craved leave of the King that he might not attend beyond his Moneth to prejudice the other Clarks Which was excused and he kept still at Court These Sufficiencies of his enabled him in those times of gaining with much repute and direct honesty to purchase large possessions After Ccils death the Place of Secretary as secretary was joyned in two Principals And not long after he was one of them so continued with Honourably esteem of all men until that Malice and Revenge two violent passions over-ruling the Weaker Sexe concerning his wife and daughter involved him into their quarrel the chiefe and onely cause of his ruine He had by his Wife His Ingagement with his wife and daughter sons and daughters His eldest married unto the Lord Baron Rosse in right of a Grand-mother the son of Thomas Earle of Exeter by a former venter And upon the credit of Sir Thomas Lake he was sent Embassadour Extraordinary into Spaine in a very gallant Equipage with some hopes of his own to continue Leiger to save charges of transmitting any other In his absence there fell out an extreame deadly fewd t is no matter for what betweene the Lady Lake and the Countesse of Exeter Against the Countesse of Exeter A youthful widow she had bin and vertuous and so became Bedfellow to this aged gowty diseased but noble Earle And that preferment had made her subject to Envy and Malice Home comes the Lord Rosse from his Embassy when being fallen into some neglect of his wife and his kindred I conceive upon refusal of an increase of allowance to her settlement of joynture which was promised to be compleated at his returne Not long he staies in England but away he gets into Italy turnes a professed Romane Catholick being cousened into that Religion by his publick confident Gondamore In this his last absence never to returne the Mother and daughter the accusation accuse the Countesse of former Incontinencie with the Lord Rosse whilst he was here and that therefore upon his wives discovery he was fled from hence and from her Marriage Bed with other devised Calumnies by several designes and contrivements to have poisoned the Mother and daughter This quarrel was soone blazon'd at Court to the King's eare who as privately as could be singly examines each party The Countesse with teares and Imprecations professeth her Innocency which to oppose the Mother Lake and her daughter counterfeit her hand to a whole sheet of paper wherein they make the Countesse with much contrition to acknowledge her selfe guilty craves pardon for attempting to poisonthem desires friendslsip with them all The King gets sight of this as in favour to them and demands the place time and occasion when this should be writ They tell him that all the parties met in a visit at Wimbleton the house of the Lord of Exeter where in dispute of their differences she confesses her guilt of attempting their poison And being desirous of absolution and friendship being required thereto consents to set down all Circumstances therein under her own hand which presently she writ at the Window in the upper end of the great Chamber at Whimbleton in presence of the Mother and Daughter the Lord Rosse and one Diego a Spaniard his confiding Servant But now they being gone at Rome the King forthwith sends Mr. Dendy one of his Serjeants at Armes sometime a domestick of the Earl of Exeters an honest and worthy Gentleman post to Rome who speedily returnes with Rosse and Diego's hand and other testimonialls confirming That all the said accusation and confession Suspitions and papers concerning the Countesse were notorious false and Scandalous and confirmes it by receiving the Hoast in assurance of her Honour and his Innocency The King well satisfyed sends to the Countesse friends and trusties for her Jointure and Estate who comparing many of her letters with this writing do conclude it counterfeit Then He tells the Mother and Daughter that this writing being denied by her and their testimonies being parties would not prevaile with any belief But any other Additionall Witnesse would give it sufficient credit To which they assure him That one Sarah Swarton their Chamberesse stood behind the hanging at the entrance of the Room and heard the Countesse reade over what she had writ and her also they procure to swear unto this before the King To make further tryal the King in a hunting journy at New Park neer Wimbleton gallops thither viewes the Room observing the great distance of the Window from the lower end of the Room and placing himself behind the hanging and so other Lords in turn they could not hear one speak a loud from the window Then the House-Keeper was call'd who protested those hangings had constantly furnisht that room for 20. years which the King observed to be two foot short of