proper place G. How very improbable is it that the King and Duke should talk so loud concerning the Earl of Essex as that a Souldier should hear them This seems to carry its own Confutation T. If you consider it I think there is very little if any probability in this Evidence for you may observe that R. declared the King and Duke stood a little way off from those who attended them and they discoursed in French. Now there is not one common English Souldier of a thousand who doth understand French the Odds was then so great that this Souldier knew not what they said therefore it 's not so improbable as at first you may think it G. Can it be thought that the Duke admit he was so wicked as to be concerned in such a Fact would be so very foolish as to send the Ruffians so that any People might see their Mission and their Return T. Pray consider this Murder in all its Circumstances and then tell me whether those bloody Varlets had not all Reason in the World to have all the Security could be expected or desir'd you well know that my Lord of Essex was deservedly very popular and therefore a Parliament that should have had the least Information of this treacherous and bloody Murder would have prosecuted the Matter with all the Diligence and Vigor that such a piece of Barbarity deserved Now should they in such their Inquisition have detected those treacherous Villanes these bloody Men must have expected no Mercy And should the Duke have imployed them in his Closet only and they could not by any Circumstance have given Satisfaction that they were his hired Journey-Men in this piece of great Service their Evidence against him had not been the tenth part so credible as it would have been could they have proved that they were sent by his Highness towards the Earl's Lodgings just before his Death and soon after returned to his Highness before others knew that this cruel Tragedy was finished This Circumstance I say would have so corroborated their Evidence against their Master that none could in the least have doubted of the truth of their being so imployed that were once satisfied they were as before sent by and returned to his Highness This then obliged his Highness under no less Obligation than Self-Preservation to skreen those his faithful and ready Servants from any Prosecution well knowing that his own Interest and indeed Life was wrapt up in theirs Wherefore I think this matter was very cunningly managed as to the Security of these Cut-throats from the Hands of Justice either in their Punishment or Prosecution and it could not possibly have been done with greater Safety to the Persons of those that did it L. What is become of this honest brave English Souldier T. We have reason to believe he was taken off by way of Prevention as you will hear in its proper place L. I have heard of others that have fallen Sacrifices to the damned Secrecy of this Villanous Murder T. I shall immediately inform you of one here is the Information of two much of the same with the former G. J.B. and his Wife both declare That about one of the Clock the very day the late Earl of Essex died in the Tower one R.M. that Morning a Souldier in the Tower came to these Informants House and these Informants desired the said M. to give them the best Account he could how the Earl of Essex cut his own Throat to which the said M. with some Earnestness and Passion answered that the said Earl did not cut his own Throat but was barbarously murdered by two Men sent for that purpose by his Royal Highneses to the Earl's Lodgings just before his Death T. What M. did further declare and what was since his Fate you will hear in its proper order G. These four are but hear-say Witnesses T. It is very true but seeing we have great reason to believe that the addition of more Blood was the occasion of the Removal of these two especially the latter as you will hereafter find I think such Informations ought not to be slighted for after that rate it 's but taking off such as knew any thing with relation to a Murder and you are very secure from any Discovery tho never so many upon Oath give an Account of what those Men whose Mouths have been by bloody Men stopt from giving their own Relation have declared in the Matter these two Souldiers related the same as to the sending the Men into my Lord's Lodgings in two Houses as far distant as Dukes-place and Baldwin's Gardens and I am verily perswaded that neither H. nor G. ever spoke to B. and his Wife in their Lives for neither two remember to have seen or heard of the other Informants L. Who could imagine that two Souldiers should declare with such Concern and Earnestness that which was so very dangerous to be spoken if their love to Truth and their hatred of such a Treacherous and Bloody Murder had not even forced it from them to the hazard of almost their Lives by such their Relation G. No Man in particular ought to suffer upon hear-say Evidence T. 