A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTORIOVS LIFE OF IOHN LAMBE otherwise called Doctor LAMBE Together with his Ignominious DEATH Printed in Amsterdam 1628. A DESCRIPTION OF the Life and Death of Iohn Lambe otherwise called Doctor LAMBE THis Lambe commonly called Doctor Lambe whose Scandalous life hath beene a long subiect of discourse in this Kingdome and whose tragicall and vnexpected death of late happening hath giuen cause of a sadde Example to all such wicked persons To passe by his Childehood and to come to the beginning of his life after he was at mans estate was for the most part spent in the houses of diuers Gentlemen whose Children he taught to write and reade the English tongue The first steppe that euer hee made towards that wicked course which hee was afterwards accused for was the profession of that noble and deepe Science of Physicke a colour which many base Impostours haue vsed to lewde and iuggling practises as the best things are subiect to the greatest abuses Whether this Doctor Lambe for so wee will now call him had any abilitie of learning in him or no I will relate the iudgements of some honest and able men which haue talked with him he seemed to them how euer hee would talke highly to ignorant people to be altogether vnlearned and silly of discourse or else to affect that way of speaking as a colour of his mischeuous pra ctises and rather to be thought by them an Impostour whom the credulous ignorance of the common people had raysed to that Fame then to be truely and guiltily learned in those wicked Mysteryes But whether hee were truely the man which the people conceiued him to bee or not I referre you to the proofes vpon Inditement at Assises against him and those other stories of him iustified by men and women of credit He began within short time after he professed Physick in the Country to fall to other mysteries as telling of Fortunes helping of diuerse to lost goods shewto young people the faces of their Husbans or Wiues that should be in a Christall glasse reuealing to wiues the escapes and faults of their Husbands and to husbands of their wiues By which meanes whether truly or falsely told he wrought so much vpon their credulitie that many mischiefs and diuisions were wrought betweene marryed people But his fame was neuer truely great till he came to bee questioned by the Lawes of the Kingdome at Assises and Sessions For the condemnation of his lewdnesse in those assâ—mblies of Iustice did raise an opinion of his abilitie among people no lesse then some vnlearned and foolish Bookes in our time haue gotten credit among the people onely because Authoritie hath censured them bad which in steede of hurting the Authors hath blowne them vp with a vaine pride and honoured them in the iudgement of their ignorant admirers The first tryall in a Court of Iustice against Doctor Lambe of any note was at the Assifes at Worcester In which he was found guilty of two seuerall Inditements one for vnchristian and damnable practises against the person of an Honourble Peere of this Realme and the other for damnable inuocation and worship of euill Spirits as will in the following discourse more at large appeare And because I would not trouble euery vnlearned person to finde out such as are learned to expound Indictements Therefore for the better vnderstanding of all persons I haue herein set downe the true effects of the said Indictments in English An Indictment preferred against Iohn Lambe otherwise called Doctor Lambe at Worcester Worcester ss The Iury for our Soueraigne Lord the King do vpon the holy Euangelists present That Iohn Lambe late of Tardebigge in the County aforesaid Gent. not hauing the feare of God before his eyes but by a Diabolicall instigation being mooued and seduced the 16. day of December in the yeere of the raigne of our Soueraigne Lord King Iames of England France and Ireland King defendor of the Faith c. the fifth and of Scotland the one and fortieth At Tardebigg aforesaid in the said County of Worcester certaine euill Diabolicall and execrable arts called Witchcrafts Enchantments Charmers and Sorcerers in and vpon the right Honourable Th Lo. W. Deuelishly Maliciously and Feloniously did vse practise and exercise to the intent by the same euill deuillish and execrable Arts to disable make infirme and consume the body and strength of the said Th Lo. W. And further the Iury aforesaid vpon the sayd holy Sacrament doe say that by the said euill deuillish and execrable Arts and by force and pretext of the same euill diuellish and execrable Arts by him the said Iohn Lambe as aforesaid vsed practised and exercised the foresaid Th. Lo W. the said 16 day of December in the yeares aforesaid at diuerse other dayes and times afterwards at Tardebigg in the said County of Worcester in his body and strength was greatly wasted and consumed conrary to the peace of our said Soueraigne Lord the King his Crowne and dignitie And also against the forme of the Statute in this case made and prouided c. Vpon which Indictment hee was arraigned seuerall times and pleaded not guilty to the same but was found guilty of the same by proofe there made But Iudgement was suspended After which Inditement so found the said Doctor Lambe was againe Indicted vpon