dered his master; and further added, that they had attempted to poison him in the jail, so that he durst neither eat nor drink with them.

At the next assizes, which were the spring following, John, Joan, and Richard Perry were, by the then judge of assize, Sir B. H. tried upon the indictment of murder, and pleaded thereunto, severally, not guilty; and, when John's confession, before the justice, was proved, viva voce, by several witnesses who heard the same, he told them, he was then mad, and knew not what he said.

The other two, Richard and Joan Perry, said they were wholly innocent of what they were accused, and that they knew nothing of Mr. Harrison's death, nor what was become of him; and Richard said, that his brother had accused others, as well as him, to have murdered his master; which the judge bidding him prove, he said, that most of those, that had given evidence against him, knew it; but, naming none, not any spoke to it, and so the jury found them all three guilty.

Some few days after, being brought to the place of their execution, which was on Broadway-hill, in sight of Campden; the mother (being . reputed a witch, and to have so bewitched her sons, they could confess nothing, while she lived) was first executed; after which, Richard, being upon the ladder, professed, as he had done all along, that he was wholly innocent of the fact for which he was then to die, and that he knew nothing of Mr. Harrison's death, nor what was become of him; and did, with great earnestness, beg and beseech his brother, for the satisfaction of the whole world, and his own conscience, to declare what he knew concerning him; but he, with a dogged and surly carriage, told the people, he was not obliged to confess to them; yet, imme diately before his death, said he knew nothing of his master's death, nor what was become of him, but they might hereafter possibly hear.

IN

HONOURED SIR,

For Sir T. O. Knight.

N obedience to your commands, I give you this true account of my being carried away beyond the seas, my continuance there, and return home. On a Thursday in the afternoon, in the time of harvest, 'I went to Charringworth, to demand rents due to my Lady Campden; at which time the tenants were busy in the fields, and late before they 'came home, which occasioned my stay there till the close of the evening. I expected a considerable sum, but received only three and twenty pounds, and no more. In my return home, in the narrow passage amongst Ebrington furzes, there met me one horseman, and said, ''Art thou there?' And I, fearing that he would have rid over me, struck 'his horse over the nose; whereupon he struck at me with his sword, 'several blows, and run it into my side, while I, with my little cane, 'made my defence, as well as I could; at last another came behind me, 'run me into the thigh, laid hold on the collar of my doublet, and ' drew me to a hedge, near to the place; then came in another: they ' did not take my money, but mounted me behind one of them, drew 'my arms about his middle, and fastened my wrists together with some

thing that had a spring-lock, as I conceived, by hearing it give a snap as they put it on; then they threw a great cloke over me, and carried me away in the night they alighted at a hay-rick, which stood near to a stone pit by a wall-side, where they took away my money; about two hours before day, as I heard one of them tell the other he thought it to be then, they tumbled me into the stone-pit; they staid, as I 'thought, about an hour at the hay-rick, when they took horse again; one of them bade me come out of the pit, I answered, they had my money already, and asked what they would do with me; whereupon ❝he struck me again, drew me out, and put a great quantity of money into my pockets, and mounted me again after the same manner; and on the Friday, about sun-setting, they brought me to a lone house upon a heath, by a thicket of bushes, where they took me down almost dead, being sorely bruised with the carriage of the money. When the woman of the house saw that I could neither stand nor speak, she ' asked them, whether or no they had brought a dead man? They an'swered no, but a friend that was hurt, and they were carrying him to a surgeon; she answered, if they did not make haste, their friend would 'be dead before they could bring him to one. There they laid me on 'cushions, and suffered none to come into the room but a little girl; there we staid all night, they giving me some broth and strong-waters: in the morning, very early, they mounted me as before, and on Saturday night they brought me to a place where were two or three houses, in one of which I lay all night, on cushions, by their bed-side: on Sunday morning they carried me from thence, and, about three or 'four o'clock, they brought me to a place by the sea-side, called Deal, where they laid me down on the ground; and, one of them staying by 'me, the other two walked a little off, to meet a man, with whom they 'talked; and, in their discourse, I heard them mention seven pounds; ' after which they went away together, and about half an hour after returned. The man (whose name, as I after heard, was Wrenshaw) 'said, he feared I would die before he could get me on board; then pre'sently they put me into a boat, and carried me on ship-board, where my wounds were dressed. I remained in the ship, as near as I could reckon, about six weeks, in which time I was indifferently recovered of my wounds and weakness. Then the master of the ship came and 'told me, and the rest who were in the same condition, that he disco'vered three Turkish ships; we all offered to fight in the defence of the ship and ourselves; but he commanded us to keep close, and said he ❝ would deal with them well enough: a little while after he called us ' up, and, when we came on the deck, we saw two Turkish ships close by us; into one of them we were put, and placed in a dark hole, where 'how long we continued, before we landed, I know not: when we were landed, they led us two days journey, and put us into a great house, or prison, where we remained four days and an half; and then came to us eight men to view us, who seemed to be officers; they called us, ❝ and examined us of our trades and callings, which every one answered; one said he was a surgeon, another that he was a broad-cloth weaver, and I, after two or three demands, said I had some skill in physick : we three were set by, and taken by three of those eight men that came

