Who for these fifteen years hath been causlesly , maliciously , and wickedly sued in the Law , and most unjustly persecuted and imprisoned in the Fleet , by the wicked prosecution of one John Johns , now one of the Paymasters for the Souldiers and Widdowes at Ely-house in Holborn , London .

Published by Iohn Rayment , for the manifestation of the truth , satisfaction to all honest , well-minded people , and for the vindication of his own innocency . From the Fleet this 24. of the third moneth called May , 1650.

THat it is the glory of a Nation to advance the free administration of Justice , Judgment , and Mercy in the Land , Lev . 19.15.15 . See Lev . 25.35 , 46. 2 Chron . 19.5 , 6 , 7 , 9. 1 Sam . 12.3 . is true : That it is the strict command of God imposed on all Nations ( that professe the saving knowledge of him ) so to do , is most true : That they are injoyned not to oppresse one another in judgement , nor to rule one over another with rigor , is as true : For which Samuel ( the great Judge in Israel ) is a perfect rule and example , who set all Israel at defiance to lay to his charge any act of injustice or oppression , or the receiving of any bribe or gift , ( now called Fees ; ) By the practise of the contrary not only my self , but millions of men and women in this Land are oppressed , Witnesse the many Goals and prisons of cruelty in this Land , devised by the Devils-children for the murthering of poore and innocent men and women , as thousands have been . inslaved , ruined , yea , destroyed in their Estates , Rights Liberties , and Lives , to the high displeasure of God , and dishonour of this Nation .

For the more clearer manifestation of the truth hereof to all men in the world , I have thought good to make a full ( yet brief ) relation of all my fifteen years troubles , vexations , and most unjust oppressions , suffered to the ruine of my Estate , and losse of my Liberty in these my aged and weak dayes , in and by reason of a most unjust Suit impiously and causlesly commenced by one John Johns ( now one of the Clerks and Paymasters at Ely-House in Holborne ) about fifteen yeares since against me , that then was an Inhabitant of the Parish of Ethelberts within Bishops-gate , London , above thirty years continuance , where I bore all Offices both in my Parish and Company , and from the very first appeared most forward ( and so have ever since continued ) and free to advance the service and peace of the Nation in the Parliaments Cause ; which is as followeth .

Richard Iohns Merchant ( brother to the said Iohn Iohns , being a young man of a very mean fortune , came as a Lodger to my house in the year , 1628 , and there continued the space of seven years , where in all that time he had his diet , lodging , washing , and other necessaries free , without paying any thing for them ; with whom I became partner in his Trade to Virginia , and to whom both I and my wife advanced a stock of money for managing the Trade , and also lent him sundry times severall sums of money , and have stood bound for him severall times for four or five hundred pound at a time : At the end of seven years this Richard Johns fell sick in my house , and was then justly indebted to me ( by an account made up by himselfe , not long before his death ) somwhat above 700 , l. who then upon his death-bed being in perfect memory , and two or three dayes before his death in the presence of divers honest people , called his said brother Iohn Iohns to him , ordained him his Executor , and most strictly charged him to pay me the said 700. l. affirming then to all there present , that he had left a sufficient estate to pay all men with a good Surplusage , and charged the said Iohn Iohns to pay me first of all , which he then accordingly promised to do , and then saying , I were a very villaine if I should deale otherwise then justly and honestly with our friend M. Rayment , Note , that John Johns hath confessed to divers , that his brother died worth 2200. l. all debts paid ; and that all this was gained by the blessing of God , and the friendly assistance of Mr. John Rayment . and soon after this his brothers death , the said John Johns acknowledged , that his brother died of a good estate , and then payed me in part of my 700. l. due , the sum of 250. l. but then taking wicked counsell of some sons of Belial , ( no doubt , but of some Lawyer or Atturney ) he refused to pay me the rest , ( having gotten all his brothers books into his custody ) unlesse I could prove the debt remaining , being 450. l. Thereupon I commenced suit against him in Guild-hall , proved the debt and recovered the said remainder , being 450. l. the spirit of Iohns being hereby through evill counsell exasperated against me , ( though unjustly ) he files a Bill against me in 1636. in the Court of Requests , where I answered , and came to a hearing , and at hearing nothing being proved by Johns against me , instead of a just dismission , the Lord Privie Seal commits the matter unto Referrees , viz. M. Lee , and M. Smith , who by reason of Johns his turbulency of spirit , were constrained to return severall times sundry Certificates , and yet by all these severall Certificates they clearly proved and declared , that there was not any thing authentickly proved by Johns against me , either by Merchantlike books of Accompt , or by testimony , M. Lees , and Mr. Smiths severall Certificates . and that I owed nothing to Johns . Upon the return of the last of these Certificates , Iohns thus receiving the foyle , makes means in a 〈◇〉 way to the Lord Privie Seale for another reference , and procured the matter to be referred unto Mr. Lee , and Mr. Northie , who also made divers Certificates , and then in their full and sinall Certificate , they thereby certifie , that there appeared to be nothing at all due to Iohns from me , but per contra ; M. Lees , & M. Northies Certificate . that the said Iohns appeared to be justly indebted to me in the sum of 54. l. 7. c . 6. d . as by their Certificate ( ready to be produced ) more clearly appeareth . But before their returne then made of this their finall Certificate , the said Iohns finding his wicked unjust dealings discovered by those Referrees , makes his private addresse to the Lord Privy Seale again , and procures from him yet another reference in the cause , to three of the Clerks of the said Court of Requests , viz. M. Laine , M. Bickerstaffe , and one more , who most unjustly and corruptly without ever hearing me , or any other for me , did forthwith certifie ( no doubt but by vertue of Iohns Angells ) that I was indebted to Iohn Johns in no lesse then 537. l. 19. s . 6. d . yet doubting of their grosse error committed by that Certificate , they submit the same to the wisdome of that Court , viz. to the Lord Privie Seal , and so left it doubtfull : The Court of Requests immediately after this being put downe ( and the decease of the Lord Privy Seal ) the said Iohn Iohns then sued me in the Court of Obstructions , where also at the day of hearing nothing being proved against me by Iohns , instead of a just dismission , the cause was againe by M. Prideaux referred to M. Page , ( a Master in Chancery ) in whose hands it rested a long time , and then Iohn Iohns moves the Court of Chancery to have other Witnesses examined in the cause , and thereupon prefers another Bill in Chancery against me , which Bill being by me answered , then Johns moves to have the cause againe referred to the said Mr. Page , where after severall dayes of my tedious wearisome attendance , without any perusall of Books , or any other papers of proofe , ( other then what was by Johns himself only perused ) the said Master Page drawes up a Report , and thereby very modestly and truly certifieth , that John Johns had not in all that time produced to him any Ledger Book , or Merchant-like Accompt , or any ●uthentick proofe , whereby it might appeare that I was 〈◇〉 to him : Yet at the last in and by the said Report he most unjustly confirmes the false and unjust Report formerly made by the three Clerks of the Court of Requests , Anno , 1646. whereby they certifie me to be indebted to Johns 537. l. 19. s . 6. d .

