Information words re and the laws of this kingdom then made, these false, scandalous, and seditious words following, that is to say: The laws (meaning the laws of this kingdom,) made at that time, (meaning at the time of the said revolution,) have been since abused, and brought into disuse, and it particularly behoves me (meaning the said A. B.) to speak of the present times, (meaning thereby, that the said laws were at the present time abused, and brought into disuse by his said majesty's government,) to the great scandal, &c. of our said lord the king and his laws, to the great danger of our happy constitution, to the evil example, &c. and against the peace, &c. And the jurors upon their oath, aforesaid, further present, that the said A. B. being such person as aforesaid, and contriving, and maliciously and seditiously intending as aforesaid, afterwards, to wit, on, &c. aforesaid, at, &c. aforesaid, to complete, perfect, and bring to effect, his said most wicked and seditious contrivances and intentions, in the presence and hearing of divers liege subjects of our said lord the king, unlawfully, wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously did preach, speak, utter, and with a loud voice publish, amongst other things of, and concerning a supposed revolution in the government of France, whereby the ancient monarchical government of that country was supposed to be subverted, and a republican government established in its place, and of and concerning the government of this kingdom, these scandalous and seditious words following, that is to say, I (meaning the said A. B.) highly approve of the revolution in France, (meaning the said revolution in the government of France,) and I (meaning the said A. B.) do not doubt but it has opened the eyes of the people of England, (meaning that the people of England,) to see that there was a necessity for a similar revolution in the government of this kingdom, to the scandal, &c. (as in the first count.) That A. B. late of, &c. being a wicked, seditious, and illfor seditious disposed person, and having no regard for the laws of this specting the realm, and most unlawfully, wickedly, maliciously, and sediking, peers, tiously devising, contriving, and intending to disturb the peace and constitu- and tranquillity of our said lord the king, and of this kingtion. (y) dom, and to bring our said lord the king, and the peers of this realm, and the constitution, and government of this kingdom, as by law established, into hatred and contempt, with the sub[*97] jects of this realm, and to asperse and vilify our said lord the king, and the peers of this realm, and to alienate and withdraw the affections and fidelity of his said majesty's subjects, from his majesty's person and government, on, &c. in order to complete, perfect, and bring to pass, his most wicked and seditious contrivances and intentions aforesaid, in the presence and hear (y) This was the information against Crompton, and obtained from the crown office. ing of divers subjects of our said lord the king, unlawfully, wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously did say, utter, and publish of and concerning the constitution and government of this kingdom, the scandalous and seditious words following, (to wit,) I (meaning himself the said A. B.) would have no king or lords, (meaning thereby that he would have no king or peers of this realm in the constitution and government thereof,) in contempt of our said lord, &c. [as in the last precedent.] And the said attorney general, &c. that the said A. B. being such person as aforesaid, and again unlawfully, wickedly, and maliciously, and seditiously devising, contriving, and intending as aforesaid, to wit, on the said, &c. with force and arms, at, &c. aforesaid, in order to complete, perfect, and bring to effect his most wicked and seditious contrivances and intentions aforesaid, in the presence and hearing of divers subjects of our said lord the king, unlawfully, wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously did say, utter, and publish, of and concerning the constitution and government of this kingdom, the scandalous and seditious words following, to wit, I (meaning himself the said A. B.) am for a revolution, no king, no king, no lords, (meaning a revolution in the constitution and government of this kingdom, and that there should be no king, no peers of this realm in the constitution, and government thereof,) &c. in contempt, &c. [as before.] That A. B. late of, &c. being a person of depraved, im- For seditious pious, and disquiet mind, and of a seditious disposition, and words contriving, practising, and maliciously, turbulently, and sedi- against the king and gotiously intending the peace and common tranquillity of our lord vernment. the king, and of this kingdom, to disquiet, molest, and disturb, (≈) and to bring our most serene sovereign-lord George the Third, now king of Great Britain, &c. into great hatred and contempt with all his liege and faithful subjects of this realm, and to