ANTIQUITIES. 
indulgence will excuse all the faults 
which must occur in this long re- 
cital. The truth you may depend 
upon. Attend to that, and over- 
look all deficiencies. 
My Lord desires you to be assured 
of his sincere friendship.—I am, 
with the strongest attachment, my 
dear sister, 
yours most affectionately, 
(Signed) 
WINEFRED NITHSDALE. 
3 a. 
Observations on the late Continuance 
of the Use of Torture in England. 
In a letter from George Chalmers, 
Esq. F.R. and A. SS. to John 
Topham, Esq. 
From the Xth Volume of the Ar- 
cheologia. 
_ Office for Trade, Whitehall. 
Dear Sir, 
PRESUMED to think, that what- 
ever had a tendency to trace 
‘the modes of our government, or 
to mark the improvemeut of our 
freedom, would not be deemed 
by you altogether unworthy of 
your learned curiosity. And I 
was thus induced to communicate 
to you a copy of a warrant of 
the privy council, as late as 1620, 
for using torture on a_ person 
who was suspected of treason ; 
which, asa Jink connecting former 
practice with subsequent dissue- 
tude, may be regarded as an in- 
structive document. 
The following is an Authentic Copy 
Srom the Record:  * 
“€ To the Lieutenant of the Tower 
; of London. 
“ Whereas Samuel Peacock was 
Vor. XXXIV. 
A33 
heretofore committed prisoner to 
the Marshalsea, and that now it is 
thought fit, upon vehement suspi- 
cion of high treason against his 
majesty’s sacred person, to remove 
him thence, and to commit him to 
the Tower,—these shall be therefore 
to will and require you to repair 
to the prison of the Marshalsea, 
and there to receive from the keep- 
er of that house the person of the 
said Samuel Peacock, and him 
safely to convey under your cus- 
tody unto the Tower of London, 
where you are to keep him a close 
prisoner until further order. And 
whereas we have thought meet to 
nominate and appoint Sir Henry 
Montagu, Knut. Lord Chief Justice 
of the King’s Bench, Sir Thomas 
Coventry, Knt. his Majesty’s So- 
licitor General, and yourself, to 
examine the said Peacock, for the 
better discovery of the truth of 
this treason,—this shall be likewise 
to authorise you, or any two 
of you, whereof yourself to be 
one, to examine the said Peacock 
from time to time, and to put 
him, as there shall be cause, for 
the better manifestation of the 
truth, to the torture, either of 
the manacles or the rack; for 
which this shall be your warrant. 
And so, &c. 
ary, 1619.” 
Allow me to subjoin a few ob- 
servations. The Lieutenant of the 
Tower, who was thus’ entrusted, 
was Sir Allan Apsley; the Privy 
Counsellors, who directed that mea- 
sure, and signed that warrant, were 
the Lord Chancellor Bacon, the Kart 
of Worcester, who was then Lord 
Privy Seal, the Earl of Arundell, 
the Lord Carew, Lord Digby, Mr. 
Secretary Naunton, and Sir Edward 
Coke; who, after he had ceased to 
Ee be 
The 19th of Febru- 
