nquiry.

"They stated themselves to be Roman Catholic priests," replied I, "and
such I believed them to be."

"Why did I do so?"

"Because, in the first place, they paid me one hundred guineas each;
and, in the second, because I considered them mischievous, dangerous
men, conspiring against the government, and that the sooner they were
out of the country the better."

"How did I know that they were traitors?"

"All Roman priests were traitors in my opinion, and I hated them as bad
as I did the French; but it is difficult to deal with a priest, and I
thought that I was performing a good service in ridding the country of
them."

"Who else was privy to the affair?"

"No one; I had made the arrangement with them myself; and not an officer
or man on board knew anything about it."

"But my owner, Mr Trevannion, was he a party to it?"

"No, he was not; and on my return he dismissed me from the command of
the privateer, as soon as he found out that I had landed the priests in
France."

A great many more questions were put to me, all of which I answered very
cautiously, yet without apparent hesitation; and, after an examination
of four hours, the president of the Commission told me that I had been,
by my own acknowledgment, aiding and abetting the escape of malignant
traitors, and prevented them meeting their just fate on the scaffold.
That, in so doing, I had been guilty of treason, and must abide the
sentence of the supreme Commission in London, whither I should be sent
the following day. I replied that I was a loyal subject; that I hated
the French and Romish plotters, and that I had done what I considered
was best; that if I had done wrong, it was only an error in judgment;
and any one that said I was a traitor lied in his throat.

My reply was taken down, and I was sent back to prison.

The following afternoon the gaoler came into my room, accompanied by two
persons, one of whom informed me that I was delivered over to their
custody to be taken to London. I was led out, and at the door I found
three horses, upon one of which I was desired to mount. As soon as I
was in the saddle, a rope was passed from one leg to the other under the
horse's belly, so as to prevent my escape; and my horse was led between
the other two, upon which my keepers rode, each having a hand-rein made
fast from my horse's bridle to his own. A crowd was assembled round the
entrance of the gaol, and among the lookers-on I perceived Ca