The out-cry! and just appeale of the inslaved people of England, made to the right honourable the Parliament for the Common wealth of England: and to all pieties noble champions and to true justice and mercies loving friends, endowed with a equitable publique spirit furnished (from above) with inward integrity, outward uprightnesse, and honest lawfull authority to execute the lords justice on all offenders speedily in all true godliness and honesty, for the establishment of the long since justly professed promised and declared liberty and deliverance, of this long afflicted, oppressed and cruelly inslaved nations from bondage, and the unsupportable oppressive lawlesse yokes of misery; and to all other faithfull publique spirited Christians, and true Common-wealths men. Presented by J. Freeze, who unto all such, wisheth health and true honour, in the Lord heere, and eternall happiness in that glorious world and kingdome of glory which is to come.

Whatsoever is not of Christ, is of the Devill but Cruelty, oppression and Destroy∣ing of men in Prisons, is not of Christ, therefore of the Divell, for his ser∣van••s yee are to whom yee obey, and whose will yee doe.

• FRom the dayes of that just and famous Alfred K. of England to the time of Edw. the 1. Nationall Councels were held twice in the yeare, See the famous Law booke, called Mirrour of Iustice, folio 6.
• All Fellons b••ileable are not to be Imprisoned before Iudgment passeth on them, fol. 73.
• Those that Imp••ison a Freemā, or blemish his credit, are by the Law infamous persons, 192
• Multitude of Clarkes not permitted, fol. 246.
• No Right in Iudgment to be sold for Fees or Bribes, fol 258
• Reason•• shewed, That the Statute made for Imprisonment of men for Debt, is evill, Illegall and contrary to the fundamentall law of England, to reason, and the Liberty of the people fol. 283, 284
• All causes and Controve••sies were then determ••ned in 15. dayes, fol 8.
• No Actions to be entered or received to Iudgment, unless security first given to make the Plaint good, with costs ••nd damages to the Defendant, if not made good, fol. 14. 233. 257
• Imprisoning of men till they Die, is by the law Man-slaughter, fol. 27, 28, 30. 274
• None to be Imprisoned, but only for Murder, Fellony, and Treason, f 29. 57. 73. 231, 274
• See also the Statu••e of Hen••y the 3. chap. 29.
• No Iudge nor any Offi••er is to take any Fee of the people nor reward, fol 64
• Gaoles and Prisons ordained only for mortall Offenders, 72
• Gaolers punishable for detaining a Fellon in Prison after his acquitall; and if detained and dye in Prison, the Gaoler then to be hanged for it, 231
• Gaolers and Prison keepers to be punished and ••o lose their places, for putting Fellons in jrons or exacting monies from them, 238
• Sureties not to b•• sued ••or any debt, if the principall be able, see Hen 3 chap. 8.
• If Sureties be comp••lled to satisfie a Debt, then the Law forthwith to seize on the Lands a••d Goods of the principall Debt••r for his satisfact••on, 9 of H. 3. cap 8.
• Felons escape out of Prison is no mortall offence, because warranted by y^e law of Nature for safety, 226
• A Iudge once pronouncing false judgement is never more to be obeyed, 230
• Gaolers punishable for plundring Prisoners or exacting monies from Prisoners, or putting them in Irons, fol 231
• Pleaders (now called Lawyers) once attainted of false Pleading or maintaining any unjust action or Cause at a Barre, is to suffer bodily punishment, fol. 230
• Alfred K. of England Hang'd 44. Iudges in one yeare for oppressing the people by false Iudgment, 240
• Iudges to suffer Death for pronouncing false judgment, fol. 239.
• No Gaoler to keepe a Prisoner to the dishonour of the State, 214
• No Freeman to be Imprisoned for Debt, 9 Henry 3. chap. 29.
• Alfrid the King hang'd Iudge Hali because he saved Trustram the Sheriffe from death, who had taken some mens Goods against their wills, fol. 241.
• He hang'd Iudge At••elstone, because he judged Herbert to death for an offence not mor∣tall, 240
• He hang'd Iudge Rolfe for hanging a Felon for escape out of Prison before conviction, 240
• Iudge Thelwell was Imprisoned for imprisoning a man for an offence not mortall, 240
• Iudge Belling was hang'd for judging Laston to death by fraud, 240
• Iudge Seafield was hang'd for judging Ordine to Death for not answering at the Barre, 240
• Iudge Arnald was hang'd, for saving a Bayliffe from death who had robbed the people by Distress••s and for selling these Distresses, and for extracting Fines, f. 241.
• He hang'd Iudge Deeling, because he caused Elden to be hang'd who had killed a man by chance, 242
• Iudge Oswine was hang'd for judging Fulke to death out of Court, f. 242.
• Iudge Me••line was hang'd, because he hang'd Helgrave by a warrant of Indictment not spe∣ciall, 242
• Iudge Rutwood was put in Prison for imprisoning a man for a Debt due to King Alfred himselfe, fol. 244,

