of November, 1603. Your's, &c. DUDLEY | tory denial. The bishop of Chichester had CARLETON. The Same to the Same. Sir: I know not when or how to send to you; yet here happening an accident worth your knowledge, I cannot but put it in record whilst the memory of it is fresh; and for the rest, stand to the venture. But because I have taken a time of good leisure, and it is likely this letter will take his leisure, ere it come at you; I may as well leap in where I left, when I wrote to you by your man, and proceed in an order by narration; since this was a part of the same play, and that other acts came betwixt, to make up a tragical comedy. The two priests that led the way to the execution, were very bloodily handled; for they were both cut down alive; and Clarke, to whom more favour was intended, had the worse luck; for he both strove to help himself, and | spake after he was cut down. They died boldly both; and Watson (as he would have it seem) willing: wishing he had more lives to spend, and one to lose, for every man he had by his treachery drawn into this treason. Clarke stood somewhat upon his justification, and thought he had hard measure: but imputed it to his function, and therefore thought his death meritorious, as a kind of martyrdom. Their quarters were set on Winchester gates, and their heads on the first Tower of the castle. Brooke was beheaded in the castle-yard, on Monday last; and to double his grief, had St. Croftes in his sight, from the scaffold, which drove him first to discontent. There was no greater assembly than I have seen at ordinary executions; nor no man of quality more than the lord of Arundel and young Somerset; only the bishop of Chichester who was sent from the court two days before, to prepare him to his end, could not get loose from him; but, by Brooke's earnest entreaty was fain to accompany him to the scaffold, and serve for his ghostly father. He died constantly (and, to seeming, religiously); spake not much; but what he said was well and assured. He did somewhat extenuate his offences, both in the treasons, and the course of his life; naming these rather errors than capital crimes; and his former faults, sins; but not so beinous as they were traduced; which he referred to the God of truth and time to discover; and so left it, as if somewhat lay yet hid, which would one day appear for his justification. The bishop went from him to the lord Cobham; and at the same time, the bishop of Winchester was with Raleigh: both by express order from the king; as well to prepare them for their ends, as likewise to bring them to liberal confessions, and by that means reconcile the contradictions of the one's open accusation, and the other's peremp This Letter contains other matter, which is not here inserted as having no relation to Raleigh or his associates. ↑ Missing, I suppose, the mastership. soon done what he came for, finding in Cobham a willingness to die, and readiness to die well; with purpose at his death to affirm as much as he had said against Raleigh; but the other bishop had more to do with his charge; for though, for his conscience, he found him well settled, and resolved to die a Christian and a good Protestant, for the point of confession, be found him so strait-laced, that he would yield to no part of Cobham's accusation; only, the pension, he said, was once mentioned, but never proceeded in. Grey in the mean time, with his minister Field, having had the like summons for death, spent his time in great devotions; but with that careless regard of that with which he was threatened, that he was observed neither to eat or sleep the worse, or be any ways distracted from his accustomed fashions. Markham was told he should likewise die: but by secret message from some friends at court, had still such hope given him, that he would not believe the worst news till the last day; and though he could be content to talk with the preacher which was assigned him, it was rather to pass time, than for any good purpose; for he was catholicly disposed; to think of death no way disposed. Whilst these men were so occupied at Winchester, there was no small doings about them at court, for life or death; some pushing at the wheel one way, some another. The lords of the council joined in opinion and advice to the king, now in the beginning of his reign to shew as well examples of mercy as severity, and to gain the title of Clemens, as well as Justus; but some others, led by their private spleen and passions, drew as hard the other way; and Patrick Galloway, in his sermon on Tuesday, preached so hotly against remissness and moderation of justice, in the head of justice, as if it were one of the seven deadly sins. The king held himself upright betwixt two waters; and first let the lords know, that since the law had passed upon the prisoners, and that they themselves had been their judges, it became not them to be petitioners for that, but rather to press for execution of their own ordinances; and to others, gave as good reasons, to let them know that he would go no whit the faster for their driving; but would be led as his own judgment and affections would move him; but seemed rather to lean to this side than the other, by the care he took to have the law take his course, and the execution hasted. Warrants were signed, and sent to sir Benjamin Tichborne, on Wednesday last at night, for Markham, Grey, and Cobham, who in this order were to take their turns, as yesterday, being Friday, about ten of the clock. A fouler day could hardly have been picked out, or fitter for such a tragedy. Markham being brought to the scaffold, was much dismayed, and complained much of his hard hap, to be deluded with hopes, and brought to that place