NOt to painte it out with vainglorious termes of a large Exordium in a matter where throbbinge sorrowe breaketh of su­perfluous circumstances, and ouer werying plaints abreuiate the libertie of speach: nor to vse the choice inuention of a pleasinge discourse, where nothing but heauy misfortunes mini­ster cause of melancholike and pensiue contemplations: But to explaine a tragicall trueth, and set foorth the la­mentable order, of a premeditated murther, I will brief­lie prosecute my owne gréefe, and the generall wayling of euery gentle minde. Wherein as well superiours, as inferiours, (cast from the quiet staie of their former affectes) séeme to beare their indifferent partes.

If the losse of true nobilitie, whereon as vpon a rocke of safe protection, consisteth the happie gouernement of euery florishing common weale, though by honoura­ble seruice in warre, or by sicknesse at home, the appoin­ted scurge of humaine frailty: bee a gréeuous maime to the state, inferring a cōmon lament through euerie part thereof. Then much more maie the state complaine, and euery priuate person shed teares of sorrowe, when the [Page] one looseth the hope of expected virtues, and the other is bereft the strength of theyr peaceable fortunes, yet not by repulsing the iniuries of forraine pride, or natu­rall summons of diuine election, but by the poysoned rancour of domesticall treacherie, as by this horrible murther executed on the right honourable the Lorde Bourgh may wel appeare, whose vertuous desires, were stedfastlie fixed vppon true honors exercises, and whose heroycall constitution, euer abhorred the base practises of vicious and ignoble qualities. But as the fayrest rose is apt to be consumed by a cancker, so Enuie the maliti­ous handmaide of honour, continuallie séeketh the ruine of noble personages.

For in the courte amongest the princelike traine of her Maiesties followers, there wanderd (as the pureste wheat is associated with infectious wéedes) one Arnold Cosby, a man of proud conceipte, borne to mischéefe, and predestinated to destroie that which his lothed life is too farre vnable to redéeme.

This Cosby, what for countries sake béeing an Irishe man, or for the curtious affabilitie of the Noble man (whose ingenuous towardnesse carried a good conceite of euery one) was so fauoured and well estéemed of him as he thought nothing lost wherein hee might pleasure him, til at last (as is the custome, of ouerbold inchroching vpstartes) by too much familiaritie he grewe contemp­tuous, and the more to manifest his arrogancie and the mallice of his swelling spirite, tooke a sleighte quarrell, (after sundrie dispightfull disgraces offered) to prouoke and challenge the Lord Bourghe by a vile and impudent letter, which one night vnder signe of fawning subtilty, secretly he clapt into his hand. And though the offence did not procéede by him, but principallie rose by the reportes of an other gentleman of Cosbyes acquaintaunce, which offered to maintaine them to his téeth, daringe him to the fielde, yet did he refuse to fight with him, bendinge the force of his conceiued hatred, onely against the Lorde [Page] Bourgh, and would not forsooth otherwise bee pacifyed, but with his life and ruine of his carkasse, for such were his wordes in his impudent letter, stuft with a rable of bumbasted braues, scornefull tearmes, and odious com­parisons, binding him vpon his honour and manhoode, the next morning to méete him in Wansworth fieldes.

The noble gentleman whose modest eares did glowe at the immodest and shamelesse lynes, as his milde and curteous demenour, was neuer seene to iniure the sim­plest, so béeing impatient of the least wrong smiled at his follie, and thought, though he were no waie his equal, yet in so much as he was a Souldiour and in that respecte a gentleman, it would not be much preiudicall to his ho­nor, if he met him, and with the chastesment of his sword taught him his duetye with better manners, and there­fore not in hatred of soule, thirsting after bloud, as it ap­peared by his oppribrious letter he did: but in sobrietie sent him word backe he would méete him, which resolu­tion I suppose was contrarie to Cosbeyes expectation, who imagined be like the Lord Bourghe woulde haue stoode vpon tearmes of superioritie with him, or else hée would not haue béene so liberall in his challenge.

But the night drue on, and Cosbyes stomacke that of late did blowe foorth from his windie puft brest the soūd of horrour and death, began nowe to quaile, at the hea­ring, of two or thrée wordes, spoken in a milde and tem­perate vaine, and therefore as fitted the oportunitie of time he entred into counsel, with y^e curssed ruler of dark­nesse, howe hée might worke mischiefe, and yet defende his owne credite from blot of infamie. Well somewhat was deuised and concluded vpon, as after by his actions might be gathered: for the daie no sooner appered, but as prefiguring some dismall accident, it couered the earth with a lowring countenaunce, and black cloudes in signe of ensuing miseries, distilled repentant teres from their watrie browes. When Cosby well studied for his pur­pose, and pricked forwarde with a desire of deceiuinge [Page] hope, which his wicked thoughtes had before hatched in his braine, left his lodging and came to the Lord Bourghe with a case of Rapiers, bidding him take his choyce, for those should be the instrumentes of life or death betwixt them.

