ruin and destruction by these means; dost thou call this religion? It is a prodigious piece of religion! Come, pray tell me what business it was you talked of? You should not have asked me a question so often, but I would have given you a plain answer, though I were not under the obligation of an oath, as you are. Dunne. My lord, pray ask the question over again once more and I will tell you. L. Č. J. I will so, and I will ask it you with all the calmness, and seriousness, and candour, that I can; if I know my own heart, it is not in my nature to desire the hurt of any body, much less to delight in their eternal perdition; no, it is out of tender compassion to you that I use all these words: I would have the to have some regard to thy precious and immortal soul, which is more valuable than the whole world; reflect upon that scripture again which I mentioned before, which must be true because it is the words of him that is truth itself: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? If that soul of thine be taken away what is the body fit for, but, like a putrid carcase, to be thrust into and covered with the dust with which it was ade: therefore I ask you, with a great desire that thou may'st free thyself from so great a load of falshood and perjury, tell me what the business was you told the prisoner, the other man Barter did not know? Dunne. My lord, I told her, he knew nothing of our coming there. L. C. J. Nay, nay, that can never be it, for he came along with thee. Dunne. He did not know any thing of my coming there till I met him on the way. L. C. J. Prithee mind my question; sure enough thou hadst told him whither thou wert going, or else he could not have been thy guide; so that he must needs know of thy coming there: but what was the business that thou told'st her, he did not know? Dunne. She asked me whether I did not know that Hicks was a nonconformist? L. C.J. Did my lady Lisle ask you that question? Dunne. Yes, my lord; I told her I did not. L. C. J. But that is not my question: what was that business that he did not know? Dunne. It was the same thing: whether Mr. Hicks was a nonconformist. L. C. J. That cannot be all; there must be something more in it. Dunne. My lord, I tell you the truth. L. C. J. Did she ask thee whether that man knew any thing of a question she had asked thee, and that was only of being a nonconformist? Dunne. Yes, my lord, that was all. L. C. J. That is all nonsense; dost thou imagine that any man hereabouts is so weak as to believe thee. Dunne. My lord, I am so baulked, I do not know what I say myself; tell me what you would have me to say, for I am cluttered out of my senses. L. C. J. Why prithee, man, there is nobody baulks thee but thy own self; thou art asked questions that are as plain as any thing in the world can be: it is only thy own depraved naughty heart that baulks both thy honesty and understanding, if thou hast any; it is thy studying how to prevaricate, that puzzles and confounds thy intellect: but I see all the pains in the world, and all compassion and charity is lost upon thee, and therefore I will say no more to thee. Mr. Polleafen. My lord, because he pretends to ignorance what Hicks was, I desire to ask Barter one question: pray, what did he tell you concerning his carriage towards these people? Barter. My lord, he told me that he had concealed them in his house ten days before. Dunne. That I never did in my life. Barter. I know not whether you did or no, but you told me so; and I made answer to him again, my lord, I wonder how he were able to keep them without being discovered, there being such search; and he answered, he did keep them in a chamber all day, and then they walked out at night; for the searches of the houses were usually at night. Dunne. My lord, I can bring testimony to the contrary. L. C. J. But really I believe it will be no strange thing for me to say, I do believe him rather than thee; I would I had half as much reason to believe thee as I have to believe him : I would fain have thee speak truth, if I could. What say you to the question I asked you. Dunne. I cannot tell what to say, my lord. Dunne. I do, as I hope for mercy, my lord. L. C. J. Dost thou hope for mercy? Thou hast very little reason for it I assure thee. Well, I will try thee with another question: didst thou tell that man, that it was the best Dunne. Yes, my lord, it is all; I knów no-job thou ever hadst in thy life? thing more. L. C. J. What did she say to you when you told her, he did not know it? Dunne. She did not say any thing, my lord. L. C. J. Why, dost thou think, that after all this pains that I have been at to get an answer to my question, that thou can'st banter me with such sham stuff as this? Hold the candle to his face, that we may see his brazen face. Dunne. No, my