Sir Henry Neville's Confession

Right Honourable, my duty and conscience binding me, besides your Honour 's commandment, to declare whatsoever hath come to my knowledge touching the designs and the enterprises of the late Earl of Essex, I have faithfully set it down in this evil couched narration following; and not only that, but whatsoever else hath passed between me and him or any of his complices since my coming out of France, that your Lordships seeing all the circumstances that concern me laid open before you, may make the clearer judgment of my intention.

It may please your Honours to understand that at my arrival at London from Bulloigne, which was, as I remember, the sixth of August last, I met with a message which Mr. Cuffe ( with whom I had had long acquaintance) left at my lodging the day before to this effect; that I had had evil offices done me, as my Lord of Essex was informed by his friends in Court, and that some great blame was like to be cast upon me for the breach at Bulloigne, as if I had by some particular evil carriage of mine given the occasion of it; which my Lord in good will was desirous I should know, that I might be prepared to answer it. Mr. Cuffe himself was then gone out of town to Oxford, as I remember it was said, but returned upon the Monday after, being the 10th or 11th of the month, and came presently unto me and renewed the same advertisement. But I had been in the meantime at the Court and found no such matter, but rather altogether the contrary, and so I answered him. But he said howsoever things were turned now, there was such an intention; and my Lord had received it from so good hand, as there could not be but some truth in it; and that my Lord in good will would have me know it, being one that he esteemed very much and was sorry to see so wronged. I answered that I did acknowledge myself very much bound to my Lord in it and did take it for a great argument of his good will and favour, which I would deserve with any service I could do him. Not long after this he brought me a letter from my Lord full of all kindness towards me, testifying his good conceit of me and his affection towards me, and that he desired my love and would hold it as a great treasure. I returned an answer with the best compliments I could, with such phrases and offers of service as are usual unto such persons and upon such kind provocations. Soon after my Lord went into the country, and myself likewise for a time; where although I remained within ten miles of him, and rode twice in the week by the park pale where he lay, I protest I never saw him, nor sent to him either to present or visit him, although I understood that most gentlemen in those parts did both.

But Cuffe came from thence once to my house, and brought me very kind commendations from my Lord, and purposed as it seemed to have stayed two or three days with me, but that the next day I had occasion to ride into the vale, and so we parted at Netlebed. After this I saw him not till my coming to London, which was not till after the middle of October; where I had not been long but he came to see me, and moved me to come to see my Lord, saying that now he was at liberty and that all the world that would now came at him. I said I would find a time to come see him ere it were long; but yet upon some occasion of business I had, I put it off for four or five days. But at length he named me a time, saying that he had told my Lord I would come, and that he expected it and would marvel if I came not. He said that time would be very fit, and that he would desire my Lord to go to supper so much the sooner. He told me also he would appoint one to meet me and bring me in to my Lord 's study. I came accordingly in the evening about eight o'clock as I guess, and was met by Glascocke my Lord 's man, who conducted me, as Mr. Cuffe ( he said) had directed. After some half-hour 's stay or more my Lord came up, and received me very kindly, and entertained me with many questions of foreign matters; and some hopes of his own about the sweet wines, and otherwise to be restored to her Majesty 's presence and favour ere it were long, and at length dismissed me with very kind offers, and brought me down himself to the back gate. But in all his talk I protest I did not hear him use any undutiful speech of the Queen or the state. After this visitation I protest I never spake with him, nor received any letter from him, nor he from me. Cuffe would come sometimes unto me. And when I asked him how his Lord 's matters stood in Court, he would sometimes give show of hope and sometimes of despair. And at those times when he seemed to despair he would break out into words of heat and impatience: as namely once I remember he repeated this verse—Arma tenenti omnia dat qui justa negat. Whereunto I answered in French tout beau, he spake very big. And either at that time or another upon like occasion he said it made no matter, it would give my Lord cause to think the sooner of some other courses. About Christmas last, but whether before or after I do not well remember, he told me they were informed that there was a purpose to take some pretext to lay up my Lord of Southampton; and that they took it as a preface to the laying up of my Lord of Essex himself; but that he thought my Lord was resolved they should never coop him more. With these uncertain and wild speeches he would sometimes entertain me, and never brake directly with me till the Saturday after Candlemas Term began, as I remember. And then I coming unto my lodging somewhat late in the evening found him there, where he had attended me an hour or two, as I learned. He desired me to walk up into my