COUNTESS OF SOMERSET. 193 



and that this day s labour is eased ; there resteth, in 

 the legal proceeding, but for me to pray that her 

 confession may be recorded, and judgment there 

 upon. 



But because your lordships the peers are met, 

 and that this day and to-morrow are the days that 

 crown all the former justice ; and that in these great 

 cases it hath been ever the manner to respect honour 

 and satisfaction, as well as the ordinary parts and 

 forms of justice; the occasion itself admonisheth me 

 to give your lordships and the hearers this content 

 ment, as to make declaration of the proceedings of 

 this excellent work of the king s justice, from the 

 beginning to the end. 



It may please your grace, my lord high steward 

 of England : this is now the second time, within the 

 space of thirteen years reign of our happy sovereign, 

 that this high tribunal-seat, ordained for the trial of 

 peers, hath been opened and erected, and that with 

 a rare event, supplied and exercised by one and the 

 same person, which is a great honour unto you, my 

 lord steward. 



In all this mean-time the king hath reigned 

 in his white robe, not sprinkled with any one 

 drop of the blood of any of his nobles of this 

 kingdom. Nay, such have been the depths of his 

 mercy, as even those noblemen s bloods, against 

 whom the proceeding was at Winchester, Cobham 

 and Grey, were attainted and corrupted, but not 

 spilt or taken away ; but that they remained rather 

 spectacles of justice in their continual imprisonment, 



VOL. vi. o 



