mants, wch I have delivered to Mr. Herriot* by my Lord's comaundmt, it being not paid for, and valued at £250.

A garter and George my Lord hath at the Tower.

A table diamant, at pawne for £100, wch my Lord delivered unto me to pawne for £150.

A stone cup and cover, garnished wth gould cage worke in a painted box.

An agot pott in a gilt case, garnished wth gould.

An agot boate cup and cover, set in gould in a gilt case. An agot cup. . set in gould, wth stones, in a

black leather case.

An agot cup and cover set in gould, wth doggs of gold on the foot therof.

A mother-of-pearle cup and cover, set in gould in a black leather case.

A cup and cover, the foot and cover of gould, and set wth stones, in a red leather case.

A bason and ewer, Norromberg worke, gilt, the ewer like an olophant, in black leather cases.

Another bason and ewer, Norromberg work, wth a great rugged pearle in the middest of the bason, the ewer round, wh a sprigg like a braunch on the topp, in black leather cases."

Of gold plate, the Earl appears to have had about 120 ounces; of silver, white and parcel gilt, upwards of 3,000. Besides this, he had at pawn with divers goldsmiths in London, (being perhaps a sort of banking deposit, for it will be recollected that the goldsmiths were our first bankers,) upwards of 5,500 oz. more of plate gilt and white. Among the items of these we find a cistern and a snowbottle, (an apparatus, it may be presumed, for ice,) and 24 fruit-dishes. These extracts may serve to shew the splendour of Somerset's domestic state before his fall.

* George Herriott, the king's goldsmith. See Sir Walter Scott's Nigel.

Imprisonment of Sir Thomas Monson, as concerned in Overbury's murder.

Sir Thomas Monson, some documents of whose committal on the matter of Overbury follow here, was Head Falconer to the King, and employed, as has been stated, p. 389, to recommend Weston to Sir Gervase Elwes, as a fit attendant on Sir Thomas Overbury. King James, being at supper at Royston, after Somerset was gone, said to Sir Thomas, who was in attendance, "The Lord Chief Justice hath sent for you." He asked, "When he might have the honour to wait on his Highness again." The King significantly replied, "When you can." Monson was arraigned at Guildhall; but the Lord Chief Justice Coke venturing on some expressions, "That more would be discovered by his trial than the mere death of a private individual," hinting either at Northampton's assuring the Lieutenant of the Tower that the death of Overbury would be acceptable to the King, or that Overbury's death had something of the retribution of heaven in it, for that he had been concerned in a similar atrocious crime against Prince Henry, whose death was not without suspicion of poison, this exordium reaching the ears of the King, the trial was stopped by his order, the Chief Justice brought into disgrace, and Monson eventually enlarged.

(168.)

The Council to the Lieutenant of the Tower, the Bishop of Ely may have access to Sir Thomas Monson.

After or very hartie comendacons.

Wheras

humble suite hath ben made unto us by Sr Thomas Munson, Kt. now prisonner in the Tower, that the Lo: Bp. of Elie might be admitted accesse unto him, to conferr and resolve him of some pointes concerning his conscience in religion. We have thereupon ben moved hereby to pray and require yow to suffer the Bp. of Elie to have accesse to Sr Thomas Munson, at such time as yow shall thinke fitt and convenient, to confer and resolve him of such pointes and doubtes as may concerne the satisfacc'on of his conscience in religion, and for no other cause, and yow to be present at the conference, and not to suffer other discourse. ffor wch this shalbe yor sufficient warrant. And so wee byd you hartely farewell. ffrom Yorke house, this . . . . of Januarie, 1615.

Your very lovinge freinds,

T. ELLESMERE, Canc.

LENOX.

EDW. COKE.

Postscript. Mr. Lieutenant, you may forbeare

to bee p'sent at the conference.

Lieutenant of the Tower.

The same to the same.

( 169.)

Sir Thomas Monson may be allowed pen, ink, and paper.

After or hartie comendacons. Whereas humble

sute hath bin made unto us by Sr Thomas Moun

son, Knight, now prisoner in the Tower, for pen, ink, and paper to be allowed unto hym, thereby to signifie in writing unto us, certaine his desires, theis shall bee to require yo' to suffer hym, the said Sr Thomas Mounson, to have pen, ink, and paper for that purpose, he making to you an accompt of the paper given unto hym. ffor web this shall be yor warrant. ffrom Whitehall, the xith of Maye, 1616.

Yor very loving frendes,

T. ELLESMERE, Canc.

E. ZOUCHE.

EDW. COKE.

To Sir George More, Knight,
Lieutenant of the Tower.

(170.)

Sir Ralph Winwood to Sir George More. Sir Thomas
Monson's imprisonment to be relaxed.

Hys Maty is graciously pleased that Sr Thomas Monson, now prisonner in the Tower, by reason of the long vacation, showld have som release of hys close imprisonment, both to enjoy more freedom of th'ayre, and to have liberty to conferr wth such as shall have occasion to repayre unto him, in the presence of the Lieutenant, or some suche

person as shall be deputed by him. For wch thys shalbe yo' warrant. Greenw'ch, the 18th June. RAPHE WINWOOD.*

To Sr George Moore, Knight,

Lievetenant of the Tower.

(171.)

The Chancellor and Attorney General to the Lieutenant of the Tower. Certain other indulgencies are to be allowed to his prisoner.

After or very hartye comendacons, you shall understand that it is his Mats pleasure that Sr Thomas Mounson, Knight, now prisoner in the Tower, shall have license to resort to the church there in tyme of prayer or divine s'vice, as like wise unto yor table for his dyett, wth such libertie

* On this paper is the following note:

“22d July, 1616. We understand, by Mr. Lieutenant, that upon the receyt of this warrant he p'mytted you to waulke upon the wall and within the garden, which was as much as we conceyve he mought doe by his warr't.

"And furder, we signify his M's pleasure to be, that Mr. Lieuten't p'rmitt you at yo'r best lyking to waulk in any open place within the Towre, observing neverthelesse for mattir of action or conference the lymitacions mencioned in his former warr't. T. ELLESMERE, Canc. FR. BACON."

† It appears by the following document that state prisoners bore the expenses of their table while confined in the Tower.

"Received of Sir Thomas Mounson, Knight Barronnett, by