Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/293

 The Court well knew, it was not poible to get the Evidence of every Sufferer by this Crew, and therefore, firt of all, conidered how that Deficiency hould be upplied; whether, or no, they could pardon one ''Jo. Dennis'', who had early offered himelf, as King’s Evidence, and was the bet read in their Lives and Converations: Here indeed, they were at a Los for Law, and concluded in the Negative, becaue it look’d like compounding with a Man to wear fally, loing by it, thoe great Helps he could have afforded.

Another great Difficulty in their Proceedings, was, how to undertand thoe Words in the Act of Parliament, of, i. e. o to undertand them, as to be able to hold a Court; for if they had been indicted on particular Robberies, the Evidence had happened motly from the Royal African Company’s Ships, on which thee Gentlemen of Cape-Coro-Catle, were not qualify’d to it, their Oath running,  And this they thought they had, Commiions being paid them, on uch Goods: And on the other Side, if they were incapacitated, no Court could be formed, the Commiion abolutely requiring three of them by Name.

To reconcile all Things, therefore, the Court reolved, to bottom the whole of their Proceedings on the Swallow’s Depoitions, which were clear and plain, and had the Circumtance of Time when, Place where, Manner how, and the like, particularly pecified according to the Statute in that Cae made, and provided. But this admitted only a general Intimation of Robbery in the Indictment, therefore it looking Arbitrary on the Lives of Men, to lump them to the Gallows, in uch a ummary Way as mut have Rh