the Daughter of Henry Earle of Worcester his Grandmother the Daughter of the Lord Mordant and his great Grandmother of the Family of the Courtneyes The other descended from the Blunts of Kidderminster who came from the same Family that the Lords Montioy doâ— Dauis requested that although he were no Nobleman yet to suffer as they did if not not to be quartered into pieces but to be buried Christianly On the thirtieth day of March Mericke and Cuffe were drawne to Tibourne Cuffe to be short at the Gallowes spake much to this purpose I Am brought hither to pay for my due to nature my sinnes against God my Country and my Prince I doe absolutely beleeue that as I see the infinite iustice of God in beholding the multitude of my infinite sinnes so I shall finde the infinite mercie of God by reason of this greatnesse of my inflicted punishment Here are we the example and patterne of mans estate The death which we are to vnder go is indeed terrible and which is worse it is ignominious But yet it is common to the best of Gods Saints with whom I haue great hope and certainty of rising againe in Christ. Yet let not any man think I put confidence in my own merits away with them I disclaime them I put my whole trust assurance in my Sauiour Christ. And I am absolutely perswaded that whosoeuer is punished in this life in the very same instant feeles great comfort from Heauen within him and that God punisheth him not as a Iudge but as a Father But to come to the occasion of my execution There is scarce any man but knowes how great a tuâ—ult was raised the eight of February vnder the vnconsiderate Earle of Essex yet here I call God the Angels and my owne conscience to witnesse that I was not guilty of it but that all that day I shut my selfe vp mourning and lamenting Now as concerning the Plot or their Machination that was two-fold And here being interrupted and aduized not to mocke the trueth with distinctions or few Figge-leaues ouer his fault I Confesse saith he that it is a great offence nay that it is treason if so be that a Subiect cast out of fauour should make open his way to the Queene by force of armes but I neuer encited a man to take armes against the Queene But for the danger I brought that noble Lord Neuil in I am heartily sorrie and I entreat him earnestly to forgiue me As for that which I said that of foure and twenty of the Aldermen of London one and twenty of them were for Essex that I meant of their good will and affection towards him and not as if they would take armes against their Queene for him Here againe being stopped and interrupted he falls to prayer vehemently and professing faith in God and loyalty towards hiâ— Prince and desiring pardon of both he died Sir Gill. Mericke accompanied him in the same kindd of death but with a great vndaunted courage and as weary of his life he once or twice bid Cuffe let passe his vnseasonable wisedome and make an end Yet before he died he excused Deputy Montioy as ignorant of the matter altogether and intreated the Nobles that were by to beg of the Queene not to proceed iudicially or rigorously with many simple people that ouâ— of ignorance came into the company and number of the Conspiratours Two daies after Sir Christopher Blunt and Sir Charles Danuers were beheaded vpon Tower hill Danuers offered ten thousand pounds to redeeme his life and to liue in perpetuall imprisonment which being refused with a very quiet countenance and minde asking God and the Prince pardon and the L. Grey to whom he had been a great enemy not out of hate to him but loue to Southampton he ended his life Blunt hauing ascended vp the Scaffold speakes to the people much after this manner ALthough the time require that setting all other matters aside I should now fall a crying for mercy at Gods hands for my sinnes yet by reason that I haue beene traduced as an instigator of the Earle of Essex to all this villanie as I desire the saluation of my soule I will speake the truth Some three yeares agoe and more I beheld the minde of the Earle somewhat proane to ambitious desires But lately in Ireland whilest I lay wounded at Rheban Castle and since at Dublin the Earle then told me that he had resolued to send ouer some choice bands to seize vpon Milford Hauen in Wales and to march so vp to London with greater forces I then well considering of the matter throughly disswaded him from it as a thing that was very dangerous and that would cost England great store of bloud Therefore to deale truely I perswaded him rather with some choyce company to seize vpon the Court and get himselfe there faire and reasonable conditions And yet truely we neuer thought of doing any iniurie or wrong to the Queene although I must confesse I know not whether or no if fortune had fauoured our enterprize the businesse would haue beene finished