commanding the guard arrested him. He was immediately
conveyed on board of a frigate that lay at the levee. On
hearing of this, his lady, a grand daughter of La Chaise, the
former commissary-general and ordonnateur, hastened to the
city. As her boat approached the frigate, it was hailed and
ordered away. She made herself known, and solicited admission
to her husband, but was answered she could not see him, as the
captain was on shore, and had left orders that no communication
should be allowed with the prisoner. Villere recognised his
wife's voice, and insisted on being permitted to see her. On
his being refused, a struggle ensued, in which he fell, pierced
by the bayonets of his guards. His bloody shirt thrown into the
boat, announced to the lady that she had ceased to be a wife;
and a sailor cut the rope that fastened the boat to the
frigate.

"O'Reilly's assessors heard and recorded the testimony against
the prisoners, and called on them for their pleas.

"The prosecution was grounded on a statute of Alfonso the
eleventh, which is the first law of the seventh title of the
first partida, and denounces the punishment of death and
confiscation of property against those who excite any
insurrection against the king or state, or take up arms under
pretence of extending their liberty or rights, and against
those who give them any assistance.

"Foucault pleaded he had done nothing, except in his character
of commissary-general and ordonnateur of the king of France in
the province, and to him alone he was accountable for the
motives that had directed his official conduct. The plea was
sustained; he was not, however, released; and a few days
afterwards, he was transported to France.

"Brand offered a similar plea, urging he was the king of
France's printer in Louisiana. The only accusation against him,
was that he had printed the petition of the planters and
merchants to the superior council, soliciting that body to
require Ulloa to exhibit his powers or depart. He concluded
that he was bound, by his office, to print whatever the
ordonnateur sent to his press; and he produced that officer's
order to print the petition. His plea was sustained and he was
discharged.

"The other prisoners declined also the jurisdiction of the