deavoured, and I hoped, to have enriched the king, myselfe, and my partners. But being undone, and crossed by Kemish, a wilfull fellow, who seeing my sonne slaine, and myselfe unpardoned, would not open the mine, but killed himselfe. And wheras it was reported, that I entended not the voyage, nor cared how it spedd, having already made my fortunes thereby, having 16000 lb. in gold: as I shall answer it before the same God, I had not in all the world, either in my owne hands, or others for my use, directly or indirectly, above an hundred peices, whereof I gave my wife, when I went, 25. The error, I perceive, came in searching the scrivener's bookes, where they found the billes of adventure, amounting to a great summe. And, whereas his majesty was also enformed, that I was brought, by force, back by some of my company, and came not voluntarily, nor submitted myselfe to the king's goodnes, in that respect, I doe protest, that when the voyage succeeded not, and that I resolved to returne home, my company mutinied against me, and fortified the gun room against me, and kept me within my owne cabin, and would not be satisfied, except I would take a corporall oath not to bring them into England, till I had gotten their pardons, there being four of them unpardoned. Soe I tooke that oath, being forced to come to them with mony, with cloaths, and wine, such as I had. Soe we came into Ireland, where they would have landed, in the north part, but I would not, because they were all redshankes. Soe, coming to the south, hoping from thence to write to his majesty for their pardons, in the meane time, I offered them to send them to severall places in Devonshire and Cornewall, to lye safe there till they had beene pardonned. But I am gladd that my lord of Arundell is heere. For when I went downe into my shipp, his lordship and divers others being with me, after salutations, and parting, his lordship tooke me aside, and desired me faithfully and freely to resolve him in one thing, which was, Whether I entended to returne home, or noe, whatsoever fortune I had? I there told his lordship, and gave him my hand, that whatsoever succeeded, if I lived, I would returne (which the earl of Arun

dell being present, justified.) Other reports are raised of me touching that voyage, which I value not: as that I would not allow the sick persons water enough: those that go such voiages, know, that things must be done in order and proportion: if it had been given out by gallons, to some that were sick, all had perished. But these, and such like, I will passe by. Only I will borrow a little time of Mr. sheriff's to speake of one thinge; and that doth make my heart bleed, to heare such an imputation layd upon me. It was said, moreover, that I was a persecutor of my lord of Essex, and that I stood in a window over against him, where he suffered, and puffed tobacco out in disdaine of him. God I take to witnesse, my eyes shed teares for him when he dyed. And, as I hope to looke God in the face heereafter, my lord of Essex did not see my face when he suffered, for I was afarre off in the armory, where I saw him, but he saw not me. And my soule hath bin many times greived, that I was not neerer unto him when he dyed, because I understood, that he asked for me, at his death, to be reconciled to me. I confesse I was of a contrary faction; but I knew, that my lord of Essex was a noble gentleman, and that it would be worse with me, when he was gone; for those thatt sett me upp against him, did afterwards sett themselves against me.

So he desired all, very earnestly, to pray for him, for that he was a great sinner of a long time, and in many kinds, his whole course was a course of vanity. A sea-faring man, a soldier, and a courtier, the least of these were able to overthrow a good mind, and a good man.

Then, having ended his speech, the executioner kneeled, and asked him forgivenes. With which he laid his hands upon his shoulders, and spake to him, and forgave him. Then he called to see the axe, and putt his finger on it to feele whether it were sharpe or not. Then taking his leave of some freinds, the deane of Westminster, and the two sheriffs, he went first on the one side of the scaffold, and requested them all, that they would heartily pray for him, and then, turned to the other side, and made the like request to them, and then giving his hatt to one, and his cappe

to another, the executioner threw downe his own cloake, because he would not spoile the prisoner's gown; and he laid himselfe along thereon, and soe the executioner at two blowes, presently struck of his head, his body never shrinking, nor moving. His head was shewed, on each side, to the people, and then putt upp into a redd lethren bagg, and his wrought velvett gowne cast over his body, which was afterwards carried away in a black mourning coach of his ladies.

A Letter relating to the last Behaviour of Sir Walter Rawleigh, written by Dr. Rob. Tounson, Dean of Westminster, and afterwards Bp. of Sarum, to Sir John Isham.

SIR,

[From Hearne's Hemingford, App. p. clxxxiv.]

