To
the
high
and
mighty
States
,
the
Knights
and
Burgesses
in
Parliament
Assembled
;
(
Englands
legall
soveraigne
power
)
The
humble
Appeale
and
Supplication
of
RICHARD
OVERTON
,
Prisoner
in
the
most
contemptible
Goale
of
Newgate
.
Humbly
sheweth
;
THat
whereas
your
prisoner
under
pretence
of
a
Criminall
fact
being
in
a
warlike
manner
brought
before
the
House
of
Lords
to
be
tried
,
and
by
them
put
to
Answer
to
Interogatories
concerning
himselfe
,
both
which
your
Petitioner
humbly
conceiving
to
bee
illegall
,
and
contrary
to
the
naturall
rights
,
freedomes
,
and
properties
of
the
free
Commoners
of
England
;
confirmed
to
them
by
Magna
Charta
,
the
Petition
of
Right
,
and
the
Act
for
the
abolishment
of
the
Star-chamber
:
hee
therefore
was
imboldened
to
refuse
subjection
to
the
said
House
,
both
in
the
one
and
the
other
,
expressing
his
resolution
before
them
,
that
he
would
not
infringe
the
private
rights
and
properties
of
himselfe
,
or
of
any
one
Commoner
in
particular
,
or
the
common
rights
and
properties
of
this
Nation
in
generall
:
for
which
your
Petitioner
was
by
them
adjudged
contemptuous
,
and
by
an
order
from
the
said
House
was
therefore
committed
to
the
goale
of
Newgate
,
where
,
from
the
11
of
August
1646.
to
this
present
he
hath
lyen
,
and
there
commanded
to
be
kept
till
their
pleasures
shal
be
further
signified
(
as
a
coppy
of
the
said
order
hereunto
annexed
doth
declare
)
which
may
be
perpetuall
if
they
please
,
and
may
have
their
Wils
;
for
your
Petitioner
humbly
conceiveth
that
thereby
he
is
made
a
Prisoner
to
their
Wils
,
not
to
the
Law
,
except
their
Wils
may
be
a
Law
.
Wherefore
your
leige
Petitioner
doth
make
his
humble
appeale
unto
this
most
Soveraigne
House
(
as
to
the
highest
Court
of
Iudicature
in
the
Land
,
wherein
all
the
appeales
thereof
are
to
centure
,
and
beyond
which
,
none
can
be
made
)
humbly
craving
(
both
in
testimony
of
this
acknowledgment
of
its
legall
regality
,
and
of
his
due
submission
thereunto
)
that
your
Honours
therein
assembled
,
would
take
his
cause
(
and
in
his
,
the
cause
of
all
the
free
Commoners
of
England
,
whom
you
represent
,
and
for
whom
you
sit
)
into
your
serious
consideration
and
legall
determination
,
that
he
may
either
by
the
mercy
of
the
Law
be
repossessed
of
this
his
just
liberty
and
freedome
,
and
thereby
the
whole
Commons
of
England
of
their
thus
unjustly
(
as
he
humbly
conceiveth
)
usurped
and
invaded
by
the
House
of
Lords
,
with
due
repairations
of
the
damages
susstained
,
or
else
that
he
may
undergoe
what
pennalty
shall
in
equitie
by
the
impartiall
severity
fo
the
Law
,
be
adjudged
against
him
by
this
Honourable
House
,
in
case
by
them
he
shal
be
legally
found
a
transgressor
herein
.
And
your
Petitioner
(
as
in
duty
bound
)
shall
ever
pray
,
&c.