thoughts, until he was eased of that heavy weight. Out of which passion of his mind, and discharge of his duty to his prince, and his conscience to God, taking it upon his salvation that he wrote nothing but the truth, with his own hands he wrote this letter. Now, Sir, you shall see whether you had intelligence with Cobham, within four days before he came to the Tower. If he be wholly Spanish, that desired a pension of £.1500 a-year from Spain, that Spain by him might have intelligence, then Ralegh is a traitor. He hath taken an apple, and pinned a letter unto it, and threw it into my Lord Cobham's window; the contents whereof were this, it is doubtful whether we shall be proceeded with or no; perhaps you shall not be tried. This was to get a retractation. O! it was Adam's apple, whereby the devil did deceive him. Farther, he wrote thus, do not as my Lord of Essex did; take heed of a preacher; for by his persuasion be confessed, and made himself guilty. I doubt not but this day God shall have as great a conquest by this traitor, and the Son of God shall be as much glorified, as when it was said Vicisti Galilee; you know my meaning. What though Cobham retracted, yet he could not rest nor sleep till he confirmed it again. If this be not enough to prove him a traitor, the king my master shall not live three years to an

end.

Here Mr. Attorney produced the Lord COBHAM's Letter, and as he read it inserted some speeches.

I have thought fit to set down this to My Lords, wherein I protest on my soul to write nothing but the truth. I am now come near

the period of my time, therefore I confess the whole truth before God

and his angels. Ralegh, four days before I came from the Tower, • caused an apple (Attorney, Eve's apple,) to be thrown in at my chamber-window; the effect of it was, to entreat me to right the wrong

⚫ that I had done him, in saying, that I should have come home by Jersey; which under my hand to him I have retracted. His first letter

I answered not, which was thrown in the same manner; wherein he prayed me to write him a letter, which I did. He sent me word, that

that the judges met at Mr. Attorney's house, and that there was good hope the proceedings against us should be stayed: he sent me another time a little tobacco. At Aremberg's coming, Ralegh was to have procured a pension of L. 1500 a-year, for which he promised, that no action should be against Spain, the Low⚫ countries, or the Indies, but he would give knowledge before-hand. He told me, the States had audience with the king. (Attorney, Ah! is not this a Spanish heart in an English body?) He hath been the original cause of my ruin; for I had no dealing with Aremberg, • but by his instigation. He hath also been the cause of my discontentment; he advised me not to be overtaken with preachers, as Essex was; and that the king, would better allow of a constant denial, than to accuse any."

Attorney. O damnable Atheist! He hath learnt some text of Scripture to serve his own purpose, but falsely alledged. He counsels him not to be counselled by preachers as Essex was: he died the child of God, God honoured him at his death; thou wast by when he died: Et lupus et turpes instant morientibus ursa. He died indeed for his offence. The king himself spake these words, he that shall Essex died not for treason, is punishable.

say

Now he

Ralegh. You have heard a strange tale of a strange man. thinks he hath matter enough to destroy me; but the king and all of you shall witness, by our deaths, which of us was the ruin of the other. I bid a poor fellow throw in the letter at his window, written to this purpose; You know you have undone me, now write three lines to justify me. In this I will die, that he hath done me wrong: why did not he acquaint me with his treasons, if I acquainted him with my dispositions?

Ld. Ch. Just. But what say you now of the letter, and the pension of £.1500 per annum ?

Ralegh. I say, that Cobham is a base, dishonourable, poor soul. Attorney. Is he base? I return it into thy throat on his behalf: but for thee, he had been a good subject.

Lord Ch. Just. I perceive you are not so clear a man, as you have

protested

protested all this while; for you should have discovered these matters to the king.

Here Ralegh pulled a letter out of his pocket, which the Lord Cobham had written to him, and desired my Lord Cecil to read it, because he only knew his hand; the effect of it was as follows:

COBHAM's Letter of Justification to RALEGH.

Seeing myself so near my end, for the discharge of my own con⚫ science, and freeing myself from your blood, which else will cry vengeance against me, I protest upon my salvation I never practised with Spain by your procurement; God so comfort me in this my affliction, as you are a true subject, for anything that I know. I will say as Daniel, Purus sum a sanguine hujus. So God have mercy upon my soul, as I know no treason by you ! Ralegh. Now I wonder how many souls this man hath; he damns one in this letter, and another in that.

