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These then attending on my Lord (viz.) Russell and Monday the Warders, Bo∣meney the Servant, and Lloyd the Centi∣nel at the door, did all deny that day my Lord died, that there were any Men let in∣to my Lords Lodgings that morning before my Lords Death. But now it appears, that
there were some Ruffians, a little before my Lords death, sent into his Lodgings to Murder him, which they did accordingly.
R. Meake A Soldier in the Tower, that morning my Lord of Essex was Murdered, about one of the Clock that very day, near Al∣gate, told B—and his Wife, That the Earl of Essex did not cut his own Throat, but was barbarously Murdered by his Royal Highnes∣ses Order; For the said Meake declared, That just before the Earl of Essex's Mur∣der, his Highness sent two Men to the Earls Lodgings to Murder him, which after they had done, they threw the Razour out of the Window. Likewise a Soldier that morning in the Tower, about a eleven a Clock that morning my Lord dyed, in Baldwines-Gardens, informed G. and H. that the Earl of Essex did not cut his own Throat, but was barbarously Murdered by his Royal Highnesses town Order. For the Soldier then declared, that a little before the Earl's Murder, his Royal Highness parted a lit∣tle way from his Majesty, and then two Men were sent into the Earl's Lodgings, to Murder my Lord, which when they had done, they did again return to his High∣ness.
Mr E— declares, That he saw his Roy∣al
Highness just before the Earl's Death, part a little from his Majesty, and then beckned to two Gentlemen, to come to him, who came accordingly, his Highness thereupon sent them towards the Earl of Essex's Lodgings, and about a quarter of an hour after, this Informant saw these very two Men return to his Highness, and as they came, they smiled, and to the best of this Informants hearing and remembrance, said, the Business was done; upon which his Highness seemed very well pleased, and then went to his Majesty, to whom the News was immediately brought, that the Earl of Essex had cut his Throat.
Lloyd the Centinel at my Lords door, the day my Lord died (till the twenty first of January last) did deny the letting in of any men, (and Russell and Monday still deny it) but now Lloyd doth confess that just before my Lords Death, two or three men, by Major Hawley's special Order, were let in, and immediately he heard them, (as he did suppose they were) go up Stairs into my Lord's Room, where there was a very great bustle and stir, so great, that the Centinel declared, he would have forced af∣ter them, had not the first door been made fast; upon the bussle he heard some-what
thrown down like the fall of a man, which he did suppose was my Lords Body; soon af∣ter which, it was cryed out, my Lord of Essex hath cut his own Throat.
Here is not only these mens going in, but a great bustle confessed immediately thereupon, to ensue in my Lords Room, and the Body of a man in this bustle to be thrown down; this is in a close Prisoners Room, where no one is admitted, but his Servant, and those that kept the door, denyed upon Oath, that a∣ny were in my Lords Chamber that morning my Lord dyed, before his Death. But these Warders, being supposed privy to the Fact, would not own the admitting of those men, which themselves let in with such a Mur∣therous design; and it is to be presumed that this Centinel was not a stranger to the mat∣ter, but enjoyned to secrecy; for otherwise he would never have declared to a Friend, un∣der a repeated request of secrecy, that this Confession (as before) laid upon his Consci∣ence, and troubled him night and day, for tho' it was indeed very true, that he did let in these men, it was what he should not have confessed. This Consirmation to his ac∣quaintance (under a great and repeated in∣junction of secrecy) argues first, that this Confession was indeed true.
Secondly, That there is some cursed Con∣federacy (its probable by Oath) entred into to stifle this Murther, for what other proba∣ble reason can be assigned for that trouble of Conscience in this Confession, seeing himself at the same time declared it was true, tho' he should not have said it? There are some o∣ther arguments that this Centinel was par∣ticeps Criminis in the Privity; first his re∣traction in part of what he did confess; for, upon his being first apprehended, he owned the throwing out of the Razour, before my Lords Death was known, but now he retracts and disowns it; Another instance of his privity, is his now prevaricating, in his now pretending, that these men were let in an hour, or more before my Lords Death; whereas at first he declared they were let in before my Lords Death; for, as soon as let in, he heard se∣veral go up Stairs into my Lords Room, and heard the bussle, &c. as before.
A third argument of this Centinels privi∣ty, is his not declaring the whole truth, which he must know; for one at a greater distance that saw these Ruffians, as they were bustling with the my Lord, and heard the bustle, did likewise hear one of these in the bustle (as it seemed to be, (and therefore presumed to be my Lord, cry out very loud, and very dole∣fully,
Murther, Murther, Murther; The Centinel who could hear the trampling, or indeed the very walking in my Lords Cham∣ber, could not but hear this Murther, so loud and often repeated: It appears by five Cuts in my Lords right hand, (viz.) two upon his fore-finger, one upon the fourth-fin∣ger, another on the little-finger, and the fifth about two Inches long in the palm of his right hand, that his Lordship in this bustle made great resistance; for these Cuts can be sup∣posed to be done no otherwise, then by endea∣vouring to put off the cruel Instrument of his Death.
The next thing that I should observe, which happened the day my Lord dyed, and gives us reason to believe the Mur∣ther, is the Irregularity committed upon the Body before the Jury saw it, the Body was strip'd and washed, and the Room and Closet washed, and my Lords Cloathes carried away (tho' all Men know the Body should have remained in its first posture, till the Coroners Jury had seen it.)
Sr T. R. as himself saith, declared to the Lords, that the Body was not stirred from its first posture, till the next morning
about ten of the Clock. To this Sr. Tho. has not sworn (for he was not sworn before the Lords) and 'tis well he has not, for here∣in he is so much mistaken, that the contrary can be proved by almost twenty Witnesses, had the Body remained in its first posture, by my Lords Cravat being cut in three parts, the Jury would have plainly seen, that his Lordship could not so do it, with a Razour; And then, Secondly, they would have per∣ceived the print of a bloody Foot upon my Lord as he lay in the Closet, by which it appeared some one had been with the Body in the Closet, and several other material circumstances might have been discovered, which by the total (illegal) alteration of the Circumstances of the Body &c. were de∣stroyed.
About three of the Clock in the after∣noon that day my Lord dyed, some of those bloody men (who had been at the Consult) met at Holme's House, and one of them leapt about the Room as overjoyed, and as the Master of the House came into the Room, he strikes him upon the back, and cryed, The Feate was done, or We have done the Feate; upon which the Master said, Is the Earls Throat cut? To which the other replyed, Yes; And further said,
He could not but Laugh to think, how like a Fool the Earl of Essex looked, when they came to cut his Throat.
To destroy the Testimony of this Doro∣thy Smyth, Holms hath produced two Witnesses who (by many Witnesses) appear to be for-sworn in every part of their Depo∣sitions. His defence being false, his Charge therefore may be concluded true.