(William), an English lawyer, much distinguished Pryne was distinguished in the civil commotions under Charles I. He was born at Swainswick in Somersetshire in 1600. His *Hystrionics*, 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 £5000 l. 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 severely on the bishops, he was again sentenced by the star-chamber to another fine of £5000 l. 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 Pryne 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 Cromwell, and attacked them with his pen so severely, that he was again imprisoned; but he pleaded the liberty of the subject so luculently, that he was enlarged, to write more controversial books. Being restored to his seat after Cromwell'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-inn library, of which society he was a member; and, dying in 1669, was buried under the chapel.