"In August, 1661, a certain book was printed and published, entitled, "Mirabilis Annus," or the year of Prodigies. Then did a person of quality yet living, give me great encouragement for its publication as a book grateful to the authority, and of general caution to the nation, both to behold and consider the works of God, and also to tremble for fear of his judgments; but it so happened contrary to my expectation, that the very day it was published, one of his Majesty's messengers came to my shop, with a warrant both to seize the book and my person, and carried me before the then Secretary of State, where after examination, I was committed to the Gatehouse Prison by this warrant inserted."
"It is his Majesty's pleasure that you take into your custody the person of Francis Smith, Stationer, for having a hand in printing and compiling dangerous books, and that you keep him close prisoner till further order from his majesty, and for so doing this shall be your warrant. Dated at the court at Whitehall this 15th day of August, 1661.
"Edw. Nicholas."
"To the Keeper of the Gatehouse,
"Westminster, or his deputy.
"This word in my warrant 'close prisoner' proved a fatal word to me, as many still living can witness, for the keeper improved it to a tittle; there I was truly buried alive, it being a prison famous for oppression of poor prisoners, as many besides myself can notoriously witness.
"For as soon as I was brought thither, a stern gaoler locked me up, and said, I must not see, nor have the liberty of any relations to visit me, without special order from the Secretary first obtained. This looked like cold entertainment to one unacquainted with such a condition. But this, and much more I found as truly performed as promised, being locked up in a room, where I had neither chair nor stool to rest on, and yet ten shillings per week must be the price, and before I had been there three nights £7. 15. 0 was demanded for present fees. That is to say, five pounds to excuse me from wearing irons, ten shillings for my entrance week lodging, five shillings sheets, five shillings garnish money, the rest for turnkey fees; upon which I gave this answer, that I did not understand any just cause for imprisonment, much less to pay such fees, and for wearing of irons I would not pay five groats to be excused, if he could by law impose irons on me, I would wear them. Upon this many cruel endeavours were used, whereby to exact consent of these fees from me; and my afflicted wife not suffered to speak with me but in the presence of the keeper, after chargeable orders, for so much privilege first obtained, nay many times orders denied for my friends admittance; in the presence of the keeper, and my window casements must be nailed up that I should not have the benefit of that common air which is every slave's birthright. And when provision was sent for my necessary support, yet was that many times kept back and frequent fasts imposed upon me, and what was sent for my dinner at 12 o'clock, must be given me four or five hours after, which I usually breakfasted with, and should be sure to want beer or bread, so I was forced to devise a way by a bag and a string to be let down in the night at a window, to convey some necessary food to me. Things continued thus several weeks, in which time for receiving a note at the keyhole by an open prisoner, sent from my poor wife then sick and weary with grief, and successless travels at my release, I was taken out of this room, and locked up in a trap-door room about 20 days, where I could hardly be heard with hallooing, it being a place for such as were condemned to die; to be usually secured in. At this time above thirty pound was spent to attempt my release but all ineffectual.
"Then was application made to the judges of the King's Bench, Westminster, and I had three chargeable Habeas Corpus's before the cruel gaoler would obey to bring me to the bar, where upon my appearance, care was taken, that I carried in my hand the copy of my commitment, and presented it to the Lord Chief Justice Forster, who gave patient hearing to all my complaints, disdaining the usage I had met with, and told the keeper, if it should happen before my legal release I should die by such usage, the keeper should be indicted for his life.
"At this time, to my great amazement, a new copy of commitment was produced in court, the contents whereof here followeth:—
"The prison of the Gatehouse, Westminster.
"I, Edward Broughton, knight, keeper of the prison of our lord the King of the Gatehouse, Westminster in the County of Middlesex, to the lord the king humbly certifieth, that before the coming of the writ to me directed to this schedule annexed, to wit, the fifteenth day of August in the year of the reign of our said lord the king that now is, the 13th, Francis Smith in the said writ named was taken at Westminster in the County of Middlesex and there in the prison of our said lord the king of the Gatehouse aforesaid, under my custody detained by virtue of a certain warrant to me directed. The tenor whereof followeth in these words: