in its swing fell just short of the hand, and was made of _lignum vitae_, or rather, as the poet termed it, _mortis_." _Examen._ p. 572. The following is the first stanza of "The Protestant Flail; an excellent new song, to the tune of, Lacy's Maggot, or the Hobby Horse." It is thus labelled by Luttrell: "A bonny thing, 14 June, 1632." Listen a while, and I'll tell you a tale Of a new device of a protestant flail; With a thump, thump, thump a thump. Thump a thump, thump. This flail it was made of the finest wood, All lined with lead, and notable good For splitting of bones, and shedding the blood Of all that withstood, With a thump, &c. 3. Shaftesbury, College, and others, were liberated by grand juries, who refused to find bills against them, bringing in what are technically called verdicts of _ignoramus_. It was here that the whig sheriffs were of most consequence to their party; for by their means the juries were picked from the very centre of the faction; and although they included many men of eminence, both for rank and talents, yet they were generally such as had made up their minds to cast the bill long before they came into court. This gave great offence to the royalists. North says, "There lay the barrier of the faction; and that stately word (_ignoramus_) became the appellative of the whole corrupt practice, and the infamous title of all the persons concerned in it." In Luttrell's Collection I find, "Ignoramus, an excellent new song, to the tune of Lay by your Pleading, Law lies a Bleeding." 15 Dec. 1681. At the Old Bailey, Where rogues flock daily, A greater rogue far than Coleman, White, or Stayley, Was late indicted. Witnesses cited, But then he was set free, so the king was righted. 'Gainst princes offences Proved in all senses, But 'gainst a whig there is no truth in evidences; They sham us, and flam us, And ram us, and damn us. And then, in spite of law, come off with ignoramus, &c. This song, according to the invariable practice of the scribblers on both sides, was answered by a new Ignoramus. DRAMATIS PERSONAE. _The King of France._ _Duke of_ GUISE. _Duke of_ MAYENNE. GRILLON, _Colonel of the Guard._ ALPHONSO CORSO, _a Colonel._ BELLEURE, _a Courtier._ ABBOT DEL BENE, } _Royalists._ M. MONFERT, } _The Cardinal of_ GUISE. } _Archbishop of_ LYONS. } POLIN, } AUMALE, } _Of Guise's_ BUSSY, } _Faction._ _The Curate of St_ EUSTACE, } MALICORN, _a Necromancer,_ } MELANAX, _a Spirit,_ } _Two Sheriffs,_ _Citizens and Rabble, &c._ _Queen Mother._ MARMOUTIERE, _Niece to_ GRILLON. SCENE,--_Paris._ THE DUKE OF GUISE. ACT I.