Trials > Tryal of Richard Francklin

Mr. Attorney-General fpoke next on the Part of
the King, That nothing was requir’d, nor defir’d buc
a fair Determination of this Matter, between his
Majeftyand his Subjefts; and that if they prov’d
the Publication of the Country-Journal, or Craftfman,
of the 2d of Januarym(m which was inferred an
txtract ot a pretended private Letter from the Harue )
on Mr. Franklin i he hop’d that the Jury would con-
lider it, whether it was a Libel or not; as to its be¬
ing a fcandalous and feditious Letter, was evident in
hlrs,?P1‘llon> fr0m lts afperfmg the feveral Treaties
of his Majefty and his Allies, enter’d into by them
to prevent the ill Confequences of the Treaty oi Vien¬
na, concluded between the King ot Spam!^ the
■ - ^Peror of Germany, fuch in particular, as the De-
hvery of. Gibraltar and Fort-Mahon to the Kina of
Spain and a great Diminution of our Foreign Trade-
that the faid pretended Extraft of a Letteffrom the
Hague, intimated, fthat the firm Union between
France ^d Spam, would fi0Qn prove a Mfiondutl in
fme Mmtfiersi which he (in his Opinion ) believ’d
could mean none other than the Minifters of Great-
Bntain, whether of Sea or Land he could not tell ,
butit anfwerd to the Information now againft Mr.‘ |
Franklin, as meaning tome Minifters J
. Mt.JttmwyGeveraltookNotice'ofm AamaJc;
in the Third Year ot the Re,gn of Edward I. which
provided for the Pumthment of fcandalous and fedi- '
lions Libels ; and the Publifters of falfe News. And
of another Aa made in the Reign of He,,. VII 1
PT nd 1° of the a4,h of
fyf'. J?1*, which was allow'd as a Libel againft J
his Majefty, tho he was not direaiy mention’d
He then concluded with telling the Court and the !
Jury, that nothing was requir’d of them, but a fair
definition of the Matter m Difpure, as they on them ,
Oath^