416    Charles County Court Proceedings, 1662-1666.

              Liber B And for the Confirmation of the sayd Petition the Plantiue humbly
                   Requesteth that William heard Mr Walter Beane John Wheler and
                   Alexander Whit might haue thear oath giuen them which was
                   granted

                     William heard Sworne and examined in open Court sayeth that hee
                   Remembereth nothing appertaining to the action of defamation Com
                   menced by James Lee against Mr John Meekes and further sayeth
                   not:

                     Mr Walter Beane Sworne and Examined in open Court sayeth
                   that hee Remembereth nothing that Mr Meekes spoake against the
                   fame of James lee and further sayeth not:

                     John Wheler Sworne and Examined in open Court sayeth that the
                   night after the last Court thear was sum words past betweene Mr
                   Meekes and James Lee and that Mr Meekes sayd to James Lee thow
                   art a theif and lie proue thee a theif and further sayeth not:

                     Alexander white sworne and examined in open Court sayeth that
               [p. 202] hee heard Mr Meekes say that James lee was a theef and that hee had
                   stoale a paer of stokings and further sayeth not

                     Whearupon Mr Meekes humbly Requesteth that John Cherman
                   Joane Wilmott and Zarah Chad might haue thear oaths giuen them
                   which was granted:

                     John Cherman Sworne and Examined in open Court sayeth that
                   his wife heard Mr Meekes Mr Lugar and Mr Lee very Merry in the
                   stoare together and in the morning shee heard a Case opened and
                   drincke Rune into the bottell and after shee desired this deponant
                   to get up and put on his Cloaths and see what was the dooings in
                   Mr Meekeses Stoare and hee did sow and hee went and saw James
                   Lee Coming from the Rume Caske with a bottell full of drincke but
                   whether hee Come from the Rum Caske or no this deponant knows
                   not and further that hee went Rownd to the stoar doar and James
                   lee beeing in the stoare cuming towards the stoar door with a peece
                   of browne paper in his hand Rubbing sugar of of his hands which
                   hee saw upon his hands and further sayeth not.

                     This deposition beeing dictated by himself in open Court was
                   afterwards three seuerall times distincktly read ouer unto him thear
                   then beeing so great a silence in the Court that hardly was thear any
                   one heard so much as to whisper the Clarke only excepted who read
                   the deposition and euery time at the end thearof demanded of the sayd
                   Chearman wheather or no it was word by word his very oaths and
                   wheather or no hee understood euery part and Parcell thearof? to
                   boath which questions the sayd Chearman Replyed is; whearupon
                   hee humbly intreated him to giue good Attention to his oath and