leasure to discouer the author the matter being so apparent and so many hundreths hauing seene his body to witnesse it for the doores were kept open for euery man to behold and to be witnes who wold The Duke of Buckingham making some counterfeited show of sorrow to meÌ„ of great qualitie found no other shift to diuert the suspicion of the poysoning of the Marquis from his selfe but to lay it vpon his Master the King saying that the Marquis for his persoÌ„ spirite cariage was such that he was borne worthy to reigne but the King his Master hated him to death because he had a spirit too much for the commonwealth Wherby the Duke shew him selfe no good subiect of the Kings who made the Kings humor to be tyrannicall and the King a bloodthristie murtherer and a most vile dissembler hauing heaped so many honors dayly vpon the Marquis euen to the very last making him Lord high Stevvard of his Maiesties house and iudge of the verge court whom he had made before Viceroy of Scotland for the tyme of the parliament in Scotland Erle of Cambridge a priuy counselor in EnglaÌ„d and Knight of the garter as if he had raised him to all these honors that the murthering of him might be the lesse suspected to proceed from him The Kings nature hath beeÌ„ allways obserued to be so gratious and so free harted to euery one that he would neuer haue wished the Marquis any harme vnlesse that Buckingham had put great feares and ialousies in his minde for if any other had done it he would haue acquainted his fauorite therewith theÌ„ was it Buckinghams duety to remoue from the King such sinistrous conceits of the Marquis as the Marquis hath ofteÌ„ doone for Buckingham vpholding him in all occasions and keeping the King from giuing way to introduce any other fauorite Wherefore BuckinghaÌ„ in that diuersion of the crime from him selfe hath not only made the King but also himselfe guylty of the Marquis his death But Buckinghams falshood and euill intention long before vvas rightly discouered vvhen he did what he could to make the Erle of Nâ—â—esdale and my L. Gordon both neere Kinsmen of my Lord Marquis so inceÌ„sed at him that they had likely all three killed one an other if it had not been that my L. Marquis by his vvisdome did let them all knovv how they vvere abused if any dissimulation be greater then Buckinghams let any man iudge for vvhen my L. Marquis his body vvas to be transported from Whitehall to his house at Bishopsgate Buckingham came out muffed and furred in his coatch giving out that he vvas sick for sorrovv of my L. Marquis his death but so soone as he vvent to his house out of London before his coming to the King he triumphed and dominired vvith his factioÌ„ so excessively as if he had gayned some greate victorie and the next day comming to the King put on a most lamentable and mournefull countenance for the death of the Marquis of Hamilton No greater victorie could he haue gotten to his mind then to haue destroyed that man vvho could and vvould haue fetched his head of his shoulders if he had outliued King Iames to haue knovven his cariage in the poysoning him in his sicknes wherfore he thought it necessary to remoue the Marquis before hand The same day that my L. Marquis dyed Buckingham sent my Lord Marquis his sonne out of the towne keeping him as a prisoner that none could haue priuat conference with him vntill his mariage of Buckinghams neece was complete but allwayes either my L. Denbigh or my lady Denbigh or my L. of Buckingham or the countesse of Buckingham or the Dutchesse of Buckingham was present that none could let him vnderstand how his father was murthered euen your pertioner him selfe when he went to see him within few dayes after his fathers death was intreated not to speake to him of the poysoning of his father which he did conceale at his first meeting because there sorrovv vvas too recent but he vvas preuented of a second meeting Neither vvould Buckingham suffer the young lord to go to Scotland to his fathers funeralls and to take order vvith his freinds concerning his fathers estate for feare that there intended mariage should be ouer throvvne This captiuitie of the young lord Marquis lasted so long vntill that Buckingham caused his Maiestie King Charles take the young lord with him selfe and Buckingham into K. Iames his Parke discharging all others to follovv them and there to perswade and vrge the younge lord without any more delay to accomphih his mariage vvith Buckinghams neece which instantly vvas performed so that Buckingham trusteth and presumeth that albeit the young lord should vnderstaÌ„d hovv his father vvas poysoned by his meanes yet being maryed to his neece should not sturre to reuenge it but comport with it To all what is obserued before it is vvorthy to be added that the bruit vvent through London long before my L. Duke of Richemonds death or his brothers or my lord of Southamptons or of the Marquis that all the noblemen that vvere not of Buckinghams faction should be poysoued and so remoned out of his way Also a paper vvas founde in kingstreete