Mr. Thompson. (To the counsel of the defendants) if you will put us to prove all, we must prove that these men were executed.

Then Captain Richardson was sworn.

L. C. J. Were these men executed for this murder?

Capt. Rich. Yes, I saw them executed.

Then Mr. Prance was sworn.

Mr. Thompson. Did you give evidence upon the trial of Green, Berry, and Hill, for the murder of sir Edmundbury Godfrey?

Mr. Thomps. Do you remember that Brown was a witness too?

Prance. Yes, Brown was.

Mr. Thomps. Was Curtis a witness, and Mr. Bedloe?

Prance. That Curtis was, I don't remember; Mr. Bedloe was.

Then Curtis was sworn.

Mr. Thomps. Were you a witness at the that there was much art and skill used to proTrial of Green, Berry, and Hill? cure their verdict to the contrary; more par Mrs. Curtis. Yes, I was. ticularly, the refusing of the body (at their inThen sir John Nicholas, and sir Philip Lloyding the assistance of the coroner of Westmin stance and request) to be opened; and oppos and William Bridgman, esq. were sworn, and the two letters in the information were shewed

Associat. The title is thus, A Letter to Mr. way.

"IV. They say, That when a man is strangled, or hanged, his eyes will be extorted, his face will be swelled and black; whereas his eyes 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 looked of a blue and greenish colour, more especially about the wound; for that the blood, when hot, running to the wound, caused the greater putrefaction in that place: whereas, if the wound had been made after he was dead and cold, the rest of his body would have putrified as soon, and as much as there.

"II. They say, the place where, and the pos-tremely; his eyes, nostrils, and corners of his ture wherein he was found, are very remarka- mouth were fly-blown; all which must nable. As to the place, it was in a ditch on the turally be by his being so long in the air. 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 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 horseback with a dead corpse before him at midnight to approach, unless gaps were made in the mounds; as the constable and his assistants found by experience when they came on horseback thither. As to the posture, his breast was unbuttoned, his waistcoat and shirt put up, his sword run in under his left pap next his skin, the point coming out at his right shoulder about six inches, his left arm doubled under him, (on which his head seemed to lean) and bis right arm stiff, stretched 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-boned man, (after he had been several days dead) could never be crooked so as to be crammed into a sedaa, (which are very low built, and difficult to be carried with proper braces, much more as you evidenced, with cords) then straitened, and his legs opened, and mounted on horseback, and then put into the posture he was found in, and stiffened 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 gobbets of congealed putrified blood found afterwards in his clothes) the constable when he pulled the sword out of his body, it crashed against his back-bone, and gobbets of blood and water gushed or gubbled out of that wound in abundance, not only in that very place where the sword was pulled 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 issued out of that wound, that it ran from off the table upon the floor, and from thence into the cellar; so that they do aver that that wound that he received 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 discoloured and blackish; and that part that came out at his back was of a dullish colour, and the point thereof was rusty; also, that the clothes, belt, and scabbard, were weather-beaten to rage; his body stunk ex

"V. They say,That the cleanness of his shoes makes against your evidence; for his shoes were cleaned, or rather glazed on the very bottoms of the soles, occasioned by his walking in the grass, and grass-seeds were observed to stick in the seams of his shoes: and besides, there was not one speck of dirt on his clothes, or legs, not so much as a horse-hair sticking thereon; whereas the constable, and those that went with him, were dirtied and moiled 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 buried any relations, but will tell you it is 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 handkerchief, that it seems to be occasioned by the great height and stiffness of his collar, which was fast buttoned about his neck, and on which his head rested, and was unbuttoned about ten o'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 alledge, that in such case, the whole mass of blood would have settled there, and his neck and bruises would have swelled, and have been perfect black, which was not in his case. "VII.They also say, That all these matters are notorious, and will be proved by divers credible and undeniable eye and ear-witnesses: and be sides, they observe, that Bedloe's (before the Committee of Lords) and your evidence, in relation to this gentleman's death, are as different as the East is from the West; for you dog him out of St. Clement's; the other decoys him from Charing-cross: You swear he was strangled with a handkerchief near the stables going to the water-side; Bedloe, that he was smothered with a pillow in a room in the great court in Somerset-house. You say, he took horse at Soho; Bedloe says, he took coach at Clarendon-house; with many more such like contradictions: and considering the old pro

verb, Fore-warn'd, fore-arm'd.' A further | true; for it is no miracle that a report so cunand fuller account of the whole matter expect, ningly raised, (without any ground) might as I being loath at present to exceed the bounds industriously be promulged to most parts of the of a letter. I am, Sir, your very loving friend, kingdom, before the respective days they speak Cambridge, Feb. 23, 1681. TRUEMAN. of, especially when the plot had filled all mens heads with fears and jealousies, without which it had not been in the power or art of the Ghost, or any of his tribe, to have suggested the least surmise to contradict his being Felo de s.

