The History of Thomas Ellwood Written By HimselfEllwood, Thomas
History
The History of Thomas Ellwood Written By Himself
Ellwood, Thomas
Ellwood, Thomas, 1639-1713; Quakers -- Biography
Thomas Zachary himself was brought from Aylesbury gaol to Wycombe, to
receive his trial, and though no evil could be charged upon him, yet
Justice Clayton, who at first committed him, displeased to see the appeal
prosecuted and the conviction he had made set aside, by importunity
prevailed with the bench to remand him to prison again, there to lie
until another sessions.
While this was doing I got an indictment drawn up against the informers
Aris and Lacy for wilful perjury, and caused it to be delivered to the
grand jury, who found the bill. And although the court adjourned from
the town-hall to the chamber at their inn, in favour as it was thought to
the informers, on supposition we would not pursue them thither, yet
thither they were pursued; and there being two counsel present from
Windsor—(the name of the one was Starky, and of the other, as I remember,
Forster, the former of whom I had before retained upon the trial of the
appeal)—I now retained them both, and sent them into court again, to
prosecute the informers upon this indictment; which they did so smartly
that, the informers being present as not suspecting any such sudden
danger, were of necessity called to the bar and arraigned, and having
pleaded _Not Guilty_, were forced to enter a traverse to avoid a present
commitment: all the favour the court could show them being to take them
bail one for the other, though probably both not worth a groat, else they
must have gone to gaol for want of bail, which would have put them
besides their business, spoiled the informing trade, and broke the
design; whereas now they were turned loose again to do what mischief they
could until the next sessions.
Accordingly, they did what they could, and yet could make little or no
earnings at it; for this little step of prosecution had made them so
known, and their late apparent perjury had made them so detestable, that
even the common sort of bad men shunned them, and would not willingly
yield them any assistance.
The next Quarter Sessions was held at Aylesbury, whither we were fain to
bring down our witnesses again from London, in like manner and at like
charge, at the least, as before. And though I met with great
discouragements in the prosecution, yet I followed it so vigorously that
I got a verdict against the informers for wilful perjury, and had
forthwith taken them up, had not they forthwith fled from justice and hid
themselves. However, I moved by my attorney for an order of court,
directed to all mayors, bailiffs, high constables, petty constables, and
other inferior officers of the peace, to arrest and take them up wherever
they should be found within the county of Bucks, and bring them to the
county gaol.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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