paid, but his friends might come unto him. And I must not let passe the skill of the Lord Loriskine, a Scotchman, who long before, by his physiognomy, told Sir George Marshall, that Sir Thomas Monson would escape hanging nearer then ever any man did; which was true, for he was twice brought to his tryal, put himselfe both times upon his country, yet was only indicted, never tried, and yet he had harder measure then ever any man had; for he lost his office, being but indicted, and not condemned, which is without any president.

And now for the last act enters Somerset himselfe on the stage, who (being told, as the manner is, by the lieutenant, that he must provyde to goe next day to his tryal) did absolutely refuse it, and said, they should carry him in his bed; that the king had assured him he should not come to any tryal, neither durst, the king bring him to tryal. This was in an high strain, and in a language not well understood by Sir George Moore, (then lieutenant in Elwaies his room,) that made Moore qui

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very; for prevention whereof he had two servants placed on each side of him, with a cloak on their arms, giving them withall a peremptory order, if that Somerset did any way fly out on the king, they should instantly hood-wink him with that cloak, take him violently from the bar, and carry him away; for which he would sécure them from any danger, and they should not want also a bountiful reward. But the earle, finding himselfe over-reached, recollected a better temper, and went on calmly in his tryall, where he held the company untill seven at night. But who had seen the kings restJesse motion all that day, sending to every boat he saw landing at the bridge, cursing all that came without tidings, would have easily judged all was not right, and there had been some grounds for his feares of Somersets boldnesse; but at last one bringing him word he was condemned, and the passages, all was quiet. This is the very relation from Moores owne mouth, and this told verbatim, in Wanstead Parke, to two

こ

gentlemen (of which the author was one)
who were both left by him to their own free-
dome, without engaging them, even in those
times of high distemperatures, unto a faith-
ful secresie in concealing it; yet, though he
failed in his wisdome, they failed not in that
worth inherent in every noble spirit, never
speaking of it till after the kings death.

And there were other strong inducements
to believe Somerset knew that by the king
he desired none other in the world should be
partaker of, and that all was not peace
within in the peace-maker himselfe ; for he
ever courted Somerset to his dying day, and
gave him 40007. per annum for fee farme
rents after he was condemned, which he
took in his servants name, not his owne, (as
then being condemned, not capable of,)
and he then resolved never to have a par-
don. I have heard it credibly reported, he
was told by a wizzard, that could he but
come to see the kings face againe, he should
be re-invested in his former dearnesse with
him. This had been no hard experiment,
but belike he had too much religion, to trust

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to wizzards, or else some friends of his had trusted them, and been deceived by them, that he had little reason to put confidence in them.

Many beleeved him guilty of Overburies death, but the most thought him guilty only of the breach of friendship, (and that in a high point,) by suffering his imprisonment, which was the high way to his murther; and this conjecture I take to be of the soundest opinion; for by keeping him out of the action, (if it were discovered,) his greatnesse, fortified with innocency, would carry their nocencies through all dangers. For the gentleman himselfe, he had misfortune enough to marry such a woman, in such a family, which first undermined his honor, afterwards his life, (at least to be dead in law;) nor did any thing reflect upon him in all his time of favourite, but in, and by that family; first in his adulterous marriage, then in so hated a family; and the bringing in Cranfield and Ingram, as projectors, all by his wives and friends means. Otherwise, had he beene the bravest favo

rite of our time, full of majesty, imploying his time like a statesman, and the king kept correspondency with him by letters, almost weekly, to his dying day.

And here have we brought this great mans glory to its period, with his fatal countesse, who some years after it, dyed miserably at Chiswick. Mris Turner, Weston, Franklyn, and Elwaies dyed in the Tower, Weston ever saying, it never troubled him to dye for the blue ribbonds sake: And so was concluded that grand businesse, the grosse production of a then foule state and court, wherein pride, revenge, and luxury abounded. Yet, and its verily beleeved, when the king made those terrible imprecations on himselfe, and deprecations of the judges, it was intended the law should run in its proper channel, but was stopt and put out of course by the folly of that great clerke, though no wise man, Sir Edward Cook; who, in a vaine-glorious speech, to shew his vigilance, enters into a rapture, as he sate on the bench, saying, "God knows

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