unprepared. One might see in his face the very picture of sorrow; but he seemed not to want resolution; for a napkin being offered by a friend that stood by, to cover his face, he threw it away, saying, he could look upon death, without blushing. He took leave of some friends that stood near, and betook himself to his devotions, after his manner; and those ended, prepared himself to the block. The sheriff, in the mean time, was secretly with drawn, by one John Gib, a Scotch groom of the bedchamber; whereupon the execution was stayed, and Markham left upon the scaffold to entertain his own thoughts, which, no doubt, were as melancholy as his countenance, sad and heavy. The sheriff, at his return, told him, that since he was so ill prepared, he should yet have two hours respite, so led him from the scaffold, without giving him any more comfort, and locked him into the great hall, to walk with prince Arthur. The lord Grey, whose turn was next, was led to the scaffold by a troop of the young courtiers, and was supported on both sides by two of his best friends; and coming in this equipage, had such gaiety and cheer in his countenance, that he seemed a dapper young bridegroom. At his first coming on the scaffold, he fell on his knees, and his preacher made a long prayer to the present purpose, which he seconded himself with one of his own making, which, for the phrase, was somewhat affected, and suited to his other speeches; but, for the fashion, expressed the fervency and zeal of a religious spirit. In his confession, he said, though God knew this fault of his was far from the greatest, yet he knew, and could but acknowledge his heart to be faulty; for which he asked pardon of the king; and thereupon entered into a long prayer for the king's good estate, which held us in the rain more than half an hour; but being come to a full point, the sheriff stayed him, and said, he had received orders from the king, to change the order of the execution, and that the lord Cobham was to go before him; whereupon he was likewise led to prince Arthur's hall, and his going away seemed more strange unto him, than his coming thither; for he had no more hope given him, than of an hour's respite; neither could any man yet dive into the mystery of this strange proceeding. The lord Cobham, who was now to play his part, and by his former actions promised nothing but matiere pour rire, did much cozen the world; for he came to the scaffold with good assurance, and contempt of death. He said some short prayers after his minister, and so outprayed the company that helped to pray with him, that a stander-by said, He had a good mouth in a cry, but was nothing single.' Some few words he used, to express his sorrow for his offence to the king, and craved pardon of him and the world; for sir Walter Raleigh, he took it, upon the hope of his soul's resurrection, that what he had said of him was true; and with those words would have taken a short farewel of the world, with that constancy and boldness, that we might see by him, it is an easier matter to die well than live well. He was stayed by the sheriff, and told, that there resteth yet somewhat else to be done; for that he was to be confronted with some other of the prisoners, but named none. So as Grey and Markham being brought back to the scaffold, as they then were, but nothing acquainted with what had passed, no more than the lookers-on with what should follow, looked strange one upon the other like men beheaded, and met again in the other world. Now all the actors being together on the stage (as use is at the end of a play,) the sheriff made a short speech unto them, by way of the interrogatory of the heinousness of their offences, the justness of their trials, their lawful condemnation, and due execution there to be performed; to all which they assented; then, saith the sheriff, see the mercy of your prince, who, of himself, hath sent hither to countermand, and given you your lives. There was then no need to beg a plaudite of the audience, for it was given with such hues and cries, that it went from the castle into the town, and there began afresh, as if there had been some such like accident. And this experience was made of the difference of examples of justice and mercy; that in this last, no man could cry loud enough, 'God save the King; and at the holding up of Brookes's head, when the executioner began the same cry, he was not seconded_by_the voice of any one man, but the sheriff. You must think, if the spectators were so glad, the actors were not sorry; for even those that went best resolved to death, were glad of life. Cobham vowed openly, if ever he proved traitor again, never so much as to beg his life; and Grey, that since he had his life, without begging, he would deserve it. Markham returned with a merrier countenance than he came to the scaffold. Raleigh, you must think (who had a window opened that way), had hammers working in his head, to beat out the meaning of this stratagem. His turn was to come on Monday next; but the king has pardoned him with the rest, and confined him with the two lords to the Tower of London, there to remain during pleasure. Markham, Brooksby and Copley, are to be banished the realm. This resolution was taken by the king without man's help, and no man can rob him of the praise of yesterday's action; for the lords knew no other, but that execution was to go forward, till the very hour it should be performed; and then, calling them before him, he told them, how much he had been troubled to resolve in this business; for to execute Grey, who was a noble young, spirited fellow, and save Cobham. who was as base and unworthy, were a manner of injustice. To save Grey, who was of a proud