68 



Murder in the Seventeenth Century, 



« Frogs and toads enough/' the letter goes on to say, "by reason 

 of so many ponds, ditches, and ' moorish'' places as be about Fairford, 

 and need to stand in a by place to behold them; but not such well 

 disciplined frogs and toads as can march in rank and file, turn to 

 the right or left hand, keep court of guard (as the informer tells us 

 they did) about the house of the said justice, and make at last such 

 a sudden retreat, e.g., from the house of the said justice, though they 

 may be still about the lord's house for any satisfaction the informer 

 gives us/ - ' 



" The pamphlet in detail, " he says " as to the maid and the 

 marching, shews the author's invention and need not the hue and 

 cry of general contradiction. 



" Though the relator fancieth an army of frogs at Fairford having 

 a commission from the Almighty, yet I will without hypocrisy assert 

 that the town of Fairford, though free from any Egyptian-like 

 plague, hath spirits there in the likeness of frogs. See Rev., xvi., 13. 



" These unclean spirits like to frogs are visible at Fairford and else- 

 where. 



" They resemble frogs :— 

 " 1st Coming from and living in the filthy ponds and pools of error. 

 " 2nd Croak importunately their errors and heresies haunting 



poor people. 

 " 3rd Hop, skip, and jump about the country. 

 " 4th Croak and live on land and water. So do these, washing, 



or eating their broken bread. 

 " 5th Enemies to the labouring bees that gather the honey. 

 " 6th Thick skinned the labouring bees (God's ministers) can't 

 sting. 



" 7th Inchanters and witches, make great use of the tongue of 

 the frog, so these impure spirits, who are belched out, 

 enchant the simple. Jer., 23 and 24, and Foolish 

 Galatians, 



" 8th The use of frogs, instruments of punishment, so these. 

 " 9th These, like the Egyptian frogs, followed the bloody waters 

 of affliction. 

 " This sort of frog often seen at Fairford. 



