To the Worshipfull,
The Bench of Justices; for the Citty, & Liberty, of Westminster
The humble Petition, of John Sherwin< no role > This name instance is in set 3119. .

Sheweth

That ye: Petitioner, was (unknown to him) indicted in
Kent ye: last Rochester Assizes, for reciting a false & Scandelons
libel; Reflecting on one William Silver< no role > (Inn keeper of Gravesend )
& having a Warrant Serv'd on him, from under ye Hand & Seal of ye:
Right Honble: my Lord Cheif Justice Raymond; & Carried before Jacob
Delamott Blagney< no role > Esqr :, one of His Majesty's Justices of ye. Peace
for ye. Citty & Liberty of Westminster ; was by his Worship Committed
to the Gate house: & have Continued ever since ye: Seventeenth of
April last, not being able to give in Bail; by ye. Contrivances of
an Attorney (which ye: sd. William Silver have imploy'd; who made
it his business, (after Notice given) to goe to ye: friends of ye: Petir:
& acquant them; it was of Dangerous Consequence: & to others; preten-
ding they Could not be found, which yr: Petir: can prove; either him-
self, or some other for him; have been & Spoke with them, that would
have been Sureties, for ye: Petir:, & them; that were Substantial
House keepers, & Free holders.

That ye aforesd. William Silver, have taken no Care to Move
yr: Petir:, this last Maidstone Assizes, to take his Trial; he knowing
that yr: Petir: can prove ye. sd. Book (which he Calls a libel) to be yr:
Petir: True (but unhappy) Case: it being Dedicated to His Majesty's
& Presented into his Royal Hand, to implore His most Gracious Pro-
tection, against yr: Severest Oppressions & Wrongs, which ought not
to goe unpunished, by ye: Laws of God & Man.

That what ye: afore Sd. William Silver have acted (by preser-
ing a bill of indictment in Kent, against yr. Petitr: for that which was
Printed, Published, & Sold in Middlesex,) is to Seren himself in his
vile actions which he have Committed, & to ruin ye Petir. (which
he have done already) with ye: Assistance of his mony: & by keep-
ing yr: Petitr: in Goal, thinking by those unjust proceeding, to put
it quite out of yr: Petir: power ever to help himself, & for fear; he
should find some means or other, to being him; ye. sd: William Silver
to Justice.

That yr: Petitrs: Wife; have been down at Maidstones
with a Petition; from yt: Patitr: to ye. Right Honble: my Lord Cheif
Justice Eyres, & ye Honble: Mr: Baccon Thompson, being bat [..] ; by
a Letter from ye. Right Honble: ye. Earl of Essex: & their Lord [..]
was so pleas'd, to send orders to yr: Petir: to Petition; ye: Worshipful
Justice's, for ye: Citty, & Liberty, of Westminster , whose Care it was
to Order yr. Petitioner, to be Set at Liberty.

Your Petitioner, Most humbly Prays; that yr:
Worships be so pleas'd out of ye: In [..] Goodness, &
human Compassion, to take yr: Petitioners Case, into yr:
Wife Consideration: & for the Sake of God, and his poor
Family, (which is yr. Petitir:, his Wife, & five Childrens
to discharge yr Petitioner out of Goal, from his
long Confinement, & not Suffer him to Perish, while
his family is Starving at home: your Petitioner
being quite reduc'd, by ye Horrible Contrivances; [..]
ye: afore sd: William Silver, who works allways &
means, for yr: Petitioners destruction; & now her in a
very bad State of heath, & with other Missfortunes; of
his being Sick, and lame, upwards of four years, & now,
is drove to ye last extremity, and must inevitably
perish, without Speedy redeintion, or any other releif; has
to yr. Worships; thinks Most Meet.

And your Petitioner; as in duty Bound, shall ever Pray Etc.