Goodere—Mrs. Stafford, will you tell his lordship and the jury what you know of sir John's being a lunatic?
Mrs. Stafford—Sir John hired me for a housekeeper in London, and told me he had a great many servants, and he wanted a housekeeper. When he brought me down, he ordered me to his seat at Tockington; where, he said, he had a great deal of company frequently. When I came there, I found there was nothing in what he had told me; for, instead of a great many servants, he had but one: a poor old shattered house, ready to tumble down about one's ears, and the household goods all to pieces: he was a madman, for if I had followed his directions in any thing I should have done mischief. He hath sent me and the rest of his servants to Thornbury market, when there was none; he hath ringed the bell to call his servants to come to his bedside to him, and when we have come up to him, he hath asked us, what we did there? Sir, said I, you called me up; he hath said he did not: and after we had been there a quarter of an hour, he would take a knife, fork, glass-bottle, or anything that came in his way, to throw at us, asking of us, What did we come to rob him? And I was afraid of my life, to live with him. I do believe he was a madman, or else he would never have acted as he did; he would go into the kitchen, and take the pot, and hang it on the fire. I style him a madman by his actions.
Vernon—And must he therefore be hanged himself like a mad dog, think you?
Mrs. Stafford—I know nothing of that, Sir.
Vernon—How long did you live with sir John?
Mrs. Stafford—Three months, Sir.
Goodere—Call Mr. Robert Cock.
The Recorder—What do you call him to prove?
Goodere—My lord, in order to prove sir John Dineley a lunatic. Mr. Cock, will you give an account to my lord and the jury what you know of the lunacy of sir John Dineley?