lord, of the most honourable council of the lord the king, and two chief justices of the King's-bench, and Common Pleas for the time being, or two justices in their absence, by any bill or information then after to be exhibited to the chancellor of England, the treasurer, the president of the most honourable council of the ford the king, or the keeper of the privy-seal of the lord the king for the time being, for any misdemeanor in the aforesaid statute of king Henry the seventh aforesaid before recited, from henceforth have full power and authority of calling before them, by writ or by privy-seal, such malefactors, and of examining of them and others by their discretion, and of punishing those that are found defective according to their demerits, according to the form and effect of the said statute of the aforesaid lord king Henry the seventh, and of all other statutes thereupon made not revoked and expired, in the same manner and form as they might and ought to be punished, if they were convicted according to the due order of the laws of the said lord the king. And by the aforesaid writ, under the foot of the great seal, it manifestly appears, that the said fine was imposed by the lord the king and his council, and not by the legal peers of the said Richard Chambers, nor by the law of the land, nor according to the manner of the pretended offence of the said Richard Chambers, nor saving unto him his merchandize, nor for any offence mentioned in the said statutes. All and singular the which, the said Richard Chambers is ready to verify to the court, &c. and demands judgment; and that he be discharged of the said 2,000l. against the said lord, the now king; and that as to the preinisses he may be dismissed from this court. WATERHOUSE."

With this Plea, he annexed a Petition to the lord chief baron, and also to every one of the barons, humbly desiring the filing of the plea, with other reasons in the manner of a motion at the bar, because he said, counsel would not move, plead, nor set hand to it, as further appeareth.

The copy of the Order upon Mr. Attorney's motion in the Exchequer, the 17th of July, 1629, after the Plea put in, and order to file

it. Per the lord chief baron.

"Touching the Plea put into this court by Richard Chambers, to discharge himself of a fine of 2,0004, set on him in the Star-Chamber, forasmuch as sir Robert Heath, knight, his majesty's attorney-general, informed this court, that the said Chambers in his said plea recites divers statutes, and Magna Charta, and what offences are punishable in the Star-Chamber, and how the proceedings ought to be; and upon the whole matter concludes, that the said fine was imposed by the king and his council, and not by a legal judgment of his peers, nor by the laws of the land, nor according to the manner of his offence, nor saving his merchandize, nor for any offence mentioned in the said statutes; which plea, Mr.Attorney

conceiving it to be very frivolous and insufficient, and derogatory to the honour and jurisdiction of the court of Star-Chamber, humbly prayeth might not be allowed of, nor filed: it is therefore this day ordered, that the said plea shall be read on Saturday next; and then upon hearing the king's counsel, and the counsel of the said Richard Chambers, this court will declare their further order therein; and in the mean time the said plea is not to be filed nor delivered out."

In Michaelmas term following, Mr. Chainbers was brought by a Habeas Corpus out of the Fleet; and the warden did return,

"That he was committed to the Fleet by virtue of a decree in the Star-Chamber, by reason of certain words he used at the council-table, viz. that the merchants of England were screwed up here in England more than in Turkey. And for these and other words of defamation of the government, he was censured to be committed to the Fleet, and to be there imprisoned until he had made his submission at the council-table, and to pay a fine of 2,000l. And now at the bar he prayeth to be delivered, because this sentence is not warranted by any law or statute: for the statute of 3 H. 7, which is the foundation of the court of Star-Chamber, doth not give them any authority to punish for words only. But all the court inforined him, that the court of Star-Chamber was not erected by the statute of 3 H. 7, but was a court many years before, and one of the most high and honourable courts of justice; and to deliver one who was committed by the decree of one of the courts of justice, was not the usage of this court; and therefore he was remanded."

As a concurrent proof of these proceedings concerning Mr. Chambers, we shall insert here a Petition of his (though out of time) to the Long Parliament.

To the Parliament of the Commonwealth of

England, Scotland, and Ireland.

