38      Court and Testamentary Business, 1 638.

             Liber Z. Then was it alledged by william Lewis that the intent of the

                  writing was to combine the Protestants together, and to send

                  a petition vnder all their hands to the Governr and Counsell

                  of virginea, that they would send hether for william Lewis

                  and proceed agst him for a traitour. and this he offered by

                  one here pnt that heard James Thornton say, that they declared

                  such their intent in his hearing

                    but this being refused by the Governr as an insufficient

                  proofe, and the partie himselfe demanded that heard the

                  words; it was answered that he was gone out a trading the

                  day before. wherevpon the Governr thought fitt to deferre

                  their triall and censure till the witnesse could be produced in

                  Court; and in the meane time willed mr Secretary to deliver

                  his censure touching the complaints agst william Lewis.

                    And mr Secretary found him guilty of an offensive & indis

                  creete speech in calling the author of the booke an instnt of the

                  divell; but acquitted him from that he was charged withall in

                  the writing, that he vsed that speech touching Protestant

                  ministers in generall. he likewise found him guilty of a very

                  offensive speech in calling the Protestant ministers, the minis

                  ters of the divell. he likewise found him to have exceeded in

                  forbidding them to read a booke otherwise allowed & lawfull

                  to be read by the state of England; but he acquitted him of

                  the accusation that he forbad his servants to have or vse

                  Protestant books in his house, and because these his offensive

                  speeches, & other his vnseasonable disputations in point of

                  religion tended to the disturbance of the publique peace &

                  quiett of the colony; and were committed by him against a

                  publique proclamation sett forth to prohibite all such disputes;

                  therefore he fined him in 500. weight of tobacco to the lord of

                  the Province; & to remaine in the Sheriffs custodie vntill lie

                  found sufficient sureties for his good behaviour in those kinds

                  in time to come.

                    The Captaine likewise found him to have offended agst the

                  publique peace, and ags the proclamation made for the sup

                  pressing of all such disputes tending to the cherishing of a

                  faction in religion; and therefore fined him likewise 500 l to

                  the Lord of the Province, but for his good behaviour thought

                  fitt to leave it to his owne discretion.

                    The Governr concurred wholly in his sentence with mr

                  Secretary. And so the Court brake up. and william Lewis

                  was committed to the Sheriff

                    Afterward he found security for his good behaviour; and

                  was bound as followeth;

                  3. July.   1638 William Lewis, John Medcalfc, and Richard

                        Browue, acknowledge themselves to owe vnto the Lord