A Letter from Sir LEWIS DYVE: Written out of France to a Gentleman, a Friend of his in London, &c.

TO prevent the or edit that malicious and falſe reports may gaine, in the opinion of thoſe that know me not, concerning my eſcape out of Priſon, which the wickedneſſe of this age is moſt fruitfull in producing; I conceived it neceſſary for me, as well for the ſatisfaction of my private Friends, as to diſ-abuſe others, who for want of true informati­on, may by deluſions and forgeries (wherewith the worth, God knowes, hath of late yeares beene too much abuſed) be led into a miſ-beliefe of me, to give you this true account, both of the occaſion that induced me to thruſt my ſelfe into ſo great a hazard, in the attempt (wherein, by the Al­mighties bleſſing, I was in a manner miraculouſly preſerved) as alſo by what meanes I effected it; which I ſhall deſire you, even for the love which I know you beare to truth, and the particular affection wherewith you have alwayes beene pleaſed to honour me, that you will, if occaſion be offered, publiſh this Paper unto the world, that the malice of my enemies may not prevaile; by their evill tongues to wound me behind my back, in my honour and reputation, which I have ever held in farre dearer eſteeme then my life.

In the narrative, I intend brevitie, and ſhall not therefore looke backe upon thoſe many miſeries I ſuffered ſince my firſt impriſonment in the Tower, nor upon thoſe•eavie Oppreſſions wherewith I was there loaded, contrary to the Law of Armes, the Law of Nature, and Nations; and all this for no other offence (God is my witneſſe) that (I either know or can imagine) thoſe men that have thus perſecuted me, can lay to my charge, ſave my loyaltie to my Soveraigne, my love unto my Countrey, in the pre­ſervation of the Lawes and Liberties thereof, and my conſtancie to both. For if I ſhould begin my Storie from thence, it would fill a volume, and carry in it many bitter markes of the ſtrange inhumanitie of theſe ſad times, which for the honour of this Nation I could heartily wiſh, (were it poſſible) that both in my owne caſe, and divers others of like nature, the memory might eternally be forgotten, and no record left thereof to re­maine as a brand of infamy upon this people to all poſteritie.

It ſhall therefore ſuffice, that I begin from the time of my being remo­ved from the Tower, where I continued above two yeares, and the greateſt part of that time cloſe Priſoner; from whence towards the latter end of laſt Michaelmas Terme, I was by pretence of a Habeas Corpus, procur'd by the ſubtiltie of my Adverſaries, by force and violence brought before the Kings Bench Barce, by Colonel Tichborne the Lieutenant of the Tower, upon an Action of Debt, whereas I ſtood charg'd, and committed before for High Treaſon by the Speaker of the Houſe of Commons; a ſtrange preſident, and not to be paralel'd, as I beleeve, before theſe unhappy times: but new preſidents and priviledges are now every day created at pleaſure, by ſome of thoſe that ſit at Weſtminſter, to the ſubverſion of the Fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome, and the utter ruine of the Subjects juſt Liberties and Freedomes.

From the Kings Bench Barre, I was immediately turn'd over to be a Priſoner at the Kings Bench, without any due Proceſſe or forme of Law, not ſo much as one ſyllable being ſpoken unto me, by thoſe that fate there uſurping the place of Judges; for I have heard, That by the Lawes of the Kingdome no man may execute that Office without his Majeſties Commiſſion whereby to authorize him ſo to doe, which they have not to ſhew, nor is it to be preſumed, that any ſuch authoritie can be derived from his Majeſtie, who is made a Priſoner by thoſe, whoſe dutie it is, both by the Lawes of God and the Land, to honour and obey him, and which they have bound them­ſelves by Solemne Oath to performe.

Now for the better illuſtration of the equitie and juſtice of their pro­ceedings with me, in this particular; I muſt let you know, that before the beginning of theſe unhappie troubles, I became ingaged for divers great ſummes of money for the Earle of S. Albans, and for Sir Edward Strad­ling, who were perſons of much honour, and had that intereſt in me, as I ſhould not have refuſed to expoſe my life and fortunes whereby to have done them ſervice, they in a reciprocall way of friendſhip towards me, were ſo carefull to preſerve me from any damage I might for the future ſuſtaine, by reaſon of my engagements for them, as they made over unto me Lands of very great value, whereby to ſecure and ſave me harmeleſſe from any incumbrances thoſe debts might bring upon me: with the Rents I received from theſe Lands, I not onely ſatisfied the Creditors with pur­ctuall payment of their intereſt, but in a ſhort time by Fines and other improvements, made a ſhift to pay a good part of the principall debt, and had not theſe miſeries fallen upon the Kingdome, under which it now lan­guiſheth, I might probably before this time have cleared the greateſt part of the whole debt.

