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Show A Ch~trge, in the KingJ Bench, •gainfl Owen. Princes, have been executed, And the Att~mpts, upon Proteflant Princes have failed :Except that of the Prtnce Aur~nge . And no that neither, untill fuch time, as he had joyned, too faft, with the nufte of Anjou, and the Pap1fts. The reft is wanting. 1he Charge, of Sir Francis Bacon, the Kings Atturney Generall,.,g•in/1 M. L. S. W.And H. I. for Scandall, 1111d Tr11ducing, of the Kings JuRice, in the proceedingJ againfl Wefion: In the Star-ehamber, 10. Noven1b. ,6 .1 ;. THe offence, wherewith I fhall cha~ge, the three ~jfen4ers, at the Bar is a Mijdemeanour, of a Htgh Nature; 1 endmg, to the Defacing: and Sca~dal~, ofJuftice, in a greai-C a1{e Capital!. The particular charge lS thts. . . . The King, amongfr many hts Pnncely v~rtues, IS know~, t.o excell in that proper vertue, of the Impertall Throne, whtch IS Jujiice: It is a Ro;all Vertue, ~hich d?th employ~ the other thr~~ Cardinttlt Pertues, in her Servtce. Wifdome, to dtfcover, and dif~ cern Nocent, or Innocent: Fortit'Hde, to profecute, and execute: Temperance, fo to carry )'Hjtite, as it be not p2ffionate, in the purfuit, nor confufed,in involvingperfons,upon light fufpicion; Nor precipitate in time. For this his Mttjeflies Vertue ofJuftice • God hath oflate raifed an occafion,and erccterJ,as it were, a Stage, or Theater,much to his Honour, for him to fhew it,and act it, in the purfuit,ofthe untimely Death of Sir Thomtn overhur.!;And the!ein cleanfing the Land from Bloud. For, (my-Lords) tfBloud fpllt, · Pure, doth cry to HeAVett, in Gods Eares, much more Bleud defiled with Poyfon. This Great Work, of his M~tjeflies Juflice, tbe more excellent it is, your Lordfhips will foon conclude, the greater is the offence of any.) that have fought, to Affront it, or Traduce it. And therefor(\ before I defcend, unto the charge, ofthefe Offenders, I will fet before your Lordfhips, the weight of that, which they have fo~ght to impeach: Speakiag fomewhat of the generall Crime of Impoyfonment; And then,ofthe particular Circumftances, of this Fat1, upon Overbury: And thirdly,and chiefly, of the Kings great, and worthy, Care, and Carriage, in this Bufinefs. This offence of Impoyfonment, is moll: truly figured, in that Devife, or Defcription~ which was made, of the Nature, of one, of the Roman TjrantJ; That he was LutHm Sanguine maceratum; Mire, mingled, or cymented) with Bloud: For, as it is, one of the highefi Offences, in Guiltinefs; So it is, the Bafefi,of all others, in the Mind of the offenders. Treafons, Mt~gnum aliquidjpeaant: They aym at I great things; But this, is vile 0 and bafe. I tell your L ordfbips, what ----------------~-------------------------------------- l~ha!ge, in th~Star~Chambar, again.ft M. L. Andother.r. what I have noted; That in all Gods Hook, (both of the old) and New Tejiament:) I 6nd Examples, ofa1l othervffencr.s, and offindours, 1n the worltJI, but riot any one, of an Impoyjonment, or an Jm. poyfoner. I find mention, ofF ear, of cafualllmpoyfonment when !he Wild Vine, was fined, into the Pot, they came cornpl'aining, In a fearfull manner; Maifler; Mors in olla. And, I find mention, of~oy_fons, ofBeafrs, and Serpents; The Poyfon of AfpeJ is'under thetr Ltps. But I find no Exam pie, in the Book.... of God, of Im~ poyfonment. I have, fometime, thought , of the IYords in the J:falm; Let their Table be made a Snare: Which cerrainly, 'is mofr True of I~poyfonment: For the Table, the Daily Bread, for which we pray, ts turned to a deadly Snare: But I think rather that that was meant,of the Treachery ofFriends,that were participant ofthe fame Table. . ' · But let us go on. It is an Offence, (my Lords,) th~t hath the two Spltrs, of Offending: Spes Perftciendi, and spes celandi. It is eafily committed, and eafily concealed. . It is an Offence, that is, Tanquam Sagitta no{]e volans · It is the Arr~w that flies by Nig~t . . It difcerns not, whom it hits ..'For, rna ... oy ttmes, the Poyfon IS laid for one~ and the other takes it: As in Sanders Cafe, where the Poyfone6LApple was laid for the Mother and was taken up by the Child, and killed the Child. And fo i~ that notorious cafe, whereupon _the Statute, of 22o H. 8, Cap. J9o, was made; where the Intent, bemg to poyfon but one or two· P?y~n was put, into a little Vetfell, ofBarm: that fro~d, in th~ Kuchtn,ofthe BifhfJP ofRochefters Houfe;Of which Barw Pottage or Gruell, was mn~e, wherewith 17, of the Bijhop1 F;mily wer~ Poyfoned: Nay, Dtvers of the :nor'· that came to tpe Bijh(}ps Gate, and had the bro~en Pottage, 1~ Alms, were. likewife Poyfoned; And therefore, If any Man, wtll comfort htmfel£. or think with himfelf, Here is great Talk of Impoyfonment, I hope I am fafe For I have no Enemies; Nor, I have nothing, that any Body fh~uld long for; why? that is all one:~ For he may fir,at Table, by'one,for whom P•yfon ts prepared, and h~ve a Drench, of his Cup, or ofhis Pottage. And fo, as the Poet fatth; Concidit infelix alieno vulnere· He may die another Mans Death. And therefore, it was mol{ gravely, and judicioufiy, and properly, provided by that sta~ ' · tute; That Impoyfonmentlhould be High Treafon; Becaufe, whatfoever offence, tendeth, to the utter Subverfion, and Dilfolution of Human. S?ciety, is, in the nature, of High Treafon. ' La~ly, It ts an OJfe".ce; th~t I may truly fay ot it ; Non eft noftri Genern, nee Sangum11. It Is, (Thanks be to God,) rare in the Ifle ofBrittanny : It is neither of our CouNtry, nor of our Church· you ~~y find !t J in Kom~, ?r It~IJ. There is a B.egion, or perha p~ a Reltgton, for tt: And 1ftt lbould come amongft us certainly it went b<:tter living in a 1Yildernej{e, than in~ Gourt. ' ' . For the particular F ali, upon OtJerbury~ Firfr for the Perfon,of Str Thoma~ Overbury: I knew the Gentleman. It is true, his Mind L was 7-1 |