Lieutenant Cole got by Informing against Captain Elliot Prithee let me advise and perswade you to leave it off and betake your self to something that is Honest Civility O dear is Mr. Fidelity an Informer I hope not I am heartily sorry to hear that I hope Husband you will advise him better pray my Dear see what you can do Pray Neighbour be Advised by my Husband Fid. Yes Madam I shall be glad of his Advise I know he is a Wise Man and one that is able to give good Counsel Friend Then if you will take my Advice I would desire you to consider what a Reproach and Scandal you 'll bring upon your self by Informing and how you will be slighted and hated by all good Men and truly if you don't decline it I shall be very shy of your Company my self An Informer Fie fie it is the hatefullest Name that is pray leave it pray let me perswade you to decline it and follow your Trade I know you may have Business enough and I will be a help to you in Business my self Civ Pray good Neighbour mind my Husband and take his Advice I am sure he will give you good Counfel pray don 't he advise you well and speak a great deal of reason Fid. Yes truly I like his Discourse and thank him for his good Counsel but I don't apprehend why an Informer should be so hateful I know Vicious Men that break Bounds by Cheating Robing and Oppressing Honest People cannot endure him I know they hate him for discovering their Villanies but what of that would you have him decline an Act of Justice to curry favour with Rogues and Villains whom every Honest Man ought to suppress Truly I cannot see any reason that you or any Body else I mean any honest Body has to slight me for that for every Body knows that the detecting of Villains is the preserving of Honest People and truly I met with none of them but what does highly commend me for what I do Friend I don't know who you call Honest People the general Vogue of the People discovers an Abhorrence of an Informer the very Name without regard to the Extent or Office of it is an Odium of the most hatefullest Name amongst us Fid. You talk of the general Vogue of the People why truly I think no Man in his right Wits ought to mind the report of the Popular Multitude for they are as variable as the Wind which is always shifting or like the Moon never constant truly I think we ought to regard the Advice of one Honest Man far above the Report of the biassed and deceived Multitude Civ Why do you think my Husband is biass'd or deceived No I scorn your Words I 'd have you to know he understands himself as well as the best Man in our Parish Fid. Yes Madam I believe that but he may be misled by false Notions as many Thousands are in Opinions As for Instance The Papists do affirm that Bread once Consecrated is no more Bread but that it then is the real Flesh and Blood of our Blessed Saviour and do declare all those Hereticks that will not believe it and many Thousands have suffered Death because they would not own it and as that Argument has been maintain'd by all the Romish Tribes so it has been as stiffly opposed by all the Protestants in the Universe so then if the Name of an Informer which you say and I believe is such an Odium amongst the biassed or deceived People be of so great Esteem as I say amongst the Honest Judicious and Unbiass'd sort then certainly I ought to adhere to them and since it is impossible for any Man to conform in Principle to two contrary Opinions I will decline the biggest Party and side with the best whose Judgment my Conscience bears me Witness I ought to follow Friend Yes I know that People do differ much in Opinions but what I say is reason and truly I must tell you I do not approve of an Informer my self I hate the very Name let Honesty say what he pleases that shall never reconcile me to an Informer no I have been too much bitten by them my self you know I have used the Sea a great while and have been Master of many a good Ship and have made many a good Voyage and indeed they might have been much better if it had not been for those Catterpillers they took from me one Night my Longboat full of rich Goods 't was four Hundred Pounds damage to me my Wife knows Fid. Pray what did they take it by force of Arms Friend No they pretended they were Officers belonging to the Custom-House and Seized them because they were not Entered nor the Duties paid Fid. Why then they were not all your own unless the Duties were paid for the King had a full and lawful Right to the Duties that you know and that you would have cheated him of by making a Devil as well call it i. e. by running them in the Night so that you designing to Cheat the King was Chous'd your self and truly you were served right for he that did that did only bite the Biter Civ Pray Husband don't talk no more to him he does but Banter you for your good Will Hang him let him