Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/371

 On the 5th of July 1723, he was brought to his Tryal, at a Court of Admiralty held at the Old-Baily, when Captain Ruel, Governor Whitney’s Son, and others, appeared as Evidences, by whom the Indictment was plainly proved againt him; which, if it had not been done, the Captain was of uch an heroick Spirit, that he would have deny’d nothing; for intead of making a Defence, he only entertained the Court with a long Narrative of his Expedition, from the firt etting out, to his Return to England, mentioning two Acts of Pyracy committed by him, which he was not charged with, often challenging the Evidences to contradict him, if in any Thing he related the leat Syllable of an Untruth; and intead of denying the Crimes et forth in the Indictment, he charged himelf with various Circumtances, which fixed the Facts more home upon him. Upon the whole, the Captain was found Guilty, received Sentence of Death, and was executed three Weeks after, at Execution-Dock.

We return now to Lowther, whom we left cruiing off Hipaniola, from whence he plyed to Windward, and, near Porto Rico, chaed two Sail, and poke with them; they proving to be a mall Britol Ship, commanded by Captain Smith, and a Spanih Pyrate, who had made Prize of the aid Ship. Lowther examined into the Spaniard’s Authority for taking an Englih Veel, and threat’ned to put every Man of them to death, for o doing; o that the Spaniards fancied themelves to be in a very pittiful Condition, till Matters cleared up, and they found their Maters as great Rogues as themelves, from whom ome Mercy might be expected, in regard to the near Relation they tood with them, as to their Profeion; in hort, Lowther firt rifled, and then burnt both the Ships, ending the Spaniards away in their Rh