Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/549

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ii s. vi. DEC. 7, 1912.] NOTES AND QUERIES.


453


There is a good deal of erroneous argument about the authorship of Languet's book (see p. 41 et seq.), which Price had attributed to Beza, and the writer was attributing to Father Persons the Jesuit ; and, in the course of it, the writer of the tract states as follows (pp. 49-50) :

" And here I cannot but give the world notice that one of the good members now sitting at Westminster (whom I could name but that naming men now in the House would be accounted breach of privilege, when pulling members out hath been esteemed none) did employ Walker the Mercury man (who writes the Perfect Occur- rences) to get this booke, being translated into English, to be printed. It seems themselves were ashamed of it, suspecting that it might be known to be Parsons the jesuite if it had been continued still under the name of Junius Brutus ; and, therefore, they did make a new title to it, which is this," &c.

The wordy title (which omits " by Junius Brutus : ') is then set out in part.

I have elsewhere pointed out that Henry Walker actually did perpetrate the most extraordinary literary piracy in English history by issuing Verstegan's book (at- tributed to Father Robert Persons the Jesuit) the ' Conference about the Next Succession ' (against James I.), leaving out all reference to its authorship, substituting in it " Parliament " for " Pope," and otherwise mutilating the book.

This appeared on 3 Feb., 1648, and was renamed

" Several Speeches delivered at a Conference [between the Lords and Commons !] concerning the Power of Parliament to proceed against their King for Misgovernment."

It was announced by Walker in his Perfect Occurrences for 21-28 Jan., 1647-8. as follows (p. 393) :

" There is a book in the presse, of divers speeches at a conference, concerning the power of the Parliament in relation to the King, which will (within few days) be published."

See more of this book in Wood's ' Athens?/ ii. 71-4 ('Robert Persons'); Prynne's Speech on 4 Dec., 1648; and 'The King's Most Gracious Messages for Peace and a Personal Treaty ' (1648). This tract has unaccountably been omitted in the ' Cata- logue of the Thomason Tracts,' so I add that its press-mark is E 438 (19).

J. B. WILLIAMS.

An article, on this subject by Mr. J. B. Williams appeared in Chambers's Journal, September, 1909, in which evidence given by Abraham Smith at the regicide trial in 1660 was quoted, showing that Brandon was kept a close prisoner at Whitehall, that


he denied being the headsman whilst being conveyed in a boat on the river, and that only two papers contained the alleged death- bed confession of Brandon, who died six months after the King's execution.

In The Gentleman's Magazine, 1905, p. 217, &c., Mr. Philip Sydney gives a comprehensive list of persons who were accused, either at the time or after the Restoration, of having struck the fatal blow. Their names were William Hulet, Capt. Foxley, Phineas Payne, Christopher Allured, Hugh Peters, Col. Joyce, William Walker, Richard Brandon, Col. Foxe, Henry Porter, Oliver Cromwell, Lord Stair, a drover (name unknown), John Bigge, Major Sydenham, Giles Dekker, Gregory Brandon, and a trooper (name unknown).

After eliminating most of the names which were connected by mere rumour or gossip, and discussing the evidence respecting possible persons, the article sums up by stating that the evidence is stronger and more convincing in the case of Richard Brandon, the public executioner, than any of the others, notwithstanding his denial.

It is mentioned that William Walker was present on duty at the King's execution, that a local tradition says he confessed he killed the King, and that, according to a witness at Axtell's trial, Walker was heads- man and Hulet his assistant. G. H. W.

ENGLISH FAMILY (11 S. vi. 367). Arms resembling those described by MB. LANE, the exception being that the lions are rampant instead of passant, are illustrated in Lipscomb's ' Buckinghamshire ' (i. 321) from a tomb in Ludgarshall Church. A rubbing of the brass may be seen at the British Museum (Add. MS. 32490 LL, No. 7) ; it shows three female figures elderly, young, and infant to represent Anne Englishe, wife of Mihill Englishe, Sheriff of London in 1523, which Anne died 29 May, 1565 aged 95 ; Anne her daughter, wife of John, Gyffard, Esq. ; and her daughter Anne Neele, who died when four years old. Michael Englishe (or Inglishe) was buried at St. Dionis Backehurch on 8 Jan., 1538/9. The inquisition taken after his death, at Sleaford on 18 Oct., 1540, records that he died on 6 Jan., 30 Henry VIII., holding the manor of Sugbrook or Sudbrook in Lincolnshire of the Duke of Norfolk, and also various other lands. A settlement had been made as early as 1509-10 on behalf of Michael Englysshe, " merchant of the Staple of Calais," and Anne his wife, which Anne survived him (as shown also by the