lord, I did not. L. C. J. Nor nothing to that purpose? L. C. J. What say you, Barter, did not he tell you so? Barter. Yes my lord, he did; and that he should never lack money again as long as he lived. L. C. J. Then I ask you one question more, Barter; did you tell this to col. Penrud dock? Barter. Yes, I did, my lord. L. C.J. Then that will fortify his testimony; therefore swear him, because I would make these concealed wretches (for in my conscience I know there are some such in the bottom of this business) know, that the truth will out one way or other. And as for this fellow, I expect it from all you gentlemen of the king's counsel, and others that are concerned, that you take notice and remember what has passed here, and that an information of perjury be preferred against this fellow. [Then Col. Penruddock was sworn.] L. C. J. Col. Penruddock, upon the oath you have taken, did that man, Barter, come to you; and what did he say to you? come to no further trouble. She denied it, and said, I know nothing of them: But we went on, and searched, and at last discovered the other man, Nelthorp, hid in a hole by the chimney. L. C. J. Dunne, how came you to hide yourself in the malt-house? Dunne. When I heard the stir and bustle, I went through the chamber where I lay, and came into that room where I was taken. L. C. J. When thou heard'st a stir and a bustle, why wert thou afraid of any thing? Dunne. My lord, I was frighted at the noise. L. C. J. Prithee, what need'st thou be afraid, for thou didst not know Hicks, nor Nelthorp; and my lady only asked thee, whether Hicks were a nonconformist parson: Thou art a very innocent soul, and surely needest no occasion to be afraid. I doubt there was something of that business in the case that we were talking of before, if we could hut get out of thee what it was. Dunne, My lord, I heard a great noise in the house, and I did not know what it meant; and so I went and hid myself. L. C. J. Alack-a-day! That is very strange, that thou should'st hide thyself for a little noise, when thou knewest nothing of the business, nor wert acquainted with any thing of the matter at all. But col. Penruddock, I would ask you one question more: Did that honest man tell you, that Dunne had told him, that it was the best job that ever he had in his life, and that he should want no money? Col. Penruddock. My lord, that man, Barter, came to my house in the morning, upon Monday, and told me, he had been with one Dunne, upon a journey to Mrs. Lisle's house, to get entertainment for some people; and that they had appointed to meet him the Tuesday following, between nine and eleven, upon Salisbury-Plain, and there if I pleased, I might take them. I ordered him to go according to the appointment, and withal, I sent a servant of my own to watch when they came by; but it happened, I suppose, by their taking another way, that he missed of them: but Barter left word, that in case he did not find them there, we must conclude, that he was gone with them to my lady Lisle's house; and he told me withal, says he, I believe they are rebels, because he that desired me to be their guide, Col. Penruddock. I cannot tell that truly, said the same to me. So early the next morn-my lord; I do not remember that: but he said, ing I took some soldiers with me, and beset he apprehended them to be rebels, and that my lady Lisle's house; it was a pretty while Dunne told him as much. before I could get any body in the house to hear at length that man that they say was the bailiff, Carpenter, came out; and I said to him, Friend, you had best be free and ingenuous, and discover who are in your lady's house, for I am sure there were some strangers came hither last night; let me know who they are, and shew me what part of the house they are in. He did confess to me there were strangers in the house, and pointed to such part of the house; but pray, says he, do not tell my mistress of it. Accordingly we went in, and immediately we took Mr. Hicks.and this same Dunne in the malt-house. L. C. J. Was Dunne taken in the malthouse? Col. Penruddock. Yes, be had covered himself with some sort of stuff there. L. C. J. Well, what did you do then? Col. Penruddock. My lady afterwards coming to us, I told her, madam, you have done very ill in harbouring rebels, and giving entertainment to the king's enemies. Saith she, I know nothing of them; I am a stranger to it. Pray, said I, madam, be so free and ingenuous with me, and so kind to yourself, as if there be any other person that is concealed in any part of your house, (for I am sure there is some body else) as to deliver him up, and you shall L. C. J. What do you say to that, Dunne? It seems you told Barter, that you apprehended them to be rebels? Dunne. I apprehend them for rebels, my lord? L. C. J. No, no, you did not apprehend them for rebells, but you hid them for rebels. But did you say to Barter, that you took them to be rebels? Dunne. I take them to be rebels! L. C. J. You blockhead, I ask you, did you tell him so ?