the ground and might discover the woman if hidden behind them I may present also the King saying Oaths cannot confound my sight Besides all this the Mother and Daughter counterfeit another writing a Confession of one Luke Hutton acknowledging for 40. l. annuity the Countesse hired him to poison them which Man with wonderful providence was found out privately and denies it to the King And thus prepared the King sends for Sr. Thomas Lake whom in truth he very much valued tells him the danger to imbark himself in this quarrel advising him to leave them to the law being now ready for the Star-chamber He humbly thanked his Majestie but could not refuse to be a Father and a Husband and so puts his Name with theirs comes to Hearing in Stur chamber in a crosse Bill Which at the hearing took up 5. several daies the King sitting in Judgement But the former testimonies and some private confessions of the Lady Rosse and Sarah Wharton which the King kept in private from publick proceedings made the cause for some of the daies of triall appeared doubtful to the Court untill the King's discovery which concluded the Sentence and was pronounced upon severall Censures Sr. Thomas Lake and his Lady fined 10000. l. to the King five thousand pounds to the Countesse 50. l. to Hutton Sara Wharton to be whipt at a Carts taile about the streets and to do penance at Saint Martin's Church The Lady Rosse for confessing the truth and plot in the midst of the triall was pardoned by the Major Voices from penall Sentence and sentenced The King I remember compared their crimes to the first plot of the first sin in Paradise the Lady Lake to the Serpent her daughter unto Eve Sir Thomas to poor Adam whom he thought in his conscience that his love to his wife had beguiled him I am sure he paid for all which as he told me cost him thirty thousand pounds and the losse of his Masters favour and offices of gaine and honour but truly with much pitty and compassion of the Court. Our Pamphleter Pamp. 57. concerning the
I never knew then nor can find sithence any suspicion unlesse in that of the Treasury The ground whereof is hinted unto us by our Author Pamph. 166. But in truth in this He hath but Scumm'd the Pot to cleere the Broth. For indeed who more fit for the reasons I have shewed than this man of experience in Stating the Accompts for the Revenues of the State which I know he improved and not unlikely thereby purchased Envy for his Eminency And to say truth according to his Place He did indeavor to Husband the same to piece out with the expence which the Princes Iourney into Spain had wonderfully and unnecessarily exhausted as by the Printed accompt thereof lately divulged by Parliament doth manifestly appeare Then which no better Evidence can be produced to acquit the Treasurer together with what the Pamphletter publishes as a supposed crime Pamph. 166. His refusall to supply that journey and Buckinghams folly and prodigality and this He did deny as the duty of his Office required and which He well understood as being of Counsell and acted as a Counsellour in that undertaking to My knowledg and as indeed being then the Statesman at the Counsell Table But his refusall of supplying Buckingham upon that Score only wrought him no doubt at his returne home the Treasurers great enemy And whom He opposed a small accusation might serve the turne to turne any Man out of all as He did Him And yet to the Honour of his Memory though they raked into all his actions and racked all mens discoveries to the height of Information the power of Buckingham could never produce any Crime though mightely attempted against his exact accompts in that boundlesse trust of the tempting Treasury And in spite of Malice though they divested him of that Office yet He lived long after in Peace Wealth and Houour And died since these times of inquiry leaving to his Heire his Honors untaint with a plentifull Estate to all his Children enabling them to beare up the worthy Character of their Fathers meritts And thus having digressed in our matter beyond our time we returne to the first appearance of our new Favorite George Villiers 89 His discent George Villiers who was of an Ancient Family in Leicestershire His Father Sir Edward Villiers begat him upon a second Wife Mary Beomont of Noble birth whom for Her beauty and goodnesse He Married He had by Her three Sonnes Iohn Viscount Purbeck George Duke of Buckingham and Christopher Earle of Anglesey and one Daughter Susan Countesse of Denbigh Our Pamphlet tells us Page 90. That He came over by chance from his French Travells and sought his preferment in Mariage with any body but mist of his match for want of a hundred Marks Ioynture And so pieces him for the Court like in the Story of Dametas Caparisons