remember him and his business as well as I do; for he was a second time at Bromley, some weeks after.

Earl of Not. What was his business then?

Mr. M. He said he came to acquaint my lord, that his master, Dr. Hooke, had seized on the person who had forged his orders. My lord asked him whether he had also seized the false instrument; and, if he had, desired it might be transmitted to him. This man answered, he believed his master had got it; that he was coming up to London, and bringing the cheat with him; and had been there sooner, had he not sprained or hurt his leg; but, when he was come, the doctor would give my lord notice, or himself wait upon him. My lord was much pleased with this second message, and gave orders to have the bringer of it well used. He was so and freely discoursed with the butler, and the other servants, touching his business there; so that I am verily persuaded, several of them remember all these circumstances of it, and, perhaps, more than I do.

Upon this, Blackhead being again urged by the lords with soplain a testimony, perfectly agreeing with what I had said, and he still persevering obstinately to deny every part of it, I and Mr. Moore were ordered to withdraw, Blackhead staying behind.

As I was going out, I said, My lords, I cannot comprehend to what purpose this fellow persists in this lie; I am sure he can never prove that I have injured the government, in word, or deed, or writing.' Then I could not but again observe to the lords, what visible marks of falshood and treachery there were in Blackhead's face; for, indeed, all the while he looked as if he would have sunk into the ground, though (as I was told afterwards) before I came into the room, he had appeared very brisk, and bold, and full of talk. But, upon my first coming in, his complexion, which was naturally very sallow, turned much paler and darker; and he was almost speechless, saying nothing to any purpose, more than what he thought was necessary to keep him firm to the main lie: that he had brought me a letter from one Young, and no other.

But, after my being withdrawn about half an hour, I was called in again, and Blackhead sent forth.

Earl of Not. Now, my lord, the business is out, the fellow has confessed he brought the letter to you, written not in the name of Young, but as from one Dr. Hookes; Hookes was the name, not Hooke; your lordship was in the right in saying you would not stand upon a letter.

Bishop of Roch. My lords, I could not trust my memory so far as to a letter; but one thing I was sure of: that was the only letter this rascal ever brought me, and it was not from any one whose name was Young.

Earl of Not. Well, that business is over, he has confessed it; and now, my lord, pray take a chair and sit down.

Earl of Devonsh.

Pray, my lord, sit down.

Bishop of Roch.

No, my lords, I desire you to excuse me.

Earl of Not. My lord, we have some few questions to ask you, and therefore pray repose yourself.

Bishop of Roch. If you please to permit me, I had rather answer what your lordships have farther to say, standing thus as I am at the table.

Earl of Not. Then, my lord, we shall ask you: have you ever written to the Earl of Marlborough within these three months?

Bishop of Roch. I think I may safely affirm, I never writ to my lord Marlborough in my life; but I am certain, and upon the faith of a bishop I declare, I have not written one word to him these three months.

Earl of Not. Have you received any letter from my Lord Marlborough within these three months?

Bishop of Roch. I protest solemnly I have not received any. Earl of Not. Have you received any written or printed papers from my Lord Marlborough, within that space of time?

Bishop of Roch. As in the presence of God, I declare, I have not. My lords, I have had some acquaintance with my lord Marlborough, both in King James's court, and in the parliaments since; but I cannot call to mind, that ever I wrote to him, or he to me.

Earl of Not. Then, I think, my lords, we have nothing more to do, but to wish my lord bishop a good journey to Bromley.

With that, they all rose up and saluted me, testifying their great satisfaction that I had so well cleared myself, and confounded my adversary: more especially, two noble lords of the company, to whom, I said, I would now particularly appeal, gave me an ample testimony of their belief of my innocency in this accusation, and of my dutiful disposition to the government.

