s privy to all Cobham's designs. What form the
accusation finally took, we shall presently see. When it was over
Raleigh wrote a letter to the Council, in which he made certain random
statements with regard to offers made to Cobham about June 9 by a
certain attendant of Count Aremberg, the ambassador of the Archduke
Albert. From the windows of Durham House he had seen, he said, Cobham's
boat cross over to the Austrian's lodgings in St. Saviour's. He probably
felt himself forced to state this from finding that the Council already
knew something of Cobham's relations with Aremberg. Still, in the light
of later events, the writing of this letter may seem to us a grave
mistake. It was instantly shown, on the very next day, to Cobham, and
doctored in such a way as to make the latter suppose that Raleigh had
gratuitously betrayed him.

On the day that Raleigh was arrested, July 17, George Brooke said in
examination that 'the conspirators among themselves thought Sir Walter
Raleigh a fit man to be of the action.' This did not amount to much, but
Brooke soon became more copious and protested a fuller tale day by day.
Nothing, however, that could touch Raleigh was obtained from any witness
until, on the 20th, Lord Cobham, who had been thoroughly frightened by
daily cross-examination, was shown the letter, or part of the letter,
from Raleigh to Cecil to which reference has just been made. He then
broke out with, 'O traitor! O villain! now will I tell you all the
truth!' and proceeded at once to say that 'he had never entered into
those courses but by Raleigh's instigation, and that he would never let
him alone!' This accusation he entirely retracted nine days later, in
consequence of some expostulation from Raleigh which had found its way
from one prisoner to the other, for Raleigh was by this time safe in the
Tower of London.

It is most probable that he was taken thither on July 18, immediately
after his arrest. On the 20th, after Cobham's formal accusation, he was
evidently more strictly confined, and it must have been immediately
after receiving news of this charge that he attempted to commit suicide.
He would be told of Cobham's words, in all likelihood, on the morning of
the 21st; he would write the letter to his wife after meditating on the
results of his position, and then would follow the scene that Cecil
describes in a letter dated fifteen days later:

Although lodged and attended as well as in his own house, yet