PErceiving by some late Pamphlets se­veral Rumors rais'd, as if there were endeavours us'd to asperse your Evi­dence in relation to the Death of Sir E.B.G. and to lay that Murther upon Himself. And remembring the consternation which then was in all peoples minds by the Discovery at that time of a Dreadful and most Horrid Po­pish Plot, which occasion'd divers to report, and most to believe (even several days before the dead Body was found,) That he was Mur­der'd by the Papists at Somerset-house. And hearing that the Coroners Jury or Inquest were first of Opinion, and accordingly declar'd he was Felo de Se; And that there was much Art and Skill us'd to procure their Verdict to the contrary; More particularly, the refusing of the Body (at their Instance and request) to be open'd; and opposing the Assistance of the Coroner of Westminster, (who is taken notice of to be a Knowing and Impartial Man in the Execution of his Office;) who was desir'd to, and did attend for that purpose, but was dis­mist with a Guiney; telling him, they had no need of his Service. I made it my business, partly for Yours, but chiefly for the Truths sake, to make a strict Enquiry into the farther Causes of the aforesaid Rumours, and do find these particulars very much urg'd, and dis­cours'd of, (viz.)

I. In opposition to the Evidence of his be­ing dog'd up and down, and lodg'd in a great House at St. Clements on Saturday the 12 of October 1678. (being the day he was first mis­sing.) It is affirm'd he went out of his House that very Saturday morning about 9 a Clock; (which is the last time he ever return'd thi­ther;) And about 10 that Forenoon was in the Fields walking towards Marybone, (in which Parish his dead Corps was afterwards found;) And was there met by a Brewer in S. Giles's, who discours'd with him; And about 11. of the same day he was seen passing by the Lady Cooks Lodgings near the Cock-pit; After which, he was seen in St. Martin's-lane, went by the Church, and down Church lane into the Strand; About 1. passed by the dore of one Mr. Ratcliff an Oyl-man in the Strand And soon after was met in the back Court of Lincolns Inne by two Gentlemen, who obser­ved him to make a sudden turn, and to go out at the back Dore; They went out at that Dore also, and did see him turn the corner Wall; Between which place and Turn-Stile, he was met by a Barrister at Law; And that a person living near Primrose-Hill, declar'd before divers persons, that he saw him about 3 that Saturday in the Afternoon walking in those Fields, his usual Walk being that way.

II. They say, the place where and the po­sture wherein he was found, are very remark­able. As to the place; It was in a Ditch on the South side of Primrose-hill, surrounded with divers Closes, Fenced with high Mounds and Ditches, no Road near, only some deep dirty Lanes made only for the conveniency for driving Cows and such like Cattle in and out of the Grounds; And those very Lanes not coming near 500 yards of the place, and impossible for any Man on Horse back with a Dead Corps before him at Midnight to ap­proach, unless Gaps were made ith'Mounds, as the Constable and his Assistants found by Experience when they came on Horseback thither. As to the posture, his Breast was Unbutton'd, his Wastcoat and Shirt put by, his Sword run in under his left Pap next his Skin, the Point coming out at his right Shoul­der about 6 Inches, his left Arm doubled un­der him, (on which his Head seem'd to lean,) and his right Arm stiff, stretcht out upon the Bank, his Belly and Breast being supported by the side of the Bank, his Knees knit toge­ther, and with his Hips a little bending or doubling under him.

And they infer from thence, that he being a tall raw-bon'd Man, (after he had been se­veral days dead,) could never be crooked so as to be cram [...]d into a Sedan, (which are very low built, and difficult to be carry'd with proper Braces, much more as You Evidenc'd with Cords,) then straightned, and his Legs open'd, and mounted on Horse-back, and then put into the posture he was found in, and stiffen'd again.

