Vindication of William Prynne

THE VINDICATION OF WILLIAM PRYNNE Esquire, From some scandalous Papers and Imputations, newly Printed and Published, to traduce and defame him in his REPUTATION.

WHere as A scandalous Paper have been newly printed and published in my Name by some of the imprisoned Stage-Players, or Agents of the Army, entitled Mr. William Prynne his Defense of Stage-Plays, Or, A Restraction of a former Book of his called HIS TRIOMASTIX, of purpose to traduce and defame me: I do hereby publicly declare to all the world, the same to be a mere Forgery and imposture, and that my judgment and opinion concerning Stage Plays and the Common Actors of them, and their intollerble mischeivousness in any Christian state, is still the same, as I have more amply manifested it to be in my HISTRIOMASTIX. And whereas another Pamphlet hath been printed and published, with this title. The examination of Mr. Will. Prynne by order of the House of Commons, with his Answer: wherein is related. That the two Members appointed to know Mr. Prynne's Answer, whether the scandalous Pamphlet to which his Name was set was his? and whether he would own it? repored this answer, That when a sufficient authority sent to Him, he would return a speedy answer; Which answer is to be considered of on Thursday-next: that there is a mistake in this Report: which I conceive myself bound to rectify, by relating the whole truth, which is as followeth. That on Friday last about five of the clock at night, Mr. Humphrey Edwards, and John Fry, came to my Chamber, to the Kings head in the Strand, & without showing me any order, or commission; told me: that they were sent to me by the house of Commons to ask me a question: which was, Whether a Book they then produced, and held in their hands, were mine, or not? not reading the Title, nor any part of it; but J conceived it was the Memento, To whom J returned this answer. That I knew of no authority they had to demand this question of me; that I neither knew nor took them to be Members, their elections being both void and illegal, and so proved at the Committees which examined them, who had voted them such, and therefore they ought not to sit, being voted out of the House. And that this was all the answer J should return them: Who should be always ready to give an answer to any question, concerning any book I had written in a legal way, when it should be demanded by a lawful authority. M. Fry answered, that though his Election was voted void by the Committee, that it was not reported to, nor voted void by the House, and therefore he might sit, TO which I replied, That no man after his election was unanimously voted void by the whole Committee, being so foul as his and Mr. Edmond's were, had the impudency to sit and vote in the house, til they made the president. Whereupon they departed somewhat disconted. This is the real truth of all that passed between me & them, Which I thought it my duty to publish to the world to avoid mistakes: & so much the rather, because the Gen▪ counsel of the Army in their Answer of Jan 3, touching the secured and secluded Members: p, 4, 5, complain of many abuses in the New Elections; and that the elections of many honest men have been long suspended under examination, and kept off from trial by practice of the secluded Members, when as in verity, the greatest abuses of this kind that ever were, have proceeded from the Officers and their parties; most of the elections of their adherents being very foul and void, & petitioned against, being kept off by their parry, from examination, and report: by reason whereof, the two forementioned Gentlemen, Mr. Blagrave, (whose Election is voted void long since) and divers others now sitting, have been kept in the house against all right and justice, when as there is not one secluded Member for ought J can learn whose election is not fair and legal. In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my Name;