LETTER
TO
Mr.
MILES
PRANCE
,
In
Relation
to
the
Murther
of
Sir
Edmond-bury
Godfrey
.
Mr.
PRANCE
,
PErceiving
by
some
late
Pamphlets
several
Rumors
rais'd
,
as
if
there
were
endeavours
us'd
to
asperse
your
Evidence
in
relation
to
the
Death
of
Sir
E.B.G.
and
to
lay
that
Murther
upon
Himself
.
And
remembring
the
consternation
which
then
was
in
all
peoples
minds
by
the
Discovery
at
that
time
of
a
Dreadful
and
most
Horrid
Popish
Plot
,
which
occasion'd
divers
to
report
,
and
most
to
believe
(
even
several
days
before
the
dead
Body
was
found
,
)
That
he
was
Murder'd
by
the
Papists
at
Somerset-house
.
And
hearing
that
the
Coroners
Jury
or
Inquest
were
first
of
Opinion
,
and
accordingly
declar'd
he
was
Felo
de
Se
;
And
that
there
was
much
Art
and
Skill
us'd
to
procure
their
Verdict
to
the
contrary
;
More
particularly
,
the
refusing
of
the
Body
(
at
their
Instance
and
request
)
to
be
open'd
;
and
opposing
the
Assistance
of
the
Coroner
of
Westminster
,
(
who
is
taken
notice
of
to
be
a
Knowing
and
Impartial
Man
in
the
Execution
of
his
Office
;
)
who
was
desir'd
to
,
and
did
attend
for
that
purpose
,
but
was
dismist
with
a
Guiney
;
telling
him
,
they
had
no
need
of
his
Service
.
I
made
it
my
business
,
partly
for
Yours
,
but
chiefly
for
the
Truths
sake
,
to
make
a
strict
Enquiry
into
the
farther
Causes
of
the
aforesaid
Rumours
,
and
do
find
these
particulars
very
much
urg'd
,
and
discours'd
of
,
(
viz.
)
I.
In
opposition
to
the
Evidence
of
his
being
dog'd
up
and
down
,
and
lodg'd
in
a
great
House
at
St.
Clements
on
Saturday
the
12
of
October
1678.
(
being
the
day
he
was
first
missing
.
)
It
is
affirm'd
he
went
out
of
his
House
that
very
Saturday
morning
about
9
a
Clock
;
(
which
is
the
last
time
he
ever
return'd
thither
;
)
And
about
10
that
Forenoon
was
in
the
Fields
walking
towards
Marybone
,
(
in
which
Parish
his
dead
Corps
was
afterwards
found
;
)
And
was
there
met
by
a
Brewer
in
S.
Giles's
,
who
discours'd
with
him
;
And
about
11.
of
the
same
day
he
was
seen
passing
by
the
Lady
Cooks
Lodgings
near
the
Cock-pit
;
After
which
,
he
was
seen
in
St.
Martin's
-
lane
,
went
by
the
Church
,
and
down
Church
lane
into
the
Strand
;
About
1.
passed
by
the
dore
of
one
Mr.
Ratcliff
an
Oyl-man
in
the
Strand
And
soon
after
was
met
in
the
back
Court
of
Lincolns
Inne
by
two
Gentlemen
,
who
observed
him
to
make
a
sudden
turn
,
and
to
go
out
at
the
back
Dore
;
They
went
out
at
that
Dore
also
,
and
did
see
him
turn
the
corner
Wall
;
Between
which
place
and
Turn-Stile
,
he
was
met
by
a
Barrister
at
Law
;
And
that
a
person
living
near
Primrose-Hill
,
declar'd
before
divers
persons
,
that
he
saw
him
about
3
that
Saturday
in
the
Afternoon
walking
in
those
Fields
,
his
usual
Walk
being
that
way
.
II.
They
say
,
the
place
where
and
the
posture
wherein
he
was
found
,
are
very
remarkable
.
