xxii Introduction.

Assembly did not meet from November 15, 1678 until August 16, 1681, and
in 1681 they did pass a law for the relief of Leisler. By that law a tax of three
pounds of tobacco per poll was imposed and the proceeds of the tax, estimated
at 20,842 pounds, were ordered paid to Leisler (Archives VII, 225). He had
come down into Maryland to help in the passage of the law (ibid., 241).

When the Council told Coursey to apply to Leisler for what he needed, they
must have known him, and indeed events proved that this was true. After
Leisler got into trouble over his church activities, he came down into Maryland
and Delaware and Virginia for trade. He did fairly well here, and got into
no more than the usual number of lawsuits. At one time he retained Robert
Carvile, at another Robert Ridgely. Ridgely took care of a suit Leisler brought
against John Blomfield, attorney, clerk of the Council, clerk of the Provincial
Court, and innholder in St. Mary's. Ridgely was, himself, clerk of the Lower
House, but that was no reason why he should not function as an attorney. In
May 1677 Blomfield gave Leisler a writing obligatory for 4520 pounds of
tobacco to be paid on October 10 next after the date of the bond. When
Blomfield did not pay, Leisler, by Ridgely, sued for 6ooo pounds of tobacco.
At the trial Blomfield claimed that he had paid 2000 pounds of the debt, and he
admitted owing the remainder. This plea the Court accepted, and, on March 11,
1678/9, they gave Leisler the 2520 pounds debt, and costs of 560 pounds, with
a stay of execution until October 10 following (post, 142-143). Leisler's
troubles in Maryland were nothing compared to his later difficulties in New
York, but this is not the place nor the time to tell of hanging for treason, or of
the later reversal of the treason charge. He maintained his Maryland connec-
tions until he died.

The events of this volume took place in 1678-1679. At that time in England,
the country was excited by the Popish plot, but no hint of the stir is to be found
in these proceedings. What makes the omission a little strange is that one of
the sufferers in the plot was Henry, third Lord Arundell and cousin of Charles,
third Lord Baltimore.