With the success of his party the vindictive passions of the governor increased. Mercy was an unknown sentiment to his heart, and his avarice gratified itself by fines and confiscations. Fearing the result of trial by jury, he resorted to courts-martial, where the verdicts were certain and severe. Four persons were thus hanged on one occasion. Drummond was seized, in the depth of winter, in Chickahomony Swamp, half famished, and being stripped and put in irons, was conveyed to Berkeley. Berkeley, seeing him approach, hastened out to meet him, and with a bow of derision, saluted him: “Mr. Drummond, you are very welcome; I am more glad to see you than any man in Virginia; Mr. Drummond, you shall be hanged in half an hour!” “What your honour pleases,” replied the patriot, calmly. He was tried by court-martial, and though he had never held any military command, he was immediately condemned; and a ring being forcibly torn from his finger, he was executed within three hours. The fate of Lawrence was never known; but report said that he and four others, in the depth of winter, when the snow was ankle-deep, threw themselves into a river, rather than perish like Drummond. The conduct of Berkeley had been that of a dastard in the struggle, and now his cruelty was that of a fiend. A royal proclamation arrived from England, promising pardon to all but Bacon. But this was utterly disregarded, Berkeley, indeed, altered it to suit his own temper, and excepted from mercy about fifty persons, among whom was Sarah Grindon, the wife of the late attorney. Twenty-two were hanged; three died from hard usage in prison; three fled before trial, and two after conviction. In the course of two months, trials before the governor and council, by “juries of life and death,” were substituted instead of courts-martial; but the result was little different. Giles Bland, who, we may remember, endeavoured to seize Laramore’s ship, was one of the first victims. It was in vain that he pleaded the king’s pardon, then in the governor’s pocket. The governor had condemned him already, and he perished. Indeed, “none escaped being found guilty, condemned, and hanged, who put themselves on trial.” The land groaned with the excess of punishment. The very assembly itself besought of the governor “to desist from sanguinary punishments, for none could tell when or where they would cease.” And when executions ceased, other modes of punishment began. Vast numbers, without trial, were condemned to heavy fines and confiscation of property. Many were banished, their property being forfeited; others were sentenced to beg pardon on their knees for their lives, with ropes round their necks. In some cases, where the magistrates were inclined to leniency, a small tape, or “Manchester binding,” as it was called, was allowed as a substitute for the rope; but this, when it came to the knowledge of the assembly, was censured as contempt of authority. Many of the fines went to the use of the governor.