Chap. XI. The HISTORY of the PuRil'ANS. 751 cing, revelling, and drinking healths at a neighbouring window, with Ki11g a variety of mufic, ·from whence they beheld with a more than brutifh Jan~~ !I. triumph, the dreadful fpeCl:~cle~ T"he !Sa.ols being full of prifoner~, t~1e~ kino- appointed lord chief JUfhce Jejjerm to go the weflern circuit, wh~fe cruel behaviour furpafied all that had been ever heatd of iri. a civilized nation: He was always drunk either with wine, or vengeance. When the juries found perfous not guilty, he threatened and confined them, till th~y brought in a verdiCt to his mind, as in the cafe of the old lady Lijle, who was beheaded, for admitting Mr. Hickes, a non-conformi!l: minlll:er, into her houfe, though the jury brought her in three times not guiity; and {he folemnly declared, that lhe knew not that he had been in the duke's army. He perfuaded many of the prifoners to plead guilty, in hopes of favour, and then taking advantage of their confeffion, ordered their immediate execution, without giving them a minute's time to fay their prayers. Mr. Tutchin, who writ the olfervator, Bennet's was fentenced to be imprifoned {even years, and lo be whipt once every Mem. p. year, through all the towns in Dorfltjhire; upon which he petitioned the 3°0 • king, that he might be hanged. Bilhop Burnet fays, that in feveral places in the wejl, there were executed near fix hundred perfons, and that the quarters of two or three hundred, were fixed upon gibbets, and hung . upon trees all over the country for fifty or fixty miles about, to the terror and even annoyance of travellers. The manner in which he treated the prifoners, was barbarous and inhumane; and his behaviour towards fome of the nobility and gentry who were well affeCted, but appeared . to the charaCter of fome ot the criminals, would have amazed one (fays bilhop Burnet), if done by a bajbaw in Turkey. The king had advice ofrb. p. 299 , his proceedings every day, and fpoke of it in a ll:ile, neither becoming the majell:y nor mercy of a great prince. And Jejjeries, befides fatiating himfelf with blood, got great films of money, by felling pardons to fuch as were able to purchafe them, from ten pounds to fourteen thoufand guineas a-piece. After the executions in the wdf,_ the king ?eing in th.e height of _his Hisfevm power, refolved to be revenged of lm old enemtes, the 7Vhtgs, by makmg projecution Dj examples of their chief leaders: Alderman Cornijh, who had fignalized the whigs. hi~felf in. profecLiting the popifh plot, and was frequently in company w~th_ t he late lo;·d Ruffi!, was ~aken off the Exchange OC!ober I 3, and Withlfl ht_tle more than _a, week tried , condemned, and executed in Cheapfide for h~gh treafon, witnout any tolerable evidence, and his quarters !et upon Gut!dha!l. On the iame day Mrs. Gaunt a diifenter, who fpent a Burn;t P• great part of her life in acl:s of charity, vifiting the gaols, and looking 649• ' after the poor of what perfuafion foever, having entertained Burton one of Monmouth's men in her houfe, he, by an unheard of bafenefs: while
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