Provincial Court Proceedings, 1672.     37

      Justice of peace in Somerset County doth Exercise an Arbitrary Liber J J
      power over the Good people there with such Great Rigour & Ex- 508
      tremity, that many of the Inhabitants groane undr it.
        That at my the said Jones being at the hone Keele in Worcester
      County the sd Smith did openly declare that he would not obey the
      millitary power there whereupon Diverse deserted their, Comandrs.
      and if any supply had beene sent the Dutch that opposition had beene
      made wee had all been Ruined wch words the said Smith hath since
      used, and further sayd he would be Cesar aut nihil.
        That whereas his Excellency had apointed & ordered the surveyor Item
      ffrancis Jenkins should lay out at the Hore Keele Neck a mile
      square for a Towne according to the Directions of the Justices of
      ye County the said Henry Smith & ffrancis Jenkins by Combination
      & Confederacy together that notwthstanding the Directions of the
      Justices the said Jenkins did Layout for ye mile or ye Towne in other
      manner then the Justices had Directed saying he would lay out
      the Towne where he listed himself, And by Covin betwixt him & ye
      said Smith the said Jenkins survey'd six hundred Acres of land
      for ye said Smith where the Towne should have beene After
      the said Smith passed the same over to the said Jenkins, whereupon
      the said Thomas Jones prayeth the discretion of the honoble Board,
      and that the said Henry Smith may be Required to answere to the
      prmises               Tho: Jones.
                      Endorsed Ignoramus.

        These are humbly to informe yor Excellency that Capt Thomas
      Jones did wth six or seaven men goe up to the Hore Keele where he
      first caused all ye Dutchmen to be bound then opened their Chests
      taking severall furres & two Blankets, and some Powder the wch he
      ordered to be throwne into ye River and Dranke their Anniseed
      Water this by Information.
        Upon August the 22th wee did see him bring into the Guard (with
      others he Employed) Deere skins Wampum Peake Blankets Trad
      ing Cloth powder pipes Knives looking glasses, with severall ffurrs
      wee suppose to the vallue of sixty pounds sterling.
        Also the said Thomas Jones did upon the 21th of August ride up
      to one Robert Catlin and Drew his sword calling him ould Rouge
      and Dogg with other Scurrilous Exprssions, and Runn his sword
      thorow his Cloathes to his skynn only for accidentally carryeing
      us a little out of ye way.
        That he did upon the 23th of August when Complaint was made
      to me as being one of his Lopps Justices of ye Peace for his taking
      a way a pound of Powder from an English man wch he Kept for his
      Defence and had Retorned not much above halfe did Reply that if I
      the said Smith had so much there he would seize it giving me the ly
      with many other Scurrilous Exprssions and threats declaring he