LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
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 in 2011 with funding from 
 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/briefrelationofsOOrale 
 
i 1 
 
A BRIEF '^ 
 
 RELATION 
 
 O V 
 
 TROtlBLES: 
 
 WITH. 
 
 The taking away of the Lands and CalUe 
 
 O F 
 
 SHERBORNE 
 
 in D OR SET 
 
 From Him and his Hcircs, being his |indu: 
 
 biublc lahcritaacc. 
 
 
 LONDON, 
 Printed fot »". T; MDCIXIX^ 
 
^>*v 
 
 * • 
 
(1) 
 
 > 
 
 fTo the Right Honorabli 
 
 "^ The C O M jyl O N S of England, 
 
 affcmbled in Parliament. 
 
 The Humble Petition of CarhwRalbgh Efqui-e^ 
 
 oncly Son ol Sir Walter RalegHj late dcccaicd. 
 
 HVMBLT SHEITeTH: 
 
 Hat whereas your Petitioner con^ 
 ceiveth^ That his late Father 
 
 Sir Walter Ralegh^ wm 
 
 mift unjujily and tliegallj Con-- 
 demmd and Executed ; and his 
 Lands and Cafile ^^ Sherborne 
 wrtfvi fully fallen from him and 
 ^ his^ Of may more at larfe affean 
 ty thii hrief narrati'^e hereunto annexed-^ The paiticu*^ 
 lars where df your Petitioner is upon due fnofes ready t§ 
 makj ooid : Tour Petitioner therefore humbly fuhmtttim 
 to thefreat Juflice and Integrity of this Houfe ( whuh 
 is no way more manifefied thi n hy relielPtni the Offrejjed) 
 humbly craVeth that hee miy receive Jueh far tjfaBion ^ for 
 thife his freat opprejjions^ and lojjes , as ta the wifdum 
 ana g/emency «f this honourable Houfe fh all feem fit ^ 
 
 \ - 
 
 And your Petitioner {hall hatnbly Pray,&^ 
 
 t% 
 
^^'\^; 
 
A BRIEEE RELATION OF SIR 
 
 WaLTErRaLEGhV Troubles , with the 
 takjna away of the Lands andCajlle e/ Sherborne ^» 
 Dovkt,&f. 
 
 Hen King I a m i s came into England , bee 
 found Sir f^airer KjiUgh (by the favour of 
 his late Miftrcffc Queen Elizabeth) 
 Lord Warden of the Siannarics^'LoTd Lieu- 
 tciant of 'Dever/fhtre afid CQr'r^wa^^ Captain 
 
 ____ of the Guard, and Govcrnour of the I fle of 
 
 Gerfey ; with a large PofTcirion of lands both in England and 
 Ireland. The King^for fome ?reeks ufed him with great kind- 
 nefs, and was ple:iifed to acknowledge divers Prcfents, which 
 hcc had received from him being in Scotland, for which hec 
 gave him thanks. But finding him ( as hcc faid himfelf) a 
 Martial! man, addided to Forreigne affaires, and great a^i- 
 ons. hce feared left he fhou'd engage him in a warre (a thing 
 moft hated and contrary to the Kings nature) wherefore hce 
 began to look upon him vrith a jealous eye , efpccially after 
 he had prefentcd him. with a Booke, wherein with great ani- 
 mofity he oppofcd the Peace with Sf^ine then in treaty, pcr- 
 (wtding the King rather vigoroufly to profecutc the war with 
 £b»t Prince then in hand,promi(ing (and chat with great pro- 
 
 A I . bability) 
 
