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ny Questions concerning my selfe; therefore I humbly entreat you to afford me the priviledges of the laws of England, and I will return a positive answer to it, if you will but please to allow me Counsell, that I may consult with them, for I am ignorant of the formalities of law in the practick part of it, although I here declare I own the good old laws of England, and a legall Jury of 12. men, yea, and a tryall by a jury of legall men: and I doe humbly crave (Sir) a copy of the Indictment, or so much of it as I may ground my plea upon it, and reasonable time to consult with my Councell, although it be but 8. or 9. days.
Lord Keble. You speak well, but you must doe well, ’tis that we come for⟨,⟩ the rationablenesse of it is this, that you should shortly answer (Sir) to that question, and in a rationall legall way: when you have answered it, you shal have liberty to make your defence, to maintain that you say; but this that we speak now of, is a thing in your own breast, in your own knowledge, whether you be guilty of this that is laid to your charge, or no: And if you be clear, you cannot wrong your selfe, nor your conscience; for in saying not guilty, you know better what you say then any other doth.
L. Col. Lilb. Sir, I am ignorant of the formalities of the Law, having no bookes in English wherein I can read them: and as for other tongues I understand none, and therefore for you to take awway my life for my ignorance, when the practick part of the Law, or the formalities thereof is lockt up in strange language, that it is impossible for mee to read or understand, is extream hard.
It is true, in those English plaine laws which I have read, I find something spoken of it; but must aver that i find there is a great deale of nicity and danger in locking a man up to single formalities, in answering guilty, or not guilty, and therefore I beseech to assign me Councel, to informe my ignorance, and give mee but leave to consult with my Councell, and I will returne you an answer according to your desire, without any demurre, as soone as it is possible for mee to know what gro⟨u⟩nds I goe upon.
Mr. Broughton. John Lilburn, what saist thou, art thou guiltie of the Treason laid unto thy charge, or art thou not guiltie.
L. Col. Lilb. But under favour thus, for you to come to ensnare and entrap me with unknown nicities and formalities, that are lockt up in the French and Latine tongue, and cannot be read in English bookes, they being not exprest in any law of the Kingdome, published in our owne English tongue: it is not faire play according to the law of England, plainly in English exprest in the Petition of Right, and other the good olde statute-Lawes of the Land: Therefore I again humbly desire