alienate and withdraw the affection, fidelity, and allegiance of his said majesty's subjects, from his said majesty, and to excite and move his said majesty's subjects to hatred and dislike of the government and constitution, established within this realm, he the said A. B. his most wicked contrivances, practices, and intentions aforesaid, to complete, perfect,* and render effectual, on, &c. in a certain discourse, which the said. A. B. then and there had, with divers subjects of our said lord the king, of and concerning our said lord the king, and the government and constitution established within this realm, in the presence and hearing of divers liege subjects of our said lord the king, then and there present, maliciously, unlawfully, wickedly, and seditiously did say, assert, affirm, and pronounce, and with a loud voice did publish these malicious, seditious, [*98] (z) This was the indictment against Frost, A. D. 1793, on which he was convicted; obtained from crown office. Second count. and opprobrious English words following, that is to say, I (meaning the said A. B.) am for equality; I (meaning the said A. B.) see no reason why any man should not be upon a footing with another. It is every man's birthright. And that the said A. B. being thereupon, then, and there asked by one of the persons, then and there present, how he the said A. B. dared to hold such language in any public or private company, and what he meant by equality, he the said A. B. then and there wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously, in the presence and hearing of those subjects, replied, in these words, that is to say, "why, no kings ;" and whereupon the said A. B. being thereupon further asked, if he meant no kings in this country, he, the said A. B. wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously in the presence and hearing of those subjects answered in these words, that is to say, "yes, no king, the constitution of this country is a bad one," (meaning thereby, that he the said A. B. was for having no king in this realm, and that the constitution of this realm was a bad one in having a king,) to the great scandal and contempt of our said lord the king and his laws, to the evil example, &c. and against the peace, &c. And the jurors, &c. do further present, that the said A. B. being such wicked and evil disposed person as aforesaid, and further contriving and intending as aforesaid, afterwards, to wit, on, &c. aforesaid, at, &c. aforesaid, in another discourse which the said A. B. then and there had with divers liege subjects of our said lord the king, of and concerning our said lord the king, and the government established within this realm, in the presence and hearing of divers other liege and faithful subjects of our said lord the king, then and there present, maliciously, seditiously, and wickedly did say, assert, affirm, and pronounce, and with a loud voice did declare and publish these other malicious and seditious English words following, that is to say, I (meaning the said A. B.) am for equality, and the said A. B. being thereupon, then and there asked by one of the persons then and there present, if he the said A. B. meant thereby equality, and no king in this country, he the said A. B. then and there in the presence and hearing of those subjects, maliciously, and seditiously replied, and with a loud voice published these words following, that is to say, "yes, no king, and there ought to be no kings,"* (meaning thereby amongst others, that there ought to be no king in this realm,) to the Third Count. great scandal, &c. [as in first count.] And the jurors, &c. do further present, that the said A. B. being such wicked and evil disposed person as aforesaid, and wickedly, and seditiously devising, and intending as aforesaid, afterwards, to wit, on, &c. aforesaid, at, &c. aforesaid, in the presence and hearing of divers other liege and faithful subjects of our said lord the king, then and there present, maliciously, seditiously, and wickedly did utter, and with a loud voice pronounce, assert, and affirm [*99] that there ought to be no king in this country (meaning this kingdom) to the great scandal, &c. [as in first count.] That A. L. late of, &c. not regarding the laws and statutes On 9 Anne, of this realm, nor the pains and penalties therein contained, on, c. 16. for fe&c. with force and arms at, &c. in and upon the right hon. sir loniously assaulting a E. H. kright, one of the privy counsellors of our said lord the privy counking, and in the due execution of his said office in council, then sellor in the and there being, feloniously did make an assault and him the execution of said sir E. H. did then and there feloniously strike and wound his office. (a) against the form of the statute in such case made and provided, in contempt of our said lord the king and his laws, to the evil example of all others in the like case offending, and against the peace of our said lord the king, his crown and dignity. lor of the commons. That W. R. late of, &c. being a malicious