Here was much ado: Mr. Attorney alledged, that his last letter was politicly and cunningly urged from the Lord Cobham, and that the first was simply the truth; and that lest it should seem doubtful that the first letter was drawn from my Lord Cobham by promise of mercy, or hope of favour, the Lord Chief Justice willed that the jury might berein be satisfied.

Whereupon the Earl of Devonshire delivered, that the same was mere voluntary, and not extracted from the Lord Cobham upon any hopes or promise of pardon.

This was the last evidence: whereupon a marshal was sworn to keep the jury private. The jury departed, and staid net a quarter of an hour, but returned, and gave their verdict, GUILTY.

Serjeant HEALE demanded Judgment against the Prisoner. Clerk of the Crown. Sir Walter Ralegh, thou hast been indicted, arraigned, and pleaded not guilty, for all these several treasons; and

for

for trial thereof hast put thyself upon thy country, which country are these who have found thee guilty. What canst thou say for thyself why judgment and execution of death should not pass against thee?

Ralegh. My Lords, the jury have found me guilty, they must do as they are directed, I can say nothing why judgment should not proceed. You see whereof Cobham hath accused me, you remember his protestations that I was never guilty. I desire the king should know of the wrongs done unto me since I came hither..

Ld. Chief Just. You have had no wrong, Sir Walter..

Ralegh. Yes, of Mr. Attorney. I desire My Lords to remember three things to the king. I. I was accused to be a practiser with Spain I never knew that My Lord Cobham meant to go thither. I will ask no mercy at the king's hands if he will affirm it. II. I never knew of the practice with Arabella. III. I never knew of My Lord Cobham's practice with Aremberg, nor of the surprising.

treason.

Ld. Ch. Just. In my conscience I am persuaded, that Cobham hath accused you truly. You cannot deny but that you were dealt. with to have a pension to be a spy for Spain, therefore you are not so true to the king as you have protested yourself to be.

is

Ralegh. I submit myself to the king's mercy.

I know his mercy greater than my offence. I recommend my wife, and son of ten-der years, unbrought-up, to his compassion.

Ld. Ch. Just. I thought I should never have seen this day, to have stood in this place to give sentence of death against you; because I thought it impossible, that one of so great parts should have fallen so grievously. God hath bestowed on you many benefits. You had: been a man fit and able to have served the king in good place-you; had brought yourself into a good state of living. If you had enter-ed into a good consideration of your estate, and not suffered your own wit to have entrapped yourself, you might have lived in good comfort. It is best for man, not to seek to climb too high, lest he fall; nor yet to creep too low, lest he be trodden-on. It was the

posy

posy

of the wisest and greatest counsellor of our time in England, in medio spatio mediocria firma locantur. You might have lived well with .3000 a-year; for so I have heard your revenues to be. I know nothing might move you to be discontented; but if you had been down, you know Fortune's wheel, when it is turned about, riseth again. I never heard that the king took-away anything from you but the captainship of the guard; which he did with very good reason, to have one of his own knowledge whom he might trust in that place. You have been taken for a wise man, and so have shewed wit enough this day. Again, for monopolies for wine, &c. if the king had said, it is a matter that offends my people, should I burden them for your private good? I think you could not well take it hardly that his subjects were eased, though by your private hindrance. Two vices have lodged chiefly in you. ambition; the other, corrupt covetousness. to be advanced to equal grace and favour as you have been beforetime-that grace you had then, you got not in a day or year. your covetousness, I am sorry to hear that a gentleman of your wealth should become a base spy for the enemy, which is the vilest of all other, wherein, on my conscience, Cobham hath said true! By it would have increased your living . 1500 a year. you £. This covetousness is like a canker, that eats the iron-place where it lives. Your case being thus, let it not grieve you, if I speak a little out of zeal and love to your good.

One is, an eager Ambition, in desiring

For

You have been taxed by the world with the defence of the most heathenish and blasphemous opinions; which I list not to repeat, because Christian ears cannot endure to hear them, nor the authors and maintainers of them be suffered to live in any Christian commonwealth. You know what men said of Harpool. You shall do well

before

you go out of the world, to give satisfaction therein; and not to die with these imputations on you. Let not any devil persuade you to think there is no eternity in heaven. For if you think thus, you shall find eternity in hell-fire. In the first accusation of My

Lord