This unjust Report of M. Pages being thus gained by Johns , he forthwith moves the Lords Commissioners for the Great . Seale , who were then the Earl of Manchester , and M. William Lenthall the Speaker of the House , who upon the said motion , and M. Pages Report , presently ordered , That I should bring into the Court the said 537. l. 19. s . 6. d . and that then the truth of the matter should be tried by them afterwards ; ( that is , whether I did owe any thing to Iohn Iohns , or not , although in above thirteen years suit and debate of the matter , there was never any thing justly proved against me to this day , nor that ever it appeared that I owed Iohns one penny : ) Upon sight of this unreasonable disorderly Order , I refused to yeeld any obedience unto it ; thereupon I was taxed with sleighting the Order of Court , and then forthwith I was examined upon Interrogatories to that effect , to which I answered , that I did not sleight the Orders of Court , but that my adversary Iohn Iohns had now more then thirteen years most maliciously , vexatiously and causlesly molested and sued me in severall Courts to my great damage , and that in all that time he had not proved penny , nor pennyworth against me , ( as due from me to him ) and that if ever he had , or yet can ( by sufficient evidence ) prove any thing justly due to him , I shall be ready to pay it without any further trouble : After this my examination thus taken , Iohn Iohns presently moves the Court of Chancery for my commitment to the Fleet , which his unjust request was by the Speaker presently granted , and I was accordingly committed and imprisoned in the Fleet , where I have now continued in close durance above eight and twenty moneths , without any just cause by them shewed hitherto for their so doing , that thus uniustly committed me .

Where after some time of abode , I was by Councell learned , advised to commence a suit in Law fo●●●lse imprisonment against the said Iohn Iohns , Henry Hopkins , the Warden of the Fleet , Thomas Rivet his Clerk , and Matthew Pits his servant , which being done accordingly , May 8. 1650. they then stayed me from gaining of a Judgement by an Injunction out of the Chancery ( which Court of Chancery I alwayes apprehended to be ordained for relief of the oppressed against cruell oppressors , and not to be a Court for support and strengthening of cruell oppressors against poore oppressed and distressed men and women , ) and then to acquit themselves from further trouble , May 9. 1650. on the 9. of May , 1650. the Warden of the Fleet shewed , and read to me an Order of Chancery ( as he called it ) in the presence of his aforenamed Clerk and servant , for the restraining of me close presoner in my little chamber in the Fleet ; but after the reading of the said Order , instead of confining me to my chamber , he the said Warden of the Fleet commanded his servants to lay hold of me , and have me into the loathsom dark Dungeon called the Common Wards of the Fleet , conceiving that by the noysome stench and dampnesse of the place they should have soon gained a period to their unexpected trouble : But after seven dayes stay there , ( things no wayes answering their cruell intentions and expectations ) they then caused me to be returned to my former chamber of nine foot square , ( furnished with mine owne goods ) and there they caused me to be locked up close , with a padlock on the out-side of my door , but sithence they having taken off the Padlock , do still confine me close prisoner to my chamber , and debar me of the aire , and benefit of the common Prison-yard , alotted by God to every creature to breath in .

