n his grace next Thursday, at half an hour
after ten in the morning. He was punctual to his appointment, and no
sooner appeared than the duke recognised him to be the person to whom
he had spoke in the Park and the Abbey. Having conducted him into an
apartment, and shut the door, he asked, as before, if he had anything
to communicate: and was answered, as formerly, in the negative. Then the
duke repeated every circumstance of this strange transaction; to which
Barnard listened with attention and surprise, yet without exhibiting any
marks of conscious guilt or confusion. The duke observing that it was
matter of astonishment to see letters of such import written with the
correctness of a scholar; the other replied, that a man might be very
poor and very learned at the same time. When he saw the fourth letter,
in which his name was mentioned, with the circumstance of his father's
absence, he said, "If is very odd, my father was then out of town." An
expression the more remarkable, as the letter was without date, and he
could not, as an innocent man, be supposed to know at what time it was
written. The duke having made him acquainted with the particulars, told
him, that if he was innocent he ought to use his endeavours-to detect
the writer of the letters, especially of the last, in which he was
expressely named. To this admonition he returned no other answer but
a smile, and then withdrew.--He was afterwards taken into custody, and
tried at the Old Bailey,for sending a threatening letter, contrary to
the statute; but no evidence could be found to prove the letters were of
his handwriting: nor did any presumption appear against him, except
his being in Hyde-Park, and in Westminster Abbey, at the time and place
appointed in the first two letters. On the other hand, Mr. Barnard
proved, that, on the Sunday when he saw the duke in Hyde-Park, he was
on his way to Kensington on particular business, by his father's order,
signified to him that very morning: that he accordingly went thither,
and dined with his uncle, in company with several other persons, to whom
he related what had passed between the duke of Marlborough and him in
the Park: that his being afterwards in Westminster Abbey was the effect
of mere accident: that Mr. James Greenwood, his kinsman, who had
lain that preceding night at his father's house, desired him to dress
himself, that they might walk together in the Park; and he did not
comply with his request till after