Quaker Women

E.H. Prisoner in Lincolne Castle, pleads to him in Authority to reforme the abuses of ye Goal

"O thout that artt sett in Authoryty to doe Justice and Judgemente and to lett the oppressed goe free, thease things are required att thy hands, looke upon the pore prissonors, heare is that hath not any allowance all though thear be a greatte sume of mony comes out of the country cufficientt to hellpe them all that is in want, booth theare des alowance and to sett them aworke which would labor, And those that are wnett hetherfor debts that theare rates for beds, which is ten grots the weeke may be taken downe [paper torn] at to reasonable raites, And theare beare which is sould at such a unreasonable [paper torn] thear meseuers being so extreame littell that itt may be amendid [paper torn] and equity, for many pore detters is sett in heare for a small dett and [paper torn] a gret deale of the score fare more then thear dette. And it is a place of greate dissorder and of wickednes, so that for oppression and prophaines J neuer came in such a place, because a milignant woman keeps the gole.

Opprission in meat and in drinke and in feese, and in that which they call garnishes, and in many other thinges, And J myselfe am much abused, booth hir and hir prissonars, and hir houshould, so that J cannott walke quiately abroade but be abused with thos that belonge unto hir. When a drunken preist comes to reade command praire, or to preach aftar his owne in vention or Jmmaginations, then thay locke me up, and all the rest are comanded to come forth to heare, and so is keptt in blindnes.

And so in drinking and pofaines and wantonnes, men and women to gether many ties partte of the night, which grefes the spiritt of god in me night and day. This is required of the o man, to reforme this place, as thy power and Authority doth alow, ether remove strong drinke out of this place or remove the Golar, seckondly that theare rates for theare beds may be taken dowen. That theare garnishes and theare greate fese may be taken of, and thease oppresed prissonors may come to some hearing, such as is wrongfuly prissoned, And that theare may be some beter order amongst the men and woman which is prissonars to keepe them assunder and sett them a worke, and sett them att libbirty tht is not able to pay the feese, and to take out the dissordred person, which kipeth all in dissorder, in carding and dicinge, and man other vaine sportes, and so J leave itt to thy Conscence to redres the dissorders in this rewde place, and so have J discarged my Concsence [paper torn] much upon me, that thou mightest know itt and itt redres.