Highness the late King and His Highness was first for poysoning the said Earl but that manner of death was objected against it was then proposed to His Highness that the Earl should be stabbed but that was not liked at last His Highness concluded and ordered his Throat to be cut and His Highness had promised to be there when it was done About 6 Days before his death some of the same Consult at the same place declared that it was resolved the Earl's Throat should be cut but it would be given out he had done it himself and whosoever should deny that should be taken up and punished The very Day this Murther was committed and after it was done one of these Villains leaped about Holmes ' s Parlour for joy and Holmes coming into the Room he struck Holmes on the Back and cried The Feat was done and he could not but laugh to think how like a Fool the Earl of Essex look'd when they come to cut his Throat L p. 23 24. That this Relation was not invented upon this Revolution to asperse the late King many Witnesses have deposed That this servant gave them the Substance of this Account some years before the late King abdicated and that these Deponents cautioned her to secrecy L. p. 23 24. To avoid this Charge of D. S. Mr. Holmes procured 2 Witnesses Mrs. Hewet a violent Papist and the other of a loose Character to depose that in April before the Earl's Death this D. S. was turned away from Holmes's House upon Suspicion of Theft and from April 1683 to 9 Months after one Elizabeth Cadman was servant with the said Holmes and no other servant there 〈…〉 L. p. 24. But it 's deposed by 6 Witnesses That D. S. was servant with Holmes about the time of the Earl's Death L. p. 24 25. and it 's proved continued there a Servant sometime after his Lordship's death L. p. 25. Hewet further swore That on the 6th of July 1683 She went out of Town with Holmes and tarried out with him till the 23th of the same Month but in contradiction to this part it 's deposed by a Taylor That the very Week my Lord died he delivered a Dust-Gown to Mrs. Hewet then in London this appears by the Taylor 's Book to which he hath sworn L. p. 25. but Mrs. Hewet told this Taylor to this effect That if he did swear this he would prove her Brother Holmes in Town when she had swore him above 60 miles off and that her Brother was then a dead Man L. p. 26. Thus Holmes's Defence appears false in every part And where a Defence is detected to be false it 's not uncharitable to conclude that the Charge is true As a farther Evidence to confirm the Consult to murther my Lord and that His late Majesty the then Duke of York was to be there when it was to be done it 's proved by 8 Witnesses that it was reported at several remote places in England sometime before the Earl was dead That the Earl had cut his Throat in the Tower L. p. 26 27 and at one of these places viz. Andover about 60 Miles from London the very next Day after the Earl was committed to the Tower and two days before the King and Duke went to the Tower it was declared That the Earl being Prisoner in the Tower and understanding the King and Duke were come into the Tower his Lordship was afraid His then Majesty would have come into his Chamber which the Earl could not bear the thoughts of and therefore cut his Throat to avoid it L. p. 27. None but the most secret in that horrid Contrivance who knew the King and Duke were to be in the Tower when the Earl was to be murthered or had it from such as were acquainted with the whole Contrivance could report two days before the Earl's Death that his Lordship cut his Throat when the King and Duke were in the Tower for the King and the Duke had been together in the Tower but once in 25 Years before and their going the day my Lord died was a surprize to the very Yeomen of the Guard many of which about five in the Morning were called out of their Beds to attend His Majesty and Duke into the Tower All these reports of the Earl's Death before he was indeed dead agreed in the manner how cutting his Throat the Place where the Tower and one gave the pretended Reason wherefore to avoid seeing the King then in the Tower which Reason was industriously urged by the Papists after his death as an Argument for the Self-Murther All this strongly proves that the manner place and pretended reason were some time before my Lord's Death or indeed commitment to the Tower agreed upon for it could not otherwise be so particularly related about 60 Miles from London the next day after his Lordship's commitment to the Tower That His late Majesty sent the Ruffians into the Earl's Lodgings to murther him is reasonable to be believed it being deposed by several Witnesses That on the Day of my Lord's Death two Soldiers since taken off to prevent their discovery