ERS THAN
HIS," as Justice Barrington's daughter said, who saw their cruelty to
him. And many who came to see him were moved with pity to the
creature, for his sufferings were great.'

'And although some did offer of their bond of forty pounds [to pay the
fine and so set him at liberty] and one to lie body for body, that he
might come to their house till he was a little recovered, yet they
would not permit it, and it being desired that he might but walk in
the yard, it was answered he should not walk so much as to the castle
door. And the door being once opened, he did but take the freedom to
walk forth in a close, stinking yard before the door, and the gaoler
came in a rage and locked up the hole where he lay, and shut him out
in the yard all night in the coldest time of the winter. So, finding
that nothing but his blood would satisfy them, great application was
made to them in a superior authority but to no purpose. Thus he having
endured about ten months' imprisonment, and having passed through many
trials and exercises, which the Lord enabled him to bear with courage
and faithfulness, he laid down his head in peace and died a prisoner
and faithful Martyr for the sake of the Truth, under the hands of a
persecuting generation in the year 1656.'[30]

It was his former host, Thomas Shortland the weaver, who had offered
to lie 'body for body' in prison, if only James might be allowed to
return to his house and be nursed back to health again there. After
the boy's death this kind man wrote as follows:

'Dear Friend--In answer to thine, is this, James Parnell being dead,
the Coroner sent an officer for me, and one Anne Langley, a friend,
who both of us watched with him that night that he departed. And
coming to him [the Coroner] he said, "that it was usual when any died
in prison, to have a jury got on them," and James being dead, and he
hearing we two watched with him, he sent for us to hear what we could
say concerning his death, whether he died on his fair death [_i.e._ a
natural death] or whether he were guilty of his own death.... He asked
whether he had his senses and how he behaved himself late-ward toward
his departure. I answered that he had his senses and that he spake
sensibly, and to as good understanding as he used to do. He then
enquired what words he spoke. To which Anne Langley answered that she
heard him say, "HERE I DIE INNOCENTLY," and she said that she had been
at the departing of many, but never was