A true relation of the abominable injustice, oppressions and tyranny, which Captain Henry Bell suffered nine years together at the Councell board,: before this Parliament began, as the said Captain Bell did humbly exhibite the same to the King at White-Hall, on the second day of December 1640. and what His Majesty was graciously pleased to doe thereupon. And also, herein the said Captain Bell doth exhibite his humble petition to the Right Honourable the Lords assembled in Parliament. ...

A true Relation of the state and pro∣ceedings of Captain Henry Bells Cause, nine yeares together at the Councell-board.

I. THAT I Captaine Henry Bell was imployed beyond the seas foure yeares together by your Majesties Royall Father King James, about the pretended loving Letter which the Empresse wrote to her Highnesse the Lady Elizabeth your Majesties Sister, Anno 1618. under the colour of which Letter that hor∣rible plot should have taken effect at Ratisbone, which was con∣trived at Vienna, against the Lady Elizabeth, and the young Prince her then only Sonne, and also against King James and your then Princely person, certified more at large unto your Majesty by Secretary Morton, as is before related.

II. That in the said imployment (as also in another im∣ployment here in this Kingdome) I disbursed out of purse for the use and service of King James, of your Majestie, and of this State the Summe of 5•• 38 l, in moneyes.

III. That in satisfaction of the said Summe disbursed, his Majesty Anno 1619. (with the full consent of the whole Councell-board) did grant unto me under the great Seale of England the yearly Pention of 500 l, for the Terme of 31. yeares to endure.

IV. That after the death of King James (in regard my Pen∣tion could not be duly paid unto mee) your Majesty (upon the foresaid Mr. Secretary Mortons Certificate) did graciously grant two Privy Seales for the payment of 900 l in part of the foresaid summe disbursed, therewith to relieve me in my then present wants.

V. That Anno 1630. your Majesty was graciously pleased to give order to the Lord Treasurer Weston to cause another Privy Seale to be drawne up and passed unto me for the pay∣ment

of 5000 l more in liew of my foresaid Pention, and in satisfaction of the moneyes by me disbursed as aforesaid.

VI. That I attended the said Lord Treasurer two yeares for the passing of the said Privy Seale, in which time I had nothing from him, but only fayre promises (without any per∣formance) for the passing of the same, insomuch as I was for∣ced to make my griev•• us case knowne unto him, and tell him that my selfe, my wife and children were like to perish for want of my moneyes and meanes, and therfore I humbly prayed his Lordship to give directions for the drawing up of the said Privy Seale according to your Majesties order in that behalfe, otherwise (I told him) I should be forced to com∣plaine of him to your Majesty, and to the State.

VII. That his Lordship thereupon grew very angry, and said thus unto me, Captain Bell, seeing you are so peremptory, you shall stay yet longer for your Privy Seale, and because you say you will complaine of me, therefore I will goe to the Councell Table and complaine of you to the Lords; which he did forthwith according, and told the Lords that I threat∣ned to complaine of him.

VIII. That within a few dayes after the late Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Treasurer the Lord Cottington, and others of the Austrian and Spanish faction, who concei∣ved, and did beare an inward hate toward me ever since I per∣formed the foresaid service, did procure a warrant from the whole Councell-board to commit me to prison in the Gate∣house Westminster without shewing any cause why they com∣mitted me.

IX. That upon the said Warrant I suffered nine yeares imprisonment most wrongfully, and innocently by apparent oppression, injustice, and tyranny.

X. That after I had been two yeares in Prison, and with∣out intermission did daily petition their Lordships to know the cause why they kept me in prison, then (because for shame of the world they must shew some colour of cause for keep∣ing mee in Prison) there was most wickedly contrived such a Bill against me, as that the like thereunto was never

heard of nor known so long as this Kingdome hath stood, for from the beginning of the first word in the said Bill, to the end of the last, there was nothing true in the whole Bill, nei∣ther was the said Bill drawne upon any information at all, but it was only devised by and upon their Lorships meere con∣ceits, and pretended cogitations and weenings.

XI. That I forthwith did put in my answer to the said Bill, and thereupon I sent continually one petition after an∣other to the Councell board humbly desiring their Lord∣ships to give order that the said Bill and answer might be brought to a speedy tryall.

