JAMES THE SECOND.

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but the eye of the tyrant was upon him. Goodenough, terri- chap.tied by the near prospect of death, and still harbouring malice ■"hsisTon account of the unfavourable opinion which had alwaysbeen entertained of him by his old master, consented tosupply the testimony which had hitherto been wanting.Cornish was arrested while transacting business on the Ex-change, was hurried to gaol, was kept there some days insolitary confinement, and was brought altogether unpreparedto the bar of the Old Bailey. The case against him restedwholly on the evidence of Bumsey and Goodenough. Bothwere, by their own confession, accomplices in the plot withwhich they charged the prisoner. Both were impelled by thestrongest pressure of hope and fear to criminate him. Evi-dence was produced which proved that Goodenough was alsounder the influence of personal enmity. Bumsey’s story wasinconsistent with the story which he had told when he ap-peared as a witness against Lord Bussell. But these things'were urged in vain. On the bench sate three judges who hadbeen with Jeffreys in the West; and it was remarked by thosewho watched their deportment that they had come back fromthe carnage of Taunton in a fierce and excited state. It isindeed but too true that the taste for blood is a taste whicheven men not naturally cruel may, by habit, speedily acquire.

The bar and the bench united to browbeat the unfortunateAVhig. The jurj r , named by a courtly Sheriff, readily founda verdict of guilty; and, in spite of the indignant murmursof the public, Cornish suffered death within ten days after hehad been arrested. That no circumstance of degradationmight be wanting, the gibbet was set up where King Streetmeets Cheapside, in sight of the house where he had longlived in general respect, of the Exchange where his credithad always stood high, and of the Guildhall where he haddistinguished himself as a popular leader. He died withcourage and with many pious expressions, but showed, by