The Lord Chief Juftice then demanded of the prifoner, what he faid to his being promised a penfion of 1500l. per annum. To which he answered, Cobham was a bafe, dishonourable, poor foul: and the Chief Justice replied, I perceive you are not fo clear a man as you have protefted all

this while.

During the trial, the Lord Admiral Nottingham, being in Court with the Lady Arabella, ftood up, and declared, that the

Lady protested, upon her falvation, that the never dealt in any of those things, and fo defired him to inform the court; fhe acknowledged, indeed, the received a letter from the Lord Cobham, to prepare her; but fhe laughed at it, and immediately fent the letter to the King. The evidence being given and fummed up, brought the prifoner in guilty, and judgment paffed on him as a traytor.

The Arraignment of ROBERT WINTER, JOHN GRANT, THOMAS BATES, THOMAS WINTER, AMBROSE ROOKWOOD, ROBERT KEYES, GUY FAWKES, and Sir EVERARD DIGBY, for HIGH TREASON, on the 27th of January 1605.

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HE indictment charges the prifoners | under the Parliament-Houfe, in which they with compaffing and imagining the placed twenty barrels of gun-powder; death of the King, Queen, &c. and the and, fearing the faid powder was become fubverfion of the established religion and damp, bought in ten barrels and four government; and, particularly, with con-hogfheads more of gun-powder; covering fulting and agreeing, to blow up, and tear in pieces, the King and Queen, Prince Henry, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Judges, and Commons affembled in Parliament and that, they did not only confpire, and conclude to deftroy, the King's iffue male, but to furprize his daughters, the two Princeffes, Elizabeth and Mary, and to proclaim the faid Elizabeth Queen and that they took their caths, and received the Sacrament, to conceal the faid treafons, and never defift, till they had accomplished the fame: that they, afterwards, dug a mine in the foundation walls of the Parliament-Houfe, being three yards thick; and, being difcouraged by the difficulty of that, work, they hired a cellar

VOL. I.

the whole with iron bars, ftones, billets, and faggots: and that, the said Guy Fawkes had procured touchwood and match, and was prepared to fet fire to the fame, at the time prefixed: that the faid traitors had also provided horfes, armour, amunition, and other implements of war, and published divers falle reports, as if the Papifts were to have been maffacred; whereby divers Papifts were incited to appear in arms, and were in open and actual rebellion, against the King, in feveral parts of England.

To which indictment, the prifoners feverally pleaded, Not Guilty, but their examinations, wherein. they had confeffed thefe treafons, being fhewn them, they acknowledged the fame to be true in court

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and,

and, thereupon, without any further trial, | Winter, John Grant, Thomas Bates, Thotheir confeffions were recorded.

mas Winter, Ambrofe Rookwood, Robert Keys, and Guy Fawkes; and the four firft were executed at the weft-end of St. Paul's; and the reft in the Old Palace-Yard, West

Sir Everard Digby alfo was arraigned for the fame treafons, and pleaded Guilty: whereupon judgment of High Treafon was pronounced on Sir Everard Digby, Robertminster.

Trial of the Right Honourable FRANCIS, Lord VERULAM, Viscount St. ALBANS, and Lord CHANCELLOR of ENGLAND, for BRIBERY and CORRUPTION, the 19th of March, 1620.

N Thursday, the 15th of March, 1620, Sir Robert Phillips, from the Committee of the Commons, appointed to enquire into abufes in the courts of juftice, reported to the house, that they had received two petitions, charging the Lord Chancellor with corruption in his office.

expected. This charge was confirmed by feveral letters.

The second petition was from Edward Egerton, who fhewed that he was perfuaded by Sir George Haftings and Sir Richard Young, to prefent his Lordship with a fum of money; but that he had before given That the firft petition was from Awbrey, my Lord a piece of plate, of the value of which fhewed, that he having a caufe de- 521. as a teftimony of his love; and now pending before the Lord Chancellor, and he procured 400l. and fent it to his Lordbeing tired with delays, was advised by fhip by Sir George Haftings and Sir fome near my Lord, to quicken him, by Richrd Young, as a gratuity for what making his Lordship a prefent of 100 1. my Lord had done for him, when he was that he, thereupon, with fome difficulty, Attorney-General; that thefe gentlemen procured the faid fum of an ufurer, and told the petitioner, my Lord fcrupled the went with Sir George Haftings and Mr. taking it at firft, and faid it was too much, Jenkins, to the Lord Chancellor's houfe in but was at length perfuaded to take it, as for Gray's Inn, and thofe two gentlemen car-favours paffed, and returned him thanks, ried in the money to his Lordship, and when they came out, faid my Lord was thankful, and affured him of fuccefs in his business.

