232    Charles County Court Proceedings, 1658-1662.

              Liber A The Premisses thear for beeing taken into your most serious Con
                    siderations your petitioner humbly Craueth such Satisfaction as your
                    worships will ahlott him: humbly beseeching you to Consider
                           That hee liues for euen in Eternall shame
                           that liues to see the death of his good name

                     The Plantiue Desirs Mr Thompsons Oath may bee taken to which
                    the Defendant making Obiection as if the sayd Thompson woold de
                    fame himself by Periurie to iniure him Whearupon Mr Thompson in
                    his owne defence declares in open Court that Mr Baker hath bin A
                    Common defamor of most of all his neighbours and prof ens to proue
                    it and particularly by the neighbourhood who can testifie bee neuer
                    lined in any good fame since thay knew him and the sayd Thompson
                    beeing Sworne deliuered his deposition in writing declaring it to bee
              [p. 226]   the full sence of what bee heard Mr Baker say though Possibly it may
                    not bee word ford word as bee spake them

                     George Thompson Sworne and examined in open Court sayeth
                    that Mr Thomas Baker told him in the Presance of Richard Dod,
                    and James Fox that bee heard that goodie neuill was to haue sworne
                    against him for this deponants Land Lord Robisson, and that if shee
                    had Come to Sware bee woold haue put her by her oath for that she
                    was a Common whore and that bee coold prone by her Childeren and
                    that beeing newly deliuered of a Girle as shee lay in bed shee inuited
                    a man that accidentally happened to bee thear to Come to bed to her
                    and get her a boy to her Girle at which speach he the sayd Baker
                    told this deponant the party turned himself about and Caled his doge
                    Trogian to Performe the office as more fitting for a doge the a man
                    and also sayd that goodman Neuill knew of it and was going to Court
                    about the same the last year and asked mee wheather or no I thaught
                    so wicked a woman was a Computent witnes against any man: &
                    further says not

                     The Plantiue Desires William Robisson may bee Sworne the defen
                    dant Obiects against him, Saying hee hath threatning him whearupon
                    the defendant desires to haue Mr Hussey sworne, who after his oath
                    giuen declares hee neuer heard William Robisson threatned him, only
                    bee once heard him say if bee had any differance with any man if bee
                    Could not bee Reuenged of him by law bee woold bee otherwise at
                    one time or other, Whearupon the defendant Required the opinion of
                    the Court Whether Robissons Oath may bee taken or not who gaue
                    thear opion bee might bee sworne, and after his Oath giuen him, bee
                    declared and sayeth
                     That when this Deponant was building the now dwelling hows of
                    John Neuill after bee had don worke the same Euening after the sayd
                    Neuils wife was deliuered hee went to the Loged bows whear thay
                    then hued whear he met with Mr Baker and William Empson drinck