because, in the consequence thereof, it occasioned no small trouble and exercise to me.

For when Thomas Zachary, returning home from London, understanding what had been done against him; and advising what to do, was informed by a neighbouring attorney that his remedy lay in appealing from the judgment of the convicting justice, to the general quar ter sessions of the peace: he thereupon ordering the said attorney to draw up his appeal in form of law, went himself with it, and tendered it to the justice. But the justice being a man neither well principled, nor well natured, and uneasy that he should lose the advan tage both of the present conviction, and future service of such (in his judgment) useful men, as those two bold informers were likely to be, fell sharply upon Thomas Zachary, charging him that he suffered justly, and that his suffering was not on a religious account.

This rough and unjust dealing engaged the good man to enter into further discourse with the justice, in defence of his own innocency. From which discourse the insidious justice tak ing offence at some expression of his, charged him with saying, The righteous are oppressed, and the wicked go unpunished. Which the justice interpreting to be a reflection on the government, and calling it a high misdemeanour, required sureties of the good man to an swer it at the next quarter-sessions, and in the mean time, to be bound to his good beha viour: but he, well knowing himself to be in

nocent of having broken any law, or done in this matter any evil, could not answer the justice's unjust demand, and therefore was sent forthwith a prisoner to the county gaol.

By this severity it was thought the justice designed not only to wreak his displeasure on this good man, but to prevent the further pro. secution of his appeal: whereby he should at once both oppress the righteous, by the levying of the fines unduly imposed upon him, and secure the informers from a conviction of wilful perjury, and the punishment due there. for, that so they might go on without control, in the wicked work they were engaged in.

But so great wickedness was not to be suffered to go unpunished, or at least undiscov ered. Wherefore, although no way could be found at present to get the good man released from his unjust imprisonment, yet that his restraint might not hinder the prosecution of his appeal, on which the detection of the informer's villany depended; consideration being had thereof amongst some Friends, the management of the prosecution was committed to my care, who was thought, with respect at least to leisure, and disengagement from other business, most fit to attend it'; and very willingly I undertook it.

Wherefore, at the next general quartersessions of the peace, holden at High-Wiccomb, in October following, I took care that four substantial witnesses, citizens of unques

tionable credit, should come down from London, in a coach and four horses, hired on purpose.

These gave so punctual and full evidence, that Thomas Zachary and his wife were in London all that day, whereon the informers had sworn them to have been at an unlawful meeting, at a place more than twenty miles distant from London, that notwithstanding what endeavours were used to the contrary, the jury found them not guilty. Whereupon the money deposited for the fines, at the enter ing of the appeal, ought to have been return. ed; and so was ten pounds of it; but the rest of the money being in the hand of the clerk of the peace, whose name was Wells, could never be got out again.

Thomas Zachary himself was brought from Alesbury gaol to Wiccomb, to receive his trial; and though no evil could be charged up on him, yet justice Clayton, who at first com. mitted 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 session.

While this was doing, I got an indictment drawn up against the informers, Aris and Lacy, for wilful perjury, and caused it to be deliv ered 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. counsellors present from Windsor, (the name of one was Starkey, and of the other, as I remember, Forster; the former of which 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 a present commitment. All the favour the

court could shew 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 beside their business, spoiled the in-† forming trade, and broke the design; whereas, now they were turned loose again, to do what mischief they could until the next session.

: 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.

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...The next quarter-sessions was holden at Alesbury, whither we were fain to bring down. our witnesses again from London, in like man. ner, 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 they not fled from justice, and hid themselves. However, I moved by my Attor ney 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.

The report of this so terrified them, that of all things dreading the misery of lying in a gaol, out of which they could not hope for deliverance, otherwise than by at least, the loss of their ears, they, hopeless now of carrying ontheir informing trade, disjoined; and one of them, Aris, fled the country; so that, whatever gallows caught him, he appeared no more in this country. The other, Lacy, lurked pris vily for awhile, in woods and by-places, tilb hunger and want forced him out; and then, casting himself upon an hazardous adventure, which yet was the best, and proved to him the best course he could have taken, he went di rectly to the gaol, where he knew the innocent man suffered imprisonment by his means, and for his sake; where asking for, and being brought to Thomas Zachary, he cast himself on his knees at his feet, and with appearance of sorrow, confessing his fault, did so earnestly beg for forgiveness, that he wrought upon the