THE last weeke was a busy weeke with me, and the weeke afore that, was more. I would gladly have writt unto you, but could find no time: yet I hope yow had the relation of sir Walter Rawleigh's death; for so I gave order, that it should be brought unto yow. I was commaunded by the lords of the counsayle to be with him, both in prison and att his death, and so sett downe the manner of his death as nere as I could: there be other reports of itt, but that which yow have from me is trew: one Craford, who was sometimes Mr. Rodeknight's pupil, hath penned it pretily, and meaneth to putt itt to the presse, and came to me about it, but I heare not that it is come forth. The summe of that, which he spake att his death, yow have I suppose, already: when he never made mention of his offence for which he dyed, namely his former treason; but only desired to cleare himself of new imputations, there mentioned: privately he told me in prison, that he was charged to have broken the peace with Spaine, but he putt that, he sayd, out of the count of his offences: saving that he heard, the king was displeased att it; for how could he breake peace with him, who within these 4 yeares, as he

sayd, tooke diverse of his men, and bound them backe to backe and drowned them; and for burning the towne, he sayd, it stood upon the king's owne ground, and therefore he did no wrong in that. He was the most fearlesse of death that ever was knowen; and the most resolute and confident, yet with reverence and conscience. When I begann to incourage him against the feare of death, he seemed to make so light of itt, that I wondered att him, and when I told him, that the deare servants of God, in better causes than his, had shrunke backe and trembled a litle, he denyed not, but yet gave God thankes, he never feared death, and much lesse then, for it was but an opinion and imagination, and the manner of death though to others might seeme greevous, yet he had rather dye so then of a burning fever: with much more to that purpose, with such confidence and cheerfullnesse, that I was faine to divert my speach another way, and wished him not to flatter himselfe, for this extraordinary boldnesse, I was afrayd, came from some false ground: if it sprong from the assurance he had of the love and favour of God, of the hope of his salvation by Christ, and his owne innocency, as he pleaded, I sayd he was an happy man, but if it were out of an humour of vainglory or carelessnesse or contempt of death, or senslessnesse of his owne estate, he were much to be lamented &c. For I told him, that heathen men had sett as litle by their lives as he could doe, and seemed to dye as bravely. He answered, that he was perswaded, that no man, that knew God and feared him, could dye with cheerefullnesse and courage, except he were assured of the love and favour of God unto him; that other men might make shewes outwardly, but they felt no joy within: with much more to that effect, very christianly, so that he satisfyed me then, as I thinke he did all his spectators att his death. After he had received the communion in the morning, he was very cheerfull and merry, and hoped to perswade the world, that he dyed an innocent man, as he sayd; thereat, I told him, that he should doe well to advise what he sayd, men in these dayes did not dye in that sort innocent, and his

pleading innocency was an oblique taxing of the justice of the realme upon him. He confessed justice had bene done, and by course of law, he must dye, but yet, I should give him leave, he sayd, to stand upon his innocency in the fact; and he thought, both the king, and all that heard his aunsweres, thought verily he was innocent for that matter. I then pressed him, to call to mind what he had done formerly, and though perhaps in that particular, for which he was condemned, he was cleare, yet for some other matter, it might be, he was guilty; and now the hand of God had found him out, and therefore he should acknowledge the justice of God in itt, though att the hands of men he had but hard measure: and here I putt him in mind of the death of my lord of Essex, how it was generally reported, that he was a great instrument of his death, which if his hert did charge him with, he should hertily repent, and aske God forgivenesse: to which he made aunswere, as is in the former relation, and sayd moreover, that my lord of Essex was fetcht of by a trick, which he privately told me of. He was very cheerefull that morning he dyed, eate his breakefast hertily, and tooke tobacco, and made no more of his death, then if he had bene to take a journey, and left a great impression in the minds of those that beheld him, in so much that sir Lewise Stukely and the French man grow very odious. This was the newes a weeke since: but now it is blowen over, and he allmost forgotten. The newes which I heare is, that the promoter of Kowel hath gotten his charges of sir Thomas Brookes, and sir Thomas much cheeled, and hath entred into bond of a 100%. to the promoter, never to molest or trouble him againe, and the promoter is as cranke and triumpheth in his victory very much, and sir Thomas glad he hath escaped so. I once saw Henry Tremill, and that is all. What is become of Robin Dallison, I cannot tell, but he was here in great expectation of a place, which I thinke now he is fallen from; for all of ficers here are much younger then himselfe. The businesse of the treasurer sleepeth; and that of my lord of Exceter and sir Thomas Lake will not be called upon this terme.