same House with Lodeman deposed That he being up two pair of Stairs when the Girl came in from the Tower did hear her telling what she had seen to her Aunt and that her Aunt chid her for it but she said she was sure it was true That he had before that time taken her in a Lie and thought her a lying Girl Then William Smith a Barber in Throgmorton-street deposed That he went along with Mr. Braddon and was present when he took the Girls Information and that she then did say She heard a Man say to them in the House Here is a Razor which was all he remembred as to that particular The Information was then shew'd him and he own'd his Hand and said he did read it over and it was nothing but what the Girle said he was sure But because he had not repeated all about the Souldier the Ld. Ch. Justice told him he was a Notable shaver upon his Word A special Fellow I 'de warrant him Then Mrs. Mewx was sworn who would have deposed That she travelling into Berkshire July 12. the day before the Earl of Mssex's Death her Daughter then told her in the Coach how she had heard it reported That one of the Lords committed for the late Plot had cut his Throat in the Tower But the Daughter being with Child and near her time and therefore not daring to venture abroad much less into the Court the Ld. Ch. Justice would not suffer the Mother to be examin'd though sworn alledging That because she could not depose on her own Knowledg it was no Evidence and therefore against all Judicial Forms to admit it But Mr. Wallop replied It was Evidence there was such a Talk Then Mr. Jeremiah Burgis deposed That he being at Frome July 13. did hear it reported in his Inn that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower and that Mr. Braddon coming afterwards to Marleborough to examin him about it he did write that Letter to Frome and gave it Mr. Braddon to carry and that through a mistake he writ the 6th of July instead of the 13th which was the Day whereon he heard the Report but upon Mr. Braddon's observing it he presently mended it Upon which the Ld. Ch. Justice presently call'd it a Juggle not sparing his Affronts and Discouragements while he was delivering his Evidence the Attorny General pritty well seconding him After this Mr. Thompson moved for his Client Mr. Speke as not being concern'd in this Business either before or after any otherwise than by that Letter And Mr. Speke desiring leave to speak for himself related the whole Passage how he came to lend Mr. Braddon being his acquaintance his Man and Saddle and to recommend him by Letter which he writ to have him take good Advice in what he did and that it was late at Night when he writ and had been drinking and might not so well consider what he did But for all that Mr. Attorny General said that his Letter was ten times worse than what Mr. Braddon had done But the Ld. Ch. Justice said He would not have Mr. Braddon topped upon nor suffer such a Reflection on him that any Man should be a greater Actor in this Business than he Then the Attorny General proceeded to the Proof of the Earl of Essex Murdering himself which the Ld. Ch. Justice said was necessary to satisfy the World though to a discerning Eye there was enough given from this Day 's Evidence to make it appear a most Malicious and Scandalous Contrivance to hawk about for every idle Rumor to pick up Children of such Tender Years and make them swear any thing to serve a Turn Then Paul Bomeney was sworn the Earl of Essex's Servant who deposed That his Lord having long Nails asked for a Pen-knife and on the Thursday he sending the Footman for other Things to the Steward he writ a Line at the end of a Note that he should send a Pen-knife That the Footman brought the other things but not the Pen-Knife because the Steward sent word he had none but would send one the next Morning so early in the Morning the Footman was sent again with another little Note for Provisions and a Memorandum for his Lord's Pen-knife But his Lord ask'd him for the Pen-knife before the Footman return'd and not having any he ask'd him for one of his Razors which he fetch'd and gave him and wherewith he saw him walking and picking his Nails and that then he went out and left him and was talking with the Warder and looking out of the Window upon the King who was then in the Tower and in this time the Footman return'd with the Things and deliver'd him the Pen-knife and a Note from Mr. Billingsley the Steward to shew his Lord which he coming up to do found no Body in his Lordship's Chamber so thinking he might be in the Closet in which stood a Glose-stool he came down again and Hayed till he supposed his Lord might be come out Then he went up again and seeing no Body in the Chamber and the Closet Door still shut he knocked three times at the Door called on his Lord but no Body answering he looked through the Chink of the Door between the Door and the Wall and saw Bloody and a