lose his office and estate? Not to death (quoth Raleigh) but he will be imprisoned for a while, but his lands the King cannot have, for that they are already assured to his eldest son; and for the rest it was no part of his care. Mannowry further asked him if it were not treason in himself to be aiding to his escape. No (quoth he) for that you are a stranger; nevertheless you must not be known of anything, for then you will be sure to be put in prison. In conclusion, Mannowry demanded of him yet further, But what if it be discovered that I had any hand in your escape? Why (quoth he) follow me into France (that is your country) and quit all, and I will make you amends for all.

After, Raleigh went on his journey to Andover,1 and so to Hartford-bridge, and from thence to Staines, during which time Sir Lewis Stucley being made acquainted by Mannowry with Raleigh his purpose to escape, used extraordinary diligence in guards and watches upon him: which Raleigh perceiving, said to Mannowry at Staines: I perceive well, it is not possible for me to escape by our two means alone, Stucley is so watchful and sets such strait guard upon me, and will be too hard for us for all our cunnings, therefore there is no way but to make him of our counsel; and if we can persuade him to let me save myself, I will give him in hand two hundred pounds sterling worth: and thereupon drew forth a jewel, and showed it to Mannowry, and gave it into his hand, made in the fashion of hail powdered with diamonds, with a ruby in the midst, which he valued at 150 pound sterling, and said, besides this jewel he shall have 50 pound in money; I pray you go tell him so from me, and persuade him to it, I know he will trust you.

Mannowry went presently to Stucley and told him as before, and concluded with him that Mannowry should report back to

1 "At Andover," says Stucley in his Apology, "I first discovered he had a design ahatching, and that he had not omitted to make use as he thought to advantage of all his supposed sufferings, and Mr. Vice-Chamberlain's pity, who got him leave," &c.

2

Why Mannoury, who had till now been conspiring with Ralegh to deceive Stucley, should now have resolved to conspire with Stucley to deceive Ralegh, is not explained. That it was because he now knew, what he had not known before, that Ralegh was plotting an escape, and not merely a delay (which I suppose was the colour he had put upon it, see above, p. 405) seems to me unlikely. I should rather suppose that the last conversation had alarmed him for his own safety, and suggested the expediency of making himself an honest man as soon as possible.

Raleigh that he would accept of his offer, and bade him tell Raleigh also that he was content to do as he desired; but he would chuse rather to go away with him than to tarry behind with shame and reproach, and he bade Mannowry ask him further how he thought he could do this without losing his office of Vice-Admiral, which cost him six hundred pounds, and how they should live afterwards; and to what place they should go, and what means he would carry with him, to furnish this intended escape; which Mannowry did, and was answered by the said Raleigh, and prayed to tell Stucley that if he would swear unto him not to discover him, he would tell him his whole intent; and that for the first point, though Stucley should lose his office, yet he should be no loser upon the matter; and for afterwards, as soon as he was gotten into France or Holland his wife was to send him a thousand pounds sterling, and that he carried with him only a thousand crowns in money and jewels to serve for the present in his escape. But after supper, Raleigh said unto Mannowry, Oh, if I could escape without Stucley I should do bravely; but it is no matter (said he) I'll carry him along, and afterwards I'll despatch myself of him well enough. And after, Mannowry relating all that had passed to Stucley, brought them together, at which time Raleigh showed the jewel to Stucley; and he making show to be content prayed him a little respite to dispose of his office, whereupon Mannowry seeing them so accorded upon the matter in appearance, took his leave of them to go to London, and in the morning Mannowry upon the taking of his leave said to Raleigh that he did not think to see him again while he was in England; whereupon Raleigh gave him a letter addressed to Mistress Herrys of Radford, that she should deliver him an iron furnace with a distillatory of copper belonging unto it, and charged him to tell every man he met that he was sick, and that he left him in an extreme looseness that very night.1

But Raleigh having formerly despatched a messenger to London to prepare him a barque for his escape, came at last to London, and having won his purpose (by these former devices of feigned sickness) to be spared from imprisonment in the Tower, and to be

Though there is no mark of separation here, more than an ordinary paragraph, I presume we are to understand that Mannoury's relation ends here.

permitted to remain at his own house till his better recovery, there fell out an accident which gave him great hopes and encouragement speedily to facilitate his intended design for escape. For as he came on his way to London, in his inn at Brentford,1 there came unto him a Frenchman named La Chesnay, a follower of Le Clere, last agent here for his Majesty's dearest brother the French King, who told him that the French agent was very desirous to speak with him, as soon as might be after his arrival in London, for matters greatly concerning the said Sir Walter's weal and safety, as in effect it fell out, that the very next night after his arrival at London, the said Le Clere and La Chesnay came unto him to his house, and there did the said Le Clere offer unto him a French barque, which he had prepared for him to escape in, and withal his letters recommendatory for his safe conduct and reception to the Governor of Calais, and to send a gentleman expressly that should attend and meet him there; to which offer of his, Raleigh, after some questions passed, finding the French barque not to be so ready nor so fit as that himself had formerly provided, gave him thanks, and told him that he would make use of his own barque, but for his letters and the rest of his offer he should be beholding to him, because his acquaintance in France was worn out. So passionately bent was he upon his escape, as that he did not forbear to trust his life, and to communicate a secret importing him so near, upon his first acquaintance, and unto a stranger, whom he hath since confessed that he never saw before. And thus after two nights' stay, the third night he made an actual attempt to escape, and was in boat towards his ship, but was by

1 "Between Staines and London I added to the knowledge of his purpose a certain notion of his discovered practice; wherewithal his M. being informed I had shortly after the injunction of his M. to secrecy, and commission to do as I have done." Stucley's Apology. Sir W. St. John, who had made the discovery, and was hastening to the King at Salisbury with the news of it, met Stucley at Bagshot and told him. See his declaration in the appendix.

