(William), an English lawyer, much distinguished in the civil commotions under Char. I. was born at Swainwick in Somersetshire in 1600. His Histrio-magix, written against stage-plays in 1632, containing some reflections that offended the court, he was sentenced by the star-chamber to pay a fine of 500l., to stand in the pillory, to lose his ears, and to perpetual imprisonment. During his confinement, he wrote several more books; particularly, in 1637, one entitled News from Ipswich, which reflecting feverishly on the bishops, he was again sentenced by the star-chamber to another fine of 500l., to lose the remainder of his ears in the pillory, to be branded on both cheeks with S.L. for seditious libeller, and to be perpetually imprisoned in Caernarvon castle. Nothing but cutting off his hands could have prevented Prynne from writing; he wrote still; and in 1640, being set at liberty by the house of commons, he entered London in a kind of triumph, was elected into parliament for Newport in Cornwall, and opposed the bishops with great vigour, being the chief manager of archbishop Laud's trial. In the long parliament he was zealous in the Presbyterian cause; but when the independents gained the ascendency, he opposed them warmly, and promoted an agreement with the king. When the army garbled the house and refused him entrance, he became a bitter enemy to them and their leader Cromwel, and attacked them with his pen so severely that he was again imprisoned; but he pleaded the liberty of the subject so successfully, that he was enlarged, to write more controversial books. Being restored to his seat after Cromwel's death, with the other secluded members, he assisted in promoting the restoration, and was appointed keeper of the Tower records; a place excellently well calculated for him, and where he was very useful by the collections he published from them. He presented 40 volumes of his works, in folio and 4to, to Lincoln's-