To the Right Honble Sr. William Stephenson< no role >
Knt . Lord Mayor , and To the Honourable the
Justices of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol
Delivery of Newgate holden for the City of London
and County of Middlesex in Session Assembled.

The humble Petition of Abraham Stephens< no role >
Most humbly Sheweth.

That Your Petitioner was in the Month of February
Committed to His Majesty's Gaol of Newgate by
Benja. Cowley< no role > Esqr. one of His Majesty's Justices of the
Peace for the County of Middlesex Charged on Oath
of Elizabeth< no role > the Wife of Henry Newman< no role > and Joseph
Cox< no role > for receiving from the said Elizabeth an Ounce [..]
an half of a Piedmont Silk knowing the same to be Stolen
of Which Charge your Petitioner Cons vows of his
Innocence doubts not but on his Trial to make the
same Evidently Appear to the satisfaction of this Honble.
Court.

That this present Session is the third Since his
Committed and that last Session in Expectation of
being Tryed he had at a Considerable Expence prepared
for the Same, that Since his Confinement he had undergone
great hardship throt Sickness and poverty having Shipt
himself of all. and almost tired his friends in their
Support of him. and Strou'd he by any Means, be further
detained, his friends may desert him, when he must
inevitably perish.

Your Petitioner therefore most humbly
Implores Your Lordship and this Honble
Court, that he may at this present Session
make his Innocence appear by a Trial for
the above supposed fact. Orbe Bailed or
discharged.