insolent nature, and execute Cobham, who had shewed great tokens of humility and repentance, were as great a solecism; and so went on with Plutarch's comparisons in the rest, till travelling in contrarieties, but holding the conclusion in so different balance, that the lords knew not what to look for till the end came out, and therefore I have saved them all. The miracle was as great there, as with us at Win- | And at Winchester, there was another cross chester, and it took like effect; for the applause that began about the king. went from thence into the presence, and so round about the court. I send you a copy of the king's letter, which was privately written the Wednesday night, and the messenger dispatched the Thursday about noon. But one thing had like to have marred the play; for the letter was closed, and delivered hin unsigned; which the king remembered himself, and called for him back again. adventure; for John Gib could not get so near the scaffold, that he could speak to the sheriff, but was thrust out amongst the boys, and was fain to call out to sir James Hayes, or else Markham might have lost his neck. There were other by-passages, if I could readily call them to mind; but here is enough already for un petit mot de lettie, and therefore I bid you heartily farewel. From Salisbury this 11th of Dec. 1603. Your's, &c. DUDLEY CARLTEON. Account of the GUIANA EXPEDITION; with a Character of Sir Walter Raleigh. [Extracted from Horvell's Familiar Letters, pp. 21, 383.] To Sir James Crofts, kt. at St. Osith. "THE news that keeps greatest noise here now, is the return of sir Walter Raleigh from his Mine of Gold in Guiana, the South parts of America, which at first was like to be such a hopeful boon Voyage, but it scems that that golden mine is proved a mere Chimera, an imaginary airy mine; and indeed his majesty had never any other conceit of it: But what will not one in captivity (as sir Walter was) promise, to regain his freedom? who would not promise; not only mines, but mountains of gold, for liberty? and it is pity such a knowing well-weighed knight had not had a better forfortune; for the Destiny (I mean that brave ship which he built himself of that name, that carried him thither) is like to prove a Fatal Destiny to him, and to some of the rest of those gallant Adventurers which contributed for the setting forth of 13 ships more, who were most of them his kinsmen and younger brothers, being led into the said Expedition by a general conceit the world bad of the wisdom of sir Walter Raleigh; and many of these are like to make shipwreck of their estates by this Voyage. Sir Walter landed at Plymouth, whence he thought to inake an escape; and some say he hath tampered with his boty by physic, to make him look sickly, that he may be the more pitied, and permitted to lie in his own house. Count Gondamar the Spanish ambassador speaks high language; and sending lately to desire audience of his majesty, he said he had but one word to tell him; his majesty wondering what might be delivered in one word when he came before him, he said only, Pirates, Pirates, l'irates,' and so departed. It is true that he protested against this Voyage before, and that it could not be but for soine predatory design: And that if it be as I hear, I fear it will go very ill with sir Walter, and that Gondamor will never give him over, till be hath his head off his shoulders; which may quickly be done, without any new Arraigninent, by virtue of the old Sentence that lics still dormant against Lim, which he could never get of by Pardon, notwithstanding that he mainly laboured in it before he went : but his majesty could never be brought to it, for he said he would keep this as a curb to hold him | within the bounds of his commission, and the good behaviour. Gondamar cries out, that he hath broke the sacred Peace betwixt the two kingdoms; That he hath fired and plundered Santo Thoma, a colony the Spaniards had planted with so much blood, near under the line, which made it prove such hot service unto Lim, and where, besides others, he lost his eldest son in the action: And could they have preserved the magazine of Tobacco only, besides other things in that town, something might have been had to countervail the charge of the Voyage. Gondamar alledgeth farther, That the enterprize of the Mine failing, he propounded to the rest of his fleet to go and intercept some of the plate GaIcons, with other designs which would have drawn after them apparent acts of hostility; and so demands justice: besides other disasters which fell out upon the dashing of the first design, captain Remish, who was the main instrument for discovery of the mine, pistoled himself in a desperate mood of discontent in his cabin, in the Converting. This return of sir Walter Raleigh from Guiana, puts me in mind of a facetious tale I read lately in Italian (for I have a little of that language already) how Alphonso king of Napies sent a Moor, who had been his captive a long time, to Barbary, with a considerable sum of money to buy horses, and return by such a time. Now there was about the king a kind of Bulfoon or jester, who had a talle-book or Journal, wherein he was used to register any absurdity, or impertinence, or merry pas-age that happened upon the court. That day the Moor was dispatched for Barbary, the said Jester waiting opon the king at supper, the king called for his Journal, and asked what he had observed that day; thereupon he produced his Table-Book, and among other things, he read how Alphonso king of Naples had sent Beltram the Moor, who had been a long time his prisoner, to Morocco (his own country) with so many thousand crowns, to buy horses. The king asked him why he inserted