little part of the Razor That then he called to the Warder and the People of the House who came and found his Lord kill'd lying all along on his Side and his Foot against the Door which opening into the Room could not be opened easily nor very far which the Warder push'd at and the Razor lay by his Side Then Mr. Russel the Warder deposed That he heard my Lord ask Bomeny for a Razor and saw him give him one and that none came up to my Lord's Chamber while Bomeney was below that Bomeney coming up and making a noise the ran to him and opened the Closset-Door the Key being on the Out-side and there saw my Lord lie in his Blood and the Razor by him Saying that the Window was towards a back Yard that there was no Light nor Passage towards the Street into Capt. Hawley's House where was the Earl of Essex's Lodgings but one Door that goes out from the Entry to go into the Yard Then one Lloyd a Sentinel diposed That he stood at the Street Door that Morning and he saw no Body come into the House not no Coach stand at the Door nor ho Maid go out in a white Hood nor no Razor thrown out at the Window nor did he cry but to any Body nor was there any other Souldier there but himself That Capt. Hawley deposed how he saw my Lord in his Bloods That the Casement won't open far the House having settled and is so low and the Pales nine or ten high that it is impossible for any one to throw any thing out of the Window to be seen and that it was one of the horridest and unlikeliest Reports that ever was heard of
him he owned that was the Paper and his Hand but swore it was false and that he saw no Razor Whereupon the Ld. Ch. Justice cried out What a Dust has such a trivial Report made in the World Admit that the Boy had said any such thing What an Age do we live in that the Report of every Child should blow us up after this rate It would make a Body tremble to think what a sort of People we live among To what an Heat does Zeal transport some People beyond all Reason and Sobriety If such a little Boy had said so 't was not an half-penny matter but presently all the Government is to be Libell'd for a Boy which whether he speak true or false is of no great weight and he swears 't is all false Then Thomas Hawkins the Son of Dr. Howkins of the Tower being sworn deposed That he saw VVilliam Edwards in the Tower July 13. and went with him round the Tower looking upon the King while he was walking who going into the Constable's House they went with other Boys to play and afterwards he went Home and then soon after the Rumour of the Earl of Essex's Death coming he with his Father stood before the Window and Edwards came to him and there they stood looking up for an hour or two at the least and then they went out of the Tower together and that he was sure there was no such thing as a Razor thrown out of the Window Upon this the Attorn General said to the Ld. Ch. Justice That his Lordship saw what a fine Case this was and how all this Noise and Bustle has come to be made in the World That the Rumor first did arise in a Fanatick Family and was propagated by that Party Ay said Mr. Jones 't is easily known whence it came Mr. Blathwait was then sworn who informed the Court That on July the 20th Mr. Braddon brought this Edwards to White-hall where the Boy denied before the King that the Matter contained in the Information was true and said it was only a Lie he invented to excuse himself for having play'd Truant that day After this that Mr. Braddon did nevertheless pursue this Business He attested also Mr. Speke's Letter and that he owned before the King and Council Then Mr. Mon-Stevens deposed That about five or six days after the Earl of Essex had murdered himself he saw Mr. Braddon with a young Man and a Boy at the Lord Sunderland's Lodgings and that he told him he came from Sir Henry Capel who not being well could not come himself with an Information relating to the Earl of Essex's Death The Information he gave him to read and then went with him to the Lord Sunderland who took the Information and afterwards Mr. Braddon was committed in Custody and the thing was brought before the Lords of the Council Then Sir Henry Capel was called to know if he employed Mr. Braddon in this Business who deposed That he knew very little of Mr. Braddon but that he had been with him twice and speaking to him of this Business he desired him to acquaint the Secretary of State with whatever he had to say of it to which he seemed very willing Then one Mr. Beech deposed That he was present when Mr. Braddon was apprehended in Wiltshire and several Papers found upon him Copies whereof he deliver'd into the Court and upon Examination committed to the County Goal and from thence removed by Habeas Corpus hither up to London That he then told them his Business was to enquire after the Earl of Essex's Murder and that one Mr. Burgis of Marleborough had writ him a Letter that one Compton Post-Master at Frome could inform him that the News was at Frome that very day the Murder was committed But the Witness said he had been with this Compton who denied it and told him they had no News of it till Sunday following And the Lord of Waymouth who lives near Frome told him that he had an account of it on the Sunday and he believed that was one of the first Letters of it that was in the Country Then the Papers were read in Court which were found about Mr. Braddon at his Apprehension The first was a Letter subscribed Hugh Speke and dated London Lincolns-Inn Aug. 15. 