According to Mr. Gardiner, Stucley also communicated to the King the substance of the interview between Ralegh and Le Clerc ; which he speaks of as the act of a spy, of which he should have been ashamed. (P. Charles, Vol. i. p. 139.) 1 should have thought that to prevent a prisoner from escaping, both by spying into his plots and revealing them to the authorities, was the duty of a man charged with the custody of him.

In the hope of discovering more, the King authorised Stucley to pretend complicity. And certainly, if reciprocity was to be the rule, Ralegh could not reasonably have objected to Stucley's taking his turn in deception--if he knew how.

Stucley arrested,1 brought back, and delivered into the custody of the Lieutenant of the Tower.

For these his great and heinous offences, in acts of hostility upon his Majesty's confederates, depredations, and abuses as well of his commission as of his Majesty's subjects under his charge, impostures, attempts of escape, declining his Majesty's justice, and the rest, evidently proved or confessed by himself, he had made himself utterly unworthy of his Majesty's further mercy and because he could not by law be judicially called in question, for that his former attainder of Treason is the highest and last work of the law (whereby he was civiliter mortuus), his Majesty was enforced (except attainders should become privileges for all subsequent offences) to resolve to have him executed upon his former attainder.

His Majesty's just and honourable proceedings being thus made manifest to all his good subjects by this preceding Declaration, not founded upon conjectures or likelihoods, but either upon confession of the party himself, or upon the examination of divers unsuspected witnesses, he leaves it to the world to judge how he could either have satisfied his own justice (his honourable intentions having been so perverted and abused by the said Sir W. Raleigh) or yet make the uprightness of the same his intentions appear to his dearest brother the King of Spain, if he had not by a legal punishment of the offender given an example, as well of terror to all his other subjects not to abuse his gracious meanings in taking contrary courses for the attaining to their own unlawful ends, as also of demonstration to all other foreign Princes and States, whereby they might rest assured of his Majesty's honourable proceeding with them, when any the like case shall occur: By which means his Majesty may the more assuredly expect and claim an honourable concurrence and

Stucley had pretended to be going with him, and arrangements had been made for the arrest. Chamberlain's account of it gives the substance in the fewest words. "Sir Walter Ralegh went to the Tower on Monday, having attempted the night before to make an escape and get over sea: but he was bewrayed or in a sort betrayed by Sir Lewis Stukley (who had the charge of him) and brought back by certain boats that waited for him about Woolwich. Sir Lewis did nourish him in the humour, with promise to assist and accompany him, but it was a foul pas de clerc, for an old cosener to be so cosened and overtaken." Letter to Carleton, 15 Aug. 1618. Sir William St. John's declaration, which will be found in the appendix, p. 415, explains how the plot to escape came to the knowledge both of Stucley and the King.

a reciprocal correspondence from them upon any the like occasion. But as to Sir Walter Raleigh his confession at his death, what he confessed or denied touching any the points of this Declaration, his Majesty leaves him and his conscience therein to God, as was said in the beginning of this discourse. For Sovereign Princes cannot make a true judgment upon the bare speeches or asseverations of a delinquent at the time of his death, but their judgment must be founded upon examinations, re-examinations, and confrontments, and such like real proofs, as all this former discourse is made up and built upon; all the material and most important of the said examinations being taken under the hands of the examinates that could write, and that in the presence of no fewer than six of his Majesty's Privy Council, and attested by their alike several subscriptions under their hands, which were my Lords, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Verulam Lord Chancellor of England, the Earl of Worcester Lord Privy Seal, Master Secretary Naunton, the Master of the Rolls, and Sir Edward Coke.

FINIS.

APPENDIX.

SIR LEWES STUKELYE'S APPOLLOGIE, WRITTE WITH HIS OWNE HAND. MS. Ashmole. 830. 20.1

I know full well that all actions of men of whatsoever condition in these censorious times shall be scanned, as already I have been informed mine have been in the execution of my sovereign's late commands: even since yesterday that I performed the same, committing Sir Walter Ralegh and some of his adherents and instruments to his intended scape from my custody to the Tower. I have been accused for conspiracy and falsehood towards him, I therefore hold it behooveful for me to recollect the passages of my employment wherewith I desire to satisfy all good and

honest men.

By a letter bearing date the 12th of June from the right honourable the Lord High Admiral of England I had the first commandment given me for the apprehension of Sir Walter Ralegh, Knt., whose ship formerly had

'Ralegh's Works (Oxford Edition), vol. viii. p. 783. Not dated, but written apparently the day after Ralegh was committed to the Tower. See the opening paragraph. I have modernised the spelling.