By the Rev. J. BE. Jackson. 299 
‘‘But Heaven did presently find out 
What with great care he could not do; 
’T was well he was the coach gone out, 
Or he might have been murdered too: 
For they who did this ’squire kill 
Would fear the blood of none to spill.” 
Sir John Reresby, the chief officer at the time of the London 
police, gives us in his Memoirs, a long account of this murder. 
He says that until all circumstances were fully known, it was be- 
lieved by many that the assault upon Mr. Thynne had been really 
intended for the Duke of Monmouth, and that it was a scheme of 
the Court party to put him out of the way. There was, however, 
no foundation for this; though Reresby does admit that the King 
(Charles II.) was very anxious that Count Konigsmark should, if 
possible, get away out of the country. A reward of £200 was 
offered for his arrest, and he was taken by one Gibbons, an attend- 
ant of the Duke of Monmouth, as he was stepping in disguise 
aboard ship. Gibbons charged him with the murder, and added, 
that he had liked to have killed his master, the Duke. “No,” 
answered the Count, “they would not have killed Aim.” All four 
were put upon their trial, but by management the Count was ac- 
quitted. The Judges, Pemberton and North, would not allow the 
depositions previously taken before the Magistrate, to be read. 
Had this been done, the evidence would have directly criminated 
him. The other three were convicted, and executed in Pall Mall, 
the Duke of Monmouth attending the execution. Lieut. Stern 
protested that his was a hard case: that he had been deceived 
throughout ; and that now he was going to die for the sake of a 
man (Count Konigsmark) whom he had never spoken to; for a 
lady whom he had never seen, and for a dead man whom he never 
had a view of! The Polander declared he only did what, as a sol- 
dier, he was bound to do; and as to Capt. Vratz, he treated it all 
very cavalierly. Evelyn mentions in his Memoirs (1.541) under 
date of 10th March, that Vratz went to execution like an un- 
daunted hero, as one that had done a friendly office for that base 
coward, Konigsmark: he had only behaved like a gentleman, and 
did not value dying, of a rush. On the 24th March Evelyn went 
