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Tuesday, October 4th. 1726. At three a Clock post Meridiem. The Court met according to the said Adjournment.
PRESENT, The Honourable WILLIAM DUMMER Esq Lieut. Governour and Commander in Chief of the said Province, President; and all the other Commissioners before-named.
Then the Prisoners were brought to the Bar, and their Advocate hav|ing been served with a Copy of the Articles exhibited against them, and prepared for their Trial, the said Articles were read again.
After reading thereof, His Majesty's Advocate made a Speech to the Court as followed, viz.
MAY it please Your Honour Mr. President, and the Honourable the Com|missioners, John Baptist Senior, and John Baptist Junior, the Prisoners at the Bar, stand Articled against for Acts of Piracy, Robbery and Felony, Com|mitted upon the High Seas, within the Jurisdiction of the Admiralty of Great Britain, contrary to the Peace of our Sovereign Lord the King, His Crown and Dignity, and the Statutes in such Cases Made and Provided: To which upon Arraignment, they have severally pleaded Not Guilty.
The Word Pirate, with inconsiderable Variation, is taken from the Greek Substantive Peirates, Praedo Marinus, and therefore a Pirate in a Legal Sense is called a Robber on the High Seas: And under this Consideration I'm humbly of Opinion, the Prisoners at the Bar will evidently appear to your Honours, in the Series of this their Trial: Persons whom the Law with the greatest Pro|priety justly Terms Pirates. And however others may pride themselves in accurately handling abstruse and knotty Cases; I esteem it my Felicity, that the Articles now exhibited to your Honours, are grounded upon plain and clear Matters of Fact; Facts which proceed from the Rancour and Virulency of their evil Hearts, from a craving Appetite, and an insatiable Thirst after inordinate Gain. And finally, Facts if not now timely Corrected by Your Honours experienced Justice, will most certainly terminate in the breaking up of our Fishery, the most valuable Branch of our New-England Trade. But for as much as I'm sensible Glosses with your Honours pass not for Arguments, or Varnish for Evidence; So I'm well assured, when positive and direct Proofs appear before You in their full Proportion, they will have their Usual and Legal Weight in Your Honours Determination: And therefore upon the Evidences I shall produce on the part of the King, I may reasonably expect in Justice to His Majesty, in Compliance with the Laws of our Land, and in