accommodation, held the defendants to very moderate bail, the landlord
and the curate of the parish freely offering themselves as sureties. Mr.
Clarke, with Timothy Crabshaw, against whom nothing appeared, were now
set at liberty; when the former, advancing to his worship, gave
information against Geoffrey Prickle, and declared upon oath that he had
seen him assault Captain Crowe without any provocation; and when he, the
deponent, interposed to prevent further mischief, the said Prickle had
likewise assaulted and wounded him, the deponent, and detained him for
some time in false imprisonment, without warrant or authority.

In consequence of this information, which was corroborated by divers
evidences, selected from the mob at the gate, the tables were turned upon
farmer Prickle, who was given to understand, that he must either find
bail, or be forthwith imprisoned. This honest boor, who was in opulent
circumstances, had made such popular use of the benefits he possessed,
that there was not a housekeeper in the parish who would not have
rejoiced to see him hanged. His dealings and connexions, however, were
such, that none of the other four would have refused to bail him, had not
Clarke given them to understand that, if they did, he would make them all
principals and parties, and have two separate actions against each.
Prickle happened to be at variance with the innkeeper, and the curate
durst not disoblige the vicar, who at that very time was suing the farmer
for the small tithes. He offered to deposit a sum equal to the
recognisance of the knight's bail; but this was rejected, as an expedient
contrary to the practice of the courts. He sent for the attorney of the
village, to whom he had been a good customer; but the lawyer was hunting
evidence in another county. The exciseman presented himself as a surety;
but he not being an housekeeper, was not accepted. Divers cottagers, who
depended on farmer Prickle, were successively refused, because they could
not prove that they had paid scot and lot, and parish taxes.

The farmer, finding himself thus forlorn, and in imminent danger of
visiting the inside of a prison, was seized with a paroxysm of rage,
during which he inveighed against the bench, reviled the two adventurers
errant, declared that he believed, and would lay a wager of twenty
guineas, that he had more money in his pocket than e'er a man in the
company; and in the space of a quarter of an hour swore forty oa