"My counsel pleaded they knew nothing of that copy till now, and gave evidence that the copy I produced was taken from the clerk of the prison for which he had five shillings, upon which I was remanded back again to prison till the next term following; and here it may be remembered as an addition to the habit of cruelty attending that prison; (the gaoler notwithstanding what the Lord Chief Justice Forster had said to him) forced me to go down into the dungeon for above 20 days because I could not raise him £7 towards chamber rent at that instant. Then upon renewed complaints and counsel charge, obtained order to be taken out of the dungeon, and put upstairs into a chamber where I was again turned out within a week, at eight o'clock at night, while my poor wife and two of my children were eating, and they at that time of the night in the depth of winter, forced to seek their lodging amongst strangers in Tothill Street, Westminster, and myself constrained to lie upon the bare boards in an open entry, where I continued the rest of my time till bailed out, being several weeks, sometimes lying on the ground; the rest in a hammock.
"In this time I was sent for to Whitehall, and in the presence of a gentleman of quality yet living and several others, was offered £100 and present discharge, but to declare my knowledge (upon an imprecation) of the authors or printers of the aforesaid book. Yet rather than occasion hurt to any, gave myself up to their utmost displeasure; and had recourse to many chargeable Habeas Corpus's before I could obtain bail. By this imprisonment, I lost my shop and trade for two years, to above £300 charge and damage, towards which I can truly say to this day, I never had directly or indirectly to the value of £20 reparation from any person or persons whatsoever; though it hath been often suggested both by persons in authority and others, that competitors bore me out, which occasioned my bonds to be aggravated."[176]
On June 29th, 1661, Thomas Creake, of Little Britain, was examined before the Secretary of State, when he stated that he had in printing 2000 copies of this book; he had struck off the first sheet, and delivered 1000 copies to one George Thresher for binding.[177]