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THen and there the Defendant appeared up∣on an Information for Writing, Printing, and Publishing a scandalous Libel, called Malice defeated, &c. to which she had pleaded Not Guilty.
The Jury were,
To whom the Information being read, Ro∣bert Dormer, Esq opened the same, and then Mr. John Penny depos'd, that he bought that Book (the Libel being shewn him) of Mrs. Cellier, who own'd it for hers, and said she could, if there were occasion, put a great deal more in.
Mr. William Downing deposed, that he printed part of that Book by her direction, to fol. 22. and then the Messenger found it, and some body else printed the rest.
Mr. Robert Stephens depos'd, that he saw the Book a printing at Mr. Downings, and heard Mrs. Cellier own it for hers, and say that she kept a Man in the House to write it, and she dictated to him; and that he saw her sell seve∣ral of them.
Then Mr. Matthias Fowler deposed, that he bought two of them Books of Mrs. Cellier for 4 s. hearing that his Name was mention'd there∣in, tho very falsly, as he had made Oath before the Lord Mayor; all that he knew being only this, That on the Tuesday seven-night after the Murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey, one Corral a Coachman waiting to carry some Gen∣tlemen that were in his House, begg'd a Pipe of Tobacco of his Wife in the Bar; Ay, said she,
thou lookst like an honest Fellow, and I believe thou hast no hand in the Plot (a casual word that was passant at that time); thereupon he be∣gan to tell her how he had escaped that danger, for that four met him against St. Clemens Church-wall, and swore he should stand and do as they would have him, when he saw Sir Edm. Godfrey's Body in a Sedan, whom he sham'd upon, and told them he could not carry him, for that the Axle-Tree of his Coach was broke. That this he over-heard and came out, which the Fellow repeated over again to him; but then percei∣ving he had been too lavish in his Discourse, he run out in haste, pretending to see whether the Seats of his Coach were not stolen out, whom he followed and found him driving away, tho he had left his Whip behind: He took the num∣ber of his Coach, which the next day giving to Captain Richardson, he secured the Man, and he was brought with him to Wallingford-house and examin'd by the Duke of Buckingham, the Earl of Shaftsbury, the Marquess of Winchester, two other Lords, and Major Wildman, where he confessed the whole matter, that he said so at his House, but would have sham'd it off himself, that he only heard it from others; and being nothing could be got out of him, he was re∣ordered to Newgate where he continued several Months, but that he never was with him there, as the Libel charged him. Whereupon the Libel was then produced, and the several Clauses re∣cited in the Indictment were read, which were to this purpose. It was intituled,
Malice de∣feated, or a brief Relation of the Accusation
and Deliverance of Elizabeth Cellier, wherein her Proceedings both before and during her Confinement, are particularly related, and the Mystery of the Meal-Tub fully discovered; together with an Abstract of her Arraign∣ment and Trial. Written by her self for the Satisfaction of all Lovers of undisguised Truth.
In the Book she gives an Account how she
turn'd from Protestanism to Popery upon the occasion of King Charles I. Murther, ascribing the Preservation of King Charles II. at Wor∣cester wholly to the Papists; and from her Observation of the chiefest Sticklers for the Plot, being those, or the Sons of those that acted the principal Parts in the last Tragedy, she doubted of its Truth, and therefore thought it her Duty through all sorts of ha∣zards, to relieve the poor imprisoned Catho∣licks, which she had done some Months, before ever she saw the Countess of Powis, &c. That on Thursday Jan. 9, 1678, she being in New∣gate, with five Women, of which three were Protestants; about four in the Afternoon they all heard terrible Groans and Squeeks which came out of the Dungeon, called the con∣demned Hole. She asked Harris the Turn∣key what doleful Cry it was, who said it was a Woman in Labour; she desired they might go to her and help her, but he drove them away rudely; but listning they soon found it was the Voice of a strong Man in Torture, and heard as they thought between his Groans the winding up of some Engine. These Cries
stopt the Passengers under the Gate, and they six went to a Turners Shop without the Gate, and stood there amazed, when one of the Offi∣cers of the Prison came out in great haste, seeming to run from the Noise, whom catch∣ing hold of, they asked him what the Noise meant? and whether it was not Prance upon the Rack? he said he durst not tell them, but was not able to hear any longer, running a∣way towards Holborn as fast as he could. They heard these Groans perfectly to the end of the Old-Baily, and they continued till near seven, and then a Person in the Habit of a Minister, of middle Stature, Grey-hair'd, accompanied with two other Men, went into the Lodg: The Prisoners were lock'd up, and the out∣ward Door of the Lodg also, at which she set a Person to stand, and observe what she could, and a Prisoner loaded with Irons was brought into the Lodg and examined a long time; and the Prisoners that came down as low as they could, heard the Person examined with great Vehemency, say often, I know no∣thing of it, I am innocent, he forced me to be-lie my self: What would you have me say? Will you murder me because I will not be-lie my self and others? The Prisoners heard again the same Cry about four of the Clock the next Morning, and on Saturday-Morning again, and that Morning a Person emplyed to spy, seeing the Turn-key carry a Bed into the Dungeon, asked who it was for? he told her it was for Prance; who was gone mad, and had torn his Bed in pieces. That