chamber, which he had not used to do before; and there he told me, after a preface of the confidence that my Lord had of my good affection towards the state and towards himself in particular, that his purpose was to make me privy to some designs he had both for his own safety and for the good of the state: wherein he would first assure me that there should be nothing intended or attempted against her Majesty 's person or estate, and told me further that my Lord did not desire that I should embark myself into it further than I was willing, but that when I should hear it proposed I should consider of it and give him what advice I thought fit. And for that purpose he desired that I would meet as soon as might be with my Lord of Southampton and Sir Charles Davers, who should relate the particulars unto me. I told him that, with that limitation which he promised me that nothing should be attempted against the Queen 's person nor her estate, I could be contented to hear what should be proposed, and would meet for that purpose the next day in the afternoon at Sir Charles Davers ' lodging. But that day I was appointed to attend the Lords about French causes, where I stayed till it was late and so disappointed the meeting. The Monday and Tuesday I attended Mr. Secretary Herbert at the Doctors ' Commons about an answer to be made to the French ambassador 's complaints. The Wednesday we spent all the afternoon with the ambassador. The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I excused myself by reason of my private business. Yet upon the Friday or Saturday, as I remember, having understood that Sir Charles Davers was not at his lodging, I went that way and left word that I had been there to see him: which I did because I had been often solicited by Cuffe in the meantime about the meeting and told that they began to make an evil judgment of my delay. And when I answered that my Lord might as well deliver his mind to me by him as by them, he said my Lord had rather made choice of them than of him, to breed a confidence between them and me. And indeed Mr. Cuffe had been at least two or three months persuading me to make acquaintance with my Lord of Southampton and Sir Charles Davers, who he said did greatly desire notwithstanding I still omitted it. And at length he brought Sir Charles Davers to my lodging about a fortnight after Christmas, when I protest there passed nothing but compliments and ordinary talk, and was the first time that ever I had spoken with Sir Charles Davers in my life. Upon Monday, being Candlemas Day, in the afternoon about four o'clock, as I was coming out of Serjeant 's Inn, where I had acknowledged a statute before my Lord Anderson and sealed other writings, there came by in coach my Lords of Essex and Southampton, Sir Christopher Blunt and Sir Charles Davers, and went towards the Stran. And because I had told Cuffe that I would be there that day, and they had seen me so near, I went thence soon after to Drury House, and there found my Lord of Southampton with Sir Charles Davers; where after some ordinary salutations, because I had never spoken with my Lord since he was a child in my Lord Treasurer 's house, my Lord began to break with me that my Lord had received by Mr. Cuffe so good a persuasion both of my love to him and of my honesty, discretion, and secrecy, that he had given him commission to reveal unto me a matter of great secrecy and importance; namely that my Lord finding his life sought by his enemies by undue means, and despairing of justice against them because they were so potent about the Queen, and did besiege her so as nothing could come to her knowledge but what they listed, was advised to make his repair to her presence to declare both his particular grievances and many other, which because he knew he should not be suffered to do in private sort, he was advised to go so well accompanied as he might not be kept from her. That for the effecting thereof it was proposed to send some forty persons in several companies to the Mews, who upon the discovery of my Lord 's approach ( who should come in coach, well attended, with my Lord of Southampton) should make on before to the Court gate and possess it. And some other of the company to be before in the hall of the Court, who upon the sight of their possessing the gate should make up into the Guard-chamber and seize upon the guards ' halberds, and so be masters of that chamber. And in the presence that there should be some lords and others to welcome my Lord when he came, and to go in with him to the Queen and countenance the action. Herein my Lord required my advice. I told him it was a matter of too great weight to be suddenly digested. But for the assurance Mr. Cuffe had given of me, if he had not exceeded his commission, which I hoped he would not being an honest man, I would perform what he had delivered from me. But for offering to draw my sword in the cause, I vow before God and his angels I never offered it nor ever meant it. Some objections and difficulties I proposed as upon the sudden, as namely these. That this was an action of the nature of those which, as Tacitus saith, non laudantur nisi peracta, and would be interpreted by the success. That it was full of difficulties and dangers; first, because it was almost impossible to prepare so many hands as should suffice for it without communicating it to so many as it must needs be revealed. Secondly, if any door were found shut upon them they were disappointed. And lastly, the City of Westminster was at hand, which though they should prevail at the first so far as to possess the gate, yet might quickly bring in force enough to dispossess them