The theatre of Gods judgements wherein is represented the admirable justice of God against all notorious sinners ... / collected out of sacred, ecclesiasticall, and pagan histories by two most reverend doctors in divinity, Thomas Beard ... and Tho. Taylor ...

CHA. XI. Of the admirable discovery of Murders.

AS the Lord hath shewed himselfe a most just Judge, in punishing most severely this horrible sinne of shed∣ding mans bloud, so hath he alwaies declared his dete∣station thereof, and his will to have it punished by those who are in his stead upon the earth, and have the sword of vengeance committed unto them: by his mi∣raculous and superhaturall detecting of such murder∣ers from time to time, who have carried their villa∣nies so closely, as the eye of man could not espy them: plainely shewing thereby, that the bloud of the slaine crieth to the Lord for vengeance from the earth, as Abels did upon Cain▪ and that God will have that law stand * 1.1 true and firme, which he made almost before all other lawes: He that shed∣deth mans bloud, by man shall his bloud be shed. If I should commit to writing * 1.2 all the examples of this kinde, which either are recorded in Authors, or which dayly experience doth offer unto us, it would require rather a full Booke than a short Chapter for that subject: And therefore I will be con∣tent with some few, and those for truth most credible, and yet for strange∣nesse most incredible.

And to begin with our owne countrey: About the yeare of our Lord * 1.3 867, a certaine Nobleman of the Danes, of the kings stock, called Lothebro∣cus, father to Inguar and Hubba, entring upon a certaine time with his hawke into a cockboat alone, by chance through tempest was driven with his hawke to the coast of Northfolke in England, named Rodham: where be∣ing found, and detained, he was presented to king Edmund, that raigned over the East-Angles in Northfolke and Suffolke at that time. The King (as hee

was a just and good man) understanding his parentage, and seeing his cause, entertained him in his Court accordingly; and every day more and more perceiving his activity, and great dexterity in hunting and hawking, bare speciall favour unto him: insomuch that the Kings Faulconer bearing pri∣vy malice against him, for this cause, secretly as they were hunting together in a wood, did murther him, and threw him in a bush. Lothebroke being thus murthered, and shortly missed in the Kings house, no tydings could be heard of him, untill it pleased God to reveale the murther by his dog: which continuing in the wood with the corps of his Master, at sundry times came to the Court, and fauned on the King: so that the King suspecting some such matter, at length followed the trace of the hound, and was brought to the place where Lothebroke lay. Whereupon inquisition being made, at length by some circumstances of words, and other suspitions, it was knowne that he was murdered by Berik•• the Kings Faulconer: who for his punishment he was set into the same boat of Lothebroke alone, and so com∣mitted to the mercy of the sea: but the sea more mercifull to him than he was to Lothebroke, carried him directly to the coast of Denmarke, from whence Lothebroke came; as it were there to be punished for his murder. Here the boat of Lothebroke being well knowne, hands were lay upon him, and by torments he was enquired into: but hee to save himselfe, uttered an untruth of King Edmund; saying, That the King had put him to death in Northfolke. Whereupon revenge was devised, and to that end an army of men prepared and sent over: which was the first occasion of the Danes ar∣rivall in this land. Thus was this murther wonderfully discovered by meanes of a dog.

Plutarch in his book Desolertia a••imalium, reporteth the like story of a * 1.4 souldier of King Pyrrhus, who being slain, his dog discovered the murder∣ers: for when as the dog could by no meanes be brought from the dead bo∣dy, but fauning upon the King, as it were desiring helpe at his hand; the King commanded all his Army to passe by in good order by two and two, till at length the murtherers came; and then the dog flew upon them so fiercely, as if he would have torne them in pieces; and turning to the king, ranne againe upon the murderers. Whereupon being apprehended and examined, they soone confessed the fact, and received condigne punishment for their desert. Plutarch ascribeth this to the secret of Natures instinct: but we must rather attribute both this and all such like, to the mighty fin∣ger of God. who to terrifie men from shedding humane bloud, doth stirre up the dumbe creatures to be revealers of their bloudy sinne.