'T is true no Man ought to suffer barely upon a hear-say Evidence but such Testimony hath been used to corroborate what else may be sworn and of it self may in some Cases be enough to give Satisfaction in the general of the Truth of a matter and no further is it here used But the next Account of these two Mens being sent as before by his Highness shall be from the first hand Read this G. Mr. P.E. declareth That he this Informant was in the Tower that Morning the late Earl of Essex died and about a quarter of an hour before the said Earl's Death was discovered this Informant observed his Highness to part a little way from his Majesty and then beckned to two Gentlemen to come to him who came accordingly and this Informant did observe his Highness to send them towards the Earl's Lodgings and less than a quarter of an hour after this Informant did observe these very two Men to return to his Highness and as they came they smiled and to the best of this Informant's hearing and remembrance said The business is done upon which his Highness seemed very well pleased and immediately thereupon his Highness went to his Majesty soon after which News was brought to the King that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat L. This is no hear-say Evidence and compared with what the two poor unfortunate Souldiers the day of my Lord's Death as before related I think is very material and ad Hominem G. I must confess that Expression viz. The business is done looks with an ill face especially considering the Glee with which it was spoken Vile Imps of Hell that shall rejoyce in having done the most Treacherous Murder this Age or Nation ever heard of T. You find by D. S's Evidence That after they
and as they came they smiled and to the best of this Informant's hearing and remembrance said The Business was done upon which His Highness seemed very well pleased and then went to His Majesty to whom the news was immediately brought That the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat Lloyd the Centinel at my Lord's Door the day my Lord dyed till the 21st of January last did deny the letting in of any men and Russel and Monday still deny it but now Lloyd doth confess That just before my Lord's Death two or three Men by Major Hawley's special Order were let in and immediately he heard them as he did suppose they were go up stairs into my Lord's Room where there was a very great bustle and stir so great that this Centinel declared he would have forced after them had not the first Door been made fast upon the bustle he heard somewhat thrown down like the fall of a Man which he did suppose was my Lord's Body soon after which it was cryed out My Lord of Essex hath out his Throat Here is not only these mens going in but a great bustle confessed immediately thereupon to ensue in my Lord's Room and the Body of a Man in this bustle to be thrown down this is in a Close Prisoner's Room where no one is admitted but his Servant and those that kept the Door deny'd upon Oath that any were in my Lord's Chamber that Morning my Lord died before his death But these Warders being supposed privy to the Fact would not own the admitting of those Men which themselves let in with such a murtherous Design and it is to be presumed that this Centinel was not a stranger to the matter but enjoined to secrecy for otherwise he would never have declared to a Friend under a repeated request of secrecy that this Confession as before laid upon his Conscience and troubled him night and day for tho' it was indeed very true that he did let in these Men it was what he should not have confessed This Confirmation to his Acquaintance under a great and repeated injunction of secrecy argues first That this Confession was indeed true And Secondly That there is some cursed Confederacy it's probable by Oath entred into to stifle this Murther for what other probable Reason can be assigned for that trouble of Conscience in this Confession ☜ seeing himself at the same declared it was true tho' he should not have said it There are some other Arguments that this Sentinel was particeps Crimines in the Privity first his Retraction in part of what he did confess for upon his being first apprehended he owned the throwing out of the Razor before my Lord's death was known but he now retracts and disowns it Another Instance of his Privity is his now prevaricating in his now pretending that these men were let in an hour or more before my Lord's death whereas at first he declared they were let in immediately before my Lord's death for as soon as let in he heard several go up stairs into my Lord's Room and heard the bustle c. as before A third Argument of this Centinel's Privity is his not declaring the whole Truth which he must know for one at a greater distance that saw these Russians as they were bustling with my Lord and heard the bustle did likewise hear one of these in the bustle as it seemed to be and therefore presumed to be my Lord cry out very loud and very dolefully Murther murther murther The Centinel who could hear the trampling or indeed the very walking in my Lord's Chamber could not but hear this Murther so loud and often repeated It appears by five Cuts in my Lord 's Right Hand viz. two upon his Fore-finger ☞ one upon upon the Fourth Finger another on the Little Finge and the fifth about two Inches long in the Palm of his Right Hand that his Lordship in this bustle made great resistance for these Cuts can be supposed to be done no otherwise than by endeavouring to put off the Cruel Instrument of his Death The next thing that I should observe which happened the day my Lord dy'd and