SIR JOHN STATHAM, OF WIGWELL. 43 
of the Vilest of the people, a man for theft publickly whipt thoro’ 
a town; that has fled his Country for wicked practices ; that has 
been of a night gang of thieves in London: a Deer Stealer of the 
Kings Deer & lately of my own ; that has killed at least one man, 
& lain in waite to murder me & the Peace sworne agt him by 
Numbers ; that whilst under security for his good behaviour, broke 
his own house on their not readily hearing him on his returne from 
his night adventures, & near murdering his son and serv‘. Nay 
eaven since the last Assizes on his comeing late home & his 
daught" wearied with her journey & fast asleep, when he got in he 
drag’d her out of bed, beat her & kick’d her on the floor till she 
alarm’d the neighbourhood by crying out Murder, & on her getting 
into bed again, after some time, compelled his wife to pull her 
again out of Bed, & beat her & abuse her in a most barberous 
manner. Sure they must be persons of abandoned Charect*® that 
can countenance such a man, & must be as bad, if they screene 
him or support him in his Villany, as many have done, who have 
industriously run from Alehouse to Alehouse round the whole 
Country to belie & vilify the P* & bespatter him as a cruel, unjust 
man, as a proud vain-glorious man, fond of title, & of being called 
his hon" without any proper claime to it ; my Charect’ and circum- 
stances run down without foundation, & all the contemptuous 
usuage that can be offered to any gentl™ And am sorry to say it, 
eaven had its effect on a gent" of great worth, to use unbecoming 
language, neither Justifiable by the Laws of God or man, & w™ 
sort of Barr oratory has left a mark of Infamy on the memory of 
S* Edward Cooke the Oracle of the Law, without considering as 
Solomon says, It’s a fool casting about ffirebrands & death, & 
_ what cannot be restored to the Party his credit, & therefore cannot 
be repented of & no atonem* for it in this world. Fable of Boys 
_& firoggs, I am put on a level with the Deft the same snubs, 
& treatm, Have told me, the Def‘ was not bred to the Law, or 
as good a man, another said my proceedings were barbarous & 
scandalous, & that Gentl" wou’d appear, wu’d trust the deft more 
than they wu’d'me, and much more in the most contemptuous 
manner, and this without the Check of the Referrees but rather 