The like story the same Author reporteth of the murder of the Poet Hesiod, who being slaine by the sonnes of Ganyctor, the murder, though se∣cret, * 1.5 and the Murderers, though unknowne to all the world save to God and their owne conscience, were discovered and brought to punishment by the means of a dog which belonged to him that was murdered.

The like also we reade of two French Merchants, which travailing toge∣ther through a certaine Wood, one of them rose against the other for the * 1.6 desire of his mony, and so slew him, and buried him▪ but the Dog of the murdered Merchant would not depart from the place, but filled the Woods with howlings and cryes. The murderer went forward on his journey, and the Inhabitants neere the said Wood, found out the murdered corps, and also the Dog, whom they tooke up and nourished till the Faire was done,

and the Merchants returned; at which time they watched the Highwayes, having the Dog with them: who seeing the murtherer, instantly made force at him without all provocation, as a man would doe at his mortall enemy: which thing caused the people to apprehend him; who being exa∣mined, confessed the fact, and received condigne punishment for so foule a deed.

The same Author reporteth yet a more memorable and strange story of * 1.7 another murder discovered also by the meanes of a dogge, which I may not omit. There was (saith hee) a certaine maid neere Paris, who was be∣loved of two young men; the one of whom as he was going to visite his love, happened to be murdered by the way, and buried: now his dog which he had with him would not depart from the grave of his master: at the last the young man being missed by his father and brethren, was diligently sought for; but not finding him, at last they found his dog lying upon his grave, that howled pittifully as soone as he saw his masters brother: the grave was opened, and the wounded corps found, which was brought away, and committed to other buriall, untill the murderer should be descryed: Afterward, in processe of time, the dogge in the presence of the dead mans brethren espied the murderer, and presently assaulted him with great fierce∣nesse: Whereupon he was appreliended, and examined, and when by no meanes nor policy he would confesse, the magistrate adjudged, That the young man and the dogge should combate together: The dogge was cover∣ed with a dry sod skinne in stead of armour, and the murderer with a speare, and on his body a thinne linnen cloth; and so they both came forth to fight: but behold the hand of vengeance: the man offering at the dogge with his speare, the dogge leaped presently at his face, and caught him fast by the throat, and overthrew him: whereat the wretch amased, cryed out to the beholders, Take pity on me, and pull off the dogge from my throat, and I will confesse all▪ the which being done, he declared the cause and manner of the whole murder, and for the same was deservedly put to death.

All these murders were discovered by dogges, the Lord using them as instruments to reveale his justice and vengeance upon this bloudy sinne, but these following by other meanes: The murder of the Poet Ibycus was detected by Cranes; as you may see in the 36 chapter of this booke more at large set forth.

Luther recites such another story as that of Ibycus, of a certain Almaigne, * 1.8 who in travelling fell among theeves, which being about to cut his throat, the poore man espied a flight of Crows, and said, O Crows I take you for wit∣nesses and revengers of my death. About two or three daies after, these mur∣dering theeves drinking in an Inne, a company of Crows came and lighted on the top of the house: whereupon the theeves began to laugh and say one to another, Looke yonder are they which must revenge his death, whom we dispatched the other day. The Tapster over-hearing them, told it to the ma∣gistrat; who presently caused them to be apprehended, and upon their dis∣agreeing in speeches and contrary answers, urged them so far, that they con∣fessed the truth, and received their deserved punishment.

There was one Bessus (as Plutarch reporteth) who having killed his fa∣ther, was brought both to knowledge and punishment by the meanes of * 1.9 Swallowes: for his guilty conscience persuaded him, that the Swallowes in their chattering language did say to one another, That Bessus had killed his

father: whereupon not able to conceale his owne guiltinesse, hee be∣wrayed his horrible fact: and was worthily and deservedly for the same put to death.

