Scrinia Ceciliana, mysteries of state & government in letters of the late famous Lord Burghley, and other grand ministers of state, in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth, and King James, being a further additional supplement of the Cabala.

My Lord Sanquir's Case.

IN this cause of the life and death, the Juries part is in effect discharged, for after a frank and formal Confession, their labour is at an end; so that what hath been said by Mr. Attorney, or shall be said by my self, is rather convenient than necessary.

My Lord Sanquire, your fault is great, it cannot be extenuated, and it cannot be aggravated; and if it needed, you have made so full an Ana∣tomy of it out of your own feeling, as it cannot be matched by my self, or any man else out of Conceit: So as that part of aggravation I leave.

Nay more, this Christian and penitent course of yours, draws me thus far, that I will agree in some sort to extenuate it; for certainly as even in extream evils there are degrees; so this particular of your offence is such, as though it be soul spilling of blood, yet there are more soul; for if you had sought to take a way a mans life for his Vineyard, as Achab did; or for envie, as Cain did; or to possesse his bed, as David did; surely the murder had been more odious.

Your temptation was revenge, which the more natural it was to man, the more have Laws both divine and humane sought to repress it; Mihi vindicta. But in one thing you and I shall never agree. That generous spirits (you say) are hard to forgive; no, contrariwise generous and magnanimous minds are readiest to forgive, and it is a weakness and impotency of mind to be unable to forgive; Corpora magnanimo satis est prostrasse Leoni.

But howsoever Murther may arise from several motives, less or more odious, yet the Law both of God and man involves them in one degree; and therefore you may read that in Joabs case, which was a Murther up∣on revenge, and matcheth with our case; he for a dear brother, and you for a dear part of your own body, yet there was never a severe charge gi∣ven, that it should not be unpunished.

And certainly the circumstance of time is heavy upon you; it is now five years since this unfortunate man Turner, be it upon accident, or be it upon despight, gave the provocation, which was the seed of your malice: all passions are asswaged with time, love, hatred, grief, all; fire it self burns out with time, if no new fuel be put to it. Therefore for you to have been in the gall of bitterness so long, and to have been in restless Chase of this blood so many years, is a strange example, and I must tell you plain∣ly, that I conceive you have suckt those affections of dwelling in malice, rather out of Italy, and Outlandish manners where you have conversed, than out of any part of this Island, England or Scotland.

But that which is fittest for me to spend time in, (the matter being confessed) is, to set forth and magnifie to the hearers, the Justice of this day; first of God, and then of the King.

My Lord, you have friends and entertainments in Forrein parts; It had been an easie thing for you to set Carlile, or some other blood-hound on work, when your person had been beyond the Seas, and so this news might have come to you in a packet, and you might have looked on how the storm would pass; but God bereaved you of this fore-sight, and bound you here under that hand of a King, that though abundant in Clemenev, vet is no less ze lons of Justice.

Again, when you came in at Lambeth, you might have persisted in the

denial of the procurement of the fact. Carlile, a resolute man, might perhaps have cleared you (for they that are resolute in mischief, are commonly obstinate in concealing their porcurers) and so nothing should have been against you but presumption. But then also God, to take away all obstructions of Justice, gave you the grace, which ought indeed to be more true comfort to you, than any device (whereby you might have escaped) to make a clear and plain Confession.

Other impediments there were (not a few) which might have been an interruption to this dayes Justice, had not God in his Providence re∣moved them.

But now that I have given God the Honour, let me give it likewise where it is next due, which is, to the King our Sovereign.

This Murther was no sooner committed, and brought to his Majesties ears; but his just indignation wherewith he first was moved, cast it self into a great deal of care and prudence to have Justice done: First came forth his Proclamation somewhat of a rare Form, and devised, and in es∣fect dictated by his Majesty himself, and by that he did prosecute the Offendors, as it were, with the breath and blast of his Mouth: Then did his Majesty stretch forth his long Arms (for Kings have long Arms) when they will extend them; one of them to the Sea, where he took hold of Grey shipped for Luedia, who gave the first light of Testimony; the other Arm to Scotland, and took hold of Carlile, ere he was warm in his house, and brought him the length of his Kingdom under such safe watch and custody, as he could have no means to escape, no nor to mis∣chief himself, no nor learn no lessons to stand mute, in which case per∣haps this dayes Justice might have received a stop; so that I may conclude, his Majesty hath shewed himself Gods true Lieutenant, and that he is no Respecter of persons; but English, Scottish, Noblemen, Fencer, are to him alike in respect of Justice.

Nay, I must say further, That his Majesty hath had in this, a kind of Prophetical Spirit; for what time Carlile and Grey, and you my Lord your self were fled, no man knew whether, to the four winds; the King ever spake in a confident and undertaking manner, That wheresoever the Offenders were in Europe, he would produce them forth to Justice; of which noble word God hath made him Master.

Lastly, I will conclude towards you my Lord, That though your Of∣fence hath been great, yet your Confession hath been free, and your be∣haviour and speech full of discretion; and this shews, That though you could not resist the Tempter, yet you bear a Christian and generous spirit, answerable to the noble Family of which you are descended. This I commend in you, and take it to be an assured Token of God smercy and

favour, in respect whereof, all worldly things are but Trash, and so it is fit for you as your state now is, to account them; and this is all I will say for the present.