London: Printed for M. G. at the sign of Sir E. B. G.'s Head near Fleet-bridge."

Sir Fr. Winn. Now read the other letter. Associat. This is entitled, A second Letter to Mr. Miles Prance, in Reply to the Ghost of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey.'

"Mr. Prance;

"Since my last to you of the 23d past, I have seen a prolix, railing, and impertinent pamphlet, intitled, "Sir E. B. G.'s Ghost," and pretended to be an answer to my said letter. And conceiving you are better acquainted with ghosts than myself, I thought fit to direct my answer to that Ghost to you, and thereby shew the ridiculousness thereof as also vindicate the truths contained in my said former letter, and shew you and the world further circumstances to justify the same; and therefore, according to the method of my former letter, I shall now proceed by these heads :

"Next; Whereas my letter saith, (and that truly) that the coroner's jury were first of opinion, and accordingly declared he was Fele de se, and that much art and skill was used to procure their verdict to the contrary. This Ghost instead of contradicting that truth, would insinuate, as if that letter reflected upon the reputation of the jurors, when as there wa no such thing implied or intended, they being known to be honest men, of good reputation, and free from fraud or guile, and consequently the easier to be over-reached by the cunning of those and that party, whose interest it was to deceive them, and who never leave any stone unturned to attain their designs. And I cannot but observe how skilful and industrious these people still are, to hide and prevent the truth of that man's death from clearly appearing and "And first, not understanding what the Ghost shining forth, as without doubt it would, and means, by arraigning the justice of the nation, must do, was not the matter now (as formerly) unless he would assert that all that are legally, puzzled with legends, and long stories, nothing are likewise justly hanged; and so conse- to the purpose. And as to the coroner's war quently, that the mother and her two sons rant for burying the body, and recited in the were justly hanged in Gloucestershire, for the Ghost, it is notorious they are common tricks, murder of the lady viscountess Cambden's used by men of his profession, who (if any steward, though he afterwards appeared alive; money is like to come) will usually adjourn the and I do not find that ever his appearance ar- jury, and then make such warrants (they raigned the justice of the nation. And remit-knowing, that if the verdict be Felo de se, it is ting the consideration of Mr. Brown's the sur-then out of their power to give leave to bury geons, and Mrs. Curtis's evidence in relation to the corps.) And it would be very material, if the blood, to its proper place; and affirming, the coroner would declare what he received for (as the truth is) that Mrs. Celliers, Mrs. Mary that job, and of whom, and what evidence he Gibbon, the Newgate priests, James Magraph, had to induce the jury to find (as the inqui and all other Irishmen, or Irish evidences, or sition imports) that he was strangled with a other papist or papists, or popishly affected linen cloth, a matter of fact never so much as persons whatsoever; as also those concerned spoken of, until you came in with your eviin the late sham of his having hanged himself, dence, which was not in some weeks after. are strangers to, and had not the least know- And I do again aver, that the body was required ledge or intimation of the contents of my said by the jurors to be opened, and was refused; former letter, nor any way concerned therein, and if the body was in their and the coroner's or in, or with any part thereof, (as the said power, (as the Ghost insinuates) such power Ghost most falsly and maliciously insinuates,) was concealed from, and denied the jury. And I take notice that the said Ghost seems to admit it is very probable the coroner of Westminster's so much of the truth of the said letter, as that assistance was refused, for some such indirect it was reported divers days before the dead doings, for that there was not the least difference body was found, that he was murdered in So- betwixt the coroners in relation to their jurismerset-house by the papists, and which report dictions; and the Westminster coroner came was made even the next morning after he was not voluntary of himself, but was importuned missing. (being Sunday the 13th of October, to be there by Mr. Wigg, and divers others of 1678.) Now I would fain have this Ghost to in- the chief inhabitants of St. Martin's parish: form the world who first raised that report: But And particularly, the reverend Dr. Lloyd as to Mr. Dugdale's letter of it, I cannot give (who preached the funeral sermon) spoke to it any better answer, than that as his evidence the coroner of Westminster before he went, so hath since been disbelieved in matters of greater that it had been proper to have given the matconsequence; so he not producing any such letters mentioned in that sermon, in evidence be ter you must give me leave also to suspect him in this. But as to the other evidences of Mr. Birch and the rest; theirs I believe to be very

fore the jury. And it is observable, the person mentioned to give the information to the doctor of the two wounds in the body, and that two

"And now, Mr. Prance, being come to the everal paragraphs of my Letter, I shall take hem in order as they are placed, and give the Ghost particular answers accordingly.

joints, does not answer that part of my letter which relates to the impossibility of his being put into a sedan. For his body, when found, was stiff; so that what limberness happened, or appeared afterwards, hath no relation to the question. For it is a certain maxim, a dead limber body cannot be stiffened. And pray, Mr. Prance, give us an account what became of the sedan, and the cords? And how you could carry it with cords; for the meanest sedan-man in the town will tell you it is impracticable, or rather impossible; and you may, if you please, make an experiment with a cord.

