meet
Lieutenant Williams, who was brought home by the _Argyle_ man-of-war,
from Lisbon, and had been committed to the same prison but a very few
days before.

Indeed, as it was a mortification to them, so it was more to him, for
though he might be secretly pleased that those who had so cruelly, as he
called it, put him into the hands of Justice by sending him to Lisbon,
were brought into the same circumstances with himself, yet on the other
hand, it could not but be a terrible mortification to him that here were
now sufficient witnesses found to prove his crimes against him, which
were not so easy to be had before.

Being thus laid fast, it remained to proceed against them in due form,
and this took up some long time still. On Friday, the 2nd of April, they
were all carried to Doctors' Commons, where the proper judges being
present, they were examined; by which examination the measures were
taken for the farther proceedings. For as they were not equally guilty,
so it was needful to determine who it was proper to bring to an
immediate trial, and who, being less guilty, were more proper objects of
the Government's clemency, as being under force and fear and
consequently necessitated to act as they did; and also who it might be
proper to single out as an evidence against the rest. After being thus
examined they were remanded to the Marshalsea. On Saturday, the 8th of
May, the five who were appointed for evidence against the rest, and
whose names are particularly set down in its place, were sent from the
Marshalsea prison to Newgate, in order to give their information.

Being thus brought up to London, and committed to the Marshalsea prison,
and the Government being fully informed, what black uncommon offenders
they were, it was thought proper to bring them to speedy justice. In
order to this, some of them, as has been said, who were less criminal
than the rest, and who apparently had been forced into their service,
were sorted out, and being examined (giving first an account of
themselves, and then of the whole fraternity) it was thought fit to make
use of their evidence for the more clear detecting and convincing of the
rest. These were George Dobson, John Phinnes, Timothy Murphy, and
William Booth.

These were the principal evidences, and were indeed more than
sufficient, for they so exactly agreed in their evidence, and the
prisoners (pirates) said so little in their defence, that there was no
room for the jury to