ing they might be to the spirit of Archbishop Laud, will rouse the pity and indignation of every generous and pious mind. The learned Mosheim, in allusion to these shocking severities, observes, "That a violent spirit of animosity and persecution discovered itself through the whole of Laud's ecclesiastical administration. This haughty prelate executed the plans of his royal master, and fulfilled the views of his own ambition, without using those mild and moderate. methods, that prudence employs to make unpopular schemes go down. He carried things with a high hand. When he found the laws opposing his views, he treated them with contempt, and violated them without hesitation. He loaded the puritans with injuries and vexations, and aimed at nothing less than their total extinction."

The three prisoners remained in the above remote islands, under most severe usage, till the year 1640. During this period, Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Bastwick, as widows forcibly divorced from their husbands, often petitioned his majesty, and the lords of the council, for liberty to visit them, or that they might reside on those islands where they were imprisoned, or that they might be shut up in close prison with them. But, by the sovereign power and influence of Laud, their petitions were all rejected. Though the archbishop could never be prevailed on to forgive the three sufferers, he said, "He humbly beseeched GOD to forgive them." One of the prisoners, however, obtained some mitigation of his afflictions. For, upon the petition of Sir Thomas Jermin, governor of Jersey, being presented to the king, in behalf of Mr. Prynne, he was allowed to attend divine service, and receive the sacrament in the castle, and to walk with his keeper in the gardens. But as soon as the unmerciful archbishop heard of the royal indulgence, he fell into a violent rage, and sent a messenger for one Mr. Hungerford, who had been employed in procuring it, and convened him before the council.+

In the above year, the prisoners were called home by order of the parliament. For, November 7th, Mrs. Burton and Mrs. Bastwick having presented petitions to the house of commons, in behalf of their husbands, complaining of their heavy sentence in the star-chamber, the house immediately ordered, " That their said husbands shall be forthwith sent for, in safe custody, by a warrant of the house, directed to the governors of the islands where they are pri

• Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. vol. v. p. 393. + Prynne's Prelates' Tyranny, p. 110.

soners, and to the captains of the castles there; that the cause of their being detained may be here certified." This warrant is dated November 7, 1640. A petition was also presented in behalf of Mr. Prynne, when the house gave a similar order for his return.

Mr. Burton and Mr. Prynne coming in the same vessel, arrived at Dartmouth on the 22nd of November, where they were received and entertained with extraordinary demonstrations of affection and joy. In the whole of their journey to the metropolis, they were attended with a marvellous conflux of people, and not only their charges borne with great magnificence, but liberal presents given them. This kind of treatment they met with all the way, great numbers of people meeting them at their entrance into all the towns through which they passed, and waiting upon them some distance out, with wonderful acclamations of joy. As they approached the metropolis, the road betwixt Brentford and London was so full of coaches, horsemen, and persons on foot, come to meet them, and congratulate them on their safe arrival, that it was with difficulty they could ride one mile an hour. As they entered London, there was so immense a concourse of people, that they were nearly three hours in passing from Charing-cross to their lodgings in the city. The numerous crowds who escorted them into the city, in token of their great joy, carried lighted torches before them, strewed the road with herbs and flowers, put rosemary and bays in their hats, and, as they went along, with loud acclamations for their deliverance, shouted, Welcome home, welcome home! God bless you, God bless you: God be thanked for your

return

On November 30th, being two days after his arrival in London, Mr. Burton appeared before the house of commons, and, December 5th, presented his petition to the house, entitled, "The humble Petition of Henry Burton, late Exile, and close Prisoner in Castle-cornet, in the Isle of Guernsey." In this petition he gives a sketch of his numerous and painful sufferings, and concludes by recommending his case to their impartial consideration; but the whole is too long for our insertion. On the presentation of the petition, with many others of a similar kind, the house appointed a committee for their examination; and on the 12th of March following,

* Prynne's Prelates' Tyranny, p. 112.-Rushworth's Collec. vol. v. p. 20. -Nalson's Collec. vol. i. p. 499.

