The lambe still pursuing the wolfe as may appear by the four within named letters truly duplicated and printed / by Tho. Elslyott, Armig' Arm. Conq.

My Lords,

AS I have from my infancy known your Lordships to be just and honest Gentlemen of the English Nation, and Learned men in the Laws of this Commonwealth; and as for my Lord Whitlock, Sir, I knew your Father, who was a Reverend Judge of this Nation many years, and knew the Common Law of the same; but had he lived untill this Age, he would have blushed, as well as his Scarlet Robes, to have seen such gross injustice done in a Commonwealth of English men, who be a wise and an ingenuous People; and I am confident, that as he was a worthy Patriot of this Commonwealth in his age, and died a good man and a Christian, so Sir, I hope that your Honors and Dignities coming to a higher and more eminent pitch of preferment in this Commonwealth, will not make your Honor to swerve in the least from his Vertues, but rather strive to excell them (as in your Honors, several Relations and Capacities, as be∣ing both a Member of the Honorable Parliament of Eng∣land, and a Councellor of State, and one of the Lords, Keepers of the Great Seal of England) and as for my Lord Keble, his Vertues, Abilities in the Laws of this Nation, and fidelity to the Commonwealth, is sufficiently known to all honest and Godly men of this Nation, but especially to the Soldiery, who be my Superiors: Nevertheless my Lords, I give your Honors to understand, and I beseech your Honors to take notice hereby, That I a Member of Jesus Christ, and of this present Commonwealth, can but wonder and ad∣mire, how two such Honorable persons and sage Judges of the people of this Commonwealth, and worthy Patriots of the known and Fundamentall Laws of this Nation, do daily permit (one Edmond Prideaux and his Complices, persons impeached of high Treason, as may appear by the Records

of the Capitall Office the last day of the last Michaelmas Term) legally exhibited to come into your Honors presence (as I hear) or do suffer to plead before your Honors any of the Causes of the Free born persons of this Nation, when as in truth, in their Capacities, they neither be (probi vel legales homines) of this Commonwealth, until they have fair∣ly received their Trials, and be acquitted of their crimes they stand charged withall; and lest your Honors should be igno∣rant thereof (as I have done and intimated to Mr. Hill Chair∣man of the Honorable Committee sitting upon Saturday last in the Exchequer Chamber, appointed by the Honora∣ble Parliament to hear the great Cause between Mr. Primat and Sir Arthur Haslerig, and to Mr. Lilliborn Long a worthy Member thereof, and did the like upon Tuesday morning last by my Letters unto the honorable Mr. Speaker of the ho∣norable parliament of the Commonwealth, and sent unto each of them the true Copies in Print (Errataes of the Printer excepted) but I am sure the Record with Mr. Brough∣ton is perfect, and such as I and the Traitors will and shall abide with our lives and fortunes (they in their capacities, and I in mine) And I let your Lordships know further, that whereas the Traitor Prideaux (to hide his and his complices treasons, from the Parliament, Army and Commonwealth, did stop the impress of the Records of their Treasons, and o∣ther crimes, by means whereof the Originall Copie came to be adulterated; yet there be now one thousand more printed and sent and dispersed into the Commonwealth and Army, Scotland and Ireland, albeit this inclosed is of the first Im∣press: And my Lords, I charge your Lordships in my seve∣ral Capacities, That your Lordships as Keepers of the great Seal of England under the Keepers of the Liberties of Eng∣land by Authority of Parliament, and on their behalf, and on my own behalf, and on the behalf of every free born per∣son of this Commonwealth, that hath ingaged with the pre∣sent Commonwealth; as also on the behalf of the whole Ar∣my and Soldiery, now under the Command of Oliver Crom∣well Esquire, Captain General of all the Parliament and En∣glish

Force, and Lord Governor of Ireland, that your Lordships do your honors uttermost indeavours to secure the persons of the said Traitors, and cause them to be deli∣vered to the Marshall of the upper Bench Prison, to the end that in the beginning of the next Hillary Term, they may be forth coming before the Honorable Lo••d Chief Ju∣stice Roll, and the rest of the Reverend Judges of the upper Bench Court, before the Keepers of the Liberties of Eng∣land by Authority of Parliament, to answer their Treasons and other Crimes (the particulars this inclosed will duely inform your Lordships) And that your Honors may know that I expect an Account hereof in my several Capacities; I let your Lordships know that I have sent the true Dupli∣cate hereof to my Superiors, as also to the press, together with Mr. Speakers, Mr. Hills and Mr. Longes Letters written by me to them: and so I rest,

Given from my Lodging in the Woolstaple, West∣minster from Mr. Parsons house, this present first day of January 1651. (called New-years day)

Your Lordships most hum∣ble Servant and Member of Jesus Christ, and Mem∣ber of this present Com∣monwealth, THO. ELSLIOT. Ar. Ar. Conq;.

To the Right honorable the L. Whitlock and L: Keble, two of the Commissioners of the great Seal of England, to be delivered to the Lord Whitlock only to be commu∣nicated to the Lord Keble with care and trust forth∣with.

This was delivered by Esq; Lewes Poyntz, Sergeant Deu∣dyes brother according to the direction on Friday the se∣cond of January 1651.

By Tho. Elslyott. Ar. Ar. Conq;.

FINIS.