death of the Frenche Kinges brother, who died a little before; which letters the Prince in most thankful manner did receiue, and gaue the messenger such freendly entertainement in his owne courte, as became a Prince in such causes. The Prince, liking well of this messenger, would sundry times vse conference with him, touching the garison of the Prince of Parma, whose souldiers greatly impouerished the countries round about. This messenger, in whom there remained nothing but subtilty and secret mischiefe, dyd show vnto the Prince, howe he coulde at any time bring him or his souldiers into the Prince of Parmaes garison, whereby he might take the aduantage of the Prince of Parmaes power; for that this messenger, beeing a cunning penman, coulde finely counterfet the Prince of Parmaes owne hand, so neere that the one should not be known from the other. The Prince, notwithstanding, woulde not so deale by his deuise, but yet he woulde enquire of him how al things stood, aswel in the Prince of Parmaes garison, as of the Princes pretence towards the Low Countreys, who continually certefied vnto the Prince of Orange the trueth; which caused the Prince to repose a greater trust and confidence in him, so that he remained in the court without suspition of any treehery. But behold what folowed, on the 1. day of Iuly last past, which, by the newe computation of the Romish churche, was the tenth day of the same moneth, this traytor, thus harbored and lodged in the courte of this good Prince, seeing a small pistoll or dagge in the hands of one of the Princes seruaunts, did demand what it night cost him, saying, I haue occasion to ryde a iourney shortly, and that dagge would be a good defence for me vpon the high way side; wherefore he requested the Princes seruaunt that he might bye it of him, who, thinking nothing of that which hapned afterward, did sel it to him for the some of 10. shillings of English mony. The Prince then being in his court at Delph, a town of great strength, where the cheefest states doo inhabite, who becing gon to dinner, and the garde attendaunt about his person, this traytor, seeing it a meete time to compasse his pretended mischiefe, which was to bercaue the Prince of his life, as he did, went into his chamber, and charged the pistoll with powder, and put three bullets in the same; that doone, he placed it priuclye in his pocket, and went downe to dinner; who, after he had-dyned, hearing that the Prince would anon goe vp into his priuie chamber, deuised in his minde where he might best plant himselfe, for the finishing of his wicked entent; who, finding a priuie corner vpon the stayres, where he might be shadowed and not be seene, placed himselfe vntill the Princes comming.

The Prince, so soone as he had dyned, which was betweene one and two of the clocke in the afternoone, came forth of the great chamber, with his lady and gentlewomen attendaunt; his lady, purposing to walke abroade, took her leaue of the Prince, who going towards the stayres which did leade to the priuie chamber, and seeing an Italian named Ma. Carinson, who had stayed to sprake with the Prince, to whom the Prince very freendly spake, saying, Carinson welcome, and tooke him by the hand, willing thys Italian that he should goe vp with him into his priuie chamber, proposing there to vse some conference with the Italian gentleman; and, before the Prince entred the stayres, there came an English captaine, called Captaine Williams, who, dooing reuerence unto

the Prince, was entertained in moste freendly manner, laying his hand vpon Captain Williams head, wylling him also to come vp with him.

The garde then attendant vpon the Prince, Maister Carinson and Captain Williams followed: But the Prince going vp the stayres, not thinking of any such matter as happened, no sooner came directly against this villenous traytor, but he presently discharged his pistoll, wherein, as before mentioned, he hauing put 3. bullets, two of those bullets went through the Princes body, and the third remained in his bellie; through which wicked stoke, the Prince fell downe suddainly, crying out, saying, 'Lord haue mercy upon me, and remember thy little flocke.'

Wherewith he changed this life, to the great griefe of his lady, who greatly lamented his death, as also to the great sorrowe of the whole countrey. The garde pursued the murtherer, and sought to slaye him; but he ouerscaped the first garde, and was staied by the second watch garde, which was within the Princes court.

When he was taken, they demaunded of him, What he had doone, who very obstinatly answered, That he had doone that thinge, which hee would willingly doo, if it were to doo againe. Then they demaunded of him, For what cause he did it? Hee answered, For the cause of his Prince and countrey; more confession at that time they could not get of him. Forthwith they committed him to pryson, where he remained aliue, to the pleasure of the estates of the country; who shortly after deuised a torment, by death, for this murderer, which was reasonable sharpe, yet not so terrible as he deserued.

