A brief history of the times, &c. ...

CHAP. XIV.

Bloud or No Bloud, was the main Point in Issue, though the least part of the Question, either at the Inquest, or at the Tryals.

THE Bus'ness of the Fly-blows, and of the Eyes shut or open, will bear Inferences Plausible enough, to Puzzle a Debate; but they are Circumstances, rather of Curiosity, and Caprice, then of Weight. The Limber∣ness of the Neck, and the Circles about it, might pass well enough in the Description of a Body that had been Strangled in Sight; but it does not follow, by any Means, because it was certainly the Rope that caused the Limberness, and made that Mark; that therefore every such Limberness, and every such Mark must have

been Caus'd by a Rope; for a Stiff Collar, as one may Place the Body, and the Neck of a Man, will as surely Strangle him in a Ditch, as a Halter will do upon a Gibbet: And the Sword that brings down the Body, and the Parts of it to such a Position, does the same Office one way, that the Executioner does Another: So that if I Grant but a Likely Possibility of an Antecedent Suffocation, 'tis the Vttermost that the Case will admit; and so far at last, from being a Warrantable Ground for a Conclu∣sion, that it will scarce amount to a Competent Foundation for a Bare Conjecture. But we have spoken abundantly to These Particulars, in the Two Last Chapters; And so to the Imaginary Blows and Bruises, and the Cleanness of his Shoes. In one Word; Sir Edmund dy'd a kind of a Complicated Death: The Sword and the Collar, in Appearance, had Both their Parts in't, and either of them would have done the Work, without the Other; But the Main Stress of the Cause is yet to come. 'Tis objected that the Signs of being Strangled were Evi∣dent; but that there appear'd nothing more then the Sword through the Body to Induce any Man to Believe that he Dy'd of the Wound. The Sword was run through him after he was Dead, they say, there would have been Bloud else, and so they have cast the Question upon This Issue, Was there any Bloud or No?

The Iury, we find, were led by the Surgeons; and the Surgeons, by the Bloud, or No Bloud. Mr. Skil∣larne deliver'd himself like a Iust Man, and a Master of his Profession, All that was Possible. I took him to be Strangled, (says he) and gives his Reasons (as in the last Paragraph of his Enformation, in the Foregoing Chapter.) But then a little further to Qualifie the Matter.

Zachariah Skillarne Deposeth, That He This Enfor∣mant being ask'd what Reasons Mov'd him to be of Opi∣nion

that Sir Edmund was Not Kill'd with the Sword, He this Enformant maketh Answer, Because there was no greater Flux of Bloud, which is the ONLY Reason, to the best of his Memory, that Mov'd This Enformant to be of That Judgement.

Now if This was the ONLY Reason, for his such Opinion, as He Himself Declares it was, there will be No Reason at all to believe it, when This Reason shall be Remov'd: And then Mr. Cambridge's Opinion falls, in Consequence, having sworn Himself of the same Judg∣ment with Mr. Skillarne. It would be Endless to set down All the Enformations at Length that have been deliver'd upon Oath upon This Occasion: So that I shall only Sum up the most Material Parts of them, in Ab∣stract, and refer any Man that doubts the Candor of the Report, to the Originals Themselves, which I have Deposited in the Paper-Office for the Perpetual Memory of the Truth of This Matter. I shall begin with the Iurors, and so to the Surgeons, and then to Other Testimonies of Credit, that speak Vnanimously to This Point.

Thomas Woollams Deposeth, That he saw the Body laid at Length, upon a Table, at the White-House, and (as he remembreth) a Stain upon his Flannel, or Holland Shirt, which he took to be Waterish Bloud. That this Enformant went down to see the Place, where the said Body was found: And that he being shewed the Place, where this Enformant was told the Sword was taken out of the Bo∣dy; He this Enformant heard some of the Company say, that upon the Pulling out of the Sword, there came out some Watry stuff mixt with Bloud; And that this En∣formant saw something of That Kind upon the Ground there, to the best of his Remembrance.

Philip Wyanes Deposeth, That being Summond, &c. He This Enformant went to the White-house, and saw the Dead Body layd there upon a Table, and saw the Flannel shirt stain'd with a kind of Watrish Bloud; and that going down to the Place where they said the Sword was taken out, This Enformant did there see a kind of Watrish Bloud upon the Ground.

William Collins Deposeth, That the Body had an of∣fensive Smell, and that the Shirt was Bloudy, and that some Bloud came from it, as This Enformant was told, when they took out the Sword.

Robert Trotton being Summon'd, &c. Deposeth, That he was shewd the Place where they said they took the Sword out of the Body, and saw Bloud, and at a Style or Posts in the Way; which they said came from the Body.