The brief Remonstrance and humble Petition of Richard Chambers, merchant, late alder

derman and sheriff of the city of London : "Shewing; That in the parliament held in the years 1627 and 1628, it was voted and declared by the honourable house of commons, that whosoever shall counsel or advise the taking or levying of the subsidy of Tunnage and Poundage, not granted by parliament, or shall be any actor or instrument therein, shall be reputed an innovator in the government, and a capital enemy to the kingdom and commonwealth; and if any merchant or person whatsoever shall voluntarily yield or pay the said subsidy of Tunnage and Poundage, not being granted by parliament, they shall likewise be reputed betrayers of the liberties of England, and enemies to the same, as may appear by the said Order upon record.

"In submission and obedience whereunto, the petitioner first opposed and withstood the payment of Tunnage and Poundage, until they

were settled by parliament, and all other illegal taxes; for which submission and obedience, in the years 1628 and 1629, the petitioner had 7,060. of his goods wrongfully taken and detained from him by the late king's officers and farmers of the Custom-house of London, for pretended duties, and a heavy sentence and fine in the Star-Chamber, which was imposed upon him in the year 1629. Besides which losses, the petitioner further suffered in his person by six whole years imprisonment in the Fleet, for not submitting to that sentence and fine; and in the year 1637, nine months imprisonment in Newgate for withstanding Ship-money; by which losses and imprisonments, the petitioner was put by the exercise of his calling, and was wounded in his credit and reputation. "Which sufferings the honourable house of commons (upon the petitioner's complaint in the year 1640,) taking into their grave consisiderations, were pleased to refer the examination thereof to a committee of fifty members, wherein were included the committee for the navy and customs; who being well satisfied of the truth thereof, by oath, and other good sufficient proofs upon record, drew up their report, that the petitioner ought then to have 13,6807. in part of reparation, leaving the rest of those reparations to the further judgment of the honourable house, as by the annexed copy of that report may further appear.

"In pursuit of which report, the parliament then levied and received from the old farmers and officers of the customs 50,000l. for wrongs and abuses done to the petitioner, chiefly, and other merchants, intending first to give to the petitioner satisfaction out of the same, because he was the first man that opposed the pretended duties, and the greatest sufferer.

"Whereupon in the year 1642, the petitioner was chosen alderman, and in the year 1644 sheriff of the city of London: which places the petitioner earnestly endeavoured to shun; but such were the earnest importunities, and persuasive encouragements of divers members of the honourable house, (who then desired to have the petitioner in place of trust, for his former service to the commonwealth) that the petitioner was constrained to accept not only of the place of alderman, but further underwent the office and charge of sheriff of London, which stood the petitioner in 4,000l. that year.

"But notwithstanding the aforesaid promises and intents of the parliament to give the petitioner satisfaction, such were the great compulsive exigents, and urgent necessities of those times, caused by the public distractions, that the said monies were converted to the public use. Therefore the parliament desired the petitioner to have a little patience, promising him speedy satisfaction as well for the forbearance as for the principal debt. But the distractions continuing, the petitioner had neither interest nor any part of his principal. The parliament in the year 1648, in part of satisfaction, settled the petitioner in the office of surveyor and check

in the Custom House of London, then worth at least 600l. per annum; but the petitioner having enjoyed that place only eight months, was causelessly ousted by sinister information of intruders, who have enjoyed that office and divided the profit thereof between them ever since that intrusion.

"Moreover, the late king, by privy seal, owes to the petitioner's wife (who is the relict of Mr. Thomas Ferrer) for linen cloth 5,000l. and for money lent 1,2001. for which she was assigned satisfaction out of the customs of tobacco. Besides, she was further assigned out of sir Thomas Dawes' office 100 marks per annum. All which debts likewise lie wholly unsatisfied, to the petitioner's great prejudice.

"Besides the aforesaid losses, hinderances, expences, sufferings, and forbearances of the profit of the said office, the petitioner from time to time hath laid out himself for the common good, in acting, lending, spending, (and serving) when others refused; exposed himself to that imminent danger at Brentford, by leading out a troop of horse for the privileges, liberties, and rights of the city of London and commonwealth, insomuch, that thereby, and for want of his satisfaction aforesaid, the petitioner, having consumed his estate, hath been constrained to sell and mortgage some part of his lands to pay creditors, and to maintain his family, having a wife and nine children; and is likely to be undone for obeying the parliament's commands, unless by the justice and commiseration of this honourable assembly he be speedily relieved and righted; for that ever since the said reported sum, the petitioner from time to time bath made his humble addresses to the supreme powers for the time being, for satisfaction thereof, and to be restored to the said office, but could not prevail.