go like a Knave as he is Fid. Truly I am no Knave neither was he that Seized them Goods for they were not properly yours Friend Yes they were for I am sure I bought and paid honestly for them Fid. Honestly pray not too much of that how could you pretend those Goods were honestly paid for before the Duties were paid You know the King had as much Right to the Duties incumbent upon them as the Person that sold them had to the Goods so that then you had only a Right to the one part which like a Cheating Gamester you ventured against the other part and like the greedy Dog in the Fable lost both Friend Indeed I am sorry to hear you talk on at this rate truly I had a better Opinion of you and did intend upon the Return of this Voyage to have imployed you upon my Ships Business and assisted me in carrying off some Goods which should have been to your Advantage but since I have sounded your Pulse I 'll have nothing to do with you Fid. Well if you will not imploy me the King will ay and encourage me to and it is possible I may circumvent you in your Knavish and dark Designs Friend The King Imploy and Encourage you no I 'll never believe that he has any Respect for Informers Fid. That 's your mistake for Informers are the Eyes of a King 't is they that keep Watch and Ward to preserve him from Violence and Injury for as Kings and Princes have long Arms and wide Ears so they have many Eyes that is the Eyes of his Subjects whose Duty it is to take care that no Violence or Injury be attempted or committed against their Soveraign
in me more then in others As for my part I took but my degree in doing as others did In. Ay but you have broke that Custom and out-run that Law and another too for besides your Pillaging above the Gun Deck you have plundered all Ships and Goods too Embezzled and Sold them which is a great Cheat and a Breach of trust too Ch. The former Law I don't much fear for if I am tried before a Court Marshal upon the Breach of that Statute I don't doubt but I shall come off well enough In. But you are not Prosecuted upon that Statute neither to be tried by a Court-Marshal now Ch. Pray where must I be tried then And upon what Statute and when was it made In. Why you are Prosecuted upon the Statute of Anno Quarto and Quinto of his present Majesty Intituled an Act for encouraging of Privateers c. Whereby it is provided that no Embezzelments shall be made of Prize Goods taken or retaken from His Majesties Enemies but that all such Goods with the Arms Ammunition and Furniture of such Ships shall be reserved intire and free from such Embezzelments and shall not be pillaged in any Case whatsoever But that all such Ships and Goods shall be delivered to some Agent belonging to the King and shall be sold by Inch of Candle for the best advantage and that three tenths of the neat proceed after all Charges allowed shall be divided and paid in proportion to the several Officers and Marriners that were at the taking of them besides 10 Pound allowed for ever piece of Ordnance in Ships taken or destroyed under the Commission of His Majesties Enemies And that all Officers offending against this Statute shall answer the Goods by them Embezzeled and shall forfeit 500 l. and be disabled from bearing any Office under His Majesty for the space of 7 Years and upon this Statute you are Prosecuted in His Majesties Court of Exchequer Ch Is not that Act repealed I know there was a Bill 't was read the last Sessions of Parliament for repealing part of that Act by Indemnifying Captains of such penalties and disabilities as might be Inflicted on them on pretence of Embezzeling Prize Goods and truly I made all the interest I could to put it forward In. I do believe you but you were grosly mistaken by thinking to Impose or put tricks on that Honourable House for altho they are always ready to relieve the guiltless yet they are as careful to punish offenders Indeed had your Allegations proved as they were represented to them you might have depended on them for relief but they were so well possess'd of the truth of the Fact charged against you and of the great Embezzelments made by you and of the several mismanagements committed by you during the late War that they thought fit to drop that Bill and Leave you to the Law Knowing that if you were Prosecuted for pretended Embezzelments the Court upon Tryal would relieve you and altho you may think it unreasonable to forfeit and pay the Penalty of that Act yet I tell you you have no cause to complain for before that Act was made it was then Death for any Man to Embezzel any Arms Ammunition or Tackling of any Prize but you have Embezzeled Ship Cargo Tackle c. To a great Value and therefore I think you are kindly used if you can be excused for 500 l. Ch. That is not all I shall be disabled from serving His Majesty for the space of seven Years and lose my share of Prize Money too Hon. Your share of Prize Money cannot be much by reason you Embezzeled the whole and Converted the Money to your own use if you have lately given any Account to the Commissioners for Prizes it is a thing of small moment your share of that will amount to little as to the losing of your Commission I think it very reasonable that those who have betrayed their trust and cheated the King and Seamen as you have done should be dismised from any further Service in this Government the Justice of the Court will decide the Controversie according to the merits of the cause Ch. 