Theſe Lands made over to thoſe uſes as is declared, are by Ordinance of the two Houſes Sequeſtred, and all the profits thereof violently ſeized and taken forſooth, for the uſe of the State, whereby the Creditors for divers yeares have4 beene defrauded of their right, contrarie to all Juſtice and Equitie; For this cauſe, and for no other that I can imagine, it was contrived by my Ad­verſaries to have me carried to the Kings Bench, that I might there rot in Priſon for Debt, whil'ſt they in the meane time take unto themſelves, not onely the Profits of thoſe Lands which are liable to pay the Debts, but of all the reſt of my Eſtate, leaving me in that miſerable condition, as I have nothing left me to depend upon but the Almighties Providence, to preſerve me and my Children from famiſhing.

And if this bee the Juſtice that our Worthy Reformers of Church and State, hold out unto the world as a Modell, whereby to take a mea­ſure of their future Government: What can other men expect, whoſe caſe it may be as well as mine, when they ſhall happen to fall into the diſ­pleaſure of our new Law-makers (which, in truth, it is impoſſible to avoyd, for any man that ſhall endeavour to keepe a good Conſci­ence, eyther towards God or man) but Ruine and Deſtruction to them and their Families, and in concluſion, to the whole King­dome?

Having thus ſtated the Cauſe of my being ſent to the Kings Bench, I••all proceed to the giving you a true account of my entertainment there by Sir John Lentall untill I made my eſcape.

When the Lieutenant of the Tower had diſcharged himſelfe of me, by delivering me over into the hands of other Jaylors, I was by them that Evening brought to Sir John Lentall, who treated me with much civilitie; and having (as it ſhould ſeeme) underſtood by ſome who had long knowne me, that if I would engage my Word unto him, of being a true Priſoner, it would hold me faſter then all the Locks and Guards he could deviſe to put upon me: he in a very generous and free manner propoſed it unto me, telling me withall, that he had ever heard me eſteemed for a man of honour; ſo as, if I would engage my Word, he would eſteeme it as the beſt Securitie that could be given him. The frankneſſe of his proceeding prevailed with me (I muſt confeſſe) even againſt the Reſolution I had raken, not to bind my ſelfe up by my Word, upon any Condition what­ſoever: which I yeelded nevertheleſſe to doe, being overcome by his kind­neſſe; adding this Proteſtation withall, That were it to ſave my Life, he might be confident I would not breake with him, untill I ſhould firſt give him faire warning, by revoking it: Provided alwayes, that he ſhould put no Guards nor Keeper upon me, which I ſhould underſtand as a diſ-ingagement of my Word, for that it would be an argument unto me, that he did not relye upon it: Which he approved as reaſonable, and ſo I parted from him for that time, and went to provide me a Lodging within the Rules, as might affoord me beſt accommodation.

After this, there was ſeldome any day paſt that I came not by way of5 Gratitude to viſit him or his Lady, reſolving in my heart not onely to pay him all Reſpects that was due to him from me as a Priſoner, but to re­quite thoſe Civilities I received from him, whenſoever I ſhould by Gods bleſſing be in a capacitie to doe it: Sometimes, as my Occaſions required, I went abroad, which I did openly and avowedly, not conceiving it would have beene judged a Trespas in me, more then in other men in the ſame Con­dition that I was. But it ſoone grew an occaſion of exception to ſome, who never ſatisfied with their owne unlimited Priviledges, held it too great a one for me to breathe the common Ayre with other men, and through the feares and jealouſies which the guilt of their owne ſoules ſug­geſted unto them, did fancie my being ſeene abroad a matter of moſt dan­gerous conſequence, inſomuch, as M. Speaker of the Houſe of Commons was immediately inform'd of it, who thereupon ſent to his Brother Sir John Lentall, giving him a ſtrict Charge (as he told me himſelfe) to have a ſpeciall care of me as of a moſt dangerous perſon. He therefore in a friendly way deſired me, that for his ſake I would for ſome dayes forbeare to be ſeene abroad, untill the heat of this anger were over-paſt, leſt it might turne to his prejudice. The anſwer I made him, to my beſt remembrance, was to this effect; That I could not but thinke my ſelfe very unfortunate, after ſo many miſeries, to be ſtill made the object of their malice: which ſince I ſaw I could not otherwayes avoid, but either by forfeiting my Loyaltie to my Soveraigne, or betraying my owne innocencie, I had by Gods aſſiſtance armed my ſelfe with that Reſolution, that I little regarded what their Power could exerciſe upon my perſon, and ſhould eſteeme my Sufferings a happineſſe and glory unto me in ſo good a Cauſe: ſo that if I reſtrained my ſelfe of that juſt Libertie I ought to take, it was meerely for his ſake; wherein I would be ſo carefull for the future, that when the neceſſitie of my occaſions ſhould draw me forth, it ſhould be with that Caution, as ſhould give no advantage againſt him: And I was ſo preciſely carefull herein, as for divers dayes after I ſtirred not out of the Rules.