declar'd they saw the then Duke send two Ruffians into the Earl's Lodgings and these two Villains were observed to return to his then Highness before the Earlâ—s Death was known and as they came near him they smiled and said The Business was done upon which the then Duke seemed well pleased Floyd the Centinel confessed that by special Order he let in two or three Men of which Webster a Bailiff was one into my Lord's Lodgings just before his death that he heard them going into my Lord's Chamber upon which he soon observed a great noise and trampling a little after which it was pretended the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat Whilst this Centinel was in Newgate as suspected privy to my Lord's Murther he desired liberty to send for a Neighbour which being granted by the Lords of the Committee This Soldier after he had often enjoyned his Neighbour to be true to him declared That he was much troubled that he had confessed the letting in these men to my Lord for tho' it was indeed true it was what he should not have owned L. p. 28. Whilst these Ruffians were thus struggling with my Lord one E. B. saw three or four men bustling together in my Lord's Chamber and she heard one of them crying out very loud and dolefully Murther murther murther and this she soon discovered to one Mr. P. who did immediately caution her to secrecy because the discovery thereof would be her ruin L. p. 29. Mr. P. hath in this respect confirmed the Testimony of E. B. So that this Evidence appears to be no new-made Story L. p. 29. That his Lordship by his struggling endeavoured to prevent their cutting his Throat appears by five Cuts that were observed on his right Hand L. p. 45. The many and gross irregular Practices with respect to the Coroner's Inquisition are further
MVRTHER will OVT SIR BY yours of the 12th of this Instant writ to Sir R. S. I perceive you never heard that since this happy Revolution any proof was made in Detection of the most Treacherous and Barbarous Murther of that Great but unhappy Patriot Arthur late Earl of Essex Wherefore according to the Commands laid upon me I shall as briefly as I well can give you an Abstract of the most material Depositions which in that Matter have been made and upon what Information I first moved and for what Reasons I did ingage in the Prosecution In this Compendium I shall refer you to a large Discourse Intituled Essex's Innocency and Honour Vindicated in a Letter to a Friend printed above two Years since and by your Nephew B it will be shortly brought you The late Earl of Essex was committed to the Tower Tuesday the 10th of July 1683. Bomeny his own Servant was immediately attending on his Lordship Monday and Russel were the two Warders who by turns stood one at his Lordship's Chamber-Door the other at the Stairs-foot and Floyd a Soldier Centinel at the House-Door under the Earl's Chamber-window Vide Letter c. p. 2. Friday then next following his Lordship was falsely said to cut his Throat To prove which pretended Self-Murther Bomeny and Russel on the then next day deposed before the Coroner in Substance That the Earl of Essex in less than half an Hour before he was found dead had a Razor delivered him to pair his Nails with which Razor his Lordship retired into a little Closet and 〈…〉 soon after being opened The Earl was there found with his Throat cut Both Jugulars being divided and the Razor lying by the Body L. p. 2. This Evidence for the Self-Murther is detected in every part For it appears by the many Contradictions between Bomeny Russel and Monday and the Depositions of many Witnesses First That there was no Razor delivered my Lord nor found by him in the Closet but laid there after his Death to colour the Self-Murther Secondly That the Earl's Body was not lockt into the Closet For the first of these Bomeny in his first Oath deposed That he did not deliver the Razor till the Morning his Lordship died L. p. 34. and in his his second Oath taken within a few hours of the first He saith he delivered the Razor the Day before his Lordship's Death L. p. 3. Russel swears the Razor was delivered in less than half an Hour before my Lord was found dead L. p. 4. and often declared that he saw it delivered by Bomeny after Monday had left my Lord's Chamber But Monday affirms That his Lordship had the Razor about 3 hours before he was found dead and above 2 hours before Russel stood at his Lordship's Chamber-door that Morning the Earl died L. p. 35. and 36. These Contradictions destroy the credit of each other and consequently prove the falsity of all That there was no Razor lockt in with the Body is evident for two Deposed they saw a bloody Razor thrown out of his Lordship's Chamber-window which is 16 foot distant from the Closet before