borrowing of every one piecemeal to put him forward for the Kings Favourite The truth is thus His Mother a Widdow was lately Married unto Sir Thomas Compton second Brother to the Lord Compton who by chance falling upon a wonderfull match for matchless wealth with Alderman Sir John Spencers Daughter and Heir And his Father then lately dead this Lord was Master of all which was of more than credible and so might be enabled bountifully to set up a Kinsman without help or alms of the Parish And it was plotted long before and Villiers sent for to the same purpose And this indeed was done by practice of some English Lords And I can tell him the time and place There was a great but private Entertainment at Supper at Baynards Castle by the Family of Herberts Hartford and Bedford and some others By the way in Fleetstreet hung out Somersets picture at a Painters Stall which one of the Lords envying bad his Footman sling dirt in the face which he did and gave me occasion thereby to ask my Companion upon what score that was done He told me That this meeting would discover And truly I waited neer and opportune and so was acquainted with the Design to bring in Villiers And thus backt Our new Favourite needed not to borrow nor to seek out many Bravo'es to second his Quarrels which at first I confess he met with For having bought the place of Cup bearer to the King his right was to have the upper end of the Table at the reversion of the Kings Diet only during his monethly wayting But he not so perfect a Courtier in the Orders of the House set himself first out of his month when it was not his due and was told of it and so removed which was not done with over much kindnesse for indeed the Other was Somersets Creature But not long after this party by chance rather than by designe spilt upon Villiers cloaths as he carried meat to the Kings Table and returning to Dinner Villiers gave him a box on the Eare For which the Custome of the Court was to have his hand cut off and which belonged to Somerset as Chamberlain to prosecute the Execution Favorite as he did And here the Kings mercifull pardon without any satisfaction to the party made him appear a Budding Favorite And now we are fallen upon a story of fooling and fidling sometime used for Courtlike recreations I confesse Pamph. 91. but alwayes with so much wit as might well become the Exercise of an Academy Not Gerbiers which our Author misconstrues and calls a Brothelry to usher in the New Favorite and to out the Old One whose Misfortunes with his Lady brake out even now as we have told of before And now indeed Pamph. 124. all the browse boughs cut downe or removed to plain the Stemm our Favorite appears like a proper Palm His first step into honourable Office was in the Admiralty Admiralls to succeed a good and gallant Old Lord of Nottingham who being almost Bed ridd made sute to the King That himself might dispose his place as a Legacy in his life time upon Villiers which was so done and who to my knowledge went in Person to acknowledg the Kindnesse and presented his Young Lady with a very noble and valuable reward which my Lord Compton paid for and besides a Pension therefore during his life And all this was done with so much love and liking that I have often observed Villiers his great Civility to him ever after at each meeting to call him Father and bend his knee without the least regret of the Lord that gained more than he lost by the bargain and did not cost the King a penny And because Sir Robert Mansell a dependant of Nottingham had the place of Vice-Admirall at pleasure only Villiers for his Lords sake continued him by Patent during life For which Courtesie the good Old man came himself to give thanks as I remember the last Complement his age gave him leave to offer And thus was this Office of Honor and Safety to the Kingdom Ordered from the Command
Proclametion That Essex and Southampton were Traitors all those that followed their faction Many dropping from the Crowd there was little defence by his party though some were killed and himselfe forsaken of the wisest He retires back to Queenhithe and so to Essex-house by water where finding the Birds flowen the Councellors released by their Keeper who in hope of pardon accompained them to the Queenes presence discovering so much as he knew concerning his Lord who finding himselfe too weake to withstand the force of a peece of Cannon mounted upon the Church to batter his House He and Southampton yeelded themselves Prisoners to the Tower Arraigned and executed where being arraigned and condemned Southamton had repreeve and after pardon But Essex the reward of his merits and Executed in March 1601. upon the Inner Hill in the Tower to the regret of None either wise or honest Leaving behind him one