1683. Wednesday Night 10 a Clock and directed For the ever Honoured Sir Robert Atkins Knight of the Bath at his House at Netherswell near Stow on the Old in Gloucester-shire Which because it was the only thing that engaged Mr. Speke in this Trouble the Reader is presented with a Copy of it intire and not abridg'd Honoured Sir THe Bearer hereof is one Mr. Braddon a very honest Gentleman whose Father has at least 800 l. per Ann. in Cornwall It seems it is his Fate to be the only Person that follows and prosecutes the Murder of the Earl of Essex and he has made a very considerale discovery already of it notwithstanding the hard Stream he rows against as things stand and are carried on at present But indeed I thinks it could never have fallen on so fit a Man for he has been a very hard Student and is a Person of a very good Reputation Life and Conversation and has a great deal of Prudence and has as much Courage as any one living whatsoever He went away on a sudden hence Post towards Marleborough to make some further Discovery and what he has discovered he will give you full account of and of all the Transactions hitherto about it I lent him my Man to go with him for fear he should come to any Mischief for most here fear that he will be either stabb'd or knock'd on the Head if he do not take great care of himself And seeing he came into these parts I thought it not amiss to go and advise with you how he had best to proceed in it and I did charge him not to let any Body know who he was that it might not be known that he had been with you For I would not for the whole World that you should come to any prejudice in the least for your kindness towards us For we labour under many Difficulties as the Tide runs at present Pray call Mr. Braddon by the Name of Johnson when he is with you I have given him the same Item We hope to bring on the Earl of Essex's Murder on the Stage before they can bring any of those in the Tower to a Trial. He being in great haste I have not time to write more but to assure you that Mr. Braddon is a Person of that Integrity and Courage that no Body needs fear to trust him I was very willing that he should take your Advice in this Case which is of so great a moment seeing he came within 20 or 30 Miles or thereabouts of your House He will give you a full and clear Relation of every thing in that Affair and how hard they have been upon him Sir Henry
Meetings was upon the account of carrying on the Conspiracy and discoursing about the Condition the Conspirators were in As to the intended Insurrection he said If he could but see a Cloud at big as a Man's Hand he would not be wanting to employ his Interest That the Prisoner also had told him that he intended to take an House near the Tower to place Men in in order to surprize it to that end he held correspondence with some Sea-Captains and that he had been with them at Coffee-Houses Mr. Richard Goodenough deposed That being in company with the Prisoner he had heard him approve of the Design and promise to use his Interest in raising Men and not only to be assisting in the Division allotted him but in surprising the City Savoy c. and in driving the Guards out of Town Then the Prisoner called several Witnesses to invalidate Lee's Testimony Sir Robert Adams testified to a false Report of his about beating three Knights Sir Simon Lewis was called to the same purpose but appeared not James Child could say nothing but that Lee was an Honest Man One Baker was also call'd to testify that Lee would have suborned him against the Prisoner to his Prejudice some Years since of which he had made Affidavit before Sir William Turner But Baker not appearing Sir William Turner was desired to give account of it but it being above two Years since he could not remember such Particulars His Clerk Mr. Tomkins remembred such an Affidavit was made in 1682 which mention'd Mr. Lee but to the best of his remembrance it was returned before the King and Council and he could not give any account of the Particulars Mr. Bateman then desiring to know upon what Statute he was Indicted and being assisted by his Son by reason of his Incapacity making little more Defence the Ld. Ch. Justice of the King's-Bench summ'd up the Evidence and other Prisoners were tried and just before the Jury went out the aforesaid Baker being found with much ado it