f Justice. It
would seem that the work would require a long time to get through.
Jeffreys, to make it light, let it be understood that the only chance to
obtain a pardon or respite was to plead guilty. On the following
morning he attended Divine service at Saint Mary's Church. When the
clergyman, in his sermon, spoke of mercy, Jeffreys was observed to
laugh,--an omen of coming vengeance. The sermon over, the Judge,
attended by many of the principal gentry of Dorset, Somerset, and Devon,
entered the Great Hall. Without loss of time he commenced his charge to
the Grand Jury in a tone of voice and language which astonished and
alarmed all who heard it. He warned them that their business was to
make most strict inquiries not only after principals but after aiders
and abettors, the fact being that many of the jury had sheltered
refugees, thus making them accessory to high treason after the fact. As
not only weeks but months might have been consumed had the ordinary
process been proceeded with, to avoid this the Judge adopted a plan to
shorten the business, and to procure a confession, without which not a
tenth part would have been legally proved guilty. Two officers, such
was his plan, were sent into the jail to call over and take the names of
the prisoners; they were to promise pardon or execution. If the
prisoners confessed, they were told that they might expect mercy,
otherwise not; and as many were induced to accept the proffered mercy,
these officers were in a condition to appear as witnesses of their
confession. The first thirty, however, mistrusting the cruel Judge,
preferred the chances of an ordinary trial. This was on Saturday. The
same evening Jeffreys signed a warrant to hang thirteen on the following
Monday, which was punctually performed. Nearly the whole of the
remainder were executed. Witnesses were brow-beaten in a most fearful
manner. Jeffreys thundered at them, using the most abusive language;
but the scenes which took place are too horrible, too disgraceful, to be
dwelt on. No less than two hundred and ninety-two persons received
sentence of death at Dorchester alone. Among them were the two
Battiscombes; they had nothing to plead, except that they had taken up
arms under the firm belief that they were fighting for the defence of
the Protestant faith against Popery. Very many others were in the same
case. Mr Battiscombe did not venture to plead for his sons, for he
might himself have bee