f
his children meeting him, he took the lesser in his arm, and was leading
the other in his hand, when on a sudden both their noses fell
a-bleeding, which was looked upon as ominous.

Here it will be no impertinent digression to tell how the year before,
Mr. Harrison had his house broken open between eleven and twelve o'clock
at noon, upon Campden market-day, whilst himself and his whole family
were away, a ladder being set up to a window of the second story, and an
iron bar wrenched thence with a ploughshare, which was left in the room,
and seven score pounds in money carried away, the authors of which
robbery could never be found. After this, and not many weeks before Mr.
Harrison's absence, one evening in Campden garden his servant Perry made
a hideous outcry, whereas some who heard it coming in, met him running
and seemingly affrighted, with a sheep-pick in his hand, to whom he told
a story how he had been set upon by two men in white, with naked swords,
and how he defended himself with his sheep-pick, the handle whereof was
cut in two or three places, as was likewise a key in his pocket, which
he said was done with one of their swords.

The passages the Justice of the Peace having before heard, and calling
to mind upon Perry's confession, asked him first concerning the robbery,
when his master lost seven score pounds out of his house at noon-day,
whether he knew who did it? He answered, Yes, it was his brother, and
being further asked, whether he was with him, he answered, No, he was at
church, but that he gave him notice of the money, and told him in which
room it was, and where he might have a ladder, that would reach the
window; and that his brother after told him he had the money, and had
buried it in his garden, and that they were at Michaelmas next to have
divided it, whereupon search was made in the garden, but no money could
be there found. And being further asked concerning the other passage, of
his being assaulted in the garden, he confessed it was all a fiction,
and that he did it having a design to rob his master, so that rogues
being believed to haunt the place, when his master was robbed they might
be thought to have done it.

At the next assizes, which were held in September following, John, Joan
and Richard Perry had two indictments found against them, one for
breaking into William Harrison's house, and robbing him of one hundred
and forty pounds, in the year, 1659; the other for robbing and murde