+ Prynne's Prelates' Tyranny, p. 113, 114.

Ibid. p. 127-130.-Rushworth's Collec. vol. v. p. 78, 79.

Mr. Rigby delivered their report to the house, when the house passed the following resolutions:

1. "That the four commissioners, Dr. Duck, Dr. Worral, Dr. Sams, and Dr. Wood, proceeded unjustly and illegally in suspending Mr. Burton from his office and benefice, for not appearing upon the summons of the first process.

2. "That the breaking up Mr. Burton's house, and arrest

ing his person without any cause shewed, and before any suit depended against him in the star-chamber, and his close imprisonment thereupon, are against the law and the liberty of the subject.

3. "That John Wragg hath offended in searching and seizing the books and papers of Mr. Burton, by colour of a general warrant dormant from the high commissioners; and that the said warrant is against law and the liberty of the subject; and that sergeant Dendy and alderman Abel have offended in breaking open the house of Mr. Burton, and ought respectively to make him reparation for the same.

4. "That Mr. Burton ought to have reparation and recompence for the damages sustained by the aforesaid proceedings of Dr. Duck and others, who suspended him from his office and benefice.

5. "That the warrant from the council-board, dated at Whitehall, February 2, 1637, for committing Mr. Burton close prisoner, and the commitment thereupon, is illegal, and contrary to the liberty of the subject.

6. "That the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of London, the Earl of Arundal and Surrey, the Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, Sir H. Vane, Sir J. Coke, and Sir Francis Windebank, do make reparations to Mr. Burton for his damages sustained by this imprisonment."

The 24th of the same month, Mr. Burton's case being again brought before the house, it was further resolved:

1. "That the sentence in the star-chamber against Mr. Burton is illegal, and without any just ground, and ought to be reversed, and he ought to be freed from the fine of £5000, and the imprisonment imposed upon him by the said sentence, and to be restored to his degrees in the university, orders in the ministry, and to his ecclesiastical benefice in Friday-street, London.

2. "That the order of the council-board for transferring Mr. Burton from the castle of Lancaster to the isle of Guernsey, and his imprisonment there, are against law and the liberty of the subject.

3. "That the said Mr. Burton ought to have reparation

and recompence for the damages sustained by the said imprisonment, loss of his ears, and other evils sustained by the said unjust and illegal proceedings."

On the 20th of April, the house of commons voted Mr. Burton to receive six thousand pounds for his damages sustained, but the confusions of the times prevented the payment of the money. And by an order of the house, dated June 8, 1641, he was restored to his former_ministry and benefice in Friday-street. Mr. Prynne and Dr. Bastwick also presented their petitions to the house, when their cases were taken into consideration, and the house passed similar resolutions in their favour.‡

On Mr. Burton's restoration, he formed a church after the model of the independents; and he appears to have greatly prospered in his public ministry. Wood represents him as severe in the exercise of church discipline; that he would admit none to the Lord's supper besides members of his own church, or any to baptism besides the children of such; that he challenged a power of examination into the lives and conversation of members, casting out whom he pleased, and not admitting them till they gave satisfaction to the church; and that he would not administer the Lord's supper at Easters But this author further observes, that towards the close of his life, he became more moderate; and he lived till after the beheading of his old master, King Charles I. Herein,

* Prynne's Prelates' Tyranny, p. 139-141.-Rushworth's Collect. vol.v. p. 207, 213.-Nalson's Collec. vol. i. p. 787, 794.

+ Prynne's Prelates' Tyranny, p. 145.

