I, perhaps foolishly and perhaps not, stepped out at the gate, and, putting aside his blows, took him again by the elbows, and, keeping his back to me, pushed him forward down the road about fifty yards--he all the while endeavouring to turn round and strike me, and raging and cursing, which drew out several neighbours.

At length when I had got him to where he was quartered, which was very quickly done, we were met at the gate by the master of the house--the Fox Inn--( who is the proprietor of my cottage) and his wife and daughter, and the man's comrade, and several other people.

My landlord compelled the soldiers to go indoors, after many abusive threats against me and my wife from the two soldiers; but not one word of threat on account of sedition was uttered at that time." [Sidenote: WILLIAM BLAKE, TRAITOR] As a result, Blake was haled before the magistrates and committed for trial.

The trial was held in the Guildhall at Chichester, on January 11th, 1804.

Hayley, in spite of having been thrown from his horse on a flint with, says Gilchrist, Blake's biographer, "more than usual violence" was in attendance to swear to the poet's character, and Cowper's friend Rose, a clever barrister, had been retained.