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would not yield unto them, he would crave pardon, and with reverence urge them and answer them in points of law and essential matter of fact; towards the jury, affable, but not fawning; not in despair, but hoping in them; carefully persuading with reason, not distemperedly importuning with conjuration; rather showing love of life, than fear of death. Towards the King's Counsel patient, but not insensibly neglecting nor yielding to imputations laid against him by words; and it was wondered that a man of his heroic spirit could be so valiant in suffer. ing that he was never once overtaken in passion."

Immediately after the Trial, Sir Walter Raleigh, having no encouragement, from his experience of the past, to expect mercy at the hands of the King, began to prepare himself for his approaching fate. His Execution was at one time fixed for the 12th of December; and it was during that interval, that he wrote the following Letter to Lady Raleigh, which, in the expression of strong and manly feeling, is not perhaps surpassed by any composition of a similar kind in the English language:—

RALEIGH'S LETTER TO HIS WIFE *.

You shall now receive, my dear wife, my last words in these my last lines. My love I send you, that you may keep it when I am dead, and my counsel that you may remember it when I am no more. I would not by my 'will present you with sorrows, dear Besse; let them 'go into the grave with me, and be buried in the dust. And seeing that it is not God's will that I should see you any more in this life, bear it patiently, and with a

*Lady Raleigh was a daughter of Sir Nicholas Throckmorton. She had been maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth, and was seduced by Raleigh, who consequently incurred the heavy displeasure of the Queen. He afterwards married her, and it appears from the Letters of those times that they always lived together in the greatest harmony. Lady Raleigh attended her husband during his long imprisonment with the most unwearied affection. Her Letters display an amiable and highly accomplished mind.

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heart like thyself. First, I send you all the thanks that my heart can conceive, or my words can rehearse, for your many travails, and care taken for me; which though they have not taken effect as you wished, yet my debt to you is not the less; but pay it I never shall in this world. Secondly, I beseech you for the love you bare me living, do not hide yourself many days; "but by your travails seek to help your miserable fortunes, and the right of your poor child. Thy mourning cannot avail me,-I am but dust. Thirdly, you 'shall understand that my land was conveyed bonâ fide to my child; the writings were drawn at Midsummer was twelve months; my honest cousin Brett can testify 'so much, and Dolberry too can remember somewhat therein. And I trust my blood will quench their 'malice that have cruelly murdered me, and that they will not seek also to kill thee and thine with extreme 'poverty. To what friend to direct thee I know not, for all mine have left me in the true time of trial. And I perceive that my death was determined from the first day. Most sorry I am, God knows, that being thus surprised with death, I can leave you in no better estate. 'God is my witness, I meant you all my office of wines, or all that I could have purchased by selling it, half my stuff, and all my jewels, but some one for the boy; but God hath prevented all my resolutions, that great 'God that ruleth all in all: but if you can live free from want, care for no more, the rest is but vanity. God, and begin betimes to repose yourself upon him, and therein shall you find true and lasting riches, and ' endless comfort; for the rest, when you have travailed and wearied your thoughts over all sorts of worldly cogitations, you shall but sit down by sorrow in the end. Teach your son also to love and fear God whilst he is yet young, that the fear of God may grow with him; and then God will be a husband to you, and a father 'to him; a husband and a father which cannot be taken 'from you. Bailey oweth me 2007., and Adrian 6007. in Jersey. I also have much owing me besides. The arrearages of the wines will pay your debts. And howsoever you do, for my poor soul's sake pay all poor < men. When I am gone, no doubt you shall be sought to, for the world thinks that I was very rich. But

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Love

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take heed of the pretences of men, and their affections, for they last not but in honest and worthy men; and no greater misery can befal you in this life than to become a prey, and afterwards to be despised. I speak 'not this, God knows, to dissuade you from marriage, for it will be best for you, both in respect of the ' world and of God. As for me, I am no more yours, nor you mine, death hath cut us asunder; and God hath divided me from the world, and you from me. 'Remember your poor child for his father's sake, who 'chose you, and loved you in his happiest times. Get those Letters if it be possible, which I writ to the Lords, wherein I sued for life: God is my witness, that it was for you and yours that I desired life, but it is 'true that I disdained myself for begging of it: for know it, my dear wife, that your son is the son of a true 'man, and who, in his own respect, despiseth death, and all his mis-shapen and ugly forms. I cannot write much, God he knows how harldly I steal this time I while others sleep, and it is also time that I should separate my thoughts from the world. Beg my dead body, which living was denied thee; and either lay it at Sherburne (if the land continue) or in Exeter 'Church by my father and mother. I can say no more; ⚫ time and death call me away. The everlasting, powerful, infinite, and omnipotent God,-that Almighty God 'who is goodness itself, the true life and true light, keep thee and thine, have mercy on me, and teach me to forgive my persecutors and accusers, and send us to 'meet in his glorious kingdom! My dear wife, farewell! Bless my poor boy; pray for me and let my good God hold you both in his arms! Written with the dying hand of sometime thy husband, but now, alas! overthrown. WALTER RALEIGH.'

