314 A BOOK OF ENGLISH GARDENS 



love of God to forgive me, and to pray for me, 

 for I believe prayer wyll do me good. Goddys 

 blessing have my chylderne and meyne. By me 

 a great offender to God. 



" Endorsed detts to divers by 



" S R - FRANCIS WESTON." 



The list of his " detts " at the end of the letter 

 are interesting in many ways. Some of the items 

 are, " Browne, the draper, ^50 " ; " item to a poor 

 woman at the Tennes play for bawles, I cannot tell 

 howe muche ! to the Kynges Hyghness, 4.6 " 

 (equal now to ^552) : the same amount he owes 

 to the shoemaker. 



All the victims were beheaded on Tower Hill. 

 None confessed their guilt, nor did they protest 

 their innocence, their silence being the price paid 

 to avert confiscation of property. Thus died 

 Francis Weston, a gay, worthless, light-hearted 

 boy, whose life paid the penalty of his folly. 



The old veteran, Sir Richard Weston, bore the 

 execution of his only son with absolute calmness, 

 and served his royal master none the less well. 



Three days after Queen Anne's execution, Sir 

 Richard attended the King's marriage with Jane 

 Seymour. And this "prudent and most gentle 

 knight" welcomed to Sutton Place, Cromwell, 

 who more than any one brought about the murder 

 of his son. Indeed, a case of " other times, other 

 manners." But the old man's remaining in the 