bility) within few yeares to reduce the Weftrl/^dies to his o^ 
 
 bedicnce. But Sir n^alter \*fegb\ enemies foon difcovcring 
 
 tbe Kings humour, refolvcd at once to rid- the King of this 
 
 doubt and trou!:flCj &tocnr:ch themfclvcs with the laads and 
 
 O.iices of Sx.Waber Ralegh.Whtt^ott they plotted to accufe 
 
 hinij and the Lord Co^ham ( a fimplc paflfionate raan but of 
 
 very Noble birth and great polleflions ) of high trcafon. 1 he 
 
 particulars of their accufation I am utterly ignorant of ( and 
 
 I think all men both then and now living) only i find in genc- 
 
 call terms , they were accufed for plotting with the Spaniard 
 
 to bring in a forreigne Army, and Proclaimc the Jnfanta of 
 
 S^Atne Quccne of ^/»^/i»^ ; but without any Proofcs, and the 
 
 thing it lelf as ridiculous as impoffible. How ever Sir falter 
 
 RsUgb was condemned without any witnes brought in againft 
 
 him, and the Lord C$hham^ who was pretended to have tccufed 
 
 him barely in a letter^in another letter to S^JVait,RMlegh upon 
 
 his falvatioa cleercd him of all treafon cr treafonable ai^ions 
 
 either againft King or ftatc to his knowledge, ?rhich original 
 
 letter is now in the hands o^^tXdrevt Rsi^h {on o^SxJf^dlter 
 
 to b.'e produced at any time. Upon this Condemnation, all 
 
 his lands and ofhccs were icazed, and himfelf committed clofe 
 
 prifoner to the TQr9er^ but they found his Cflftle of Shtrhorne^ 
 
 andthehnds thereunto belonging to be long before entailed 
 
 on hh children, fo that hee could not forfeit k but during his, 
 
 own life. And the King Hading in himfelf the iniquity of Sir 
 
 fyahers condemnation, gave him all what hee had forfeited 
 
 ag^ain, bur ftill kept him clofe Prifocer, fevenyeers after his 
 
 imoriroament, be enjoyci Sherhem at vvbich time it fell our^ 
 
 that one bAv.Rohrt Cav^-k voung Scotch Gent .« grew in great 
 
 fivor with the King, and having no fortune, they contrived 
 
 to lay the foundation of his future greatncffc ui)On the ruines 
 
 of Sir '*'*/'er Rah^h, Wherupon they called tbeconvey^nrc 
 
 ©( J^^/^©/^/^ ill (^ueHion in the Exchccquei; chamber , and for 
 
want 6f one finglc wotd ( which word was found not with-" 
 'ftandiflgin the Paper -book and was ©nely the ovcrfightof a 
 Clerk) they pronounced the Conveyance invalide , and 
 Sherhf'H forfeited to the crown,a judgement cafily to be fore- 
 fecn mthout witchcraft, fincc his chicfcft judge was his grca- 
 teftenemic, and the cafe argued between a poore friendleffe 
 Prifoner anda Kinff of Endand. .. , , r» r 
 
 ,^, *f »" • r>- ane was the onely Daueli'* 
 
 Thus was Sberbirm given to Sir ter ef Sir Nicholas Thmk- 
 
 Rohrt Car (after Earl of Somerftt • j mortsnt who was anaigncd in 
 
 the i4rf> Aj./«j|. with her Children, ii^^^::iZ^ 
 humbly and eirncflly Petitioning the mcnts. 
 King for con[ipaflion on her and hers,couid obtaine no other 
 anfwer from him, but that hee mun have the land, hee mun 
 have It for Car, She being a woman of a very high fpirit, 
 and Noble birth and breeding, fell downe upon her knees 
 with her hands heaved ap to heaven, and in the bitternefTc of 
 fpirit bcfeechcd God Almighty to look upon the jufticc of 
 her caufe , and puaiHi thofe who had fo wrongfully expofed 
 her and her poorc children to ruine and bcggcrya What hath 
 happened iincc to that royall Family is too fad and difaflrous 
 for me to repeat, and yet too vifible not to bedifcerncd. But 
 to proceed : Prince Henry hearing the King had given Sher- 
 h%rn to Sir %jib9rt Cat^ came with fome anger to hrs Father, 
 dcfiring hee would be pleafed to bcftoy^ Sherburn upon him^ 
 alledging that it was a Place of great ftrength and beauty, 
 which bSc much liked, but indeed with an intention to give 
 it back to Sir W*her %AUgh^ whom hee much cftcemed. 
 