By this Retirement, I well hoped to have taken away the occaſion of troubling their thoughts with a ſubject ſo little conſiderable as my ſelfe; which would have beene farre better imployed in perfecting the happie Reformation, ſo worthily begun, and in ſetling a well-grounded Peace in the Kingdome, which, in that Confuſion they have now brought it, will be a Worke of their beſt skill to performe: But contrarie to my hopes, the next newes I heard, was, that it was reſolved, the fittest place to ſecure me, was in the Common-Goale: and I had farther intelligence given me by two perſons conſiderable with them, and no ſtrangers to their Counſells, that there were deſperate intentions againſt me, and therefore wiſhed me as I tendred my Life, to make an Eſc. ••now I had opportunitie to doe it, for the meanes might otherwayes be ſuddenly taken from me.

This intelligence comming to me at ſo ſeaſonable a time, and my owne innocencie, beſides the authoritie and credit of the perſons from whom I6 received it, made me the apter to beleeve it to be true (knowing that my enemies thirſt most after innocent bloud) and might have prompted me (con­ſidering the danger I was in) to have followed his Advice: but my Word being given to Sir Iohn Lentall, I was reſolv'd to run the uttermoſt hazard of my Life, rather then violate that in the leaſt degree: This made me be­thinke my ſelfe how I might beſt come off from that ingagement, with leaſt ſuſpition, which the very next day was offered unto me upon this occaſion.

The Warrant for my Cloſe Commitment I knew preciſely (as I ſaid before) when it would be brought to Sir Iohn Lentall; and that very night, Friday the fourteenth of Ianuary, I went (as I was formerly accuſtomed to doe) to viſit Sir Iohn Lentall at his owne Houſe; where, finding him ſitting in converſation with his Lady and ſome others of his Family, I fell into diſ­courſe with him, and after a while I tooke occaſion to tell him, that out of my respects to him I had confined my ſelfe in the nature of a Cloſe Priſoner for a good while but that having ſome ſpeciall occaſions to draw me into the Towne the next day, I intended to goe in the Evening, which ſhould be done with that wari­neſſe, as no notice ſhould be taken thereof. This ſtroake gave fire immediately, according to my expectation; whereupon he ſaid, that it was in his thoughts to have ſpoken unto me the next morning by way of prevention, for that divers of the Houſe were ſo much incenſed at my going abroad, as he beleeved there would be an Order for my Cloſe Impriſonment: I ſeemed much moved with the newes, and told him, I hoped he would not be the inſtrument to execute ſo unreaſonable and unjuſt an Order, having given him my Word to be his true Priſoner: Alas (ſaid he) what would you have me doe, in caſe I am com­manded? For as I am their ſervant, if I diſobey their Orders, they will thruſt me out of my place, and ruine me: By the ſame reaſon (ſaid I ſomewhat tartly unto him) if they ſhould bid you knock out my braines, or ſtarve me, you muſt then doe it. He deſired me not to make ſuch inferences, for that he knew they would command him no ſuch thing; but for the keeping me a Cloſe Pri­ſoner, in that he was bound to obey them. When he had thus farre declared himſelfe, I held it a fit time for me to revoke the engagement of my Word; which, that he might ſuppoſe it to be done rather out of Choler then De­ſigne, I fell into a ſtrange paſſion (not misbecomming my Uſage, though it might be thought it did my Condition) and in great heat told him, I would not longer be ingag'd upon my Word, with ſome other expreſſions of deepe reſentment, of the barbarous uſage I had from time to time receiv'd, but that I valued not the uttermoſt extremitie that Tyrannie could inflict upon me: and ſo thruſting the Chaire from me whereon I ſate, I made a ſhort Turne in the Roome, taking a Candleſtick in my hand which ſtood upon a ſide Table, and ſtriking it with violence upon the Board, did much bruiſe the faſhion thereof; and all this was done in a breath, ſo as it ſeemed but one motion.

