Then pausing a while, he sat, and directed himself towards a window, where the lords of Arundel, Northampton, and Doncaster, with some other lords and knights, sate, and spake as followeth I thank God, of his infinite goodness, that he hath brought me to die in 'the light, and not in darkness;' (but by reason that the place where the lords, &c. sat, was some distance from the scaffold, that he perceived they could not well hear him, he said) I will strain my voice, for I would willingly have your honours hear me.'

But iny lord of Arundel said, Nay, we will rather come down to the scaffold; which he and some others did. Where being come, he saluted them severally, and then began again to speak as followeth, viz.

6

man, and runnagate fellow, one that hath no dwelling, a kind of a chymical fellow, one that I knew to be perfidious; for being by him drawn into the action of fearing myself at Winchester, in which I confess my hand was toucht, he being sworn to secrecy over-night, revealed it the next morning. But this I speak now, what have I to do with kings? I have nothing to do with them, neither do I fear them; I have only now to do with my 'God, in whose presence I stand; therefore to tell a lye, were it to gain the king's favour, were vain: Therefore, as I hope to be saved at the last Judgment-day, I never spoke dishonourably, disloyally, or dishonestly of his majesty in all my life; and therefore I cannot but think it strange that that Frenchman, be ing so base and mean a fellow, should be so 'far credited as he hath been.-I have dealt truly, as I hope to be saved, and I hope I shall be believed; I confess I did attempt to escape, I cannot excuse it, but it was only to save my life. And I do likewise confess, that I did feign myself to be ill-disposed and sick at Salisbury; but I hope it was no sin, for the prophet David did make himself a fool, and suffered spittle to fall down upon his beard, to 'escape from the hands of his enemies, and it was not imputed unto him: so, what I did, I intended no ill, but to gain and prolong time till his majesty came, hoping for some commiseration from him.-But I forgive this Frenchman and sir Lewis Steukley, with all my heart, for I have received the Sacrament this morning of Mr. Dean of Westminster, and I have forgiven all men; but that they are perfidious, I am bound in charity to speak, that all men may take heed of them.-Sir Lewis Steukley, my keeper and kinsman, hath affirmed that I should tell him, that my lord Carew, and my lord of Doncaster here, did advise me to escape; but I protest before • God, I never told him any such thing, neither did the lords advise me to any such matter, neither is it likely that I should tell him any such thing of two privy counsellors; neither had I any reason to tell him or he to report

As I said, I thank God heartily, that he' hath brought me into the light to die, and that he hath not suffered me to die in the dark prison of the Tower, where I have suffered a 'great deal of misery and cruel sickness; and I thank God that my fever hath not taken me at this time, as I prayed to God it might not. - here are two main points of Suspicion that his majesty, as I hear, hath conceived against me. To resolve your lordships wherein his majesty cannot be satisfied, which I desire to clear, and to resolve your lordships of: One ‹is, That his majesty lath been informed that I have often had Plots with France, and his - majesty had good reason to induce him thereunto. One Reason that his majesty had to conjecture so was, that when I came back from Guiana, being come to Plymouth, I endeavoured to go in a bark to Rochel, which was, for that I would have made my peace before I had come to England. Another reason was, That upon my flight, I did intend | to fly into France, for the saving of myself, having had some terror from above. A third reason, that his majesty had reason to suspect, was the French agent's coming to me; besides, it was reported that I had a Commission from the French king at my going forth: These are the Reasons that his majesty had, <as I am informed, to suspect me.-But this I say, for a man to call God to witness to ait; for it is well known he left me 6, 7, 8, 9, fal-hood at the hour of death, is far more grievous and impious, and that a man that solisted, whilst he rode himself about the coun

doth cannot have salvation, for he hath no time of repentance; then what shall I expect, that am going instantly to render up my account? I do therefore call God to witness, as I hope to be saved, and as I hope to see him in his kingdom, which I hope I shall within

and 10 days together alone, to go whither I

try. He further accused me, that I should shew him a Letter, whereby I did signify unto him that I would give him 10,000l. for my Escape; but God cast my soul into everlast

ing fire, if I made any such proffer of 10,000l. or 1000l. but indeed I shewed him a Letter,

this quarter of an hour, I never had any Com-that if he would go with me, there should be

order taken for his Debts when he was gone; neither had I 10,000l. to give him; for if I had had so much I could have matle my peace better with it other way, than in giving it to Stenk

mission from the French king, nor never saw 'the French king's hand-writing in all my life; 'neither knew I that there was a French Agent, nor what he was, till I met him in my gallery at my lodging unlooked for: If I speak notley.-Further, When I came to sir Edw. Peltrue, O lord! let me never enter into thy ham's house, who had been a follower of kingdom. The secood Suspicion was, That mine, and who gave me good entertainment; his majesty had been informed, that I should he gave out that I had there received some speak dishonourably and disloyally of my drain of poison, when I answered him that I Sovereign; but my Accuser was a base French-feared no such thing, for I was well assured