"The petitioner therefore humbly prays, that he may not perish for acting for the public good according to the declaration of parliament; but that now after 26 years suffering, whereof 12 years in fruitless and wearisome waitings, this honourable assembly would now be pleased to take the unparalleled sufferings of the petitioner into their grave considerations, for some speedy course for the petitioner's satisfaction, to pay his debts, and redeem his lands, by ordering him the one moiety of his debt in ready money out of the daily customs of London, (from whence his first losses and sufferings sprang) and the other moiety to be discompted upon such goods as the petitioner shall make entries of by exportation or importation in the Custom House, London, until his debt with the interest be fully satisfied and paid; or any other speedy way, as in your grave wisdoms shall seem meet: and in like manner for his wife's debt, which is to pay debts and legacies: and that the petitioner may forthwith be restored to, and settled in the said office, and have reparations from the intruders. And the petitioner, with his, shall in all duty ever pray, &c. RICHARD CHAMBERS."

Sept. 6, 1654.
The petitioner being wearied out with 12

["The following report of this Case is extracted from 2 Rushworth, 55. Mrs. Macaulay, in her history, comments on the proceedings against Dr. Leighton with great severity. 2 Macaul. Hist. 91. Indeed, the cruelty of the Sentence is beyond excuse." Hargrave.] AN Information formerly exhibited in the Star-Chamber against Alexander Leighton, a Scotsman born, and a doctor of divinity, came to be heard the 4th of June in the court of Star-Chamber, for framing a book entitled, 'An Appeal to the Parliament, or a Plea against Prelacy, which he printed and published, during the sitting of the last parliament: and delivered it to diverse persons in a way of presenting just complaints (as he gave out to the then commons house of parliament, 4 Car. 1,

ham; and to encourage others to second him in the like wicked and desperate attempt, to 'the destruction of others.

6

8. "He layeth a most seditious scandal upon the king, state, and kingdom, wickedly affirming, that all that pass by us spoil us, and "we spoil all that rely upon us;' and amongst 'other particulars, instanceth the black pining 'death of the famished Rochelers, to the num'ber of 15,000 in four months: by which pas6 sages and wicked positions and assertions, he did, as much as in him lay, scandalize his ma'jesty's sacred person, his religious, wise and just government, the person of his royal consort the queen, the persons of the lords and 'peers of this realm, especially the reverend bishops.

1. "That we do not read of greater perse'cution and higher indignity done upon God's people in any nation professing the gospel, than in this our island, especially since the 'death of queen Elizabeth.

2. "He terms the Prelates of this realm "men of blood,' and enemies to God and the state, and saith, that the maintaining and establishing of bishops within this realm is a 'main and master sin established by law, and that ministers should have no voices in coun'cil deliberative and decisive.

3. "He avowed the prelacy of our Church 'to be'antichristian and satanical;' and terms 'the bishops, ravens and magpies,' that prey upon the state.

detract from his royal power, in making laws ' and canons for government ecclesiastical, and in matters concerning the church, he saith, that the church hath her laws from the scripture, and that no king may make laws in the 'house of God: for if they might, then the scripture might be imperfect.

10." And further charged, that in another place of the said book, thinking to salve all 'with an expression of his sacred majesty, he hath these words following; what pity it is aud indelible dishonour it will be to you the states representative, that so ingenuous and tractable a king should be so monstrously "abused, to the undoing of himself and his ""subjects?"

The defendant in his Answer confessed the writing of the Book, but with no such ill intention, as by the said information is suggested; his end therein being only to remonstrate certain Grievances in church and state, under which the people suffered, to the end the parliament might take them into consideration, and so give such redress, as might be for the honour of the king, the quiet of the people, and the peace of the church.

At the hearing of the cause (June 4), the defendant's Answer was read at large, and the aforesaid particulars charged in the Information as seditious and scandalous, were also read out of the Book. After which the court proceeded to give Sentence, and did there declare, that it evidently appeared upon proof, That the defendant had printed 5 or 600 of the said books, and that in their opinions he had committed a most odious and heinous offence, deserving the severest punishment the court could inflict, for