another Indictment then preferred against him for inuoking and entertaining of euill Spirits The effect of which Indictment followeth in these words Woreester ss The Iury for our Soueraigne Lord the King doe vpon the holy Sacrament present that Iohn Lambe late of Henlipp in the County of Worcester aforesaid Gentleman not hauing the feare of God before his eyes but by Diabolicall instigation being moued and seduced the thirteenth day of May in the yeere of the Raigne of our Soueraigne Lord Iames by the grace of God of England France and Ireland King Defendor of the Faith c. the sixth and of Scotland one and fortieth and at diuerse other dayes and times aswell before as after at Henlipp aforesaid in the County of Worcester aforesaid vnlawfully diabolically and feloniously against the profession of the Christian Faith and holy word of God certaine euill and impious Spirits did inuoke and entertaine with the intent that hee the said Iohn Lambe by the same impious and wicked spirits should follow the euill determinations by him the said Iohn Lambe vnlawfully maliciously and diabolically then determined or from thence to be determined to the great Displeasure of the omnipotent God and to the manifest perill of his soules health and to the euill and pernicious example of all other the Subiects of our said Soueraigne Lord the King in such case to be delinquents And contrary to the peace of our said Soueraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignitie And also contrarie to the forme of the Statute in this case made and prouided c. Vpon this indictment hee pleaded not guilty but by the Iury he was found
reare and kicke in that sort as the Gentleman was taken vp for dead and there being no Inne neare that place he was conueyed into the Lawyers house where hee continued vntill hee recouered his former health in which time hee fell in loue with the Gentlewoman and shee with him and in the end they were married together Here follow some exploits done by Doctor Lambe during his Imprisonment in the Castle of Worcester THree Gentlemen came vpon a time to see Doctor Lambe in the Castle of Worcester while hee was there Prisoner who desired to bestow some wine on him but the Keeper told them it was not a seasonable time to send for wine it beeing past Eight of the clocke in a Summer euening at which time the Castle gates were of custome to bee locked vp and the Tauerne was halfe a mile distant from the Castle Vpon which the Gentlemen gaue ouer their purpose of sending for wine But Doctor Lambe asked them what wine they would chuse to drinke and when one of them answered Sacke hee called for a Wine-glasse and immediatly a pottle of Sacke stood before them vpon the Table the Gentlemen were fearefull to meddle with it but the Doctor began to them and they vpon his encouragement pledged him They asked him then from whence hee had it hee told them from the Globe Tauerne and the signe of the Globe was vpon the pot The Gentlemen afterwards parting from Doctor Lambe and going to their lodgings in the Towne enquired of the Tauerne-keeper whether any body had lately fetched a pottle of wine from thence or no. The man answered them that a little boy in greene had since eight of the clocke fetched so much for Doctor Lambe Another Doctor Lambe beeing merry at the Castle with diuers of his acquaintance espied a woman not farre from thence walking towards them told the Company hee would make that woman take up her coates aboue her middle And immediatly to the wonder of the company the woman began to take vp her cloathes and by degrees lifted them vp aboue her middle Some women that beheld her called out alowd and asked what she meant by so shameles a behauiour she answered them that shee meant to wade through the water and saue her clothes imaginging it should seeme that there had bin a poole where it was dry land Another A Gentlewoman hearing the fame of Doctor Lambe came to the Castle with other of her Friends expecting some strange sights from him And when shee was come into his roome asked a friend of hers softly in his eare which was the Witch The Doctor came to her and told her hee knew shee had called him witch and because shee should know hee could vnderstand secrets hee told her aloud which was truth that shee had two bastards and named their ages and the places where they were both brought up Vpon which the Gentlewoman wonderfully abashed quitted the place Another There was a man that dwelt besides Tewxbury whose name was Wheeler Hee was warned to be one of the Iury at Worcester upon the Tryall of Doctor Lambe Hee comming before to the Castle to see the Doctor and standing amongst the crowd of people in the chamber Doctor Lambe came to him and falling downe vpon his knees asked him blessing The people wondering at the reason of it Doctor Lambe told them that he should shortly be one of his twelue Godfathers Wheeler being a bold fellow and nothing abashed at it told him it was true but he was now come to see whether he could doe any such strange things as he had heard of Doctor Lambe bid him plucke off his garter and tye it about his middle as fast as euer he could which Wheeler accordingly did and tyed it in twenty knots Then Doctor Lambe bad him plucke it off againe hee told him hee