the Earl was known to be dead L. p. 40 41 42. and Floyd confessed he saw the Razor so thrown out Webster one of the supposed Ruffians whom Floyd declared he let into the Earl's Lodging a little before his Lordship's Death L. p. 41. owned That he himself threw the Razor out and being asked the Reason replied he was then under a consternation and knew not what he did L. p. 42. Several that were in the Tower that Morning my Lord died deposed That it was commonly discours'd in the Tower just after my Lord's Death That there was a bloody Razor thrown out of the Chamber-window before ever it was known my Lord was dead L. p. 42. I perceive most are to seek of the Reason wherefore this Razor was so thrown out which might be what follows The Ruffians having murthered the Earl before they laid all things in that posture they designed they should be found by such as should come to see the Earl's Body A Person coming up Stairs these Varlets were surprized with fear having not finished that Tragical Scene as they designed to have left it Under this Amazement one of the Ruffians threw the Razor out of the Window This was not politickly done but it 's to be considered that what is the Effect of surprizing fear and consternation as this action was is not cunningly and judicially executed for this I have some ground and the Truth time may discover Secondly That the Body was not lockt into the Closet Bomeny first swore that he knocking at my Lord's Closet-door and calling My Lord his Lordship not answering he himself pushed the Door open and there saw the Body L. p. 35. In his second Deposition taken the same Day he deposed That when he knockt at the Closet-door and called My Lord his Lordship not answering he peep'd through a Chink and saw blood and part of the Razor whereupon without opening the Door he called Russel and Russel pushed the Door open L p. 3. This pushing supposes violence but Russel deposed he himself opened the Closet door the Key being on the outside L. p. 4. and speaks of no difficulty in it whereas Monday gives the Lie to both Bomeny and Russel amd declared that my Lord's Body lay so close and strong against the Closet-door that neither Bomeny or Russel could open the Door but he himself coming to the Door and being much stronger than either of the two former put his shoulder against the door and thrusting with all his might broke it open L. p. 35. This Relation stuft with Contradictions argues the whole is false and contrived For whensoever two or more Deponents pretend to be Co-witnesses of a Fact as in this case Bomeny Monday and Russel do and they materially contradict each other as is herein most notorious it 's evident all is forg'd This rational conclusion was drawn by Daniel from the contradictory charge of the two Elders against Susannah That the Closet was or could be lockt upon the Body is false and contrived as appears by the Oath of such who coming up to my Lord's Chamber just after his death was first discoverd they observed the Legs part out of of the Closet so that the Closet-door could not possibly be then fast and a bloody foot was seen imprinted on my Lord's Stocking L. p. 40. This in contradiction of that Evidence which would prove his Lordship a Self-Murtherer I shall now give you some farther Testimony to prove the Earl Barbarously murthered D. S in substance deposed that in July 83 she was Servant to one Mr. Holmes a notorious bigotted Papist and about 9 Days before my Lord of Essex ' s Death She over-heard several Papists declare at the House of the said Holmes That the Earl of Essex was so averse to their Interest that he must be taken off and that they had been with His
Proofs of my Lords being Murther'd and these Irregularities committed Contrary to the then King's Order for as soon as King Ch. heard of the Earls Death he did immediately send a Gentleman to order that all things should remain in those Circumstances the Body was first found dead till the Coroners Jury had sat upon the Body but notwithstanding this positive Order from the then King the Body was soon taken out of the Closet and that very day the Body was stript the Cloathes carried away and the Room and Closet wash'd and the next day when the Jury sat one of the Jury insisted upon seeing my Lord's Cloathes in which he dyed whereupon the Coroner was sent for into the next room to the Jury and upon his return told the Jury it was the Body and not the Cloaths they were to sit upon the Body was there and that was sufficient L. p. 44. Now had the Cloaths been produced the print of the bloody Foot before observed would have appeared and that my Lord 's Cravat in the Neck was cut in three parts besides other Circumstances in the Cloaths which might have prov'd the Resistance made