My Lord Nottingham then told me, in the name of all the rest, they had no farther trouble to give me. I intreated them to suffer me to add a few words; they permitting me, I said:

My lords, I heartily thank you for confronting me with this fellow; else I could not so well have made out my innocency, but I might still have lain under a suspicion, whereof I had not known the least ground. Had this been a trial for my life, I should have been glad to have such honourable persons for my judges; but now I have much more reason to bless God, that you have been my compurgators; that you are witnesses, as well as judges, of the detection of this villainy against me; whereof, I must acknowledge, as yet I do not fathom the bottom: wherefore I must intreat, that I may put myself under your protection for the future; for, although this fountain of wickedness has been now stopped in this particular, as to myself, yet it seems to run under ground still; and, unless especial care be taken, it may break forth again in some other place, on some other occasion, to the ruin, if not of me, yet of some other innocent person.

Earl of Devonsh. No, my lord, you need never fear this fountain can break forth any more, to do you, or any other good man

any prejudice, he having been so palpably convicted of knavery and lying.

Bishop of Roch. My lords, I hope so: as for myself, I take my own innocency to be abundantly vindicated by this your general declaration in my favour. I make no question, but your lordships will next vindicate yourselves, and the justice of the government, by bringing this wicked man to condign punishment, and by examining the main drift of his design, and who have been his accomplices.

They all assuring me, I might rely upon them for it, I withdrew. All this while I had not the least conjecture or imagination who this Young should be, with whom Blackhead pretended I held so close a correspondence.

But my next appearance before the committee of the council, will clear up what remains of the whole wicked mystery.

In the mean time, returning home that evening to Bromley, I presently met with a plentiful concurrence of evidence from most of my servants, of their discourse with Blackhead, and their knowledge of his business, in reference to Dr. Hookes's letter.

First, the butler, Thomas Warren, told me, that according to my order to use him kindly, he had done so both times he was with us: particularly the second time, he had entertained him with one of the petty canons of Windsor, who came thither by chance, in the parlour next the garden: that thence he brought him down into the cellar, where Blackhead drank my health with knees almost bended to the ground: that then he earnestly desired him to shew him my study; saying, I have heard your lord has a very good study of books: my master Hookes has a very good one: he often lets me go into it, and I doubt not but you have the same liberty: I pray let me see his books. The butler answered, my lord has but few books here, only such as he brings from time to time from Westminster, for present use, and they are locked up in presses, so that I cannot shew them if I would. I pray then, said Blackhead, let me see the room, I hear it is a very fine one. The butler said, he could not presume to do it without my leave. Then, said Blackhead, let me see the rest of the house. The butler excused his not being able to do it then, because there were some ladies Iwith his mistress. The same request, he assured me, Blackhead repeated almost twenty times; but still he denied him.

Then Thomas Philips, my coachman, and John Jewel, my gardener, confirmed most of what the butler had said: all of them agreeing, that both the times he was at Bromley, especially the second, he had talked publickly with them of the business he came about from his master Dr. Hookes: enlarging much in commendation of the said doctor, what a worthy man he was: what hospitality he kept; and how he would never rest till he had brought to punishment the knave that had forged my hand and seal for orders. They added, that, after I had dismissed him, he lingered about in the garden, the hall, and the great parlour a long time; and was full of such discourses.

Moreover, the gardener, and William Hardy, the groom, and Thomas French, and one or two of the other servants, who remained at Bromley whilst I was in custody at Westminster, did all assure me, that this man, who brought first the letter, and then the message from Dr. Hookes, had been a third time at my house, whilst I was under confinement. That it was upon a Sunday, which by computation proved to be Whit-sunday, May 15th, that they found him in the midst of the house, before they knew he was entered. He told them, that passing that way, he came to condole for my mishap, and to inquire what the matter was; hoping it was not so bad as was reported at London. They answered, they knew nothing of particulars; yet doubted not but I was innocent. That he then again desired to see the house; but all the doors were locked, except the great parlour, which has no lock upon it. That he would have inticed them to town to drink with him; which they refused, but made him drink there; and he coming after dinner, they persuaded a maid-servant to provide him some meat: which she did, but unwillingly, telling them she did not like the fellow's looks; that, perhaps, he might come to rob, or to set the house, now so few servants were at home: that he rather looked (as indeed he did) like some knavish, broken tradesman, than an honest rich clergyman's bayliff, or steward, as he also called himself; and it has proved since, that her conjecture was true.

