Selected quad for the lemma: head_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
head_n	arm_n	belly_n	knee_n	3,815	5	13.1669	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B22645	A letter to Mr. Miles Prance, in relation to the murther of Sir Edmond-bury Godfrey,	Everett, George, Shipwright.; Prance, Miles, fl. 1678-1689.; Farwell, John.	1682 (1682)	Wing E3546A; Interim Tract Supplement Guide 816.m.1[124]; ESTC R20583	3,282	2

LETTER TO Mr. MILES PRANCE In Relation to the Murther of Sir Edmond-bury Godfrey Mr. PRANCE PErceiving by some late Pamphlets several Rumors rais'd as if there were endeavours us'd to asperse your Evidence in relation to the Death of Sir E.B.G. and to lay that Murther upon Himself And remembring the consternation which then was in all peoples minds by the Discovery at that time of a Dreadful and most Horrid Popish Plot which occasion'd divers to report and most to believe even several days before the dead Body was found That he was Murder'd by the Papists at Somerset-house And hearing that the Coroners Jury or Inquest were first of Opinion and accordingly declar'd he was Felo de Se And that there was much Art and Skill us'd to procure their Verdict to the contrary More particularly the refusing of the Body at their Instance and request to be open'd and opposing the Assistance of the Coroner of Westminster who is taken notice of to be a Knowing and Impartial Man in the Execution of his Office who was desir'd to and did attend for that purpose but was dismist with a Guiney telling him they had no need of his Service I made it my business partly for Yours but chiefly for the Truths sake to make a strict Enquiry into the farther Causes of the aforesaid Rumours and do find these particulars very much urg'd and discours'd of viz. I. In opposition to the Evidence of his being dog'd up and down and lodg'd in a great House at St. Clements on Saturday the 12 of October 1678. being the day he was first missing It is affirm'd he went out of his House that very Saturday morning about 9 a Clock which is the last time he ever return'd thither And about 10 that Forenoon was in the Fields walking towards Marybone in which Parish his dead Corps was afterwards found And was there met by a Brewer in S. Giles's who discours'd with him And about 11. of the same day he was seen passing by the Lady Cooks Lodgings near the Cock-pit After which he was seen in St. Martin's lane went by the Church and down Church lane into the Strand About 1. passed by the dore of one Mr. Ratcliff an Oyl-man in the Strand And soon after was met in the back Court of Lincolns Inne by two Gentlemen who observed him to make a sudden turn and to go out at the back Dore They went out at that Dore also and did see him turn the corner Wall Between which place and Turn-Stile he was met by a Barrister at Law And that a person living near Primrose-Hill declar'd before divers persons that he saw him about 3 that Saturday in the Afternoon walking in those Fields his usual Walk being that way II. They say the place where and the posture wherein he was found are very remarkable As to the place It was in a Ditch on the South side of Primrose-hill surrounded with divers Closes Fenced with high Mounds and Ditches no Road near only some deep dirty Lanes made only for the conveniency for driving Cows and such like Cattle in and out of the Grounds And those very Lanes not coming near 500 yards of the place and impossible for any Man on Horse back with a Dead Corps before him at Midnight to approach unless Gaps were made ith'Mounds as the Constable and his Assistants found by Experience when they came on Horseback thither As to the posture his Breast was Unbutton'd his Wastcoat and Shirt put by his Sword run in under his left Pap next his Skin the Point coming out at his right Shoulder about 6 Inches his left Arm doubled under him on which his Head seem'd to lean and his right Arm stiff stretcht out upon the Bank his Belly and Breast being supported by the side of the Bank his Knees knit together and with his Hips a little bending or doubling under him And they infer from thence that he being a tall raw-bon'd Man after he had been several days dead could never be crooked so as to be cram●d into a Sedan which are very low built and difficult to be carry'd with proper Braces much more as You Evidenc'd with Cords then straightned and his Legs open'd and mounted on Horse-back and then put into the posture he was found in and stiffen'd again III. Now although the Matters aforesaid may be said to be only circumstantial