that; Because, said he, I think he will never come back to be a prisoner again, and so you have lost both inan and money. But if he do come, then your Jest is marred, quoth the king: No sir: for if he St. Thomas's, with divers crucibles, and other refining instruments: yet, under favour, that might be, and the benefit not countervail the charge, for the richest mines that the king of Spain hath upon the whole continent of America, which are the mines of Potosi, yield him but six in the hundred, all expences defrayed. You write how K. James sent privately to sir Walter, being yet in the Tower, to intreat and command him, that he would impart his whole design to him under his hand, promising upon the word of a king to keep it secret; which being done accordingly by sir Walter Raleigh, that very original paper was found in the said Spanish governor's closet at St. Thomas's: whereat, as you have just cause to wonder, and admire the activeness of the Spanish agents about our court at that time, so I wonder no less at the miscarriage of some of his late majesty's ministers, who notwithstanding that he had passed his royal word to the contrary, yet they did help Count Gondomar to that paper; so that the reproach lieth more upon the English than the Spanish ministers in this particular. Whereas you alledge, that the dangerous sickness of sir Walter being arrived near the place, and the death of (that rare spark of courage) your brother, upon the first landing, with other circumstances, discouraged capt. Kemys from discovering the mine, but would reserve it for another tme; I am content to give as much credit to this as any man can; as also that sir Walter, if the rest of the fleet, according to his earnest notion, had gone with him to revictual in Vir To the Honourable Muster CAR, RA. "Sir: Whereas you seem to except against something in one letter that reflects upon sir Walter Raleigh's voyage to Guiana, because I term the gold mine he went to discover, an airy and suppositious mine, and so infer, that it toucheth his honour; truly, sir, I will deal clearly with you in that point, that I never harboured in my brain the least thought to expose to the world any thing that might prejudice, much less traduce in the least degree that could be that rare renowned knight, whose fame shall contead in longevity with this Island itself, yea, with that great World which he historiseth so gallantly. I was a youth about the town when he undertook that expedition, and I remember most men suspected that Mine then to be but an imaginary politic thing; but at his return; and missing of the enterprize, these suspicions turned in most to real beliefs that it was no other. And K. James, in that Declaration which he commanded to be printed and published afterwards, touching the circumstance of this action, (upon which my letter it grounded, and which I have still by me) terms it no less. And if we may not give faith to such public re-ginia, (a country where he had reason to be gal instruments, what shall we credit? Be-ides, there goes another printed kind of remonstrance annexed to that declaration which intimates as much: and there is a worthy captain in this town, who was co-adventuser in that expedition, who upon the storming of St. Thomas, heard young Mr. Raleigh encouraging lis me in these words: Come on, my noble hearts, this is the mine we come for; and they who think there is any other are fools. Add bereunto, that sir Richard Baker, in his last historical collections, intimates so much. Therefore, it was far from being any opinion broached by myself, or bottomed upon weak grounds; for I was careful of nothing more, than that those letters being to breath open air, should relate nothing but what should be derived from good fountains. And truly, sir, touching that apology of Sir Walter Raleigh's you write of, I never saw it, I am very sorry I did not; for it had let in more light upon me of the carriage of that great action, and then you might have been assu ed, that I would have done that noble knight all the right that could be. "But, sir, the several argoments that you urge in your Letters are of that strength, I confess, that they are able to rectify any indifferent man in this point, and induce him to believe that it was no chimera, but a real mine; for you write of divers pieces of gold brought thence by sir Walter himself, and capt. Kemys, and of some ingots that were found in the governor's closet at welcome unto, being of his own discovery) he had a purpose to return to Guiana the spring following to pursue his first design. I am also very willing to believe that it cost sir W. Raleigh much more to put himself in equipage for that long intended Voyage, than would have paid for his liberty, if he had gone about to purchase it for reward of money at home; though I am not ignorant that many of the co-adventurers made large contributions, and the fortunes of some of them suffer for it at this very day. But although Gondomar, as my letter mentions, calls sir Walter Pirate, I for my part am far from thinking so; because, as you give an unanswerable reason, the plundering of St. Thomas was an act done beyond the equator, where the articles of peace betwixt the two kings do not extend. Yet, under favour, though he broke not the peace, he was said to break his patent by exceeding the bounds of his commission, as the foresaid declaration relates: For K. James had inade strong promises to Count Gondomar, that this fleet should commit no outrages upon the king of Spain's subjects by land, unless they began first; and I believe that was the main cause of his death, though I think if they had proceeded that way against him in a legal course of trial, he might have defended