about the tyme of the Duke of Richemonds death wherin the names of all these noblemen vvho haue dyed since vvere expressed and your petitioners name also set next to the lord Marquis of Hamiltons name vvith these vvords to embavvme him This paper vvas brought him by my lord Oldbarres dawghter cousin german to the lord Marquis Likevvays a mountebanke about that tyme vvas greatly countenanced by the Duke of Buckingham and by his meanes procured letters patents and recommendation from the King to practise his skill through all England who coÌ„ming to London offered to sell poysons to kill men or beasts within a yeere or halfe a yeare or tvvo yeares or a moneth or tvvo or vvhat tyme praefixed any man desired in such sort that they could not be helped nor yet discouered Moreouer the Christmas before my L. Marquis his death one of the Prince his footemen sayd that some of the greate ones at court had gotte poyson in his belly but he could not tell vvho it vvas Here your honors considering the premisses of my L. of Buckingham his ambitious and most vindicatiue nature his frequent quarrels vvih my L. Marquis after so many reconciliations his threatning of him his threatning of the Phisitians to speake of poyson his triumphing after my Lord Marquis his death his detayning of his sonne almost as a prisoner vntill the mariage complete vvith his neece the preceeding bruit of poysoning of Buckinghams aduersaries the paper of there names found vvith sufficient intimation of there death by the conclusion of the vvord Embavvming the poysonmunger mountibanck graced by Buckingham may suffise for ground to take him and torture him if he were a priuat man And herein your petitioner most humbly and most ernesty demandeth iustice against that
Maiesties hand recommending me vnto his Maiesties fauour said I take God to vvitnes that this young man his father vvas the best friend that euer I had or euer shall haue in this vvorld Wherupon the young Lord resolued to put trust in me and I fully to addict myu selfe vnto him to deserue of him as much commendation as my father did of his father This Royall celebratiō of our friendship rooted it selfe so deepe in my minde that to my selfe I proposed this remembrance giuing it to the young Lord and to my familiar freinds and set it vpon all the bookes of my study Semper Hamiltonium c. Alvvayes the King and Hamilton VVithin thy breast conserve VVhat euer be thy action Let Princes two deserve Neither was it in vaine for both our loues increased with our age the Marquis promising to ingage his life and his whole estate for me if need were and to share his fortunes vvith me and not only promising but also performing vvhen euer there vvas occasion Yea for my cause offering to hasard his life in combat vvhose minde in vvishing me vvell vvhose tongue in honouring of me and vvhose hands and meanes in defending me both absent and present vnto the last period of his life hath euer assisted me I should be more tedious then vvere fit if I rehearsed euery particular fauor so manifestly knovvē to the whole court and to the freindes of both Who then can iustly blame me for demanding iustice as vvell for the slaughter of the Marquis of Hamilton as of my most gratious soueran King Iames seinge I knovve vvhom to accuse My profession of Physick nor my education to lettres can not serve to hinder me from vndertaking the hardiest enterprise that euer any Roman vndertooke so farre as the law of conscience vvill giue vvay VVhy shall I stay at thy decay Of Hamiltons the hope VVy shall I see thy foe so free Vnto his ioy giue scope Rather I pray a dolefull day Set me in cruell fate Then thy death strange vvithout reuenge Or him in safe estate This soule to heavens hand to the dead I vovve No fraudfull minde no trembling hand I haue If pen it shun the svvord reuenge shall follovve Soule pen and svvord vvhat thing but iust do craue What affection I boore to the liuīg the same shall accompany the dead For vvhen one vvhose trueth and sinceritie vvas vvell knovven to me told me that it vvere better for the cheifest of my friends the Marquis of Hamilton to be quiet at home in Scotland then to be eminent in the court of England to vvhom by the opinion of all the vviser sort his being at court vvold cost him no lesse thē his life sith that I stretching forth my arme apprehending some plottes layd against him ansvvered if no man dare revenge his death I vovve to God this hand shall revenge it scarcely any other cause cā be found thē the bond of our most close freindship vvhy in the scroll of the noblemēs names vvho vvere to be killed I hould be set downe next to the Marquis of Hamiltō in these vvordes The Marquis of Hamilton and Doctor Eglisham to enbavvme him to vvitt to the end that no discoverer or reuenger should be left This roll of names I knovv not by vvhat destinie found neere to VVestminster about the time of the Duke of Richemund his death and brought to the L. Marquis by his cousin the daughter of the Lord Oldbarre one of the priuy counsell of Scotland did cause no