with the death of the Queene Then after the Earle was his owne man and at liberty againe he began to consult with me againe about these matters but wee neuer agreed vpon any thing determinately Afterwards he sent for me out of the Countrie not long before this Rebellion The rest I haue confessed before the Honourable the Admirall and the worshipfull the Secretary to whom to remember my seruice and salute them from me I entreat you Sir Walter Rawleigh of whom I also aske pardon Then lifting vp his eyes to heauen hee cries God preserue the Queenes Maiestie And Lord according to thy infinite mercy pardon the sins of my heart and my lewd life And beare you witnesse all that I die a Catholike but so that I put all my confidence and trust in Christs merits alone and so good people pray for me Then he bids the Lord Grey and Compton farewell and hauing prayed a little softly he giues his necke to the blocke and his life to the executioner And so by the mature execution of the Earle of Essex Cuffe Mericke Danuers and Blunt the rebellion being well laid peace was restored to the Common-wealth The mindes of the rest being well appeased too the richer hauing summes for muscts laid vpon them which very few payed and the rest freely pardoned Southampton being committed to the Tower and with him Thomas Smith Sheriffe of London but hee either out of the Queenes mercy or his owne innocency being indeed calumniously informed of rather then iustly accused within a short time he was restored againe to liberty On the eight day of Iuly Sir Henry Neuill was arraigned at Yorke house before the Priuy Councell and some of the Iudges and was accused for hauing been present at the meeting in Drury house and for not hauing reuealed their plots also for reuealing to Essex the secrets of his
by reason of his offence towards God and his Prince that the Queene gaue the Deputy authority to receiue him into fauour if so be that he did suppliantly craue it according to that humility which his Letters made shew of THE YEARE OF OVR LORD GOD M.DC.III Containing not fully three Moneths of her REIGNE ASsoone as Tir-Oen vnderstood the mercie of the Queene so amply extended towards him he made all meanes possible and dealt with Arthur Maâ—-Baron his Brother and others to obtaine it and being often put by it at last he promised that hee would submit both his life and fortune to the iudgement of the Queene The Deputy that had secretly vnderstood from some of his friends the doubtfulnesse of the Queenes health by reason of her age gaue Tir-Oen leaue to come to Melli-Font whither he presently came and being admitted into the Priuie Chamber where the Deputy encircled with a multitude of warlike men sate in his Throne in the very threshold with a deiected countenance falls Tir-Oen vpon his knees And hauing kneeled a while he was wished by the Deputy to come neerer whereupon arising and hauing come some few steps he falls againe downe vpon his knees saying I Acknowledge and aske pardon for my offences against God and my most gratious Prince and Mistresse to whose Princely clemency I doe now flie as to an holy Anchor entreating her to dispose of my life and fortunes as she pleaseth and yet humbly wishing that as heretofore I haue felt her beneficency and but lately her power so now I may feele her mercy and mildnesse and become an euerlasting example and patterne of her clemency Truely my age is not so farre come vpon me neither is my body so much decayed or my courage impaired but that by my future valiant and loyall seruice I may expiate the sinne of my rebellion In processe of his speech when he began to complaine against the enuy of some towards him that occasioned most of his offences the Deputy interrupted him telling him very maiestically which was eloquence enough for a Souldier that no excuse ought to be sowed ouer such a great fault after that he commanded him to depart aside and the next day after he carried him with him to Dublin with intent to send him from thence ouer into England to the Queene to let her deale with him as she pleased Thus the rebellion of Tir-Oen which began out of priuate discontents mingled with ambition and was nurst vp with the contempt and parsimony of England till such time that vnder pretence of restoring the Romane Religion it spread ouer all Ireland being strengthened with many mens too much credulity and the secret fauour of some in authority and one or two happie successes Spanish succour and the Popes Indulgences Thus I say this rebellion that also was still lengthened and prolonged by the enuy of the English one against another by the bipartite command by the auarice of the olde Souldiers by the craft of Tir-Oen and his counterfeit submissions and Truces and by the protections bought by villaines for money and by the great