As
to
the
place
;
It
was
in
a
Ditch
on
the
South
side
of
Primrose-hill
,
surrounded
with
divers
Closes
,
Fenced
with
high
Mounds
and
Ditches
,
no
Road
near
,
only
some
deep
dirty
Lanes
made
only
for
the
conveniency
for
driving
Cows
and
such
like
Cattle
in
and
out
of
the
Grounds
;
And
those
very
Lanes
not
coming
near
500
yards
of
the
place
,
and
impossible
for
any
Man
on
Horse
back
with
a
Dead
Corps
before
him
at
Midnight
to
approach
,
unless
Gaps
were
made
ith'Mounds
,
as
the
Constable
and
his
Assistants
found
by
Experience
when
they
came
on
Horseback
thither
.
As
to
the
posture
,
his
Breast
was
Unbutton'd
,
his
Wastcoat
and
Shirt
put
by
,
his
Sword
run
in
under
his
left
Pap
next
his
Skin
,
the
Point
coming
out
at
his
right
Shoulder
about
6
Inches
,
his
left
Arm
doubled
under
him
,
(
on
which
his
Head
seem'd
to
lean
,
)
and
his
right
Arm
stiff
,
stretcht
out
upon
the
Bank
,
his
Belly
and
Breast
being
supported
by
the
side
of
the
Bank
,
his
Knees
knit
together
,
and
with
his
Hips
a
little
bending
or
doubling
under
him
.
And
they
infer
from
thence
,
that
he
being
a
tall
raw-bon'd
Man
,
(
after
he
had
been
several
days
dead
,
)
could
never
be
crooked
so
as
to
be
cram●d
into
a
Sedan
,
(
which
are
very
low
built
,
and
difficult
to
be
carry'd
with
proper
Braces
,
much
more
as
You
Evidenc'd
with
Cords
,
)
then
straightned
,
and
his
Legs
open'd
,
and
mounted
on
Horse-back
,
and
then
put
into
the
posture
he
was
found
in
,
and
stiffen'd
again
.
III.
Now
although
the
Matters
aforesaid
may
be
said
to
be
only
circumstantial
,
Yet
they
produce
undeniable
Arguments
against
your
Evidence
,
(
viz.
)
They
say
,
that
if
a
Man
,
or
any
other
Creature
be
Strangled
,
or
Hanged
,
and
his
Body
cold
,
and
the
Blood
settled
in
the
Veins
,
(
as
he
must
needs
be
if
Your
Evidence
be
true
,
)
run
20
Swords
through
such
a
Body
,
not
one
drop
of
Blood
will
come
out
:
But
on
the
contrary
,
his
Body
when
found
,
was
full
of
Blood
,
insomuch
,
that
(
over
and
above
the
Cakes
or
great
Goblets
of
congeal'd
putrify'd
Blood
found
afterwards
in
his
Cloaths
)
the
Constable
when
he
pull'd
the
Sword
out
of
his
Body
,
it
crash'd
against
his
Back-bone
,
and
Gobbets
of
Blood
and
Water
gush'd
or
gubbled
out
of
that
Wound
in
abundance
,
not
only
in
that
very
place
where
the
Sword
was
pull'd
out
,
but
in
all
his
passage
to
the
White-House
,
especially
there
where
his
Body
was
lifted
over
two
high
Stumps
;
and
also
when
he
was
laid
upon
the
Table
,
the
Blood
and
Water
so
issu'd
out
of
that
Wound
,
that
it
ran
from
off
the
Table
upon
the
Floor
,
and
from
thence
into
the
Celler
;
So
that
they
do
averr
,
that
That
Wound
that
he
receiv'd
by
that
Sword
must
of
necessity
be
the
cause
of
his
Death
.
And
they
take
notice
,
that
so
much
of
the
Sword
as
was
in
his
Body
,
was
discolour'd
and
blackish
;
and
that
part
that
came
out
at
his
back
was
of
a
dullish
colour
,
and
the
Point
thereof
was
rusty
;
Also
,
that
his
Cloaths
,
Belt
and
Scabbard
were
weather-heaten
to
rags
;
his
Body
stunk
extremely
;
his
Eys
,
Nostrils
,
and
corners
of
his
Mouth
were
Fly-blown
;
all
which
must
naturally
be
by
his
being
so
long
in
the
Air.
IV.