gives us reason to believe the Murther is the Irregularities committed upon the Body before the Jury saw the Body the Body was stript and washed and the Room and Closet washed and my Lord's Cloathes carried away tho' all men know the Body should have remained in its first posture till the Coroner's Jury had seen the Body Sir T. R. as himself saith declared to the Lords That the Body was not stirred from its first posture till the next morning about Ten of the Clock to this Sir Thomas hath not sworn for he was not sworn before the Lords and it s well he hath not ☞ for herein he is so much mistaken that the contrary can be proved by almost twenty Witnesses Had the Body remained in its first posture by my Lord's Cravat's being cut in three parts the Jury would have plainly seen that his Lordship could not so do it with the Razor and then secondly they would have perceived the print of a bloody Foot upon my Lord ☞ as he lay in the Closet by which it appeared some one had been with the Body in the Closet and several other Material Circumstances might have been discovered which by the total illegal alteration of the Circumstances of the Body c. were destroyed About Three of the Clock in the Afternoon that day my Lord died some of those bloody Men who had been at the Consult met at Homes's House and one of them leaped about the Room as overjoyed and as the Master of the House came into the Room he strikes him upon the Back and cry'd the Feat was done or we have done the Feat upon which the Master said is the Earls Throat cut to which the other replied Yes and farther said he could not but laugh to think how like a Fool the Earl of Essex looked when they came to cut his Throat To destroy the Testimony of this D. S. Homes hath produced Two Witnesses who by many Witnesses appear to be forsworn in every part of their Depositions His Defence being false his Charge therefore may be concluded true Thirdly and Lastly What past after the day of my Lord's Death That very Morning several Soldiers which were presumed able to discover what was material with relation to my Lord's Death were called together as M. then said and enjoined to secrecy under very severe Penalties About Ten of the Clock in the Morning the next day after my Lord's Death the Jury met and were surprized to see all the Circumstances of my Lord's Body changed from what was first discovered After the Jury had seen the Naked Body at Hawleys the Coroner adjourned them to a Victualling-House in the Tower when one of the Jury demanded a sight of the Cloathes but the Coroner was immediately called into the next Room from which returning to the Jury
declares That the Earl of Essex being Prisoner in the Tower the King and Duke came into the Tower to see the Tower of which the Earl having notice he was immediately afraid the King would have come up into his Chamber and seen him c. Now I would willingly know who besides the most intimately knowing in this matter could give information two days viz. the Wednesday Morning at Andover before my Lord's death that the Earl of Essex would cut his Throat in the Tower when the King and Duke were there because the King should not see him the King and Duke's being there was unexpected and a surprize to all but to the Men of Secrecy in this Murther because their being there together was so very rare that it happened but once in twenty five years But of this I have already spoken and also how this so particular a Report as to the Manner Place and Reason became thus reported in the Countrey so long before my Lord's Death L. Was you ever credibly told that his Lordship said he was resolved to destroy himself T. No I never heard that credibly reported L. Or which is more plain and particular Did his Lordship before his Imprisonment say that he was resolved to cut his Throat in the Tower when the King and Duke should come into the Tower to see him which his guilt and shame could not bear the thoughts of G. Certainly my Lord could neither foresee nor expect that the King and Duke should come into the Tower whilst he was Prisoner there L. But you find it depos'd That before my Lord's Death viz. the Wednesday at Andover As to his Death The manner how the place where and the reason wherefore are assigned Now had my Lord so particularly declared his Resolution in which by the way as to the King and Duke's being in the Tower he must have prophesied what could not be expected then it had been possible that this and those several Reports proved by eight Witnesses more far distant from and altogether strangers to each other all centering in the same manner how and the place where might have arisen from this Resolution of his Lordship so particularly declared T. It may be my Lord having heard the Papists had resolved to cut his Throat was afraid they would the more to torment him not do it like themselves but botchingly as they cut Mr. Arnold's and therefore that it might be done at a jerk and all perfectly finish'd at a stroak he was resolved to do it himself and did it effectually for though the Blade of the Razor without the Hand was not two Inches and a half he made a Wound about three Inches and half deep and therein did what by others was Mathematically impossible to be done and whereas before that Accident it was