The defence of Humphrey Smith, Anthony Melledge, and William Bayley, against several false accusations cast upon them by John Bunkley, for which they yet remain in Prison at Winchester. Whereas Humphrey Smith, was falsely accused of saying I curse, or for cursing, whereby john Bulkley hath most unreasonably cast and kept him (and Anthony Melledge and Will. Bayley in a straight filthy prison above a year, and whereas john Bulkley hath also therein made lies, his refuge seeking to cover his cruelty and injustice, by common continual reports, that Humphrey Smith did curse a maid at Poulner, and also that he made her distracted. Therefore is this true testimony written in short, to clear the truth before the eyes of all that can receive it in plainness, From John Reeds house at Poulner, the 28th. day of the 1 month 59 HUmphrey Smith a prisoner at Winchester above a year, by reason of a false witness, he came and had a meeting, as formerly he had among us at Poulner, near Ringwood in Hamshire, to whom then some of us spoke of a maid not far off that was distempered, and after some persuasions, he and Anthony Melledge was free to go with us to visit her being distempered, who since is become sensible and sober, and when we came, we were invited in by Steephen Jaye the man of the house, who after falsely swore against Humphrey Smith, though then he offered us his house to meet in, or liberty for any of us to be with the maid. But there being a filthy thing then ruling in her, Hum: Smith denied it and her words, but whereas he was falsely accused of cursing or saying I curse, and that Rich: Harris should say Amen, was both false and never spoken by them, we being then eye & ear witnesses, & what was spoke was not in secret, neither did Ant: Melledge say Amen, nor any other of us to which our names are written: Anne Reed, Frances Bence, Mary Hobbs, Elizabeth Everedge. And the maid's father Thomas Hinton came after to a sitting of them called Justices at Ringwood, where was John Bulkley & John Hilsley, before whom he offered to testify upon his oath that Hum. Smith never spoke them words, but John Bunkley would not receive his testimony, the truth whereof is certified under our hands,— Richard Harris, Phil. Bence. Ann Reed. The testimony of Rich. Harris. Whereas Humphrey Smith was accused for cursing, I bear my testimony with the rest, that he was falsely accused, Richard Harris. The maid herself can give no testimony of it but underneath are some words plainly written, as they came from her own mouth. I was then distempered, and did not give ear to the words which were spoken, & if I had, I had not been sensible, and I do not remember what was spoken, for I was not then as I am now, nor as I was before, & I was distempered before ever I heard of thy name, (meaning H. S. & she said) I believe Bulkley's sending for me was to get what he could out of me, and to this, she with her own hand writ her name,— Marry Hinton. By these last words of hers it may be understood how John Bunkley had sent for her after H. S. was falsely accused, and that John Bulkley had commonly reported that he had made her mad, but he never saw her face before that time, he went to see her she being ●istempered. The testimony of the maid's Father. WHen Hump. Smith was at Poulner, I desired him, and he & others of his friends went to visit my daughter, and I went along with him, & was with him there, & also came thence with him, and did not hear any curse pronounced, nor hear him say I curse, the which he being accused of; I went to a sitting of Justices at Ringwood, to testify upon oath, but John Bulkley would not receive it, and after this Ste. Jaye had accused H. S. of cursing, he drew his knife to kill himself, but he could not do it, but swore he would run his knife ●n my daughter, and did beat her, that she spit much blood, and lay very sick after, so that he went away into another County. Tho. Hinton. The testimony of Anthony Melledge I being with H. S. to visit the distracted maid at Poulner, after which time he was accused for cursing that maid, and that I should say Amen. The which I testify is false, neither was William Bayley there Anthony Melledge. The testimony of Will. Bayley. AT that time H. S. went to visit the distracted maid I was not there, but sick at home 10. miles off: though John Bulkley hath kept me a prisoner above a year (from 3 small motherless children and way of livelihood) as for several misdemeanours (done at that time & place) as was mentioned in the Mittimus. THe Lord God of Heaven and Earth knoweth I am wronged by John Bulkley every way, when I neither did nor spoke nor intended any evil towards any creature, I was by his warrant brought before him, and then not suffered to speak for my defence in truth, but falsely accused of cursing, as the Lord God knoweth, and presently committed to prison, and also 2 of my dear brethren with me, who have since suffered a most cruel & close inhuman imprisonment, above a year, and my soul grieved to hear and see continual wickedness, besides all the sufferings in my body, and grief to see my dear brethren lie sick upon the ground by me sometimes wanting water or any thing to nourish their bodies, by reason of close restraint and cruelty, and to add affliction to all this, and much more, he also sought by all likelihood to take away the life of my body to cover his own injustice, and therefore sent into my native county to Colonel Burch, and endeavoured very much to have more false witness against me; and therefore as himself confessed to me he caused a man there to be bound over to a Sessions as to testify against me, whereby he had thoughts to have got testimony upon oath, that I had cheated some man of much money, and so been as a thief, and so to take away my life, which was a horrible wicked thing, but in that the Lord prevented him, though he commonly reported the thing to be true, to make truth and me odious, and himself to be as a just man, in punishing such a one: and he also commonly reported not only that I cursed the maid, but also that I made her mad, but that it is all false, I am ready to testify unto death, and for the clearing of the living truth of Jesus Christ, from them and all other false reports which are many by him, my life is not dear unto me nor my long imprisonment, though tedious, but do believe if it be many years more, the Lord God of power who knoweth my innocency will keep me in faithfulness with the rest, until his wickedness & envy doth appear unto all sober people, and the truth of God stand clear from all his false accusations, & deceitful malicious enterprises, against the way of God & me his servant; for this I do know, the Lord God is on my side, in whom alone is my trust, for whose namesake I suffer bonds, patiently, knowing all these things to be false, this with boldness I publish, and should willingly appear before the chief Rulers of the nation to clear the truth of God from those false things under which John Bulkley doth cause it and me to suffer, who am called, Humphrey Smith. Winchester close Prison the 5th. of the 2d. month 1659.