580
The Green Bag
condition to pass upon the lives of the King's subjects. But neither bad habits nor ordinary faults of temper serve to explainthe variety of villainy with which
he visited the unfortunates brought before him.
The following incidents
To Chardstock,
of supplying
a
money
lawyer, aocused
to
mouth in his rebellion,
aid Mon but in fact
robbed of his coin by Monmouth's soldiers, Jeffreys said after a mockery of a trial: —
are by no means exceptional, but indeed
J.— “Villain, rebel, methinks I see
fall short of some which have been more frequently recalled against him. One Armstrong, charged with a politi
thee already with a halter round thy neck."
And
his
lordship
jeeringll'
cal crime, had fled beyond seas and
remarked in passing sentence that he desired when possible to prefer lawyers.
sentence of outlawry and death had
being one of that profession himself,
passed in his absence, subject to his right by law to surrender himself within a year and stand trial. Within the time
and therefore Chardstock should be hanged first of the next lot going to the
allowed he returned to England and gave
himself up before the King's Bench. Jeffreys refused to hear his defense and proceeded to grant execution of the death sentence. Armstrong was accom panied by his young and beautiful
scaffold. Jurors stood in fear of him.
In those
few trials where they mustered courage enough to return a verdict of acquittal, the finding was at their peril. In not:
few instances they were subjected to vile abuse, sent back to reconsiderI and
daughter, who now addressed the court. Dau.—"My lord, I hope you will
threatened with Jeffreys'
not murder my father."
scaffold. In desperate cases,,lefil'el's would call them up One by one to the bench, and there interrogate them as“)
C. J. —- “Who is this woman? Take her into custody. Why, how now, because your relative is attained of high treason must you take upon yourself
to tax the courts of murder? Take her away." Dau.—-“God Almighty’s judgments
light on you." C. .I.—“God Almighty’s judgments light upon those guilty of high treason." Dau. — "Amen.
I pray God.”
C. J.—“So say I. I thank God I am clamor-proof." Armstrong-—"I ought to have the benefit of the law." C. J. —— “That you shall have, by the grace of God. See that execution be done on Friday next.
You shall have
the full benefit of the law.” And the unfortunate man was hanged, disemboweled, beheaded and quartered with all the rigors of his barbarous
vengeance
unless they sent the accused to the
their verdict. Rarely was the jury m‘fde of stuff to withstand the teffiiymg influence of the ferocious visage 9f the
Chief Justice, and many a verdicfff guilty was directly due to such ludlc‘al interference.
At the trial of Richard Baxter‘, fhe
learned and gentle Presbyterian dmne' Jeffreys startled the bar as well 3.5 fhe
defendant and his friends, by throw“ back his head, closing his eyes and cfylng out with a nasal twang supP05ed_tO
simulate the manner of
dissefltlng
preachers: “O Lord, we are Thy people’;
Thy own people. Thy peculiar people‘
Indeed Dissenters fell under the loulest of his abuse, for he made loyalty to
the established religion a prime feature of his policy. Witnesses as well 35 accused were assailed with insult aznd
epithet. .“Whining, canting Presbytfinan sentence.
