CONCERNING THE POYSONING OF THE L. Marquis of Hamilton .

Bucikngham ones raised from the bottome to the top of fortunes wheele , by what desert , by what right or wrong , no matter is it , by his cariage verifyed the prouerb , No thing more proud then baser broud when it doth rise aloft .

Suffered his ambition to cary him selfe so farre as to aspire to match his blood with the blood Royall both of England and Scotland , and well knowing that the L. Marquis of Hamilton was acknowledged by King Iames to be the prime man in his dominions , who next to his owne line in his propre season might clame an hereditarie title to the Kingdom of Scotland by the daughter of King Iames the first , and to the crowne of England by Ioan of Somerset wife to King Iames the first , declared by act of parliament heretrix of England in her due ranke , neuer suffered the King to be at rest , but vrged him alwayes to send some of the priuy counsell to sollicit the Marquis to match his eldest sonne with Buckinghams neece making greate promises of conditions which the meane familie of the bride could not performe without the kings liberalitie , to wit fiftie thousand pounds sterling ( valueing fiue hundreth thousand florens ) with the Erledome of Orknay vnder the title of a Duke whatsoeuer the Marquis wold accept , euen to be the first Duke of Britan. The glorious title of a Duke the Marquis refused twise vpon speciall reasons reserued to him selfe . The matter of money was no motiue to cause the Marquis match his sonne so vnequally to his degree , seing Buckingham him selfe the chief of his kinred was but a nouice in nobilitie , his father obscure amongst gentlemen , his mother a seruing woman , and he being infamous for his frequent consultations with the ringleaders of witches , principally that false Doctor Lamb publikly condemned for witchcraft . Wherby the Marquis knowing that the king was so farre bewitched to Buckingham that if he refused the match demanded , he should find the kings deadly hatred against him . And seing that Buckinghams neece was not yet nubile in yeares , and that before the mariage should be confirmed a way might be found out to annull it , vnto which he was forced by deceitfull importunity , therfore he yeelded vnto the kings desire of the match . wherupon Buckingham and his faction fearing that delayes Wold breed le ts , vrged my L. Marquis to send for his sonne upon a sunday morning be times in all hast from London to courtat Greenwich , where neuer a word Was spoken of mariage to the young lord , till a Litle before supper , and the mariage made before the king after supper . and to make it more authentike Buckingham caused his neece be layd a bed with the Marquis his sonne for a short tyme in the kings chamber , and in his Majeties presence , albeit the brid was yet innubile . Many were astonished at the suddaine newes thereof . All the Marquis his friends fretting thereat , and some writing vnto him very scornefull letters for the same . The Marquis hauing satisfyed the kings demand , did what he could to preuent the confirmation of the mariage , and intended to send his sonne beyond the seaes to travel through France and Italie , and so passe his tyme abroad vntill the tyme that meanes were found to vntye that knot which Buckingham had vrged the king to tye vpon his sonne . But Buckingham to contreuene the Marquis his desaine caused the king and the Prince to make the Marquis his sonne be sworne gentleman of the Prince-his bedchamber , and so to be detayned with him within the kingdome vntill that the bride was of yeares ripe for mariage .

The tyme expired that Buckingham his neece became marigeable , Buckingham sent to the Marquis to desire him to make the mariage completly confirmed . The Marquis not willing to heare of any such matter answered breefly , he scorned the motion . This answer reported to Buckingham , and he seing him selfe likly to be frustrate of his ambitious matching of his neece , and perceauing that the L. Marquis was able to raise a great faction aganst him whether king Iames did liue or die , was mightily incensed against the Marquis , at his first encounter with him did challenge him of speaking disdainefully of him and his house . The Marquis replyed that he did not remember of any offensiue words vttered by him selfe against Buckingham , Then Buckingham proudly sayd vnto him out of the words of thy mouth I will iudge the. For you haue sayd you scorned the motion of matching with my house , which I made vnto yow . The Marquis ansuered that if he had sayd so , it became not the Duke to speake to him in that fashion . So Buckingham threatned to be reuenged , the Marquis vttrered his defiance . and thus the quarrell begoud , which foure or fiue tymes reiterate and as often reconciled by the Marquis de Fiatta a litle before the Marquis of Hamilton fell sicke , wherin it is euident that the quarrell hath been very violent that needed so many reconciliations , the Ducks fire of his anger and furie being inextinguible , as king Iames often did censure him in his absence albeit a fauorite , that he was wonderfully vindicatiue whose malice insatiable towards my L. Marquis of Hamilton did well show it selfe as shall appeare hereafter . Hardly can any man tell whether by the Marquis in his sicknes Buckingham was more suspected then accused of the poyson giuen or to be giuen him . For he wold not tast of any thing that was sent to him by any of Buckinghams freinds but he wold first haue some of his seruants tast it before ; and for the loue that was mutuall betwixt