: popular indignation. Of the true history of his proceedings since his first arrest nothing was known; but it was known that he had been betrayed, and the word was enough. Sir Lewis (now popularly saluted as Sir Judas) who, to do him justice, does not appear to have had any object besides the faithful performance of his commission, which was to bring Ralegh up to London that he might be disposed of as the Lords of the Council should direct-a commission which it was surely no crime to undertake-was not prepared to endure this kind of language in silence. He tried to clear himself of the imputation of treachery by explaining that he had been as easy and indulgent as possible with his prisoner until he found that his indulgence was abused, and that it was only the detection of a plot to give him the slip, followed on its failure by an attempt to bribe him into connivance, that put him upon contriving a counterplot for which also he had warrant from the King, to whom he had first reported the facts. This he set forth in a short paper, called his "Apology," which seems to have been written immediately after he resigned his charge; and consists of a simple, straightforward, inartificial statement, without any rhetoric or special pleading, but very much in earnest, and (as far as I can see) quite true. For it cannot be denied that the game of double dealing had been begun by Raleigh himself; that his treatment of Stucley (who had been for many days his easy dupe) had deprived him of all title to favour or confidence; that the stratagem by which he was caught, though it involved dissimulation and deceit, was one of those which are always allowed in war; and one which, even in peace, if the parts had been reversed-if it had been used by Sir Walter to baffle Sir Lewis-would have passed with general allowance, if not with general applause and congratulation: and that the object aimed at and effected by it was after all nothing more than safe keeping in order to judicial enquiry, in a case which evidently demanded it. For if the stratagem had been omitted altogether, and Ralegh had at once on the discovery of his plot to escape been transferred to the Tower-a measure to which no one could have objected-he would have gained nothing by the difference except the power of denying the intention to escape-which, as it was, he could not do. He had been betrayed into a position which compelled him to admit the truth: 1 Sir Lewis Stukelye's Apollogie writte with his owne hand. MS. Ashmole, 830. 20. Printed in the Oxford edition of Ralegh's Works. Vol. viii. p. 783. It begins "I know full well that all actions. 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. to the Tower." As Ralegh was lodged in the Tower on the 9th of August, it follows that this was written on the 10th. The whole paper will be found in the appendix to the Declaration. : that was all and Stucley's Apology, as drawn up by himself, seems to me fair and sufficient. But when popular sympathy runs strongly the other way, reasonable considerations are opposed to it in vain. In spite of his Apology, and in spite of the rumours which began to get abroad as to Ralegh's own dissimulations, the stream continued to run against him: and when Ralegh on the scaffold "forgave " him with an unction and an emphasis which scarcely needed the charitable "warning" which followed to make it stir popular indignation, his position became so uncomfortable that he appealed to the King for help. His appeal was in the form of a petition, consisting of a recital of facts, with answers to the aspersions of which he complained; and ended with two requests-first that he might have leave to confirm the truth of his statement by receiving the sacrament upon it in his Majesty's chapel; and secondly (which was more to the purpose) that "a declaration" might be suffered to come forth "from the State, for the clearing of these matters and further satisfaction of the world." The request was reasonable. The King owed as much, not to Stucley only, but to himself. For the world was talking, thinking, and feeling with passionate excitement about matters of which it had no means as yet of knowing the true history, or anything like it. That Raleigh's "late crimes and offences were not as yet publicly known," was still as true as on the 18th of October when the Commissioners called the King's attention to the fact. But Stucley-thinking perhaps that his first defence had failed of effect for want of literary skill-had now called in the aid of a practised penman to point the sentences; under whose hands the composition lost all that appearance of simplicity and sincerity which formed the merit of his own " Apology," and assumed a shape as unfit as possible either to convince or to conciliate an ill affected public. The writer was said to be Dr. Sharpe. Whoever he was, he succeeded in exhibiting the unfortunate Sir Lewis in an attitude and frame of mind as insolent and offensive as he could, and as well contrived to turn everybody against him; and in making his petition a most unfortunate precursor for the manifesto which the government were preparing. It supplied however the occasion which was 3 "He [Ralegh] hath made a long apology for himself, and his friends excuse him all they may; wherein though the world be not satisfied, yet Sir Lewis Stucley is generally decried." Chamberlain to Carleton, 20 Aug. 1618. "I forgive this Frenchman and Sir Lewis Stucley, who was also a witness against me in my flight, with all my heart. I have received the sacrament this morning and I have forgiven all men. But that these two men are perfidious, I am bound in charity to speak, that all men may take heed of them." Jardine, p. 565. 3 Chamberlain to Carleton, 4 Decemb. 