him lying with his face downward upon the floor, at the farther fide of the bed, with his head towards the foot; his neck appeared black and fwelled, two buttons were torn off the fhirt-collar, and it was rent out of the gathers, the bed-curtain was down, and the rod bent. It is not clear whether Riches even now fufpected that her mafter was murdered; but remembering the affair of the poifon, fhe faid to Ringe, "If I had faid to you what you have said to me, I fhould be afraid of ever going into this room alone, for 1 fhould think my mafter would appear to me."

In the forenoon of this day he was laid out, and a fheet thrown over him; the fervants then faw him again, took notice that his face was black, and his throat and neck almoft round.

Riches having feen the body, returned to her mistress, and the other maid, who were ftill in the backhoufe-chamber, and they continued there till the morning dawned, the mistress feeming uneafy, and having lain down on the bed in her cloaths.

In the mean time, Ringe, having returned into his chamber, called up Masterfon; "for God's fake, Will, fays he, get up and come down, your mafter has fallen out of bed, and has killed himself." The lad immediately rofe, and Ringe carried him alfo to fee his matter's body, which he found in the fame fituation in which it had been feen by Riches, except that the hand was placed under it on the throat. He affifted Ringe to lift the body from the ground, and place it upon the bed; and then went to fetch his unhappy master's mother and fifter, who living not far off, and who both came before it was broad day. They afked if the Doctor had been fent for; to which Mrs. Beddingfield replied, "What fignifies fending for the Doctor when he is dead?”

The next day the coroner came; but his inqueft feems to have been very negligently and fuperficially taken. The jury brought in their verdict accidental death, and the body was buried.

The husband being removed out of the way, and the murder concealed, the intimacy between Ringe and his miftrefs now, and not till now, became criminal; and fhe continued very fond of him for about a fortnight or three weeks; but then began to diflike him, and afterwards feemed to hate him. Thus deceitful and tranfient was the pleasure for which he had, at the rifque of life, violated the most facred obliga. tion, and contracted the moft aggravated guilt.

In the mean time, Cleobold, who, though for the reafons already mentioned, he had not difcovered what the knew to the coroner, was determined not to let it remain a fecret. When the judges came down to the aflizes at Saxmundham, only ten days were wanting to complete the time fhe was to ftay in her place; the therefore thought this a good opportunity to make it known, and accordingly difclofed it to her mother, who applied to proper perfons for taking the criminals into cuftody. After fhe had told her mother, fhe told her fellow-fervant, Riches; and Riches then, for the first time, told her of the poifon. Ringe and his mistress foon heard the rumour, and questioned Cleobold about it: the girl readily con

feffed

feffed that he had told her mother and fellow-fervant all the knew; upon which her mistress, turning to Ringe, faid, "Now, Richard, you are done for; you will certainly be hanged." She then expoftulated with the girl; did you not promife, faid fhe, not to discover? Yes, faid the girl, but I could not be eafy till I had difcovered: and fo, replied her miftrefs, to make yourself eafy, you will ruin two for ever. Ringe then attempted to tamper with the girl, and would have had her gone to Saxmundham and fwear to a paper of his dictating; but the refufed and his mistress foreseeing what would happen, abfconded the same day, which was on Thursday; but on the Saturday following was taken up with Ringe, who does not appear to have taken any precaution for his fafety.

their innocence, till a few days before their execution, when Ringe made a full confeffion, which is included in this narrative. He faid he did not at any time after he committed the murder, believe he fhould efcape: he acknowledged that he ought to die, and declared that he and his miftrefs only were guilty. He talked with much compofure concerning the manner of his death, yet was greatly fhocked at the thoughts of being diffected.

Their trial came on the 21ft of laft March when they were both capitally convicted, on proper evidence being given of the facts already related. Both infifted upon

Beddingfield still perfifted in declaring herself innocent: but being told that Ringe had made a full confeffion, the strongly expreffed her refentment againft him for it, and at laft owned that he was guilty, and deferved to die for having been privy to the murder of her husband, and having held a correfpondence with Ringe for that purpose for three months before.

