is proved by Eight Witnesses L. Enough sure to one point G. If their credit be good none ought to doubt what is attested by so many L. The Scripture saith that in the mouth of Two Witnesses a thing shall be confirmed he that will doubt the truth of a Fact attested by Eight credible Persons is not to be argued with T. Pray read these Eight Informations G. W. T. declareth and is ready to depose that Wednesday being the 11th of July 1683 the second day before the Death of the late Earl of Essex one Mr. H. of Froom in Somersetshire told this Informant that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower. This Informant farther saith that about the 18th of the same Month of July in the Year aforesaid meeting some Clothiers then newly come from London the Clothiers declared to this Informant that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower Fryday before about Nine of the Clock in the morning upon which this Informant declared he had heard it from Mr. H. the Wednesday before my Lords Death This Informant farther saith that meeting the said Mr. H. soon after this Informant asked the said Mr. H. how he could inform this Informant the Wednesday before my Lord of Essex's Death that my Lord had cut his Throat in the Tower when it appeared that my Lord of Essex did not dye till Eryday morning after about Nine of the Clock Upon which the said H. answered that all concluded my Lord of Essex would either cut his Throat or be an Evidence against his Friend my Lord Russel and most believed my Lord would rather cut his Throat then turn Evidence against his Friend J. B. of Marlborough in the County of Wilts Pinmaker declareth and is ready to depose that he this Informant was at Froom about 8 in the morning about 100 Miles from London Fryday the 13th of July in the Year of our Lord 1683 and this Informant then heard at the Dolphin aforesaid that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower and the Person that informed this Informant then farther declared that he much feared it might go the worse with my Lord Russel which that day was to be try'd Mrs. M. declareth and is ready to depose that Thursday the 12th of July 1683 going with her Daughter into Barkshire her Daughter informed this Informant that the night before being Wednesday night a Gentleman declared it was reported one of the Lords in the Tower had cut his Throat Mr. P. H. Merchant and his Wife both declare and are ready to depose that these Informants were at Tunbridge-Wells about Thirty Five Miles from London the day of the Death of the late Earl of Essex My Lord is not known to be dead 〈◊〉 after Nine and about Ten of the Clock that very morning it was whispered nigh the Wells that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower but the same was soon contradicted and hushed up till Chappel was ended which was about or a little before Twelve of the Clock and then the same report was revived and so continued without any contradiction T. F. of Andover about 60 Miles from London declareth and is ready to depose that the 10th of July 1683 being the Wednesday next before the Death of the late Earl of Essex this Informant heard it reported at Andover aforesaid that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower and it was that same Wednesday likewise declared that the Earl cut his Throat for this reason ☜ viz. the King and Duke coming into the Tower where the Earl of Essex was a Prisoner for High Treason the Earl was afraid the King would have came up into his Chamber and have seen him but his Guilt and Shame was such that he could not bear the thoughts of it having been so ungrateful an Offender against so good a Master therefore his Lordship cut his Throat to avoid it This Informant farther saith that the same Wednesday night inquiring at the Coffee-house whether the London Letters made any mention of this he could hear of none that writ of it upon which this Informant concluded it was false though the same report continued at Andover This Informant further saith that by Friday Post he did expect a Confirmation of the same but could not upon inquiry hear of any London Letters that spoke of it upon which this Informant concluded all was false But Saturday being the 14th of July the very next day after the Earl's death this Informant was told that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower upon which this Informant declared he had heard the same repeating what he had as before heard the Wednesday before upon which this Informant was told that it was very strange seeing the Earl did not cut his Throat till the Friday after at or a little after Nine of the Clock in the Morning J. B. Declareth and is ready to Depose That he this Informant lay at Andover about Sixty Miles from London Thursday night the 12th of July 1683. the very next day before the death of the late Earl of Essex and as this Informant Fryday Morning about Four of the Clock was going out with the Ostler to catch his Horse the Ostler several times over-told this Informant that the night before it was reported at his Masters House that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower. This Informant further saith That the very same day in the Afternoon he came to his own House in Southwark in the County of Surry and was then Informed that the Earl of Essex that