1618. : wanted and was made to serve for a kind of advertisement. At what time the 'Petition' had been drawn up and presented, we do not know, but it was published by the King's printer on the 26th of November, and an effort was made to get the Declaration out immediately after. "Sir Lewis Stucley's petition" (so Naunton writes to Buckingham on the 27th) " was published yesterday; the declaration is this day, upon the despatch of this packet, to follow after. The printer hath sent me two copies of each, for his Majesty and the Prince, and prays pardon for some escapes committed in their haste; which was such as they were fain to watch two nights, and set 20 presses to work at once."l Perhaps it was thought that the Petition would create a desire for information without satisfying it, and so give the Declaration a greater value. Chamberlain's report of their first appearance suggests some such relation between them. Writing the next day, he says "You will find little in Sir Lewis Stucley's Apology but that they strive to beray one another. It is like we shall have no further Declaration if this may satisfy, which hitherto finds little credit. "But now when I am come thus far, my man brings me an authentical declaration of all that business. I have not read a word of it (more than the title); for it came forth but this morning: and, as I hear, it is the work of the Lord Chancellor, Mr. Attorney, or Secretary Naunton ; or rather fathered upon all three so that in all probability it must be as true as well written."3 The allusions to it in Bacon's letters to the King and Buckingham indicate a joint composition, but one in which he was himself concerned. And though it is impossible to say how much of it was his own, yet, judging by the style, I incline to think that the greater part was either wholly written or largely corrected by himself, and that it has as good a right to a place among his occasional works as any of those "public writings of satisfaction," in which his "pen was used," but which were not written in his own name or published by his own authority, and were subject both to the direction and the correction of those who were really responsible. To call it "Bacon's Declaration," as Mr. Edwards does, is both inaccurate and misleading. To call it "the King's Declaration," as has been done by others, is nearer the truth; for though not written by his hand nor issued in his name, it was issued with his knowledge and permission, as a 1 Naunton to Buckingham, 27 Nov. Fortescue Papers. ? Meaning, I think, his "Petition," which had been published two days before. 3 S. P. Dom. Vol. ciii. no. 110. manifestation of his mind. But its proper title is the official Declaration -a declaration drawn up by the King's direction, penned by certain Councillors (Bacon being one), allowed by the Council, and printed by authority. Bacon's rank in Council, together with his concern in the actual composition, entitle us to impute to him a large share of the responsibility: but as he spoke in the name of others, and his authority was not absolute, to charge him with the sole responsibility is a mistake. Wherever I have been able to compare the statements in this Declaration with the evidence upon which they were made, I have found them to be very careful and conscientious; and I have no doubt that the narrative may in all parts be depended upon for strict accuracy, so far as accuracy was attainable by studious comparison of conflicting witnesses. But it is much to be regretted-and must I think have been a great error of judgment in the King or his Councillors-that this evidence was not made public at the same time. Official statements put forth in excuse of the Government are always apt to be suspected, because they are not exposed to criticism and those who want the excuse tell the story. In a case like this, where the excuse had to be made good in the face of a strong popular prejudice, it was doubly necessary to exclude all doubts as to the fidelity of the narrative; and this would have been done most effectually by publishing the depositions. Why it was not done is not explained. It may have been from over confidence in the strength of the case; or it may have been from consideration for the deponents-whom the popular judgment would perhaps have voted to be false witnesses, and treated accordingly. That it was not because they would have failed to bear out the official story, I infer from the tenour of all those which I have seen. For though most of them have disappeared, a few have luckily survived; and that these at least might have been cited as witnesses every way unexceptionable in confirmation of the story as told by the government, the reader shall have an opportunity of judging for himself. For I have thought it expedient to add in notes or in an appendix as many of them as I have been able to find, bearing either way upon the matter treated of in the text. In the notes I have extracted the particular passages which illustrate particular statements in the narrative. But the letters or examinations from which they are taken will be found in the appendix at full length. A DECLARATION OF THE DEMEANOR AND CARRIAGE OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH, KNIGHT, AS WELL IN HIS VOYAGE AS IN AND SITHENCE HIS RETURN; AND OF THE TRUE MOTIVES AND INDUCEMENTS WHICH OCCASIONED HIS MAJESTY TO PROCEED IN DOING JUSTICE UPON HIM, AS HATH BEEN done.1 Although Kings be not bound to give account of their actions to any but God alone, yet such are his Majesty's proceedings as he hath always been willing to bring them before sun and moon, and careful to satisfy all his good people with his intentions and courses, giving as well to future times as to the present true and undisguised declarations of them; as judging that for actions not well founded it is advantage to let them pass in uncertain reports, but for actions that are built upon sure and solid grounds (such as his Majesty's are), it belongeth to them to be published by open manifests: Especially his Majesty is willing to declare and manifest to the world his proceedings in a case of such a nature as this which followeth is; since it not only concerns his own people, but also a foreign prince and state abroad. Accordingly therefore, for that which concerneth Sir Walter Raleigh late executed for treason (leaving the thoughts of his heart and the protestations that he made at his death to God that is the searcher of all hearts and judge of all truth), his Majesty hath thought fit to manifest unto the world how things appeared unto himself, and upon what proofs and evident matter, and the examination of the commanders that were employed with him in the voyage (and namely of those which Sir Walter himself by his own letter to Secretary Winwood had commended for persons of special worth and credit, and as most fit for greater employments), his Majesty's proceedings have been grounded; whereby it will evidently appear how agreeable they have been in all points to honour and justice. Sir Walter Raleigh having been condemned of high treason at his Majesty's entrance into this kingdom, and by the space of fourteen years by his Majesty's princely clemency and mercy not only spared from his execution, but permitted to live as in liberá custodiâ in the Tower, and to enjoy his lands and living, 1 London, printed by Bonham Norton and John Bill, printers to the King's most excellent Majesty. M.DC.XVIII. |