A Greeting from a patient Prisoner to his cruel Creditor . GOOD Sir ,

I desire you for the love that one Christian ought to bear to another , to look upon my poor and wretched estate , and withall to pity the sad condition I am in ; You know that I have lain a long time at your mercy here in this doleful Prison having extreme want of all needful necessaries for a Christian to make use of ; my stomach i● much decayed for want of good and wholesom dyet , my flesh is almost consumed with vermine for want of clean linnen and woollen cloaths to shift me withall ; my ribs bones and joynes are ready to perish for want of fresh lodging which grieves me most of all ; and besides that , I am amongst a company of ill disposed desperate people , which have not the fear of God before thei eyes .

And in stead of serving of God , and obeying his commandements ▪ all manner of wicked vices used whatsoever , not fit to mention but with grief of heart , as drunkenness swearing , and cursing , Hypocra●● dissimulation , fraud guil deceit and cruelty , with exactions and great opressions , at all occasions and seasons abusing their betters , and they who do not revell and rore as the most do ; so that this place I lye in is more like a den of Divells , then a Prison for poor men ; therefore again I humbly desire you upon the bended knees of my heart , that you take some speedy course for my releaf , that I may follow my calling with diligence both day and night , till I have given you satisfaction ; the which I shall never be able to do in Prison ; and in your discharge of me the great God of mercy will be loving to the mercyfull , and my prayers shall during life be for you and yours ,

So rests , Your Poor Captive . R. L.

The Creditors reply to the Prisoners request . S●r ,

I have seen your Petition & heard your agreements , which I value 〈…〉 o more then I do the barking of a Dog , you say you are perisht and 〈…〉 ost consumed within you , those things shall never trouble me to 〈…〉 y your case , for in the Prison you shall lye till you famish with hun 〈…〉 starve with cold , and rot one limb from another , except you can 〈…〉 a meanes to pay me , else rhere is no way of your enlargment , 〈…〉 efore remember what is said unto you , get a friend to pay me 〈…〉 n my mony upon the nayl , or else at the last I shall make dice of 〈…〉 bones , and I think it to be the justest deed that ever I did in my 〈…〉 to let you dye and ●ot in Prison , that others which sees your ruin 〈…〉 take heed how they run in debt ; and so ( farewel ) thou knowest 〈…〉 mind , I prethee trouble me no more , for thou shalt never have thy 〈…〉 y till I have my mony .

〈…〉 e Prisoners humble Suit to the wofull and well deserving Referres .

〈…〉 ght honored and worthy Gentlemen you that are appointed to do 〈…〉 od for the poor , I humbly beseech you that you would be pleas 〈…〉 ake up the matter betwixt me and my Creditor , that thereby 〈…〉 once more injoy my liberty , and since your Worships are put in 〈…〉 ity and have the full power in your own hands to make a good 〈…〉 f bad matters , my request is that you will upon the miserable 〈…〉 and sad condition that I am in at present , from which misery I 〈…〉 ver be redeemed , except the Lord put it in your Worships hearts 〈…〉 at good work for me ; which that you may acomplish , my pray 〈…〉 and night to Almighty God for you , shall not be wanting .

Your poor Petitioner D. C.

The Referres Reply to the distressed Prisoners Petition . FRiend ,

we have heard thy grievance , and harsh usage , and God forbid but we should discharge our consciences , and being we are placed , and have authority to make just and legal peace , betwixt party and party ; we hold it a great sin , if we should suffer a poor man to perish in prison for debt , being not able to pay : call for your creditors . Ans. They are not here . Let them be summoned again on such a day of the moneth ; if they come , we will consider thy condition ; if they come not , we shall order that .

A poor Prisoners Petition to the worthy Referres to obtain his liberty . SHeweth ,

Your Petitioner hath endured hard imprisonment for above 14. moneths , hath made away all he had to maintain himself , his Wife and Children , lying on the charity of well disposed people ; and his Wife being brought to bed since her poor Husbands imprisonment : all which miserable conditions are referred to your worthy considerations , being the Referrees appointed by his Highness the Lord Protector , for poor prisoners .

