his own hands he wrote this Letter Now Sir you shall see whether you had Intelligence with Cobham within four days before he came to the Tower If he be wholly Spanish that desired a Pension of 1500 Pound a Year from Spain that Spain by him might have Intelligence then Raleigh is a Traytor He hath taken an Apple and pinned a Letter unto it and threw it into my Lord Cobham's Window the Contents whereof were this It is doubtful whether we shall be proceeded with or no perhaps you shall not be tried This was to get a Retractation Oh! it was Adam's Apple whereby the Devil did deceive him Further he wrote thus Do not as my Lord of Essex did take heed of a Preacher for by his Perswasion he confessed and made himself guilty I doubt not but this day God shall have as great a Conquest by this Traytor and the Son of God shall be as much glorified as when it was said Vicisti Galilaee you know my meaning What though Cobham retracted yet he could not rest nor sleep till he confirmed it again If this be not enough to prove him a Traytor the King my Master shall not live three years to an end Nota. Here Mr. Attourney produced the Lord Cobham's Letter and as he read it inserted some speeches I have thought fit to set down this to my Lords wherein I protest on my Soul to write nothing but the truth I am now come near the period of my time therefore I confess the whole Truth before God and his Angels Raleigh four days before I came from the Tower caused an Apple Eves Apple to be thrown in at my Chamber-Window the effect of it was to intreat me to right the wrong that I had done him in saying that I should have come home by Iersey which under my hand to him I have retracted His first Letter I answered not which was thrown in the same manner wherein he prayed me to write him a Letter which I did He sent me word that the Judges met at Mr. Attourneys House and that there was good hope the Proceedings against us should be stayed He sent me another time a little Tobacco At Aremberg's coming Raleigh was to have procured a Pension of fifteen hundred Pounds a Year for which he promised that no Action should be against Spain the Low-Countries or the Indies but he would give knowledg before-hand He told me the States had Audience with the King Attourney Ah! is not this a Spanish Heart in an English Body He hath been the Original Cause of my Ruine for I had no dealing with Aremberg but by his instigation He hath also been the cause of my Discontentment he advised me not to be overtaken with Preachers as Essex was and that the King would better allow of a constant Denial than to accuse any Attourney Oh damnable Atheist he hath learned some Text of Scripture to serve his own purpose but falsly alledged He counsels him not to be counselled by Preachers as Essex was He died the Child of God God honoured him at his death thou wast by when he died Et Lupus Turpes instant morientibus Ursae He died indeed for his Offence The King himself spake these words He that shall say Essex died not for Treason is punishable Raleigh You have heard a strange Tale of a strange Man Now he thinks he hath matter enough to destroy me but the King and all of you shall witness by our Deaths which of us was the Ruine of the other I bid a poor Fellow throw in the Letter at his Window written to this purpose You know you have undone me now write three Lines to justifie me In this I will die that he hath done me wrong Why did not he acquaint me with his Treasons if I acquainted him with my Dispositions Lord Chief Iustice. But what say you now of the rest of the Letter and the Pension of 1500 l. per annum Raleigh I say that Cobham is a base dishonourable poor Soul Attourney Is he base I return it into thy Throat on his behalf But for thee he had been a good Subject Lord Chief Iustice. I perceive you are not so clear a Man as you have protested all this while for you should have discovered these Matters to the King Nota. Here Raleigh pulled a Letter out of his Pocket which the Lord Cobham had written to him and desired my Lord Cecil to read it because he only knew his hand the Effect of it was as followeth Cobham's Letter of Iustification to Raleigh Seeing my self so near my End for the discharge of my own Conscience and freeing my self from your Blood which else will cry Vengeance against me I protest upon my Salvation I never practised with Spain by your procurement God so comfort me in this my Affliction as you are a true Subject for any thing that I know I will say as Daniel Purus sum a sanguine hujus So God have mery on my Soul as I know no Treason by you Raleigh Now I wonder how many Souls this Man hath he damns one in this Letter and another in that Here was much ado Mr. Attourney alledged that his last Letter was politickly and cunningly urged from the Lord Cobham and that the first was simply the Truth and that lest it should