66 Murder in the Seventeenth Century. 



Rush, the Stanfield Hull murderer, at Norwich Assizes, 1849. Young- 

 Harrison stood at the foot of the ladder during the whole pro- 

 ceedings, and no douht the corpses remained on the gallows for 

 some time (such being the custom till the reign of King William IV.) 

 most hideous spectacle to poor Richard Perry's wife and children ! 1 

 Turn we to brighter subjects. April 23rd, 1661, was proclaimed 

 throughout the length and breadth of the land as the coronation 

 day of King Charles II. A general holiday. Doubtless there were 

 gay doings in Campden, as gallant, if not more so, than any of our 

 time, but I have found no record of them. You all, perhaps, have 

 read what happened in London, the events at the Tower, the inmates 

 of which entertained the King (the lions [caged] doing homage to him 

 (e by nature's first instructions " ) the moving of the Royal procession 

 westwards, the stopping on the way for a grand speech of Sir 

 William Wylde, Recorder of London, and again for the humbler 

 flights of a " Blew " coat boy. Later there was the banquet in 

 Westminster Hall. However, you may like to know what occurred 

 in Bath. Here is an account written to the King's physician, and 

 meant perhaps for His Majesty's perusal: — 2 



" The manner of the Celebration of the King's Coronation Day in the City of 

 Bath. 



" Honoured Sir, 



"Pardon me, my businesse now is only to give you the true and plain 

 relation of our celebrating the coronation day of his Sacred Majesty in our City 

 of Bath, w h was as followeth. 



" Viz The first onset was at the house of God with the Bells. 



" The next by Drums beating and armed men in three companies ; the 1st the 

 Trained band, commanded by Lieutenant Walter Gibbs ; the 2nd a volunteer 

 Company, commanded by their Captain, the Loyal and much suffering Captain 



1 The " Civil Law v speaks of this local execution as a solatium to the relations. 

 The whole sentence will be read with interest : — " Famosos lat rones, in his locijs 

 ubi grassati sunt furca figendos placuit : ut, et conspectu deterreantur alii et 

 solatio sit cognatis interemptorum eodem loci poena reddita in quo latrones 

 homicidia fecissent." Ff. 48, 19, 28, s. 15. 



2 X. JP., Sm. Qto., 869. Title page :— 



" Of the celebration of the King's Coronation Day in the famous City of Bath. 

 April 23rd, 1661. A True Narrative in a letter sent from thence to Dr. 

 Charleton, Physician to his Majesty. Vivat Bex. London, printed April 

 29th, 1661." 



