Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1761-1769. 253

in another, and republished here, without the request, as far
as I know of the Author, and I think myself in particular
not at all liable for the Consequences, the Piece being anony-
mous.
I am with great Respect Sir
Your Excellency's most obliged and Obedient
humble Servant.
5^th October 1768. Bennet Allen.

His Excellency having desired the Advice of this Board
thereon, and what further steps would be advisable for him
to take, It is the Unanimous Opinion of this Board, that for
anything that appears to the Board, there is no foundation for
the Indecent Insinuations in the said Publication contained,
and that his Excellency cannot with Propriety take Notice
at present of a Matter so irregularly suggested, further than
as he has already been pleased to intimate to the supposed
Author the Propriety of his explaining or Supporting his
Allegations above referred to, the said Supposed Author nor
any other Person having thought fit to undertake the same.

His Excellency was also pleased to lay before this Board
the following Letter which he had received from the Hon-
ourable Walter Dulany Esq^r desiring their Advice thereon.

Sir
I must beg leave to Submit to Your Excellency's Considera-
tion a Paper which has been lately Published in the Pennsil-
vania Chronicle, signed B: A. which from the Contents and
all Circumstances, I take to mean Bennet Allen, his Lordship's
Agent. It is fill'd with many virulent Charges against W. D.
by which Characters I understand myself to be meant. Some
of these Charges are of a Publick and some of a Private Na-
ture. The former alone I shall Select for your Excellency's
Perusal, which stands thus: " But I hope by this time, that
there is not a real Parishioner of All Saints so prejudiced &c. as
not to see through the vile and infamous Treatment I received,
encouraged if not recommended by the most unprincipled and
revengeful Man alive. I had for some time entertained hopes
that the Spirit of Ambition &c. that had long disturb'd not
only my own Peace but that of the Province would &c. A
Spirit that when I went to take peaceable Possession of a
Church raised a Mob against me, who had I not been miracu-
lously preserved, would have Torn me into a Thousand Pieces.
A Spirit that conjured up the blackest Fiends in Hell, to ruin
my Fortune, prevarication lying corruption bribery." After
pointing me out by the initial Letters of my Name, he pro-

Lib. C. B.
No. 20