seem doubtful that the first Letter was drawn from my Lord Cobham by promise of mercy or hope of favour the Lord Chief Justice willed that the Jury might herein be satisfied Whereupon the Earl of Devonshire delivered that the same was meer voluntary and not extracted from the Lord Cobham upon any hopes or promise of Pardon Nota. This was the last Evidence whereupon a Marshal was sworn to keep the Jury private The Jury departed and staid not a quarter of an hour but returned and gave their Verdict Guilty Serj. Heale demanded Judgment against the Prisoner Clerk of the Crown Sir Walter Raleigh Thou hast been indicted arraigned and pleaded not guilty for all these several Treasons and for tryal thereof hast put thy self upon thy Country which Country are these who have found thee guilty What canst thou say for thy self why Judgment and Execution of Death should not pass against thee Raleigh My Lords the Jury have found me Guilty They must do as they are directed I can say nothing why Judgment should not proceed You see whereof Cobham hath accused me You remember his Protestations that I was never guilty I desire the King should know of the Wrongs done unto me since I came hither Lord Chief Iustice. You have had no wrong Sir Walter Raleigh Yes of Mr. Attourney I desire my Lords to remember three things to the King 1. I was accused to be a Practiser with Spain I never knew that my Lord Cobham meant to go thither I will ask no mercy at the Kings hands if he will affirm it 2. I never knew of the practice with Arabella 3. I never knew of my Lord Cobhams practice with
Citizens to an Insurrection But the City then being Rich was not so apt to rebel Rebellion being usually the Daughter of Poverty and Discontent For these Treasonable Actions being found guilty he was condemned and executed That he died bravely and like a Gentleman is not to be question'd but that Sir Walter Raleigh should come openly to see him die on purpose only to fat his Eyes with the Sacrifice of his Enemy can never be granted if we may believe himself in the same circumstances on the Scaffold where he told his Auditors on the words of a Dying-man he only came there to defend himself if any thing had been urg'd against him by the Earl Thus ended that Favourite whose Death struck a damp on the Queens prosperous days and gave blackness to her declining Reign This Blow like that of Gunpowder not only blew up his Friends and Neighbours but shook his Enemies at a distance for it reach'd Sir Walter too who wanting strength to grapple with his Rival the Treasurer and not owning humility enough to be his Servant perish'd at last in the Encounter This himself presag'd if we may believe Osborn as he came from the Execution of Essex in a Boat when he was heard to say That it was more safe to have many Enemies at Court of equal power than one false and ambitious Friend who hath attain'd to the absoluteness of Command The Queen could not long survive her Favourite for I find her Death to be the next year following A Queen who had enrich'd the Nation reform'd Religion curb'd the Pride of Spain supported France preserv'd Scotland protected the Hollander against the Spaniard and had vanquish'd his Armies by Sea and Land reduc'd Ireland to obedience notwithstanding all the subtil Practices of Spain and open Assistance given in Arms to her Irish Rebels with many other things which might seem too much to be the Atchievements of one Reign King James her Successor came to the possession of a Kingdom arrived at the heighth of Prosperity which like other Bodies when they are at their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tend to Corruption and degenerate This Sir Walter perceiv'd would have as he thought remedied Sir Iohn Fortescue the Lord Cobham Sir Walter and others would have obliged the King by Articles before his coming to the Crown that his Country-mens number should be limited But this was stopt by the prudent Treasurer and the bold Northumberland Sir Walter fear'd that the Scots like Locusts would quickly devour this Kingdom it being probable that like the Goths and Vandals they would settle in any Country rather than their own and would make it their business to render our Nation as poor as their own for this he with the rest of them was afterwards frown'd on by the King and lost his Command of the Guards However Sir Walter still pursued the Good and Glory of his Country and as formerly in Active Times gave his Advice against the Peace with Spain which might now with no great difficulty be brought on its knees At the entrance of the King he presented him with a Manuscript of his own writing with no weak Arguments against the Peace But Sir VValter was mistaken for his Counsel was ill tim'd and a new Part was now to be acted the Scene being changed Peace was the King's Aim whether out of Fear or Religious Principles