man of a good Prefence, handfome, and well proportion'd, had a strong and natural Wit, and a better Judgment, a voluble Tongue, and good Addrefs; and to these he had added a general Learning, being an indefatigable Reader, even while engaged in the Service by Sea or Land, and a great Obferver of Men and Times: His Motto (fays the Writer of his Life) was, Tam Marti quam Mercurio; tho' I find it in Collier to be, Either die nobly, or live honourably: Five Hours he us'd to fleep, four he read, two he spent in Difcourfe, and the rest he allotted for Business. There was not an expert Soldier or Seaman but he confulted; no valuable Treatife of Navigation, whether printed or Manufcript, but he read; obferving that there was nothing of greater Confequence for the Advancement of Learning, than the finding out the plaineft and most compendious Way of knowing and teaching things in every Science His fuccefsful Services by Sea and Land continued him in the Queen's Favour to her Death [fave that he fell under her Difpleafure in the Year 1595, for being a little too familiar with one of her Maids of Honour, to whom he afterwards made ample Satisfaction, by marrying her.] He was very active against the Spanish Armada in 1588, and Joint-Commander with the Earl of Essex when he ftorm'd Cadiz: The Queen, to reward his Merit, made him Captain of her Guards, Warden of the Cinque Ports, and Governor of Virginia; a Country of his own Difcovery, and at this Day one of the most flourishing Colonies belonging to this Crown. During his Confinement in the Tower, he compos'd that excellent Work, intitled, The Hiftory of the World; (from whence indeed the Character of this Gentleman may be beft collected, every Man being beft known by his Works.) Being weary of his Confinement, he propos'd to

his

his Majesty King James to make him Mafter of a Gold Mine he had formerly discover'd in Guiana: The King clos'd with the Project, requiring him only to give him an Account of the Scituation of the Country, and the River by which he was to have Access to it, and what Strength of Shipping,

c. the Expedition would require: Which the King no fooner knew, but Gondamore, the Spanish Ambaffador, by fome Means was acquainted with it; and Letters were dispatch'd to all Parts of the Indies, to prepare for their Defence, which was the true Reafon of the ill Succefs of that Voyage. At his Return to England, Gondamore fo exafperated the King against him for this Breach of the Peace, as he term'd it, that he was recommitted to the Tower, where, expecting to be made a Sacrifice to the Spaniard, he fent for Mr. Burre, who had printed his firft Volume of The Hiftory of the World, and ask'd him how it fold; Burre anfwer'd, It fold fo flowly it had undone him; (which it feems was falfe) whereupon Sir Walter takes the other Part, which was unprinted, out of his Desk, and fighing faid, Ah! my Friend, hath the firft Part undone thee? the fecond Volume fhall undo no more; this ungrateful World is unworthy of it, and immediately threw it into the Fire, and fet his Foot upon it till it was confum'd: Befides his Hiftory of the World, he wrote a Treatife call'd, The Cabinet Council, containing the Arts of Government : An accurate Account of his Catholick Majefty's Power and Riches: The Rife and Ruin of the Saracen Empire: A Treatife of Mines and Minerals: The Prerogatives of Parliaments: Another Treatife, intitled, Inftructions to his Son and his Pofterity. Divers Speeches and Arguments in feveral Parliaments, &c. Townsend's Hift. Athen. Oxon.

Whether

Whether Sir Walter was really in that Plot againft King James, of which the Jury, in Compliance with the Court, found him guilty, I fhall not determine; but thus much is certain, there was not legal Evidence produc'd at his Tryal to convict him, and he had the hardest Measure from Sir Edward Coke, who was then Attorney-General, as well as from the Court, as ever Subje& met with, feveral Points being rul'd against him directly contrary both to the Common and Statute Laws of this Kingdom.

On Thursday the 30th of January, 1605, Sir EvERARD DIGBY, ROBERT WINTER, JOHN GRANT, and THOMAS BATES, were executed at the West End of St. Paul's: And the next Day, Jan. 31, THOMAS WINTER, A MBROSE ROOKWOOD, ROBERT KEYS, and GUY FAUX, were executed in the Old PalaceYard, Westminster. Confpirators in the Powder

Plot.

