of information in the Kings Eschequer, or by action or bill of Debt, after the order of the Common Law, as in other actions of debt is used: In which action the Defendant mail not be admitted to wage his Law, nor protection, nor essoin to be to him allowed in the same suit for the said forfeiture.
CAP. VIII.
An Act concerning Richard Strode.
'Lamentably complaineth and sheweth unto your most discreete wisdomes in this present Parliament assembled, Richard Strode Gentleman of the countie of Devonshire, one of the burgesses of this honorable house for the Burgh of Plimton in the Countie aforesaid, that where the said Richard, consdescended and agreed with other of this house, to put foorth certaine Bils in this present Parliament against certaine persons, named Tinners in the Countie aforesaid, for the reformation of the perilling, hurting, and. destroying of divers Ports, Hauens, and Creeks, and other bils for the common weale of the said Countie, the which herein this high Court of Parliament mould and ought to be communed and treated of.
'And for because the said Richard is a Tinner, for the causes & matters afore rehearsed, one John Furse Tinner, Under-steward of the Steimerie in the said countie, in & at foure Courts, of the said Steimerie at divers places and times before him severally holden in the said Countie, he and other have condemned the said Richard in the sum of one hundred and threescore poundes: that is to wit, at every Court day forty poundes, and by the procurement of the said John Furse, at the said foure several Courts and Lawdaies, in the said Steimerie, by him holden, in this maner publiihed and said, that the same Richard at the last Parliament holden at Westminster, would have avoided and utterly destroyed all liberties, privileges, and franchises concerning the Steimerie: by reason whereof the said Richard, upon foure bils had and made thereof by the said John Furse and other, caused that the said Richard was presented and founden guiltie of the premisses in every of the said Courts in fortie pounds to be lost and forfeit by him, by reason of an Act and Ordinance by Tinners made and had at a place in the said countie called Crokerentor: the tenor of the which Acte appeareth in a Scedule to his Bill annexed: to the which the said Richard was never warned nor called to make answere to the premisses, contrary to all lawes, right, reason, and good conseience. And for the execution of the same, one John Agwilliam upon a surmise by him made to the Kings highnesse to the said condemnation to be to his grace forfeit, thereof atteined a Bill assigned of twentie pounds parcell of the said hundred and threescore poundes, to be to him granted by the said Kings highnesse: whereupon the said John Agwilliam and other caused the saide Richard to be taken and imprssoned in a dungeon and a deepe pit under the ground in the Castle of Lidford in the said Countie, and there and elsewhere remained by the space of three weekes and more, unto such time he was delivered by a Writ of Pibiviledge out of the Kings Exchequer at Westminfter, for that hee was one of the Collectours in the said Countie for the first of the two Quindeims granted at and in this present Parliament: the which prison is one of the most hanious, contagious, and detestable places within this Realme; so that by reason of the same imprisonment he was put in great perill and jeoperdie of his life, and the said Richard so being in prison, nd the said John Agwilliam feeing the same cruell imprisonment of the said Richard, intreated and instantly desired one Philip Furse (then being keeper of the said prison) strcitly to keepe the said Richard in prison, and to put irons upon him to his more greater paine and jeopardie, and to give him but bread and water onley, to the intent to cause the said Richard to be-faine to content and pay him the said twentie poundes. And for the same promised the said keeper foure Markes of Money: for the which foure markes the said Richard for to be eased of his irons and paineful imprisonment aforesaid (for sauegard of his life) promised and granted to pay the said keeper foure Markes: whereof hee paid the said keeper in hand thirteene shillings foure pence. And over that the said Richard for to bee eased of his said painefull imprsonment, was also of necessuie driven to be bouotien to Thomas Denis, deputie unto sir Henry Marnie Knight, Warden of the said Stemerie, in an obligation of the sum of and C. li. upon condition whereof part is as hereafter followeth: that is to sey, that if the above bounde Richard Strode, defend and saue harmelesse the said Thomas Denis, and to use himselfe as true prisoner during the time it shall please the King to have him prisoner in the Castle of Lidford, and also to do nothing, whereby he shall in the Law be deemed out of prison, and other articles comprised in the said condition, the which the said Richard perfectly remembereth not:" Wherefore the premisses by your great wisedomes tenderly considered, the said Richard humbly prayeth, that it may bee ordeined, establiflied and enaried, by the King our Soveraigne Lord, and by the Lords Spirituall and temporall, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authoritie of, the same, that the said condemnation and condemnations of the said Hundred and threefcore pounds, and every parcell thereof, and judgements and executions had or to be had for the premisses, or any of them, to bee utterly voyde against the said Richard and of none effect.
Fines for Pailiament matters voidII. And ouer that it bee enacted by the said authoritie, that all suites, accusements, condemnations, execations, fines, amerciaments, punishments, corrections, grants, charges, & impositions, put or hereafter to be put or had unto or upon the said Richard, to every other of the person or persons, afore specified, that now be of this present Parliament, or that of any Parliament thereafter shall bee, for any bill, speaking, reasoning, of declaring of any matter or matters, concerning the Parliament to be communed and treated of, be utterly void and of none effect.
III. And ouer that it be enacted by the said authorite, that if the said Richard Strode, or any of all the said other person or persons, hereafter be vexed, troubled, or otherwise charged for any causes, as is