by the Earl to prevent his being Murder'd had they been produced Whilst the Jury was sitting one of them said to this Effect That he had heard the Earl of Essex was a very Good Sober and Religious Gentleman and therefore this Action was very unlike that Character Whereupon Major Hawley at whose House my Lord was Murder'd in substance tells the Jury and this Man who thus spake in particular That whosoever thought that Self-murder was not like the Earl of Essex's Character did not well know 〈…〉 intimately acquainted with the Earl knew that it was his Lordships fix'd Principle That any Man might and ought rather to cut his own Throat than be brought to an Infamous Death wherefore this Action was according to the Earl's avowed Principle L. p. 46. But when Major Hawley was ask'd before the Lords of the Close Committee how he knew this to be my Lords avowed Principle Hawley protested he did never hear it said to be my Lords Principle till their Lordships charged him with having suggested it to the Jury and that he could not possibly do for this further reason because he was not near the Jury all that time they sat upon this Inquisition Hawley's now denying the suggesting to the Jury this pretended Principle of my Lord argues That this pretended Principle was a Forgery and contriv'd to corrupt the Jury with a belief of the Self-Murder The Jury were for adjourning their Inquisition and giving notice to my Lord's Relations so that if any thing could be proved on my Lord's behalf it might be heard But to prevent this Hawley tells the Jury That the then King had sent for their Inquisition and declared he would not rise from the Council-Board till rheir Inquisition was brought him wherefore they must dispatch out of hand L. p. 46. This being creditted they made all imaginable hast and did not take that time they would otherwise have done Hawley being asked who came from the King thus to hasten the Jury protested he never heard that any Person was so sent neither did he declare this to the Jury nor could he do it for he was not near them all the time they were upon the Inquisition But the Coroner and all the Jury very well knew Hawley and it is sworn he was with them and made use of those Suggestions beforementioned Hawley's denial That he was near the Jury argues his being conscious that he was with them to a very ill purpose It being a general Observation That whensoever a Person is charged with a Crime at a certain place and he positively denies his having been at that place when the Crime is said to be committed if such his denial prove false and it appears by undoubted Evidence that he was at the place when the Fact was done it is taken for granted that he was there to do what he is charged to have done A false Defence still argues a true Charge Lloyd the Centinel the day he was first seiz'd as suspected privy to this Murder declared That when the Men came to my Lord's Lodgings just before his Death Monday or Major Hawley ordered him to suffer the three Men to come in L. p. 27. To avoid this Suspicion Major Hawley declared before the Lords of the Close Committee that he went out of his own house about four or five of the Clock that morning and came not near his own House till after my Lord's Death when Monday the Warder came and gave him notice of that Accident but it was positively sworn by one that passed by Major Hawley's House about eight of the Clock that Morning which was a little before my Lords death that he saw the Major then go into his own House L. p. 32. Webster beforementioned one day very much abusing his Wife or Whore she told him to this effect That he was a Fool as well as a Rogue to treat her so considering he knew it was within her Power to hang him and one in the Tower L. p. 44. This Webster the very day my Lord was Murder'd produced a very fine Cambrick Pocket-Hankerchief mark'd with an E. and a Coronet The Hankerchief was very Bloody and this Barbarous Wretch shak'd it and with a great rejoycing cried out Here is the Blood of a Traytor The next day after the Earls Murder this Fellow before that time miserably poor produced a little Purse which he shook before a Neigbour of his and out of the Purse told Forty nine Guineas and a Pistol But it seems he had a far greater Sum than this for sometime after his Lordships Murder his Wife being upbraided with her Husbands Poverty reply'd My Husband not long since had five hundred Guinea's L. 44. This is probable enough considering the great Sums of Money this vile Fellow was observ'd to play away shortly after the Earl's death for it 's believed by those that observ'd his then losing that he lost above 400 l. within twelve Months next after his Lordships Murder Male parta male distribuntur Ill got ill spent Sometime