Mr. ALLEN's Vindication; OR; REMARKS upon a late Scandalous PAMPHLET, Entituled, A ſtrange and New Diſcovery, &c.

HAving lately peruſed a Scandalous Pamphlet, reflecting on Mr. Allen Ordinary of Newgate, I thought my ſelf oblig'd, being a Member of the Church of England, to enquire of ſeveral credible Perſons, the true Grounds and Reaſons for ſuch Reports. And being convinc'd that Malice and Envy were the Sources from whence ſuch impure Streams flow­ed, I thought it but Juſt and Chriſtian-like, to publiſh to the World the Matter as it ap­pear'd to me. But firſt I beg Mr. Allen's Pardon, eſpecially ſince I am aſſur'd he is now writing his own Defence at large, ſo that I ought to leave it to his more ingenious Pen. Lampoons and Li­bels ſo much in Faſhion in this witty Age, are a ready way to murder any Perſon's Reputation; and indeed the Nature of true Virtue is commonly ſuch, that as the Flame ever bears its Smoak, and the Body its Shadow, ſo the brightneſs of Vertue never ſhines, but hath Diſdain or Envy waiting upon it.

But to come to the Point. I find the Chief ſtreſs of the Matter is grounded upon Mr. Allen's being ſuppos'd to be the Perſon, who prevail'd with Jones to Swear againſt Capt. Newey at his Tryal. But according to the beſt Account I can receive from ſuch Circumſtances and Perſons as are leaſt liable to Miſtake, the Matter of Fact is truly Thus: Mr. Allen, according to Cuſtom, a little before the Seſſions begins, Viſits the Priſoners, and exhorts them to prepare for another World, and ſuch as are Evidences to ſpeak the Truth without Favour or Affection, telling them the Nature of an Oath and what it is. Mr. Charles Newey happened to be with one Jones alias Ambrell in the Maſter's ſide, when Mr. Allen came to Viſit, and he was reading a Paper to Newey, being the Contents of an Oath he was to ſwear againſt Mrs. Newey his Siſter-in-Law in Holbourn. Newey ſtaid and heard the Exhortation, and it was the firſt time Mr. Allen ever ſaw Jones. Pre­ſently after this, Jones writes a Letter to Juſtice Ellis, who committed him, importing that he had Buſineſs of Great Conſequence, and deſir'd to ſee him. Upon this Juſtice Ellis went to an adja­cent Houſe, and ſent for him, where he acquainted him, that he was very ſorry for what he had done, and was willing to confeſs the Truth, which was, that Newey was to give him ten Guineas to ſwear High Treaſon againſt his Siſter, viz. That he actually ſaw her Coin Half Crowns, and that he was to put them off; whereas indeed he never ſaw Mrs. Newey at all, till ſuch time he had been Suborn'd by the Captain. That he the ſaid Jones went before Sir Robert Jefferies, and ſwore the ſame by the Name of Ambrell, being perſwaded to it by the Captain, that they might have the better Pretence to carry on their Matters, by having two Witneſſes to one Fact. That he was alſo to ſwear himſelf to be the Husband of one Hannah Goodridge, to whom Newey had been mar­ried ſome Years before, and that he left her becauſe ſhe would have poyſon'd him. For the Truth of this, I muſt refer my ſelf to the Worſhipful Juſtice Ellis, who lives near St. Giles's Church.

A ſmall time after Newey himſelf was committed Priſoner to Newgate, and being in the Preſs-Yard, inſinuates himſelf into the Company of Mr. Allen, and frequently importun'd him to go to his Siſter-in-Law, whom Mr. Allen had never ſeen, having himſelf at that time a Wife living. So that his Marriage which happen'd with Mrs. Newey very lately, could not be the Price and Purchaſe of Mr. Allen's prevailing with Jones to be an Evidence againſt him, as he pretends in his Pamphlet. At length being prevailed upon by frequent Entreaties, Mr. Allen went to his Siſter in behalf of the ſaid Newey, being accompanied by Capt. Iſaac, who lives in Holbourn, and others of Newey's Relations and Acquaintance. She return'd for Anſwer, that ſhe could do nothing without Advice of Counſel. After this, Mr. Newey writes a Letter to Mr. Allen, the Original whereof is now in Mr. Allen's Hands, and contains what followeth.