was obtain'd that he should give in his Evidence which was That Lee perswaded him to intrude himself into the Prisoner's Company and some others and to discourse of State-Affairs by which means he would find a way to make him a Man of which he had made Affidavit before Sir William Turner But this the Court interpreted to Lee's Advantage as if he only thereby designed to make a discovery of the Plot and so have got a further Evidence to corroborate his own reflecting on Baker as a broken Fellow c. After which the Jury withdrawing for half an hour brought the Prisoner in Guilty And accordingly he being brought again to the Bar on Friday following Mr. Recorder sentenc'd him to be Drawu Hang'd and Quarter'd which was executed upon him at Tyburn on Friday Decemb. 18th following The Trial of John Hambden Gent. At the Session's-House in the Old-Baily on Wednesday Decemb. 30. 1685. THen and there the Prisoner appearing and the grand Jury for the County of Middlesex call'd over his Indictment was read which was for High-Treason in conspiring the Death of the late King and raising a Rebellion in this Kingdom To which before Mr. Hambden pleaded he intimated his having been tried for the same Fact above two Years ago and withal gave the Lord Chief Justice to understand that he thought he had as much to say in Point of Law for himself as any Prisoner that ever came before him but that he was resolved to pass by all Pleas whatsoever and cast himself wholly upon the King's Mercy The Lord Chief Justice told him his former Indictment was for High-Misdemeanour but this for High-Treason and therefore a different Fact requiring him therefore to plead Then he pleaded Guilty to the Indictment requesting his Lordship's Intercession for him with the King Which was readily enough granted and the Method he was perswaded to take highly approved as answering the Design of giving Life and Credit to the Fanatick Rlot and gratifying the Importunity possibly of some Great Ones However the dismal Sentence of Death was by Mr. Recorder pronounced upon him due to High-Treason yet not without a shew of Tenderness and some encouragement of an Obligation this brave Person had hereby merited with them This getting a Pardon when nothing else must Books lately Printed and Sold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard relating to the great Revolutions in England and Scotland 1688 1689. ☞ AN Account of the Reasons of the Nobility and Gentry's Invitation of the Prince of Orange into England Being a Memorial from the English Protestants concerning their Grievances with a large account of the Birth of the Prince of Wales presented to their Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Orange A Collection of Political and Historical Papers relating to the wonderful Revolutions in England and Scotland in 12 Parts from the time of the seven Bishops petitioning K. James the 2d to the Coronation of K. Willian and Q. Mary A Brief History of the Succession of the Crown of England c. Collected out of the Records and the most Authentick Historians written for the Satisfaction of the Nation Wonderful Predictions of Nostredamus Grebner David Pareus and Autonius Torquatus wherein the Grandeur of their Present Majesties the Happiness of England and Downfall of France and Rome are plainly Delineated With a large Preface shewing That the Crown of England has not been obscurely foretold to their Majesties William the 3d and Queen Mary late Prince and Princess of Orange and that the People of this Ancient Monarchy have duly contributed thereunto in the present Assembly of Lords and Commons notwithstanding the Objections of Men of different Extremes A Seasonable Discourse wherein is examined what is lawful during the Confusions and Revolutions of Government especially in the Case of a King deserting his Kingdoms and how far a Man may lawfully conform to the Powers and Commands of those who with Various Successes hold Kingdoms Whether it be lawful 1 In Paying Taxes 2 In personal Service 3 In taking of Oaths 4 In giving up himself to a final Allegiance A Seasonable Treatise wherein is proved That King William commonly called the Conqueror did not get the Imperial Crown of England by the Sword but by the Election and Consent of the People To whom he swore to observe the Original Contract between King and People An Answer to a Paper Intituled The Desertion Discussed being a Vindication of the Proceedings of the late Honourable Convention in their Filling up the Throne with King William and Queen Mary An Exact Collection of the Debates of the House of Commons particularly such as relate to the Bill of Exclusion of a Popish Successor c. held at Westminster Octob. 21. 1680 Prorogued the 10th and Dissolved the 18th of January following With the Debates of the House of Commons at Oxford Assembled March. 21. 1680. Also a Just and Modest Vindication of the Proceedings of the said