" to view us: it was my chance to be chosen by a grave physician of eighty-seven years of age, who lived near to Smyrna, who had for6 merly been in England, and knew Crowland in Lincolnshire, which he "preferred before all other places in England: he employed me to keep his still-house, and gave me a silver bowl, double gilt, to drink in; my business was most in that place; but once he set me to gather cot'ton-wool, which I not doing to his mind, he struck me down to the ground, and after drew his stiletto to stab me, but, I holding up my hands to him, he gave a stamp, and turned from me, for which I ren'der thanks to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who staid his hand, ' and preserved me. I was there about a year and three quarters, and 'then my master fell sick, on a Thursday, and sent for me; and, call. ing me as he used, by the name of Boll, told me he should die, and bade me shift for myself: he died on Saturday following, and I pre 'sently hastened with my bowl to a port, almost a day's journey distant; the way to which place I knew, having been twice there employed, by my master, about the carriage of his cotton-wool: when I came thi ther, I addressed myself to two men, who came out of a ship of Ham'borough, which, as they said, was bound for Portugal within three or 'four days; I inquired of them for an English ship, they answered there was none; I intreated them to take me into their ship, they answered they durst not, for fear of being discovered by the searchers, which 'might occasion the forfeiture, not only of their goods, but also of their lives: I was very importunate with them, but could not prevail; they 'left me to wait on providence, which, at length, brought another out of the same ship, to whom I made known my condition, craving his 'assistance for my transportation; he made me the like answer as the 'former, and was as stiff in his denial, till the sight of my bowl put him to a pause he returned to the ship, and, after half an hour's space, 'he came back again, accompanied with another sea-man, and, for my bowl, undertook to transport me; but told me, I must be contented to lie down in the keel, and endure much hardship; which I was con'tent to do, to gain my liberty; so they took me aboard, and placed me below in the vessel, in a very uneasy place, and obscured me with boards and other things, where I lay undiscovered, notwithstanding the 'strict search that was made in the vessel; my two chapmen, who had my bowl, honestly furnished me with victuals daily, until we arrived at Lisbon in Portugal; where, as soon as the master had left the ship, ' and was gone into the city, they set me on shore money-less to shift for 'myself: I knew not what course to take, but, as providence led me, I went up into the city, and came into a fair street; and, being weary, 'I turned my back to a wall, and leaned upon my staff; over-against 'me were four gentlemen discoursing together; after a while, one of them came to me, and spoke to me in a language that I understood I told him I was an Englishman, and understood not what he spoke; he answered me, in plain English, that he understood me, and ' was himself born near Wisbeech in Lincolnshire; then I related to him my sad condition, and he, taking compassion on me, took me with him, provided for me lodging and diet, and, by his interest with a master of a ship bound for England, procured my passage; and bring

• not.

ing me on ship-board, he bestowed wine and strong-waters on me, and, ' at his return, gave me eight stivers, and recommended me to the care of the master of the ship, who landed me safe at Dover, from whence 'I made shift to get to London, where being furnished with necessaries, 'I came into the country.

