A true narrative of the proceedings at the Sessions-house in the Old-Bayly at a sessions there held on Wednesday the 17th of January 1676/7. Giving a full account of the true tryal and sentence of Lodowick Muggleton for blasphemous words and books. As also the tryals and condemnation of a vvoman for killing her bastard-child; and of a man for personating another person in giving bayl before a judge. With an account how many are condenmed, burn'd in the hand, to be whipt, and transported. With allowance. Roger L'Estrange.

The Proceedings at the Sessions in the Old bayly , on Wednesday the 17th of this Instant January 1676 / 7.

NOt to trouble the Reader with a tedious Relation of things trivial or impertinent , the most considederable or remarkable Transactions of this Sessions were as follows .

First , the tryal of that grand and notorious Impostor Lodowick Muggleton , of whom to give the world a brief Account , we must acquaint you , that he was originally a Journyman-Taylor , and ( some say ) afterwards kept a Botchers stall ; but having a strange enthusiastick head , began about the year 1651 , to enter into Confederacy with one Reeves ( another Brother of the Sheers ) who resolve to cut out a new Scheme or Fashion of Religion ; and to that purpose declare themselves , The two last VVitnesses of God that ever should be upon the Earth ; and that they had absolute and irrevocable power to save and damn whom they pleas'd ; to which end one call'd himself the Blessing , the other the Cursing Prophet . And the said Reeves dying some years since , Muggleton pretends his Spirit was left with him , and the whole power of Witnessing , Blessing , and Cursing , devolved into his hands , which he as impiously practised upon the least affront or opposition ; pronouncing persons damn'd by their particular Names , blasphemously adding , That God , Angels , or Men could not afterwards save them . And as all Hereticks covet to be Authors and Ring-leaders to a Sect , so by divers printed Books and Corner conferences , he easily seduced divers weak and instable people ( especially of the Female-Sex ) to become his Proselytes , who from him call themselves Muggletonians : So impossible it is for the wildest and most senseless , as well as most impious Notions , when broached with impudence among the Rabble , not to meet with some heads so irregular as to embrace them for serious Truths , or divine Revelations .

This Muggleton's house being searched about August last , a great quantity of his books were seized , some of which , it was now proved , he owned the writing of , and that he had caus'd them to be printed ; for which he was now indicted , many wicked Passages out of them being recited in the Indictment , but so horrid and blasphemous , that we think fit to spare the Christian modesty of each pious ear , by not repeating the same here , where there is no necessity for it . The Prisoner pleaded not guilty , but frustrated the general expectation , by saying nothing further either to excuse or justice himself , but had a Counsel appear'd for him , who ingenuously declar'd himself asham'd to speak a word in favour of such a Cause ; onely desired the Court to take notice , that the Books were dated before the last Act of Grace ; but it being usual to Antedate or Post-date Titles of books , as best suits with the Publisher's interest , and that he had since that Act owned and published the same , that Plea was over-rul'd ; and the said Muggleton being found guilty by the Jury , was afterwards sentenced by the Court to stand three days in the Pillory at three the most eminent places of the City , with Papers shewing his Crime ; and his Books so seized , divided into three parts , to be burnt over his head upon the Pillory : And besides , to be fined Five hundred pound , and to continue in Goal till the same be paid , and afterwards for his life , unless he procured good Bail , such as the Court should accept of , and not of his own Gang , Faction , or Sect , for his being of the good Behaviour .

The next was a woman of about Forty years of age , and one that had six Children by a Husband since dead , but was , it seems , still of too Youthful a temper ; for being lately deliver'd , by her self , of a Bastard-child on a Wednesday-morning , she most barbarously murthered it by crushing the head , and wounding it both in the scull and eyes ( as is supposed ) with a pair of Sizzars , and then fairly puts it into a Platter and sets it upon a shelf , where it continued till Saturday-morning , when a woman lodging above her in the same house , coming down to visit her , and examining her more strictly , by reason of some symptoms the observed , she now Prisoner confess'd she had miscarried , and looking for the Embryo they found a perfect Child murthered , as you have heard . She pretended her self distracted when the fact was done ; but it appearing that she had sense enough to endeavour to conceal it , she was Convicted and Condemned

A man was likewise Condemned to die for a kind of unusual Crime , but such as the Law , by reason of its bad example and mischievous tendency , has thought fit to restrain with capital Punishment ; which was , that there being a Suit at Law depending between two persons , the Prisoner comes and personating another man , is Bayl for one of the parties before a Judge ; upon which afterwards the man whose name he had assumed knowing nothing of the business , was taken up , to his great damage , &c. He begg'd heartily for Transportation , but it could not be granted .

Four Bayliffs and Followers were arraigned by one they went to arrest , who pretended to have lost some odde Trifles ; but they were not found guilty .

Two persons were Condemned to die , two Burn'd in the hand , and two sentenced to be Whip'd : And so the Sessions ended with the day .

FINIS .