The women that were there, were ſomewhat amazed at this, but the La­dy Lentall her ſelfe, who holds it a high reputation to be thought a woman of ſpirit, what with the bruiſing of the Candleſtick, and ſome words that fell from me, which ſhe interpreted to the diſparagement of her Husband, though I profeſſe they were ſpoken with no ſuch intent, grew ſuddenly in ſuch a fury, as paſſionate women are wont to expreſſe when they are throughly angred; the words that kindled her choler, was, as I remember, ſomewhat that touched upon my being turn'd from Jaylor to Jaylor, which ſhe highly aggravated after her manner, entring into compariſons of her Husbands worth, which I meant not in the leaſt to deminiſh; with whom be­ing unwilling to have any diſpute, the work for which I came being perfor­med, I went towards the door, with intention to retire to my lodging, there to bethinke my ſelfe of what more imported me; but as it happened, her Ladiſhip at that time fill'd up the paſſage with her perſon, ſo as to paſſe by, I tooke her by the hand to remove her a little out of the way, which ſhe took for ſo great an affront, that ſhe preſently cryed out that I had ſtrucke her; but the truth is, had not Sir John Lentall himſelfe, and ſome of his Daughters in the roome, interpoſed betweene her and me, I verily beleeve it would have fallen to my ſhare to have complained of a beating, which I ſhould much better have borne from a Ladies hand, then the reproach ſhe layd on me of having ſtrucken her; I then became a ſtickler to perſwade her to patience, and to deſire her that ſhe would not through paſſion doe her ſelfe ſo much wrong, as to ſay that of me, which ſhould ſhe ſweare, would never be believed by any bo­dy that knew me, and to entreat her pardon, if by tranſportation of the ſame paſſion which was now ſo prevalent in her ſelf, I had either ſaid or dore any thing that might give her the leaſt offence; with theſe and the like per­ſwaſions, we all grew after a while into a more ſober temper, and then I took my leave of them both, & was from thence wel guarded to my Lodging. The next morning, my Kinſman, Sir John Wake, came unto me, and told me for certaine, That Sir John Lentall had received an Order from the Houſe of Commons to remove me that night into the Common Goale; I deſired Sir John Wake to goe to Sir John Lentall from me, to requeſt this favour in my be­halfe, that my removall might be ſuſpended for a day or two untill I might be able to furniſh my Lodging with Bedding and other neceſſaries fit for me; but the anſwer I received, was, That he durſt not doe it for feare of the diſpleaſure of the Houſe. When I ſaw there was no remedie, I ſent to ha•e the Chamber made clean, & aired with a good fire, as there was good cauſe, for I was told by ſome that ſaw it, that it was a moſt naſtie and filthy roome, not fit for a Dogge to lye in. Whil'ſt this preparation was making, and a heape of Coales which lay in the Chamber removing, the evening grew on, and my fatall houre of removing to a quick buriall; In the meane time I beſpake ſupper, and invited divers Gentlemen of my acquaintance in the Rules to ſup with me, to take a farewell of them, not knowing when I8 ſhould have the happineſſe to ſee them againe: foure or five were pleaſed to come to me, to affoord me that favour, all of them much lamenting my condition: by this meanes there was a neceſſitie of paſſing to and fro out of my Lodging, by reaſon my Supper was dreſs'd abroad. I ſent for Wine, and diſpoſed my ſelfe to be merry with my Friends, not imparting my intentions to any creature; alwayes having a watchfull eye, how thoſe that were ſet to guard me, were placed; with a reſolution to have forced my way through them, if there had beene no other remedie: But the darkneſſe of the Night favoured my Attempt ſo, as taking the nick of time when Supper was bringing in, I ſlipt from my Companie, and got out of the Gate uneſpyed, conveying my ſelfe ſuddenly into a place where I knew I ſhould be welcome, leaving my Friends to be merry without their Hoſt.

For ſome few dayes I lay cloſe, untill I found an opportunitie to con­vey my ſelfe, where by Gods bleſſing I have now the leyſure to ſatisfie both you and the reſt of my Friends with this true relation of the Bu­ſineſſe; hoping there can nothing be objected againſt me in the whole progreſſe thereof, misbecomming a man of Honour and Honeſtie, who deſires, and ſhall ever, endeavour to approve himſelfe ſo in all his actions to the World, and more particularly to your ſelfe, in the qualitie of,