difficultie of the places and the desperatenesse of the â—rish safer in their swiftnesse of flight then abode in warre now at length in the eight yeare after its first breaking out vnder the happy command of the Lord Montioy Deputy created afterwards E. of Deuonshire was most fortunately finished The Queene who hitherto by reason of her abstinence from wine and moderate dyet which she said was the chiefest part of phisicke enioyed perfect health now entring into her Climactericall yeare to wit seauenty began somewhat to be sensible of defect of health and strength which the indisposition of the aire towards the end of Ianuary being a filthy windy and rainy day much improoued when she remooued from Westminster to Richmond on purpose to refresh her olde age with quietnesse and to giue her selfe to godlinesse wholly Vpon which day as if she were about somewhat else I know not whether she thought vpon or prophesied of her death she said to the Admirall whom she dearely loued MY Throne is a Throne of Kings neither ought any but my next Heire to succeed me The Courtiers obserued her more then ordinarily to frequent prayers and Sermons and they also report that she then commanded a Ring with which at her Inauguration she married her selfe to her Kingdome to be cut off from her finger which hauing beene neuer puld off had euen growne into her flesh This they tooke for ill lucke to come expecting a diuorce shortly betweene her and her Kingdomes to whom that Ring married her In the beginning of her sicknesse the Almonds of her Iawes did swell suddenly and grew lancke againe suddenly then her appetite to meate grew sensibly worse and worse whereupon she became exceeding sad and seemed to be much grieued at some thing or other whether or no it were by reason of the violence of her sicknesse or out of her want of Essex as many of his admirers belieued or rather that after so great charges of warre because she was perswaded to pardon Tin-Oen the Authour or rather because that by some whisperings and Letters from the King of France she had heard that most of her Nobility in priuate Letters and Messengers curried fauour already with the King of Scotland adoring him as the rising Sunne and neglecting her as ready to set And this certainly she too much belieued by reason of the vice of her Sex and olde age which is alwaies suspitious Neither indeed was it a bare suspition in her for many of her Courtiers besides some Ladies who least of all ought to haue done it by reuolting from her almost forsooke her when indeed she was nothing altered in her selfe from what she was but they onely in their opinion Whether or no it were that they saw her neere her end or whether or no they were weary with her long Reigne for so pleasing is alteration and change to the nature of man that there is an irkesomnesse euen of good things of long continuance or whether or no out of too credulous couetousnesse of nouelties and alterations they despised the present case and expeâ—cted better some forgetting her but late benefits and finding fault with the times it may be out of a Court-mystery onely to curry fauour with the Successour and all this in a halfe opinion and conceit that the discrediting of the deceased would proue a great delight to the Successour Insomuch that some vnder this pretence found fault with others and others propounded the sending for a Successour whilest the Queene was yet but of sickly health being run-wayes in minde though they stayd at home These things so grieued the Queene that she accounted her selfe a wretch forsaken and the indignation of her sicknesse wrackt out such words from her THey haue yoaked my necke I haue none now to trust my estate is turned topside turuey And so witty was their more ciuill
the King and then consequently that those latter Letters Patents which altogether consisted vpon the restoring of the former were of no force saying that the King was deceiued by a false suggestion and that therefore his grant was voide and of no vertue But the Queene for all this yeelded vp her Right in it and an agreement was made betweene the Vncle and the Nieces Also about this time Gregory Fienis or Fâ—nis Lord Dacres the last of that name and therefore not to be forgotten changed this life for a better he was of no weake capacity the Nephewes Nephew of Richard Fenis of the ancient Family of the Earles of Bonâ—nia to whom Henry the â—ixt and Edward the fourth gaue the title of Lord Dacre because he had married the heire female of Thomas Lord Dacre Hee was sonne of Thomas Lord Dacre who died in the reigne of Henry the eight when he was scarce 24. yeares of age For when as there was a murther committed by some of his Familiars that were a going with him a hunting although he were not present at it yet hee was caâ—led into question and