366 The 'HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. VIII. een " that we will not commit any thing unworthy the gofpel of Chrift, or Elizabeth, sr to the difturbance of the common peace and good order of the land, j59.2. " and that we will be forth-coming at fuch reafonable warning as your lordfhips (hall command. Oh ! let us not perifh before trial and judg- " ment, efpecially imploring and crying out to you for the fame. " However we here take the Lord of heaven and earth, and his an- " gels, together with your own confciences, and all perlons in all ages, to whom this our fupplication may come, to witnefs that we have " here truly advertifed your honours of our cafe and ufage, and have in all humility offered our caufe to chriflian trial." But the privy coun- cil dropt the petition, being afraid to move in an affair that lay more im- mediately before the high common., Su Brings of Mr. Smith one of their miniflers, after he had been in prifon twelve Smith months, was called before the commifíïoners, and being afked whether and other he wouldgo to church? anfwered, that he fhould difemble and play the BrownHis. $ r Strype'sAnn.hypocrite if he íhould do it to avoid trouble, for he thought it utterly Vol. oit. unlawful ; to which one of the commißioners anfwered, come to church $' 1.34' and obey the queen's laws, and ,be a dmbler, be a hypocrite or a devil if thou wilt. Upon his refufal he was remanded to the Clink, and his bre- thren to the Fleet, where by order of Mr. Juflice Tong, one of thecorn- miffioners, they were fhut up in dole rooms, not being allowed the li- berty of the prifon ; here they died like rotten (beep, force of the difeafe of the prifon, force for want, and othersof infeëtious diftempers. " Thefe Barrowes " bloody men [the ecclefiaflical commiflioners] (fays Mr. Barrowe) in fupplication " his fupplication, will allow us neither meat, drink, fire, lodging, nor imow. a- ter any whofe hearts the Lord would (tir up for our relief, to have Strype'sAnn. " any accefs to us, by which means feventeen or eighteen have perifhed in 'Vol. ult. " the noifom goals within thefe fix years; force of us had not one penny " about us when we were fent to prifon, nor any thing to procure a main- " tenance for ourfelves and families but our handy labour and trades, by which means not only we ourfelves, but our families and children are " undone and ílarved. Their unbridled fonder; theirlawlefsprivy fearches; " ° their violent breaking open houles; their raking away whatever they " think meet; and their barbarous ufage of women, children, &c. we are forced to omit left we be tedious. That which we crave for us " all, is the liberty to die openly, or live openly in the land of our na- " tivity ; if we deferve death let us not be clofely murdered, yea, ftarved to death with hunger and cold, and (ljfied in loathfome dungeons ." Among thofe who perifhed is prifon was one Mr. Roger Rippon, who dying in Newgate, his fellow-prifoners put this infcription upon his coffin. " This
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