onely Son the last of his Line William Cecill Cecils Pamp. 10. illustrate from the family of Cecils who suffered persecution in the times of Henry 8. Edward 6. and Queen Mary he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth so soone as she was setled in her Crowne then Secretary and Councellor of State Afterwards created Baron of Burligh Then made Lord Treasurer of England and Knight of the Garter and died Chauncellor of the Vniversity of Cambridge Anno 1598. Intomb'd at Westminster leaving two Sons The elder Thomas was then Lord President of the North And afterwards created Earle of Exeter by King James and privy Councellor of State He died Anno discreet and honourable whom the world could never tax with any taint The other son Robert Sr. Robert Cecill was the second But a true Inheriter of his Fathers wisdome and by him trained up to future perfections of a Judicious States-man after his Knighthood the first imployment from Court for he was not at all bred out of it sent him Assistant with the Earle of Darby Embassadour to the French King At his returne the Queen took him second Secretary with Sir Fr. Walsingham after whose decease he continued Paincipal and so kept it to his death Not relinquishing any Preferment for the Addition of a Creater A remarkeable Note which few men of the Gowne can boast of His Father liv'd to see him setled in these preferments and after Master of the Wards and Liveries These he held to the Queenes death Being in all Her time used amongst the Men of weight as having great sufficiencies from his Instruction who begat him Those offices here in public with perpetual Correspondence by Emissaries of his own into Scotland might no doubt make him capable of Reception with King James who was to be advised by him how to be received here of his people Without any necessity then to make use of Sir George Hewmes or his Initiatiation afterwards with any juggling trickes Pamp 13. his merrits certainly appeared to the King who not onely not diminished his forformer preferments But often added to them even to the day of his death As first Baron of Essenden then Viscount Cranborne after Earle of Salisbury and Knight of the Garter and lastly Lord Treasurer of England He was a Councellor of singular merit A very great discoverer of the late Queens enemies abroad and of private Assinations at home For which She valued him and the Papists hated him which they published by several Manuscripts which I have seen and printed Libels and that most pestilent against his birth and honour threatning to kill him which himselfe answered wisely learnedly and religiously Extant in English and Latine Adversus Perduelles Indeed It behoved the King to bestow upon him the waight of the Treasurers Staffe The Cofers then in some want which the King was not likely soon to Recover but rather to increase in debt having the addition of wife and children to boot And being now come with common opinion into the Capacity by his additional Crownes to reward his old servants and to appear obliging unto new Ones The world wondering at the worth of this great Councellor I know not upon what score our Pamphleter should endeavour to scandal his memory Which he rancks into Numbers of ill Offices to his Nation Pamp. 12. as the burning of a whole cart-load of Parliaments Presidents which no man can be so sottish as to beleeve that knowes the strict concerving of those Records by sworne Officers As for the Baronets Baronets It was the earnest suite of two hundred prime Gentlemen of Birth and estates to my knowledge for I copied the list before ever it came this Lord. And as true it is That this Lord's Reception thereto was in the same words which our Pamphlet puts upon the King That it would discontent the Gentry to which themselves replyed Nay my Lord It will rather satisfie them in advance of Dignity before others who now come behind those Meaner Men whom the King was forced to Knight for his own honor and some merits of theirs having no other Reward or money to spare and therein not much to blame to oblige them that way As for that supposed jugling Pamp. 13. which the Duke of Bullion should discover As it was never known to wiser men So we may take it a devise of his who in these as in other such like of his own may truly merit that Character which he bestowes before On the good Gentleman Pamp. 9. I desire pardon if I speake much and truth in the memory of this Noble Lord being somewhat concerned to speak my owne knowledge I know that this Earle of Salesbury declining his health with continuall labour for the good of this Nation both in the former and in this his Soveraign's Service And am willing to give some light thereof to such as are pleased to read these particulars being an Account of