Monmouth had landed at
Lyme Regis in the south of the county, and the cry was "A Monmouth! A
Monmouth! The Protestant Religion!" and a number of Puritans had joined
his standard. More than three hundred of them had been taken prisoners
and were awaiting their trial at Dorchester, the county town. Jeffreys
let it be known that their only chance was to plead guilty and throw
themselves on the mercy of their country, but in spite of this two
hundred and ninety-two received sentence of death. Twenty-nine of these
were despatched immediately, and about ninety were executed in various
parts of the country, their bodies being brutally dismembered and
exposed in towns, villages, and hamlets. Great efforts were made to save
one young gentleman named Battiscombe, who was engaged to a young lady
of gentle blood, a sister of the Sheriff; she threw herself at the feet
of Jeffreys to beg for mercy, but he drove her away with a jest so
shocking to decency and humanity that it could not be repeated, and
Battiscombe perished with the others. Altogether three hundred persons
were executed, more were whipped and imprisoned, and a thousand sold and
transported to the Plantations, for taking part in this rebellion, the
money going as perquisites to the ladies of the Court.
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