after the Earls Death Holmes as before accused of being privy thereunto abusing his Wife she was over-heard to tell him He was a Murderous Rogue and he well-knew she could hang him when she pleas'd To which Holmes answer'd That he little thought she would have spoken of it who of all the World had the least Reason For said this Scurrilous Fellow You Bitch you Whore don't you remember I bought you a good Sattin-Gown and Petticoat and therefore you above all the World ought not to prate But she repli'd You are a Murderous Rogue for all that The many ill Practices violent Prosecutions and indeed barbarous Murders that have been committed to avoid a discovery of my Lord's Murder are further strong presumptions of that Barbarous Cruelty Of the first sort we have a
remarkable Instance in this particular viz. When the Coroners Inquisition and the Depositions of Bomeny and Russel were carri'd in all haste to White-Hall in order to their immediate Publication upon reading and comparing these new Informations it was found that they did in point of time materially contradict each other wherefore to make their Relations in this respect appear to the World more consonant to each other into Bomeny's Deposition these words were foisted viz. on Friday the Thirteenth Instant wherefore the then Authority might properly be said to have forg'd an Information For upon the least Alteration of or Addition to what was sworn by Bomeny it ceased to be his Deposition Whomsoever the then Authority pitch'd upon to peruse and reconcile Russels and Bomenys Depositions so that they might not appear to the World inconsistent with each other 't is plain he was not qualified for that Service for the words before observ'd to be added by this Reconciler are foisted into Bomeny's Deposition without the least congruity to Sense and Grammar As at large appears in L. p. 48. It matter'd not how contradictory Bomeny and Russell were in their Oaths before the Coroner provided they appear to publick view in a credible Dress For those Originals being kept by the Coroner it could not appear to the World that either of these printed Depositions was different from what was indeed sworn 't was taken for granted that the Coroner durst not contradict what Authority had ordered to be printed Robert Meake a Soldier in the Tower when my Lord was Murder'd and that very day discovered to several Friends what he knew of the matter the next Morning after the Earl's Death desired those to whom he had made that discovery not to reveal the least of what he had told them with relation to my Lord's Death For said Meake this very Morning several Soldiers were called together and by our Officer enjoyned under severe Threats not to make known any thing of what we saw or heard with reference to my Lord's Death And therefore he was undone if they should declare what he had the day before told them But it seems it was soon known or suspected by my Lord's murtherers that Meake had revealed his knowledge in this Matter and therefore they were resolved to take him off to prevent his farther Relation of which this poor Soldier being very sensible the very Day he was murthered he came to several of his acquaintance and told them That he found he went in danger of his life and he was afraid he should be murthered for discovering what he knew as to my Lord's Murther wherefore he desired those his Friends to keep him company that very Day for he much fear'd he should that very day be taken off but his friends dreading the danger themselves might be in whilst in his Company refused to go with him and that very Night this honest Soldier who was commonly known in the Tower and amongst his acquaintance by the Name of honest Robin was thrown into the Tower-ditch and the then next Morning there found dead L. p. 49. There was one Mr. Hawley a Warder in the Tower that Morning the Earl died who the day Mr. Speak and I were Tried declared That he knew Mr. Braddon could know nothing of the matter which a Gentleman observing said to Hawley If you know Mr. Braddon knows nothing what must you know then To which Mr. Hawley made no reply But this Warder's knowledge in the Matter cost him dear for about March next after the Earl's Death this Man was missing upon which a Popish Warder said That Hawley had been prating about the Earl of Essex ' s Death and for what he said was forc'd to ran away tho' it afterwards appeared he was murthered for about 6 Weeks after he was first miss'd he was found almost naked in Medway River having been villanously destroyed and such barbarous cruelty acted towards him that none of his own Relations not his own Wife could know him by his Face nor by any thing but what he had on his Legs for his Cloaths were stript off without