"L. As to sir E.B.G.'s perambulations therea mentioned to be on the Saturday he was first missing, they are true in every particular, and "III. As to the body being full of blood, will be proved by divers able, credible, and un- when found, the Ghost endeavours to disprove deniable witnesses. And how vain it is for the that assertion, by the evidence of Mr. Brown ghost to ask, why these witnesses did not come the constable, the two surgeons, and Mrs. in sooner at the trial of Green, Berry, and Hill, Curtis, and produceth the evidence given at do you judge, when all the world remembers the trial of Green, Berry, and Hill, and an exthe great torrent that carried all before it in fa- trajudicial affidavit since made by Mr. Brown, vour of the plot, and the murder of sir E. B. and another by Mrs. Curtis, to countenance G. by the papists, without which (as T. O. such his denial. But, Mr. Prance, (when yon was heard to say) his plot had failed: And see the Ghost) tell him the matter of the blood when it is duly considered, that the two persons will (and I assure you and all the world it will) that first found the body, (for no other cause) be proved by divers credible and undeniable suffered much in their persons and estates by a evidence; and that I may pacify the Ghost long and chargeable imprisonment. And all in the mean time, he is to understand that Mr. others that then seemed to doubt of the truth of Brown, the two surgeons, and Mrs. Curtis, that man's being murdered by the papists, were are no competent (nor can be material) witstigmatized with the odious names of papists, nesses in this case. For Mr. Brown, as he did and encouragers (if not promoters) of the plot. a rash and unaccountable act (to give it no It will appear no wonder, if people were un- worse name) in removing the body before the willing to discover their knowledges, or to coroner and jury saw it, (which hath occacome voluntarily (without process) to give their sioned all this dispute) so be must not think to evidence. And how can it be imagined those help himself by affidavits, or to justify one ill three unfortunate men, being kept close pri- act by another: And besides, as he unadvisedsoners, could make enquiry after proper evi-ly (and contrary to all law and practice) redences, or against the common vogue, draw into suspicion the assertion of his being murdered by the papists?

moved the body before the coroner and jury came; so he did the same in the dark, (about eight o'clock at night) when the candle was "II. The Ghost hath so much ingenuity to blown out; whereby it was impossible for him grant the second paragraph of my letter, as to to look for any blood, so as to find it: And neithe place and posture he was found in, but ther he or the surgeons (by any day light) saw would avoid the inaccessibleness of the place, the place where the body was found, or where pretending a lane near, when as that lane is, the sword was pulled out, until after ten in effect, unpassable with two on a horse, and o'clock the next day before which time much comes not within 500 yards of the place, and of the blood was taken up, and the rest tramthe mounds thither very high, and the consta-pled out of sight by the great concourse of the ble and his assistants (hough they lived in the parish, and well knew the way) were forced to break a gap in the mounds, though they were singly horsed. And whereas the Ghost alledges, that you do not depose he was carried to the place wholly on horseback, he hath run himself into a worse dilemuna, having made no provision of men, either as to strength or number) to carry so great and weighty a corpse, in the dead of the night, over such mounds and fences; but let all inquisitive people, desirous of truth, take the pains but to go to the place (and that without any burden on their backs) they will soon be convinced of the assertion of the difficulty (if not impossibility) of the bringing of a dead corpse thither, either on foot or on horseback. And the pretensions of the Ghost's, as to the limberness of the body and

people which came thither. And as for Mrs. Curtis, she only saw the body after it was brought home, when as the body was stripped at the White-house, and a blanket borrowed there to wrap the body in. So the world may judge of her affidavit. But, Mr. Prance, it will be fully proved, that the body was full of blood; and that there were cakes, or gobbets of dry blood found in his clothes, which (with his body) stunk extremely. And it will be also fully and effectually proved, that his eyes, nostrils, and corners of his mouth were fly-blown; though the Ghost (without the least colour of reason) pretends it to be contrary to nature and reason; when as common experience daily evinces the contrary. And I do observe, that the Ghost omits to take notice of two material circumstances in this third para

graph, viz. The first, as to the sword's crashing against the backbone. The second, as to that part of the sword which was in his body being discoloured. And pray, Mr. Prance, do you (or the Ghost) give the reasons thereof, and of it's point being rusty; as also, what was, or could be the cause of the spots in the shirt, waistcoat, and drawers, of greenish colour, mentioned in Mrs. Curtis's atti - | davit.

