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AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
nmination of old Mattes en~._E gav.e -hil)l four or five '[a]ssault$ with the cuqgel and then stepped-back a.few paces. ,D. then jumped .off the bench and seized o. sword cane which he always carries with· him and which was standing at the end_-_of.the bench-. -But did not attempt to do any thing with .it-' However I forgot to tell you- Whilst E. was plying him with his cudgel he commanded him all the time to ma1·ch J/Ott damned little, 1·ogue ill a1'ch . you ·damned rascal-· o.nd when retired at the.distance of a few paces as above, he abused D. very much all in the room and in presence of ·.a full board- D. not saying a single word, and Doubtless seized with a double portion of that suspense which held every body for .some time in utter astonishment-- At last Judge Lucas• (as of course he was obliged to do) ordered E. out of the house, ~-nd, cleared the room to deliberate on what should be done to revenge the insult offered to the board. 5 The result was; they issued some kind of process against him but of what nature I am not able to tell you. The effect of it is not yet lmown and how they will punish him otherwise than for assault and battery-I cannot tell- • Surely there never ,was a more.riclicu- lous act committed by any man- For in the first place the tjme was beyond all calculation improper-and insulting every member of the board-in the second place after he began it, he did not half finish it-- He gave him only a few strokes with the cane and they not put on hard enough to hurt him-. ·I a.m·very sorry it was. done-: be- cause it will not only operate against him but· all the party- On the contrary- if he had given it to him in the streets- or on some fit occasion he would have been supported, by every body and ultimately sustained no damage- But now even the passions of the govern- ment abroad must be enlisted on their side; for the sake of protect- ing their officers from similar outrages-· It was done without the knowledge or approbation of any of his friends- However ·much I deprecate the circumstance nt present: yet I believe-it ·is .better done any way than no way at all- I do·not wish any thing I have said to operate against Easton but candour has obliged me to give you this full statement-- Therefore do not let the world know we censure him- : One .word more and I have don~ Do you not owe Perigrine Falconer something- If so let me advise you ever,. at the expence of a sacrifice, be punctual to a day to pay him at Orlean~ Trust me in this, it will be for your benefit- More I cannot say- But:be certain to pay him to the hour there,·if .within the compass of possi- bility- More I will prohably tell you of this hereafter. • • • ,v1LL c C ARR [Addressed:] Moses Austin esq Mr. E. Bates: . Mine a Breton 'James· B. C. ·Lucas. See Ibfd., -u·. • For this episode In the hlator7 ot the Board 'ot La.n'd Commissioners, see Ibid., 47,
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