Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/314

 further evident he became, after this, a Voluntier amongt them. Firt, becaue he was preently very forward and brisk, in robbing the Ship King Solomon, of her Proviions and Stores. Secondly, becaue he endeavoured to have his Captain ill ued; and latly, becaue he had confeed to Fenn, that he had been obliged to ign their Articles that Night, (a Pitol being laid on the Table, to ignify he mut do it, or be hot,) when the whole appeared to be an Untruth from other Evidence, who alo aerted his being armed in the Action againt the Swallow.

In anwer to this, he firt oberved upon the Unhappines of being friendles in this Part of the World, which, elewhere, by witneing to the Honety of his former Life, would, he believed, in a great Meaure, have invalidated the wrong Evidence had been given of his being a Voluntier with the Pyrates. He owns indeed, he made no Application to his Captain, to intercede for a Dicharge, but excues it with aying, he had a dilike to him, and therefore was ure that uch Application would have avail’d him nothing.

The Court oberved the Pretences of this, and other of the Pyrates, of a Pitol and their Articles being erved up in a Dih together, or of their being miued and forced from an honet Service, was often a Complotment of the Parties, to render them les upected of thoe they came from, and was to anwer the End of being put in a News-Paper or Affidavit: and the Pyrates were o generous as not to refue a Compliment to a Brother that cot them nothing, and, at the ame Time, ecured them the bet Hands; the bet I call them, becaue uch a Dependance made them act more boldly.Guilty.