terrour in me vntill that I did see the Marquis poysoned and remembred that the rest therin noted vvere dead and my selfe next pointed but suruiuing Why stay I any more the case requireth the pen no more but the svvord I do not vvrit so boldly because I am amongst Buckingham his enemies but I haue retired my selfe to his enemies because I vvas resolved to vvrit and doo earnestly against him as may very vvell appeare For since the Marquis of Hamilton his death the most noble Marquis de Fiatta embassador for the most Christian King of France and also Buckingham his mother sent on euery side to seeke me inuiting me to them but I did forsake them knowing certenly the falshood of Bukingham who wold rather haue suffered the Embassador to receiue an effront then to be vnsatisfied of his bloodthristie desire of my blood to silence me with death for according to the prouerbe the dead can not bite if he could haue found me for my L. Duke of Lenox who was often crossed by Buckingham and with his brother and the Erle of Southampton and others now dead was one of the roll found of those that were to be murdered vvell assured me that where Buchinghā once misliked no apologie no submission no reconciliation could keepe him from doing mischeefe Neither do I writ this in this fashion so freely for any entertainement here present which I haue not nor for any future which I haue no ground to looke for seing Buckingham hath so misled your Maiestie that he hath caused not only here but also vnto all natiōs all Britannes natives to be disgraced and mistrusted Your Maiesties Royall word which should be inuiolable your hand and seall which should be true to be most shamefully violated and your selfe to be helde most ingrat for your most kinde vsage in Spaine which Buckinghā maketh to be requited with iniuries in a most base false māner vnder Protestatiō of friendship a bloudy warre being kindled on both sides wherby he hath buried with King Iames the glorious title of a peacemaker Kinge who had done much more iustly more advisedly if he had procured peace vnto Christiandome Wherby small hope I have of obtaining iustice in my most iust complaint vnto vvhich my true affection to my dead friends murthered and the extreme detestation of Buckinghā his violēt proceedings hath brought me Your Maiestie may find most iust forces of reason to accuse him in my petition to the parliament which shall serue for a tutchestone to your Maiestie and a whitstone to me and many other Scotsmen And which if it be neglected will make your Maiestie to incurre such a censure amōgst all vertuose men in the world that your Maiestie will be loath to heare of and I am astonied to expresse at this time a serpent lurketh in this grasse No other way there is to be found to saue your honor but to giue way to iustice against that traitor Buckingham by whom manifest dāmage apphroacheth vnto your Maiestie no otherways thē death approached vnto King Iames. If your Maiestie will take any course therin the examinations vpō oath of all those that were about the King and the Marquis of Hamiltō in there sicknes or at there death or after there death before indifferent iudges no dependers of Buckingham will serve for sufficient prooffe of Buckingham his guiltines In the meane time vntill I see what shall be the issue of my complaint without any more
vvold accept euen to be the first Duke of Britan. The glorious title of a Duke the Marquis refused tvvise vpon speciall reasons reserued to him selfe The matter of money vvas no motiue to cause the Marquis match his sonne so vnequally to his degree seing Buckingham him selfe the chief of his kinred vvas but a nouice in nobilitie his father obscure amongst gentlemen his mother a seruing vvoman and he being infamous for his frequent consultations vvith the ringleaders of witches principally that false Doctor Lamb publikly condemned for vvitchcraft VVherby the Marquis knovving that the king vvas so farre bevvitched to Buckingham that if he refused the match demanded he should find the kings deadly hatred against him And seing that Buckinghams neece vvas not yet nubile in yeares and that before the mariage should be confirmed a vvay might be found out to annull it vnto vvhich he vvas forced by deceitfull importunity therfore he yeelded vnto the kings desire of the match wherupon Buckingham and his faction fearing that delayes Wold breed le ts vrged my L. Marquis to send for his sonne upon a sunday morning be times in all hast from London to courtat Greenvvich where neuer a word Was spoken of mariage to the young lord till a Litle before supper and the mariage made before the king after supper and to make it more authentike Buckingham caused his neece be layd a bed with the Marquis his sonne for a short tyme in the kings chāber and in his Majeties presēce albeit the brid was yet innubile Many vvere astonished at the suddaine nevves thereof All the Marquis his friends fretting thereat and some writing vnto him very scornefull letters for the same The Marquis hauing satisfyed the kings demand