THE LATE

Trial and Conviction

O F

Count TARIFF.

T

HE whole Nation is at prefent very inquifitive after the proceedings in the caufe of Goodman Fact, Plaintiff, and Count Tariff, Defendant; as it was tried on the 18th of June, in the thirteenth year of her Majefty's reign, and in the year of the Lord 1713. I fhall therefore give my Countrymen a fhort and faithful account of that whole matter. And in order to it, muft in the firft place premife fome particulars relating to the perfon and character of the faid Plaintiff Goodman Fact.

Goodman Fact is allowed by every body to be a plain-fpoken perfon, and a man of very few words. Tropes and figures are his Averfion. He

affirms

affirms every thing roundly, without any art, rhetoric, or circumlocution. He is a declared enemy to all kinds of ceremony and complaifance. He flatters no body. Yet fo great is his natural eloquence that he cuts down the fineft orator, and deftroys the best contrived argument, as foon as ever he gets himself to be heard. He never applies to the paffions or prejudices of his audience: when they liften with attention and honeft minds, he never fails of carrying his point. He appeared in a fuit of English broad-cloth, very plain, but rich. Every thing he wore was fubftantial, honeft, homefpun ware. His cane indeed came from the EaftIndies, and two or three little fuperfluities from Turkey, and other parts. It is faid that he encouraged himself with a bottle of neat Port, before he appeared at the trial. He was huzzaed into the Court by feveral thoufands of Weavers, Clothiers, Fullers, Dyers, Packers, Calenders, Setters, Silk-men, Spinners, Dreffers, Whitfters, Winders, Mercers, Throwfters, Sugar-bakers, Diftillers, Drapers, Hofiers, Planters, Merchants, and Fishermen; who all unanimoufly declared that they could not live above two months longer, if their Friend Fact did not gain his caufe.

Every body was over-joyed to hear that the good man was come to town. He no fooner made his appearance in Court, but feveral of his Friends fell a weeping at the fight of him: for indeed he had not been seen there three years before.

The Charge he exhibited against Count Tariff was drawn up in the following articles.

I. That the faid Count had given in falfe and fraudulent reports in the name of the Plaintiff.

II. That

II. That the faid Count had tampered with the faid Plaintiff, and made ufe of many indirect methods to bring him over to his party.

III. That the faid Count had wilfully and know. ingly traduced the faid Plaintiff, having misreprefented him in many cunningly devifed fpeeches, as a perfon in the French Intereft.

IV. That the faid Count had averred in the prefence of above five hundred perfons, that he had heard the Plaintiff fpeak in derogation of the Portuguese, Spaniards, Italians, Hollanders, and others; who were the perfons whom the faid Plaintiff had always favoured in his difcourfe, and whom he fhould always continue to favour.

V. That the faid Count had given a very difadvantageous relation of the three great Farms, which had long flourished under the care and fuperintendency of the Plaintiff.

VÍ. That he would have obliged the owners of the said farms to buy up many commodities which grew upon their own lands. That he would have taken away the labour from the tenants, and put it into the hands of ftrangers. That he would have leffened and deftroyed the produce of the faid farms.

That by these and many other wicked devices he would have ftarved many honeft day-labourers; have impoverished the owner, and have filled his farm with beggars, &c.

VII. That the faid Count had either funk or miflaid feveral books, papers, and receipts, by which the Plaintiff might fooner have found means to vindicate himself from fuch calumnies, afperfions, and mifrepresentations.

In all these particulars Goodman Fact was very fhort but pithy: for, as I faid before, he was a plain

home

home-fpun man. His yea was yea, and his nay, nay. He had farther fo much of the Quaker in him, that he never fwore, but his affirmation was as valid as another's oath.

It was observed that Count Tariff endeavoured to brow-beat the Plaintiff all the while he was fpeaking: but though he was not fo impudent as the Count, he was every whit as sturdy; and when it came to the Count's turn to fpeak, old Fact fo ftared him in the face, after his plain, downright way, that the Count was very often ftruck dumb, and forced to hold his tongue in the middle of his difcourse.

More witneffes appeared on this occasion to attest Goodman Fact's veracity than ever were seen in a court of juftice. His caufe was pleaded by the ableft men in the kingdom; among whom was a Gentleman of Suffolk, who did him fignal Service.

Count Tariff appear'd juft the reverfe of Goodman Fact. He was dreffed in a fine brocade waftecoat, curioufly embroidered with Flower-deluces. He wore alfo a broad-brimmed hat, a fhoulder-knot, and a pair of filver clocked ftockings. His fpeeches were accompanied with much gefture and grimace. He abounded in empty phrafes, fuperficial flourishes, violent affertions, and feeble proofs. To be brief, he had all the French affurance, cunning, and volubility of tongue; and would moft certainly have carried his caufe, had he dealt with any one antagonist in the world befides Goodman Fact.

The Count being call'd upon to answer to the charge which had been made against him, did it after a manner peculiar to the family of the Tariffs, viz. by railing and calling names.

He,