After this they mounted themselues and rode on towardes Wansworth, neither of them hauinge made any one priuie to their intent the one would not, in re­garde of his honour, the other in feare his villainons pre­tence should bee discouered: I neede not aime at the thoughtes of Cosby by the waie, they may bee coniectu­red to be such, as commonly procéede from a minde pre­meditating murther. When they were come to the place appointed, Cosby as it should séeme, béeing first arriued, had made himselfe readie to fight, the Lorde Bourgh cō ­ming somewhat later, was not altogeather so ready, yet had cast of his cloake, tyed his horse, and drawne hys ra­pier.

Now marke the feare, wherewith treacherous hearts doo continually tremble, though they haue neuer so per­fectlie studyed the platforme of their pernitious deuises. For Cosby although he had trained this fresh springing hope of cheualrie and honour, into a solitarie place farre from resorte, and earlye in the morninge when fewe had occasion to be in the fieldes, yet did hee (as ministers of diuelish stratagems vse) faint and gladlie would haue bin at home againe, as by his delaies is euident, for first he intreated the L. Bourgh to measure rapiers, the equal length wherof he knew sufficientlie for him selfe proui­ded them.

Then did he request him to breake his rapiers point (a­uouching it was triall enough of their manhoods, in that they had met in field) and to scarre their faces, and so re­turne and say they had fought. But the L. Bourgh as one that lothed his former brags, and detested y^t dastard­like motiō, told him flatly, he scorned such pusillanimity, nor came he to plaie boyes plaie. Why then quoth Cos­by [Page] my L. t'were best put of your spurres least they chaunce to hinder you.

Now had the deuill which all this while had béene absente from his seruant, fitted him at length with a pollicie to worke his will and endamage his owne soule. And now, euen nowe, the fatall houre was come, wherein the bloudy homizide ga­ped to quench his thirst in bloud, and to acte the tragidy of his former scelerous inuentions. For as the L. Bourghe (whose noble minde suspecting no treacherie) knéeled downe, putting his rapyer in his left hand, and with his right, intended to vn­buckle his spurres, the monsterous treachetour, taking the ad­uantage as it fell, not like a Souldiour, or a Gentleman, but lyke a brutishe manquellour, and murderous con­spiratour, voyd of all virtue and humanitye, with all the vio­lence his coadiutor the deuill could lend him, ranne his ra­pyer twelue intches into his brest, which stucke so fast, as hee was constrained to set his foote vpon him and plucke it foorth, and being cast downe with the force of the thrust, Cosby, that wicked and bloodye Cosby, coulde not be content with one mortall wound, nor might his insatiate furie be staunched, ex­cept his vitall bloud streamed in sundrie conduites, to gorge the fell outrage of his gréedie mawe, therefore letting fall hys rapier, tooke his dagger in his right hande, and therewithall gaue him thrée and twentie woundes more. Which scarse could suffice, for that he feared, if any breath remained in hys bodie his tongue might bewraye the manner of that horrible murther, and therefore would not haue left so, but that he saw rescue néere, which made him take his horse to escape, which was when he came vnto that place, a lustie strong Geldinge as any is in England, but he was no sooner on his backe, but he presently fell lame, and was not able to carie him, suche is the iust iudgement of God that abhorreth murderers, and wil not theyr villainie be concealed.

Besides for all those woundes, which the Lord Bourghe had receiued, it pleased God he should liue two or thrée houres af­ter, time enough to commit him selfe to his mercie, and to re­ueale the treacherous manner of his death, which hee did in the hearinge of the right honourable the earles of Essex [Page] Essex and Ormewood, in a house in Wansworth, whether hee was conuaied by the meanes of one Iohn Powell yeoman of the bottels in her maiesties house, who comming to the res­cue, pursued the murtherer vntill hee shrouded himselfe in a thicke wood, where he might easilie haue kept him selfe close a long time, but that the prouidence of God hauing nowtaken place to punish, where before the deuill had kept possession, for sin he wold not suffer him to rest, but so soone as it was night, brought him backe to Wansworth, and the first house he came to was y^e house wherin y^e breathles bodie of the Lord Bourgh lay, wherunto he was no sooner approched (which is a thing especi­ally to be noted,) but his wounds bled more freshlie then when the were first giuen, whereby the people in the house béeing a­gast at that suddaine and straunge spectacle made forthe to search, for surelie they supposed the murtherer was not farre off, he hearing the noyse of their comming, fledde to Newinton, where he was apprehended and caried to N [...]wgate, and from thence brought the fiue and twenteth daye of Ianuarie to the Sessions house in Southwarke, where he was arr [...]ined and condemed of wilfull murder, which murther he had commit­ted the fourth day of the same month. And thus haue I disbur­dened the heauy clogge of my gréeued conscience, and done my latest duetie to him dead, whom whilest he liued, I loued and honoured.

Then Noble mindes, whose heartes full of lenitie harbour no suspition of treacherie, banishe all secure, mildnesse from your soules, that suffers eueri [...] base, and ignoble Sicophante to enchroche into the leniry of your fauora­ble conceite. And nourish not with your courteous countenaunce, the con­temptuous aspirers of inferiour reput [...]tion: For thereby groweth such bo­sting vanitie from the baset insolent, that would frame nobilitie to the infe­riour tipe of their vnworthines. As well is manifested by the sodaine death of this noble gentleman, and the published villanie of this t [...]agicall mur­ther, a sufficient caueat for euery mistrustlesse minde to be admonished.