very Morning between Nine and Ten of the Clock had cut his Throat in the Tower upon which this Informant was much surprized having as before heard the same at Andover nigh Sixty Miles from London above Four hours before the Earl's death J. S. of Bolt and Tun Court is ready to Depose That at or before Six of the Clock that very Morning the late Earl of Essex dy'd in the Tower viz. July the 13th 1683. there came into this Informants House a Gentleman who with much concern told this Informant he had just before heard the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower but this Informant about a Eleven of the Clock the same day being informed that the Earl was not dead till about Nine of the Clock This Inforformant was much surprized at the Report of my Lord 's having cut his Throat so many Hours before the Earl's death G. Have any of these eight been sworn before the Lords T. I have been informed by all those Eight Witnesses that they have Deposed in Substance as you have before heard This previous Report can be prov'd by many more but if these eight will not satisfie eightscore will not convince L. I think no Man can well doubt the Truth of this Report before my Lord's death thus Deposed by so many Witnesses T. Those
Men wink hard that they may not be convinced who will not reasonably conclude from those very Reports only were there no other sort of Evidence that this Brave and Honourable but unfortunate Earl was indeed barbarously Murdered for you may observe all those Reports in many Places of England Agree in the Manner how and the Place where for all said that the Earl had cut his Throat in the Tower One Report doth not say the Earl had destroyed himself which might have comprehended any manner of death neither do any of those Reports say That my Lord had Poisoned Stab'd Hanged or Pistolled himself all which are common ways of Self-destruction and either might have been practiced by any Gentleman under Confinement neither do either of those Reports differ in the Place where Note though all those Places where the Report was before my Lord's death that my Lord had cut his Throat in the Tower could not at the time of this Report be presumed to have been informed of my Lord 's being in the Tower I say all these Reports jump in one and the same manner of Self murder and all agree in the Place where viz. the Tower. This clearly proves that some days before my Lord's very Commitment to the Tower it was concluded not only that my Lord should be murdered in the General but likewise the Particular manner how and the Place where resolved upon For how could Froome being a Hundred Miles from London hear Wednesday Morning the 11th of July of my Lords being Prisoner in the Tower when his Lorship was not sent to the Tower till the day before being the 10th in the Afternoon Or how could this Commitment be well heard of at Andover about Sixty Miles from London on Wednesday Morning Tuesdays Post not being there till Wednesday in the Afternoon when the Commitment was not till the Tuesday in the Afternoon and yet at both these Places this very Wednesday Morning was it reported that the Earl had cut his Throat in the Tower. L. 'To me 't is beyond all doubt from what before appears that the Tower must be fixed upon as the place where this perfidious Cruelty was to be acted before my Lord was Prisoner in the Tower and the particular manner concluded in or otherwise the Reports as to the manner how and place where would have differed G. But how could it be supposed to be sent from hence the Saturday before my Lord's death that my Lord of Essex had cut his Throat in the Tower when it was well known throughout this Town that my Lord was not then in the Tower nor committed till the Tuesday following T. Upon the best Inquiry I could make and the most probable reason I can give how this came so reported in the Country before it was indeed done is this It was resolved upon as D. S. deposeth Nine days before my Lord's death that my Lord's Throat should be cut Now those that were privy to the whole Secret and were willing to oblige their Country Correspondents and Friends with this to that bloody Party grateful resolution That the Earl's Throat was to be cut in the Tower and laid to his own Charge and this to be done either soon after his first Commitment or upon my Lord Russell's Tryal which was put off some short time such as had received so weighty Intelligence were likewise willing and ready partly out of a desire to oblige their Friends in the Country to whom this Design might be as acceptable and partly out of an Itch of telling News and of being the first in the Country that gave Information of this to them glad-tidings not doubting but my Lord's Throat was indeed cut when it was first resolved upon to be cut viz. either upon his first Commitment which they might suppose would have been before it was all things being so resolv'd upon or upon my Lord Russell's Tryal which was to have been before it was but put off of which these Country Intelligencers might not hear These I say being informed that the matter was thus laid concluded the thing was done as it was so designed to be done and so reported the thing as done before it was indeed done G. I took more particular notice of F's Information Note than of either of the Eight If I mistake not