arliament's Ambassador
or Agent in Holland, when he saw how they inclined, spoke thus:

'I came purposely into the Committee this day to see the man who is so
famous in those parts where I have so long continued: I assure you his
name is famous all over Europe: I come to do him justice. A book is
produced by us, and said to be his; he denies it; we have not proved it,
yet will commit him. Truly this is great injustice. It is likely he will
write next year, and acquaint the whole world with our injustice; and so
well he may. It is my opinion, first to prove the book to be his, ere he
be committed.'

Another old friend of mine, Mr. R. spoke thus:

'You do not know the many services this man hath done for the Parliament
these many years, or how many times, in our greatest distresses, we
applying unto him, he hath refreshed our languishing expectations; he
never failed us of comfort in our most unhappy distresses. I assure you
his writings have kept up the spirits both of the soldiery, the honest
people of this nation, and many of us Parliament men; and now at last,
for a slip of his pen (if it were his) to be thus violent against him: I
must tell you, I fear the consequence urged out of the book will prove
effectually true. It is my counsel, to admonish him hereafter to be more
wary, and for the present to dismiss him.'

Notwithstanding any thing that was spoken on my behalf, I was ordered to
stand committed to the Serjeant at Arms. The messenger attached my
person, said I was his prisoner. As he was carrying me away, he was
called to bring me again. Oliver Cromwell, Lieutenant-General of the
army, having never seen me, caused me to be produced again, where he
stedfastly beheld me for a good space, and then I went with the
messenger; but instantly a young clerk of that Committee asks the
messenger what he did with me, where's the warrant? until that is signed
you cannot seize Mr. Lilly, or shall. Will you have an action of false
imprisonment against you? So I escaped that night, but next day obeyed
the warrant. That night Oliver Cromwell went to Mr. R. my friend, and
said, 'What never a man to take Lilly's cause in hand but yourself? None
to take his part but you? He shall not be long there.' Hugh Peters spoke
much in my behalf to the Committee; but they were resolved to lodge me
in the Serjeant's custody. One Millington, a drunken member, was much my
enemy; and so was Cawley and Chichester, a deformed fellow, unto whom