and seditious For a libel of man, and deceitfully, wickedly, and maliciously contriving the chanceland intending the right hon. sir R. W. knight of the most exchequer, noble order of the garter, chancellor and under treasurer of and of the the exchequer of our said lord the king, and one of the com- peers, bimissioners of our said lord the king for executing the office of shops, and treasurer of the exchequer of our said lord the king, and one (6) of the privy council of our said lord the king, to detract, scandalize, and vilify; and to represent the said sir R. W. as an unjust officer and minister, and little fit to be used and intrusted by our said lord the king in the weighty affairs of this kingdom, and also to bring the said sir R. W. (as much as in him the said W. R. lay) into great hatred, contempt, and disgrace, not only with all his majesty's liege subjects, but also with our said lord the king; and also deceitfully, wickedly, and maliciously contriving and intending to detract, scandalize, and vilify the peers of this realm, the bishops of the [*100] church of England by law established, and the members of the hon. house of commons of this kingdom, and to represent the said peers, bishops, and members of the house of commons as corrupt persons, and to bring them into great scandal, infamy, hatred, and disgrace, with all the liege subjects of our said lord the king, and for that purpose, did on, &c. with force and arms at, &c. wickedly, and maliciously print and publish, and cause and procure to be printed and published, a certain false, scandalous, and seditious libel, entituled, Robin's Reign or seven's the Main, being an explanation of C. D.'s seven Egyptian Hieroglyphics prefixed to the seven volumes of the Craftsman; The dye is flung, in which said libel of and con (a) See precedent, Cro. C. C. 7 Ed. 177. 1 East, P. C. 89. See form, 3 Hen. VII. c. 14. Co. Ent. 173. 482. As to the offence of killing or conspiring to kill the chancellor, &c. see 1 East, P. C. 89. Com. Dig. Justices, K. 8. 1 Hale, 230. If the assault on the privy counsellor be accompanied with a tumult, it may be (b) See precedent, Cro. C. 8 Ed. On 9 Geo. II. c. 30. s. 1. retaining a person to [*101] serve the French king as a soldier. (c) cerning the said sir R. W. and the said peers, bishops, and commons of this kingdom, and also of and concerning the votes given by the said peers, bishops, and commons, are contained among other things, divers scurrilous, feigned, false, scandalous, seditious, and malicious matters according to the tenor following, to wit, see Rt, (meaning the said sir R. W.) Cs (meaning the said members of the said house of commons of this kingdom,) L-ds (meaning the said lords of this kingdom) and B-s, (meaning the said bishops of the church of England by law established) buy: speak then, spectator, is corruption high? mark well the visage of each slavish tool, the blockhead, hypocrite, and gaudy fool, 'tis these great men (meaning the said peers, bishops, and members of the said house of commons), who give our wealth away, borrow in ps (meaning pensions) but in vs (meaning votes of the said lords, bishops and commons) they pay ; like fudas thus for gold betray the state, his crimes they (again meaning the said lords, bishops, and commons) share and may they (again meaning the said lords, bishops, and commons) share his fate. To the great scandal and infamy of the said sir R. W. and also of the said peers, bishops, and members of the said house of commons of this kingdom, in contempt of our said lord the king, and his laws, to the evil and pernicious example of all others in the like case offending, and against the peace of our said lord the king, his crown and dignity. That P. I. late of, &c. contriving and intending unlawfully to seduce, draw, and intice one J. W. a subject of the crown for felony, in of Great Britain from his the said J. W.'s allegiance and hiring and obedience, which he the said J. W. as a natural born subject of the said crown of Great Britain, owed to our present sovereign lord the king as his supreme,* true, and natural lord, and to enlist and enter himself the said J. W. as a soldier in the service of a foreign prince, to wit, Lewis the present French king: he the said P. I. on, &c. with force and arms at, &c. aforesaid, did wilfully, maliciously, and feloniously hire and retain the said J. W. then being a subject of our said lord the king, by promising and assuring him the said J. W. that if he (meaning him the said J. W.) would abroad and enter into the service of the French king, he (again meaning him the said J. W.) should be made a serjeant, and should have the liberty of returning to England when he (again meaning the said J. W.) should think fit, and did also then and there unlawfully, corruptly, and feloniously treat and entertain the said J. W. with meat and drink at the (c) See precedent, Cro. C. C. 8th Ed. 453. which varies from 7th Ed. 718. See also 1 Geo. 1. c. 47. s. 1. and 16 East, 406. See 1 East, P. C. 81, 82. 91, 2, 3. |