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A COPY OF A LETTER WRITTEN to Collonell Henry Marten, a Member of the House of Com∣mons, by Lieutenant Collonell Lilburne.Iuly 20. 1647.
SIR:
YOUR Delitory and unjust delaying to make my Report to your House according to your duty, hath so hastened forward the ruine and destruction of me, my wife and tender infants, and riveted the House of Lords fast in their tyrannicall domination, That I cannot now style you either a friend to me, the Commonwealth, or to justice, truth, or honesty, and of all men in the world I should least have dreamed to have found such unworthy and unjust dealing from you; But yet notwithstanding by reason of a Pa∣per come from the Army, a copy of which I have even now seene, (which desires of the House of Commons that I, &c. may immediately, and legally bee tryed, or if the great Affaires of the Kingdom will not suffer them to debate my businesse at present, that then I may be bailed,) I therefore desire you to acquaint the House, that the Law of the Land is cleare & plain, that the Lords in the case in controversie betwixt us, have no jurisdiction at all over me, or any Commoner of England whatsoever, and I have justly protested against them, and legally appealed * 1.1▪ above a year ago to your House for justice against their insuffera∣ble usurpations & incrochments; (the injoyments of which is prin∣cipally hindred by your selfe) and therefore I require according to Law, justice, equity, conscience & reason; either to be justified or condemned by your House.
And as for bail I wil by the goodnes of God be cut in 1000 peeces, before I wil in this case stoope the breadth of one heire, or do any act that in my own under∣standing shal declare my owning of their jurisdiction in the least over me▪ with my giving baile or so much as my roule, would doe, within my apprehention would be a granting that their most divilsh tyrannicall illegall sentensing of me, to pay 4000 l. and to be seaven yeares in Prison; and forever to bee disfranchised of the Li∣berties of an English man, were just and legall, and therefore if you will discharge your duty after above a years unjust delay in making my Report to your house I shal yet thank you, but if you wil not, the blood, & ruin of me & mine▪ be upō the head of you and your posterity, and the righteous and just God of heaven and earth, either incline your heart to make my Report for me now at last, (let the issue be what will I care not, as I fully told you in my last large Epistle to you of the 31. of May 1647 now in print pag. 4, 5, 6.) or else speedily avenge my cruill sufferings ▪by your meanes) with out mercy or compassion upon you and yours. Sir in shor•• if your house will as they ought give me my Liberty, without intanglements, I will take it if not I am resolved to stick so closse to my just cause, till I be forced to eate my owne flesh for want of bread, which in the eye of humaine reason can not bee long, before I be forced to doe it; but assure your selfe that if the puting forth all the resolution in a man that for this ten years, neaver feared death, tortures, nor torments; (no, nor yet knew what belong'd to a base feare,) wil save me or do me good, I wil by the strength of God leave no means whatsoever unattempted or un∣assaid though it lose me al the earthly props & relations, I have in the world, & I advise you as a friend to looke well to your selfe and do not continue such insupporta∣ble burthens upon me by your delay of justice, as after suffering ship-wracke of my estate and fortunes, by the grand tyrannicall Tyrants of England, for above ten yeares together, as I am not able longer to beare without evident destruction to me and mine, and so at present I rest, and wish I could subscribe myselfe.
Your Servant IOHN LILBURNE.
From my causlesse, and most uniust Captivity in the Tower of London, the place of my fixed and resolved resolution, to spend the last drop of my heart blood against the house of Lords Vsurpations, over the Legal Rights, & freedomes of all the Commons of England, this 20. of Iuly. 1647▪