The hard hearted Creditor speaks . GEntlemen ,

What 's my own , I hope by vertue of the Law , I may claim : the Execution against the prisoner is for Body or Goods ; and one I will have , or ready money : what if his Wife and Children beg & starve , at their own charge be it , not mine , the Law being just , then my looking for my own , is not unjust : what 's forty in the hundred , to a man in good Trading ? men are not born to pick straws , or maintain prodigalls : the commodities were fresh , and vendable ; and had my Debtor had but a Merchant-like conscience , and a nimble wit , he had been better for himself , and me both : my pure silver hath been in his hands this 4. tearms , and I have sent good Angels an unhappy way to fetch in the rest , with the disturbance of my nocturnal rest ; and this I have undergone to obtain my own , yet I cannot have it , besides bribes and many a pint of Wine , spent on costly Lawyers . 15 s . Composition money , I le first be hanged , conscience is no part of my Trade , I have left him this thirty years ; and if the seeking to obtain a desperate debt , be the fruits of a bad conscience , then God help the good : he that would thrive , must gripe , and have a good pledge ; for my comfort is in a well crammed bag : away with your childish nicities , I had rather oppress , then be oppressed . I look for my own , and I have the Law on my side , therefore his body must suffer .

Referrees speak . SIR ,

We shall not seek to do you the least farthing of wrong th 〈…〉 may be ; but thus , that he is a very poor man , and not wherewith 〈…〉 able to discharge you , we wish you , be incited to mercy , and let h 〈…〉 pay you quarterly as he is able , which is the means 〈…〉 that in time you may be paid : it is not your keeping him in a Prison , will pay you 〈…〉 maintain him , and his Family : he is their head , and do , as you would have others do unto you ; discover any Estate he hath and we shall be a means for your good ; but to lie and perish in a Prison and his Family to starve , how unpleasing it is to God , and good men , let all judge . We have power to release him , and not suffer any to perish and dye in Prison . The wise man saith , rob not the poor , because he is poor ; neither oppress the afflicted in the Gates ; for the Lord will plead their cause , and spoyl the soul of them that have spoyled them Prov. 21. therefore Sir , seek not to get that which is not ; we shall give you leave to consider of what we have spoken ; and therefore conside of that , for if you find no Estate , we are sent to aford comfort to the distressed .

A Dispute betwixt the Referrees and the Creditors , about a poor man in Prison . Refer . SIR ,

We understand that there is a poor distressed man in Prison , about a debt which he owes you , whereof all his goods and substance , if it were sold at who gives most , it would not pay the tenth part of your debt you claim ; and whilst the man lies in Prison , the Wife and her Children are harborless . We would wish you take the debt quarterly , or at six moneths : first inquire his ability of working in his Calling , and his earning , and allow him for maintenance , and a moiety for you : this may be for the Prisoners restauration , the Creditors good , and the hard-hearted Jaylors vexation ; a 〈…〉 ter of his wages Quarterly : What ground when this poor wretch is out of prison hath he to plant any thing , but his labour ? You know that the credit to be in a Prison , to have all his friends shake hands with him ; nay , his very kindred not owne him , and his acquaintance to prey upon his Estate , to devoure it as the Crowes do Carrion : therefore yield for his enlargement , else we will do it . A true saying you know , that a Prison did never pay debts , neither shall charity be blamed .

The Creditors surly answer to the Worshipful Referrees concerning his debtors . GEntlemen ,

I know that you are men put in Authority , to reconcile differences betwixt Creditors and Debtors , and have power whereby to order things in a fair way , but you have not the power to give away my debt , whether am I bound to maintain his Family , or my own ? you know charity begins at home , so shall it be with me , I will be charitable to my own , but not others , for the prisoner , he owes me a great deal of money , and he shall never have his freedom till he hath paid that .

