'offered by a friend that stood by, to cover his face, he threw it away, saying, he could look upon death with'out 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 The Sheriff, in the meantime, was secretly withdrawn, by one John Gib, a Scotch Groom of the 'Bedchamber, whereupon the execution was stayed, and 'Markham left upon the scaffold to entertain his own thoughts,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 his 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 him'self 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

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*The hall in the Castle of Winchester is called Arthur's Hall, from an ancient representation of King Arthur's round table, which is suspended there.

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 matière 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 out-prayed 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 of• fence 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 farewell 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 the 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 Tower, and there began afresh, as if there had been some such like accident. And this ex'perience 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 hold

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'ing up of Brooke'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 trai'tor 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 that 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 showed great tokens of humility and repentance, were as great a solecism; and so went on with Plutarch's comparisons in the rest, still 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 Winchester, 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 despatched the Tuesday about noon. But one thing had liked to have marred the play; for the Letter

was closed, and delivered him unsigned; which the King remembered himself, and called for him back again. And at Winchester, there was another cross '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 lettre, and therefore I bid you 'heartily farewell.

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From Salisbury this 11th of December, 1603.

SIR WALTER RALEIGH'S IMPRISONMENT, VOYAGE TO GUIANA, AND EXECUTION.

IN considering the numerous cruelties of arbitrary power in this country in former ages, there is, perhaps, no circumstance which affects the mind more painfully than the long imprisonment of individuals for offences against the State. Two centuries ago, it rarely happened that the Tower was untenanted by state prisoners; in consequence of which the Lieutenant was required to make occasional returns, to the Privy Council, of the names of such prisoners as he had in his custody, specifying the expenses of the diet of each, and the degree of liberty allowed, with other particulars respecting them, On looking over these returns, many of which are preserved at the State-Paper Office, we often find the same names recurring year after year for a long series of years, until upon the death of the individual, or some political change which caused his enlargement, his name disappears from these calendars of misery. Thus the third Duke of Nor folk, having been imprisoned during several years of the reign of Henry VIII., and the whole reign

of Edward VI., was released upon the accession of Mary; Philip, Earl of Arundel, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, died in the Tower in the eleventh year of his captivity*; and the Earl of Northumberland, in the reign of James I., continued fifteen years a prisoner within the walls of the Tower. To such a state of hopeless imprisonment, which in anticipation as well as in endurance was more dreadful than the death they had escaped, were Raleigh and the Lords Cobham and Grey delivered upon being reconducted to the Tower, after having borne their part in the performance of the tragical mummery described in Sir Dudley Carleton's Letter. The residue of the story of the Lords Cobham and Grey is soon related; the former remained a prisoner in the Tower for many years; and though he eventually regained his liberty, his title and possessions, which were forfeited by his attainder, were never restored; and, in 1618, he died in a mean lodging in the Minories, belonging to a poor woman who had been his laundress, in the most abject penury and wretchedness. Lord Grey, who endured much sickness in the Tower, and whose fate excited the warm commiseration of his contemporaries, lay there until the year 1614, and was then released from his captivity by death†.

*An autograph inscription of the Earl of Arundel is still to be seen on the wall of the apartment occupied by him in the Tower: "Quanto plus afflictionis pro Christo in hoc sæculo, tanto plus gloriæ cum Christo in futuro. [The more affliction for Christ in this world, the greater glory with Christ in eternity.] Arundell, June 22, 1587."

A letter written from the Tower a few years before his death by this Nobleman, to the Earl of Salisbury (the Lord Cecil in these proceedings), is interesting as an exhibition of the miserable wants and enjoyments of a captive; and when compared with the description of Lord Grey on his trial and on the scaffold contained in Carleton's Letters, forms a striking picture of a mind and body "wasted away by long expectation and confinement." It is taken