-Dunne. I tell Barter so! L. C. J. Ay, is not that a plain question? Dunne. I am quite cluttered out of my senses; I do not know what I say. [A candle being still held nearer his nose.] L. C. J. But to tell the truth, would rob thee of none of thy senses, if ever thou hadst any; but it should seem that neither thou, nor thy mistress the prisoner had any, for she knew nothing of it neither, though she had sent for them thither. Mr. Polleafen. Pray, col. Penruddock, did you tell her you came to search for rebels? Col. Penruddock. Yes, Sir, I told her as soon as I saw her; but we had a good while beset the house before any body answered us; at length, there were some ladies, or gentlewomen, I imagined them to be her daughters, that upon our noise looked out at the window; L. C. J. What said she to you? Col. Penruddock. She said, she knew nothing of their being in the house; but I told her there was some body else besides, and she would do well to deliver him without trouble: but she denying of it, we searched further, and found Nelthorp, as I told you. L. C. J. But she denied it first, it seems? Lisle. My lord, I hope I shall not be condemned without being heard. L. C. J. No, God forbid, Mrs. Lisle; that was a sort of practice in your husband's time; you know very well what I mean: But God be thanked, it is not so now; the king's courts of law never condemn without hearing. Col. Penruddock, have you any more to say? Col. Penruddock. No, my lord; but here is one Mr. Dowding, that was with me when I searched the house. Trial of the Lady Alice Lisle, L. C. J. Swear him. Mr. Pollerfen. Mr. Dowding, pray [Which was done.] go with col. Penruddock to Mrs. Lisle's house? did you Mr. Dowding. Yes, my lord: We came to the house, and beset the house round, some to the back gate, and some to the fore gate; we called almost half an hour before we got in; and had found two, and we came to my lady; she said, she knew nothing of any body being in the house Lisle. My lord, this fellow that now speaks against me, broke open my trunk, and stole away a great part of my best linen; and sure, my lord, those persons that rob me, are not fit to be evidences against me, because it behoves them that I be convicted, to prevent their being indicted for felony. L. C. J. Look you, friend, you say you went with col. Penruddock to search the house, did you find any body there? [352 question? Do you know the time when they L. C. J. Well then, what say you to the came? Mrs. Carpenter. Yes, my lord, they came at night. L. C. J. Did you see them there? L. C. J. Were they lodged there? L. C. J. Who did? Mrs. Carpenter. My lord, I cannot tell. L. C. J. By whose order did you dress it? L. C. J. Prithee where did they eat their meat? Mrs. Carpenter. In the chamber, my lord, where they lay. L. C. J. Who was with them? Mrs. Carpenter. My lord, I cannot tell, for I did not stay in the room. L. C. J. Didst thou see them when they came into the room? Mrs. Carpenter. My lord, I dressed the meat, and carried it within the door, and my husband set it upon the table. them? Was thy lady there? Mrs. Carpenter. My lady was in presence there then. before they went up? Mrs. Carpenter. Truly, my lord, I cannot tell. stairs or above? Mrs. Carpenter. She used to sup below, my lord. please, this woman and her busband are both Mr. Pollerfen. My lord, if your lordship unwilling witnesses; but we will examine the husband, and see what we can get out of him. Hark you, Carpenter, did you meet with this fellow, Dunne, at his first coming to your Dowding. Yes, my lord, I found this same L. C. J. Did you find Hicks there? Dowding. Yes, my lord, we did find one that said his name was Hicks. L. C. J. Is that the same Hicks that is in Salisbury gaol? Dowding. Yes, my lord, it is; I saw him yesterday at the George in Salisbury, when he had that discourse with those other gentlemen. Mr. Pollerfen. Swear Carpenter and his wife. [Which was done.] Dowding. My lord, Hicks acknowledged before me, that he was at Keinsham, in the duke of Monmouth's army. Mr. Pollerfen. Come, Mrs. Carpenter, tell my lord and the jury, did you know the time when these men came to your lady's house? L. C. J. Is this the bailiff's wife? Mr. Pollerfen. Yes, my lord, it is. Mr. Carpenter. Yes, my lord, I did see him there on the Saturday. L. C. J. Well then, let me ask you a question; and be sure you tell me the truth, for it may be I know it already; did he offer you a letter to be delivered to your lady? Mr. Carpenter. No, my lord. L. C. J. What do you say, Barter? my lady would give entertainment