Mr. Allen was his Friend at that time, and did what in him lay to ſerve him; and I cannot but Note how well he Requites him for it. That I paſs by in ſhort, and only obſerve in the Whole, that it appears Mr. Allen was a perfect Stranger to Mrs. Newey at the time this Diſcovery was made to Juſtice Ellis; and therefore, what he would infer from it, being built upon a wrong Founda­tion, do's utterly fall to the ground. As to what is ſaid concerning Mr. Allen's being an Evidence againſt him, there is no more in it, than that the Court, upon Newey's Tryal, ask'd Jones how he came to diſcover the Matter to Juſtice Ellis. He told them he was convinc'd of the Danger of taking a falſe Oath by the Exhortation of Mr. Allen, a little before the Seſſions began, which was the ſame time the Captain was preſent, as he own'd at his Tryal. The Court deſir'd Mr. Allen to declare upon Oath, whether he had made ſuch Exhortation, and he anſwer'd, Yes, which is all the Evidence Mr. Allen ever gave, notwithſtanding he makes ſo great a Noiſe about it in his Pam­phlets.

The 2d thing Mr. Allen is charged with, is taking Money from Joſeph Fiſher and John Davis lately Ezecuted, under pretence of ſaving their Lives. The Truth I find to be this. Mary Fiſher, Wife of Joſeph Fiſher, came to Mr. Allen about Eleven of the Clock, the Day before the Execution, and gave him a Petition, and put 2 Guineas in his Hand, entreating him with many Tears, to put her in a way to get a Reprieve for her Husband. To which Mr. Allen's Anſwer was, that he could do her no Service therein, and was unacquainted with thoſe things, and ſo gave her the Money back again. On Saturday, May 25th between 6 and 7 in the Afternoon, Mary Fiſher came again to Mr. Allen, and told him, that as ſhe was going through Newgate, one of the Priſoners call'd to her, and told her, that Capt. Newey in the Preſs-Yard, would ſpeak with her. Accordingly ſhe went, and after ſome Diſcourſe, he deſir'd her to ſwear before a Magiſtrate, that Mr. Allen de­frauded her of 2 Guineas, under Pretence of ſaving her. Husband's Life, which, as ſhe ſaid, ſhe refus'd; and in order to get from him, promis'd to return in 2 Hours. Inſtead of returning ſhe went directly to Mr. Allen, and acquainted him with Newey's Intention, and voluntarily made an Affidavit of the Truth thereof. Mr. Harvey, a Gentleman of Reputation, who lives in Red-Lion-Fields, drew up the Affidavit, and read it to her diſtinctly and deliberately. She re­plied, it was very true, and ſo ſign'd it. Mr. Harvey's Clerk went along with her before Judge Gould; his Clerk ask'd her whether ſhe had heard the Contents read, and ſhe ſaid Yes, and that they were very true, and are as followeth.

The Day following being Sunday Mr. Allen acquainted Newey with what Fiſher had told him, and read him the Affidavit; he was ſo concern'd, that he ſent for the Woman the next day, and told her Mr. Allen had abus'd her, and prevail'd with her ſo far, that at his Requeſt ſhe went be­fore the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and depos'd that Mr. Allen had forced her to take the ſaid Oath before Judge Gold. Whereas Mr. Harvey and his Clerk did affirm and they were ready to depoſe that Mr. Allen, did not go with her, nor ſtir out of the Chamber when ſhe made the aforeſaid Affidavit, his Chambers being in Fleetſtreet, and the Judges in Chancery-Lane; which in the Opinion of every unprejudic'd Perſon that I have convers'd with, do's fully enough clear the Reputation of Mr. Allen as to that Point; tho' it is an unhappy Circumſtance for a Miniſter to have to do with Perſons of ſuch profligate Conſciences, as will Swear and then Forſwear, for a ſmall Gratuity.

I find Mr. Allen accus'd alſo with taking 40 s. from John Davis, who was lately executed; as alſo 20 from his Wife. I have enquir'd into this Matter, and find no Evidence but Davis his Wife, who only ſays, that ſhe heard her Husband ſay ſo. I am unwilling to reflect on the Dead; but 'tis well known what a Perſon this Davis was. It ſeems he was a Miniſter's Son in the North, near the Place where Mr. Allen was born, and deſired him with great Earneſtneſs not to give any Ac­count of his Diſaſter to his Parents by Letter, his true Name being Shirley; and upon this ac­count ſent 20 s. to Mr. Allen, to buy him a Mourning Ring by his Wives Hand, which Mr. Allen, in my Opinion, very imprudently return'd her at the Requeſt of the Lord Mayor; and eſpecial­ly, ſeeing he has diſcharg'd that painful and laborious Office a Year and 3 Quarters, and has re­ceiv'd but one Quarters Salary of the Whole, as I am informed by ſeveral.

Thus, I have given a true Account of the Matters of Fact as they are in themſelves, and can be Atteſted by Perſons of unqueſtionable Reputation, and ſhall only add, that what I find in another Paper, concerning Brabazon's giving Mr. Allen Money, has no appearance of Truth, he being now a Convict in Newgate, that lies for Tranſportation; and I am very well aſſur'd that Mr. Allen has formerly paid this Man's Fees out of meer Charity, and ſo ſet him at Liberty once before.