A full Account of the Apprehending of the LORD CHANCELLOR, in Wapping; As he was designing to make his Escape: As also the Manner how he was brought before the Lord Mayor; and from thence committed to the Tower, December 12. 88  
IT is a generally received Maxim in this Kingdom, That no Man struggled with the Laws of England, but he got a Fall: Of which you have new a great Example in the present Lord of Wemm, Lord Chancellor of England; who ambitious of Honour and Grandeur balked at no Violation of the Ancient and Fundamental Laws of this Realm, to hoist himself into Exorbitant Power. His Bold and Lofty Deportment, when Chief Justice, and his Domineering Pride, when Lord Chancellor, are too well known, and he is now become himself an Example, That Breach of Law in England is but a Sandy Foundation. For after all his Ranting Vainglory and Imperious Pomp, finding White-Hall too Hot to hold him, he was forced to quit his glorious Purse and Mace, and so flunk away, with a Resolution to leave the Nation, which he has Disturbed with his Pernicious Counsels; and to avoid the Reward of his Misdeeds, by seeking Shelter in a Foreign Climate: For Flight, by the Law of England always implies Gild.  
To this Purpose, laying aside his Gold Frogg-Button Gown, he put himself into the Habit of a Seaman, with a Fur-Cap, instead of his Beaver and Diamond-buckled Hatband; and for the present took Sanctuary in Anchor and Hope-Alley, perhaps, because he thought there might be some kind of Spell in the Sign, and Willing still to have Hope for his Friend, left his Heart should break. There he sent for the Master of a Collier to bargain with him, for the Hire of his Vessel to carry him beyond Sea, out of Harms Way.  
But the Mate more cunning than the Master, smelled a Rat, and full of Suspicions, goes and informs the Headborough of the Place, of the whole matter: Who considering the present Condition of Affairs, resolved to see whether it were a Man or a Mouse, who was making such haste out of the Kingdom. And so taking his Staff of Authority, went to the House in Anchor and Hope Alley aforesaid, in the Hamlet of Wapping aforesaid; and going up Stairs, found a certain Person in Seaman's Habit, as aforesaid, laid upon a Bed, between two Blankets (without any other Wapping Accommodation, so far as we can hear of, for his Spirits were low) upon which, whether it were by Instinct, or by some Private Whisper of my Lord's Fate in his Ear, he gave him a broadside Question, and asked him, Whether he were not the Lord Chancellor or no? To which the Man between the Blankets replied, He was. With that the Headborough thought it his Duty to apprehend his Lordship; and so having seized him, carried him to one Captain Jones' House, a Master of a Ship, till he could get a Coach and more Assistance, and then brought him to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor's House in Grocer's Alley. It is not to be imagined what a Train his Lordship had to attend him, all the way from the Place, where he was taken; which caused a great Fear in his Lordship; and made him earnestly desire the Headborough, To secure him from the Fury of the People, not valuing the Expense of his Protection, whatever it might be. Upon which there was a Person ordered all the way to sit in his Lap before him, to receive the Mire and Dirt, if the Mobile should prove unmannerly.  
When he was brought to Grocer's Hall, the Multitude that followed him, filled all the Court to that degree, that there was no going in or out: To whom the Lord Mayor, appearing from his Balcony, delivered himself in few Words to this Purpose, That he desired them to let him but have free Passage to and fro, to his own House, and he would take Care to acquaint the Lords of the Council, that they might have Justice done; and a good Account of their Prisoner. And these Words his Lordship was forced to repeat twice, by reason of the Noise below in the Yard. From thence the Lord Chancellor was sent to the Tower; where we leave him at present to his own serious Thoughts and Considerations.  
FINIS.