THE LATE

Trial and Conviction

OF

Count TARIFF.

HE whole nation is at prefent very

Tinquifitive after the proceedings in the

caufe of goodman Fact, plaintiff, and Count Tariff, defendant; as it was tried on the eighteenth 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 short and faithful account of that whole matter. And in order to it, muft in the first place premise 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 every thing roundly, without any art, rhetoric, or circumlocution. He is a declared enemy to all kinds VOL. II. U

of

of ceremony and complaifance. He flatters no body. Yet fog reat is his natural eloquence that he cuts down the finest orator, and destroys the best contrived argument, as soon 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 substantial, honest, home-fpun ware. His cane indeed came from the East-Indies, 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 thousands of Weavers, Clothiers, Fullers, Dyers, Packers, Calenders, Setters, Silk-men, Spinners, Dreffers, Whitfters, Winders, Mercers, Throwfters, Sugar-bakers, Distillers, Drapers, Hofiers, • Planters, Merchants, and Fishermen;' who all unanimously 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 feen there three years before.

The

The charge he exhibited against Count Tariff was drawn up in the following

articles.

I. That the faid Count had given in false and fraudulent reports in the name of the plaintiff.

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

III. That the faid Count had wilfully and knowingly traduced the faid plaintiff, having mifrepresented him in many cunningly devifed fpeeches, as a perfon in the French interest.

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 discourse, and whom he should always continue to favour.

V. That the faid Count had given a very disadvantageous relation of the three great farms, which had long flourished under the · care and fuperintendency of the plaintiff.

VI. That he would have obliged the owners of the faid farms to by 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 U 2 hands

hands of ftrangers. That he would have leffened and deftroyed the produce of the faid farms.

That by thefe and many other wicked devices he would have starved many honest 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 misreprefenta

tions.

In all these particulars goodman Fact was very short but pithy: For, as I faid before, he was a plain home-spun 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 speaking: 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 discourse.

More witneffes appeared on this occafion

to atteft goodman Fact's veracity than ever

were

were seen in a court of justice. His caufe was pleaded by the ableft men in the kingdom; among whom was a gentleman of Suffolk, who did him fignal fervice.

Count Tariff appeared juft the reverse of goodman Fact. He was dreffed in a fine brocade waistcoat, curiously embroidered with flower-de-luces. He wore also a broadbrimmed hat, a fhoulder-knot, and a pair of filver-clocked ftockings. His fpeeches were accompanied with much gesture 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 most certainly have carried his caufe, had he dealt with any one antagonist in the world befides goodman Fact.

The Count being called 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, in the first place, accused his adverfary of Scandulum magnatum, and of speaking against his superiors with faucinefs and contempt. As the plain good man was not of a make to have any friends at court, he was a little startled at this accufation, until at length he made it appear, that it was impoffible for any of his family to be either U 3

faucy.