The Referrees Reply .

YOu talk more like a Heathen , a Pagan , a Turk , or a Jew , then a Christian ; have you so much forgot God and his word : nay your daily prayer also , that you should shut up the Bowels of compassion against your poor decayed Brother ; hath not our Saviour left us an example ? feed the hungry , cloath the naked , harbor the harborless , relieve the oppressed ; and visit the Prisoner ? is this your Conscience , rather to sacrifice , masacre and murther Christ , and his poor Members ? I tell you , if you will not grant to his release , we shall free him , and proceed against you : the world is not now as it was in former times , that the corruption of unjust Lawyers , and hard-hearted Creditors , might do what they would : how many thousands have been undone , which otherwise might have lived in good repute and credit ; and this for a truth , a poor man that was a prisoner , and undone , through envy went to a Lawyer , and in all civil respect , as possibly could be given to a worthier , and I am sure , a juster Lawyer then he was ; when the said Lawyer had heard what the Clyent could say , the Lawyer bad his Clyent go home , buy a halter , and hang himself , a member of G. I. cannot deny this : after the Lawyer had got all he thought he could of the poor mans money , here was the counsel to his Clyent ; time to be ordered . And since , this poor man hath not wherewithall to pay his debt : he shall not be detained in prison , as some have lain by report , being brought to Execution in one prison , 26. years ; and the original of that mans misery , continued so long about a peny worth of milk ; since which of late , the poor wretch is dead ; O merciless Justice !

Here followeth the manner of the Prisoners Delivery .

UPon the next day appointed the cruel Creditor was summon'd in again to make his appearance before the worthy Referrees , where , after a short dispute he was enforced to stand to the Order which was by them made ; and so the poor Prisoner had his first Discharge , and was set at liberty ; which was done by virtue of an Order newly made by the States of England ; which doth concerne one man alone , but hath relation to all the Prisons and Prisoners in England , that are the like necessity , which indeed , is one of the pious and charitable works of mercy , as ever was done : the Lord preserve the founder actors , and Conservators of that , a work tending much to Gods glory and the good of the Common-wealth .

Another Passage .

A Poor Prisoner lying in Prison about 12 Moneths , and being hopeless , of any Redemption out of Captivity , accidentally , an acquaintance of his , came to visit an old Friend of his , being in prison , and much grieved , to see this poor man in priso● ▪ askt this prisoner , if he would , when God made him able , pay him some money which he would lay out towards his release ; whereat the prisoner wept for joy , and promised that he would God willing , repay him again with many thanks when God made him able : so the prisoners friend procured his discharg therby the poor prisoner having bin imprisoned by a dishonest Lawyer , the Referrees searching the business with approved judgement , found the poor man unjustly imprisoned , so speedily discharged the prisoner , causing each party to give discharge to each other .

Another .

A Poor man that had a Wife , and five small Children , being imprisoned for a great debt , and ( not knowing how to discharge his Creditors , put in practice the means , and left the success to God ; after a hearing of the business on both sides ; the parries were desired absence , whereupon the Referrees went to Counsel about that privately , & ordered that the man should pay quarterly , according to his Calling and ability , and so the poor man was discharged out of Prison , and performs honestly his Covenant with his Creditor .

A Referrees Speech on this occasion , in the conclusion . SIR ,

IT had been in our power to have discharged this Prisoner , but you see how fairly he hath promised , and now you are like to be payd your debt in time , better once then never ; and for hard Creditors , I am confident , they are the tormentors , or plague of many Parishes ; for when they have any Debtors , that will not hold word with them , they presently imprison the mans body ; and in time , through the losse of his neglect of his Trade , the Children they are turned to the Parish , and thereby many Parishes have been pesterd therewith , to the undoing both of Parents and Children .