CONCERNING THE EARL OF ESSEX. 273 



before God, I never moved either the queen, or any 

 person living, concerning my being used in the ser~ 

 vice, either of evidence or examination ; but it was 

 merely laid upon me with the rest of my fellows. 

 And for the time which passed, I mean between the 

 arraignment and my lord s suffering, I well remem 

 ber I was but once with the queen, at what time, 

 though I durst not deal directly for my lord as 

 things then stood, yet generally I did both commend 

 her majesty s mercy, terming it to her as an excel 

 lent balm that did continually distil from her sove 

 reign hands, and made an excellent odour in the 

 senses of her people ; and not only so, but I took 

 hardiness to extenuate, not the fact, for that I durst 

 not, but the danger, telling her, that if some base or 

 cruel-minded persons had entered into such an ac 

 tion, it might have caused much blood and combus 

 tion : but it appeared well, they were guch as knew 

 not how to play the malefactors ; and some other 

 words which I now omit. And as for the rest of 

 the carriage of myself in that service, I have many 

 honourable witnesses that can tell, that the next day 

 after my lord s arraignment, by my diligence and in 

 formation touching the quality and nature of the 

 offenders, six of nine were stayed, which otherwise 

 had been attainted, I bringing their lordships letter 

 for their stay, after the jury was sworn to pass upon 

 them ; so near it went : and how careful I was, and 

 made it my part, that whosoever was in trouble 

 about that matter, as soon as ever his case was suffi 

 ciently known and defined of, might not continue in 



VOL. VI. T 