 The King who was unwilling to refufe any of that Princes 
 dcfires, ( for indeed they were raoft commonly delivered in 
 fuch language as founded rather like a demand then an inrrea- 
 ty) gratited his requeft^ and to fatisfie his Favorite gave him 
 five and twenty Thoufand pouads in ready money ^ fo farrc 
 
 was 
 
(8) 
 
 was-thcKifig or Crown from gaining by this Purchafe. But 
 that Excellent Prirxe within a few Moneths was taken away, 
 how and by what means is fufpctflcd by all , anci I fear was 
 then too well known by many. After his death the Kirg gave 
 Skerhorn ggaine to Sr.^o6ert Car^ who not mw.y yecfs after 
 by the name of Ejrle o(Somerfet vvas arraigned and coi.dtm- 
 Bed for poyfoning Sir ihom&s Over^uryoLndlod^W his lands. 
 Then Sr. Joh^s 'Dlohte no v Earl of i^r^ro^ begged Siitr^ornt of 
 theKT.gandhad it. S:r ^*^ter Rale^^hhcip^ of a vigorons 
 conftitution , and perft^^ health, had row wornc out fixrccn 
 ycers Imprifonmcnt, and had fecn the diGftrous end of all 1 is 
 grcatcftenctiiies- lb that new p<rfons, and newintercft now 
 fpringingup in Court dice found meani toobr:ji c his liberty, 
 but upon condition to go a voyage to Guia/^a indi(<:ovcrie of 
 a Gold mine 9 that uuhappie voyage U well knownCa^moft) to 
 Jill men, and howheewas betrayed from the vtrv. beginning, 
 his letr rs and dcfignc* being; difcovercd to GohdomAt tie 
 Spanifh AmbafTador, whereby hee found fuch ftrong oppo- 
 fition upon the place, that thoMgh hee rook and fired the town 
 of St. Thorn k^ yet hee loft hts cidcft Son in thar lenice, and 
 being dcfperately fick himfelfcwas made fruftratc of all his 
 hopes. 
 
 Immediately upon his rcturne home hee was made Pri- 
 foner^and by the violent purfuit of g&)i^em^v and fomc others 
 ( who could not thmk their eftates fafe, while his head vra$ 
 upon his ihoulders)thc King refDlvcd to rake advantage of his 
 former condemnation fixtecn yeers paft ( being not able to 
 take away his life f ^ r any new a^ion) and, though hee had 
 given hinbi a Commffion under the Broad feal to execute mar- 
 tiall law upon his own Soldiers, w<^^ was conceived by the beft 
 Lawyers a full pardon for any oflfence committed before that 
 rimcjwithout any further trouble of thclawjcut off his head. 
 
C9) 
 
 I Here lufticc was indeed blind, blind /y executing one and the 
 fame perfon upon one and the lame Condemnation for thirgs 
 ContradiAoric > for Sir Walter Ralegh was condemned for be- 
 ing a. friend ro t+ie Spanyard, and Jo/l his life for being their 
 utter eiieaiic. TPiUs Kings,\vhcnthey will doe what tl ev plc^fe, 
 • pleafenothim they rhouJd,God,and having mide their power 
 ihbfervicnt to their vvill,dcprivc themfclves of tkat juft power 
 whcrby others are fubfervient to tl cm. To proceed; Mr. ^<i»'fa» 
 jRa/i£h only Son of Sr fV^her being ar this time a youth of a- 
 tout 1 3. bred at Oxford^ after 5.ycer§ came to Court, 8^ by the 
 ifavor ef the right Won.^ili : Earl of Tem^roh his noble kmf- 
 «an,hopcd to obtain fomc redrcfTe in his mlJfortu^e^; but the 
 King aot liking his countenance fayd, he appeared xo him like 
 the ghoft of his Father , whereupon the Ear Ic advifed him to 
 travaile, which he did unrilJthc death of King J^wry^ which 
 happened about a yeer after. Then commicg over, and a Par- 
 liament fitting, he according to the cuftome of this Lard,act- 
 drefled himfclf to them by Petiiionto be reftorcd m h'ood 
 thereby to enable him to inherit fuch Lands as might come 
 ♦unto him either as heyr to bis Father or atiy other ^av.bur his 
 Petition having been twice read in the Lords houfe, Kir^ 
 Ck^rhs fent Sir I^ma Fudert&n , (then of the Bed-chamber) , 
 unto h/it'^^leoh to comnaand him to come unto bm , and 
 being brought into the King^ chamber by the iayd Sir jawpff 
 the King, (after ufins; him with great civilitie ) notwith- 
 iianding told him plainly, that, when heewas Pri'xe,hee had 
 protnifed the Earle of Brifitl to fccurc his title to sherlem 
 againftthehcyrs o[ Hirff'dlter ^^^^^wherupon the Earl had 
 given him then Prince ten thoufand pounds, that now hee was 
 baMnd to make good his promife being King ; tl ar therefore 
 unlcflfc hee. would q«it all his right and title to Sherhrn^ he 
 ncyther could nor would paflTc his bill of reftiuruion. Mr. 
 M,$U^h urged the ]yi^ict of his caufe, that hee defired onefv the 
 Iibcrtic of a Sabje^t^ and to be left to the Law, which was 
 