doubt that the Body might not be known but his Stockins left on by which he was discovered for he wore three Stockins upon one Leg and two Stockins and a Sere-Cloath which he wore for some hurt upon the other by which remarkable circumstance the Body was known to be Mr. Hawley's Had his Murtherers took off his Stockins as they did his Cloaths none could have known it to be Mr. Hawley's Body But the Avenger of Blood in his Providence ordered this otherwise and hereafter may detect those barbarous Destroyers of Mankind with all their 〈…〉 been perpretrated with Relation to their first perfidious Cruelty Many have been the Practises used to prevent a publick Discovery of what was known by particular Persons in this matter For About 6 Weeks after my Lord's Death there was a Letter unsealed left with one Mr. Cadman then living in Durham Exchange The Letter was directed to the Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of Essex The substance of this Letter was That if her Honour could prevail with the King for the Author's Pardon he would ingenuously make a full Discovery how by whom and whose Order my Lord was murthered and this Letter did assure her Honour that the Duke of York and were authorizing this Murther This Letter was subscribed P. B. By the Hand that writ it and the Letters Subscribed it was Paul Bomeny beforementioned who did once blasphemously say that he could as well tell how my Lord came by his Death as God Almighty himself For the Letter was fairly writ in a Hand between a Roman and Italian and such an Hand Bomeny when he writ fair did write Besides the two Letters subscribed are the Letters of his Name I do suppose it may be objected That this Letter cannot be thought to be writ and subscribed by Bomeny for the Letter had it been brought in Accusation against him and proved to be his would have cost him his Life seeing herein he confessed himself guilty of the Fact But with submission I think Bomeny by this Letter could it have been proved to be his own Hand-writing was in no danger at all of being punished for had they seized Bomeny they would have catched a Tartar should they have proceeded against him for the Murther Upon this Confession the World would have believed the whole Contents of this Letter to be true and consequently that the Duke of York and authorized or rather commanded this most Treacherous Murther and then pray consider what that Government could have got by such Prosecution Conviction and Punishment This Letter was carried by Cadman to a Justice of Peace and by him to the Secretary of State But this Bookseller was never sent for nor any enquiry made after the Author This Murther was a Noli me tangere of those times which was not therefore to be inquired into but such as could make
Discoveries were to be threatned or wheedled into silence Of which amongst many others we have these Instances following viz. William Edwards who saw the bloody Razor thrown out of my Lord's Chamber-window before his Death was discovered and hath deposed the same before the Lords further made Oath That as he was going into Westminster Hall that Morning Mr. Speak and I were Tried he met Major Hawley who knowing Edwards was to be an Evidence at that Trial in a very threatning manner told him That if he might have the management of him the said Edwards should be whipt once a Fortnight for 7 Years together Which menace of the said Hawley did so terrify this Boy then about 13 Years of Age that he was afraid to own what he knew lest he should have suffered for so doing But gentler Methods were sometimes thought more proper to be used towards such as could reveal any thing material herein for it 's proved that one said Major Hawley was one of the best Friends she had in the world upon account of somewhat which she knew with relation to the Earl of Essex ' s Death L. p. 33. The bare disbelief of the Earl's Self-Murther was heretofore a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against our then Mis-Government and Severely prosecuted tho not with fire yet with barbarous Usage as appears by the treatment of an Ancient Soldier who sometime after the Earl's Death was ordered to shew a certain Dr. the Tower which whilst he was doing the Divine asked the Soldier which was the Chamber the Earl of Essex cut his Throat in Whereupon the Soldier pointed to the Earl's Lodgings and said that is the Chamber in which they say he cut his Throat The Dr. then asked the Soldier what he did believe The poor Man to evade a direct answer said he believed in God but the Dr. pressed him to declare whether he did not believe his Lordship cut his own Throat The Soldier with some unwillingness replied that he would not say he did believe it The Dr. looking on this Expression as