34 



Records of the Rising in the West, A.D. 1655. 



Sir Arthur Ilazelrigge, on the contrary 3 affirmed 



"it was regular, and challenged all the Long Robe to answer him. If any 

 one offered him a petition at the door against a member should he not present 

 it P' And then he went on at length to the King's case, and petitions in general 

 when " 



Sir Walter Earle called him to order, 



"as wandering but he agreed with Sir Arthur as to the presentment." 



Others spoke on this point, and the Speaker said 



"no grand or privilege Committee could receive any original petition against 

 a member of the house, without committing a gross breach of privilege. 



Then Mr. Secretary Thurloe lamented 



"that he had ever seen the day when such petitions should be encouraged and 

 gave some account of Rowland Thomas but none of Rivers, 



Mr. Knightly said 



" the complaint was not by Rivers but on behalf of several others, aged 

 gentlemen, that had been taken up in their way and sold* He would have 

 all petitions read as they came in. 



Captain Hatsell said 



"he was at Plymouth when those persons were shipped. He never saw any 

 go with more cheerfulness. There were two old men and a minister. The 

 last mentioned heard his (HatselFs) name, and told him he did not wish to go. 

 "Whereupon he ventured to release him and another also for the same reason, and 

 they went to their own homes. He gave bills of exchange at the rate°of £4 10s. 

 per man for their passage. The master of the ship told him Rivers pretended 

 madness ; and he was much troubled with him, and told him if he could make 

 friends when he came over to pay his passage cost, he might be released." 



Sir Henry Vane 



"It is not a business of the Cavaliers but of the liberty of freeborn England. 



To be used in this barbarous manner, put under hatches in darkness during 

 the voyage and then sold for £100 this was Thomas's case. 



All tyranny including that of the late king and those who would tread in his 

 steps (as Cavaliers) was loathsome. 



The object of the Major Generals, i.e., to keep down the Cavaliers, was good, 

 but of dangerous precedent. 



Do not that which is bonum but bone. (Lucr. II. 7.)" 



* This reminds us of the kidnapping of Mr. Harrison in August, 1660, and his exportation to the 

 neighbourhood of Smyrna; where he was sold as a slave. Fortunately he escaped after 2 years 

 and returned to England— but too late to prevent the judicial murder of the Perrys ; one of the 

 strangest and saddest stories in our criminal literature. 