That Sir George Haftings, a member of the houfe, had acknowledged the giving Awbrey that advice, and carrying in the money to my Lord; but faid, he prefented it as from himfelf, and not from Awbrey; nor had it the effect that the petitioner

faying, he did not only enrich him, but laid a tie on him, to affift him in his lawful bufinefs; that Sir George Haftings and Sir Richard Young, members of the house, acknowledged the delivery of the purse; but faid, they knew not what was in it.

The report alfo took notice, that Doctor Field, now Bishop of Landaff, had undertaken to procure Mr. Egerton fuccefs in his caufe, on condition of his entering into a

recog

propofed a committee of fix of the upper | took it, and faid, What Lord could refufe houfe, and twelve of the lower houfe, to

examine the matter.

In answer to which, the Commons defired the like meffage might be fent to the Lords, that they might have a conference with them about it.

On the 20th of March, Sir Robert Phillips reported from the conference, that the Lords demanded, if they would not reduce their complaint into writing: and it was refolved, that they would not; it only confifting of two or three points, clear and plain.

A meffage came from the Lords the fame day, fignifying, that they had taken into confideration the last conference, and fhould need the teftimony of two members of that houfe, defiring they might attend voluntarily, without order, as private perfons, and give their teftimony upon oath; and it was answered, that they would attend as private gentlemen, and be examined.

Sir Robert Phillips reported further, that the committee of the Commons had examined Churchill, one of the Regifters in Chancery; and it appeared, that the Lady Wharton having a caufe depending there, an order was made for the difmiflion of her bill, by the confent of the council on both fides; which the Lady difliking, took Churchill into her coach, and carried him to the Lord Chancellor's; and fo managed the matter, that the Regifter was commanded not to enter the last order and my Lady being left at liberty, thereby, to profecute her fuit, brought it to a hearing, and obtained a decree.

That Keeling being examined, declared, that about the time of paffing the faid decree, my Lady took an hundred pounds, and carried it to York-Houfe to the Lord Chancellor, in a purfe; and my Lord afking her, What he had in her hand? The answered, a purfe of her own making, and prefented it to him; who

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a purfe of fo fair a lady's working? That,, afterwards, my Lord decreed for her; but the decree was not perfected till 200l. more was given, in the prefence of one Gardiner,

Gardiner, Keeling's man, confirmed the payment of the 300 l. for the decree, viz. 1001. firft, and 2001. afterwards; and this purchafed decree being lately damned by the Lord Chancellor, occafioned the Lady's complaint.

Keeling added, that Sir John Trevor prefented the Lord Chancellor with 1001. by the hands of Sir Richard Young, for a final end of this caufe; and Sir Richard Young declared, that when he attended the Lord Chancellor, Sir John Trevor's man brought a cabinet, and a letter to my Lord, and entreated him to deliver it, which he did openly.

On the 21st of March, 1620, Sir Robert Phillips reported, that they were informed of feveral other corruptions, by Keeling and Churchill, particularly, that his Lordship had taken great fums in the caufes of Hull and Holman, Wroth and Manwaring, Peacock and Reynell, Barker and Bill, Smithwick and Welch; that, in this, and other caufes, my Lord would decree part, and when he wanted more money, he would fend for more, and then decree another part; and in moft cafes my Lord's fervants had undertaken one fide or another, infomuch, that it was ufual for counfel, when their clients came to them, to afk what friend they had at York Houfe?

It being ordered that a meflage be fent to the Lords, by Sir Robert Phillips, to relate the cafe of the Lady Wharton, and the informations of Churchill; Sir Robert reported from the Lords, That they acknowledged the great care of the Commons, returned them thanks for their correfpondence, and affured the like on their part for ever.

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