That book no sooner appeared, but within fourteen days complaint was
made to the committee of examinations, Miles Corbet then being Chairman,
my mortal enemy, he who after was hanged, drawn, and quartered, for
being one of the King's Judges; he grants his warrant, and a messenger
to the Serjeant at Arms seizeth my person. As I was going to Westminster
with the messenger, I met Sir Philip Stapleton, Sir Christopher Wray,
Mr. Denzil Hollis, Mr. Robert Reynolds, who, by great fortune, had the
_Starry Messenger_ sheet by sheet from me as it came from the press.
They presently fell a smiling at me; 'Miles Corbet, Lilly, will punish
thee soundly; but fear nothing, we will dine, and make haste to be at
the committee time enough to do the business;' and so they most
honourably performed; for they, as soon as they came, sat down, and put
Mr. Reynolds purposely into the chair, and I was called in; but Corbet
being not there, they bid me withdraw until he came; which when he did,
I was commanded to appear, and Corbet desired to give the cause of my
being in restraint, and of the committee's order. Mr. Reynolds was
purposely put into the chair, and continued till my business was over.

Corbet produced my _Anglicus_ of 1645, and said there were many
scandalous passages therein against the Commissioners of Excise in
London. He produced one passage, which being openly read by himself, the
whole committee adjudged it to signify the errors of sub-officers, but
had no relation to the Commissioners themselves, which I affirmatively
maintained to be the true meaning as the committee declared.

Then Corbet found out another dangerous place, as he thought, and the
words were thus in the printed book--'In the name of the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost, will not the Excise pay the soldiers?'

Corbet very ignorantly read, 'will not the Eclipse pay soldiers?' at