being perswaded by some Courtiers that cunningly lay gaping for his inheritance that he could in no manner saue his life vnlesse he would confesse the fault and submit himselfe to the mercy of the King which when he indiscreetly had done he was forthwith condemned and the day after executed But yet the Courtiers that had so gone about the bush were deceiued of their hopes for the inheritance fell by law vnto his Sister Margaret that was married to Sampson Lennard and the Lordship confirmed vpon the said Lennards sonne named Henry Neither are they to be omitted who followed in the expiring of their mortality William Lord Euers hauing left Ralph his sonne and heire by Margery Dimocke Giles Lord Chandos who dying without issue male left his Brother William his successour Lastly William Blunt Lord Montioy hauing too much weakened his body by his vntemperate youthfulnesse to whom succeeded his brother Charles gouernour of Portsmouth In August next Sir William Russell the youngest Sonne of Francis Earle of Bedford was substituted in the Lord Deputy of Irelands place William Fitz-williams hauing beene called ouer after that Henry Duke and Edward Herbert who were sent with victualls prouision and auxiliary forces to succour those that lay in Garrison in Iâ—iskelline who were besieged by Mac-Guir were vanquished with no little losse by these Rebels And assoone as Sir William had receiued the sword of authority Tir-Oen beyond all expectation hauing receiued a Protection comes vnto him falls downe at his knees humbly begs pardon for his faults in that when he was commanded he came not vnto the former Deputy excusing it by reason that his aduersaries lay in wait for his life and much lamenting that he had lost his fauour with the Queene not by his desert but their false informations for the Queene he held most benigne and most liberall vnto him whom as she had raised vp to the height of honour so she might as easily thrust him out of Ireland He entreated that the sincerity of his cause might be paised in equall ballances and that hee would obey whatsoeuer was commanded hee largely promised to him either in raising the â—iege at Iniskelline or in driuing the Scottish Islanders out He called to witnesse both God and men that although his forward nature had led him into some defence for his life against his enemies yet that he would neuer take Armes against the Queenes Maiesty Lastly he vehemently besought the Deputy and all the Counsâ—llours of Ireland that they would make intercession to the Queene for the recouery of his lost fauour But Bagnall Marshall of the Irish Army being there present exhibited articles against him accusing him that by his meanes Mac-Guir and Gauran the Priest Primate of Ireland made by the Pope came into Conaught that hee had secret consultations with Mac-Guir Oâ— Donell and other Rebels that he ayded them in wasting the Countries of Mâ—naghan and in besieging Iniskelline by Cormac Mac-Baron his Brother and Cone his base-borne Sonne that hee had withdrawen by threatnings from their loyalty towards the Queene the Capt. of Kilut and Kilwarâ—y Hee most resolutely denied all this and as one much presuming on the safegard of his whole and vndefiled conscience hee proffered to renounce the vertue of his Protection if these things obiected against him could be proued Hereupon did the Counsellours seriously canuase the matter whither or no they should detaine him to make him come to triall The Deputy iudged it fit he should be detained but the rest either out feare to violate that priuiledge of his Protection or out of some good will towards him iudged that he should be now dismissed and the matter deferred till another time To which sentence there being the major part on that side the Deputy vnwillingly condiscending he was dismissed neither his accusers or his witnesses being heard But it somewhat troubled the Queene who knew that euery one knew of his wicked consultations and more wicked offences that lay open to all mens eyes and the more it troubled her because shee had admonished before hand that he should be detained till he had cleared himselfe of his obiected accusations The Earle Tir-Oen at his dismission gaue indeed great hopes to the Counsellours both of England and Ireland that his seruice should be most faithfull to the Queene readily promising to do whatsoeuer almost they proposed vnto him to wit as to hinder his Brother Cormaâ— from assisting Mac-Guir and the other Rebels to driue out the Scottish Islanders as well as he could out of Ireland to perswade O-Donell that he would doe the like to defend the Borders with his wing of Horse in the absence of the Deputy to see the orders fulfilâ—ed concerning prouision for victuals to build a Gaole in Dunganon to admit of a Sheriffe and Iustices in Tir-Oen vpon