and pull them out by the ears. To the first difficulty they answered that they would not make their purpose known till the morning they intended to execute it; and that they would draw their company together upon some other pretext. To the second, that they hoped to come so unexpected, and those which they appointed to be before in course should be so vigilant, as there should not be time to shut any doors. And to the last, that being once in Court, and having the show of the state on their side, nobody would stir against them. Their end as it seemed was to seize on the persons of those they accounted my Lord 's enemies, and to require justice against them, tendering other presently to supply their places. I can not certainly say that they then spake of any Parliament to be called. But I am sure Cuffe did afterwards. In speech of their means I do not remember that they spake of above a hundred and twenty hands; some noblemen they named that they would take along with them, as among other my Lord of Rutland. But they said they could not trust him with the matter above two hours before they attempted it. They spake of seizing the Tower as a matter which they could do when they would by the means of Sir John Davies. But surely at that time they had resolved certainly, as it seemed to me, neither of the time nor any circumstance of their attempt. In conclusion they prayed me to think of it, because it was new to me, and said that Sir Charles Davers should come unto me within four or five days under pretence of taking his leave of me, to have further conference of it. Since which time God is my witness I never saw either of them, or received letter or message from them or they from me. But Cuffe came to me within a day or two after, to whom I related what had passed at that conference, and said I could not nor would not give any approbation to any such enterprise unless the undertakers did all take a solemn oath not to attempt anything against the Queen 's person or her estate, as they had done in the enterprise of Amboise, a precedent whereof was to be seen in the story. And further, seeing I perceived it was directed among other against Mr. Secretary, I said I would have no hand nor be an actor in it, because I was near allied unto him and had been beholden to him, as all the world took knowledge. And I would not blot my reputation to be false unto him or any man. And this I told him walking in the alley by the east wall in the garden of my lodging; and added these words, that they must dare pudori not to embark me into any action against him. He answered me that for the first I should make no doubt of it but I should be fully satisfied, and himself wished as well as I that it should be so. And for the second, I had reason and they would not press me. Only he wished I might be in the presence at the time when it should happen. And asking why? he said my Lord meant to name me among other to supply some place there, and he would have me at hand. And when I replied that I should be gone into France out of hand, and that my dispatches were signed, he told me I might feign myself sick if I were pressed to be gone; which notwithstanding I did not, as some of your Honours know, but solicited as much as I could possible to receive my money out of the Exchequer, as Mr. Skinner will testify, with a purpose to have been gone presently. So little will or purpose had I to have any partaking with the Earl even in that wherein he pretended mine own advancement. I remember that in some of his conferences with me about that time he moved me to sound a minister whom I was familiar with, how he stood affected to my Lord, and what he did conceive of the affection of the City to my Lord in his former troubles, which notwithstanding I did not. And indeed that minister was out of town all that while. He told me also that there was a buz and a flying rumour that there was some practice against my Lord 's person, which caused very many both noblemen and other to come and offer themselves to my Lord, and that there came more than they could tell well what to do with or how to put them off. About the middle of that week he told me that there had been warning given to the Mayor of London to look to the City, but that he made account that the affection of the City was sure unto my Lord, and that of twenty-four Aldermen they held themselves assured of twenty or twenty-one. The last time I spake with him he desired me from my Lord that although I would not be an actor myself in the matter, I would command my men if I were in the Court when my Lord came thither either to take part with him or at least not to take part against him. Whereunto I answered, Very well: which how he construed, I know not. But God is my witness that I neither did it nor ever meant it. And I humbly desire that my servants, if it be thought meet, may be examined of it.

Lastly, I vow and protest before Almighty God that I knew nothing neither of the matter, manner, time, nor any circumstance of their attempt that Sunday. But came that morning to the Court with Otwell Smith ( as he can testify) to have spoken with Mr. Secretary about the merchants ' causes at Rouen, where when I understood what course the Earl took, and saw the vizard taken from him and his true intents laid open which he had so disguised before with specious pretences and cloaks of religion and virtue, I detested him and his actions from the bottom of my heart, and remained in Court till ten o'clock at night with a purpose to have spent my life in her Majesty 's defence, if there had been cause, as readily and as willingly as any man of my sort in the company. Secundo Martii, 1600.