178 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98.

            Lib. H. D.    tht the people of Maryland need not fear the Indians doing

                  any Mischief among them, by Reason the Governr is so

                  Sharp upon thm and therefore they Come over to do Mischief

                  in Virga He does say that Coll: Mason sent up an Inter

                  preter to the Emperor and a Messingr to his Exncy Sr

                  Edmund Andros Governr of Virga to Advise him of these

                  things but tht there was noe Return of either, when he Came

                  away.

                        At the Port of Annapolis.

                           July the 16th 1697.

                   Then came the within named Ebenezar Blackiston the

                  Depont & made Oath before his Exncy the Govr tht the within

                  & above Accot about the Indians is a true Relation to the

                  best of his Remembrance.

                                          Henry Denton Cl Concil

                   To all persons to whom these presents shall Come Wee

                  the Subscribers being Justices of his Mats Provll Court of

                  Maryland send Greeting &ca

                  Justice of the His Exncy ffrancis Nicholson Esq his mats Capt

                  Provll Courts Attestacon Gen” and Governr of this Province having been

                  upon Mr - pleasd to produce a Certain paper before us in

                  Clarks Peticon . . —

                  to the Govr tituled a Peticon of Mr Philip Clarke of St Maries

                  of Virga County and by severall Evidences Sworne before

                  us declared by them that it looks very like and they believe

                  it to be the hand writing of the sd Philip Clark which Con

                  taining in it many false Scandalous and lying Reflections as

                  well on his the Governr as on the Court We hold our

                  selves Obliged for the true Information of those whom it

                  Concerns and for Vindication of the Governrs Honr and In

                  tegrity in those matters to sett forth and declare as hereby

                  we doe Unanimously and Severally declare that the sd Paper

                  let who will be the Author is a false and Scandalous libel.

                   (1)    In saying tht the Governrs Prejudice Supposed to be

                  Conceived agt the sd Mr Clark was for his Refusing as Judge

                  of the sd Court to grant a Judgmt against John Cood Con-

               p. 79 trary to Law most invectively false and untrue the Said

                  Philip Clark being not Judge of the sd Court nor did the

                  Governr Ever move the Court in the matter or press them to

                  give any kind of Judgment nay so Carefull was the Court in

                  that matter that when the Kings Counsell at Law moved for

                  an Attachmt against the sd Cood for the penalty of an Act of

                  Assembly being Twenty pounds Sterl. Upon two Non est

                  Inventus Return'd and a bill found by the Grand Jury yet the