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<DATE>2007-11-05</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B071011.apex.</ITEM>
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<STC T="W">C4683</STC>
<STC T="T">669.f.20[69]</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99870791</BIBNO>
<VID>163485</VID>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 10 -->
<HEAD>CLEAVELAND'S PETITION To His HIGHNESSE the Lord POTECTOR.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>May it plea&s;e your Highne&s;s,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>RUlers within the Circle of their Government have a claim to that which is &s;aid of the Deity, <HI>They have their Center every where, and their Circumference no where.</HI> It is in this con|fidence that I addre&s;s to your <HI>Highne&s;s,</HI> as knowing no place in the Nation is &s;o remote, as not to &s;hare in the ubiquity of your care; no Pri&s;on &s;o clo&s;e, as to &s;hut me up from partaking of your influence. My <HI>Lord,</HI> it is my misfortune, that after ten years of retirement from being engaged in the difference of the State, having wound my &s;elf up in a private rece&s;s, and my comportment to the publique, being &s;o inoffen&s;ive, that in all this time, neither fears nor jealou&s;ies have &s;crupled at our Actions: Being about three Moneths &s;ince at <HI>Norwich,</HI> I was fetched with a Guard before the Com|mi&s;&s;ioners, and &s;ent Pri&s;oner to <HI>Yarmouth,</HI> and if it be not a new offence to make inquiry wherein I offended (for hitherto my faults are kept as clo&s;e as my per&s;on,) I am induced to believe, that next to the adherence to the Royal party, the cau&s;e of my confinement is the narrowne&s;s of my e&s;tate; <HI>for none &s;tand committed who&s;e e&s;tate can bail them;</HI> I only am the Pri&s;oner, who have no Acres to be my ho&s;tage. Now if my poverty be Criminal (with Reverence be it &s;poken,) I mu&s;t implead your <HI>Highne&s;s,</HI> who&s;e victorious Arms have reduc'd me to it, as acce&s;&s;ary to my guilt. Let it &s;uffice my Lord, that the calamity of the War hath made us poor; do not puni&s;h us for it! <HI>Who ever did Pe|nance for being ravi&s;hed?</HI> Is it not enough that we are &s;tript &s;o bare, but it mu&s;t be made in order to a &s;everer La&s;h? mu&s;t our skars be engraven with new wounds? mu&s;t we fir&s;t be made Cripples, then beaten with our own Crutches? Poverty! if it be a fault, it is its own puni&s;hment; Who &s;uffers for it more, pays U&s;e upon u&s;e. I be&s;eech your <HI>Highne&s;s</HI> put &s;ome bounds to our overthrow, and do not pur&s;ue the cha&s;e to the other World; Can your thunder be levelled &s;o low as our groveling Condi|tions? Can that towering Spirit that hath quarried upon Kingdoms make a &s;toop at us, who are the rubbi&s;h of tho&s;e ruines? Methinks! I hear your former Atchievments interceding with you not to &s;ully your glories, with trampling on the pro&s;trate, nor Clog the wheels of your Chariot with &s;o degenerous a Triumph. The mo&s;t renowned <HI>Heroes</HI> have ever with &s;uch tenderne&s;s cheri&s;hed their <HI>Captives,</HI> That their Swords did but cut out work for their courte&s;ie; Tho&s;e that fell by their prowe&s;s, &s;prung up by their favours, as if they had &s;truck them down, onely to make them rebound the Higher. I hope your <HI>Highne&s;s</HI> as you are the Rival of their fame, will be no le&s;s of their vertues; the noble&s;t Trophy that you can erect to your Honour is to rai&s;e the afflicted. And &s;ince you have &s;ubdued all oppo&s;ition, it now remaines that you attach your &s;elf, and with acts of Mildne&s;s vaniqu&s;h your victory. It is not long &s;ince, <HI>my Lord,</HI> that you knocked off the Shackles from mo&s;t of our party, and by a grand relea&s;e did &s;pread your clemency as large as your territories. Let not now pro&s;criptions interrupt our Jubil&eacute;. Let not that your lenity be &s;landered as the Ambu&s;h of your further rigour. For the &s;ervice of his <HI>Maje&s;ty</HI> (if it be objected) I am &s;o far from excu&s;ing it, that I am ready to alledge it in my vindication: I cannot conceive that my fidelity to my Prince &s;hould taint me in your opinion; I &s;hould rather ex|pect it &s;hould recommend me to your favour; Had not we been faithfull to our <HI>King,</HI> we could not have given our &s;elves to be &s;o to your <HI>Highne&s;s;</HI> you had then tru&s;ted us <HI>gratis,</HI> whereas now we have our former Loyalty to vouch us. You &s;ee my <HI>Lord,</HI> how much I pre&s;ume upon the greatne&s;s of your Spirit, that dare prevent my Indictment with &s;o frank a Confe&s;&s;ion, e&s;pecially in this, which I may &s;o ju&s;tly deny, that it is almo&s;t arrogancy in me to own it; for the truth is, I was not qualifi'd enough to &s;erve him; all that I could doe, was to bear a part in his &s;ufferings, and give my &s;elf up to be cru&s;hed with his fall; thus my charge is doubled (my obedience to my Soveraign, and what is the re&s;ult of that, my want of-fortune;) Now what ever reflections I have on the former, I am a true penitent for the latter; My <HI>Lord</HI> you &s;ee my crimes! As to my defence you bear it about you! I &s;hall plead nothing in my ju&s;tification, by your <HI>Highne&s;s,</HI> (which as it is the con&s;tant inmate of a valiant brea&s;t, If you graci|ou&s;ly plea&s;e to extend it to your Suppliant in taking me out of this withering durance,) your <HI>Highne&s;s</HI> will find that mercy will e&s;tabli&s;h you more than power; though all the days of your life were as pre|gnant with victories, as your twice au&s;picious third of <HI>September.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your <HI>Highne&s;s</HI> humble, and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ive Petitioner.
J. C.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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<P>Printed for <HI>William Sheares.</HI></P>
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