r Clench. In an important part of the trial of Somerset there occurs
another cant word: it is in the speech of Sir Randal Crew, one of the
king's sergeants, against the accused. He represents the ghost of
Overbury apostrophising his murderers in this manner: 'And are you
thus fallen from me, or rather are you thus heavily fallen upon me to
overthrow--to oppress him thus cruelly, thus treacherously, by whose
vigilance, counsel, and labour, you have attained your honourable
place, your estimation in the world for a worthy and well-deserving
_gent._?' After using this now well-known slang expression, the
learned sergeant continues to say: 'Have I not waked, that you might
sleep; cared, that you might enjoy? Have not I been the cabinet of
your secrets, which I did ever keep faithfully, without the loss of
any one to your prejudice; but by the officious, trusty, careful, and
friendly use of them, have gained unto you a sweet and great interest
of honour, love, reputation, wealth, and whatsoever might yield
contentment and satisfaction to your desires? Have I done all this, to
suffer this thus by you, for whom I have so lived as if my sand came
in your hour-glass?'

This, though it does not divulge the secret of these strange
proceedings, brings us apparently on their scent. It appears that
Overbury had acted as the tutor and prompter of Somerset as a
statesman. There is an expression sometimes used in politics at the
present day, when an inexperienced person, who has the good-fortune to
rise to some high office which he has not sufficient knowledge to
administer, seeks instruction and guidance from some veteran less
fortunate. He is then said to be put to nurse with him. A young ensign
under training by a veteran sergeant is a good instance of this.
Somerset, raw, uneducated, and untrained, had for his nurse as a
courtier and politician the accomplished but less fortunate Sir Thomas
Overbury. In the course of this function, Overbury could not fail to
acquire some state secrets. It is supposed to have been on account of
his possession of these secrets that Somerset poisoned him. But the
affair goes further still, for we find that the king was much alarmed
for himself on the occasion--was very anxious that the whole position
of matters between Somerset and Overbury should not come out in the
trial; and gave ground for the obvious inference, that whatever
secrets there might be, his majesty was as deeply interested in their
be