a great Offence immediately complained hereof to the Lord Allington then Constable of the Tower upon this Complaint the Soldiers were ordered to be drawn out that this Man might be discovered which this Soldier understanding to avoid discovery some way disguised himself but notwithstanding the Parson knew him and charged him with what you have before heard for which this unhappy disbeliever was put into the Hole and there fed some considerable time upon Bread and Water and whilst the Lord Allington was out of the Tower an Officer then there Commander in Chief ordered the poor old Man then past 60 Years of Age to be tied to the wooden Horse and stript to his Waste and the Marshal to give him Fifty three stripes tho' the usual number was but Twelve after which this Officer told the Soldier he ought to have been hang'd for what he declared And yet nothing more in substance than what is before-mentioned One of the Coroner's Jury sometime after my Lord's Death at a Coffee-house said he thought that they of the Jury were all infatuated to find the Earl Felo de se and he verily believed that had they been allowed convenient time they should have brought it in otherwise This Jury-man for these words was taken up imprisoned prosecuted and fin'd Such were the violent Methods used in those days to avoid any Suspicion of my Lord 's being murthered The timing the Earl's Death and the sudden use thereof made is another Argument not only of the Murder but of one main end thereby design'd My Lord was taken off when that great Patriot the Lord Russel was upon his Tryal As soon as King Ch. heard of the Earl's death he sent Sir C to go and view the Body and take the Examinations of such as were attending on my Lord at the time of his death Sir C had no sooner began to examine those Attendants but a Messenger came as he pretended from the King to tell Sir C He must go to the Old Bayly and give notice to the then Court that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat Whereupon Sir C by the same Gentleman desir'd His Majesty that he might finish the Examinations he was then taking and he would then go to the Old Bayly But the same Gentleman soon return'd and declar'd to Sir C that His Majesty did expresly command him to go forthwith to the Old Bayly and to give notice of my Lord's Death In obedience to which repeated Command Sir C instantly went and gave notice to the Court of that deplorable Accident But Sir C hath unhappily forgot who thus twice brought His Majesties express Orders L. p. 47 48. As soon as the Court received this Account from Sir C with what malicious Application was it urg'd against the then unfortunate Gentleman at that time there upon his Tryal It was said to be an argument from Heaven of the truth of the then pretended Plot. The Kings Council said That Digitus Dei but indeed 't was Digitus Diaboli appear'd in that Evidence and that it was more than a thousand Witnesses Vide L. Russel's Tryal This Murder thus vehemently urg'd not a little bias'd the Jury against the then Prisoner some of them having ingenuously confess'd that it much influenced their Verdict against that unfortunate Gentleman Thus by that fatal Cut wherewith those bloody Wretches murder'd the Earl they did virtually destroy two of our greatest Patriots true State-Martyrs for the Religion Laws and Liberties of their Native Country SIR I Shall now give you a short Account upon what Grounds I did first ingage in this Prosecution and what hardships I have met with from the Severity of the two last Reigns for having endeavoured to detect this complicated Murther My Lord of Essex was taken off the 13th of July the Coroner sat on the Body the 14th and on the 16th of the same Month the Depositions taken before the Coroner were printed in which amongst other things it was sworn That the Razor was lock'd in with the Body into the Closet and there found Upon reading this particular a Friend of mine declared the Razor could not be lock'd into the Closet for there was a bloody Razor thrown out of my Lord's Chamber Window before it was known that the Earl was dead and that this Razor so seen thrown out one Edwards beforementioned endeavoured to take up but a Maid came out of my Lord's Lodgings and took it up running with it into my Lord's Lodgings and then first discover'd his Lordships death Finding this Relation very inconsistent with what was sworn before the Coroner I concluded those forsworn Attendants did not swear false for any other end but to avoid the discovery of that Truth which might detect this Villanous Murder Hereupon I did advise with some Friends to whom I did communicate my Resolution of making inquiry into this matter but with an unanimous Consent they all dissuaded me telling me that