But of all the examples that either reading or experience can afford, none in my opinion is either more admirable, or a more clearer testimony of Gods providence & justice, than that which hapned about a Lucquois Merchant, * 1.10 who comming out of England to Roan in France, and from thence making towards Paris, was in the way, on a mountain neer to Argentueil, murdered by a Frenchman his servant, and his body throwne amongst the Vines. Now as this fact was a doing, a blind man ran by, being led by his dog; who hea∣ring one groane, asked who it was? Whereunto the murderer answered, that it was a sicke man going to ease himselfe. The blind man thus deluded, went his way, and the servant with his masters money, and with Papers of his takes up at Paris a good summe of money, and sets up a shop at Roane. Now this Merchant being expected at Luca a whole yeare together, whi∣ther he had sent word he would shortly repaire; when he came not, a mes∣senger was dispatched to seeke him out; and after much enquiry at London and Roan, and elsewhere, he learnt at last in an Inne, that a Lucquois Mer∣chant about sixe moneths before had lodged there, and was gone to Paris: where also not hearing any tydings of him, he suspected that he was mur∣thered, & made his complaint to the Court of Parliament at Roan: Which imbracing this businesse (being directed by Gods providence) made en∣quiry up and downe the Towne, Whether there were any that within seven or eight moneths had set up a new shop; and finding one, caused him to be arrested for a supposed and a pretended debt: but in the end examined him upon this murther, and laid it to his charge: herewith the prisoner, so∣licited partly bythe remorse of his conscience, & partly by hope of freeing himselfe by a bribe, confessed the fact in private to the Justice but as soone as he perceived that he went about to call in witnesses to his confession, hee denyed it againe: in briefe, the new Merchant is committed to prison, and he sueth the Justice for forgerie and false imprisonment: the Justice can by no meanes cleare himselfe, but onely by the assurance that all men had of his honesty. The matter hangs thus in suspence, till at length the dead carkasse of the Lucquois was ••eard of, and the blind man also came to light who heard the noyse of the murther: to make short, this blind man was brought to confront the prisoner; and twenty men were caused to speake one after another, and still the blinde man was demaunded, whether hee knew their voices, and said, That that was the man that answered him on the mountaine. This course being ofttimes re-iterated, the blind man hit al∣wayes on the right, and never missed. Whereupon the Court condemned him to death, and before he dyed he confessed the fact, to the great glory of Gods Justice, and the great amazement and strange astonishment of all men.

At Paris, in the yeare of our Lord 1551, a certaine young woman was brained by a man with a hammer, neere unto Saint Opportunes Church, * 1.11 as she was going to midnight Masse, and all her rings and jewels taken from her: This hammer was stolne from a poore Smith there by the same eve∣ning; who therefore being suspected of the murder, was cruelly handled, and put to extraordinary torture, by reason of the vehement presumptions made against him; in such sort, that hee was quite lamed and deprived

of the meanes to get his living; whereby being reduced into extreame po∣verty, he ended his life in great misery. All this while the murderer re∣mained unknowne almost for the space of twenty yeares, and the memory of the murder seemed to be buried with the poore woman in her grave: now marke the justice of God, who hath promised, that nothing shall be so hid but shall be brought to light. It hapned, that one Iohn Flaming, Serge∣ant of the Subsidies at Paris, being upon occasion of businesse at S. Leups, a Village by Montmorency, chanced among other talke at Supper to say, how he had left his wife at home sicke, and no body with her but a little boy: there was an old man then present, named Monstier, and a sonne in law of his, who immediatly upon this speech went away that night, with each of them a basket of cherries and a greene goose, and came about ten of the clock the next morning to Flamings house, where they intended to murder both the woman and the boy, and to possesse themselves of all the goods that they could conveniently carrie away: but the Lord prevented them of their pur∣pose: for being let in at the dores by the boy, pretending that they came from the husband with th••se remembrances to his wife, they presently slew the boy, thinking also to surprise the woman; but she hearing the cry of the boy, lockt fast her chamber dore, and cried for helpe out at her window, whereupon the neighbors running to the house tooke these two villaines, one hidden in the funnell of the Chimney; and the other in a Well in the Cellar, with nothing but his nose above water. Now these two wretches be∣ing thus apprehended, arraigned, and condemned, being on the seaffold at the place of execution, the old man desired to speake with the Smithes wi∣dow, whose husband was suspected for the first murder: of whom when she came, hee asked forgivenesse; saying, that it was he which had killed the young woman by S. Opportunes Church. Thus the Lord discovered both the innocency of the Smith, and the guiltinesse of this vile murderer, and that twenty yeeres after the fact was committed.

