Volume I Part 22 (1/2)

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--Prithee, be ingenious, and let us have the truth on it.

DUNNE--My lord, I am ingenious and will be so.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--I will a.s.sure you Nelthorp told me all the story before I came out of town.[59]

DUNNE--I think, my lord, he was called Nelthorp in the room, and there was some discourse about him.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--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.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--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 pa.s.sages and discourses of his being beyond sea: I would not mention any 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 G.o.d and man, as to tell such horrid lyes in the face of a Court.

DUNNE--What does your lords.h.i.+p ask me?

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--Come I will ask thee a plain question; was there no discourse there about the battle, and of their being in the army?

DUNNE--There was some such discourse, my lord.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--Ay, prithee now tell us what that discourse was.

DUNNE--My lord, I will tell you, when I have recollected it, if you will give me time till to-morrow morning.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--Nay, but we cannot stay so long, our business must be dispatched now; but I would have all people consider, what a reason there is, that they should be pressed to join with me in hearty prayers to Almighty G.o.d, that this sin of lying and perjury may never be laid at thy door. What say'st thou? Prithee, tell us what the discourse was?

DUNNE--My lord, they did talk of fighting, but I cannot exactly tell what the discourse was.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--And thou saidst thou didst eat and drink with them in the same room?

DUNNE--I did so, my lord, I confess it.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--And it was not a little girl that lighted thee to bed, or conducted thee in?

DUNNE--It was not a little girl.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--Who was it then?

DUNNE--It was Mr. Carpenter, my lord.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--And why didst thou tell us so many lyes then? Jesu G.o.d! that we should live to see any such creatures among mankind, nay, and among us too, to the shame and reproach be it spoken of our nation and religion: is this that that is called the Protestant religion, a thing so much boasted of, and pretended to? we have heard a great deal of clamour against Popery and dispensations; what dispensations, pray, does the Protestant religion give for such practices as these? I pity thee with all my soul, and pray for thee, but it cannot but make all mankind to tremble, and be filled with horror, that such a wretched creature should live upon the earth: Prithee be free, and tell us what discourse there was.

DUNNE--My lord, they did talk of fighting but I cannot remember what it was.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--Did you lie with them?

DUNNE--No, my lord, I did not.

LORD CHIEF-JUSTICE--Well I see thou wilt answer nothing ingenuously, therefore I will trouble myself no more with thee: go on with your evidence, gentlemen.

MR. JENNINGS--My lord, we have done, we have no more witnesses.

_Mrs. Lisle_ is then called upon for her defence, and proceeds to say that had she been tried in London Lady Abergavenny and other persons of quality could have testified with what detestation she had spoken of the rebellion, and that she had been in London till Monmouth was beheaded.