I determine not But with Spain a Peace is concluded with an Enemy already humbled who now had time given them to recover their former Losses and were as it were cherish'd to assault us with the greater vigor which how true it proved every Man can tell And as if the King would quite run counter to the Queens Politiques the Estates of the Netherlands are despised slighted and deserted under pretence that it were of ill example for a Monarch to protect them The King is hardly warm in his Throne but there is a great noise of a Plot generally call'd Sir Walter Raleigh's Treason but upon vvhat Grounds I know not since he had the least hand in it as by his Tryal will appear A Plot that is still a Mystery and hath a Vail spread over it A Plot compos'd of such a Hodg-podg of Religion and Interests that the World stands amazed Sir Walter Raleigh should ever be drawn into it A Plot so unlikely to hurt others or benefit themselves that as Osborn tells us If ever Folly was capable of the title or Pity due to Innocence theirs might claim so large a share as not possibly to be too severely condemn'd or slightly enough punished Envy and Disdain as Sir Walter has told us in his Remains seek Innovation by Faction Discontent is the great Seducer which at first put him to search into a Plot he afterwards was betray'd into The chief Ingredients in this Medley were two Priests Watson and Clerk and Count Arembergh Ambassador Extraordinary for the Arch-Duke who brought in Cobham and he his Brother George Brook both Protestants at least seeming so George Brook hook'd in Parham and others and they the Lord Grey of Wilton a rank Puritan then came in Sir Walter the wisest of them all according to Sanderson who as he tells us dallied like a Fly in the flame till it consum'd him Willing he was to know it and thought by his Wit to over-reach the Confederates whom he knew well enough thô he dealt with none but Cobham as I can find out One Mr. Lawrency an Antwerp-Merchant was the property made use of by Arembergh and a Crony of the Lord Cobhams These carried on the Contrivance a long while which as Sanderson tells us was betray'd by Lawrency and the vigilancy of Cecil And indeed it was morally impossible that so many disagreeing weak Souls should carry on a Project without taking Air the least glimpse being enough to give light to the States-men of those times Their Designs were 1. To set the Crown on the Lady Arabella or to seize the King and make him grant their Desires and a Pardon 2. To have a Toleration of Religion 3. To procure Aid and Assistance from Foreign Princes 4. To turn out of the Court such as they dislik'd and place themselves in Offices Watson to be Lord-Chancellor George Brook Lord-Treasurer Sir Griffin Markham Secretary of State Lord Grey Master of the Horse and Earl-Marshal of England But it seems they made no provision for Sir Walter which is no inconsiderable Argument of his Innocency who could have deserv'd and might have expected as great a Reward as any of them had he been engaged in the Plot. To oblige to Secrecy VVatson draws up an Oath But all is betray'd they are seiz'd examin'd and try'd How well or ill Sir Walter has acquitted himself we shall leave to the Opinion of the Readers of the following TRYAL which was exactly and faithfully taken THE ARRAIGNMENT OF Sir Walter Raleigh Knight AT Winton Thursday the 17th of November Anno Dom. 1603 before the Right Honourable The
There was a Report that I meant not to go to Guiana at all and that I knew not of any Mine nor intended any such matter but only to get my Liberty which I had not the wit to keep But it was my full intent to go for Gold for the benefit of his Majesty and those that went with me with the rest of my Country-men But he that knew the Head of the Mine would not discover it when he saw my Son was slain but made himself away Then he turned to my Lord of Arundel and said Being in the Gallery in my Ship at my Departure Your Honour took me by the hand and said you would request me one thing that was That whether I made a good Voyage or bad yet I should return again into England when I made you a Promise and gave you my Faith that I would And so you did answered my Lord it is true they were the last words I spake unto you Another Opinion was that I carried to Sea with me 1600 Pieces and that was all the Voyage I intended only to get Money into my Hands and that I had weighed my Voyage before whereas I protest I had but 100 Pound in all the World whereof I gave 25 Pounds to my Wife the Reason of this Speech was this there was entered 20000 Pound and yet but 4000 Pound in the Surveyors Book now I gave my Bill for the other 16000 Pound for divers Adventurers but I protest I had not a Penny of Money more than 100 Pound as I hope to be saved Another Slander was raised that I would have gone away from them and left them at