Grecuous was the cry of the people that came flocking to the Princes gates to heare the report and trueth of what had happened; which knowne, euery household was filled with sorrowe, who powred forth their plaintes, and did shedde teares, for the losse of so good a Christian, and so carefull a Prince.

The murtherer, while he remayned in pryson, was sundry times examined by the chiefe estates of the countrey, upon whose procurement he committed the said fact; who answered, At the Prince of Parmaes request, and other Princes, at whose hands he shoulde receiue for dooing the same 25000. crownes.

The order of the torment, and death of the murtherer, was as followeth, which was foure dayes: He had the 1. day the strappado, openly in the market; the second day whipped and salted, and his right hand cut off; the third day, his breastes cut out and salt throwne in, and then his left hand cut off: The last day of his torment, which was the 10. of July, he was bound to 2. stakes, standing vpright, in such order, that he could not shrinke downe, nor stirre any way. Thus standing naked, there was a great fire placed some small distaunce from him, wherein was heated pincers of iron; with which pincers, two men, appointed for the same, did pinch and pul his flesh in smal peeces from his bones, throughout moste partes of his body. Then was he vnbound from the stakes, and ayd vpon the earth, and againe fastened to fowre postes, namely, by his feete and hands; then they ripped vp his belly, at which time he had life and perfect memorye; he had his bowels burned before his face, and his bodie cutt in foure scueral quarters. During the

whole time of his execution, he remained impenitent and obstinate, rejoicing that he had slaine the prince.

Vpon the 16. day of Iuly, the Prince was very royally buryed, in the new churche at Delph, being lapped in seare cloth and leade, according to the manner of other princes in time past.

The cittizenes of Antwerp are many times driuen to shut up theyr gates, by reason of theyr enemies, who wold gladly take the citty at some aduauntage: the enemie hath builta forte vpon the banke, between Antwerp and Lullo, so that they doo what they may to stop the pas sage of the riuer from them.

There is not as yet any gouernour chosen for the Lowe Countries: but they are in hope that some order will be taken for them very shortly.

God for his mercy sake sende quietnes in those partes, that the people may enjoy theyr owne, to the health, wealth, and comfort of them all now distressed. Amen.

A

TRUE AND PERFECT DECLARATION

OF THE

TREASONS

PRACTISED AND ATTEMPTED BY

FRANCIS THROCKMORTON,

Late of London,

AGAINST THE QUEENES MAIESTIE AND THE REALME.

WHEREAS there haue bene very lewde and slaunderous bruites

and reportes given out, of the due and orderly proceedings held with Francis Throckmorton, lately arraigned and condemned of high treason at the Guild-hall in London the xxi. day of May last, whereby such as are cuill affected toward her Maiestie, and the present gouernment, haue indeuoured falsely and iniuriously to charge her Maiestie and her faithfull ministers with crueltie and iniustice vsed against the said Throckmorton, by extorting from him by torture such confessions as he hath made against himselfe, and by inforcing the same to make them lawful euidence to conuict him of the treasons therein specified: albeit her Maiesties subiects in general, calling to mind the milde and temperate course she hath helde all the time of

her most happie reigne, might rather impute her clemencie and lenitie vsed towards all sortes of offenders to a kinde of fault, then tax her with the contrarié; yet such, as allowe of practises and treasons against her Maiestie, do alwayes interprete both of the one and of the other, according to the particular affections that doe possesse them, that is, to the worst. And forasmuch as the case of Throckmorton, at this time, hath bene subicct to their sinister constructions, and considering that lies and false bruites cast abroad are most commonly beleeued, vntil they be controlled by the, trueth; it hath bene thought expedient, in this short discourse, to deliuer vnto your view and consideration a true and perfect declaration of the treasons practised and attempted by the said Throckmorton against her Maiestie and the realme, by him confessed before his arraignement, whereby her Maiestie was iustly and in reason perswaded to put him to his triall. You shall likewise perceiue what course hath bene helde with him by her commissioners to bring him to confesse the trueth; with what impudencie, and how falsely he hath denied his sayings and confessions: and lastly, how, by a new submission and confession of his said treasons, sithens his condemnation, he endeuoureth to satisfie her Maiestie, and to shew the reasons that mooued him to denie the first, which he affirmeth and confirmeth by the last; which may in reason satisfie, though not all, yet such as arc not forestalled, or rather forepoysoned and infected with the lies and vntruths alreadie spred and deliuered, in fauour of the traitor and his treasons. You shall therefore vnderstand, that the cause of his apprehension grewe first vpon secret intelligence giuen to the Queenes Maiestic, that he was a priuie conueiour and receiuour of letters, to, and from the Scottish Queene*, vpon which informa tion neuerthelesse diuers moneths were suffered to passe on, before he was called to answere the matter, to the end there might some proofe more apparant be had to charge him therewith directly; which shortly after fell out, and thereupon there were sent vnto his houses in London, and at Leusham, in Kent, to search and apprehend him, certain gentlemen of no meane credite and reputation; of whom, two were sent to his house by Poules-wharfe, where he was apprehended, and so by one of them conveyed presently away, the other remaining in the chamber to make search for papers, writings, &c. which might give proofe of his suspected practises.