certaine conditions and to command Turlogh Mac-Henry vpon his oath not to suffer any Scottish Islanders to come into Ireland Not long after the Deputy being gone to free Iniskelline from the siege that lay at it hauing put to flight the Rebels furnished it with all manner of prouision and also strengthened the Garrison Then he fiercely disquieted and troubled Feagh Mac-Hugh rebelling in Leinster and hauing but gone out as it were a hunting he wanted but little of taking him He droue him from his House at Bullencure into almost vnaccessable Valleys which they call the Glinnes and there he set a Garrison and sending out some troupes to search out these desart passages where there was no way for a man to come to them almost they went so 〈◊〉 to worke that there seldome passed by a day but they sent in after the fashion of the Countrey some heads cut off from the Souldiers of the Rebels they tooke Rhise the wife of Feagh more then of a womanly courage
Queene in about Forty seuen thousand two hundred forty and three Crownes of the Sunne and her charges in sending ouer forces vnder the Earle of Essex Two hundred thousand sixe hundred and forty more both women and men mourning that their Sonnes and Brothers were slaine before and not reserued for to lose their liues in the defence of their owne Country About this time Lomené flies ouer into England and although he dissembled not the taking of Cambray yet he lies hard at the Queenes mercy to send ouer more auxiliary forces into Picardy and afterwards would that there should be Delegates chosen to treate about the manner of the warre Which when it seemed somewhat preposterous both to the Queene and her Councell he being impatient of the very shew of a deniall imputed to the Queene the losse of Cambray obiecting also that she delighted in the miseries of his King and would bring him to a peace with the Spaniard assoone as possibly he could She forthwith answered him presently and the King in her Letters by Sir Thomas Edmonds who then supplyed the place of an Embassadour that she tooke it very sorrowfully that Cambray was lost but yet more sorrowfully that Lomené should impute the losse thereof to her because her assistance was not as ready as their expectation and necessity Demonstrating that the narrow streights of the limited time could not produce those â—orces and that it was no wisdome the French hauing beene once or twise vanquished to cast her Souldiers vpon the triumphing cruelty of the Spaniard leâ—t that while she should so much esteeme his misery she might be compelled to relieue it with the losse of the liues of many of her Subiects and the loue of the rest Yet that she was so farre from reioycing at his vnfortunate misery or driuing him to a peace with their common enemy that neither he himselfe nor any man else without the preiudice of his discretion could light vpon any suspition especially if so be he would but recall to his memory the good Offices wherewith she honoured him the sacred bond of their friendship She promised all aid though not such as his desire yet such as her necessity could affoord confessing that both their fortunes were hazarded vpon one chance That none should need to require helpe from her against the Spaniard who since such time that hee put on hatred against England and vpon no other ground then because his enuy should encrease on the one â—ide as fast as her mercy did on the other in relieuing the distresses of her Neighbours neuer ceased either by Sea or Land to infringe the greatnesse of his power or to bend it from it's proper and assigned obiect euen that now all her thoughts haue beene euen bespoken to be employed against him and his Nauy and that therefore her excuse for not aiding him presently stood warrantable in Iustice vnlesse that she should vncloath her own Dominions of forces to furnish her Neighbours And by reason that she had heard it whispered into a common talke by the French as that she doubted of the Kings constancy in his friendship or beheld his prosperous succeeding with the eie of enuy or sorrow she protested that as such thoughts should be vnworthy of the brest of a Prince so were they of hers and were neuer harboured there Besides this she willed Edmonds to inculcate daily into the Kings memory that it is the part of a King sometimes euen to thwart the resolution of his priuate brest to giue some publike satisfaction to the desires of the people because the goodwill of the people is the rocke of the Princes safety And that since he himselfe had wisely done so for the preseruation of the loue of his people he could not value her good will by her outward performance which she abstained from for the loue she bare to her people to whose duty loue obedience and valour she accounted no ordinary blessing of God Their valour France