〈◊〉 Life you startle me now I did not Dream of this yet I must confess I have heard as much but I swear I did not mind it this is very severe but I hope my good Service that I have perform'd in serving the King and Countrey will attone for my miscarriage I 'll give that in as a special Plea in my defence or I 'll deny the charge for what you say is no Proof In. Well you may plead or deny what you please I doubt that will avail you little for if there want proof your whole Ships Company can prove the fact and as for your serving the King and Countrey it is but a Jest I have heard you say that your chiefest nay your whole design was to serve your self And indeed that is sufficiently manifest to the whole Nation but however I would not have you dispair you have good Friends and Great ones too and I know that Friendship may avail you much in this Case Che. Yea I have good Friends it was them that preferred me and would do me any Kindness they can but now I am prosecuted in Courts of Justice and am to be Tryed by Justice her self who holds the Scales upon an equal Ballance and will not be busied by Flattery or Friendship Inf. Why then you seem to be afraid of Justice Che. Yes I am I don't know how to look her in the Face the very Name strikes a Terrour to me and I know she 'll take their part Inf. Good lack how Men differ in Opinions She is In my mind certainly the most Beautiful and Chaste the most Modest and Vertuous Woman in the whole World and is by all Honest Men Adored and Admired as our mighty Preserver and Defender from Rage Violence and Oppression c. and the King is a great Admirer of her he hugs her in his Bosome and preserves and maintains her as one of the highest Rank and to be plain now she is not supported and protected in her full Splendour and Grandure the People cannot be secure in their Persons or Estates besides I never heard that she was any Partaker and I know it is impossible that she can Che. Well I don't know what to say to her but if I were to choose I would be Tryed by Mercy in another Court for I cannot indure to think of Justice in Authority Inf. You may talk what you please you must be Tryed before her but Mercy will be there for Justice will not act or do any thing without Mercy for she is her own Sister Che. Ay but I have known Mercy to act without Justice many a time for it is not long since my Self my Wife and others of my Family were carried before a Justice to answer the Complaint of a Widdow whom iudeed we had all Abus'd but Mercy hectored the Widdow
as in times of War and if you were not obstructed you would carry all before you and our Merchants Ships might lay by the Wall to Eternity for they cannot pretend to sail at that Rate Hon. Prethe don't tell me of them I have told you my mind and I am for getting of Money if I can let them look out that has the watch Fid. So they did by your Discourse and catcht you to your Cost Hon. That 's too true to make a Jest off but saving your Discourse what must I do with this Informer that Prosecutes me Fid. Why do you ask me Hon. Because I am Informed that you have taken up that Imployment and as I was unwilling to believe it so I was troubled to hear that you should undertake such a scandalous and base a Profession which every Honest Man abhors Fid. That 's your mistake for all Honest Men allow and commend it and a great many honest Commanders that have been in your Station do commend me for appearing in so Good so just and Honest a cause And the King and the Law allows and requires and encourages so good a work as the only Antidote against Rogues and Villains so I deny your Assertion I am no Informer Hon. No! Pray who then Informs against my Brother Captain Q. Pray who Informs against me Fid. Why truly you Inform against your self and discover your own Villany tho it is in a Braevado but to tell you plain your Officers and Marriners whom you have cheated and abused they Inform against you not out of Spight or Malice but for Right and Justice and indeed I am imployed by them and do appear as an Advocate to Solicit for the King and them Hon. That is all one you may call your self Advocate or Soliciter or what you please but all of them that you appear