food, and a dose daily administered by Franklin as a medicine, until death puts an end to his sufferings. Rochester in the following year was elevated to the titles of Earl of Somerset and Baron Brancepeth.

The workers of these iniquities did not, however, long revel in their success with impunity. The old Earl of Northampton shortly afterwards died. Somerset found a rival in George Villiers, who had begun to attract the King's notice. The Queen regarded Somerset with a very inauspicious eye; and Sir Ralph Winwood, the Ambassador to the States, now Secretary of State, willingly becomes the instrument for searching into the misdemeanors of the tottering favourite. Franklin, the apothecary who furnished the poisonous drugs to Weston, to be administered to Overbury, being taken sick in Holland, made an open confession of the whole matter, and Sir Ralph Winwood is made acquainted with the circumstances, which soon become the subject of public conversation.

The King, seeing perhaps a good occasion now to be rid of Somerset, sends for the Judges of his Courts, and gives them the strictest charge to examine into the facts of the alleged murder, and kneeling down, imprecates the curse of God on himself and his posterity, if he does not bring the perpetrators of it to condign punishment. The Chief Justice Coke issues his warrant for the apprehension of Somerset, who flies to the King at Royston for redress from such an insult. The latter received him, it is said, with the cool observation-" Thou must go, then man! for if Coke send for me, I must go too." Still he dissembles, in the due style of what he termed “kingcraft," sufficiently to attend him to the head of the stairs, and to exclaim, " For God's sake, when shall I see thee again? On my soul, I shall neither eat nor sleep until

you come again!" Somerset replied he hoped to return to the court again on Monday, it being then Friday. The King then putting his arms round his neck, and lolling on him, as he descended the stairs with him, added, "For God's sake, then, give thy lady this kiss for me!" and kissed him, which salutation he repeated at the stair foot. Somerset was scarcely entered his coach, when the King turned on his heel, exclaiming, "Now the de'il go with thee I shall never see thy face mair."

On Somerset's arrival in London he was committed to the Tower, to the custody of Sir George More, and his Countess was restrained under charge of Sir William Smyth at the Blackfriars. The accomplices in the murder were first arraigned, and suffered; being Weston, Mrs. Turner, and Sir Gervase Elwes. The latter, indeed, obtained some pity, as he had been only the passive accomplice of the deed. He was convicted on some few expressions contained in a letter from him to Northampton, and bore in his dying words a strong testimony to the force of conscience. "At my arraignment," said he, “I pleaded hard for my life, and protested mine innocency; but when my own pen came against me, I was not able to speak, but stood as one amazed, or that had no tongue." *

* In Winwood's Memorials are given two letters from Sir Gervase Elwes to the Earl of Northampton; one seems to be written as a sort of blind, and to be meant for inspection in case of searching the Lieutenant's papers; the other, in the Earl's hand, for pretty obvious reasons, is not signed with his name, and runs as follows. "Worthy Mr. Lieutenant, Let me intreat you to call Lidcote, and three or four of his friends, if so many come to view the body, if they have not already done it, and so soon as it is viewed, without staying the coming of the messen

When Somerset's trial was about to come on, Weldon relates that Sir George More telling him he must go to trial the next day, he exclaimed, "They must carry me in my bed, then; for I shall not go to trial, nor dare the King bring me to any!" These words so alarmed the trusty Lieutenant, that late as it was, twelve at night, he took boat and proceeded to Greenwich, where, on his arrival, finding all the household retired to rest, he went to the back stairs, and knocking violently at the door, John Loreston, one of the grooms in waiting, started from his slumber, and demanded who knocked so boisterously at such an hour. Sir George More. "I must speak with the King." Loreston. "He is quiet" (a Scottish phrase for asleep). Sir G. More. "You must awake him then, for I have matter of great import for his Majesty's ear." Sir George was accordingly at length introduced into the presence, and the King hearing his relation, exclaimed, "On my soul, More, I know not what to do! Thou art a wise man, help me in this great strait, and thou shalt find thou servest a thankful master." Sir George accordingly returns to the Tower, tells Somerset that he found the King full of grace and mercy towards him, but that he must

ger from the Court, in any case, see it enterr'd in the body of the chapel within the Tower instantly. If they have viewed, then bury it by and by, for it is time, considering the humours of that damn'd crew, that only desire to move pity and raise scandals. Let no man's instance move you to make stay in any case, and bring me these letters when I next see you. Fail not a jot herein as you love your friends, nor after Lidcote and his friends have viewed stay one minute, but let the priest be ready, and if Lidcote be not there, send for him speedily, pretending that the body will not tarry. Yours ever." "In post haste at 12."

Memorials, vol. iii. p. 482.

make his appearance to satisfy the preliminary forms of justice, and he shall then return without further proceedings had. It is added that two servants were kept in readiness by Sir George all the time of Somerset's arraignment, with a view to smother his voice if he uttered any thing to impeach the King; in order that he might be taken away from the bar, we suppose, as one distract: and it is not a little remarkable, that the King, in the following letters, dwells much on the idea of Somerset being mad, if he should say the King had any share in the poisoning.

What impartial mind can altogether acquit James under these suspicious circumstances? He might, without a direct participation, have heard hints from Somerset, while in the height of favour, that Overbury was not likely to be in a condition ever again so flagrantly to disobey the commands of a gracious sovereign; and like one of his predecessors, whose story our great Bard has SO strikingly drawn,

"It was his curse to be attended

By slaves that took his humours for a warrant,
To break within the bloody house of life,

And on the winking of authority,

To understand a law; to know a meaning,

Of dangerous Majesty; when perchance it frown'd,
More upon humour than advised respect."

The King, says Weldon, on the day of trial sent to every boat he saw, for news how the cause was proceeding, cursing (according to his custom) all those which brought none. At length arrived one with the news of Somerset's condemnation; then this great master of kingcraft became calm. Weldon states all this on the authority of Sir George More's own relation, who told him the story, he says, without any injunction of secrecy; and this might well be, from the indifference with which Sir GeorgeMore's services appear

to have been requited by King James, as is evident from some documents in the Loseley collection. Before we pass to the interesting autograph letters of the King, and the other papers extant at Loseley relative to Overbury's matter, it may be well to add that the Earl and Countess of Somerset, notwithstanding the King's solemn declaration at the first institution of the proceedings, which has been cited above, were admitted to his mercy. They became indifferent to each other, and lived apart in obscurity and neglect, the objects of public contempt and execration. She died before her husband, of a decay so loathsome, that historians have noticed it as a manifest visitation of heaven upon her crimes.

( 157.)

The Council to the Lieutenant of the Tower.

Permission granted to the Earl of Somerset to see an agent relative to his private business, in the Lieutenant's presence, and not otherwise.

After or very hartie commendac'ons, wheras humble suite hath bin made unto us that Thomas Emerson may be admitted access unto the Earle of Somersett, now prisoner in the Towre, to confer with him touchinge the rents of his lands, and other his domesticall affaires. We have therefore bin moved heereby to will and require you to suffer the said Thomas Emerson to have access and confer with the said Earle concerninge the rents of his lands, and other his domestical affaires, in your presence and hearinge, and not otherwise, for wch