XII. That when the Lords understood that I would not cease from petitioning to have that Bill and answer brought to a tryall, then their Lordships directed Sir John Bankes Attorney Generall to send for me, who said unto me as fol∣loweth; Captaine Bell, the Lords of the Councell have com∣manded me to send for you, and to tell you that the Bill was not drawne against you with any intent to bring it to a tryall, but only to see what answer you would make thereunto, and the Lords are now satisfied with your answer to the same, and they have ordered the Bill to be dismissed, and that the reason they committed you to Prison was, because you kept such a continuall clamouring for your mony which the King ow∣eth you, whereas my Lord Treasurer many times told you, that there was not yet money to pay you, and the Lords have commanded me to tell you further, that if you will be bound with good security in a Bond of 2000 l that you will be quiet, and not make a clamouring for your money, but with pa∣tience will forbeare yet one yeare to trouble their Lordships untill money comes in to pay you, then the Lords will set you at liberty, and for your maintenance their Lordships will con∣tinue your allowance, which you have had in Prison, (viz.) a Noble per diem, untill you receive your money due unto you from the King; whereupon I told Sir John Bankes, that I would be bound with good Security to performe the same.

XIII. That two dayes after I sent word to Sir John Bankes that I had my Security ready, and I sent him their names, and

gave him notice where they dwelt, then he sent for us to come unto him to his chamber in Grayes-Inne, where we entred in∣to Bond of 2000l for the performing of the particulars a∣bove related; whereupon Sir John Bankes tooke the said bond and told us he would shew it unto the Lords, and that the next morning he would send a Warrant to the keeper of the Gate∣house to set me at liberty.

XIV. That I was not only kept still in Prison five yeares after we had given Bond as aforsaid (without any warrant for my enlargement) but also Sir John Bankes kept our Bond still in his hand, and would neither deliver it up unto us, nor would he give Warrant for my enlargement, whereby my Security were forced to neglect all their owne affayres in Trading, and to attend continually in Petitioning, either to have the said Bond delivered up unto us, or els that a Warrant might be gi∣ven for my enlargement out of Prison; But all petitioning was in vaine, insomuch as thereby I forfeited my Counter∣bond of two thousand pounds which I gave my Security to save them harmelesse.

XV That during the time of my imprisonment I sent 214 Petitions to the Councell-board, in all which my Petitions, I made humble sute unto their Lordships only for Justice, that I might know why they kept me in Prison, seeing no man could justly charge me that I had offended the King either in word or in deed, or that I had transgressed the Lawes of this Land, but that on the contrary I had done good and excepta∣ble service to and for the King and this State, all which I of∣fered to prove apparantly if their Lordships would be but pleased once to heare me, but all my Petitioning was in vaine, I could never obtain so much Iustice at their Lordships hands, as once to be called before them, nor to be heard to speake so∣much as one word, nor could I ever know any cause why they kept me in prison, but only they sent me word many and often∣times (especially the Lord Privy Seale) that they were assured if I were set at Liberty, I would keepe a Clamouring for my money, and there was not yet, money for to pay me, inso∣much that thereupon I sent a Petition to the late Archbishop

of Canterbury, and another to the Lord Priuy Seale, wherein I told their Lordships that if ever it pleased God to send us a Parliament, their Lordships would 〈◊〉〈◊〉these courses they took against me; The Lord Privy Seale shewed my said Petition to the Lords at the Councell-board; And said; By this peti∣tion we may easily gather, that Captain Bell would be a very troublesome man unto us if we should set him at liberty, therefore (he said) by my consent he shall still remaine where he is, untill his money can be paid him.

XVI. That these tyranicall unjust and oppressive courses taken against me at the Councell-board, did cause and worke the untimely deathes of my wife and of my young children, who lamentably perished and were starved to death, in the time of my nine yeares unjust, and wrongfull imprisonment, whose innocent bloods and untimely deathes God will re∣veng, and will require the same at the hands of the authors and causers thereof.

Thus and hereby your Majesty may be graciously pleased plainly to find and see, that this Land is even now ripe for punishment, and it is much to be feared that Gods Anger is already kindled against us, by reason of the heavy sinnes of injustice which fearfully have taken the upper hand, doe sway and florish heere amongst us, and that Gods Judgement will ere long be powered downe upon this Kingdome.

Given this second day of December, 1640.

HENRY BELL.