against do declare you to be an Informer and truly if my Friendship or any thing that I can do for you may obliged you to decline that scandalous Name I should be very glad to see you Converted Fid. Why do you Account them Honest Men that I appear against Hon. Yes I do and they are Gentlemen of great Honour and Reputation too Fid. Why if they be Honest and Guiltless they need not fear or regard an Informer or Soliciter no nor the Law neither for none of them can or will hurt an Honest Man And if they be Knaves it would be a greater Crime to connive at their Villanies then to complain of their Vices and yet to gratifie you if you will decline Cheating I will leave Informing and that without reward Hon. Well tho you deny the Name of an Informer You own the Name of Soliciter or Advocate and that 's all one they have a dependency one upon another in Prosecuting us and I do hold with several of my Brethren and do say and affirm to your face that you are an Informer Fid. Then so let it be and call me as you please but pray do me the Justice to consider that I am not a petty Vexatious one that Informs against frivolous offenders i. e. Such as relieve distressed Beggars at the Door or those who for Conscience sake refuse to comply in Ceremonies of Religion neither did I ever Inform against those that pick or lick Gold off of Ginger-bread c. Yet I do allow there is a sort of Informers that has brought an odium upon the Profession that are not sit to live in a Civil Government i. e. Horselers and othes Informing High way-men how they may come by a good Booty Servants Informing thieves how and when to Rob their Masters others Informing against their Neighbours for not working or paying towards repairing the High-way where there is none Husbands Informing against there Wives and Women against their Husbands for not going to Mass or not Worshipping God against Reason and Conscience c. Others prying into the Closets of Kings and Princes and then discovering their secrets to their Enemies Treacherous and Cowardly Sea Captains Maliciously Informing against and dismissing others of Courage and Fidelity as was the Case of Captain Desborrow c. Besides I must tell you that every Man that bears any Office under the King and every Parish Officer and every Man upon Juries of Inquest Yea and every Freeman of London are Sworn to be Informers and if so then it can be no Crime in me but an Act of the Highest Justice to Inform against such Villains that has ruin'd Thousands of His Majesties Subjects and Cheated the King and Country to that degree that the whole Nation Groans with the Cries of the oppressed whilst the oppressors Glory and Boast of their Wickedness Besides our Great Lawmakers out of a sence of Duty to their King and Countrey have ordained that Informers shall be Encouraged for Informing against Publick offenders and that purely to prevent or punish Villanies So that an Informer in the proper Sence is an Officer of Justice and a good one too provided he appears more for Justice then Malice So then if I am an Informer I am one of the highest rank and with your leave I 'll wave the Name of Fidelity and Acknowledge my self a faithful Informer provided you will decline the nick Name of Honesty and appear according to your profession by the Name of Publick Cheater and then we 'll proceed if you please but pray let it be without Cavelling Ch. With all my heart but don't bear too hard upon me for I was but one that Acted as others did according to the moad of the times And certainly that could be no great Crime in me to follow the Fashions Besides long custom makes many things both Natural and Lawful which I think you cannot deny In. It may be you take your Pedigree from Cain who was the first that committed the Heinous Sin of murder but if you do that don't make it Lawful or Natural altho some Vicious Men would have it so Pray consider Can any thing be more Notorious in those who were imployed with double Sallaries to defend and preserve the Nation then for them to Rob it and as much as in them lay to ruin it by Plundering what was forbidden by the Law and by abusing and piking off the Seamen and Marriners who are esteemed the Bulwark of the Nation as you have done It is observable that by your Savage and Barbarous Practice above 70000 of them has been driven into the other World and above 100000 more has been quite run out of their Pay during the late War and meerly to gratify your Ambitious and Barbarous Humors Ch. Prethe talk no more of that you have had my Answer now hear me you charge me and my Friends of Murther and Barbarity when every Body knows that the Informers are the greatest Villains and Mutherers in the whole Nation for were it not for them we should have no hanging nor burning of the hand no pilloring whiping or banishing of Men as we had