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<DATE>2010-09-05</DATE>
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<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch Z100810.apex.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A90210">
<STC T="W">O529</STC>
<STC T="T">E449_6</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99863189</BIBNO>
<VID>161849</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<P><PB REF="1" MS="y"> A TRVE COPPY of two &s;everall LETTERS Sent by Mr. <HI>Richard Osborne</HI> (late Attendant on his Maje&s;ty in <HI>Carisbrooke</HI> Ca&s;tle,) touching a de&s;igne to poy&s;on his Ma|je&s;ty: Which Letters were read in the Hou&s;e of Peeres June 19. 1648.</P>
<P>Printed 21. June 1648.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>A Coppy of two Letters &s;ent by Mr. <HI>Richard Osborne.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lord:</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THough I cannot but imagine I &s;tand &s;o highly condemned in your Lord&s;hippes and many per&s;ons thoughts, that any thing of vindication from me mu&s;t come with all the di&s;advantage and prejudice that may be; yet (my Lord) being con&s;cious of my owne integrity, and confident that I &s;hall be jud|ged by your Lord&s;hippe by no other Rules but tho&s;e of ju&s;tice and rea&s;on, I cannot doubt but when I have di&s;covered the grounds and rea&s;ons of my Actions, that it will appeare to your Lord&s;hippe that what I have done hath been agreeable to the &s;everall duties I &s;tand ingaged in, as I am &s;uppo&s;ed to have acted contrary before I am heard.</P>
<P>Not to detaine your Lord&s;hip in circum&s;tances, I &s;hall make this Prote&s;tation, that as no other thing but the danger of the Kings life could in rea&s;on ex|cu&s;e &s;uch attempt: So I doe prote&s;t that no infe|riour <PB N="4" REF="3"> con&s;iderations did or could have moved to &s;uch an action: But my Lord having had &s;uch particular and well grounded information, that &s;o horrid a de|&s;igne was intended and moved from tho&s;e that could when they plea&s;ed have had the power to put it in execution; I hope I &s;hall not be cen&s;ured for having po&s;t po&s;ed all other con&s;iderations to that Loyalty which cannot be que&s;tioned but I owe to the King.</P>
<P>But not to leave your Lord&s;hippe un&s;atisfied with this generall account, the intelligence I &s;peake of, con|cerning this de&s;igne, I received from Captaine <HI>Rolfe,</HI> a per&s;on very intimate with the Governour, privy to all Coun&s;ells, and one that is very high in the e&s;teem of the Army; he may Lord, informed me that to his knowledge the Governour had received &s;everall Letters from the Army, intimating they de&s;ired the King might by any meanes be removed out of the way, either by poy&s;on or otherwi&s;e; And that ano|ther time the &s;ame per&s;on per&s;waded me to joyne with him in a de&s;igne to remove the King out of that Ca&s;tle to a place of more &s;ecre&s;ie, proffering to take an Oath with me, and to doe it without the Gover|nours privity, who he &s;ayd would not con&s;ent for lo&s;ing the allowance of the Hou&s;e, his pretence to this attempt was, that the King was in too publique a place, from whence he might be re&s;cued, but if he might be conveyed into &s;ome place of &s;ecre&s;ie, he &s;ayd wee might di&s;po&s;e of his per&s;on upon all occa|&s;ions as wee thought fit; and this he was confident wee could effect without the Governours privity. My Lord con&s;idering all the&s;e pregnant circum&s;tan|ces, <PB N="5" REF="3"> I thinke it will appeare that there were, if there are no &s;uch intentions concerning his Maje&s;ties per|&s;on, as may well ju&s;tifie my indeavours that have beene made for his remove from &s;o much danger: and for my owne part, my Lord, I mu&s;t be &s;o plaine as to declare concerning my owne actings in relation to this bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, that had I done this (having &s;uch grounds) I mu&s;t believe I had then verified all tho&s;e a&s;per&s;ions of di&s;loyalty and breach of Tru&s;t, which I am contented to &s;uffer from tho&s;e who&s;e intere&s;t is perchance oppo&s;ed to my indeavours to prevent &s;uch damnable de&s;ignes.</P>
<P>My Lord, I have &s;poken nothing heere but what I &s;hall be ready to te&s;tifie upon Oath when ever I &s;hall be called to it, with promi&s;e of Freedome and &s;ecurity, till then I mu&s;t be content to &s;upport all cen|&s;ures and &s;atisfie my &s;elfe with the vindication I re|ceive from my owne con&s;cience.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>I am your Lord&s;hips humble &s;ervant, Rich. Osborne.</SIGNED>
<DATE>1. Iune, 1648.</DATE>
<SALUTE><HI>For the Right Honourable the Lord</HI> Whatton.</SALUTE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="6" REF="4">
<HEAD>A <HI>Letter to the right Honourable the Earle of</HI> Manche&s;ter.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Did by a Letter of the fir&s;t of <HI>Iune</HI> ac|quaint my Lord <HI>Wharton</HI> with what I &s;end here inclo&s;ed, expecting it would before this have been communicated to both Hou&s;es: what &s;hould be the rea&s;on of concealing a bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of this nature I know not, except it be to give tho&s;e time that are concerned in it better to thinke of &s;ome &s;tra|tagem to evade this di&s;covery.</P>
<P>I humby de&s;ire your Lord&s;hip upon &s;ight of
<PB N="7" REF="4"> this relation, to communicate it to the Hou&s;e of Peeres; which I &s;hall be ready to atte&s;t upon Oath in every particular, when ever their Lord&s;hips &s;hall plea&s;e to allow me that freedome and &s;ecurity which ought to be afforded to any Gentleman, and Chri&s;tian, in witne&s;&s;ing a truth.</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>My Lord</SALUTE> I am
<SIGNED>Your Lord&s;hips mo&s;t humble &s;ervant, RICHARD OSBORNE.</SIGNED>
<DATELINE><DATE>June 16, 1648.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<TRAILER><HI>For the right Honourable the Lord</HI> Manche&s;ter
<HI>Speaker of, &amp;c.</HI></TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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