Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98. 529

       Punishmt of such persons no less then disquiett of the Prov- Lib. H. D.

       ince the Same things haveing aliready brought Sevrall to Con

       digne Punishmt And will undoubtedly be the portion of all

       that psist in such Evills.

         And forasmuch as Your Excy hath of your Goodness Con

       descended So farr as to lay before the Court and Country

       lately prsent att Annapolis to a very great number the Severall

       rumrs and reports that have of late been Invented and Spread

       abroad agt this his Matys Governmt And make them all

       Appear by Records and other undeniable proofs to be Some

       falce Some Scandallous and all Malitious to the full Satisfaccon

       and beyond Contradiction in the minds of all psons prsent

       And to the Conviction of those Concerned Insomuch that it

       has been reprsented to your Excy And your Excy prayed to

       issue forth Proclamations through the Province thereby to

       disabuse his Matyes Good Subjects And to Settle them in

       peace and quiett And also to Caution and leave without Excuse

       all such who by those gentle Admonitions would not be

       reclaimed And to lett all know that those very psons who were

       the Actors And Principles therein are so Sensible of the falsi

       tyes and evill thereof that they have made a Publick Acknowl

       edgemt and entred into Solemne Engagemt to avoyd and

       Abandon the like for the future

         We do therefore pray Yor Excy That it may be published

       proclamed and made knowne that all the sd Rumors and Storyes

       are falce feigned Scandalous And Malitious Invented and

       Spread abroad by John Cood as principle Author and others

       that have Suffered thereby And so probably would the sd Cood

       also but that he is fledd into Virginia and there harboured

       with whom his Matys good Subjects may be Commanded and

       required not onely to forebear Associateing and Combineing

       but to Seize and apprhend him Wheresoever found in this

       Province And Convey to the next Iustice of peace to be sent

       to the Sherr of the County According to a former Proclama

       con And we do hope and Expect that all psons will take warn

       ing And be hereby Cautioned agt such practices for the future

       It Appearing to us that your Excy is desireous And inclined

       rather to Caution And prevent the Evill then punish for it And p. 239

       not to take Advantag agt any for what is past, provided they

       behave themselves as they ought for the future And we hope

       all psons take due notice And Conforme themselves as they

       will Answer the Contrary att theire uttmost pills

          Robert Smith     Thomas Staley

          John Hammond     John Pollard   Justices of the

          Richd Hill       John Hawkins   Provll Court

          Thomas Tasker

           34