mpt to force his way, Tracy, a young gentleman
to whom he bore great friendship, was killed, with two or three of the
Londoners; and the earl himself, attended by a few of his partisans,
(for the greater part began secretly to withdraw themselves,) retired
towards the river, and taking boat, arrived at Essex House. He there
found that Gorges, whom he had sent before to capitulate with the lord
keeper and the other counsellors, had given all of them their liberty,
and had gone to court with them. He was now reduced to despair; and
appeared determined, in prosecution of Lord Sandy's advice, to defend
himself to the last extremity, and rather to perish like a brave man,
with his sword in his hand, than basely by the hands of the executioner:
but after some parley, and after demanding in vain, first hostages, then
conditions, from the besiegers, he surrendered at discretion; requesting
only civil treatment, and a fair and impartial hearing.[*]

The queen, who, during all this commotion, had behaved with as great
tranquillity and security as if there had only passed a fray in the
streets, in which she was nowise concerned,[**] soon gave orders for the
trial of the most considerable of the criminals.

* Camden p. 632.

** Birch's Memoirs, vol. ii. p. 469

The earls of Essex and Southampton were arraigned before a jury of
twenty-five peers, where Buckhurst acted as lord steward. The guilt of
the prisoners was too apparent to admit of any doubt; and, besides the
insurrection known to every body, the treasonable conferences at Drury
House were proved by undoubted evidence. Sir Ferdinando Gorges was
produced in court: the confessions of the earl of Rutland, of the lords
Cromwell, Sandys, and Monteagle, of Davers, Blount, and Davies, were
only read to the peers, according to the practice of that age.
Essex's best friends were scandalized at his assurance in insisting so
positively on his innocence, and the goodness of his intentions, and
still more at his vindictive disposition, in accusing, without any
appearance of reason, Secretary Cecil as a partisan of the infanta's
title. The secretary, who had expected this charge, stepped into
the court, and challenged Essex to produce his authority, which, on
examination, was found extremely weak and frivolous.[*]

* Bacon, vol. iv. p. 530.

When sentence was pronounced, Essex spoke like a man who expected
nothing but death; but he added, that he should be sorry if he