Yet, Corah, thou shalt from oblivion pass;

Erect¹ thyself, thou monumental brass²,

High as the serpent of thy metal made,

While nations stand secure beneath thy shade.

ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL.

The morning which Charles had spent in visiting the Tower, had been very differently employed by those unhappy individuals, whom their bad fate, and the singular temper of the times, had made the innocent tenants³ of that state prison, and who had received official notice that they were to stand their trial in the Court of Queen’s Bench at Westminster, on the seventh succeeding day. The stout⁴ old Cavalier at first only railed at the officer for spoiling his breakfast with the news, but evinced great feeling when he was told that Julian was to be put under the same indictment⁵.

We intend to dwell only very generally on the nature of their trial, which corresponded, in the outline, with almost all those which took place during the prevalence of the Popish Plot. That is, one or two infamous⁶ and perjured⁷ evidences, whose profession of common informers had become frightfully lucrative⁸, made oath to the prisoners having expressed themselves interested in the great confederacy of the Catholics. A number of others brought forward facts or suspicions, affecting the character of the parties as honest Protestants and good subjects; and betwixt the direct and presumptive evidence, enough was usually extracted for justifying⁹, to a corrupted¹⁰ court and perjured jury, the fatal verdict of Guilty.

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