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men quarrelled。
That Overbury had knowledge of some such essential secret as this is
manifest in the enmity towards the man which Lady Essex exhibited； even
when he lay； out of the way of doing harm； in the Tower。 It is hard to
believe that an innocent girl of twenty； conscious of her virgin chastity； in
mere fear of scandal which she knew would be baseless； could pursue the
life of a man with the venom that； as we shall presently see； Frances
Howard used towards Overbury through Mrs Turner。
％ V
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As a preliminary to his marriage with Frances Howard； Rochester was
created Earl of Somerset； and had the barony of Brancepeth bestowed on
him by the King。 Overbury was three months in his grave when the
marriage was celebrated in the midst of the most extravagant show and
entertainment。
The new Earl's power in the kingdom was never so high as at this time。
It was； indeed； at its zenith。 Decline was soon to set in。 It will not serve
here to follow the whole process of decay in the King's favour that
Somerset was now to experience。 There was poetic justice in his
downfall。 With hands all about him itching to bring him to the ground；
he had not the brain for the giddy heights。 If behind him there had been
the man whose guidance had made him sure…footed in the climb he might
have survived； flourishing。 But the man he had consigned to death had
been more than half of him； had been； indeed； his substance。 Alone； with
the power Overbury's talents had brought him； Somerset was bound to fail。
The irony of it is that his downfall was contrived by a creature of his own
raising。
Somerset had appointed Sir Ralph Winwood to the office of First
Secretary of State。 In that office word came to Winwood from Brussels
that new light had been thrown on the mysterious death of Sir Thomas
Overbury。 Winwood investigated in secret。 An English lad； one Reeves；
an apothecary's assistant； thinking himself dying； had confessed at
Flushing that Overbury had been poisoned by an injection of corrosive
sublimate。 Reeves himself had given the injection on the orders of his
master； Loubel； the apothecary who had attended Overbury on the day
before his death。 Winwood sought out Loubel； and from him went to Sir
Gervase Elwes。 The story he was able to make from what he had from
the two men he took to the King。 From this beginning rose up the Great
Oyer of Poisoning。 The matter was put into the hands of the Lord Chief
Justice； Sir Edward Coke。
The lad Reeves； whose confession had started the matter； was either
dead or dying abroad； and was so out of Coke's reach。 But the man who
had helped the lad to administer the poisoned clyster； the under…keeper
Weston； was at hand。 Weston was arrested； and examined by Coke。
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The statement Coke's bullying drew from the man made mention of one
Franklin； another apothecary； as having supplied a phial which Sir Gervase
Elwes had taken and thrown away。 Weston had also received another
phial by Franklin's son from Lady Essex。 This also Sir Gervase had
taken and destroyed。 Then there had been tarts and jellies supplied by
Mrs Turner。
Coke had Mrs Turner and Franklin arrested； and after that Sir Gervase
was taken as an accessory； and on his statement that he had employed
Weston on Sir Thomas Monson's recommendation Sir Thomas also was
roped in。 He maintained that he had been told to recommend Weston by
Lady Essex and the Earl of Northampton。
The next person to be examined by Coke was the apothecary Loubel；
he who had attended Overbury on the day before his death。 Though in
his confession the lad Reeves said that he had been given money and sent
abroad by Loubel； this was a matter that Coke did not probe。 Loubel told
Coke that he had given Overbury nothing but the physic prescribed by Sir
Theodore Mayerne； the King's physician； and that in his opinion Overbury
had died of consumption。 With this evidence Coke was very strangely
contentor； at least； content as far as Loubel was concerned； for this
witness was not summoned again。
Other persons were examined by Coke； notably Overbury's servant
Davies and his secretary Payton。 Their statements served to throw some
suspicion on the Earl of Somerset。
But if all the detail of these examinations were gone into we should
never be done。 Our concern is with the two women involved； Anne
Turner and the Countess of Somerset； as we must now call her。 I am
going to quote； however； two paragraphs from Rafael Sabatini's romance
The Minion that I think may explain why it is so difficult to come to the
truth of the Overbury mystery。 They indicate how it was smothered by
the way in which Coke rough…handled justice throughout the whole series
of trials。
On October 19th； at the Guildhall； began the Great Oyer of Poisoning；
as Coke described it； with the trial of Richard Weston。
Thus at the very outset the dishonesty of the proceedings is apparent。
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Weston was an accessory。 Both on his own evidence and that of Sir
Gervase Elwes； besides the apothecary's boy in Flushing； Sir Thomas
Overbury had died following upon an injection prepared by Loubel。
Therefore Loubel was the principal； and only after Loubel's conviction
could the field have been extended to include Weston and the others。 But
Loubel was tried neither then nor subsequently； a circumstance regarded
by many as the most mysterious part of what is known as the Overbury
mystery； whereas； in fact； it is the clue to it。 Nor was the evidence of the
coroner put in； so that there was no real preliminary formal proof that
Overbury had been poisoned at all。
Here Mr Sabatini is concerned to develop one of the underlying
arguments of his storynamely； that it was King James himself who had
ultimately engineered the death of Sir Thomas Overbury。 It is an
argument which I would not attempt to refute。 I do not think that Mr
Sabatini's acumen has failed him in the least。 But the point for me in the
paragraphs is the indication they give of how much Coke did to suppress
all evidence that did not suit his purpose。
Weston's trial is curious in that at first he refused to plead。 It is the
first instance I have met with in history of a prisoner standing ‘mute of
malice。' Coke read him a lecture on the subject； pointing out that by his
obstinacy he was making himself liable to peine forte et dure； which
meant that order could be given for his exposure in an open place near the
prison； extended naked； and to have weights laid upon him in increasing
amount； he being kept alive with the ‘‘coarsest bread obtainable and water
from the nearest sink or puddle to the place of execution； that day he had
water having no bread； and that day he had bread having no water。'' One
may imagine with what grim satisfaction Coke ladled this out。 It had its
effect on Weston。
He confessed that Mrs Turner had promised to give him a reward if he
would poison Sir Thomas Overbury。 In May she had sent him a phial of
‘‘rosalgar；'' and he had received from her tarts poisoned with mercury
sublimate。 He was charged with having； at Mrs Turner's instance； joined
with an apothecary's boy in administering an injection of corrosive
sublimate to Sir Thomas Overbury； from which the latter died。 Coke's
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