11. BURTON. 45 he was, by another warrant, and without any cause assigned, committed close prisoner to the Fleet.. During Mr. Burton's close confinement, two anonymous publications came forth, the one entitled, " A Divine Tra- gedy, containing a Catalogue of God's late Judgments upon Sabbath-breakers;" the other "News fromIpswich,"discover- ing the innovations and severities of the prelates, especially Bishop Wren of Norwich. These were supposed to have been written by Mr. William Prynne, the lawyer. Dr. John Bastwick, a physician, having published a book, entitled, Apologeticusadpreesules Anglicanos, and a pamphlet, called, The New Litany ;"1. these three, Mr. Burton, Mr. Prynne, and Dr. Bastwick, now confined in prison, were prosecuted in the star-chamber, for " writing and publishing seditious, schismatical, and libellous books against the hierarchy, and to the scandal of the government." This was the substance of the indictment. They had warmly reflected upon the bishops, taxed them with inclinations to popery, and ex- claimed against the severity and injustice of the proceedings of the high commission. The persons then in power were of too impatient and revengeful a temper to let such reflec- tions and invectives go unpunished.t When the three defendants had prepared their answers to the indictment, they could not obtain counsel to sign them, through fear of the prelates ; upon which they petitioned the court to receive them from themselves, which was rejected. However, Mr. Prynne and Dr. Bastwick, having no other remedy, left their answers at the office, signed by their own hands, but were, nevertheless, proceeded against pro confesso. Mr. Burton prevailed upon Mr. Holt, * The following is a copy of this second warrant:--" To the warden " of the Fleet or his deputy. These are to will and require you to receive " into your custody, the person of Henry Burton, clerk, sent herewith " unto you, and to keep him a close prisoner in the Fleet, not suffering any one to speak withhim until further order, whereofyou may not fail at your perils, and this shall be your warrant. Dated from Whitehall, the second of Feb. 1637. " W. Cant. Arundall and Surry, T. Jermyn and Jo. Coke, Guil. London, Pembroke andMontgomery, Fra. Windebanke." Prynne's Discoveryof the Prelates' Tyranny, p. 16. Edit. 1641. In the indictment against the three prisoners, it is said, that Dr. Bostwick had signified in his " Litany," in the name of his wife, who was great with child, that hewas desirous of fattier William's holiness (meaning Laud) and William London ' the principal governor of the treasury, being godfathers to his child, not doubting that he should procure the whore of Babylon, 'with whom they had so long committed fornication, to be god- imother.-Baker's MS. eollec. vol. xxxiii. p. 229, 230. 1'. Biog. Briton. vol. i. p. 680. Edit. 1778.
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