F. swears that the Wednesday before my Lord's Death it was reported at Andover That the King and Duke being in the Tower the Earl was afraid the King would have come up into his Chamber and have seen him but his guilt and shame was such in consideration of his great ingratitude to the best of Masters that he cut his Throat to avoid it I desire to see this Information again T. You are as to the Substance in the right G. This looks as though the Story were made after my Lord's Death for the King and Duke went not to the Tower till Friday Morning and their then going was altogether a surprize to the whole Town And after the Earl's Death their being then there occasioned very gross reflections seeing they had not been as I have been credibly informed above twice together in the Tower since the Restoration Now that this unfortunate Action the Earl's Death should be cloathed in the very same circumstances as afterwards pretended to be done not only as to the Manner how ☞ the Place where but likewise the Reason wherefore which Reason sets forth the King and Duke's being in the Tower when the Earl did it and done to avoid seeing his Majesty for the Earl as was said was afraid the King would have come up into his Chamber and seen him but the King and Duke's being in the Tower could neither be foreseen nor expected this I say makes F's Evidence scarce credible T. Neither the Cutting the Earl's Throat or the place where it was to be done or who was to be there viz. the King and Duke when it was to be done could be either foreseen or expected by any but those who either laid this bloody Scene or were privy by Information to its contrivance and such as well knew or had been informed how this matter was resolved upon may well be supposed capable of giving a particular Information of this cruel Tragedy L. I do well remember that the very Morning my Lord dy'd there was a small Paper cry'd about of the Earl's Death wherein it was so represented and the common report of the Town then was That the Earl cut his Throat for the same reason so long before assigned by the report at Andover I must confess this is very astonishing and whosoever believes F's Evidence only must from such a belief be fully assured not only that the Earl's Throat was designed to be cut but likewise that it was contrived to be done in the same circumstances it was afterwards acted under for else it could not possibly be so circumstantially reported before my Lords Death not only as to the How and the
Where but likewise the Wherefore given out before it was done T. Gentlemen I perceive you are both extremely surprized with this particular Evidence of F. as what looks like an after made Story seeing the Earl's Death was here so long before reported as afterwards it was pretended to be acted both as to the Circumstances of the King and Duke's being in the Tower and the Consideration that was pretended then moved the Earl hereunto viz. fear of the King 's coming into his Chamber and seeing him which his guilt and shame as was pretended would not bear the thoughts of But to confirm this Deposition you will hereafter hear others depose the same in the mean time I desire you would compare this with that part of D. S. Evidence which declares That Nine days before the Earl's Death it was declared that the Duke had concluded and ordered his Throat to be cut ☜ And his Highness had promised to be There when it was done Now it would have looked more directly upon his Highness should he alone have gone into the Tower that Morning and therefore as a colour to that pretended reason for the self-murther and a Skreen to his Highness his Majesty must be perswaded to go down likewise so that if any should say the Earl was Murthered it should be esteemed a Reflection upon his Majesty who was then in the Tower as though his Majesty had gone to the Tower that Morning to Murther the Earl. Thus we find the matter managed by the Lord Chief Justice and Attorney-General at Mr. Braddon's Tryal almost throughout the Tryal L. I perceive then that you do not think Charles the Second had any Hand in contriving this Murther T. I do not I assure you but rather the contrary upon very good reasons which you will hereafter be satisfied in for I shall mention them in their proper place But I do verily believe that some short time before the King's Death his Majesty was perswaded the Earl was Murthered and had his Majesty lived six Months longer it 's very probable you might long since have seen this detection L. I have some reason for the same belief For I do well remember about six Months after the late King's Death I was credibly told this Story my Lord Chief Justice Jefferyes not long after that King's Death was at some publick place where he took an occasion to speak very largely in praise of his Majesty then lately deceased and after he had made a very long harangue in his praise his Lordship turned about and whispered a Gentleman in the Ear whom he thought his Confident saying If the King had lived six Months longer we had been all Hanged notwithstanding what I have said T. The measure of his Lordship's Iniquity was not then full L. It seems not but every Man must believe his Lordship's measure was very large or otherwise the great quantity of innocent blood therein powered by his vile Injustice had long before his