Yet they produce undeniable Arguments against your Evidence viz. They say that if a Man or any other Creature be Strangled or Hanged and his Body cold and the Blood settled in the Veins as he must needs be if Your Evidence be true run 20 Swords through such a Body not one drop of Blood will come out But on the contrary his Body when found was full of Blood insomuch that over and above the Cakes or great Goblets of congeal'd putrify'd Blood found afterwards in his Cloaths the Constable when he pull'd the Sword out of his Body it crash'd against his Back-bone and Gobbets of Blood and Water gush'd or gubbled out of that Wound in abundance not only in that very place where the Sword was pull'd out but in all his passage to the White-House especially there where his Body was lifted over two high Stumps and also when he was laid upon the Table the Blood and Water so issu'd out of that Wound that it ran from off the Table upon the Floor and from thence into the Celler So that they do averr that That Wound that he receiv'd by that Sword must of necessity be the cause of his Death And they take notice that so much of the Sword as was in his Body was discolour'd and blackish and that part that came out at his back was of a dullish colour and the Point thereof was rusty Also that his Cloaths Belt and Scabbard were weather-heaten to rags his Body stunk extremely his Eys Nostrils and corners of his Mouth were Fly-blown all which must naturally be by his being so long in the Air. IV. They say That when a Man is Strangled or Hanged his Eys will be extorted his Face will be swell'd black Whereas His Eys were shut his Face was pale only the left part of his Chin with his Breast and Belly being next the Earth were putrified and look'd of a Blue and Greenish colour more especially about the Wound For that the Blood when hot running to the Wound caus'd the greater putrefaction in that place Whenas if the Wound had been made after he was dead and cold the rest of his Body would have putrify'd as soon and as much as there V. They say That the cleanness of his Shooes makes against Your Evidence For his Shooes were clean'd or rather glaz'd on the very bottoms of the Soles occasion'd by his walking in the Grass and Grass-seeds were observ'd to stick in the Seams of his Shooes And besides there was not one speck of Dirt on his Cloaths or Legs not so much as a Horse-hair sticking thereon Whereas the Constable and those that went with him were dirty'd and moil'd up to the very Saddle-skirts and not easily to be cleaned And Mr. Prance you know that a tall Dead Man on Horse-back cannot lift up his Legs to save them from the Dirt. VI. As to the looseness of his Neck and the Rim or Green Circle about it They say they are Ridiculous and Impertinent Arguments against so many Demonstrative ones especially when there is not a Nurse or any Woman of Age that hath bury'd any Relations but will tell you it 's very common for People to die with Necks as loose as his was And the Rim about his Neck was so far from being like one made with a Cravat or Hankerchief that it seems to be occasion'd by the great heigth stifness of his Collar which was fast Button'd about his Neck and on which his Head wrested and was unbutton'd about 10 of the clock the next day before the Coroner or Jury came But if that Rim or those Bruises that Your Evidence seems to make the cause of his Death were really so Then they alledg that in such case the whole Mass of Blood would have settled there and his Neck and Bruises would have swell'd and have been perfect Black which was not in His case VII They also say That all these Matters are Notorious and will be prov'd by divers credible and undeniable Eye and Ear Witnesses And besides They observe that Bedlow's before the Committee of Lords and Your Evidence in relation to this Gentlemans Death are as different as the East is from the West For You Dogg him out of St Clements the other decoys him from Charing-Cross You swear he was Strangled with a Hankerchief near the Stables going to the Water-side Bedlow that he was Smother'd with a Pill●w in a Room in the great Court in Somerset-house You say he took Horse at So-ho Bedlow says he took Coach at Clarenden-house with many more suck like contradictions And considering the Old Proverb fore-warn'd fore arm'd A further and fuller account of the whole matter expect I being loath at present to exceed the bounds of a Letter I am Sir Your very Loving Friend Truman Cammbridge Febr. 23. 1681. LONDON Printed for M.G. at the Sign of Sir E. B.G's Head near Fleet-bridge