Provincial Court Proceedings, 1678/9. 91

notice did imploy & entrust the said George Tyte not only to be
Master of the said Shipp Maryland M^rchant, but also with divers
great & considerable quantityes of Goods & M^rchandizes for them
to sell vend & dispose in this Province, by which the said George did
not only gett & obtaine to himselfe an honest & comfortable lively-
hood for himselfe & ffamily, but also was likely by the same imploy-
ments and dealing to acquire to himselfe a considerable Estate Yet
the said ffrancis Johnson being not ignorant of the p^rmisses but out
of his meer & evill malice deviseing to hurt detract darken blast &
utterly to destroy the name fame estimacon reputacon & creditt of
the said George Tyte, & to bring him into trouble vexation scandall
and infamy, by which the said George should be rendred a person not
fitt to be imployed or intrusted as aforesaid, nor to trade and traf-
fique as aforesaid, the said ffrancis Johnson the seventh day of
August One thousand six hundred seventy seven att the house of
Stephen Murty att New Towne in the said County of S^t Maryes
being in the tyme of the County Court then & there held, openly and
publickly & in the p^rsence & hearing of many of the good people of
this Province did say repeat affirme publish & pronounce with an
audible & loud voice these words following viz^t I tell you that Tyte
(meaning him the said George Tyte) is a cheating rogue & a knave &
a cheating knave & a rogue, & I (meaning himselfe the said ffrancis
Johnson) will so prove itt, And that he (meaning the said George
Tyte) cheats the Countrey with false weights & measures By reason

Liber N N

of the saying & pronouncing of which said scandalous Malicious &
false words the same George is not only in his good name fame
credit & reputacon extreamly damnified & hurt amongst the good
people of this Province, but also with divers of the M^rchants of
Bristoll his Owners & Imployers he being rendred by the said words
unfitt to be imployed and entrusted by any person whatsoever either
in this Province or elsewhere, or to drive any trade negotiate deale
contract buy or sell with any person And also may be Indicted upon
the Statute against false weights & measures & be brought in danger
of suffering such paines & penalties that are to be inflicted on such
persons that are guilty of the said Crimes by the said Statute to the
damage of the said George Tyte twenty thousand pounds of tobacco
& thereupon he bringeth his suite
And the said ffrancis Johnson by Kenelm Cheseldyn his Attorney
cometh & defendeth the force & injury when &c and prayeth liberty
to imparle hereunto untill next Provinciall Court & itt is granted
unto him, the same day is given to the plaintiffe also
Now here att this day to witt the twelfth day of March in the
fourth yeare of the Dominion of Charles Lord Baltemore &c Annoq
Doni 1678 cometh as well the said plaintiffe as the said Defend^t by
their Attorneys aforesaid And the said ffrancis by his said Attorney
saith, that the said George Tyte his action aforesaid against him

p. 758