the which laying his hand upon his shoulder he continued in his places, but, contrary to all forgave him. Then being asked which way he men's expectations, was indeed made the first would lay himself on the block, he made answer minister of state, and Raleigh neglected. The and said, So the heart be straight, it is no mat-latter knowing the former to be at least equally ter which way the head lieth: So laying his concerned with him in the fall of Essex, his head on the block, his face being towards the great mind could not bear the distinction made east, the headsman throwing down his own between them by their new master; and the cloak, because he would not spoil the prisoner's rather, that Cecil acted the courtier, in frowngown, he giving the headsman a sign when he ing upon his old friend and acquaintance, and Should strike, by lifting up his hands, the Exe-giving him flesh mortifications upon every occacutioner struck off his head at two blows, his sion. In Buck's Manuscript there is mentioned body never shrinking nor moving. His head a Memorial of Raleigh's to king James, wherewas shewed on each side of the scaffold, and in he reflects heavily upon Cecil in the matter then put into a red leather bag, and his wrought of Essex, and vindicating himself, throws the velvet gown thrown over it, which was after- whole blame upon the other. At the end of wards conveyed away in a mourning coach of that Memorial, he lays open the conduct of his lady's.-Ile was 66 years old. Cecil and his father the lord Burleigh, in the matter of queen Mary Stuart, and, with a singular bitterness of style, not only vindicates the memory of queen Elizabeth, but lays the death of that unfortunate queen chiefly at the door of Cecil and his father; for which he appeals to Davison, then in prison, the man that had dispatched the Warrant for her Execution, contrary to queen Elizabeth's express command. All this had no influence on king James, and irritated Cecil the more against Raleigh; which helped to sour a temper that of itself was impatient of injuries, and for all his other excellent qualities, was not fitted for this reverse of fortune.-This brought him into the acquaintance and familiarity of other men, as discontented as himself, though of different religions and interests; and occasioned probably more discourses than one, of having recourse to foreign powers to mend their present fortunes. It is also not unlikely, that the lady Arabella's name might, upon these occasions, be mentioned by sir Walter Raleigh, as one that had a near title to the crown: but that he ever entered into any form or design of altering the established religion, (as was said at his Trial) no body then nor since did ever believe."

of

"This Conspiracy of sir Walter Raleigh's," writes Bishop Kennett in a note to Wilson's Life of James the first, "is variously represented by the Historians and Writers of that time, but acknowledged by all of them to have been a Riddle of State. I have seen most of the Accounts that have been published on this subject; and from them and from some sheets of Cecil earl of Salisbury, and a Manuscript of one Buck, who it seems was secretary to Chancellor Egerton, I take the case to have been this: The earl of Salisbury and sir Walter Raleigh had been open and declared enemies of the unhappy earl of Essex, and the chief promoters of his ruin: Though king James could easily digest the death of queen Mary Stuart his mother, it is notonously known he never heartily forgave any of Essex's enemies; which both Cecil and Raleigh were aware of, but took contrary measures to avoid his resentment. Raleigh trusting in the justice of his procedure in that affair, made no steps towards the making his peace with her successor, contenting himself with the favour of that mistress who raised bim, which he enjoyed to her death. On the contrary, Cecil, by the mediation of Hume, that was afterwards earl of Dumbar, had been long before entirely reconciled to king James, had done him important services, and kept a correspondence with him, while queen Elizabeth was alive.-When king James came into England, Cecil was not only

The eminent merits, high reputation, and uncommon fate of sir Walter Raleigh, together with the obscurity of the transactions concerning him, will justify the insertion of the following Articles which throw light on his interesting story:

Two LETTERS of Sir Dudley Carleton (afterwards Viscount Dorchester) concerning Sir WALTER RALEIGH'S PLOT; inclosed in the following Letter from Mr. Dudley Carleton to Philip Lord Wharton.

[Extracted from the Hardwicke State Papers, vol. 1. p. 377.]

MY noble lord; The two letters inclosed are those, of which, when I told your lordship, you shewed yourself very desirous to have sight and therefore I have sent them to you. That Dudley Carleton, whose name you will find subscribed to them, was my uncle, who died secretary to his late majesty, who had likewise honoured him with the title of viscount Dorchester; and I suppose you knew him. He was, at the time he wrote them, secretary to my lord

of Northumberland's father, and both an ear
and eye witness of most that passed in the Ar-
raignment and Execution at Winchester, in
anno 1603. I wish they may serve your Lord-
ship to such use as you desire; and if I could
give you any farther light, I should be most
ready to serve you, as being your Lordship's,
&c.
DUDLEY CARleton.