Thus notwithstanding the dissolution of the head of tyranny , the Courts of Star-chamber and high Commission , by the Parliment declared , barbarous , cruell , and detestable , and that prisoners confinement to their chambers is a cruelty , invented for the murthering and destroying of men , the whole circumference of prisons being a confinement in all reason strict , and close enough , and that it is man-slaughter in any Goaler to confine any Fellon to closer restraint then ordinary before conviction , [ as in the Case of Sir Richard Wiseman , and Sir Michael Green , who 〈◇〉 murthered by eight yeares close restraint in his chamber in the Fleet ; ] much lesse an honest Commonwealths-man most wrongfully restrained : Yet this Goaler of the Fleet and his Substitutes assuming to themselves a tyrannous power , surpassing the late regall power , do use and abuse men committed to their custody , at their pleasure , and exact of them what Fees they please without controule , and confine men to their chambers , yea , drag them out of their chambers , place and displace them at their pleasure , upon the least private grudge or distaste by them taken against a Prisoner , either for his declaring their cruelties practised , or refusing to satisfie their greedy insatiate minds with such large illegall sums of money by them daily required of him for fees and chamber-rent .

But if Goalers be thus suffered still to oppresse and exact , then may they under colour of the prisoners non-payment of their exactions ( bearing malice to a prisoner ) drag them out of their chambers into their dungeons , or by close restraint to their chambers and other misusage , murther and destroy them at their pleasure .

By reason of all which severall cruell oppressions , unjust proceedings in Courts , and excessive charges and expence of my estate in the Law for these fifteen years , I have been driven from my trade , ruined in my estate above 2000. l. and thereby inforced to fell the remainder of my houses and goods ( to feed Lawyers , Atturneyes , Solicitors , and Goalers ) in defence of innocency and truth ; whereby I am now disabled to expresse my readinesse for the service of the State as formerly I have done , in freely advancing 300. l. for the reducing of Ireland , and by lending freely 200. l. upon the Publike Faith many years since , ( as yet resting due to me from the State ) as also maintaining men in their service upon my own charge formerly ; of all which I am now constrained ( by reason of these my troubles ) to crave a speedy repayment by the State .

Thus may all men in me ( as in a glasse ) behold their owne miserable slavery to the wills of unjust and cruell men , Note this I beseech you all ye Inhabitants of England . and the ruine of their Estates , Liberties , and Lives , wrought by corrupt Judges , deceitfull Lawyers , and cruell Goalers , by whom ( of being profitable members in this Common-wealth ) they are made poore uselesse drones , yea , buried alive in Goals and Prisons , ( a cruelty abhorred by Heathens ) and thereby ever after disabled to serve the State .

Wherefore being left remedilesse and hopelesse of ever gaining justice and relief from those by whose unjust Reports and Orders I have all this time , Rayment his humble suit to the Parliament . and still do suffer wrongfully in the losse of my Estate and Liberty : I do therfore most humbly appeale to the high and honourable Court of Parliament , beseeching them in the bowells of compassion to commiserate these my wrongfull sufferings , and according to the pious impartiall rules of justice and mercy , to call before them the said Iohn Iohns , commanding him to produce all such Bills , Bonds , Accompts , and Proofs , as he hath under my hand , or the hand of the said Richard Iohns , to manifest that ( his falsly pretended ) debt of 537. l. 19. s . 6. d . ( if he have any ) for which I stand unjustly committed to the prison of the Fleet , it having for these thirteen years clearly appeared , that he hath neither Bill nor Bond , nor any accompt under my hand for any thing , nor that ever I owed him penny , or penny worth in all my life , that then upon the manifestation of this truth , this honorable Assembly will be pleased to order my discharge out of prison , with full reparation for my wrongfull sufferings and losses thereby sustained in my estate from the said Iohns , Hopkins , Rivet and Pits , and in the mean time to injoy my chamber quietly , and the free use of the Prison-yard , as others do ; and that by justice the said Iohn Iohns may be made an example to deter all other such like evill minded , cruell , vexatious persons from troubling , molesting , and vexing honest quiet men causlesly in the Law , as I have been these many yeares , and many thousands in this Land are to this day , to the high displeasure of God , and dishonor of this Nation .