Thus, honoured Sir, I have given you a true account of my great sufferings, and happy deliverance, by the mercy and goodness of God, my most gracious Father in Jesus Christ, my Saviour and Redeemer; to whose name be ascribed all honour, praise, and glory. I conclude, and

rest

SIR,

Your Worship's,

In all dutiful respect,

WILLIAM HARRISON.

" T has not been any forgetfulness in me, you have no sooner heard

soon after my coming down into the country, so that till now I have ་ been wholly deprived the use of it. I have herewith sent you a short narrative of that no less strange, than unhappy business, which some years since happened in my neighbourhood; the truth of every parti'cular whereof I am able to attest, and I think it may very well be ' reckoned amongst the most remarkable occurrences of this age: you may dispose of it as you please, and, in whatever else I can serve you, 'you may freely command me, as, Sir,

Burton, Aug. 23, 1676.

Your most affectionate kinsman,
and humble servant,
THO. OVERBURY.

Many question the truth of this account Mr. Harrison gives of him. self, and his transportation, believing he was never out of England: but there is no question of Perry's telling a formal false story to hang himself, his mother, and his brother: and since this, of which we are assured, is no less incredible than that of which we doubt; it may induce us to suspend hard thoughts of Mr. Harrison, till time, the great discoverer of truth, shall bring to light this dark and mysterious business. That Mr. Harrison was absent from his habitation, employment, and relations, near two years, is certain; and, if not carried away (as he affirms) no probable reason can be given for his absence; he living plentifully and happily in the service of that honourable family, to which he had been then related above fifty years, with the reputation of a just and faithful servant; and, having all his days been a man of sober life and conversation, cannot now reasonably be thought in his old age, so far, to have misbehaved himself, as in such a manner voluntarily to have forsaken his wife, his children, and his stewardship, and to leave behind him, as he then did, a considerable sum of his lady's money in his house; we cannot, therefore, in reason or charity, but believe that Mr. Harrison was forcibly carried away; but by whom, or by whose procurement, is the question. Those, who he affirms did it, he withal affirms never before to have seen; and that he saw not his servant Perry, nor his mother, nor his brother, the evening he was carried

4

away; that he was spirited, as some are said to have been, is no ways probable, in respect he was an old and infirm man, and taken from the most inland part of the nation; and, if sold, as himself apprehends he was, for seven pounds, would not recompense the trouble and charge of his conveyance to the sea-side.

Some, therefore, have had hard thoughts of his eldest son, not know. ing whom else to suspect; and believe the hopes of the stewardship, which he afterwards, by the Lord Campden's favour, enjoyed, might induce him to contrive his father's removal; and this they are the more confirmed in, from his misbehaviour in it; but, on the other side, it is hard to think the son should be knowing of his father's transportation; and consequently, of these unhappy persons' innocency, as to the murder of him, and yet prosecute them to the death, as he did; and, when condemned, should be the occasion of their being conveyed above twenty miles, to suffer near Campden, and to procure John Perry to be there hanged in chains, where he might daily see him; and himself to stand at the foot of the ladder, when they were all executed, as likewise he did. These considerations, as they make it improbable the son should be privy to his father's transportation, so they render the whole matter the more dark and mysterious, which we must therefore leave unto him who alone knoweth all things, in his due time to reveal and bring to light.

A TRUE RELATION, FROM GERMANY,

OF

A PROTESTANT SHEPHERD'S KILLING A COUNTERFEIT DEVIL,

That would have perverted him to Popery, July the Twentyninth, N. S. 1676.

Being a contrivance of two monks, that dressed themselves, one in the likeness of an angel, the other of a devil; and so, in the night, came to this poor shepherd, to affright and seduce him. With an account of what passed between them; how the shepherd killed him that acted the devil, and buried him; and the trouble he has been like to come into since for the same.

They compass sea and land to make one Proselyte, &c.

Licensed, August the seventh, 1676. Roger L'Estrange.

London: printed for D. M. 1676. Quarto, containing eight pages.

THE LUTHERAN SHEPHERD KILLING THE DEVIL, &c.

THAT

HAT there have been feigned miracles set on foot, and pious frauds not only tolerated, but justified by divers religious pretenders, can