speech of it. Whereupon he begun to discourse about the proceedings of my Lord Chief Justice concerning the death of the said Sir Thomas, saying that they went about to prove him poisoned; but, said he, he was not poisoned, but died of a consumption proceeding of melancholy, by reason of his imprisonment; speaking very hardly against those that went about to prove Sir Thomas to be poisoned, saying that the clyster which they pretend was the cause of his death (for which his son was called into question) was prescribed unto him by Mr Doctor Magerne, the King's doctor, and that his son had made it according to his directions (not once speaking of his man to have any hand in it); and used very reproachful words, saying that our English doctors were all but fools, speaking wildly of Dr Butler and others, as also of Mr Chamberlyne, the Queen's chirurgeon, who doth not like the proceedings of Mons Magerne, whom Doctor Lobell commended to be the bravest doctor, and that there was never a good doctor in England but Magerne; to whom I answered, that I had heard otherwise in Paris, that he was indeed a braver courtier than a doctor; but he continued still in his commendations, dispraising all others; and so after other to the same effect we departed.

About a week after, I went abroad with my wife about some business, and by accident we met with Dr. Lobell and his wife, near unto Merchant Tailor's Hall; where, after salutations on both parts, I asked him what he now did hear about the death of Sir Thomas Overbury, telling him that now it is too manifest that he was poisoned. I also told him that I heard it was done by an apothecary's boy in Lime-street, near to Mr. Garret's, speaking as if I knew not that it was his son's boy, although I knew that it was his son's boy that did the deed; and Mrs Lobell standing by, hearing me say that he dwelt by Mr Garret, and that he was run away, she, looking upon her husband, said in French, "Oh! mon mari," &c., that is, "Oh! husband, that was William you sent into France," (or to that

effect), whom she said was his son's man; whereupon the old man, as it seemed to me, looking upon his wife, his teeth did chatter as if he trembled, which stroke me also into a quondary to hear her say so; whereupon I asked him if he did send him away, and he answered me, that he sent him by a letter unto a friend of his in Paris, saying that he knew not the cause of his departing from his master, except it were for that his master used him hardly; which was strange to me, that he should give him a letter of commendations unto a friend of his in Paris, and not to know of his son the cause of his parting, and it made me conjecture that he indeed did know the cause of his departure. Again I asked him whether the boy was an Englishman or a stranger? He answered me he was an Englishman, and his parents dwelt in Friday-street, and that they did speak to him to write to some friend by him, where he might be to learn the language; but of the boy running away he never spoke, neither can I hear that he run away before this act done; and so we parted.

M. EDWARD RYDER.*

Secondly. It would seem to have been very important for an impartial investigation of the charge against the Earl of Somerset, to have inquired what means had been afforded to any of Sir T. Overbury's relations of examining his body after death. All the evidence that could have been procured as to the post mortem appearances should have been collected; and then medical witnesses should have been examined as to the inferences which might be drawn from such appearances. From the statements of counsel at the different trials, it might be supposed that no relative or friend

*State Paper Office; Domestic Papers, 1615, Nov. 9, No. 276.

of the deceased had been allowed to see his body; that the body bore unequivocal marks of poison; and that no coroner's inquest had sat upon it. As to the last point, it was ambiguously alleged that there had been no coroner's inquest "which could be found."

It has been seen that Lobell, the apothecary who had attended Sir T. Overbury during his imprisonment, saw his body after his death, and could, doubtless, have given material evidence upon the point under consideration. From the following documents it will appear that a coroner's inquest did, in fact, sit upon Oyerbury's body; and that Sir J. Lydcote, brother-in-law of Sir T. Overbury, and other friends of the deceased, were particularly invited to inspect his body after death by the express desire of the Earl of Northampton.

The Examination of Robert Bright, Gent., one of the Coroners of the County of Middlesex, taken this 1st of October, Anno Reg. Jac. 13.

He said that Mr Lieutenant of the Tower sent for this examinant on the morning that Sir Thomas Overbury died, to take the view of the dead body of Sir Thomas Overbury; and accordingly he came to the Tower, and thereupon, by the direction of Mr Lieut, whom this examinant saw, he made a warrant to the under-bailiff of the Tower to summon a jury, who accordingly did of six warders and six others; and thereupon this examinant and the jury took a view of the body, and found the body so bare as in effect it was consumed away, having nothing but skin and bones, and the body very lank. And said that he found a black ulcer of the breadth of two fingers, and all

black round about it, betwixt the two shoulder blades; and in the brawn of the left arm he had an issue kept open with a little bullet of gold, and had a plaster on the sole of one of his feet, and on the belly of him two or three blisters of the bigness of a pease, as yellow as amber. And said that he took the verdict of the inquest in the afternoon; but said that he returned not the verdict unto the King's Bench as he ought to have, and the cause thereof was (as he said) for that the City of London, who claim to be coroner there, should have no action against him. Being demanded whether he had any fee or reward for doing his office, denied that he had any to this day, and denied also, that he had been solicited or conferred withall by any person about this matter.*

Declaration of Helwysse.

I have often since prayed to God to open what else I might heretofore know, and now might forget. This one thing concerning my Lord of Northampton God hath put into my remembrance, that after Overbury was dead, he wrote unto me, that I should send for Lydcott to see his body if he would, and that done I should have a priest ready (for that was his word) and presently bury the body, charging me to do this as I respected my friends; which upon the light that your Lord had given of his privity, now it may be suspected he might be acquainted with the practice. Some words he had, calling them the damned crew who would be ready to speak the worst. As for myself, which gladly I would find out; or for any other more than I have already written, the Lord he knoweth I cannot say nor call to mind more. This I wrote, and I thank God came into my mind even before I was to receive the sacrament, either to my comfort or utter discomfort. The letter I have not.

GEO. HELWYESS.+

* State Paper Office; Domestic Papers, 1615, Oct. 1, No. 159. + Ibid. Nov. 18, No. 301. The original in the State Paper

Lord Northampton to the Lieutenant of the Tower, Sir G.

NOBLE LIEUTENANT,

Helwiss.

If the knave's body be foul, bury it presently; I'll stand between you and harm: but if it will abide the view, send for Lidcott, and let him see it to satisfy the damned crew.* When you come to me, bring me this letter again yourself with you, or else burn it.

NORTHAMPTON.†

The Earl of Northampton to the Lieutenant of the Tower (not signed).‡

WORTHY Mr Lieutenant,

Let me intreat you to call Lidcote and three or four friends, if so many come to view the body, if they have not already done it; and so soon as it is viewed, without staying the coming of a messenger from the Court, in any case see him interred in the body of the chapel within the Tower instantly.

If they have viewed, then bury it by and by; for it is time, considering the humors of that damned crew, that only desire means to move pity and raise scandals.

Let

Office is written entirely in Sir G. Helwysse's handwriting. The spelling of the signature will be remarked.

* This phrase," the damned crew," occurs at this period on other occasions where these parties are not concerned. Thus, in the trials for the Powder Plot, Sir E. Coke says, "Observe the sending of Baynam, one of the damned crew,' to the high priest of Rome."

+ Brit. Mus., Cotton MSS., Titus C. vii., fol. 107, back. This letter is not transcribed in Winwood's "Memorials."

Winwood's "Memorials," vol. iii., p. 48, from Cotton MSS, Titus B. vii., fol. 464, &c.