DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0104
86
ACCOUNT OF THE COCK LANE GHOST.
much injured on the occasion, should receive some re-
paration by the punishment of the offenders, deferred
passing sentence for seven or eight months, in hopes the
parties might in the mean time make up the affair.
Accordingly the Rev. Mr. Moore and Mr. James were
discharged on paying the prosecutor 3001. and his costs,
which amounted to nearly as much more. Brown, who
published the narrative, which we introduced in the early
part of this history, and Say, the printer of the newspaper
in which it was made public, had previously made their
peace with the prosecutor.
As to the grand culprit Parsons, he was ordered to be
set in the pillory three times in one month, once at the
end of Cock Lane, and after that to be imprisoned two
years, Elizabeth his wife one year, and Mary Fraser,
six months in Bridewell, and to be there kept to hard
labour—a punishment which appears much too lenient,
when we consider the atrocious and malignant motives
which instigated the framers of this artful and villanous
contrivance.
Parsons appearing to be out of his mind at the time
he was first to stand in the pillory, the execution of that
part of the sentence was deferred till another day ; when,
as well as the other days of his public exhibition, the popu-
lace, instead of using him ill, took so much compassion on
him, that a handsome collection was made for his use.
The term of his confinement in the King’s Bench prison
having expired on the 13th of February 1765, he was con-
sequently discharged.
Such was the termination of an affair, which not only
found partisans among the weak and credulous, but even
staggered many men of extensive talents and sound
understandings. A worthy clergyman, whose faith was
stronger than his reason, and who had warmly interested
himself in behalf of the reality of the spirit, was so over-
whelmed
ACCOUNT OF THE COCK LANE GHOST.
much injured on the occasion, should receive some re-
paration by the punishment of the offenders, deferred
passing sentence for seven or eight months, in hopes the
parties might in the mean time make up the affair.
Accordingly the Rev. Mr. Moore and Mr. James were
discharged on paying the prosecutor 3001. and his costs,
which amounted to nearly as much more. Brown, who
published the narrative, which we introduced in the early
part of this history, and Say, the printer of the newspaper
in which it was made public, had previously made their
peace with the prosecutor.
As to the grand culprit Parsons, he was ordered to be
set in the pillory three times in one month, once at the
end of Cock Lane, and after that to be imprisoned two
years, Elizabeth his wife one year, and Mary Fraser,
six months in Bridewell, and to be there kept to hard
labour—a punishment which appears much too lenient,
when we consider the atrocious and malignant motives
which instigated the framers of this artful and villanous
contrivance.
Parsons appearing to be out of his mind at the time
he was first to stand in the pillory, the execution of that
part of the sentence was deferred till another day ; when,
as well as the other days of his public exhibition, the popu-
lace, instead of using him ill, took so much compassion on
him, that a handsome collection was made for his use.
The term of his confinement in the King’s Bench prison
having expired on the 13th of February 1765, he was con-
sequently discharged.
Such was the termination of an affair, which not only
found partisans among the weak and credulous, but even
staggered many men of extensive talents and sound
understandings. A worthy clergyman, whose faith was
stronger than his reason, and who had warmly interested
himself in behalf of the reality of the spirit, was so over-
whelmed