Thomas Mason being Summon'd, &c. Deposeth, That he saw the Body layd upon a Table in the White-house and Watrish Bloud upon his Linnen.

Joseph Girle being Summond, &c. Deposeth, That while the Body of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was lying upon a Table in the White-house, This Enformant ob∣serv'd a Great Quantity of Bloud to Issue from the Body, about a Gallon, as he This Enformant be∣lieves.

Here are half a Dozen of the Jurors Themselves, that Swear to the Bloud, though it was Carry'd upon the Two Verdicts, as if there had been No Bloud at All; and that the Sword had been run through him after he was Dead. We'll proceed now to the Testimony of the Surgeons, and of others well vers'd in Matters of that Quality.

Mr. Richard Lasinby Deposeth, That the Shirt was Bloudy and Foetid; and Bloud likewise on the Place where they said the Sword was taken out.

Mr. Skillarne Deposeth, That he took a View of the Ditch, where the Dead Body was found, and could not see any Bloud; But upon the Place where the Body was Remov'd, and where they drew out the Sword; This Enformant saw the Grass stain'd with a Watry Bloud, and Smelling to it, found it to be Offensive, and Putri∣fy'd. And This Enformant Passing further, in the Di∣rect way toward the White-house, He This Enformant observed at some Posts that were set up in the Way, that one of the Posts was Stain'd with such a kind of Watrish Bloud as before; And from thence, This Enformant pass'd forward to the White-house, where he saw the said Body lye upon a Table, in a Black Mix'd Chamblet Coat; Another Coat Doublet and Breeches Black, no Band, a Deep Stiff Collar, and the Body lying at Length upon the Back; His Eyes Open, The Face Swell'd; The Body upon the Breast appearing to be Bruis'd; The Neck Distorted, and so Limber that This Enformant Remov'd the Chin from One Shoulder to the Other. There was a Circle about the Neck; And upon This Enformants Opening it with an In∣cision Knife, the Bloud appear'd to be Coagulated. This Enformant saw No Bloud upon the Body, Before; but on the Back of it there was a Stain'd Watrish Bloud. And This Enformant Observed, that upon Raising the Body, there Drain'd a Bloudy Serum from it, upon the Ta∣ble, and so down upon the Floor.

Mr. James Chase Deposeth, That he saw some Bloud upon the Place, where they said the Sword was taken out, and the Constable being upon the Place, told This Enformant, that it was of the Bloud that Follow'd the

Sword from the Wound, when he drew it out of the Body.

Mr. James Huyseman Deposeth, That the Woman of the White-house told him, that the Bloud Drein'd from the Body as it lay upon the Table, into the Cellar, and that Clots of Bloud were found about the Body.

Mr. Brown the Constable Deposeth, That upon Drawing the Sword out of the Body (in the Dark,) he heard somewhat come Gubbling out of the Wound, and fall Spattering upon the Ground.

John Rawson Deposeth, That upon the Night when the Body was found, he went down with a Candle and Lan∣thorn, to the Place where the said Body was found: And going first to the Ditch, they could not Discern any Bloud at All; but that upon the Place, where the Sword was drawn out, they found Bloud and Watry Stuff up and down upon the Grass, and so Vpon the Posts in the Pas∣sage, and upon the Cheek of the Door, going into the House, and so likewise upon the Floor, where the Body was First laid, and afterwards upon the Table where it was Remov'd.

Margaret Rawson Deposeth, That the Body being layd upon the Table, she This Enformant saw Bloud and Watry Matter that had Dropt from the Table, and pass'd through the Cellar, and dropt on some Bottles that were there.

John Paris Deposeth, That he saw the Body lye Vp∣on the Floor at the White-house, and that there ran Bloud and Watry Matter from the said Body upon the Floor.

Mr. John Hassard Deposeth, That This Enformant heard that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was Missing from his House some Days before the Dead Body was found. And that upon the Morning next after the Day the said Body was said to be found, He This Enformant being at a Coffee-House, heard the News; And at the request of Mr. John Farewell, He this Enformant went along with him to see the Body: And This Enformant coming to the Place where the said Body was found, and viewing the Place, Thought it a Hard Matter to bring a Body thither with a Horse.

And that This being Early in the Morning, some Snow that had fall'n the Night before, was yet seen upon the Ground. And that upon the Place where it was said that the Sword was pull'd out of the Body, there was Snow upon the Grass; But upon some other Places near it, the Bloud that was said to come out of the Body was seen there upon the Ground in a Considerable Quantity; And (as This Enformant Believes) the Snow Melted upon it.

