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If he have not heard it reported for truth that Mr Nedham the plaintiff should say that he had obtained a judgment from the deceased John Bennett in the time of his sickness by hard swearing that is by making many grievances and terrible protestations to be broken that he would never make use of the said Judgment whilst he and the said deceased lived? and whether contrary to his said protestations the plaintiff did not in the time of the said deceased's sickness break up his shop which was a great hastening of the deceased's death through discontent and grief thereat?... If at the time of Mr Bennett's the defendant and his meeting together as loving friends and ancient acquaintances he the said Mr Bennett did not amongst other discourse speak to him of the uncivil speech that he had heard the plaintiff say behind his the defendants back that he would have the old knave his father (meaning the defendant, father of the said deceased) bound with him the said deceased and whether that were not justly the occasion of the defendant's passion at that time as he verily believes?... Whether the plaintiff be not his [Minshull's] tenant? And taketh a shop of him at fair times and pays him rent for the same?
One day within the time arlate the deponent and the defendant were together at George [Soludnie's?] house in Fishmongers Lane in Chester talking of the plaintiff Mr Thomas Nedham and the defendant speaking of and concerning Mr Nedham did in a very passionate manner call him, and say that he was, a very knave and rogue, and a whoremasterly knave and rogue [struck out: 'and maintained whore's bastards'] with many other such uncivil words. At such time there was none present in the room with them or within hearing that this deponent see or know of, but he hath heard his contest John Battwell say that he heard the defendant say that the plaintiff in this cause was a knave and a whoremaster or to that purpose... Upon or about 12th of October last to the best of this deponent's remembrance for the time (as this deponent hath heard) the plaintiff in this case Mr Thomas Nedham by virtue of some judgment which he had from John Bennett did seize upon the goods in his (the said Bennett's) shop... At the time predeposed the defendant and this deponent were drinking together as being friends and old acquaintances and Bennett then told this deponent he heard that Mr Nedham had called him an old knave, but he would be revenged on him and would have his periwig off his head and if he could not do it himself he had a son should do it or to that purpose, but whether the words predeposed were spoken before or after this passage this deponent doth not now remember... He hath known the defendant these thirty years and upwards, and that he hath been Mayor of Chester and this deponent doth not know that he has been apt to defame or reproach any person... The defendant uttered the words predeposed in great passion against Mr Nedham being moved as this deponent conceived by some words which the defendant had heard that Mr Nedham had spoken against him as old Knave and the like... The words predeposed were spoken by the defendant in George Soludnie's house in a parlour there upon a Saturday to the best of his remembrance about two o'clock in the afternoon, no one at that time but the plaintiff that this deponent remembers being mentioned or spoke on between them at that time... Mr Nedham hath taken part of a shop of this deponent and lodged at his house for some years last past at fair times, so that so soon as this deponent did see him after the speaking of the words as deposed this deponent told him of it, and wished him to clear himself therein, for if he were such a person, he was not fit to live or be in any civil house, or to that purpose...
One day within the time arlate, the defendant in this cause Mr Bennett met this deponent in Fishmongers Lane in Chester and took occasion to speak to this deponent concerning Mr Nedham and fell into a great passion of railing on him calling Nedham a knave and whoremaster knave and whoremaster rogue and said that he kept or maintained whores [struck out: 'bastards'] and that he had brought up his [Bennett's] son to it, and had undone him, or to that purpose, this being in the open street about nine or ten o'clock but whether any other person heard the [said] words this deponent knoweth not...