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The following Letters may serve to illustrate this trial, not only by supplying facts relating to it which are wanting in the preceding unsatisfactory report, but by showing the opinions of contemporaries respecting the proceedings; they will also inform the reader of the subsequent fate of several of the per

sons concerned in these conspiracies. The first, which is copied from the original in the State-Paper Office*, may be interesting as giving, in a connected narrative, the government version of the proceedings on all the trials:

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LORD CECIL TO MR. WINWOOD, AMBASSADOR AT THE HAGUE.

'Mr. Winwood, it is not unlikely but many reports 'will be made, according to the diversity of men's humours, of the course of our proceedings about the prisoners of which heretofore I have summarily written unto you; and therefore, because you may know what is true and what is false, I have thought good to relate particularly thus much unto you.

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The 15th of this month were arraigned at Winchester 'Castle, Mr. George Brooke, Sir G. Markham, Sir Edward Parham; Bartholomew Brooksby, and Anthony Copley, Esqrs.; William Watson and William Clarke, priests; they were all convinced, by their own confessions, and found guilty of high treason, for having practised to surprise his Majesty's person, with the Court, and as many Councillors as they could find about him; besides to have taken the Tower of London or Castle of Dover, and to have conveyed the King thither, under colour of safety, and then to have per'suaded him to assent to these three points: first, to a general pardon for all those who were interested in the surprise; secondly, to grant a toleration of the Popish religion; and, thirdly, to alter divers principal officers ' of state, in whose place they had already designed some of their complices, as, namely, Watson, the priest, to have been Lord Chancellor of England; Mr. George 'Brooke to have been Lord Treasurer; Sir Griffin Markham, Principal Secretary; the Lord Grey, Earl Marshal of England and Master of the Horse. They

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* There is a letter to Sir Thomas Parry, the Ambassador in France, in Cayley's Life of Raleigh, which is nearly the same as this; there are, however, some passages in the Letter to Winwood which are not found in the other, for which reason we have selected it for insertion here,

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⚫ also intended, after the King should have been brought 'to the Tower, to have sent for the Lord Mayor and 'Aldermen of London, and to have imprisoned them in case they should have shown the least disgust at these proceedings. This was the general project agreed upon amongst themselves; in the executing whereof it was found that there were great varieties of opinions, some imagining 300 men to suffice for this design, some more, some less; and it was confessed that Watson fed 'the rest with an assurance, if any resistance should be 'made against them, that he was able to bring forth great numbers of men amongst the Papists, his friends, and acquaintance.

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At their arraignment, after the principal points were debated, and most of them proved, by several confessions, they fell accusing of one another at the bar, all joining in exclamations upon the priests, and especially upon Watson, as the first contriver and mover of it; wherein how perversely he hath carried himself you may easily judge by the sequel. After that, by means of Mr. Brooke and Markham, Lord Grey was drawn into this plot, being of a contrary religion to these Priests, they made, cunningly, this use of that poor nobleman; and gave out, to draw the greater number of Papists unto them, that the Lord Grey, with the Puritans, having purposed to surprise the King, it was now time for the Catholics to stand with the King, and 'to rescue him if any such attempt should be offered, 'not doubting but by this their good merit towards the King, to obtain a toleration for their religion; to this purpose they exhorted them to be in readiness, and to draw up towards the Court, exacting from them an ' oath to be secret. Under this pretence the priests had 'drawn sundry gentlemen into their party, and, no doubt, had put the state to great hazard if their practices had 'not been in time discovered. Sir Edward Parham, being arraigned amongst the rest, was acquitted by the Jury, because the evidence brought in against him 'seemed not so strong as against the rest that had been the first plotters and misleaders of others. What will 'become of them now that they stand in his Majesty's mercy I cannot yet advertise you; but order was given

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VOL. I.

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