Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	esq_n	thomas_n	william_n	43,590	5	10.4090	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63195	The tryal of Slingsby Bethel, Esq., upon an indictment preferred by Robert Mason against him of which he was found guilty at the general quarter sessions of the peace for the town and burrough of Southwark at the Bridge-house, holden and kept before the right honourable Sir Patience Ward, Lord Mayor of the city of London, Sir Thomas Allen, Sir William Hooker, Sir Thomas Bloudworth, Sir James Edwards, and Justice Pyrs, on Wednesday, October 5, 1681.	Bethel, Slingsby, 1617-1697.	1681 (1681)	Wing T2223; ESTC R29550	14,805	18

THE TRYAL OF Slingsby Bethel Esq UPON AN INDICTMENT PREFERRED BY Robert Mason AGAINST HIM Of which he was found GUILTY AT THE General Quarter Sessions of the Peace FOR THE Town and Burrough OF SOUTHWARK AT THE Bridge-House Holden and kept before the Right Honourable Sir Patience Ward Lord Mayor of the City of London Sir Thomas Allen Sir William Hooker Sir Thomas Bloudworth Sir James Edwards and Justice Pyrs on Wednesday October 5. 1681. London Printed for R. Harbottle 1681. THE PREFACE Reader THat you may have a full Sence and Vnderstanding of the following Indictment and what what ensued thereupon it is necessary to acquaint you with all the Circumstances of the last Pole upon the Election of Members to serve in Parliament for the Town and Bourough of Southwark from whence the pretence for this Indictment was taken The Pole began on Thursday the tenth of February 1680. and continued until Tuesday following full five days The Candidates were Sir Richard How and Mr. Peter Rich on one part Slingsby Bethel and Edward Smith Esq on the other part The place of Pole was the Old Artillery-House in Southwark which is Ascended out of the Artillery Ground by six or eight large Stone steps with two half Spaces the uppermost at the entrance into the House being Banistered about is so Capacious as will hold a hundred persons or more The method of Poling was by filling the House from the doors that open upon the half Space then shutting them until they within were all Poled and let out at a back door and so filling the House again Vpon the first half Space was planted one Sam Sams a known Hectoring Carr-man and two water men of the largest size fetched from Lambeth or there abouts These men obstructed coming up to the Pole-House all such as they knew or suspected were Friends to Bethel and Smith to the hurting some discouraging others and causing many to go away This rudeness was several times complained of to Mr. Bethel who kept in the Pole-House but being pressed to endeavour to reform this disorder at last and on the fourth day of the Pole he went along with those that fetched him but found then upon the forementioned steps no more in that Hectoring posture as was represented to him than Sam Sams and Robert Mason Mr. Bethel aapplying himself first to Mason asked him in a milde and Civil manner if he had a right to Pole and upon his denyal that he had desired him to withdraw and not disturb the Peace and so took him by the Arm he having a wide Camlet Coat over his Red Coat and led him gently down who followed without resistance or any such Dialogue as is falsly suggested to have passed betwixt them and went quietly away After this Mr. Bethel asked Sam Sams the same Question as he had done his Companion Mason who answering that he had a right to Pole took him by the hand and led him in at the back door to Pole at which How and Rich seemed displeased though Rich did cunningly speak to him to Pole for Bethel and Smith intending as may well be supposed that he should thereby defend himself against Bethel and Smiths Complaint of his rude and disorderly Cariage but the Dull Fellow not apprehending the meaning of it Poled for 〈◊〉 How and Rich. And now this being all the ground there was for an Indictment one that pulls another by the Sleeve to speak with him may as well be Indicted for so doing as Mr. Bethel was for what he did Having this occasion to take notice of the manner and way of Poling in Southwark I cannot but upon the whole observe That the Inhabitants thereof lye at the times of Poling under great oppression in the expence of five or six days when fewer hours might serve the turn could the Bayliff be prevailed with to follow the example of London where double the number of True Electors in Southwark are Poled in four hours by having several Writers and Pole-Books especially the Artillery House being so convenient for the purpose as nothing can be more and the benefit in putting this in practice is backed with these Cogent Reasons First Because the Industrious sort of Inhabitants will hereby save the attendance of four or five days Secondly Because the doors of the Pole-House standing open and the people understanding that every one in three or four hours will be dispatched it will prevent Quarrelling and Rudeness in coming to the Pole and discourage Factious Persons from sending for Hectoring Fellows to espouse a particular Party in opposition to all others as was done the last Pole Thirdly The Candidates will hereby be prevented in Raking the Prisons Hospitals Almes-Houses and Streets for Beggers and the adjacent Neighbourhood for necessitous persons to the swelling the number of Electors to above double of what they really are as was done the two last Poles the first having Poled near fourthousand and the latter above three thousand whereas there are not in all above eighteen or nineteen hundred in the Bourough that have a right to Pole whereof we found the last Pole by Examination of the Church-Books no more to appear than thirteen hundred that payed to the Poor the rest being abated by Widdows Aged Sick and Absent Persons of which number of thirteen hundred How had five hundred eighty six Rich five hundred eighty three Bethel seven hundred and three and Smith seven hundred and sixteen so that though by the Pole at large How and Rich had near three hundred more than Bethel and Smith these two latter upon a true account had near one hundred and thirty more than the two former as may be observed by the above mentioned Numbers Fourthly Because so long as this method of Poling is continued the Burrough of Southwark will never be truely represented in Parliament the Candidates that live upon the place being always able to make their Numbers by illegal Polers as great as they please Antiently and in the memory of some living none were admitted to the Election but such as by their Taxes appeared to be the most Substantial Inhabitants which was acquiesced in without Poling but of late that way is not only by the Bayliff increased to all that pay to the Poor against which none can object but even to all that will but say they are House-Keepers under which notion it is that the true Electors are abused This Fraud hath been complained of to two Parliaments but both Dissolved before business came to Hearing otherwise it is more than probable it would have been Reformed The last Election Bethel and Smith being sensible that there was no Poling for them against all the Beggars in the Town they with many Inhabitants propounded to the Bayliff to Pole by the Poors Books and to convince him of the reasonableness thereof delivered him the Opinions of two Serjeants at Law and one Bencher under their own hands that none had right to Pole save such as