Lord Chief-Justice—Prithee, be ingenious, and let us have the truth on it.
Dunne—My lord, I am ingenious and will be so.
Lord Chief-Justice—I will assure you Nelthorp told me all the story before I came out of town.[59]
Dunne—I think, my lord, he was called Nelthorp in the room, and there was some discourse about him.
Lord Chief-Justice—Ay, there was unquestionably, and I know thou wert by, and that made me the more concerned to press upon thee the danger of forswearing thyself.
Dunne—My lady asked Hicks who that gentleman was, and he said it was Nelthorp, as I remember.
Lord Chief-Justice—Very well, and upon that discourse with Nelthorp, which I had in town, did I give particular direction, that the outlawry of Nelthorp should be brought down hither, for he told me particularly of all the passages and discourses of his being beyond sea: I would not mention any such thing as any piece of evidence to influence this case, but I could not but tremble to think, after what I knew, that any one should dare so much to prevaricate with God and man, as to tell such horrid lyes in the face of a Court.
Dunne—What does your lordship ask me?
Lord Chief-Justice—Come I will ask thee a plain question; was there no discourse there about the battle, and of their being in the army?
Dunne—There was some such discourse, my lord.