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HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

CHAP.XV.IC!)U.Trial ofCrone.

Channel by a squadron of men of war under the command ofSir Cloudesley Shovel. *

The month which followed William’s departure fromLondonwas one of the most eventful and anxious months in the wholehistory of England. A few hours after he had set out, Cronewas brought to the bar of the Old Bailey. A great array ofjudges w’as on the Bench. Fuller had recovered sufficiently tomake his appearance in court; and the trial proceeded. TheJacobites had been indefatigable in their efforts to ascertain thepolitical opinions of the persons whose names were on the jurylist. So many were challenged that there w T as some difficultyin making up the number of twelve; and among the twelve wasone on whom the malecontents thought that they could depend.Nor were they altogether mistaken; for this man held outagainst his eleven companions all night and half the next day;and he would probably have starved them into submission hadnot Mrs. Clifford, who was in league with him, been caughtthrowing sweetmeats to him through the window. ITis supplieshaving been cut off, he yielded; and a verdict of Guilty, which,it was said, cost two of the jurymen their lives, was returned.A motion in arrest of judgment was instantly made, on theground that a Latin word indorsed on the back of the indict-ment was incorrectly spelt. The objection was undoubtedlyfrivolous. Jeffreys would have at once overruled it with atorrent of curses, and would have proceeded to the mostagreeable part of his duty', that of describing to the prisoner thewhole process of half hanging, disembowelling, mutilating,and quartering. But Holt and his brethren remembered thatthey were now for the first time since the Revolution trying aculprit on a charge of high treason. It was therefore desirable

* London Gazettes, June 5. 12. 1G. 1G90; Hop to the States Generalfrom Chaster, June Hop attended William to Ireland as envoy fromtho States*