 B' . never 
 
(l 0) 
 
 mvct df nycJ any free-man. Norwithftanding all which allcga^ 
 ti*>iis 5 the King was refolute in his denyall, and {o left hint, 
 AticT wJiich Sir lames Fuderfon ufcd many arguments to 
 ^'criwade fubmiflioato the Kings wil],as the Jmpoffibilirie of 
 coarclHng with Kingly power, the not being reftored in blood, 
 which brought along with it fo many inconveniences, that it 
 was not polTible without ic to polTLlFe or enjoy any lands or 
 eftate in this KiQgdom,The not being in condition,if his clokc 
 were taken from his back, or hat from his head, to fuc for rc- 
 llitutioa. All which things being confidered, together with 
 fpler.did promifcs of great preferment in Court,and[ particular 
 favors trom the King not improbable, wrought much in the 
 mindofyGun^ Mr.^tf/^^^> who being a pcrfon not full cwcn- 
 tie yeers 0!d,left fricndlelTe and fortunc-leflc, prevailed fo far 
 that hee {ubmirred to the Kings vrilL 
 
 Wherupon there was an A^^ pa fled for his reftauratlon,aad 
 together with it a fettlemenr otshethr^ to the Earl oiir^fitl^ 
 and in fhew offomc kind of recompenfc,four hundred pounds 
 a yeere pcnfion during life granted to Mr, Rdlfgh after the 
 death of his Mother , who had tliat fum paid unto her during 
 life in lieu of jointure. 
 
 Thus have J with as much bre- 
 
 .;. ^X':^w^ ct:^, vity, humility, aud ca>,dor. (», the 
 
 whicu c«':t I'hn 4COOO Pounds. nature ot the ctfe will permit) re- 
 
 He vas.rbe firft o^ <h. E.gU^ i^j-^j ^^ preffures , force , and in- 
 
 thit da covered Gntiit m the . "^ - i ' 
 
 fTeii /We . juftice Committed upon a poorc 
 
 Hcc iQoke ihe ifimds of PapU oppreflcd, thoHsh not undeferving 
 
 fignal and OTimcnt Service at the Family ; aud haVC f Orbome t© 
 
 tafc.ng o^cadix. frecific the Names of thofe , who 
 
 .^elT^'^T'^lKT^^'ftr ^verc Inllruments of this cvillj 
 
 greatelt, and nr heft Canck '^^^ \ ^ i i t i i_ « 
 
 cv-r came nMof^-gla-'i. And an- kft I UlOuld be thoUgOt tO 08 VC 211 
 
 asner Ship laden w^h n-^'hing {xicVimnov). to fcauda I'ze pwticu- 
 
 hty and perchance Noble families. 
 
 Yf on 
 
Vpon tbf copfidentioa of 51U yyhkh ^ I humbly fabmit 
 my Mk to <:hc Commons of J^ngi^^'M ncJw rcprel'<?ntpcl iq 
 Piirlument $ dcfinng according to their great Wildomc 
 and lufti^'c, ti^ac chey ?yill right mc , and my Poftcrity ac- 
 cording to their ovvoe bcft likmg ^ having in miuc own Pcr- 
 fon (though bred at Court) ncvtr oppofcd any of their jaft 
 Rights, and Priviledges, and for the future being rciolvcd to 
 range my fclfc under the banner of the Commons of Eng* 
 Und*^ and {ti faire forth as Education, and Fatherly mftm- 
 aion can prevaile , pr©mifc the fame for two Sons vrhom 
 God hath fent race. 
 
 <iggai^— a<>»aa^g— M— — gaaa— Bsaarta*)' " ' ' ■' "j g=»i^.a8a3egp» 
 

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