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That whoever had at any time spoken ill of me, and had withall suffered any cross or disappointment in any of the Offices I had to do withal, would by and by conclude, That such his cross was a revenge of mine for his misbehaviour towards me, whereas probably I never heard or dreamt either of such his fault or punishment.
Another cause of the popular rage against me was, My strictness, and perhaps too abundant Caution in the administration of my Duty, The which proceeded from the disposition I observed in all that envyed my precedent successes, to catch me tripping, baiting hooks to entangle me. As for example, they would send som poor impotent wretch with a small Debenture of about forty shillings, begging for Gods sake to have it satisfied with some advantage and favour upon the accompt of the smaleness of the sum, and the distress of the suitor; the Trepanners designing that if the Fish had bitten, to demand the like satisfaction for some other Debenture of 500 l. of their own, in pursuance of the aforemention'd Precedent, Which if we had denyed, alleadging the abovementioned motives, for the cause of