In that search, there were found the two papers containing the names of certain Catholique Noblemen and Gentlemen, expressing the hauens for landing of forraine forces, with other particularities in the said papers mentioned; the one written in the secretarie hand, which he at the barre confessed to be his owne hand writing; and the other in the Romane hand, which he denied to be his, and would not shewe how the same came vnto his hands: howbeit in his examinations he hath confessed them both to be his owne hand writing, and so they are in trueth. There were also found, among other of his papers, twelve pedigrees of the discent of the crowne of England, printed and pubished by the Bishop of Rosse, in the defence of the pretended title of the

• Mary.

be

Scottish Queene, his mistressc, with certaine infamous libelles against her Maiestie, printed and published beyond the seas; which being found in the hands of a man so evil affected, comparing the same with his doings and practises against her Maiestie, you wil iudge the purpose wherefore he kept them.

Shortly after his apprehension, hee was examined by some of her Maiesties priuie-counsell, how he came by the said two papers of the hauens, and he most impudently denied, with many protestations, that he ever sawe them, affirming they were none of his, but were foisted in (as he termed it) among his papers, by the gentleman, that searched his house: notwithstanding being more tarnestly pressed to confesse the trueth, he sayd they had been left (he knew not how) in his chamber by a man of his, who long before was departed out of the realme, named Edward Rogers, alias Nuttebie, by whome they were written. And, to make this deuice to carie some colour of trueth, after his committing to the Tower, he found the meanes to get three cards, on the backside of which cardes he wrote to his brother George Throckmorton, to this effect: I have bene examined, by whom the two papers, conteining the names of certaine noblemen and gentlemen, and of hauens, &c. were written; and I haue alleaged them to haue bene written by Edward Nuttebie my man, of whose hand-writing you knowe them to be:' Meaning by this deuice to have had his brother confirme his falsehode. These cardes were intercepted, and thereby the suspition before conceiued of his practises increased, whereupon, as vpon other iust cause and matter against him, hauing bin sundrie times brought before some of the principall personages of her Maiesties most honorable privie-counsell, and by them with all industrie examined, and perswaded in very milde and charitable maner, to confesse the trueth, promising to procure pardon for him, in case he would bewray the depth of his practises; but, no persuasion preuailing, her Maiestie thought it agreeable with good pollicie, and the safetie of her royal person and state, to commit him ouer to the hands of some of her learned counsel, and others her faithfull seruants and ministers, with commission to them, to assay by torture to drawe from him the trueth of the matters appearing so waightie as to concerne the inuading of the realme, &c. These men, by vertue of that commission, proceeded with him, first as the counsell had formerly done, by way of persuasion, to induce him to confesse; but, finding that course not to preuaile, they were constrained to commit him to such as are vsually appointed in the Towre to handle the racke, by whom he was layd vpon the same, and somewhat pinched, although not much; for, at the end of three doys following, he had recouered himselfe, and was in as good plight as before the time of his racking, which if it had then or any other time bene ministred vnto him with that violence, that hee and his favourers haue indeuoured slaunderously to giue out, the signes thereof would have appeared vpon his limmes for many yceres. At this first time of torture, he would confesse nothing, but continued in his former obstinacie and deniall of the trueth. The second time that he was put to the racke, before hee was strayned vp to any purpose, hee yeelded to confesse any thing, he knewe, in the matters obiected against him; whereupon he was loosed,