The Execution of Mr. GARNET, the 3d of May, Anno 1606. A Confpirator in the Powder-Plot.

N the 3d of May, Garnet, according to his Judgment, was executed upon a Scaffold, fet up for that Purpose at the Weft End of St. Paul's Church. At his arife up the Scaffold, he flood much amaz'd, (Fear and Guiltinefs appearing in his Face.) The Deans of Paul's and Win chefter being prefent, very gravely and chriftianly exhorted him to a true and lively Faith to Godward, a free and plain Acknowledgment to the World of his Offence; and if any further Treafon lay in his Knowledge, to unburden his Confcience, and fhew a Sorrow and Deteftation of it: But Garnet, impatient of Perfuafions, and ill-plea

fed

fed to be exhorted by them,defir'd them not to trouble him, he came prepar'd, and was refolv'd. Then the Recorder of London (who was by his Majesty appointed to be there) ask'd Garnet if he had any thing to fay unto the People before he died; it was no time to diffemble, and now his Treafons were too manifeft to be diffembled; therefore, if he would, the World fhould witnefs what at laft he cenfur'd of himfelf, and of his Fact; it fhould be free to him to speak what he lifted. But Gar net, unwilling to take the Offer, faid, His Voice was low, his Strength gone, the People could not hear him, tho' he spake to them; but to thofe about him on the Scaffold, he faid, The Intention was wicked, and the Fact would have been cruel, and from his Soul he should have abhorred it, had it effected: But he faid, He only had a general Knowledge of it by Mr. Catesby, which in that he disclosed not, nor us'd Means to prevent it, herein he had offended; what he knew in Particulars was in Confeffion, as he faid. But the Recorder wifhed him to be remembred, that the King's Majefty had under his Hand-writing these four Points amongst others.

1. That Greenway told him of this, not as a Fault, but as a thing which he had Intelligence of, and told it him by Way of Confultation.

2. That Catesby and Greenway came together to him to be refolved.

3. That Mr. Tefmond and he had Conference of the Particulars of the Powder-Treafon in Effex long after.

4. Greenway had ask'd him who fhould be the Protector? but Garnet faid, That was to be referred till the Blow was paft.

These prove your Privity befides Confeffion, and thefe are extant under your Hand. Garnet anfwer'd, whatfoever was under his Hand was true.

And

And for that he disclosed not to his Majefty the things he knew, he confeffed himself justly condemn'd; and for this did ask Forgivenefs of his Majefty. Hereupon the Recorder led him to the Scaffold to make his Confeffion publick.

Then Garnet faid, Good Countrymen, I am come hither this bleffed Day of The Invention of the holy Crofs, to end all my Croffes in this Life: The Cause of my Suffering is not unknown to you; I confefs I have offended the King, and am forry for it, fo far as I was guilty, which was in concealing it; and for that I ask Pardon of his Majefty. The Treafon intended against the King and State was bloody, my felf fhould have detested it, had it taken effect. And I am heartily forry that any Catholicks ever had fo cruel a Defign. Then turning himself from the People to them about him, he made an Apology for Mrs. Anne Vaux, faying, There is fuch an honourable Gentlewoman who hath been much wronged in Report: For it is fufpected and faid, that I fhould be married to her, or worfe. But I proteft the contrary: She is a virtuous Gentlewoman, and for me a perfect pure Virgin. For the Popes Breves, Sir Edmond Baynam's going over Seas, and the Matter of the Powder-Treafon, he referred himself to his Arraignment, and his Confeffions: For whatfoever is under my Hand in any of my Confeffions, faid he, is true.

Then addreffing himself to Execution, he kneeled at the Ladder-foot, and asked if he might have time to pray, and how long. It was anfwer'd, He should limit himself, none fhould interrupt him. It appear'd he could not conftantly or devoutly pray; Fear of Death, or Hope of Pardon, even then fo diftracted him: For oft in thofe Prayers he would break off, turn and look about him, and answer to what he over-heard,