could not vnlesse hee tooke time to vntye the knottes Then Doctor Lambe taking hold of the garter plucked it with ease from him and in such a manner as it seemed to all the company and to Wheeler himselfe that the Garter came out of his very body vpon which Wheeler was much affrighted being not altogether sure whether he were wounded or not After his arraignment at the Assises of Worcester the High Sheriffe the Foreman of the Iury and diuers others of the Iustices Gentlemen there present and of the same Iury to the number of forty dyed all within one fortnight vpon which the Country how euer that sad accident befell affrighted and suspecting the damnable arts of the said Doctor and obseruing many other lewd practises of his during the time of his imprisonment became petitioners for his remoue from thence vpon which hee was remoued to the Kings Bench at London In which place he liued in great plenty of money and much resorted vnto by people of seuerall conditions Where at last hee was arraigned for a rape vpon the person of a girle of eleuen yeares of age as shall more at large appeare in the following discourse Heere followeth the effect of an Inditement preferred against Doctor Lambe at the Kings Bench Barre for a Rape by him committed vpon the body of Ioan Scager of the age of Eleuen yeares THE Iury for our Soueraigne Lord the King vpon the Holy Euangelist doe present That Iohn Lambe late of St. George in the Burrough of Southwarke in the County aforesaid Gentleman not hauing the feare of God before his eyes but by a Diabolicall instigation being moued and seduced the tenth day of lune in the yeare of the Raigne of our Soueraigne Lord IAMES by the grace of God of England France Ireland King Defender of the Faith c the 21. and of Scotland the 56. with force and armes c. at the Parish of St. George afore-said in the Burrough of South-warke aforesaid in the County afore-said vppon one Ioane Seager a virgine of the age of 11. yeares in the peace of God and our said Soueraigne Lord the King then and there beeing an assault made and her the said Ioane against her will then and there feloniously and violently did rauish deflowre and carnally know against the peace of our said Soueraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity And also against the forme of the Statute in this case made and prouided c. Vpon which Inditement hee was arraigned before the Kings Maiesties Iustices of his Highnesse Court called the Kings Bench and was there found guiltie of the said Rape and had Iudgement to die but by his Maiesties especiall Grace he was pardoned Here followeth the effect of the proofes produced against him concerning this Rape Concerning the rauishment of Ioane Seager of the age of 11. yeares done by Iohn Lamb prisoner in the Kings Bench. The Examination of Mabell Swinnerton wife to William Swinnerton Bricklayer dwelling in St. Martins Parish neere vnto the new Exchange WHo saith that Elizabeth Seager the mother of Iohn Seager came to her house shee then dwelling in South warke on the
Friday in Whitsun-weeke and in a pitifull manner wringing her hands like a woman ouer-whelmed with extreame griefe crying out and saying I am vndone I am vndone I then asked her how her husband did for at that time he was a prisoner in the Counter vpon an Execution and at that time lay very sick to all such as saw him there thinking him no man for this world She answered me and said her husband was very ill and lay very hardly but that was not that matter of her griefe as then for it was a worse sorrow then that O Lord said I what more sorrowes then these you haue already yet whatsoeuer they bee desire God to giue you patience for nothing can happen to you but by Gods fore knowledge but I pray sayd I tell me what sorrowes these are that thus distract you she still continued as before wringing her hands and sayd shee was not able to tell me for shee was vndone at last with my importance shee sayd Ioane was vndone and shee sayd shee could tell me no more shee was not able but prayed me to come home so foorth-with I shut my doore and went with her and by the way I demaunded the cause of her shee told me it was that villaine Doctor Lambe had vndone her childe and sayd shee could say no more her griefe was so great but aske the girle said shee and she will tell you so comming to the childe I questioned with her but shee being much abashed and ashamed was long before shee would tell me but at the last shee told me that on Whitsun-Euen Lambes women being all very busie at her mothers house there was no body to carrie a basket of hearbes ouer to the Bench but shee who when shee came to Doctor Lamb his man was in the chamber with him scraping of trenchers and Doctor Lamb tooke her hearbs of her and set her to play on the Virginals and then hee sent out his man on a message and lockt the doore and then tooke her and ledde her into his Closet and made fast that doore and tooke her vppon a Ioynt-stoole and put his tongue in her mouth to kisse her but shee was wonderous fearefull of him and striued with him as much as she could but hee would not let her alone but stroue with her There are certaine passages which are vpon the Records which for Modestie sake are here omitted I Asked her why shee told it not