"if they had been as free of their purses as they were of their noise and acclamations."[1]
On September 18th[2] he was examined and is said to have given some information, unfortunately too soon, for in December, Scroggs and Jeffreys suffered impeachment and humiliation at the bar of Commons, Harris' own trial and conviction being cited in the impeachment of the former.[3] The dread hand for a short time was removed from the press and Harris merrily proceeded with his Intelligence, but was soon in hot water with his contemporaries as to who was telling the truth. In the spring he was arrested again on a political charge. The following year he heard that another warrant was out for him, and insisted upon being arrested while a friend of his—one Bethel, a Whig—was sheriff, showing that Mr. Harris had political wisdom as well as editorial pugnacity.
But the foresight proved unavailing and again he went to gaol. This time he broke down before the punishment, and is said to have disclosed the names of those who had written the offending articles that he had published. At least, it cannot be said that he feared to go to gaol, nor can it be denied that he went with courage and with fortitude.
After this, until he appears in America, we find no record of his activities, although his friend, John Dunton—the "crazy book-seller," Macaulay calls him—speaks of his keeping a coffee-house, and refers to his wife, "like a kind rib," defending him when he was placed in the pillory, referring doubtless to the punishment that was meted out to him by Scroggs.
Dunton, when he came to New England with a cargo