And likewise that Passing by some Posts in the Way to the White-house, where the Body then lay, This Enfor∣mant saw near the said Posts a Quantity of Watry Bloud, which This Enformant Iudged to have Issued from the Body, in the Carrying it over.

And This Enformant coming up to the White-House, where the Body lay upon a Table, He This Enformant, Immediately upon the Sight of the Body, said, This is Sir Edmundbury Godfrey. His Coat was a Dark Brown Chamblet, His Shoes very Clean, Top and Bottom, His Eyes Shut, And something about the Eye-Lashes, that seem'd to This Enformant to be Fly-Blows. His Bossom was Open, His Shirt Stained with Bloud, And a Kind of Watry Bloud that dropt from him upon the Floor; all This to the Best of his Knowledge, and Memory.

William Batson Deposeth, That going from the White-house toward the Place where This Enformant was told the Body Lay; He This Enformant, with the Com∣pany, Saw, near a Gap in the Passage, some Bloud ly∣ing on the Ground; This Enformant being told, that the Body was brought from the Place where it was found, That way. And This Enformant going further, saw (as he Be∣lieveth) a Greater Quantity of Bloud, where the Grass was Stain'd with it, being the Place (as This Enformant believeth) whereunto the said Body was Remov'd out of the Ditch; And This Enformant Be∣lieveth, that upon taking the Sword out of the Body, the Bloud might there Issue out.

James Goweth Deposeth, That hearing several Years since, that Sir Edmundbury Godfrey (whom This En∣formant well knew) had been Missing some time from his House, And that his Body was found some where out of Town, (But the Day, the Month, or the Year, This Enformant doth not perfectly remember) He This En∣formant went in Company with one Mr. William Bat∣son, and a Servant of Mr. VVilliam Pilkingtons, to see the Body, which they found Early in the Morning, at the VVhite-house beyond Primrose-Hill, where it lay in the Clothes upon the Table.

And that This Enformant, having a Curiosity to see the Body of the said Sir Edmund, Unbutton'd a Loose Coat he had on, and Another Coat Under it; and so to the Shirt, Open'd his Shirt and saw Bloud upon it; with Two VVounds by his Left Pap; But no Sword at That Time in the Body.

And that This Enformant having seen, and Observed the said Body, agreed with a Fellow to shew the Place where he was found, and Payd him for his Pains: the said

Guide leading This Enformant, and the Company the same way (as he said) by which they brought the Body. This Enformant remembreth, that there was a Style, or Posts by the way, At, or near which Place, there was a Great Quantity of Bloud, as This Enformant and the Com∣pany took it to be, as if it had been Pour'd out of a Bason. This Enformant and the Company going from thence toward the Place, where he was found, and within a Matter of Thirty or Forty Foot of the Place, where the Guide said the Body was found; there was a Great Quantity of Bloud lying in the same Manner as the Other, and rather more in Quantity then the For∣mer.

And This Enformant saith, that being come to the Ditch, Mr. Batson was of Opinion that there was some Bloud in the Ditch, as he hath said to this Enformant several Times since; But This Enformant dares not be Positive, that he saw any, though he saw something which he Doubted, whether it might be Bloud or No.

Edward Fisher Deposeth, that the Day after the Bo∣dy of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was found, This En∣formant was Going about Nine or Ten in the Morning to My Lord Wottons for Orders about Work, and heard by the Way, that the Body of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey was found, and Carry'd to the White-House in St. John's Wood: This Enformant went forward to My Lord Wotton's, and returning about Two or Three in the Afternoon, took the White-House in his way: And coming thither, This Enformant found the Coroner, and Jury there, to view the Body, who went up Stairs, while This Enformant went into a Low Room, where the Body lay.

That as This Enformant was looking upon the Body, there came in a Man with a drawn Sword in his Hand, who said, he was the Constable, and that he took that

Sword out of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Body, De∣scribing the Manner of Sir Edmund's lying upon his Face, and the Sword about Six Inches through his Body. The Constable, upon This, said, that the Coroner desi∣red the Body should be stript, and entreated the Company to lend him a Hand to do it: Whereupon, This Enformant with Two Others Assisted him in the stripping of the Bo∣dy; This Enformant observing his Neck to be Limber, a Blackness about his Breast, and upon the stripping him of his shirt, found it to be All Bloudy in the Back; And the smell of the Body very Noysom, and Offensive.

And saith likewise, that the Arms were so stiff, that they were forced to Tear off his shirt.

Thomas Burdet Deposeth, That the Woman of the White-House told him This Enformant, that the Bloud ran from Sir Edmund's Body from the Table on to the Floor; and so from the Floor into the Celler; And she took This Enformant into the Celler, and shew'd him the Ground stain'd with the Bloud.

