Ashton suffered with equal courage and decorum.

In a paper which he delivered to the sheriff, he owned his attachment to king James; he witnessed to the birth of the prince of Wales; denied his knowledge of the contents of the papers that were committed to his charge; complained of the hard measure he had met with from the judges and the jury, but forgave them in the sight of heaven.

This man was celebrated by the nonjurors as a martyr to loyalty; and they boldly affirmed, that his chief crime in the eyes of the government was his having among his baggage an account of such evidence as would have been convincing to all the world concerning the birth of the prince of Wales, which by a great number of people was believed supposititious.* Lord Preston obtained a pardon; Elliot was not tried, because no evidence appeared against him; the earl of Clarendon was sent to the Tower, where he remained some months, and he was afterwards confined to his own house in the country--an indulgence which he owed to his consanguinity with the queen, who was his first cousin.

The bishop of Ely, Graham, and Penn, absconded; and a proclamation was issued for apprehending them as traitors.
* To one of the pamphlets published on this occasion, is annexed a petition to the present government in the name of king James's adherents, importing, that some grave and learned person should be authorized to compile a treatise, showing the grounds of William's title; and declaring, that in case the performance should carry conviction along with it, they would submit to that title, as they had hitherto opposed it from a principle of conscience.

The best answer that could be made to this summons was Locke's book upon government, which appeared at this period .-- _Ralph_.
THE KING FILLS UP THE BISHOPRICS.
This prelate's being concerned in a conspiracy, furnished the king with a plausible pretence for filling up the vacant bishoprics.