white thing which I had first seen him waving,
and which I now beheld to be sheepskin, such as they call parchment.
It was tied across with cord, and fastened down in every corner
with unsightly dabs of wax. By order of the messenger (for I was
over-frightened now to think of doing anything), I broke enough of seals
to keep an Easter ghost from rising; and there I saw my name in large;
God grant such another shock may never befall me in my old age.

"Read, my son; read, thou great fool, if indeed thou canst read," said
the officer to encourage me; "there is nothing to kill thee, boy, and
my supper will be spoiling. Stare not at me so, thou fool; thou art big
enough to eat me; read, read, read."

[Illustration: 190.jpg Read, Read Read!]

"If you please, sir, what is your name?" I asked; though why I asked him
I know not, except from fear of witchcraft.

"Jeremy Stickles is my name, lad, nothing more than a poor apparitor of
the worshipful Court of King's Bench. And at this moment a starving one,
and no supper for me unless thou wilt read."

Being compelled in this way, I read pretty nigh as follows; not that I
give the whole of it, but only the gist and the emphasis,--

"To our good subject, John Ridd, etc."--describing me ever so much
better than I knew myself--"by these presents, greeting. These are to
require thee, in the name of our lord the King, to appear in person
before the Right Worshipful, the Justices of His Majesty's Bench at
Westminster, laying aside all thine own business, and there to deliver
such evidence as is within thy cognisance, touching certain matters
whereby the peace of our said lord the King, and the well-being of this
realm, is, are, or otherwise may be impeached, impugned, imperilled, or
otherwise detrimented. As witness these presents." And then there were
four seals, and then a signature I could not make out, only that it
began with a J, and ended with some other writing, done almost in a
circle. Underneath was added in a different handwriting "Charges will be
borne. The matter is full urgent."

The messenger watched me, while I read so much as I could read of it;
and he seemed well pleased with my surprise, because he had expected it.
Then, not knowing what else to do, I looked again at the cover, and
on the top of it I saw, "Ride, Ride, Ride! On His Gracious Majesty's
business; spur and spare not."

It may be supposed by all who know me, that I was taken hereupon with
such a giddi