him and your petitioner whom he wold neuer suffer to go out of his sight during his sicknes , your petitioner also tasted of all that he tooke at that time , vnto whom his suspicion of Buckingham ▪ he expressed by name , and to other sufficient witnes , who will iustifie it vpon oath , if there be any course taken therin for the searche therof . All the tyme of his sicknes he entreated your petitioner not to suffer my L. of Buckingham to come neere him , but your petitioner hauing often sent word and also sometymes signified him selfe to Buckingham that there was no fit oportunitie to see the Marquis , pretending something to be ministred vnto him , but when your petitioner could find no more excuses , he tould my L. Marquis that he had put my L. of Buckingham away so often that he could not keepe him away any longer , but that he must needs see him . Then he knowing Buckinghams visit to proceed of dissimulation , requested your petitioner at least to find the meanes , to gett him away quikly , which your petitioner did , interrupting Buckinghams discourse and intreating him to suffer my . L Marquis to be quiet . This did euidenly show my L. Marquis his disliking and distrusting of Buckingham , whereas he was well pleased with other noblemens compainie . all the tyme of his sicknes the Duke and my L. Denbigh wold not suffer his owne sonne to come to him , pretending that he was also sicke , which was false for the tyme that my L. Marquis called for him after that your petitioner aduised his Lordship to dispose of his estate and of his conscience , because his sicknes was not without danger . which your petitioner four dayes before my L. his death did in such maner that he gaue him no cause to dispare of his health , but intreated him to commit all the caire of his health to God and his Physitians , assuring him howsoeuer he had gotten wrong abroad , he should get none in the cure of his disease . At length his lordship burst out in these words to my lord Dēbigh , it is a greate crueltie in you that yow will not suffer my sonne to come to me when I am a dying that I may see him and speake to him before I die . so they delayed his comming with excuses vntill my L. his agonie of death was neere , to the end that he should not haue tyme to giue his sonne priuat instructions to shun the mariage of Buckinghams neece , or to signifie vnto him the suspicion that he had of poyson , for they had rather his sonne should knowe any thing then either of these . Yet many did suspect his poyson before he dyed , for two dayes before his death two of his seruants dyed with manifest signes and symptomes of poyson , one belonging to his wine seller , and another to his kitchin . The fatall houre being come that my L. Marquis deceased , your petitioner intreated them that were present to suffer no man to toutch his body vntill that he retourned to see it opened , for then he protested earnestly that all the tyme of his sicknes he iudged him to be poysoned , and in all consultations vrged allwayes antidotes to be administred , but this poyson was such and 〈◊〉 farre gone that none could helpe . Neuerthelesse to haue the matter concealed Buckinghams folks wold haue had him buryed that same night in , Westminster church , and the ceremonies of the buriall to be made afterward , saying that such delicate bodyes as his , could not be long kept . But his friends taking hold of the caueat giuen them by your petitioner , refused so to doe and replyed that they wold haue him as became him buryed in Scotland in his owne Chappell where his ancestours haue beene buryed about this four hundreth yeeres ago , and that his body must be first visited by his Physitians . No sooner was he dead , when the force of the poyson had ouercome the forces of his body , but it begoud to swell in such sort that his thighes were as big as six tymes there naturall proportion , his belly became as big as the belly of an oxe , his armes as big as the naturall quantitie of his thighes , his necke so broad as his shoulders , his cheekes ouer the tope of his nose , that his nose could not be seene or distinguished , the skinne of his forehead ouer his eyes , and the same skinne , with all the rest of the skinne of his head two finger high swelled , his haire of his beard , eyebrowes , and head , so farre distant one from an other , as if an hundreth had beene taken out betwixt euery one , and when one did toutch his haire it came away with the skin as easily as if one had pulled hay out of an heape of hay . He Was all ouer his breast , necke , shoulders , and armes , blistered with blisters so big as ones fist , with blisters I saie , of six diuers colours full of waters of the same coulours , some white , some blacke , some red , some yeallow , some greene , some blew , and that as well within his body as without . Also the cauities of his liuer greene , his stomake in some places a litle purpurated with a blewish clammie matter adharinge to the sides of it , his mouth and nose foming blood mixt with froth of diuers coulors a yard high . Your petitioner being sent for to come visit his body and his seruants all flocking about him saying see , see , presently weeping sayd he was poysoned , and that it was a thing not to be suffered , moreouer he sayd that albeit his speach might cost him his life , yet seing his sorrow had extorted that speech out of him , he wold make it manifest and wold haue a iury of Physitians present . Some of my L. Marquis of Hamiltons freinds sayd , we must send to my L. Duke that he may send his Phisitians , but your petitioner