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soon after returning with an angry and inflamed 

 countenance, and biting his lips, demanded, What, 

 punishment did those deserve who had conspired his 

 destruction, considering his near alliance to the king, 

 and that he was protector of the realm ? The lords 

 being much astonished and musing what this should 

 mean, Lnrd Hastings, on account of the great in. 

 timacy that had subsisted between them, stood up 

 and said, That they merited the punishment of 

 traitors, whoever they were. These traitors, cried the 

 protector, are the sorceress my brother s wife, and that 

 witch of her counsel Jane Shore, his mistress, with 

 others, their associates : see to what a condition they 

 have reduced and wasted my body by their incan - 

 tations and witchcraft ! upon which pulling up his 

 sleeve, he laid bare his arm all shrivelled and de- 

 cayed. Buc the counsellors, who knew that this 

 infirmity had attended him from his birth, looked 

 on each other with amazement, and above all lord 

 Hastings, who, as he had since E Uvard's death 

 engaged in an intrigue with Jane Shore, was natur- 

 ally anxious concerning the issue of these extra- 

 ordinary proceedings. Certainly my Lord, said he, 

 if they be guilty of these crimes, they deserve the 

 severest punishment. And dost thou reply to me 

 said the protector, with^owr if's and your and's ? 

 Thou art the chief abettor of that witch Shore ; I 

 tell thee they have so done, and that I will make 

 good on thy body, tbou traitor. So saying be 

 struck the table with his hand : armed men rushed 

 in at the signal : the counsellors were thrown 

 into the utmost consternation: and one of the 