"IV. As to thefourth paragraph of my letter, I perceive the Ghost adinits, that when a man is strangled or hanged, his eyes will be extorted; and admits that sir E. Golfrey's eyes (when found) were shut; only he seems to quarrel with the colour of his face: And, seeing he admits his face not black (as all hanged men's are, when eold) I care not to contest, whether his face was pale or ruddy, or a little swelled, or not, those being very inconsiderable circumstances. But his denying the putrefaction charged in that paragraph, and the consequences deduced from thence, is not only a great untruth, but is directly opposite to the evidence given by Mr. Skillarne, at the trial before mentioned.

"V. As to the fifth paragraph, the Ghost is so far from answering the assertions therein, as that he only quibbles at words; and begging the question, deduces thence impertinent and ridiculous arguments. For it will be proved, that his shoes were glazed at the bottom of the soles. and which must of necessity be occasioned by his walking on the grass. And (Mr. Prance) if you and the Ghost will walk together, you will easily experience it, and so may any body else satisfy himself in this speculation: As also, as to the grass seeds that stuck in the seams of his shoes; which is so far from being impossible at that time of the year, (as the Ghost would argue) as that it will be proved by undeniable evidence. But (Mr. Prance) pray ask the Ghost how he came there without a speck of dirt; and who picked the horse-hairs off his clothes; and let him contrive (if he can) a probable or rational way for a dead man on horseback to hold up his legs, or to save them or his clothes from the dirt: For though a man may walk thither very clean, yet it is impossible at that time of the year to ride, either without being dirtied, and some horse-hairs sticking on his clothes. But perhaps the next account from the Ghost will be, that he either rid with gambadoes, or else a pair of fishermen's boots.

VI. As to the sixth paragraph, pray Mr. Prance, tell the Ghost, his railing against Popish nurses, and Popish midwives, is no answer to the assertions in that paragraph, for all the women in the town are competent judges thereof, and I hope the Ghost will not say they are all Papists. But pray teil the ghost he takes no notice of the height of the collar, and it's being fast button ed about his neck when found; nor the conclusion of that paragraph; and therefore I suppose he admits it to be true.

|

"VII. And as to the seventh and last paragraph, which relates only to the difference betwixt your's and Mr. Bedloe's evidence; I must take notice, that what you and he swear are very contradictory, and much more than I hinted in my said letier : and though part of it be as he and you were informed; yet you and he swear the informations were received from the persons actually concerned in the murder, and who had confidence enough in Mr. Bedloe (though he refused 4,000l. to help to kill bim, and 2,000. to help to carry hire away as to shew him the dead body, and so were under no temptation of mis-inforining either him or yourself. And pray, Mr. Prance, will you let the world know what reward you were to have for that job; for certainly you deserved as much as Mr. Bedloe, and needed more,yon having a wife and children, and he a batchelor?

"Thus, Mr. Prance, having gone through each paragraph of my letter, and answered the Ghost to your satisfaction; I should leave of here, fearing I have been too tedious already: but I cannot omit to take further notice of Mrs. Curtis's affidavit, in relation to the drops of wax found upon the clothes, in which I cannot say but she may swear true; but this I do aver, that if it be so, those drops were put upon the clothes long after he was found, and after the jury had sat on the body; for there was no such thing then on the clothes and I suppose this was some artifice used by those, who either out of interest or design, were desirous to confirm his being murdered at Somerset-house, and to carry on the great lie, and impertinent story, then invented, and given out (amongst others) that he was laid under the high-altar there; and if my information fail not, there were other such-like tricks used, which I shall make hold to acquaint those more nearly concerned therein, than yourself; and shall give them to understand, that 'tis no wonder a nuan in sir E. B.G.'s circumstances, should kill himself, such accidents being no news to that fsmily, wherein melancholy and distraction (that often produces such effects) hath been predominant, and might occasion the words he spake to sir Thomas Robinson, as to his being the first martyr.

"And now, Mr. Prance, for a conclusion, if you were guilty of the murder of sir E. B. G. how durst you (as you did) on the Friday after he was found, go to Primrose-hill to see the body, and not be afraid it should at your approach have bled afresh? and how came you (after Green, Berry, and Hill, were hanged) to declare, in answer to a solemn question, that you knew nothing of the death of sir E. B. G.? Pray remember me to your old friend and lodger Mr. Reun, my respects also to your wife, not forgetting your little daughter, who gave you so good advice before you took your journey into Nottinghamshire, and helped to take Bedingfield, who was buried fourteen months. I am, your loving Friend, TRUEMAN.

Cambridge, March 13, 1681.
London: Printed for N. Thompson, 1632,”