Not long since the like discovery of a murderer was made here in Eng∣land in Leicestershire, not farre from Lutterworth, almost twenty yeeres after the fact committed, The murder was committed by a Miller upon one in his Mill, whom he buried in the ground hard by: This Miller removed unto another countrey, and there dwelt a long space, untill at last guided by Gods Almighty providence, to the manifestation of his justice, he returned unto that place to visit some of his friends. Now in the meane time whilest he was there, the Miller that now possessed the former Mill, had occasion to dig deepe into the ground, where he found the carkasse of a dead man, pre∣sently it was suspected that some had beene murdered, and was there buried: whereupon the Lord put it into their hearts to remember, how about twenty yeares before a certaine neighbour of theirs was suddenly missed, and could never be heard of, insomuch that all supposed him to have beene dead in some strange countrey: this carkasse they suspected to be his, and bethinking themselves who was then Miller of that Mill, behold he was there ready in the towne, not having been there for many yeares before. This man was suspected, nd thereupon examined, and without much adoe confes∣sed the fact, and received deserved punishment.

Who seeth not here manifest traces and footsteps of Gods providence? First in reducing the murderer to that place at that time: Secondly, in stirring up the Miller to digge at the same time also: thirdly, in

putting into the hearts of the people the missing of such a man, whose me∣mory was almost forgotten: and lastly, in causing the murderer to confesse his deed, when as no proofe nor witnesse could be brought against him: but here is the justice of God against all such, Vengeance will not suffer the mur∣derer * 1.12 to live.

Henry Ranzovius, Lieutenant for the King of Denmarke in the Duchie of * 1.13 Holsace, makes relation in a letter of his, of an ordinary meanes of finding out Murderers, practised in the kingdome of Denmark by King Christiernus the second, and permitted over all his Kingdome; the occasion whereof (he saith) was this: Certaine Gentlemen being on an evening together in a stove, fell out among themselves, and from words grew to blowes (the Candles being put out) insomuch that one of them was stabbed with a pu∣nyard. Now the deed doer was unknowne by reason of the number; al∣though the Gentleman accused a Pursevant of the Kings for it, who was one of them in the stove. The King to finde out the homicide, caused them all to come together in the stove, and standing round about the dead Corps, becommanded that they should one after another lay their right hand on the slain Gentlemans naked breasts, swearing they had not killed him: the Gentlemen did so, and no signe appeared to witnesse against them; the Pur∣sevant onely remained, who condemned before in his owne conscience, went first of all and kissed the dead mans feet, but as soone as he layed his hand on his breast, the blood gushed forth in abundance, both out of his wound and nosthrils, so that urged by this evident accusation, he confessed the murder, and by the Kings owne sentence was incontinently beheaded: whereupon (as I said before) arose that practise which is now ordinary in many places of finding out unknowne Murders; which by the admirable power of God are for the most part revealed, either by the bleeding of the corpes, or the opening of the eye, or some other extraordinary signe, as daily experience doth teach.