All this, and more, my servants repeated to me, touching Blackhead's behaviour in my house, and his discourse concerning his master Dr. Hookes. And they offered to depose it all upon oath. And, above all, the next day, being Saturday, June the 11th, Mr. Moore coming from London, immediately found the original letter, that Blackhead had brought me from the pretended Doctor.

Wherefore, being furnished with all these fresh materials, especially with the letter itself; and being not a little surprised to hear that the rogue had, the second time of his coming, been so earnest to get into my study, or any of the other rooms; and that he had the diabolical malice against me, to come to my house a third time, on pretence of condoling, my misfortune, which I then thought it was probable had chiefly proceeded from his malicious perjury against me. All this considered, I resolved to go to London on Monday morning with these servants, and to carry the letter that he brought me as from Dr. Hookes, to lay the whole business before the lords of the committee, and to desire their farther examination of Blackhead upon these particulars.

Accordingly on Monday, June the 13th, I went, and attended the meeting of the lords that morning in the usual place. When there was a full committee, I sent to them by a clerk of the council, intreating that I might have a short audience. After some time, Í was introduced. There were present (besides most of the lords before mentioned) three others, whom I had not seen there since my first appearance before them, the Marquiss of Caermarthen, Lord President, the Lord Godolphin, and Sir John Lowther.

When I came into the room, and was just going to propose the business that brought me thither, my Lord Nottingham prevented me, and said:

My Lord, do you know that person there? (pointing to a man who stood behind the privy-counsellors, near the door which leads into the publick room.)

Bishop of Roch. My Lord, I do not know him.

Earl of Not. My Lord, I pray observe him well.

Bishop of Roch. Upon my credit I never saw this man before in my life, to the utmost of my knowledge.

Then the person standing there looked boldly upon me, and said, do you not know me my Lord? do not you remember that I officiated some weeks at Bromley College, for Mr. Dobson, in King James's time? And that I preached in the parish church there once or twice?

Bishop of Roch. My Lords, I solemnly affirm I do not know this man: I never saw him before: I never knew that he officiated in Bromley-College: I never heard him preach in the church there: he is a mere stranger to me he may have served for the chaplain of that college, in King James's time; but I was not then concerned who officiated there. He may have preached in the Church, and I not have heard him; for about that time I was clerk of the closet, and was seldom or never at Bromley on Sundays, by reason of my attendance on the Princess Anne of Denmark, either at Whitehall or Windsor, or Hampton-Court, or Richmond.

The same person presently took me up, with insolent confidence, you will know me better when Captain Lawe appears; I warrant you don't know captain Lawe neither.

Bishop of Roch. My Lords, if any of your lordships please to ask me any thing, I shall answer with all respect. But I do not understand that I am-bound to satisfy this saucy fellow's questions; yet, because he has asked me so familiarly, touching my acquain tance with one captain Lawe, I assure you I know not any such man in the world as captain Lawe.

But, my Lords, by this person's discourse, I am induced to believe he may be the Young with whom the other knave, Blackhead, pretended the last time that I held a strict correspondence by his

means.

Earl of Not. This man's name is Young, Robert Young.

Bishop of Roch. Then, my Lords, because my Lord President, and some of the other lords, were not here then, I must beg leave of those that were, that I may repeat what I then remembered concerning one Robert Young. Whereupon I recollected the substance of what I had said, of a letter I had received some years since, dated at Newgate, from one of the same name, who pretended himself to be a clergyman.

I added, It seems, my Lords, by his own confession, that this is the very same Young. But, as I never saw him before he was in Newgate, so I declare, upon the faith of a christian, I never saw, or heard from him since that letter; however, I am very glad you