the Opinion of Doctors and Chyrurgeons that none could cut through both Jugular Arteries to the Neck-bone on both sides the Neck his Lordship was resolved to give the World demonstration of their mistake and after all his Lordship stopt the Orifice from giving issue to such a quantity of Blood and Spirits as would naturally have instantly killed him and out of malice to the living that others might be charged with his Death threw the Razor out of the Window and then sent the Maid down for it which having received from her he retired to his Closet lockt himself in and quietly laid himself down and the Razor by him and then gave free passage to that Blood and those Spirits which he thus miraculously kept so long in G. But to be serious for this is a Case of grave yea very doleful Consideration did you ever hear all those Reasons the Bishop then gave T. No but I could wish I had only this further Reason I think was given viz. what the Steward said concerning my Lord's desiring him to sit down and drink a glass of Wine with him the Night before his Death L. That I do totally disbelieve for the Reasons before mention'd T. But whereas you say Mr. H. did second my Lord Bishop I do assure you I did hear that Ingenious Gentleman declare the contrary and as a Gentleman told me desired one to vindicate him from that Report which he did totally deny G. What was then said by the Lords of the Committe after my Lord Bishop had given the Countess's Reasons of her Silence T. I have been told how true it is I cannot say that the Right Honourable the Earl of D. spake to the Countess to this effect Madam The belief or disbelief of a fact neither destroys the Existence nor alters the Nature of the Fact and we who are to proceed not according to private Opinion but legal Evidence have taken the Depositions of many Witnesses in this Case and unless many of these be villanously perjur'd which as yet we have no reason to believe my Lord must have been most barberously murthered G. Had the Countess or the Bishop before this seen what was sworn T. I suppose neither of these had either seen or been informed what was depos'd to prove this Murther neither could they then have heard what hath in this Case been depos'd because many Depositions have been since taken before the Lords and since their Lordships Committee was dissolved before several Justices of the Peace G. I cannot but believe that if the Countess once knew what you have now at large related her Opinion would soon be changed and her Zeal in this prosecution would be as great as could be expected from a Lady of her Honour and Quality and as for my Lord Bishop I am sure none would be more easily convinced upon such grounds as these neither would any more zealously ingage in this Prosecution T. Of this I doubt not for no Man can have a greater veneration for this Reverend Father in God than my self and I think this happy Revolution is under God and His Majesty not a little indebted to the Ingenuous and Indefatigable Pen of this Judicious and Learned Bishop The next Discouragement I shall mention was the strict Injunction with Threats laid upon many of the Soldiers to be secret in this matter J. B. and his Wife further declare That the very next day after my Lord of Essex 's Death the aforesaid R. M. told these Informants how that very morning their Officer called several Soldiers together and under very severe penalties enjoined them not to speak one word of what they had either seen or heard with relation to the Death of the Earl of Essex and therefore the said M. desired these Informants not to speak one word of what he had informed them with relation thereunto the day before lest it being discovered he should be severely punished for speaking any thing of this matter L. With what a degree of Impudence was this treacherous Cruelty stifled T. R. the Soldier before-mentioned that very day my Lord was murthered declawith very great earnestness That the Duke of York had so
barefac'd ordered the matter that he did believe no man was safe that was not for their Interest so soon as they began thus in effect openly to order cutting of Throats This R. did further protest That his Blood did so boil with indignation against this most Villanous and Barbarous Murther that could he have got those that would have stood by him he would have shot the chief Author dead upon the spot L. Altho' this Author did escape the just Indignation of this brave Soldier yet that Omnipotent Arm which seldom fails of punishing Blood even in this World thus treacherously spilt in vengeance hath pursu'd him and without doubt the Hell within is ten times worse than the trouble without him for tho' the Spirit of a man may bear his Infirmities a wounded Spirit none can bear and certainly a Conscience of flint must be deeply wounded with those self-reflections which so great Guilt must naturally beget L. But what is become of these two honest Soldiers T. As for M. not long after the Earl's Death he told B. and his Wife and one D. That he had fallen out with one of the Warders about the said Earl's Death and the Warder had not courage to fight him but he did verily believe and much fear that he should be basely murthered for what he had spoke concerning the said Earl's Murther and that very