The same Authour reporteth another example farre more strange, in the same letter written to David Chytreus, which happened at Itzehow in Den∣marke. A Traveller was murdered by the high-way side, and because the murderer could not be found out, the Magistrates of Itzehow caused the bo∣dy to be taken up, and one of the hands to be cut off, which was carried into the prison of the Towne, and hung up by a string in one of the Cham∣bers: about ten yeares after, the murderer comming upon some occasion in to the prison, the hand which had been a long time dry began to drop blood on the Table that stood underneath it: which the Gaoler beholding, stayed the fellow, and advertised the Magistrates of it; who examining him, the * 1.14 murderer giving glory to God, confessed his fact, and submitted himselfe to the rigour of the Law, which was inflicted on him, as he very well de∣served.

At Winsheime in Germany, a certaine Theefe after many Robberies and Murders committed by him upon Travellers and Women with childe, went to the Shambles before Easter, and bought three Calves heads, which when hee put into a Wallet, they seemed to the standers by to be mens heads: whereupon being attached and searched by the Officers, and he ex∣amined how hee came by them, answered and proved by witnesses, that hee bought Calves heads, and how they were transformed ••hee knew not: whereupon the Senate amazed, not supposing this miracle to

arise of naught, cast the party into prison, and tortured him to make him confesse what villany he had committed; who confessed indeed at last his horrible murders, and was worthily punished for the same, and then the heads recovered their old shapes. When I read this story, I was halfe afraid to set it downe, least I should seeme to insert fables into this serious Treatise of Gods Judgements: but seeing the Lord doth often worke miraculously for the disclosing of this foule sinne, I thought that it would not seeme alto∣gether incredible.

Another murderer at Tubing betrayed his murder by his owne sighes, which were so deepe and incessant, in griefe not of his fact, but of his small * 1.15 booty, that being but asked the question, he confessed the crime, and under∣went worthy punishment.

Another murtherer in Spain was discovered by the trembling of his heart; for when many were suspected of the murder, and all renounced it, the Judge caused all their breasts to be opened, and him in whom he saw most trembling of brest, he condemned, who also could not deny the fact, but pre∣sently confessed the same.

At Isenacum a certaine yong man being in love with a maid, and not ha∣ving wherewith to maintain her, used this unlawfull meanes to accomplish his desire; upon a night he slew his host, and throwing his body into a Cel∣lar, tooke away all his money, and then hasted away; but the terrour of his owne conscience and the judgement of God so besotted him, that hee could not stirre a foot untill he was apprchended. At the same time Mar∣tin Luther, and Philip Melancthon abode at Isenacum, and were eye-witnesses of this miraculous judgement, who also so dealt with this murderer, that in most humble and penitent confession of his sinnes, and comfort of soule, he ended his life.

By all these examples wee see, how hard it is for a murderer to escape without his reward: when the justice of man is either too blinde, that it cannot search out the truth, or too blunt, that it doth not strike with seve∣rity the man appointed unto death, then the justice of God riseth up, and with his owne arme he discovereth and punisheth the murderer; yea, rather than he shall goe unpunished, sencelesse creatures and his owne heart and tongue rise to give sentence against him. I doubt not but daily experi∣ence in all places affordeth many more examples to this purpose, and espe∣cially the experience of our Judges in criminall causes, who have continuall occasion of understanding such matters in their Circuits: but these shall suffice for our present purpose.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 4.
• * 1.2

  Gen.
• * 1.3

  Ex historia Iornlens.
• * 1.4

  Plutarch. So∣le••ria anim••.
• * 1.5

  The same.
• * 1.6

  Blondus.
• * 1.7

  Blondus.
• * 1.8

  Luther.
• * 1.9

  Plutarch.
• * 1.10

  Pasquier, Recerche••▪ lib. 5. c. 20.
• * 1.11

  Pasquier, Recerches, lib. 5. c. 20.
• * 1.12

  Acts 28. 4.
• * 1.13

  Ranzovius.
• * 1.14

  Phi. Lonicer. Theat. hist. Fides sit apud authorem. Though strange, yet not incredi∣ble, since God can as well turne Calves heads into mens, as a rod into a ser∣pent, or wa∣ter into blood.
• * 1.15

  Lonicer.