Night the Examiners came again, and after an hours Conference, Prance was led away to the Press-yard. Soon after this Francis Corral, a Coach-Man, that had been put into Newgate upon suspicion of carrying away Sir Edmond-bury Godfrey's Body, and lay there thirteen weeks and three days in great Misery, got out, whom she went to see, and found him a sad Spectacle, having the Flesh worn away, and great holes in both his Legs by the weight of his Irons, and having been chained so long double, that he could not stand upright, who told her of his hard usage, how he had been squeez'd and hasped into a thing like a Trough in a Dungeon under ground, insomuch that he swoonded; and that a Person in the Ha∣bit of a Minister stood by all the while. That a Duke beat him, pull'd him by the Hair, and set his drawn Sword to his Breast three times, and swore he would run him through; and another great Lord laid down an heap of Gold, and told him it was 500 l. and that he should have it all, and be taken into the aforesaid Dukes House, if he would confess what they would have him, and one F. a Vintner at the Half-Moon in Cheapside, by whose contrivance he was accused, took him aside, and bid him name some Person, and say, they imployed him to take up the dead Body in Somerset-yard, and gave him Mony for so doing, that if he would do this, both F. and he should have Mony enough: And he also told her, that he was kept from Thursday till Sunday without Victuals or Drink, having his Hands every
Night chained behind him, and being all his time lock'd to a Staple driven into the Floor with a Chain not above a Yard long; that he was forced to drink his own Water, and the Jaylor beat his Wife because she brought Vic∣tuals, and pray'd he might have it.
In another place of the Libel were these words read,
My Arraignment (which in confidence of my own Innocency I continually pressed for) not but that I knew the danger, as to this Life, of encountring the Devil in the worst of his Instruments, which are Perjurors, encoura∣ged to that degree as that profligated Wretch Thomas Dangerfield was, and has been since his being exposed to the World in his true Co∣lours, both at mine, and anothers Trial.
And in another place of the Libel.
Nor have I since received any thing towards my Losses, or the least Civility from any of them, whilst Dangerfield, when made a Prisoner for apparent Recorded Rogueries, was visited by, and from Persons of considerable Quality, with great Sums of Gold and Silver, to encourage him in the new Villanies he had undertaken, not against me alone, but Persons in whose Safety all good Men, as well Protestants as o∣thers, in the three Kingdoms are concerned.
And in the Postscript are these words,
And whensoever his Majesty pleases to make it as safe and honourable, as it is apparent it hath been gainful and meritorious to do the contra∣ry, there will not want Witnesses to testify the Truth of more than I have written, and Per∣sons that are above being made the Hangman's
Hounds for weekly Pensions, or any other Con∣siderations whatsoever, &c. —
After thus much was read, Mr. Baron Weston made some smart Reflections thereon, and then Mr. Prance deposed, that he was used very civily in Prison, and never saw any thing of Torture while he was in Newgate, and that Dr. Lloyd was with him many times, and if any such thing had been, he would have seen it.
Then Francis Coral was called, but appeared not, and Captain Richardson informed the Court that they had got him away, but that his Wife was there, who being sworn, deposed that she was not suffer'd to see her Husband in Prison, and that she heard that he was like to be starved, and saw him with Irons on at length, and after∣wards holes in his Legs, but deny'd that ever she was beat for bringing Victuals to him, and the Lord Mayor, Sir Robert Clayton declared that her Husband had denyed all upon Oath be∣fore him.
Then Mrs. Cellier called two or three Wit∣nesses to prove that she sent about for her Wit∣nesses in order to make her Defence, but that they could not be had in so short time, and there∣fore desired more time, and desired the Court to confider she was but a Woman, and that she had suffered much for his Majesty, and begged therefore Mercy in Justice. Then Mr. Baron Weston summ'd up the Evidence, and the Jury returned her Guilty (at which there was a great shout) and so the Keeper carried her back to Newgate, from whence on Monday Sept. 13. she was brought to the Bar, and Mr. Recorder gave
the Judgment of the Court; which was that a 1000 l. Fine should be put upon her, and she be committed in Execution till it be paid. And that she should stand in the Pillory three several days in three several places, between the hours of twelve and one. The first place at the May-Pole in the Strand, the second in Covent-Garden, and the third at Charing-cross; and in every place some Parcels of her Books to be burnt by the Common Hangman before her Face; and a Paper of the cause to be upon the Pillory; and she to find Sureties for her good Behaviour du∣ring Life.