his concernments For first Salisbury his service to the State Mannors Lands he found the King's Mannors and fairest possessions most unsurveyed and uncertain rather by report then by Measure Not more known then by ancient Rents the Estate granted rather by chance then upon knowledge The Custody-Lands Custody-hands antiently termed Crown-Lands much charged upon the Sheriffs yearly discharged by annual pensions A Revenue which seemed decayed by descent of times and worne out of all remembrance these he evermore revived by Commissioners of Asserts The Woods Woods were more uncertain then the rest No man knew the Copices Number of acres growth or value nor of Timber-Trees either Number or worth So as truly he might well find himself in a Wood indeed The Trees wasted without controwle because no Record kept thereof These he caused to be numbred marked and valued easily to be questioned when thereafter missing The Copy-hold Lands Copy-holds where the arbitrary sines ceased by the discretion of the Stewards and did seldome yeeld the Parsons part and that also vanish'd in fees and charges The State was then after like
and to spare for his friends In his expence not over frugal maintaining his Port the most remarkeable like the Ancient NOBLE MAN in his family and Dependants of any other Lord then or since his time He assisted his Nephew the Earl of Suffolk by his designing and large contribution to that excellent Fabrick Awdley-end He built the Noble structure at Charing-Crosse from the Ground Northampton House and presented it a New-years-gift to the Lord Walden Suffolkes eldest Sonne and now called Suffolk-House and yet left his other Nephew the Earl of Arundell the rest of his estate so to appear to the world his equall distribution to such even kinred He was Religious and gave good testimony thereof in his life built that handsome Covent at Greenwich and indued it with Revenue for ever for maintenance of decaied Gentlemen a sufficient number and for women also considerable He died in Anno 1613. full of years and Honourable fame though Our Pamphleter wil not know so much Pamp. 16. and yet no doubt must needs be Iutimate with his Person for he tells us his thoughts That he had assuredly promised to himself the Treasurers staff Although we can produce this Lord's Letters and other testimonies imploying all his own and his Friends Interest for that preferment upon his Nephew Suffolke and excusing himself of the burthen and weight of that Office by his known Infirmity of Stone of the which he died Indeed James Hay Earle of Carlile Pamp. 18. It is no matter upon what Score that the King gave his affection to this Favorite James Hay The Scots were never very eminent with Neighbour-Princes what credit they had came by the French to keep ballance with England and them The beginning might then be hoped when their Vnion with these Crownes should afford the meanes to set them forth And it was prudentiall in the King to pick out one of his own to splendour that Nation in our way of peace and Court-ship Especially when all was done at the Master's cost For Hay was poor unlesse what he got by his first Match with the Lord Dennis heir for by his last he had nothing the great spirit of Pearcy Earle of Northumberland disdaining the Marriage and refused to afford a Groat to a beggerly Scot as he call'd him And now this Lord for so was he soon made Lord Hay His vaine 〈◊〉 spences then Viscount Doncaster and Earl of Carlile did most vainely prodigallize what he often begg'd And in truth he had it granted for no other purpose to put down the Englâ—sh Courtier at that vanity And which both abroad and at home was often paid for by the King 's Privy Purse As that feast at Essex-House Pamp. 19. and many his Masqueradoes at Court for he medled not with the Tilt-staff as being no Sword-man but in the other and such like he never escaped to act One part And these expences fam'd him with little credit how erche appears to our Pamphleters Judgement who cries up Pamp. 21. the bounty of his Mind beyond the Moon at least who in truth was never good to Man or beast His Embassies His Embassies to Germany were not so weighty when he posted so long through Germany to find out the Emperor who afforded him the Wild-Goose-Chase as knowing his Arrand before he came at him Which in truth was purposely so designed by the King only to spend time and to amuse mens expectations who were wild after a Warre to beget a Treaty concerning the lost Palatine The effects wherof as the King wisely prophesyed would produce distemper through all Christendome if not destructive to his Son in law He went into France Extraordinary France it was to treate with that King in favour of the Hugenots the Religion as they account it being risen to a Civill