Death made it run over G. I do very much wonder admitting the Earl was Murthered which I am now almost brought to the belief of how it should thus become generally reported in so many places before his Death L. This almost will shortly be an altogether and you will in this be throughly perswaded of the truth of this barbarous Murther for I have reason to think much more will be said to prove it because there are so many Witnesses of which we have as yet had no account T. The reason of its being so generally reported before it was done you will not so much admire at if you consider all the Circumstances of this Action This Murther was not acted out of any private Motive to some private End it was not done for the satisfaction of Personal revenge No this was a branch of that Cursed Arbitrary and Popish Design against our Civil and Religious Rights at that time carried on with all the fury imaginable under colour of supporting the English Monarchy and Church of England both which were then falsly said to be threatned with Ruin by that Party of which that truly Noble but unfortunate Lord was marked out as one of the Chief I say this was done to remove a Chief Obstacle to that Popish and Arbitrary end the true Enemies of both Church and State were then carrying on for you find it Sworn by D. S that several days before the Earl's Death the Papists curs'd him as one who knew much of their Designs which he could not be ignorant of observing though with hatred from those high Posts he had been imployed in and was so very averse to their Interest that unless he was taken off they should never carry them on The carrying on their Popish Arbitrary and Devilish Design you see was by themselves assigned as the reason of this most perfidious and barbarous Cruelty so that this Murther was a branch of their Plot and consequently might be supposed to be known to many All which have not been Men of the greatest secrecy witness their Reports of the Fire of London so long before it came to pass and their giving an Account of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey's Death in the Country before we could be assured of the same in Town the Body not being then found Several the like Instances might be given L. For my own part I can wash my hands from the blood of any of those unfortunate Gentlemen which suffered for endeavouring to oppose those Arbitrary designs which the Charitable opinion most men had in the then Court could not at that time believe to be true but to our great Danger and Cost we have since seen them appear more bare-faced and those very men who esteemed it Damnable to draw the Sword in defence of our Religious and Civil Rights though never so grosly Invaded have since altered both their Opinion and Practice and could now weep over the Dust of those whose Persons they esteemed not deserving of life But blessed be God our Common Danger taught us to unite against the Common Enemy of all true Religion and Liberty and to joyn as one Man with that Hand from Heaven our present Soveraign sent to rescue us from what threatned the destruction of whatsoever was dear to any of us May God in mercy preserve us from these heats and animosities which being by our common Enemy once throughly enkindled may go nigh to end in the utter destruction of all that which of late hath been miraculously snatch'd out of the fire instrumentally by that hand which some of us ungrateful as we are by our actions seem neither to thank as our Benefactor nor acknowledge as our Sovereign though he seems to have a double Title to the Crown Jure Divino by that Miraculous success God was pleased to Crown him with and Jure Humano by that Election in common Gratitude made by the States of the Kingdom ◠From all these reports we may well conclude the Earl's Death was resolved upon by
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
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
a surprize amongst his Relations this great surprize would be as pleasing to the Person that withdrew as it would be astonishing to his Friends and therefore it was pretended to be believed by some that Mr. Hawley had privately withdrawn under this Consideration but six Weeks discovered his Person and time may likewise detect those Bloody and Barbarous Men that murthered him They were so very cruel in this Murther that his Face was so changed through violence that it could not be known to be his and there was nothing that did more if any thing did besides discover the Body to be his than his having three Stockings upon one Leg and two Stockings and a Seer-cloath upon the other as for his Cloathes they were stript off and nothing but Stockins and Shooes remaining on when the Body was found L. Certainly that God who requires Blood for Blood and who by this ordered the Discoveries of the Person will in his great Wisdom and Justice by some means or other of which His Wisdom is never to seek in the choice or His Power in the use discover these Instruments of Cruelty that in this Life they may receive their just Reward which is for the most part though sometimes after many years duly paid towards such vile Offenders T. Besides this addition of Blood other violent Methods were used to prevent a discovery by punishing such Soldiers as seemed to disbelieve upon very good grounds my Lord's