Provincial Court Proceedings, 1681.     11

    said Lord Proprietary that now is, & in the yeare of our Lord One      Liber W. C.
    thousand six hundred and eighty at the Ridge in Ann Arundell
    County at the Court house there, The same being the Court day
    & the said Thomas busy in discourseing with Seaverali of his Clients
    about their Causes then under his care and Mannagement in the said
    Courts then and their depending, in prsence of the Justices of the
    said County of Ann Arrundell then present in Court (and the said
    Richard being one of his Lops Justices of the said County of Ann
    Arrundl & then and there sitting) The said Thomas makeing a
    Motion to the said Court on behalfe of one of his Clients as it was
    law full for him to doe, The said Richard then and there in the hear
    ing of the said Justices & all the suitors to the said Court Wth an
    audible voyce did say affirme speake & publish these false feigned
    scandalous lyeing and Malicious words viz That the Lord Propry           p. 394
    (meaning the Right Honoble Charles Lord Baltemore Lord Propry
    of this Province) had Declared that the said Thomas Bland (the said
    Thomas the Plantiffe meaneing) should be noe longer an Attorney
    or plead in any Court of this Province, and that the said Bland
    (Meaning the Pit) made it his businesse to make and urge men to
    goe to Law, By reason of wch speakeing and Proclaiming of the
    aforesaid false lyeing & scandalous words hee the said Thomas is
    not onely in his good Name fame Credit trust and Estimacon afore
    said greatly hurt & scandalized, but doth also thereby stand deprived
    and utterly spoyled of his said Employment of being an Attorney
    in the Courts aforesaid so that by Reason of the said words The said
    Justices of Ann Arundell County the day and yeare aforesaid at
    the Court aforesaid refused to pmit the said Thomas to Plead his
    Clients Cawses. And thereupon all the Clients of the said Thomas
    forthwith Demanded their paps, and hee the said Thomas by reason
    of the words aforesaid of his Trade practice and Livelyhood Re
    maines absolutely spoyled & Deprived, and all his Clients and other
    honoble and Venerable psons of this Province have withdrawne them
    selves from the Company of the said Thomas and have utterly
    refused and still doe refuse in any wise to Deale or have ffellowship
     the said Thomas after the speakeing and Publishing of the said
    false feigned and scandalous words aforesaid By meanes whereof the
    said Thomas hath not onely Remained much troubled and unquieted
    in his minde but is also Deprived of his Empolyment and Main
    teinance aforesaid Whereupon he saith he is Damnifyed and hath
    losse to the Vallue of One hundred Thousand pounds of Tobacco
    and thereupon hee brings his suite
      And the said Richard Hill by Thomas Burford his Attorney
    Cometh and Defendeth the force and injury when &c, and Prayeth
    Liberty to imparle hereunto untill next Provinciall Court and it is
    granted unto him The same Date is given to the plt Likewise
      Now here at this Day to witt the thirtyeth day of Aprill in the