to one L. C. J. Did he speak of another person? L. C. J. Who was that other person? L. C. J. Did not you see them all night? L. C. J. Then where did you see them first? Mr. Carpenter. In the room where they supped and lay. L. C. J. Did not you meet them in the court-yard. Mr. Carpenter. No, my lord. L. Č. J. Who gave you directions to light Dunne into the stable? Mr. Carpenter. They told me his horse was out in the yard. L. C. J. Who told you so? Mr. Carpenter. In the room above stairs. I C. J. Was not my lady there? Mr. Carpenter. She was in the room, but I did not see her eat any thing. L. C. J. What time of the night did they come? Mr. Carpenter. About ten of the clock. Mr. Carpenter. In the room where they supped. L. C. J. Who lay there? Mr. Carpenter. Hicks and Nelthorp lay there. L. C. J. Was Nelthorp named there? Mr. Rumsey. Now, my lord, Dunne says he will tell all, whether it make for him or against him. L. C. J. Let him but tell the truth, and I am satisfied. Dunne. Sure, my lord, I never entertained these men a night in my house in my life; but this Hicks sent that man to me, to go to my lady Lisle's, to know whether she would please to entertain him; And when I came, my lady asked me, whether he had been in the army or no? I told her, I could not tell, I did not know that he was. She then asked me, if he had no body else with him? I told her, I believed there was: This is the very truth of it, my lord. I asked her, might the men be entertained? She said they might. So when we came to my lady Lisle's on the Tuesday night, somebody took the two horses, I cannot tell who, if I were to die; the two went in; and after I had set up my horse, I went in along with Carpenter up into the chamber to my lady, and to this Hicks and Nelthorp; and when I came there, I heard my lady bid them welcome to her house; and Mr. Carpenter, or the maid, I cannot tell which, brought in the supper, and set it on the table. L. C. J. And didst thou eat or drink with them in the room, or not? Dunne. My lord, I will tell every thing that I know; I confess I did both eat and drink there in the room. L. C.J. I pity thee with all my soul, and pray to God Almighty for thee to forgive thee, and to the blessed Jesus to mediate for thee; Mr. Carpenter. No, I never heard of his and I pray for thee with as much earnestness, name till after he was taken. L. C. J. What kind of man was he? Mr. Carpenter. A tall, thin, black man. L. C. J. Well, what can you say more? Mr. Carpenter. My lord, this person has swore, that a letter was offered me, but I refused it but I assure your lordship I never saw any letter. Barter. I am sure he met you, and, as I remember, there was a letter produced. L. C. J. Thou shouldest not be angry with him, for he spoke very kindly of thee, that thou refused'st to meddle in it, and thereupon Dunne went in to thy lady and delivered his message to her. Mr. Carpenter. That, my lord, I acknowledge. L. C. J. Then, prithee let me ask thee another question: Did you carry any beer up into the room? Mr. Carpenter. My lady gave order for the provision, VOL. XI. as I would for my own soul; and I beg of thee once more, as thou regardest thy own eternal welfare, to tell all the truth. Dunne. My lord, I did never know these men were in the army when I carried the message to my lady Lisle's, nor never did entertain them in my house in my life-time, so much as one night. L. C. J. Prithee, I do not ask thee what thou didst not, but what thou didst? Dunne. My lord, I will tell all I know. L. C. J. What discourse had you that night at the table in the room? Dunne. I cannot tell what discourse truly, my lord, there was. L. C. J. Was there nothing of coming from beyond seas, who came from thence, and how they came? Come, I would have it rather the effect of thy own ingenuity, than lead thee, by any questions that I can propound; come, tell us what was the discourse? Dunne. I do not remember all the discourse. 2 A L. C. J. Pritheelet me ask thee one question, and answer me it fairly; Didst thou hear Nelthorp's name named in the room? Dunne. My lord, I cannot tell whether he were called Nelthorp, but it was either Crofts or Nelthorp, I am sure one of them. L. C. J. Prithee be ingenuous, and let us have the truth on it. Dunne. My lord, I am ingenuous, and will be so. L. C. J. I will assure you, Nelthorp told me all the story before I came out of town. Dunne. I think, my lord, he was called Nelthorp in the room, and there was some discourse about him. L. C. J. Ay, there was unquestionably, and I know thou wert by, and that made me the more concerned to press upon thee the danger of forswearing thyself. Dunne. My lady asked Hicks who that gentleman was, and he said it was Nelthorp, as I remember. L. C. J. Very well, and upon that discourse with