did what he could to preuent the confirmation of the mariage and intended to send his sonne beyōd the seaes to travel through Frāce and Italie and so passe his tyme abroad vntill the tyme that meanes were found to vntye that knot which Buckingham had vrged the king to tye vpon his sonne But Buckingham to contreuene the Marquis his desaine caused the king and the Prince to make the Marquis his sonne be sworne gentleman of the Prince-his bedchamber and so to be detayned with him vvithin the kingdome vntill that the bride vvas of yeares ripe for mariage The tyme expired that Buckingham his neece became marigeable Buckingham sent to the Marquis to desire him to make the mariage completly confirmed The Marquis not vvilling to heare of any such matter answered breefly he scorned the motion This ansvver reported to Buckingham and he seing him selfe likly to be frustrate of his ambitious matching of his neece and perceauing that the L. Marquis vvas able to raise a great faction aganst him whether king Iames did liue or die was mightily incēsed against the Marquis at his first encounter with him did challenge him of speaking disdainefully of him and his house The Marquis replyed that he did not remember of any offensiue words vttered by him selfe against Buckingham Then Buckinghā proudly sayd vnto him out of the words of thy mouth I vvill iudge the. For you haue sayd you scorned the motion of matching vvith my house vvhich I made vnto yovv The Marquis ansuered that if he had sayd so it became not the Duke to speake to him in that fashion So Buckingham threatned to be reuenged the Marquis vttrered his defiance and thus the quarrell begoud vvhich foure or fiue tymes reiterate and as often reconciled by the Marquis de Fiatta a litle before the Marquis of Hamilton fell sicke vvherin it is euident that the quarrell hath been very violent that needed so many reconciliations the Ducks fire of his anger and furie being inextinguible as king Iames oftē did cēsure him in his absence albeit a fauorite that he vvas vvōderfully vindicatiue vvhose malice insatiable tovvards my L. Marquis of Hamilton did vvell shovv it selfe as shall appeare hereafter Hardly can any man tell vvhether by the Marquis in his sicknes Buckingham vvas more suspected then accused of the poyson giuen or to be giuen him For he vvold not tast of any thing that vvas sent to him by any of Buckinghams freinds but he vvold first haue some of his seruants tast it before and for the loue that was mutuall betvvixt him and your petitioner whom he wold neuer suffer to go out of his sight during his sicknes your petitioner also tasted of all that he tooke at that time vnto whom his suspicion of Buckingham he expressed by name and to other sufficient witnes who will iustifie it vpon oath if there be any course taken therin for the searche therof All the tyme of his sicknes he entreated your petitioner not to suffer my L. of Buckingham to come neere him but your petitioner hauing often sent word aud also sometymes signified him selfe to Buckingham that there vvas no fit oportunitie to see the Marquis pretending something to be ministred vnto him but vvhen your petitioner could find no more excuses he tould my L. Marquis that he had put my L. of Buckingham avvay so often that he could not keepe him avvay any longer but that he must needs see him Then he knovving Buckinghams visit to proceed of dissimulation requested your petitioner at least to find the meanes to gett him avvay quikly vvhich your petitioner did interrupting Buckinghams discourse and intreating him to suffer my L Marquis to be quiet This did euidenly shovv my L. Marquis his disliking and distrusting of Buckingham whereas he was well pleased with other noblemens compainie all the tyme of his sicknes the Duke and my L. Denbigh wold not suffer his ovvne sonne to come to him pretending that he was also sicke which vvas false for the tyme that my L. Marquis called for him after that your petitioner aduised his Lordship to dispose of his estate and of his conscience because his sicknes was not without danger which your petitioner four dayes before my L. his death did in such maner that he gaue him no cause to dispare of his health but intreated him to commit all the caire of his health to God and his Physitians assuring him howsoeuer he had gotten wrong abroad he should get none in the cure of his disease At length his lordship burst out in these words to my lord Dēbigh it is a greate crueltie in you that yovv vvill not suffer my sonne to come to me when I am a dying that I may see him and speake to him before I die so they delayed his comming with excuses vntill my L. his agonie of death vvas neere to the end that he should not haue tyme to giue his sonne priuat instructions to shun the mariage of Buckinghams neece or to signifie vnto him the suspicion that he had of poyson for they had rather his sonne should knovve any thing then either of these Yet many did suspect his poyson before he dyed for tvvo dayes before his death tvvo of his seruants dyed with manifest