• Iudge Perin was hang'd, for suffering a man to D••e in prison whom he had Imprisoned for an offence not mortall, fol. 241
• Iudge Athel••se was hang'd for causing Coppin to be hang'd before he was 21. years old, 242
• Iudge Marks was hang'd for judging D••••ing to Death by 12 men not sworne, 240.
• Iudge Therborn was hang'd, because he ju••ged O••gate to death after his acquitall in Court, 240
• He hang'd Iudge Walster because he judged Hubert to death, though it was at y^e Kings sure.
• He hang'd Iudge Hulse and Iudge Edulse, for passing false Iudgment, 245
• He hang'd all the Iudges in every Province, and County who had falsly saved a man guilty of Death, or falsly Hanged any man against Law or reasonable Exceptions, 243

The Lord God of Iudgment, Iustice and Mercy, grant that such Iustice may once more take place in this Land and Nation; That so the Bodies, Estates and Lives of men, may no longer become a picy unto those severall ravenous Wolves before-named in this Treatise, as hitherto they have been; For the truth whereof I doe appeale to all the people of this Land, who for many yeares past and still doe long for Deliverance from this Bondage and Slavery, witness the many hundred Petitions from all parts of this Land from time to time, for these 18. yeares past, presented to the severall Parliaments, his late Highness Councell without any reall fruits but gilded Promises, hitherto reaped from them; But now we hope and expect from You to reape the happie fruit, by this Nation expected and earnestly de∣sired. That it would please You forthwith to appoint some honest Faithfull persons to bee Visitors of all the Prisons in the Land, to search and see the true Cause of every Man and Womans Impris••nment, and out of Prison freely to acquit those miserable poore soules that have nothing left to satisfie their Creditors, nor Bread to their mouthes; And also all those that suffer Imprisonment falsly upon Revenge and feigned Actions, and upon Executions by Atturneys stolne or in directly gained and Charged on them, and acquit these distressed Prisoners, who being Creditors and have great summes of Money due to them, have been Arrested and are Imprisoned by their subtill and able Debtors, who thus usually pay their Debts, by Causing their poore Creditors to perish and dye in Gaole.

And that all great Persons and able Debtors (who make Prisons their Sanctuaries) and have unjustly Conveyed their Estates to others, to the defrauding of their poore distressed Creditors. That all such fraudulent Conveyances may be made null, and those able Deb∣tors may be by their Estates compelled to yeeld speedy satisfaction for their reall and true Debts; And that all false Witnesses and false Swearers, who have ruin'd thousands of Fa∣milies, may according to the ancient Lawes of this Land suffer Death; and all men wrong∣fully Imprisoned, may according to the Law of England have treble Damages assigned to them for their wrongs suffered; and that according to the Law of GOD and other Nati∣ons; Those that Rob and Steale, may not suffer Death (as hitherto) but either by Estate for Service may satisfie Fourefold to those by them Robbed, which may be accomplished by sending them the said Felons to the severall Plantations beyond the Seas, where after some yeares of servitude; They may (through Gods mercy to them) turne, and become honest and able Common-wealths Men and Womon.

By which Course the Plantat••ons will be replenished and strengthned; and Marriners thereby increased, as well as other Occupations and Callings in those Parts.

By Iames Freese Marchant,

Humbly presented to the Parliament and Army this 16.th of May, 1659. Together with a Petition Containing the substance of this Treatise; being Signed by many Thousands of well-affected publique Spirited persons; for the speedy Re∣liefe, Release and Deliverance of all their poore Oppressed and Immured Brethren; As also of this whole Nation to Posterities, from this Cruell bondage and slavery of Impri∣sonment for Debt; and the unjust, abhominable, Corrupt present practise of the Law, in use in this Land.

Truth from Injustice may happe to reape some blame, Yet Truth shall stand, Injustice shall reape the shame.