Provincial Court Proceedings, 1675.     607

      tobacco according to the best of his Skill power & Knowledge by Liber M M
      virtue of which said Severall Comissions frö his Lopp and his
      Surveyour Generall the said Charles hath continued Coroner and
      Deputy Surveyour of the said County untill his Lopps deviding the
      Said County and is now Coroner & Deputy Surveyour of Cecil
      County in the said Province & in both the said Offices hath well
      honestly and faithfully demeaned himselfe without Spott or Staine
      whereby the said Charles hath not only by the said Offices honestly p. 584
      gott to himselfe Severall considerable Summes of tobacco but also
      by reason of his honest & faithfull discharge of the said Offices with
      his Excellency Charles Calvert Esq Capt Generall & Chiefe Gover
      nour of this Province & also with all the Councellours & justices of
      thc 3aid Lord Proprietary within this Province & also with all the
      great & Eminent persons within this Province & with all other the
      Inhabitants of this Province of whatsoever State or Condition for
      the whole time aforesaid as Such a true & faithfull man to the said
      Lord Propry as is aforesaid of whatsoever Crime of falsity deceipt
      perjury extortion or bribery in the execution of the said Offices hath
      beene accepted & taken to be unspotted and untouched Yet the afore
      said Thomas Dale & Mary his wife not ignorant of the premisses &
      designing to take away aswell the said Charles good name fame &
      reputation as also to bring him within the danger of forfeiting his
      said bond of One hundred thousand pounds of tobacco So passed
      into by him the said Charles to the said Surveyour Generall as af ore-
      said & also to bring him into the ill Opinion of the said Lord Propry
      & the Said Surveyr Generall whereby the Said Cothissions might be
      revoaked & also to hinder the said Charles of the profitts vayles & re
      gardes to the said Offices belonging & appurteining & also to bring
      him into the ill Opinion of the said Capt Generall Councellours jus
      tices & all other the great & eminent persons of this Province and with
      all Others the inhabitants of the Said Province to be a perjured person
      a Cheater & Couzener & taker of bribes the said Thomas Dale &
      Mary his wife of their Own perverse malitious and wicked will plot
      ting and contriveing him the Said Charles of Such his Offices Creditt
      estate, honesty reputation ifees vayles & Regards to deprive and
      also to bring him the Said Charles within the danger of forfeiting
      his Said bond in Ceci! County On the !ast day of September in the
      42 yeare of the Dominion of Caecilius &c Annoq Dom 1673 and
      diverse times both before and since in the presence & hearing of
      divers of the good people of this Province falsely malitous!y Sub
      tilly & wickedly these scandallous words following of the said Char!es
      with a loud & audible voyce did speake pronounce publish and de
      clare to wit that the said Charles James (meaning him the said
      Charles James) was a Cheateing Knave & a Cheating Rouge By
      reason of which Said false scandulous and malitious words the said
      Charles is not Only much greived troubled vexed and perplexed in