London,
Feb. 14th, 1651.

of his life, it was the happiest day that ever he spent. And so well he shifted all advantages

Sir; I was taking care how to send unto you, and little looked for so good a means as your man, who came to me this morning; and though he would in all haste be gone, I have stayed him this night, to have time to discourse unto you these tragical Proceedings. I was not present at the first or second Arraignment, wherein Brooke, Markham, Brookesby, Copley, and the two Priests were condemned, for prac-led with the common hatred, that he would have tising the surprize of the king's Person, the taking of the Tower, the deposing of Counsellors, and proclaiming Liberty of Religion. They were all condemned upon their own Confessions, which were set down under their own hands, as Declarations; and compiled with such labour and care, to make the matter they undertook seem very feasible, as if they had feared they should not say enough to bang themselves. Pirra was acquitted, being only drawn in by the priests as an assistant, without knowing the purpose; yet had he gone the same way as the rest (as it is thought), save for a word the lord Cecil cast in the way as his cause was in handling, That the king's glory consisted as much in freeing the innocent, as condemning the guilty.

The Commissioners for this Trial were, the Lord Chamberlain, lord of Devon, lord Henry Howard, lord Cecil, lord Wotton, the Vice Chamberlain, the two Chief Justices, Justice Gawdy, and Warburton. Of the King's Council, none were employed in that, or the arraignment, but the Attorney (Coke,) Heale, and Philips; and in effect, none but the Attorney. Sir Walter Raleigh served for a whole act, and played all the parts himself. His cause was disjoined from the Priests, as being a practice only between himself and the lord Cobham,* to have brought in the Spaniard, to have raised Rebellion in the realin, by fastening money upon discontents, to have set up the lady Arabella, and to have tied her to certain conditions; as to have a perpetual peace with Spain; not to have bestowed herself in marriage but at the direction of the Spaniard; and to have granted Liberty of Religion. The Evidence against him, was only Cobham's Confession, which was judged sufficient to condemn him; and a Letter was produced, written by Cobham the day before, by which he accused Raleigh as the first practiser of the Treason betwixt them which served to turn against him; though he shewed, to countervail this, a Letter written by Cobham, and delivered to him in the Tower, by which he was clearly acquitted. After Sentence given, his request was, to have his Answers related to the king, and pardon begged; of which, if there were no hope, then that Cobham might die first. He answered with that temper, wit, learning, courage and judgment, that save that it went with the hazard

:

* It does not appear what proceedings had been had against Cobham,

that were taken against him, that were not fama mulum gravius quám res, and an ill name half hanged, in the opinion of all men, he had been acquitted.-The two first that brought the news to the king, were Roger Ashton and a Scotchman; whereof one affirmed, That never any man spoke so well in times past, nor would do in the world to come; and the other said, That whereas when he saw him first, he was so gone a hundred miles to have seen him hanged, he would, ere he parted, have gone a thousand to have saved his life. In one word, never was man so hated, and so popular, in so short a time. It was thought the lords should bave been arraigned on Tuesday last, but they were put off till Friday and Saturday; and had their trials apart before the Lord Chancellor (Ellesmere, as Lord Steward for both those days), eleven earls, nineteen barous. The duke, the earl of Marr, and many Scotish lords, stood as spectators; and of our ladies, the greatest part, as the lady Nottingham, the lady Suffolk, and the lady Arabella, who heard herself much spoken of these days. But, the arraignment before, she was more particularly remembered, as by sir Walter Raleigh, for a woman, with whom he had no acquaintance, and one, whom, of all that he ever saw, he never liked; and by Serj. Hale, as one that had no more right to the crown than himself; and for any claim that he had to it, he utterly disavowed it. Cobham led the way on Friday, and made such a fasting day's piece of work of it, that he discredited the place to which he was called; never was seen so poor and abject a spirit. He heard his indictment with much fear and trembling, and would sometimes interrupt t, by forswearing what be thought to be wro gly inserted; so as, by his fashion, it was known ere he spake, what he would confess or deny. In his first answer, he said, he had changed his mind since he came to the bar; for whereas he came with an intention to have made his confession, without denying any thing, now seeing many things inserted in this indictment with which he could not be charged, being not able in one word to make distinction of many parts, he must plead to all not guilty. For any thing that belonged to the lady Arabella, he denied the whole accusation; only said, she had sought his friendship, and his brother Brooke had sought her's. For the other purposes, he said, he had hammered in his brains some such imaginations: but never had purpose to bring them to effect. Upon Raleigh, he exclaimed as one who had stirred him up to discontent, and thereby overthrown his fortunes. Against him he said, that he had once propounded to him a means for the Spaniard to invade England, which was, to bring down an army to the Groyne, under pretence to send them into the Low Countries, and land them at Milford Haven: that he had made

Of Lenox, then the only one of that degree,