Page:Diary of the times of Charles II Vol. I.djvu/350

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234
DIARY AND CORRESPONDENCE OF

on your part, the Jury gave a verdict at the bar without stirring out of court, which is for the honour of your cause in its clearness; all the judges apprehending the truth of the thing immediately, and were clearly for you in it. My old acquaintance was not wanting to serve you.

The two points they chiefly insisted upon and designed were, my Lord's answer, which they thought my vote and testimony would not agree with; and the other was the taking off of my evidence. In the first, they were in a very ignorant mistake, for, on the reading of the answer through, and the bill to which that was an answer, it was very plain it referred to the time when the leases were made; and so the judges presently understood it. And then, sir, I cannot omit to let you know what provision your adversaries had made to take me off from giving evidence, which was that I had £20 annuity out of the rents in the fields, which, you may remember, I was afraid of from the beginning, and took care to prevent. The person to prove that was Robin Turner, that knave, who, having once heard me acknowledge my Lord and master's favour, went and told Watkins. This needs no great proof, for as soon as I was asked I owned it, but withall told the court I had released it. This