Mr. Strickland, who had for many years been the Parliament’s Ambassador or Agent in Holland, when he saw how they inclined, spoke thus: 

’I came purposely into the Committee this day to see the man who is so famous in those parts where I have so long continued:  I assure you his name is famous all over Europe:  I come to do him justice.  A book is produced by us, and said to be his; he denies it; we have not proved it, yet will commit him.  Truly this is great injustice.  It is likely he will write next year, and acquaint the whole world with our injustice; and so well he may.  It is my opinion, first to prove the book to be his, ere he be committed.’

Another old friend of mine, Mr. R. spoke thus: 

’You do not know the many services this man hath done for the Parliament these many years, or how many times, in our greatest distresses, we applying unto him, he hath refreshed our languishing expectations; he never failed us of comfort in our most unhappy distresses.  I assure you his writings have kept up the spirits both of the soldiery, the honest people of this nation, and many of us Parliament men; and now at last, for a slip of his pen (if it were his) to be thus violent against him:  I must tell you, I fear the consequence urged out of the book will prove effectually true.  It is my counsel, to admonish him hereafter to be more wary, and for the present to dismiss him.’

Notwithstanding any thing that was spoken on my behalf, I was ordered to stand committed to the Serjeant at Arms.  The messenger attached my person, said I was his prisoner.  As he was carrying me away, he was called to bring me again.  Oliver Cromwell, Lieutenant-General of the army, having never seen me, caused me to be produced again, where he stedfastly beheld me for a good space, and then I went with the messenger; but instantly a young clerk of that Committee asks the messenger what he did with me, where’s the warrant? until that is signed you cannot seize Mr. Lilly, or shall.  Will you have an action of false imprisonment against you?  So I escaped that night, but next day obeyed the warrant.  That night Oliver Cromwell went to Mr. R. my friend, and said, ’What never a man to take Lilly’s cause in hand but yourself?  None to take his part but you?  He shall not be long there.’  Hugh Peters spoke much in my behalf to the Committee; but they were resolved to lodge me in the Serjeant’s custody.  One Millington, a drunken member, was much my enemy; and so was Cawley and Chichester, a deformed fellow, unto whom I had done several courtesies.

First thirteen days I was a prisoner; and though every day of the Committee’s sitting I had a petition to deliver, yet so many churlish Presbyterians still appeared, I could not get it accepted.  The last day of the thirteen, Mr. Joseph Ash was made Chairman, unto whom my cause being related, he took my petition, and said I should be bailed in despite of them all, but desired I would procure as many friends as I could