it selfe could well testifie where many to get credit renowne lost their liues more would haue lost them there but that the dolefull cries of Mothers the grones of Kindreds and the lamentations of young children mourning the losse of their Fathers before they knew them had interceded a little for them and but that the affaires of warre at home or at least great rumour of warre had reprieued them to a longer time of execution That if the King would weigh these things in an vnpartiall iudgement she did not doubt but he would be sufficiently contented with this her answer that he would stop vp the eares of those that for the furtherance of the greater good of the common enemy had occupied all their endeauours to vnbinde their Peace That this is the principall endeauour of many that by their ill Offices they might rob the Prince of the good will of his Subiects and the hearts of his couragious Commons But on the other side the miseries of France multiplying as contiâ—ually as their warres many men incited the King to enter into a League with the Spaniard Perswasions were drawne from the actions of the Queene of England who they said did nothing but feed his eares with empty promises Some on the other side againe busied all their inuentions to deterre him from it especially Catharine of Nauarre Sister to the King the D. of Bulloigne Vmpton the Leager there obiecting incontineÌ„tly that his hope of Peace with the Spaniard would relie but vpon weake grounds if he should consider how long the Spaniard had deâ—ained from him Nauarre his Grandfathers Kingdome how he had molested all France and quartered it out into his owne possessions how he challenged little Britaine as the inheritance of his Daughter and how he hired a faigned Right for her to England against the King of Scots in Bookes set forth to that purpose insomuch that he seemes by the vertue of his vast conceipt to haue swallowed vp vnder his owne gouernment the huge Monarchy of all Europe When the King began to shut his eares against so forceable perswasions the Queene began in her minde much to question his promise and doubt of performance but more especially when she vnderstood out of the Colledge of Cardinalls that the Pope of Rome had entred him into a blessing of the Church vpon these conditions and these words HE shall abiure all heresies he shall professe the Catholique faith in that forme that shall be â—ere done by his Embassadours Hee shall bring in the profession of it to the Principality of Bearne and shall nominate all Catholike Magistrates in that Prouince He shall vndertake within a yeare to bring the Prince of Conde out of the hands of Heretiks and shall see him well instructed and grounded in the Catholike faith Hee shall cause the Decrees of the Councell of Trent to be published and receiued throughout all the Kingdome of France In all Churches and Monasteries hee shall nominate
since their youth by their Christian profession of the same Religion and by the honour of his Family and adiuring him by them all to name the man to them Southampton referres it all to the Councell and Cecill himselfe if it were fitting with reason safe for his honour to name him when all thought it fit he should name him he names William Lord Knolles Vnckle to the Earle of Essex Cecill very earnestly entreating that he should be sent for shortly after he came and acknowledged that some two yeares agoe he heard Cecill say that one Dolman in a Booke had prooued the right of the Infanta to the Crowne but that he himselfe said no such matter Essex replied that the words were told him after another sence Cecill replyed THe malice whereby you haue endeauoured to bring me in hatred with all men comes from nothing else but my desire of peace and the good of my Country and from your hot desire of warre to the profit of the Souldiers that they might be vnder your becke And hence was it that you set forth an Apologie against the Peace And hence was it that all that spake of peace were hated as most addicted to the Spaniard But for my owne part I am so farre from enclining towards the Infanta of Spaine that I tremble euen to thinke of it Whilest the Lord Knolles is expected the Recorder accuseth Essex of dissembling hypocrisie that professing publikely the Euangelicall Religion yet hee promised Blunt a Papist a Toleration The Earle denyed it yet denyed he not but that he knew Blunt was a Papist for hee when hee was a Boy was brought vp in the Low Countries vnder Allen that was afterwards Cardinall but that he desired his conuersion and neuer indeed liked that any Christian should be tormented in case of religion Southampton he forth with excuseth himselfe by reason of his deare loue to the Earle of Essex and his ignorance of the Lawes He modestly implores the mercy of the Queene whom he