replyed what haue we to do with the Dukes Physitians ? let us haue indifferent men . Captaine Hamilton hearing your petitioner so boldly take exceptions at Buckingham , and iudging that he had good reason for what he had spoken sayd , for all that let vs send to the Duke , and signify that they all who see the Marquis his body both Physitians and Chirurgians , and others , thinke that he is poysoned , and that his freinds desire more Physitians out of the Colledge of London besydes the Dukes physitians , to beare witnesse in what case the Marquis his body is in , and then if the Dukes conscience be guylty ( sayd the Captaine ) it will show it selfe . Which in deed it did . For the Duke being aduertised hereof sent for his owne Physitians and others out of London , whom he caused first to be brought to him before they went to see the Marquis his body , giuing them his direction in these words , my masters there is a brute spred abroad that the Marquis of Hamilton is poysoned . Go and see , but beware , what yow speake of poyson , ( which he said in a threatning forme of deliuery ) for now euery noble man that dyeth must be poysoned . If his conscience had not beene guilty should he not haue commanded the Physitians to inquire be all meanes possible , and make it knowen rather then to suppresse the speech of the poysoning . These Physitians being come , your petitioner with the one hand leading Doctor Moore to the table where the Marquis his body was laid to be opened , and with the other hand throwing of the clothe from the body sayd to him , looke yow here vpon this pitifull spectacle . At the sight therof Doctor Moore lifting up both his hands and his hat and his eyes to the heauens astonished , sayd Iesus blisse me , I neuer saw the like . I can not know him , I can not distinguish a face vpon him , and in like maner all the rest of the Doctors and also the Chirurgians affirmed that they never saw the like , albeit they had traveled and practised through the greatest part of Europe , only one that saw my L. of Southamptons body opened in Holland ( which L. was also one of Buckinghams opposits ) sayd that my L. of Southamptons body was blistered all within the breast as my L. Marquis his was . Doctor Leester one of my L. of Buckinghams creatures , seing Doctor Moore and others so amased at the sight of my lords body , drew first him a syde and then the others one after an other , and whispered them in the eare to silence them . wherupon many went away without speaking one worde , the others who remayned acknowledged that those accidents of the dead body could not be without poyson , but they sayd they could not know how such a subtil art of poysoning could be brought into England , your pettioner replying that money could bring both the art and the artist from the furthest part of the world into England . from whence since your petitioner departed he hath conferred with the skilfullest pestmasters that could be found , who visit the bodyes of those that die of the venime of the pest . They all admire the description oe my L. Marquis his body , and testifie that neuer any of the pest hausuch accidents , but carbuncles , bubons , or the spots , no such huge blisters with waters , and such an huge vniforme swelling to such dimensions aboue six-tymes the naturall proportion . But he hath met with some , who haue practised the poysoning of dogges to trie the forces of some antidotes , and they haue found that some poysons haue made the dogges sicke for a fortnight or more , without any swelling vntill they were dead , and then they swelled aboue measure , and became blistered with waters of diuers colours , and the haire came away with the skin when it was toutched . The Plysitians then who remained were willing to certifie with there handwrit that my L. Marquis was poysoned , but your petitioner tould them it was not needfull , seing we must attend Gods leasure to discouer the author , the matter being so apparent , and so many hundreths hauing seene his body to witnesse it , for the doores were kept open for euery man to behold and to be witnes who wold . The Duke of Buckingham making some counterfeited show of sorrow to men of great qualitie , found no other shift to diuert the suspicion of the poysoning of the Marquis from his selfe , but to lay it vpon his Master the King , saying that the Marquis for his person , spirite , & cariage , was such that he was borne worthy to reigne , but the King his Master hated him to death , because he had a spirit too much for the commonwealth . Wherby the Duke shew him selfe no good subiect of the Kings , who made the Kings humor to be tyrannicall , and the King a bloodthristie murtherer , and a most vile dissembler hauing heaped so many honors dayly vpon the Marquis euen to the very last , making him Lord high Steward of his Maiesties house and iudge of the verge court , whom he had made before Viceroy of Scotland for the tyme of the parliament in Scotland , Erle of Cambridge , a priuy counselor in England , and Knight of the garter , as if he had raised him to all these honors that the murthering of him might be the lesse suspected to proceed from him . The Kings nature hath been allways obserued to be so gratious and so free harted to euery one , that he would neuer haue wished the Marquis any harme vnlesse that Buckingham had put great feares and ialousies in his minde , for if any other had done it , he would haue acquainted his fauorite therewith , & then was it Buckinghams duety to remoue from the King such sinistrous conceits of the Marquis , as the Marquis hath often doone for Buckingham , vpholding him in all occasions , and keeping the King from giuing way to introduce any other fauorite . Wherefore Buckingham in that diuersion of the crime from him selfe , hath not only made the King but also himselfe guylty of the Marquis his death . But Buckinghams falshood and euill intention long before was rightly discouered , when he did what he could to make the Erle of N●●esdale and my L. Gordon both neere Kinsmen of my Lord Marquis so incensed at him , that they had likely all three killed one an other if it had not been that my L. Marquis by his wisdome did let them all know how they were abused . if any dissimulation be greater then Buckinghams let any man iudge , for when my L. Marquis his body was to be transported from Whitehall to his house at Bishopsgate , Buckingham came out muffed and furred in his coatch , giving out that he was sick for sorrow of my L. Marquis his death , but so soone as he went to his house out of London before his coming to the King he triumphed and dominired with his faction so excessively , as if he had gayned some greate victorie , and the next day comming to the King put on a most lamentable and mournefull countenance for the death of the Marquis of Hamilton . No greater victorie could he haue gotten to his mind , then to haue destroyed that man who could and would haue fetched his head of his shoulders if he had outliued King Iames to haue knowen his cariage in the poysoning him in his sicknes , wherfore he thought it necessary to remoue the Marquis before hand . The same day that my L. Marquis dyed Buckingham sent my Lord Marquis his sonne out of the towne , keeping him as a prisoner that none could haue priuat conference with him vntill his mariage of Buckinghams neece was complete , but allwayes either my L. Denbigh or my lady Denbigh or my L. of Buckingham or the countesse of Buckingham or the Dutchesse of Buckingham was present , that none could let him vnderstand how his father was murthered . euen your pertioner him selfe when he went to see him within few dayes after his fathers death was intreated not to speake to him of the poysoning of his father which he did conceale at his first meeting because there sorrow was too recent , but he was preuented of a second meeting . Neither would Buckingham suffer the young lord to go to Scotland to his fathers funeralls and to take order with his freinds concerning his fathers estate , for feare that there intended mariage , should be ouer throwne . This captiuitie of the young lord Marquis lasted so long vntill that Buckingham caused his Maiestie King Charles take the young lord with him selfe and Buckingham into K. Iames his Parke discharging all others to follow them , and there to perswade and vrge the younge lord without any more delay to accomphih his mariage with Buckinghams neece , which instantly was performed so that Buckingham trusteth and presumeth that albeit the young lord should vnderstand how his father was poysoned by his meanes , yet being maryed to his neece , should not sturre to reuenge it , but comport with it . To all what is obserued before , it is worthy to be added that the bruit went through London long before my L. Duke of Richemonds death , or his brothers , or my lord of Southamptons , or of the Marquis , that all the noblemen that were not of Buckinghams faction should be poysoued , and so remoned out of his way . Also a paper was founde in kingstreete about the tyme of the Duke of Richemonds death , wherin the names of all these noblemen who haue dyed since were expressed , and your petitioners name also set next to the lord Marquis of Hamiltons name , with these words to embawme him . This paper was brought him by my lord Oldbarres dawghter cousin german to the lord Marquis . Likeways a mountebanke about that tyme was greatly countenanced by the Duke of Buckingham , and by his meanes procured letters patents and recommendation from the King to practise his skill through all England , who comming to London offered to sell poysons to kill men or beasts within a yeere , or halfe a yeare , or two yeares , or a moneth , or two , or what tyme praefixed any man desired , in such sort that they could not be helped nor yet discouered , Moreouer the Christmas before my L. Marquis his death one of the Prince his footemen sayd that some of the greate ones at court had gotte poyson in his belly but he could not tell who it was . Here your honors considering the premisses of my L. of Buckingham his ambitious and most vindicatiue nature , his frequent quarrels wih my L. Marquis after so many reconciliations , his threatning of him , his threatning of the Phisitians to speake of poyson , his triumphing after my Lord Marquis his death , his detayning of his sonne almost as a prisoner vntill the mariage complete with his neece , the preceeding bruit of poysoning of Buckinghams aduersaries , the paper of there names found with sufficient intimation of there death by the conclusion of the word Embawming , the poysonmunger mountibanck graced by Buckingham , may suffise for ground to take him and torture him , if he were a priuat man . And herein your petitioner most humbly and most ernesty demandeth iustice against that treator , seing by act of parliament it is made treason to conspire the death of a priuy counsellor . out of this declaration interrogatories may be drawen for examination of witnes , wherin more is discouered to beginne with all , then was layd open at the beginning of the discovery of the poysoning of sir Thomas Ouerbury .