afterwards delivered to Sir John Gell so that he received nothing from Andrews if he received any thing it must be from Bernard and known to the Lord President which makes him not to be accessary to Andrews his Treason if Sir John should be guilty of misprision or Concealment of treason then Bernard must be the principal but Bernard is not charged with treason therefore Sir John not guilty of misprision or concealment of treason If it should be objected that Andrews delivered the Letter to Bernard directed to Sir John Baronet with private Instructions to be delivered to Sir John Gell as Bernard swears he did then answer What man of common Reason will believe Bernard who is so foul a perjured Traitor and a party to the pretended Plot. Again if that should be admitted Could Sir John Gell prevent Andrews from sending him a Letter or Bernard of bringing it Sir John Gell not knowing of the Letter and therefore he could be no party in the plot What if Bernard should bring a Letter from a Traitor to any Membr of Parlament or high Court of Justice as it is like he will do many if he be let alone and have a Serjeant at Arms ready to attach them upon Receit of the Letter before they can reveal it are they therefore ever the more guilty of treason or misprision or concealment of treason no nor Sir John Gell is not guilty of treason nor misprision or concealment of treason neither did he ever receive any Letter or Copy of a Letter from Andrews by Bernard or any other person as will appear by these following Lines written and subscribed by the hand of a dying Man I Colonel Eusebius Andrews being this day to die by God's good providence finding by the testimony given by Jo. Bernard which God forgive against me upon my Triall that the matter of his Averment concerning the delivery of a Letter by me written unto Sir John Gell as disposed to the hand of him the said Sir John Gell in Case the Court upon Triall of Sir John Gell shall give credit thereunto may tend to the Destruction of the said Sir John do in my tender and Christian desire as much as in me lies to prevent the hurt intended to the Innocent protest before God that I my self was examined to the Original Letter by me to him written from Gravesend which was at the time of my being confronted with Sir John Gell in the hands of the Lord President Bradshaw and that the Lord Bradshaw demanding of him where the Letter was I then said he did never receive it and Sir Henry Mildmay had nere discovered the said Letter if the Lord President had not given him a hint and that the Letter Original was not directed to Sir Iohn Gell by me but to Sir Iohn Baronet but not to Sir Iohn Gell Witness the dying hand of Eusebius Andrews Aug. 22. And whereas it is reported that Sir Iohn Gell hath gotten a great Estate by the Wars this let the World know that a great part of the County of Derby-shire hath been examined against him many of them by the Committee of Accounts formerly sitting in Cornwall London and others by the Committee of the County no manner of misdemeanour could be found against him which he ever did act against the State and therefore he doth refer his Friends and Enemies if any Conscience be left in them to his late Vindication published in print which here follows in haec verba The Vindication of John Gell Barronet set forth by way of protestation against several Scandals and Calumnies cast upon him by some malitious Enemies WHereas several Scandals and Calumnies are cast upon me by some unworthy malitious spirits who seeks my ruine That in the time of war when I had command in Derby-shire I did get to my self a great estate by taxing the County as also by plundering and getting into my hands the Estates of several delinquents and other great sums of money which I should receive in the said County and thereabouts These are therefore in the presence of the Almighty God by Protestation without any equivocation mental Reservation or secret Evasion That neither directly nor indirectly I got to my self or to any other Person for my use by way of tax receipt plundering or otherwise one penny or pennies worth of the money or goods of any person or persons whatsoever nor for above five years service and some thousands of pounds out of purse never did receive the value of one hundred pound But all taxes receipts and other publick money were paid to and received by Mr. Nathaniel Hallowes Mr. Jervis Bennet and Henry Buchston who were Treasurers of the County one after another and without all question they being men of honest and known integrity will justifie me in this my Protestation to the truth whereof I do call the great God of Heaven and Earth to witness and upon this issue I will cast my self upon the Parliament avowing that if any thing be proved contrary to what I have here published I will be willing to forfeit and loose all that is near and dear unto me JOHN GELL FINIS