They
say
,
That
when
a
Man
is
Strangled
or
Hanged
,
his
Eys
will
be
extorted
,
his
Face
will
be
swell'd
&
black
;
Whereas
His
Eys
were
shut
his
Face
was
pale
,
only
the
left
part
of
his
Chin
,
with
his
Breast
and
Belly
being
next
the
Earth
,
were
putrified
,
and
look'd
of
a
Blue
and
Greenish
colour
,
more
especially
about
the
Wound
;
For
that
the
Blood
,
when
hot
,
running
to
the
Wound
,
caus'd
the
greater
putrefaction
in
that
place
;
Whenas
,
if
the
Wound
had
been
made
after
he
was
dead
,
and
cold
,
the
rest
of
his
Body
would
have
putrify'd
as
soon
,
and
as
much
as
there
.
V.
They
say
,
That
the
cleanness
of
his
Shooes
makes
against
Your
Evidence
;
For
his
Shooes
were
clean'd
or
rather
glaz'd
on
the
very
bottoms
of
the
Soles
,
occasion'd
by
his
walking
in
the
Grass
,
and
Grass-seeds
were
observ'd
to
stick
in
the
Seams
of
his
Shooes
;
And
besides
,
there
was
not
one
speck
of
Dirt
on
his
Cloaths
,
or
Legs
,
not
so
much
as
a
Horse-hair
sticking
thereon
;
Whereas
,
the
Constable
,
and
those
that
went
with
him
,
were
dirty'd
and
moil'd
up
to
the
very
Saddle-skirts
,
and
not
easily
to
be
cleaned
;
And
Mr.
Prance
,
you
know
that
a
tall
Dead
Man
on
Horse-back
,
cannot
lift
up
his
Legs
to
save
them
from
the
Dirt.
VI.
As
to
the
looseness
of
his
Neck
,
and
the
Rim
or
Green
Circle
about
it
,
They
say
they
are
Ridiculous
and
Impertinent
Arguments
against
so
many
Demonstrative
ones
;
especially
,
when
there
is
not
a
Nurse
,
or
any
Woman
of
Age
,
that
hath
bury'd
any
Relations
,
but
will
tell
you
it
's
very
common
for
People
to
die
with
Necks
as
loose
as
his
was
:
And
the
Rim
about
his
Neck
was
so
far
from
being
like
one
made
with
a
Cravat
or
Hankerchief
,
that
it
seems
to
be
occasion'd
by
the
great
heigth
&
stifness
of
his
Collar
,
which
was
fast
Button'd
about
his
Neck
,
and
on
which
his
Head
wrested
,
and
was
unbutton'd
about
10
of
the
clock
the
next
day
,
before
the
Coroner
or
Jury
came
.
But
if
that
Rim
,
or
those
Bruises
,
that
Your
Evidence
seems
to
make
the
cause
of
his
Death
,
were
really
so
;
Then
they
alledg
,
that
in
such
case
,
the
whole
Mass
of
Blood
would
have
settled
there
,
and
his
Neck
and
Bruises
would
have
swell'd
,
and
have
been
perfect
Black
,
which
was
not
in
His
case
.
VII
.
They
also
say
,
That
all
these
Matters
are
Notorious
,
and
will
be
prov'd
by
divers
credible
and
undeniable
Eye
and
Ear
Witnesses
;
And
besides
,
They
observe
,
that
Bedlow's
(
before
the
Committee
of
Lords
,
)
and
Your
Evidence
in
relation
to
this
Gentlemans
Death
,
are
as
different
as
the
East
is
from
the
West
;
For
You
Dogg
him
out
of
St
Clements
;
the
other
decoys
him
from
Charing-Cross
:
You
swear
he
was
Strangled
with
a
Hankerchief
near
the
Stables
going
to
the
Water-side
;
Bedlow
,
that
he
was
Smother'd
with
a
Pill●w
in
a
Room
in
the
great
Court
in
Somerset-house
.
You
say
he
took
Horse
at
So-ho
;
Bedlow
says
he
took
Coach
at
Clarenden-house
,
with
many
more
suck
like
contradictions
;
And
considering
the
Old
Proverb
,
fore-warn'd
,
fore
arm'd
A
further
and
fuller
account
of
the
whole
matter
expect
,
I
being
loath
at
present
to
exceed
the
bounds
of
a
Letter
,
I
am
,
Sir
,
Your
very
Loving
Friend
,
Truman
.
Cammbridge
,
Febr.
23.
1681.