“That whereas your Petitioner and his late father did heretofore lend to serve his then late Majesty’s urgent necessities the sum of two hundred thousand pounds and upwards, (ninety-five thousand pounds whereof appears under his late Majesty’s hand and seal, and the rest the Petitioner, if permitted, will make appear), besides other great sums the Petitioner employed in other his Majesty’s service, by which means your Petitioner’s estate was encumbered, and continued encumbered with vast debts, insomuch that to the Petitioner and his family there is left but a small pittance for a mean livelihood; the Petitioner’s estate being charged with the debts so contracted for his late Majesty’s service, and your Majesty’s, as aforesaid.
“That the Petitioner by bond from himself and others (his sureties) in 1643, amongst other engagements, became bound in six thousand pounds to Henry Hall, Esq.; which bond was sued in his Majesty’s Exchequer by John Hall, Esq. administrator of the said Henry (not only against your Petitioner, but also against his sureties, the Lady Lingen, and Charles Price, Esq. whom the Petitioner is bound to save harmless, great sufferers for their loyalty in his Majesty’s service), who thereupon hath obtained judgment against your Petitioner for six thousand pounds, and as particular receiver of some part of your Majesty’s revenue hath assigned the same as debtor unto your Majesty, whereupon an extent is in the sheriff’s hands (by the said Mr. Hall’s prosecution) to extend your Petitioner’s estate for the use of your Majesty, whose prerogative intervening, that extent (as your Petitioner is advised by counsel) will take place (although subsequent in time of all former encumbrances), by which means not only the Petitioner’s other creditors will be defeated of their respective debts, but the small remainder of your Petitioner’s (once considerable) now shattered estate will by your Majesty (to pay a debt to your Majesty) be swallowed up, and your Petitioner and his other creditors wholly deprived thereof.
“The Petitioner therefore most humbly prays, that in regard your Majesty’s name is made use of against your Petitioner, and since that this debt (being subsequent in time to other encumbrances) could not affect your Petitioner’s estate, but by your Majesty’s prerogative, your Majesty will be graciously pleased to supersede the said Mr. Hull’s prosecution, and order him some other satisfaction; the Petitioner being absolutely disabled by those vast sums in his late Majesty’s service expended as aforesaid.
“And your Petitioner shall ever pray.”
“At the Court of Oxford, Nov. 24th, 1665.
“His Majesty is graciously pleased to refer the consideration of this petition to Mr. Attorney, or Mr. Solicitor-General, to consider how far his Majesty may fitly gratify the honourable Petitioner, of whose condition he hath a just sense, but sees not what he can do in this particular for his satisfaction, till he receive Mr. Attorney’s or Mr. Solicitor’s opinion upon it.
“Arlington.”
Agreeable to the preceding reference the following report was made:—
“May it please your Majesty,
“The Petitioner hath been pleased to show me the sign-manual of your royal father, acknowledging £95,000 to be due to him, for so much advanced by his father and himself in his late Majesty’s service.