Warre by management of the Duke d'Rohau Count Sobeeze and others to a dangerous consequence in severall places almost over France which to allay that King had raised a great Army resolving with countenance of his own Person to give end thereto But King James being invited by several troublesome Commissioners their Agents to implore for their cause and take upon him their protection which he a wise Prince in that declined yet not to neglect them and the rather to satisfy some of our People of the like Gang medled thus farre to mediate by Embassy of Hay who as in that of Germany did nothing with effect but went up to Montaban and so come home again 'T is true he went into Spain Spaine with a message to our Prince with no more matter then others that came after to waite on him in that Courtship For there as in other Kingdomes his Scots vanity must also be blazon'd And for his last Embassy in France about Our Match with that Daughter and our Queen Again into France he came not into Commission till the Treaty was confirmed and the Marriage concluded by Embassy only of the Earle of Holland and Carlile put in afterwards to dance out the Measures His name being used in the Proxie for that Ceremony and at this time the Earl of Holland Earle of Holland had some colour for his expence which he lavished without reason to the weakening of his unsettled fortunes being forced to follow the other then in all his fashions And which Infection by after-Custome became his disease also and almost if not over-mastering yet over-shadowing his Natural eminent parts with which his inside was habited and perspicuous to such as knew him But I am not delighted to urge out this story of the Earl of Carlile as not willing to speak ill of any unlike our Pamphlet that spares none but Him For I should know that vertue and vice are Inherent in Man And as it becomes us to tell truth when we speak their vertue yet with modesty and compassion to discover their vices either being Examples for the future that to imitate this to shun And I cannot but with Compunction remind That the monstrous excesse of the belly and the back by his first President became then the Mode of those times for great Persons the most part to follow and for the Common People to this hour to practise And truly a wise and a good Man ought justly to have hated his condition in this without suspition of malice or envy Pamp. 21. as it is said Northampton did who yet as may be remembred took leave of this life ere Hay was setled on horsback And that other marke of Reproach also may without partiallity be taken oft the Score from that Noble Northampton who on my conscience for I knew him well disdained the Guilt in that frivolous story of Sir Robert Mansell Nor is it material to credit the rest of that Rant in his Vice-Admirall voyage The Second Remark of the Preface Second Remarke Pamp. 30. falls upon the Treason of Sir Walter Ralegh which the Pamphlet calls an arrant trick
Scots enters upon the Scots pa. 57. and would cousen us to credit their Story where he begins a division between the English and them at Court goes smoothly on to the middle of these last times Pamp. 58. when it seemes he writ this And as he saies saw all our happinesse derivative from their favours by their own valour and bravery of spirit Good Man He beleeves what he thought he saw But wanting the eye of faith to forsee this great Alteration which he lived not to find but We now to feele Our late gude Presbyterian Brethren turne false Loones and become the traiterous Rebells to that reformation which not long ago they professed he others beleeved and so disunited the union of all our quiet and happines Pamp. 60. Scandal upon E. of Salisbury He tells us of a trick that the Earle of Salisbury had to compound with the Scots Courtiers for their Books of Fee-farmes which they bought at 100. l. per annum for a thousand pound Then would he fill up these bookes with prime land worth 20. thousand pounds A pretty trick indeed to make himselfe Lord Para-Mount of the best lands in England but it had bin a gainful trade of our Author to have turn'd Informer to the State in the particulars of these Tricks and so the return of these lands so deceitfully got would prove now as hard a bargain to his son as the Lord-like purchasers of Debenturs have done latly to his son that may succeed him We are come to the consideration of the third Remark in the Preface Remar 3. Pamp. 61. Robert Carre and Sir Tho. Overbury and so we fall into the History of Rob. Car after E. of Summerset and intermixed with that of Sir Thomas Overbury Ro. Car was a Scottishman of no eminent birth but a Gent. and had bin a Page of honor to the King in Scotland And in truth he became the first Favorite that we find that is