Page:Life and transactions of Mrs. Jane Shore (2).pdf/23

 23 and retire with great precaution: this discovery, how- ever, only brought the young lady's virtue in question, and as they were not interested in that, they wisely kept the secret. Some time after, the same house was found to be stript of the plate and other valuable effects to a con- siderable amount: the servants discovered the robbery when they awoke in the morning ; but not the least conjecture could be made who committed the robbery. The neighbours then thought it their duty to clear them- selves from all suspicions, and with this view they made a declaration before a magistrate, of what they had seen. Appearances were so strong against the youth, that the magistrate did not hesitate, but immediately lad him arrested and charged with the fact. He disowned the crime with indignation; but a generous concern for the honour of his mistress would not permit him to confess the true motive of his coming out of her house in the deal of the night: embarrassed by the delicacy of his situation, he gave such a confused and improbable ac- count of himself, that his manner of defending himself seemed to amount nearly to a conviction ; however, as he still maintained that he was innocent, and the evi- dence of his accusers was not sufficient to prove him guilty, the judges ordered the torture. In Scotland the torture was not so terrible as in some other countries, but it was sufficient to answer the pur- prose of extorting truth or falsehood from the unhappy victims whose strength or resolution was not equal to its torments. It consisted in making them swallow a cer- tain quantity of water, which done, they extended them on the floor of the prison, and placed a plank upon the stomach, on which the executioner stood, and pressed the poor wretch till he regorged the water with extreme violence : this cruel punishment was repeated till the

barty confessed the crime of which he was accused. he rumour of this sentence reached the ears of his mistress; affection and gratitude made her determine to save the life of the generous inn, at the expense of