Mr. Prynne was afterwards chosen member of the long parliament. He was a man of a courageous spirit, and boldly stepped forwards to correct every enormity in church and state. He was, perhaps, one of the

hardest students that ever existed. He was called one of the greatest paper-worms that ever crept into a library. Wood supposes that he wrote a sheet for every day of his life, computing from the time of his arrival to man's estate to the day of his death. He says, "his custom was, when "he studied, to put on a long quilted cap, which came an inch over his "eyes, serving as an umbrella to defend them from too much light; and "seldom eating a dinner, would every three hours, or more, be mounching "a roll of bread, and now and then refresh his exhausted spirits with ale." This voluminous writer was author of about two hundred books, which he gave, in forty volumes folio and quarto, to the public library of Lincoln'sinn. On the restoration of Charles II., some one asked the king what must be done with Prynne, to make him quiet. Why," said his majesty, "let him amuse himself with writing against the catholics, and in 66 poring over the records of the Tower." To enable him to do the latter, Charles made him keeper of the records of the Tower, with a salary of five hundred pounds a year. He died October 24, 1669.—Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. ii. p. 311–327.

Ibid. p. 460.

66

however, he is mistaken; for Mr. Burton was buried January 7, 1647, aged sixty-eight years.*

The memory of this zealous and faithful servant of Christ has suffered the reproach and contempt of most of our bigotted historians; but, from the foregoing narrative, his manifold and painful sufferings stand as a monument of disgrace to the government under which he lived, and especially as a lasting reproach to Archbishop Laud. Some, indeed, have not been ashamed to assert, that his heavy sentence, with that of his fellow-sufferers, was just and necessary. But, says Granger, "The punishment of these men, who were of the three great professions, was ignominious and severe. The indignity and severity of their punishment gave general offence; and they were no longer regarded as criminals, but confessors."

His WORKS, in addition to those already mentioned. 1. A Censure of Simony, 1624.-2. Israel's Fast, or Meditations on the seventh Chap. of Joshua, 1628.-3. Truth's Triumph over Trent, or the great Gulph between Sion and Babylon; that is, the irreconcileable Opposition between the Apostolic Church of Christ and the Apostate Synagogue of Antichrist, in the main and fundamental Doctrine of Justification, 1629.-4. The Law and the Gospel reconciled against the Antinomians, 1631.-5. The Christian's Bulwark, or the Doctrine of Justification, 1632.-6. Exceptions against Dr. Jackson's Treatise of the Divine Essence and Attributes, 163..7. Jesu Worship Confuted: or, certain Arguments against Bowing at the Name of Jesus, proving it to be Idolatrous and Superstitious, and so utterly unlawful: With Objections to the contrary fully Answered, 1641.-8. The Sounding of the two last Trumpets: or, Meditations on the ninth, tenth, and eleventh Chapters of Revelation, 1641. — 9. The Protestation Protested; or, a short Remonstrance shewing what is principally required of all those who take the last Parliamentary Protestation, 1641.-10. England's Bondage and Hopes of Deliverance, a Sermon preached before the Parliament, 1641.-11. A Narration of his own Life, 1643.-12. A Vindication of Independent Churches, in Answer to Mr. Prynne, 1644.13. Parliament's Power for Laws in Religion, 1645.-14. Truth Vindicated against Calumny, in a brief Answer to Dr. Bastwick's two books, entitled, Independency not God's Ordinance,' 1645.— 15. Truth shut out of Doors; or, a brief Narrative of the Occasion and Manner of Proceeding of Aldermanbury parish in shutting their Church-door against him, 1645.-16. Truth still Truth, though shut out of Doors, 1616.-17. Conformity's Deformity, in a Dialogue between Conformity and Conscience, 1646.-18. Relation of Mr. Chillingworth.

* Peck's Desiderata Curiosa, vol. ii. b. xiv. p. 22.

+ The portraits of Archbishop Laud and Mr. Burton, both whole lengths, were published in one print. The prelate is represented as vomiting up his own works, and Mr. Burton holding his head. The print is extremely scarce and curious.-Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. ii. p. 152. Vernon's Life of Heylin, p. 91. Edit. 1682. Granger's Biog. Hist. vol. ii. p. 192, 193.