at the first shee said shee was afraid her Mother would haue beaten her but then at her mothers intreatie I tooke her home and drest her but when I opened her to dresse her the place did smoake like a pot that had seething liquor in it that were newly vncouered and I found her to bee very sore and could not abide to bee touched but I perceiued that some body had drest her and I asked her if any body had medled to dresse her shee told me Lambs maid Becke had brought her a thing in a dish and had drest her but there was a little specke of the venimous substance of it that stucke vpon the inside of her thigh and when I puld it away it had festerd the place where it stucke as if one had touched it with an end of Iron so vilde and venimous was that base substance So by the intreaty of goodwife Seager I went ouer to Doctor Lamb to shew him what indeede hee knew before which was on the morrow after we knew of it which when I came I saw the chamber well fraught with women and not past three men in all and I saw the Doctor not indeed knowing what he was very busie foulding of linnen shaking of them bettwixt him and another and a white cloath pinde about him and white sleeues vp to his elbowes and as nimble as a Vintners boy setting euery one in order I demanded of his woman to speake with the Doctor they told me that was he in the white aperne so at last hee went into his closet and called to me and asked me if I would speake with him I asked if his name were Doctor Lamb That is it said he marry said I I am come to doe a message vnto you that I am both sorry and ashamed to doe sorrie said I in respect of the child and sorrie for you that you should offer to doe such a thing for you haue vndone an honest mans child for well shee may recouer her health of body againe but neuer her credit for it will bee a staine to her reputation whil'st shee liues so many strumpets in the towne and to seeke the ruine of a poore child I would to God said I you had not done it With that he rail'd vppon my Lord of Winszor grieuously with many base words and said hee did more good deedes in a weeke then my Lord of Winszor did in a yeare I grant you may doe so but this one ill deede hath quite put out the light of all them good deedes and still hee railed on my Lord of Winszor but I made answer I did not know my Lord of Winzor hee was an Honourable gentleman for ought I know but this concernes not him at all but you for you haue vndone her then said he let her come to me that I may see how shee is Nay said I she hath bin too late with you already she will come no more here he said he would haue her searched with 12. women you may doe as you please said I for that matter I will haue her searched to see if she be torne nay said I shee is not so much torne for I will wrong no body for a thousand pound but in plaine tearmes you haue burnt her eyther you haue a foule body or you haue delt with some vncleane person besides I told him hee had sent his maide to dresse her for the dish was at home still and so I left him And this is the truth concerning this businesse with many appurtenances besides apertinant to the matter After his repriue vppon the rape hee hired a house neere the Parliament house where hee liued about the space of a yeare and a quarter in such a course of life as differed not at all from his former practices Vpon Friday being the 13. of Iune in the yeare of our Lord 1628. hee went to see a Play at the Fortune where the boyes of the towne and other vnruly people hauing obserued him present after the Play was ended flocked about him and after the manner of the common people who follow a Hubbubb when it is once a foote began in a confused manner to assault him and offer violence He in affright made toward the Citie as fast as he could out of the fields and hired a company of Sailors who were there present to be his guard But so great was the surie of the people who pelted him with stones and other things which came next to hand that the Sailors although they did their endeauour for him had much adoe to bring him in safetie as farre as Moore-gate The rage of the people about that place increased so much that the Sailors for their owne safetie were forced to leaue the protection of him and then the multitude pursued him through Coleman-street to the old Iurie no house being able nor daring to giue him protection though hee had attempted many Foure Constables were there raised to appease the tumult who all too late for his safety brought him to the Counter in the Poultrey where he was bestowed vppon the commaund of the Lord Maior For before hee was brought thither the people had had him downe and with stones and cudgels and other weapons had so beaten him that his skull was broken one of his eyes hung out of his head and all partes of his body bruised and wounded so much that no part was left to receiue a wound Whereupon although Surgeons in vaine were sent for hee neuer spoke a word but lay languishing vntill Eight a clocke the next morning and then dyed This lamentable end of life had Doctor Iohn Lambe who before prophecied although hee were confident hee should escape Hanging that at last he should die a violent death On Sunday following hee was buried in the new Church-yard neere Bishops-gate FINIS