[Page 2] III. Now although the Matters aforesaid may be said to be only circumstantial, Yet they produce undeniable Arguments against your Evidence, (viz.) They say, that if a Man, or any other Creature be Strangled, or Hanged, and his Body cold, and the Blood settled in the Veins, (as he must needs be if Your Evidence be true,) run 20 Swords through such a Body, not one drop of Blood will come out: But on the contrary, his Body when found, was full of Blood, insomuch, that (over and above the Cakes or great Goblets of congeal'd putrify'd Blood found afterwards in his Cloaths) the Constable when he pull'd the Sword out of his Body, it crash'd against his Back-bone, and Gobbets of Blood and Water gush'd or gub­bled out of that Wound in abundance, not only in that very place where the Sword was pull'd out, but in all his passage to the White-House, especially there where his Body was lifted over two high Stumps; and also when he was laid upon the Table, the Blood and Water so issu'd out of that Wound, that it ran from off the Table upon the Floor, and from thence into the Celler; So that they do averr, that That Wound that he receiv'd by that Sword must of necessity be the cause of his Death. And they take notice, that so much of the Sword as was in his Body, was discolour'd and blackish; and that part that came out at his back was of a dullish colour, and the Point thereof was rusty; Also, that his Cloaths, Belt and Scabbard were weather-heaten to rags; his Body stunk extremely; his Eys, Nostrils, and corners of his Mouth were Fly-blown; all which must naturally be by his being so long in the Air.

IV. They say, That when a Man is Strangled or Hanged, his Eys will be extorted, his Face will be swell'd & black; Whereas His Eys were shut his Face was pale, only the left part of his Chin, with his Breast and Belly being next the Earth, were putrified, and look'd of a Blue and Greenish colour, more especially a­bout the Wound; For that the Blood, when hot, running to the Wound, caus'd the grea­ter putrefaction in that place; Whenas, if the Wound had been made after he was dead, and cold, the rest of his Body would have putrify'd as soon, and as much as there.

V. They say, That the cleanness of his Shooes makes against Your Evidence; For his Shooes were clean'd or rather glaz'd on the very bot­toms of the Soles, occasion'd by his walking in the Grass, and Grass-seeds were observ'd to stick in the Seams of his Shooes; And besides, there was not one speck of Dirt on his Cloaths, or Legs, not so much as a Horse-hair sticking thereon; Whereas, the Constable, and those that went with him, were dirty'd and moil'd up to the very Saddle-skirts, and not easily to be clea­ned; And Mr. Prance, you know that a tall Dead Man on Horse-back, cannot lift up his Legs to save them from the Dirt.

VI. As to the looseness of his Neck, and the Rim or Green Circle about it, They say they are Ridiculous and Impertinent Argu­ments against so many Demonstrative ones; especially, when there is not a Nurse, or any Woman of Age, that hath bury'd any Rela­tions, but will tell you it's very common for People to die with Necks as loose as his was: And the Rim about his Neck was so far from being like one made with a Cravat or Han­kerchief, that it seems to be occasion'd by the great heigth & stifness of his Collar, which was fast Button'd about his Neck, and on which his Head wrested, and was unbutton'd about 10 of the clock the next day, before the Coroner or Jury came. But if that Rim, or those Bruises, that Your Evidence seems to make the cause of his Death, were really so; Then they alledg, that in such case, the whole Mass of Blood would have settled there, and his Neck and Bruises would have swell'd, and have been perfect Black, which was not in His case.

VII. They also say, That all these Matters are Notorious, and will be prov'd by divers credible and undeniable Eye and Ear Witnes­ses; And besides, They observe, that Bedlow's (before the Committee of Lords,) and Your E­vidence in relation to this Gentlemans Death, are as different as the East is from the West; For You Dogg him out of St Clements; the other decoys him from Charing-Cross: You swear he was Strangled with a Hankerchief near the Stables going to the Water-side; Bedlow, that he was Smother'd with a Pill [...]w in a Room in the great Court in Somerset-house. You say he took Horse at So-ho; Bedlow says he took Coach at Clarenden-house, with many more suck like contradictions; And conside­ring the Old Proverb, fore-warn'd, fore arm'd A further and fuller account of the whole matter expect, I being loath at present to exceed the bounds of a Letter, I am,