They were both executed at Rushmere, near Ipfwich, on Friday the 8th of April, 1763.

A Narrative of the cruel Proceedings of the Star-Chamber Court, against the Rev. Dr. Leighton, in the Reign of Charles I. From whence appears the neceffity of Trials by Juries, to defend the Subject from Tyranny, Perfecu tion, and Oppreffion.

THERE is not perhaps one

fingle inftance in all history of a people failing in their duty and regard to their king from their enjoyments of freedom; but many, very many, fatal,ones of their doing fo, from its being infringed. On the contrary, the people may, nay, they certainly will, one way or other, be greatly hurt by power being left unrestrained. The hif

tory of every nation teftifies this, alas! too much. I will only give one inftance out of our own history, and not far beyond our memory: The Rev. Dr. Leighton, in king Charles the Firft's time, having published a book called Zion's Plea against Prelacy, he was foon after, without any information upon caih, or any proof that he was the writer of the book, arrefted by two high com

million

the breaft of a boy of five years of age, threatening to fhoot him if he would not tell where the books were, which fo affrighted the poor child, that he never recovered it all his days. They broke open preffes, chefts and boxes, and deftroyed every thing at pleasure. They robbed the Doctor's house, and carried off all the books and manufcripts they could find. They likewife carried away his houshold stuff, apparel, and other things, leaving nothing which they had a mind to have.

miffion pursuivants, as he was coming in the house, and held a pistol to from Black - Friar's church from hearing a fermon, and with a multitude of ftaves and bills they dragged him to the houfe of Dr. Laud, then the bishop of London. In the bishop of London's houfe he was imprifoned, and a ftrong guard fet over him; there he was kept with out food till seven in the evening, when Dr. Laud, and Dr. Corbet, bishop of Oxford, came with a great number of attendants. Dr. Leighton then demanded an hearing; but instead of that the jailer of Newgate was fent for, who came with a strong power of halberts and ftaves, and clapping Dr. Leighton in irons, they carried him through a blind fubterraneous paffage into Newgate, where they thruft him into a lonefome dog-hole full of rats and mice, which had no light but what came through a little grate. There, the roof being uncovered, the fnow and rain beat in upon him. He had no bedding, nor any place to make a fire, but the ruins of an old fmoaky chimney. There he was kept without meat or drink from Tuesday night till Thursday noon. In that doleful place and condition was he kept clofe, with two doors faftened upon him, for the pace of 15 weeks. And fo long they fuffered no friend to come near him. But after 15 weeks, his wife, and he alone, gained admittance. On the fourth day after his commitment, the bigh commission pursuivants went to his houfe, under pretence of fearching for Jefuit's books. There, these fons of plunder, laid hold of his diftreffed wife, and ufed her with fuch barbarous inhumanity and indecency, as it is a fhame to exprefs. They rifled every perfon

At the end of 15 weeks, or fomething more, he was brought into the Star Chamber-court, and required to put in an answer to a long invective, called an information; which he did to the fatisfaction of all unprejudiced perfons. He owned the writing the book, but faid that it was done with no ill intention; his defign being only to lay these things before the next parliament, for their confideration. Things were carried with fo high a hand, that no council dared to plead for him, nor any body to appear in his behalf. It is fuppofed upon good grounds, that poifon was given him in Newgate; for his hair and his fkin came off in a diftemper, which was attended with loathfome fymptons. But notwithstanding a certificate was given under the hands of four phy. ficians, and an affidavit made by an attorney, that his disease was desperate, and it was unfit to bring him into court; yet nothing would ferve bishop Laud, but in the midst of that defperate diforder, and great diftrefs, the following fentence was paffed upon him, though abfent; and that court unanimously decreed,

June

The Piture of a Choice Spirit.