alwaies knew the patterne euen of Gods mercy and whom he protested he neuer iniured not with an euill thought The Iudges Assistants being demanded concerning these reiterated protestations of both the Earles that they neuer ment any wrong to the Queene gaue this sentence THat if any man shall attempt to strengthen himselfe so farre that the Prince cannot resist him he is guilty of rebellion Also that euery rebellion the Law construeth to be a plot against the Princes life or a deposing of him in as much as the Rebell will not suffer the Prince to continue or reigne that shall hereafter punish or reuenge such a rebellion This they confirmed by Law where it is adiudged Treason to doe any thing against the security of the Prince by reason that it cannot be that he that once prescribeth to his King a Right will euer suffer the King to recouer his authority to himselfe againe or to liue lest so he might chance to recouer it Fetching examples from our owne Chronicles of Edward the second and Richard the second who being by force of Armes brought vnder their Subiects power were after both deposed and murthered After that Sir Iohn Leuison standing by describes in many words against the Earle of Essex the tumultuous fray neere Pauls Churchyard Then was read through the confessions of the Earles of Rutland the Lord Crâ—mwell and Sands Then began Essex to answere more mildly that hee thought of nothing but onely to repell force by force and that he would not haue gone into the Citie so inconsiderately but that he foresaw imminent danger ouer him Afterwards Sir Francis Bacon repeats the opinions and sentences of the Iudges who all found both the Earles guilty of Treason shewing that they could not excuse themselues who being commanded by the Lord Keeper and a Herald to lay downe their weapons yet did it not Essex replied that he saw no Herald but a lame fellow whom he tooke not for a Herald saying that if he had intended any thing but onely his defence against those his aduersaries he would not haue gone out with so small a company so vnarmed for they had nothing but Swords and Daggers and Gunnes Bacon replying that that was done out of policy by him who indeed relyed vpon the Citizens armes that they might furnish himselfe and his men too and take armes themselues for him Imitating Guise in France in this tricke who not long agoe entring Paris with a few people so stirred vp the people to take armes that he made the King dispatch out of the City By and by were both the Earles remooued aside and the Peeres that past vpon them rising and separating themselues from the rest conferred amongst themselues and weighing the matter within an houre returned againe to their seates euery one hauing found both the Earles guilty The Notary calls both the Earles to the Barre againe according to the manner and asketh them seuerally if they had any thing to say why sentence should not be pronounced against them Essex intreating the Peeres to make intercession for South-hampton to the Queene who might hereafter well deserue at her hands answered MY life I take no care for that there is nothing that I more earnestly desire then to lay downe my life in loyalty towards God and the Queene whatsoeuer the Law make of me Yet would I not that you should signifie to the Queene any contempt in me of her gracious mercy which indeed all my smooth language would neuer purchase And I entreat you all that since I neuer thought ill against my Prince ye would quit me in the Court of your Conscience although that ye haue cast me and condemned me in this Court of Iustice. The Earle of Southampton most demissely and humbly craued the Queenes pardon entreating his Peeres to intercede for it with the Queene protesting againe that he neuer conceiued any ill thought against the Queene insomuch that with his pleasing speech and ingenuous modestie hee mooued all the standers by to pitty him The Lord High Steward hauing made now a very graue speech admonisheth the Earle to request the Queenes mercy and pardon pronouncing vpon him the dolefull sentence of hanging drawing and quartering And now the Hatchet being turned towards them that before was turned from them Essex said THis body might haue done the Queene better seruice if she had pleased but I reioyce that it is vsed any way for her Requesting that before his death hee might receiue the Communion and that Ashton a Minister might be still with him for his soules health Then hee asked pardon of the Earle of Worcester and the Lord Chiefe Iustice for keeping them in hold And of Morley and De-la-ware for bringing their Sonnes that knew not of the matter into such danger And then his staffe being broken the Earle departed These things the Authour of the originall being there present makes worth beleefe who if he haue omitted any thing