day he did much dread he should be destroy'd wherefore he did desire B. or D. to keep him company that day but they fearing themselves might be in danger by being in his company and having work to do which they were obliged to finish they both refused it and the next morning they heard the said M. was found dead in the Tower-Ditch just over against Major Webster's House L. Surely Blood upon Blood must force down Vengeance from Heaven but what became of R T. All the account can be had of him is this That not long after the Earl's Death he was drawn out of the Tower and sent beyond Seas to the East-Indies and there at some fort shot to death but upon what account we cannot learn. I fear several other Soldiers have been murthered to prevent the discovery of this unheard of piece of Villany for as I was not long since discoursing in a Coffee-House concerning this M's being murthered A Gentleman told me That by his Neighbour's Shop-door there stopt three Soldiers a little after M's death and one looking very melancholly said He did fear he should be murthered as poor M. was for speaking somewhat which he knew about the Earl's Death for he did observe himself dog'd several days by two men which he did suppose were Irish-men and this Soldier did then desire those his two Fellow-soldiers to take notice of what he had told them and if he were missing and could not be found they should conclude that he was murthered for this very reason L. Did this Shop-keeper know either of those Soldiers T. No nor did he think it safe to make any inquiry into the matter lest he should fall under such misfortune as had befallen others for medling herein you can't but find most men are for observing that Maxim Foelix quem faciant c. Happy is he whom other mens harms do make to beware L. Certainly these things must hasten Vengeance If that Soldier who was in this danger be now living he may with safety and I am sure it 's his duty appear and discover what he knows or if with others he be treacherously murthered it were well those his two Fellow-soldiers would testify what that poor Soldier had informed them this in Justice they are bound to do and there is no danger in doing it such as now do refuse to testify their knowledge in the Matter consent to the Blood of the Slain and one day must expect to answer it T. Hawley the Warder intimately acquainted with Major Hawley at whose House my Lord was murthered was found dead in the Medways about April next after my Lords death having been murthered in a most barbarous manner This Hawley was supposed to be taken off to prevent the discovery of what he knew in this matter for a little after Mr. Hawley was missing viz. about a month before he was found dead a Warder then in the Tower supposed to be a Papist told Mr. A. S. who had long lain under the pressure of the then misgovernment and then there a Prisoner without any Evidence to justify the Commitment That Hawley was run away for prating somewhat about the Earl of Essex but how he ran away a short time discovered This Hawley was in Westminster-hall when Mr. Bradden was upon his Tryal and said He much wondered upon what Mr. Braddon should stir in this thing when ☜ to his Knowledg Mr. Braddon knew nothing A Gentleman then present who knew Mr. Hawley looked on this Expression as what argued Mr. Hawley not a stranger to the matter wherefore this Gentleman immediately said Mr. Hawley if you know Mr. Braddon knows nothing of this matter what must you then know upon which Mr. Hawley seemed surprized having too far expressed himself and made no Reply S. I have been informed by a Warder in the Tower that this Mr. Hawley the Warder as soon as he heard the News of the Earl's Death immediately declared it was a damn'd piece of Roguery throughout T. This Mr. Hawley was very rich and a Warder only to exempt him from Parish Services but he never waited unless it were on very solemn Occasions and that very day my Lord dy'd he was waiting and as declared by several was one of the Warders that attended on the Person of the Duke of York whilst he was in the Tower that morning the Earl dy'd L. If so he might well observe the Duke's sending the two men to the Earl's Lodgings just before his Death and their return to his Highness as Mr. E. deposeth and M. and R. declared with several other Passages which might to him discover that barbarous Murther and then he had cause enough to say it was a damn'd piece of Roguery all over G. Good God deliver us from such bloody-minded men T. Several Reports were as industriously as maliciously spread about Town when Mr. Hawley was first miss'd some to influence people to believe that this Mr. Hawley through discontent with his Wife was very melancholly and had declared 't was better to make away with himself than live such a vexatious life with so turbulent a spirited a Woman but in this they most grosly abused them both for no Woman could shew greater respect to a Husband nor any Husband be more kind to a Wife Another Report was That Mr. Hawley had often declared He did really believe if a man withdrew from his Relations and Friends for half a year and suffered none who knew him to know where he was but to possess all men by such his conce aled absence that he was indeed dead and then to appear in