WHat means this thick ill-scent­ed Mist? What Noise is that? Who's there? Ah! Lightning, and at this Cold Season! Confusion! What's that I see? Bless me! I shall learn to Pray if this con­tinues: Heavens! A Man in my Chamber at this time of Night! I am lost! undone! 'tis my Executioner! Speak what! what want'st thou? Stay, sure I should know that Face, pale as it is! See! he approaches! he beckons! assist me this time, Hell and Impudence! I'll stand, since I am prepar'd for the worst that Fare can offer! Ha! by that Razor it must be he, 'tis Essex! See! he knows his Name! he comes up! Speak! speak! VVhat wilt thou?

Yes, 'tis I, the most Unfortunate Essex! VVell, restless Sysiphus, will thy unbound­ed Malice ne're have an end? Thou hast bin the common troubler of Mankind all thy Life; and now thou art contriving a Legacy; which, like Pandora's Box, will leave them all in a fresh confusion at thy Death,

Your Ghostship takes a Liberty which your Lordship would have forbore: But why Sysiphus, pray Sir? have I, like him, roul'd my Stone in vain? Shall one little misfortune blast the Glory of all my former Triumphs? Have my Projects been useless, or my Malice ineffectual? VVhy, this very Minute am I upon a design shall not only re-purchase my lost Liberty and Honors, but, like the Gordian Knot, shall puzzle the wisest of their Heads to unfold it.

Horror and Confusion! Thou mak'st me, though a Ghost, tremble at thy Prodigious Im­pudence. Are not thy Eyes then, Curst wretch, already satisfied with thy yet reaking Western Cruelties, nor thy Ears tired with the hollow Groans of the Fatherless and VViddows? Could not thy boundless swelling Thoughts of false vain Glory, fix in the Enjoyment of Riches and Ho­nors, without thy Prodigious Contrivances to disturb the Peace of all the Christian World? VVhat would'st thou have, or whether would'st thou tend? hast thou no remorse for thy poor Oppressed Country, nor care for thy own future welfare? VVill neither past Examples, nor pre­sent Dangers warn thee of the miserable Estate of those who serve the ends of wicked Men? Look here wretch, (shewing him his Throat) and tremble at the Fate of those, who have forsaken God, Conscience, and Reason to lay the bloody Foundation of an unstable Glory: Remember Essex, wretch, remember Essex.

This Advice, my Lord, runs very con­trary at least to all the latter Transactions of your Life. Is it possible then that the Grave can have such a strong Operation upon a Mans Fancy, and in so little a time alter his Opinion? You Dy'd, with Submission to your Lordship, in the general Opinion, more apprehensive of a shameful Pu­nishment, than penitent for your objected Crimes.

VVhat! dar'st thou then mock my Misery? Art thou alone of all the Kingdom Ignorant of the bloody Circumstances of my Death? Tremble, and think what Thou may'st yet endure. Beware those means thou usest for thy Safety, prove not thy utmost Danger. I fondly Dreamt, Confessi­on and Discovery would melt the Sword of Ju­stice into Mercy: But ah! that Charm that lull'd the wrath of my Offended Master, waken'd the Fears and Malice of my more powerful Foes: An Irish Russian, and a dread Command, soon let me know my Error Fear and Repentance are not safe to be trusted with a Prince's Secrets: Nor had Coleman bin ventur'd to the place of Ex­ecution, but that they found a way to send him off between Jest and Earnest.

I must confess, under the Rose, my Lord, 'twas generally whisper'd, more Hands than your own were employ'd to sign your Pass; but as the Circumstances of Time and Persons are alter­ed, I have reason to hope for better success. My Crimes are indeed every way Superiour, and my designs more Barbarous; I have had Murders, Fellons, and Treasons as my Bosom Friends: I have Laught and Ridiculed all fear of God; and to my Ambition and Covetousness; have, with­out the least remorse, Sacrificed the Laws and Liberties of my Native Country; nay, being not content with the present fraud and oppressi­on I encouraged, I have, (oh Prodigie!) endea­voured to entail Slavery and Popery on the King­dom for ever. 'Twas I alone could swear the reaking Circumstances of our Young Perkin; 'twas I alone promoted and set up that Antichri­stian Court of Ecclesiastical Commission, to Scourge the Clergy and Harass the People; 'twas I alone could resolve all the known Anci­ent, fixt and Fundamental Laws of the King­dom into the Arbitrary will of the King: You may talk of Irish Russians, and French Dragoons, Popish Conspiracies, and Private Assassins, I think I have bid as fair for my Honor and Cause as any of them; If that Puny Rascal that burnt a Heathenish Temple at Ephesus, could hope to be fam'd to Posterity, What may not I expect, that have already sorely shaken and endea­vour'd the final destruction of the Church of God! I have out-done Nero or Ravilliac, Jacques Cle­ment, or Massianello.

He was running on in an extravagant De­scription of his Cruelties and VVickedness, had not the Ghost, with a frown full of Horror, (being as it seem'd displeas'd with his proceedings) put a stop to his discourse, and being about to make answer, the Cock Crew, at which the Ghost seem'd affrighted, and without saying more, than Remember Essex, it vanished.