Mr. Yeomans Deposeth, that he found the Body lying upon a Table at the White-House, and Watrish Bloud running from the Body on the Floor.

Mr. Collinson Deposeth, that he Observed Drops of Bloud in several Places of the Path where the Body was Carry'd, as if a Man had Walk'd with his Nose Bleeding; but that at some Posts in the Way, there was Bloud seen in a Great Quantity.

After These Proofs of Bloud, and of Bloud too, in such a Quantity, as more could not be Expected from a Body Vnder Those Circumstances; nor more Undeny∣able Evidences of it; (for the Sword stopt the Fore-part of the Wound as Tight, as a Tap) After All This, I

say; and an Appeal that a Man might safely make to the Consciences of Thousands of People that might be added to the Open and Avow'd Witnesses of This Truth; It will be but Fair Yet, at last, to see how This Question of the Bloud was Manag'd, and what was said on the Other side, to bear the World down, that there was No such eva∣cuation; for the [Bloud or No Bloud] was the same Thing, with Guilty or Not Guilty.

It is very Remarkable, that in the Coroner's Examina∣tions, the very Word of [BLOUD] is not so much as Mention'd: And in Truth, it was not safe to Insist upon it, because the Jurors were Conscious to Themselves, that there was a Great Deal of Bloud: (as I have al∣ready Prov'd upon Six of them) and the same may be rea∣sonably presum'd of All the rest. Now the Jurors would never have agreed upon a Verdict, wherein they should every Man of 'em have given the Lye to his own Know∣ledge and Conscience; for they might as well have said, we know upon Ocular Certainty, that there was Bloud in a Great Quantity; and yet we will Discharge our selves upon our Oaths, in Declaring that VVe believe there was None; and therefore Recourse is had to the Twisting of his Neck, and the Blows upon his Breast for the Cause of his Death.

And so we find it upon the Tryal, where 'tis the Crevat, or the Twisted Handkercher that does the Feat still; not the Sword. Was he bloudy? (says the L. C. Justice) [Mr. Brown] There was No Bloud at All; There was No Bloud in the Ditch. fol. 35. And so the Enquiry went off Immediately, to the Sword, the Bruises; The Loosness of the Neck; the Stick, and Gloves; the Mony in his Pocket, fol. 36. and not One VVord More to the Constable, of the Bloud, though that same No Bloud in the Ditch, Considering that the Question was not restrain'd to the Ditch, Imports a ••ind of Emphatical Exception, as who should say, there

was No Bloud in the Ditch, but there was Bloud else where. VVe find in Goweth's Enformation, 'tis true, that Batson told him he thought he saw Bloud in the Ditch; and that Goweth himself was Half of That Opinion, though he would not be Positive in't. It will be here Objected that This Admittance Overthrows what I have said Already of the Swords Closing the Wound, so that No Bloud could pass; And if a Little, why not More? Now This Cavil Concludes mightily for My Purpose, for the same Thing might be Object∣ed in the Case of his Shirt, and Flannel, How came it at All to be stain'd; And why no More on't? The Answer lyes very Plain, and Open; The Orifice of the Mortal Wound was Clos'd; but the Puncture (as Cam∣bridge calls it) that stopt upon the Rib, was Open, and thence came This Bloud. There might be some Little Draining from the Other, but Not Considerable, and the Clots that were found about him came from his Back, where the Point had Wriggled out its way through the Bone, and could not so well secure the Passage.

After Brown the Constable, had given his Evidence, the Surgeons were Call'd, and Question'd about his Bruises; The Distortion and Loosness of his Neck; and Then, Mr. Attorny Ask'd Mr. Skillarne, if he thought he was kill'd by the Wound? [Mr. Skillarne] No, for then there would have been some Evacuation of Bloud, which there was not; Meaning, I suppose, an Evacua∣tion, While the Bloud was Warm, and Fluid. Not Re∣flecting upon the Swords stopping the Course of it. One of the King's Council, upon This, Leads him off from the bloud again, to the Neck. Are You sure (says he) his Neck had been Broken? Yes I am sure says Mr. Skillarne; And then again of Himself; [The Wound (says he) went through his very Heart, and there would have been some Bloud, if it had been done quickly after his Death. Cambridge, in fine, Assented to the Opi∣nion

of Mr. Skillarne, without one Word more about the Bloud; And the whole Stress was laid upon the Signs of being Strangled, or Hang'd. fol. 37, 38.

The Light it self is not more Open to the Eyes of any Man, then is the Evidence of the Truth and Reason of This Affair: But there will be Place and Occasion by and by to make it yet Clearer.