Nelthorp, which I had in town, did I give particular direction, that the outlawry of Nelthorp should be brought down hither, for he told me particularly of all the passages and discourses of his being beyond sea, and coming from beyond sea*: I would not mention any In the Western Martyrology is given the following account of Mr. Rd. Nelthorp: "His name is often enough met with in West's and Rumsey's plot, and good reason too, he being not near to answer for himself. As to what he was accused, out-lawed, and executed for, his being concerned in a design for the asgassination of the king and duke, he solemnly avers as may be seen below in his speech, [That he was always highly against it, and detested any such thing, was never in the least concerned in it, neither in purse or person; never knew of any arms bought for that intent, nor did believe there was any such design,] Than which, what words could be more full and satisfactory? He went away in the heat of swearing, and returned with the duke of Monmouth, thinking it his duty as he says, to hazard his life for the preservation of the Protestant religion and English liberties; but as to the duke of Monmouth's being declared king, he was wholly passive in it. He was at first committed to Salisbury prison, where he had several disputes with a learned and good man, whose opinion then differed from his, concerning the lawfulness of defending ourselves by arms against illegal violence, which was his firm judgment. Thence he was brought to London and imprisoned in Newgate. He rejected there, with scorn, some offers made him of saving his own life by taking away other mens; and though he was under inexpressible trouble during his close confinement there, which at length arose to distraction, and theimpair of his reason; yet it is remarkable that he, as Bateman before him, before he came to die, after sentence, was very calm and lively again, such thing as any piece of evidence to influence this case, but I could not but tremble to think, after what I knew, that any one should dare so much to prevaricate with God and man, as to tell such horrid lyes in the face of a court. the entire exercise of his judgment and understanding returning, with more joy and comfort than he had before pain and misery. He writ one letter to his parents, another to his children, here inserted, together with his last speech at his execution the 30th of Oct. 1685. At 2 in the morning he wrote the letter to his parents, &c. "Wherein he speaks much of his brother, and fellow-sufferer, Mr. Ayloff, if I mistake not, whom he says, [He could embrace with more joy in the field of suffering, than ever he could have done had he met him in the field crowned with victory and laurels.]" The same book contains some letters written by him shortly before his execution, and also his last Speech as follows: "The great and inexpressible trouble and distraction I have been under since I came into trouble, especially since my closé confinement in Newgate, hath so broken my reason, that for many weeks last past, till the day my sentence was passed, I have not had any composure of mind, and have been under the greatest trouble imaginable: since my dearest wife hath had the favour granted her of coming to see me, I am at present under great composedness of mind, through the infinite goodness of the Lord. As to what I stand ontlawed for, and am now sentenced to die, I can with comfort appeal to the great God, before whose tribunal I am to appear, that what I did was in the simplicity of my heart, without seeking any private advantage to myself; but thinking it my duty to hazard my life for the preservation of the Protestant religion and English liberties, which I thought invaded, and both in great danger of being lost. As to the design of assassinating the late king, or his present majesty, it always was a thing highly against my judgment, and which I always detested; and I was never in the least concerned in it, neither in the purse nor person, nor never knew of any arms brought for that intent, nor did I believe there was any such design, or ever hear of any disappointment in such an affair, or time, or place, save what after the discovery of the general design, Mr. West spoke of, as to arms bought by him and as to myself, I was in the North when the late king was at Newmarket, and the first news I had of the fire, was at Beverly in Yorkshire. As to my coming over with the late duke of Monmouth, it was in prosecution of the same ends; but the Lord in his holy and wise Providence hath been pleased to blast all our undertakings; though there seemed to be a very unanimous and zealous spirit in all those that came from beyond the seas; And as to the duke of Monmouth's being declared king, I was wholly passive in it, I never |