Coppy of a letter sent by Lieu. Col. John Lilburne to Mr. Wollaston keeper of Newgate or his Deputy..

(tA coppy of a Letter fent by Lie)}. Col, John Lilhurnc to s5hfr. Wol-
I a ft on Keeper ofTfy'togate $r bis Deputy.
SI R, I this raorning have feen a Warrant from the houfeof Lords,made y efter-
day} to Command you to bring me this day at i o. a clocke before them, the
Warrant exprefleth no caufe wherfore I fhould dance attendance before thcm>
neither doe I know any ground or reafbn wherefore Ifhouldj nor any Law that
compels me thereunto^ for Their LordGiips fitting by yercue of Prerogative^pat*
tents and not by Eledion or common confent of the People, hath as Magna Car¬
ta (and other good Lawes of the Land) tcls me, nothing to doc to try me, or any
Commoner whatfoever in any criminal! cafe, either for life, limb, libertie, or e-
Hate, but contrary hereunto as incrochers and ufurpers upon my frecdomes and
liberties- they lately and illegally endeavoured to trie me aCommoner at their Bar,
for which I under my hand and feale, protefted to their faces again!! them, as vi*
olent and illegal 1 incrochers upon the rights and liberties of me, and all the Com¬
mons of England, ( a coppy of which &c. I inPrint herewith fend you^) and
at their Barrel openly appealled to my competent, proper, legall tryers, and
Judges, the Commons of England afTcmbled in Parliamcnt(for which their Lord-
fliips did illegally. Arbitrarily, andTiranically, commit me to prifon into your
cuftody) unto whom divers daies agoe I fent my appeale &c. which now rc-
maines in thc hands of their fpeaker, ifit be not already read in their Houfe, unto
which I doe and will ftand and obey their commands.
Sir, I am a free^man of England,and therefore l am not to be ufed as a fiayc or
Vaffcll by the Lords, which they have already done and would further doe, I alfb
am a man of peace & quietnes,& defire not to molcft any if I be not forced there
unto,therefore I defire you as you tender my gpod & yourowne,takc this for an
anfwer, thatlcanot without turning traitor to my liberties,dance attendance to
their Lordfhips Bar,being bound in confciencejduty^to God,my felfe>myne,& my
country, to oppofe their incroachments'to the death, which by theftrength of
God I am relblved to doe. Sir you may, or caufe to be exercifed upon me, fome
force or violence to pull and drag me out of my chamber, which lam refolvcd to
maintaine as long as I can, before I will be compelled to goe before them, and
therefore 1 defire you, in a friendly way, to be wife and confiderate before you doe
that, which it may be you can neVcr undoe,
From my Cock-loft in the Sir, I am Your true andfaite conditioned*prifbncr
Prefle yard of Newgatethis 23, if you will befotorae, '
of lune 16415. / John Lilburns
The Ccppy of the Order,
y Die Luroc 22. junij 1646*
Ordered (yy the Lords in Parliament A(fembled, that Liv, Col. John Lilb urne now apriforier in
Newgate,/hall be brought before Their Lordjhips in the\Jiigh Court of P A LI A M EN T~]to morrow
morning by ten of the clock: And this to be a fufficierit wairant in that behalfe.
To the Gen. Viher of this Houfe, or his Deputy zfohn Browne G\zu
to be delivered to the Keeper of Newgate or . Parliamentoriun,
his Deputy* “4