Self-murther this appears by this Information following viz. Richard Jorden declareth That sometime that Summer the Earl of Essex dyed and not long after the said Earl's Death he saw a Soldier ty'd to the Wooden Horse in the Tower by order of Lieutenant-Collonel Nichols and whipt after a very cruel manner And this Deponent heard the said Lieutenant-Collonel tell the Soldier he ought to be hanged This Deponent further declareth That he was just after informed by the Marshal that whipt the said Soldier That by order of Lieutenant-Collonel Nichols he gave the said Soldier 53 Stripes tho' the usual number was but 12 and that the said Soldier had lain a fortnight before in close custody and been fed only with Bread and Wather and all only for the Offence following viz. Some short time after the Death of the late Earl of Essex a Divine * Dr. H. of Norfolk Prebend of Norwich coming into the Tower the said Soldier was sent with him to shew him the Tower and as the Doctor was almost over against Major Hawley's the Doctor asked the said Soldier which was the Chamber wherein the late Earl of Essex did cut his Throat whereupon the said Soldier pointing to the Chamber in which the Earl had been Prisoner declared That is the Chamber in which it 's said the Earl of Essex cut his Throat The Doctor then asked the Soldier what he did believe to which the Soldier answered That he did believe in God but being prest by the said Doctor to tell him whether he did believe my Lord cut his Throat the said Solder then replied He would not say he did believe it for which only saying the Punishment aforesaid was inflicted L. Such Extravagant Punishments upon so slight Grounds was enough to deter all other Solders from discovering what they knew for if this Soldier for only declaring he would not say he did believe my Lord did cut his Throat was thus barbarously whipt what must such Soldiers expect as should have asserted my Lord was by others murthered and gave their Reasons for such belief by telling what they saw and heard with relation to this Perfidious and Cruel Murther most certain this would have met with if possible worse whipping than Doctor Oates ever suffered or been punished by some private Stab or other destruction to avoid the Matter 's being brought upon the publick Stage G. I do remember Meake is said to have declared the day after my Lord's Murther that many Soldiers were enjoined to secrecy It were well if these would according to their duty appear and declare what they know and by whom they were thus basely commanded to be secret for this Officer could not but believe That whoever gave him Orders to lay that Injunction was privy to the Murther and therefore this Officer was grosly Criminal in being this Instrument to stifle the detection and most certainly are those Soldiers Criminal which shall not now appear and judicially declare what they know to be true so that Justice may have its due course against those most barbarous and vile Offenders For if the time of this bare-faced Cruelty against such Soldiers that knew any thing of this matter and revealed it was a time of silence most certain now the Government joins in the Prosecution is the time to speak and whosoever refuses now to speak becomes not a little Criminal in such his silence L. I have been informed the Father of William Edwards was turned out of his Place for what his Son had said T. That the Father was turned out about nine days after Mr. Braddon's Tryal is very true and this done by special Order under King Charles the Second's own Hand without any cause shown or any reason to be guessed at any other than his Son's Offence L. I do remember at Mr. Braddon's Tryal Mr. Wallop whose Courage and Zeal for the Liberty of the Subject hath been Notorious in the most dangerous times did suggest that the Father thought himself in danger of losing his place from what his Son had declared Whereupon my Lord Chief Justice Jefferies very sharply reproved Mr. Wallop for reflecting in this upon the Government as though the Father should be punished for the Son 's speaking what he knew If the suggesting the danger of the Place was a Reflection upon the Government most certainly the Government did strongly reflect upon its self in turning Old Edwards out and giving no reason for such Dismission which made him conclude and all the World believe that the Father was turned out only for his Son's Relation T. The old Jewish unjust Proverb was here inverted for The Son had eaten sower Grapes and the Father's Teeth were set on edge so that this Transgression in its punishment did directly ascend and the Father answered for the Son's Iniquity or rather for what the then Government falsly called so L. I think every Man 's own Transgression is enough for him to bear T. I shall conclude all with what after my Lord's Death passed as to Webster and Holmes which seems to confirm the Truth of their Guilt in this Matter I shall begin with Webster The very day of my Lord's Death Webster brought home to his House my Lord's Pocket-handkerchief all Bloody and shaked It seeming extreamly overjoyed saying There was the Blood of a Traytor and the very next day pulls out of his Pocket a Purse of Guineas and in great Joy shaked it one of his Neighbours told the Gold and found there was 49 Guineas and a French Pistole