592   Appendix to Council Proceedings, 1696—1729.

             B. M. phia. This unhappy woman was Indicted in the last Court of

             Vol. 25. Quarter Sessions held at Philadelphia for the County thereof

                  the of March 1696/7 of Carnall Actions with a young

                  Man a Batchelor tht sojourned in the Neighbourhood. Then

                  appeared but one Evidence against her, a woman of an in

                  famous life tht had Run from her husband at Boston and was

                  known to bear ill-will to the person shee thus Impeached.

                  And though there was but one single Evidence, & tht one not

                  qualified according to Law (wth in all cases requires credible

                  witnesses) nor anything deposed by that Evidence upon Oath

                  or viva voce as the Law has provided, but out of a paper ex

                  tracted from an obscure illegall examination taken in private

                  by a Quaker Justice, where the person accused was not suf

                  fered to be present or indeed to have any knowledge of it,

                  wch when read in Court could neither be Repealed nor yet

                  heartily owned the deponent then & there present & tho' like

                  wise tht paper deposition did not amount to the Prooving of

                  the Charge but only sett foorth some indecent familiarities. Yet

                  notwithstanding all these Circumstances & the manifest in

                  sufficiency & defect of the proof they found this poor woman

                  guilty and sentenced her to be whipt with one & twenty

                  Lashes on her naked flesh tho' her husband declared shee had

                  alwaies been to him an Industrious & Faithfull wife & of so

                  spotless a conversation tht her vertue was never suspected or

                  called in question since they were married before tht time &

                  offered to pay Twenty pounds to Redeem her from the Exe

                  cution of tht sharp Punishmt & disgracefull Sentence, wch is

                  double the fine their own Law has appointed to be inflicted

                  even in such cases were the crime of Adultery is clearly pro

                  ved. And thus their Zeal prompts them to handle one of the

                  world.

                   But they could not find a freedom in their spirrits to treat

                  Robert an Ancient Friend & preacher among them

                  after tht Rate tho' Convicted at the same Sessions by manifest

                  proof & undeniable Evidence of Carnall dealings & Veneriall

                  Commerce with the wife of one Robt Webb so his matter was

                  managed thus: The Bill being found by the Grand Jury, a

                  Constable was ordered to bring him into Court, upon tht

                  two of the most eminent Quaker Justices left the Bench &

                  hastened to the house of their friend Robt where having first

                  discharged the Constable they enter upon a serious Consulta

                  tion concerning the managemt of their friends case by such

                  proper Methods as might least sully his Honor or fix any stain

                  upon him, wch being concerted they return into Court after a

                  smal time their friend Robt follows without the attendance

                  of any officer wch was contrived in tenderness to his reputa

                  tion having made his appearance they acquaint him with the