one whom the Ki. fancied meerly for his fashion upon no other score nor plot of design His Confident was one Sr. Tho. Overbury a man of good parts whom our Author hath well characterized and his policy was to please the English by intertaining them his Domestiques There was amongst other persons of honor quality in Court a young L. of great birth and beauty Fra. the daughter of Tho. Howard then E. of Suffolk L. Treasurer of Eng. married in under age unto the late and last E. of Essex Of him coÌ„mon fame had an opinion grounded upon his own suspition of his insufficiency to content a wife And the effects of this Narration with the sequell of his life and conversation with his second wife is so notorious as might spare me and the Reader our sever all labours for any other convincing arguments But with his first when both were of years to expect the event and blessing of their Marriage-bed He was alwaies observed to avoid the company of Ladies and so much to neglect his own that to wish a Maid into a Mischief was to commend her to my Lord of Essex Which increased the jealousie of such Men whose interests were to observe him That he preferred the occasion himself to a separation And which indeed from publique fame begat private disputation amongst Civilians of the legality thereof wherein those Lawyers are boundlesse This Case followed the heeles of a former Nullity fresh in memory between the L. Rich and his fair Lady by mutual consent But because the E. of Dev. married her whilst her Husband lived the King was so much displeased thereat as it broke the E. heart for his Majesty told him That he had purchased a fair woman with a black soul And this is a known truth That before Viscount Rochford for so was Carre lately created had made any addresse to this Lady her own friends in Justice and honor to her birth exposed her to the plaint of her HusbaÌ„d to the severest triall in a Course of judicature And 't is as true that the King knew hereof our Pamphlet saies A party in this â—â—udy businesse for what was legall for the meanest Subject Pamp. 77. could not in justice be denied unto Her Which in fine sentenced them both by Divine and Civil Canon loose from their Matrimoniall bands And because the Nullity gave freedome to either and so the means to the Countesses after Mariage with the sad occasions of all the sequell mishaps and suspected scandalls so untruly expressed by the Pamphlet I have with some diligence laboured out the truth precisely and punctually as it was acted and proceeded by Commission Delegative not easily now otherwayes to be brought to light Upon Petition of the Earl of Suffolke and his Daughter Francis to the King Proceedings of Nullity That Whereas his Daughter Francis Countesse of Essex had been Married many years unto Robert Earle of Essex in hope of comfortable effects to them which contrarywise by reason of certaine latent and secretemperfections and impediments of the said Earl disabling him in the rights of Marriage and most unwillingly discovered to him by his daughter which longer by him to conceale without remedy of Law and the practice of all Christian policy in like cases might prove very prejudiciall And therefore pray the King To commit this cause of Nullity of Matrimony which she is forced to prosecute against the said Earl to some grave and worthy persons by Commission under the great Seal of England as is usuall c. Which accordingly was granted unto foure Bishops two Privy Counsellers learned in the Law and to foure other Civill Lawyers with Clause to proceed Cum omni qua poterint celeritate expeditione Summarie ac de plano sine strepitu ac figura Judicii sola rei facti veritate inspecta mera aequitate attenta And with this Clause also Quorum vos praefat ReverendissimuÌ„ patrem Cant. Archiepiscopum Reverendissmum patrem Lond. Episcop Iul. Caesar Mil. Aut duos vestrorum in ferenda sententia interesse volumus But for some exceptions concerning the Quorum by the Commissioners in the words sententia esse not interesse A second Commission was granted and adjoyned two Bishops more with this Quorum Quorum ex vobis praefat Re. Pa. Georg. Cant. Archiepis Ioh. Lond. Episc Tho. Winton Episc Launcelot Eliens Episc Richard Covent Lichs Episc Ioh. Ross Episc Iulio Caesare Tho. Parry Mil. in ferenda sententia tres esse volumus Upon this the Lady procures Processe against the Earl to Answer her in a cause of Nullity of Matrimony The Ladies Libell The Earle appears before the Commissioners by his Proctor And She gives in her Libell viz. That the Earl and the Lady six years since in Ianuary Anno Dom. 1606. were Married her age then thirteen and his fourteen and now she is 22. and he 23 years old That for three years since the Marriage and he 18. years old they both