Guiana but there were a great many of worthy Men that accompanied me always as my Serjeant Major George Raleigh and divers others which he then named that knew my Intent was nothing so And these be the Material Points I thought good to speak of I am now at this instant to render my Account to God and I protest as I shall appear before Him this that I have spoken is true I will speak but a word or two more because I will not trouble Mr. Sheriff too long There was a Report spread that I should rejoyce at the Death of my Lord of Essex and that I should take Tobacco in his presence when as I protest I shed Tears at his Death though I was one of the contrary Faction and at the time of his Death I was all the while in the Armory at the further end where I could but see him I was sorry that I was not with him for I heard he had a desire to see me and be reconciled to me So that I protest I lamented his Death and good cause had I for it was the worse for me as it proved for after he was gone I was little beloved And now I intreat you all to joyn with me in Prayer that the great God of Heaven whom I have grievously offended being a Man full of all Vanity and have lived a sinful Life in all sinful Callings having been a Souldier a Captain a Sea-Captain and a Courtier which are all places of Wickedness and Vice that God I say would forgive me and cast away my Sins from me and that he would receive me into everlasting Life So I take my leave of you all making my Peace with God Then Proclamation being made that all Men should depart the Scaffold he prepared himself for Death giving away his Hat and wrought Night-Cap and some Money to such as he knew that stood near him Taking his leave of the Lords Knights and other Gentlemen and among the rest taking his leave of the Lord of Arundel he thanked him for his Company and intreated him to desire the King that no scandalous Writing to defame him might be published after his Death saying further unto him I have a long Iourney to go and therefore will take my leave Then putting off his Gown and Doublet he called to the Headsman to shew him the Ax which being not presently shewed him he said I pray thee let me see it Dost thou think that I am afraid of it And having it in his hands he felt along upon the Edge of it and smiling spake to the Sheriff saying This is a sharp Medicine but it is a Physician for all Diseases Then going to and fro upon the Scaffold on every side he prayed the Company to pray to God to assist him and strengthen him And so being asked which way he would lay himself on which side the Block as he stretched himself along and laid his Head on the Block he said So the Heart be right it is no matter which way the Head lieth And then praying after he had forgiven the Headsman having given him a Sign when he should do his Office at two blows he lost both Head and Life his Body never shrinking nor moving His Head was shewed on each side of the Scaffold and then put into a Red-Leather Bag and his wrought Velvet Gown thrown over it vvhich was afterwards conveyed away in a Mourning Coach of his Ladies The large effusion of Blood which proceeded from his Veins amaz'd the Spectators vvho conjectur'd he had stock enough left of Nature to have survived many years thô now near fourscore years old He behav'd himself at his Death vvith so High and so Religious a Resolution as if a Christian had acted a Roman or rather a Roman a Christian And by the Magnanimity vvhich vvas then conspicuous in him he abundantly baffled their Calumnies who had accus'd him of Atheism Various were the Resentments of his Death and several Pasquils as it always happens on such Occasions were scatter'd abroad Of the Gallantry of his Behaviour on the Scaffold these following Verses may give a Confirmation and a Taste of the Poetry of those Times Upon Sir Walter Raleigh's Execution and Death Great Heart who taught thee so to die Death yielding thee the Victory Where took'st thou leave of Life If here How could'st thou be so far from Fear But sure thou dyed'st and quitd'st the state Of Flesh and Blood before that Fate Else what a Miracle were wrought To triumph both in Flesh and Thought I saw in every Stander by Pale Death Life only in thy Eye Farewel Truth shall this Story say We dy'd Thou only livd'st that Day Or if the Reader pleases he may take this following Elegy composed on the same Subject by a Sacred Wit of those times An ELEGY on Sir W. R. I will not weep for 't were as great a sin To shed a Tear for Thee as to have bin An Actor in thy Death Thy Life and Age Was but a various Scene on Fortunes Stage With whom Thou tugg'st and strov'st ev'n out of breath In thy long Toyl ne're master'd till thy Death And then despight of Trains and cruel Wit Thou didst at once subdue Malice and it I dare not then so blast thy Memorie As t' say I do lament or pity Thee Were I