himself well enough. "Whereas you alledge, that if that action had succeeded, and afterwards been well prosecuted, it might have brought Gondomar's tence. Touching his return, I must confess I was utterly ignorant that those two noble earls, Thomas of Arundel, and William of Pembroke, were engaged for him in this particular; nor doth the printed relation make any mention of them at all: Therefore I must say, that envy herself must pronounce that return of his, for the acquitting of his fiduciary pledges, to be a most noble act; and waving that of king Alphonso's Mour, I may more properly compare it to the act of that famous Roman commander, Regulus, as I take it, who to keep his promise and faith, returned to his enemies where he had been prisoner, though he knew he went to an inevitable death. But well did that faithless cunning knight, who be trayed sir W. Raleigh in his intended escape, being come a-shore, fall to that contemptible end, as to die a poor distracted beggar in the isle of Lundey, having for a bag of money fal sacrament, as you write; as also before the year came about, to be found clipping the same coin in the king's own house at Whitehall, which he had received as a reward for his perfidiousness; for which being condemned to be hanged, he was driven to sell himself to his shirt, to purchase his pardon of two knights. great catholic master to have been begged for, at the church-doors by friars, as he was once brought in the latter end of queen Elizabeth's days: I believe it had much damnified him, and interrupted him in the possession of his West-Indies, but not brought him, under favour, to so low an ebb. I have observed, that it is an ordinary thing in your popish countries, for princes to borrow from the altar, when they are reduced to any straits; for they say, The riches of the church are to serve as anchors in time of a storm. Divers of our kings have done worse, by pawning their plate and jewels. Whereas my letter makes mention that sir W. Raleigh mainly laboured for his pardon before he went, but could not compass it; this is also a passage in the foresaid printed relation: But I could have wished with all my heart he had obtained it; for I believe, that neither the transgression of his commission, nor any thing that he did beyond the Line, could have short-sified his faith, confirmed by the tie of the holy ened the line of his life otherwise; but in all probability we might have been happy in him to this very day, having such an heroic heart as he had, and other rare helps, by his great knowledge, for the preservation of health. I believe without any scruple what you write, that sir Win. St. Geon made an overture to him of procuring his pardon for 1500l. but whether he could have effected it, I doubt a little, when he had come to negotiate it really. But I extremely wonder how that old sentence which had lain dormant above sixteen years against sir W. Raleigh, could have been made use of to take off his head afterwards, considering that the Lord Chancellor Verulam, as you write, told him positively (as sir Walter was acquainting him with that proffer of sir Wm. St. Geon for a pecuniary pardon) in these words, Sir, the knee-timber of your voyage is money; spare your purse in this particular, for upon my life you have a sufficient pardon for all that is passed already, the king having under his broad-seal made you admiral of your fleet, and given you power of the martial law over your officers and soldiers. One would think that by this royal patent, which gave him power of life and death over the king's liege people, sir W. Raleigh should become rectus in curia, and free from all old convictions. But, sir, to tell you the plain truth, count Gondomar at that time had a great stroke in our court, because there was more than a mere overture of a match with Spain; which makes me apt to believe, that that great wise knight being such an anti-Spaniard, was made a sacrifice to advance the matrimonial treaty. But I must needs wonder, as you justly do, that one and the same man should be condemned for being a friend to the Spaniard, (which was the ground of his first condemnation) and afterwards lose his head for being their enemy by the same sen "And now, sir, let that glorious and gallant cavalier sir W. Raleigh (who lived long enough for his own honour, though not for his country, as it was said of a Roman consul) rest quietly in his grave, and his virtues live in his posterity, as I find they do strongly, and very eminently in you. I have heard his enemies confess that he was one of the weightiest and wisest men that this island ever bred. Mr. Nath. Carpenter, a learned and judicious author, was not in the wrong when he gave this discreet character of him: Who hath not known or read of this prodigy of wit and fortune, sir Walter Raleigh, a man unfortunate in nothing else but in the greatness of his wit and advancement, whose eminent worth was such both in domestic policy, foreign expeditions, and dis'coveries in arts and literature, both practick and contemplative, that it might seem at once to conquer example and imitation !'” See also "A Declaration of the demeanour and carriage of sir Walter Raleigh, knt. as weil in his Voyage as in and sithence his return, and of the true Motives and Inducements which occasioned his majesty to proceed in doing justice upon him as hath been done. Printed by the kings printers in 1618;" republished, 3 Harl. Mis. 1745: and " A Brief Relation of sir Walter Raleigh's Troubles, with the taking away the Lands and Castle of Sherbourn in Dorset, from him and his heirs," 4 Harl. Mis. 57; and for farther particulars, the 2d Volume of City ley's Life of Sir Walter Raleigh may be consulted, |