t until you know he is not an impostor, and that this is not a trick
to seize our fort," cautioned Milborne. Then Leisler, reconsidering the
matter, decided to wait.

_The Beaver_ brought with it one Ingoldsby, who had a commission as
captain. When Ingoldsby appeared, Leisler offered him quarters in the
city:

"Possession of his majesty's fort is what I demand," Ingoldsby replied,
and he issued a proclamation requiring submission. The aristocratic
party, which had long been chafing under the rule of the republican
uprising under Leisler, thus obtained as a leader one who held a
commission from the new sovereign. Leisler, conforming to the original
agreement made with his fellow-insurgents, replied that Ingoldsby had
produced no order from the king, or from Sloughter, who, it was known
had received a commission as governor, and, promising him aid as a
military officer, refused to surrender the fort. The troops as they
landed were received with all courtesy and accommodation; yet passions
ran high, and a shot was fired at them. The outrage was severely
reproved by Leisler, who, on March 10th, the day of the landing of the
troops issued proclamations and counter proclamations, promising
obedience to Sloughter on his arrival.

It was on the evening of March 19th, that this profligate, needy, and
narrow-minded adventurer, who held the royal commission, arrived in New
York, and Leisler at once sent messengers to receive his orders.
Leisler's messengers were detained, and next morning he sent the new
governor a letter asking him to whom he should surrender the fort. His
letter was unheeded, and Sloughter, who had already come to hate the
republican Leisler, ordered Ingoldsby to arrest him and all the persons
called his council.

The prisoners, eight in number, were promptly arraigned before a special
court, constituted for the purpose by an ordinance, with inveterate
royalists as judges. Six of the inferior insurgents, who made their
defence, were convicted of high treason and reprieved. Leisler and
Milborne denied to the governor the power to institute a tribunal for
judging his predecessor, and appealed to the king. In vain they plead
the merit of their zeal for King William, since they had so lately
opposed his governor. Leisler in particular attempted to justify his
conduct from the standpoint that Lord Nottingham's letter entitled him
to act in the capacity of lieutenant-governor; but through ignorance, or
sycophancy