按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
indulge in threats unless he was certain of the grounds； and solid upon
them； upon which he made those threats。 He had too great a knowledge
of affairs not to know that the commission would be a packed one； too
great an acquaintance with the strategy of James to believe that his lonely
evidence； unless of bombshell nature； would have a chance of carrying
weight in a court of his Majesty's picking。 And； then； he was of too big a
mind to put forward evidence which would have no effect but that of
affording gossip for the scandal…mongers； and the giving of which would
make him appear to be actuated by petty spite。 He had too great a sense
of his own dignity to give himself anything but an heroic role。 Samson
he might play； pulling the pillars of the temple together to involve his
enemies； with himself； in magnificent and dramatic ruin。 But Iachimo
no。
In the welter of evidence conflicting with apparent fact which was
given before the commission and in the trials of the Great Oyer； in the
mass of writing both contemporary and of later days round the Overbury
mystery； it is hard indeed to land upon the truth。 Feasible solution is to
be come upon only by accepting a not too pretty story which is retailed by
Antony Weldon。 He says that the girl whom the jury of matrons declared
to be virgo intacta was so heavily veiled as to be unidentifiable through
the whole proceedings； and that she was not Lady Essex at all； but the
youthful daughter of Sir Thomas Monson。
Mrs Turner； we do know； was very much a favourite with the ladies of
53
… Page 54…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
Sir Thomas Monson's family。 Gossip Weldon has a funny； if lewd； story
to tell of high jinks indulged in by the Monson women and Mrs Turner in
which Symon； Monson's servant； played an odd part。 This Symon was
also employed by Mrs Turner to carry food to Overbury in the Tower。 If
the substitution story has any truth in it it might well have been a Monson
girl who played the part of the Countess。 But； of course； a Monson girl
may have been chosen by the inventors to give verisimilitude to the
substitution story； simply because the family was friendly with Turner； and
the tale of the lewd high jinks with Symon added to make it seem more
likely that old Lady Monson would lend herself to such a plot。
If there was such a plot it is not at all unlikely that Overbury knew of it。
If there was need of such a scheme to bolster the nullity petition it would
have had to be evolved while the petition was being plannedthat is； a
month or two before the commission went first into session。 At that time
Overbury was still Rochester's secretary； still Rochester's confidant； and if
such a scheme had been evolved for getting over an obstacle so fatal to the
petition's success it was not in Rochester's nature to have concealed it
from Overbury； the two men still being fast friends。 Indeed； it may have
been Overbury who pointed out the need there would be for the Countess
to undergo physical examination； and it may have been on the certainty
that her ladyship could not do so that Overbury rested so securelyas he
most apparently did； beyond the point of safetyin the idea that the suit
was bound to fail。 It is legitimate enough to suppose； along this
hypothesis； that this substitution plot was the very matter on which the two
men quarrelled。
That Overbury had knowledge of some such essential secret as this is
manifest in the enmity towards the man which Lady Essex exhibited； even
when he lay； out of the way of doing harm； in the Tower。 It is hard to
believe that an innocent girl of twenty； conscious of her virgin chastity； in
mere fear of scandal which she knew would be baseless； could pursue the
life of a man with the venom that； as we shall presently see； Frances
Howard used towards Overbury through Mrs Turner。
％ V
54
… Page 55…
SHE STANDS ACCUSED
As a preliminary to his marriage with Frances Howard； Rochester was
created Earl of Somerset； and had the barony of Brancepeth bestowed on
him by the King。 Overbury was three months in his grave when the
marriage was celebrated in the midst of the most extravagant show and
entertainment。
The new Earl's power in the kingdom was never so high as at this time。
It was； indeed； at its zenith。 Decline was soon to set in。 It will not serve
here to follow the whole process of decay in the King's favour that
Somerset was now to experience。 There was poetic justice in his
downfall。 With hands all about him itching to bring him to the ground；
he had not the brain for the giddy heights。 If behind him there had been
the man whose guidance had made him sure…footed in the climb he might
have survived； flourishing。 But the man he had consigned to death had
been more than half of him； had been； indeed； his substance。 Alone； with
the power Overbury's talents had brought him； Somerset was bound to fail。
The irony of it is that his downfall was contrived by a creature of his own
raising。
Somerset had appointed Sir Ralph Winwood to the office of First
Secretary of State。 In that office word came to Winwood from Brussels
that new light had been thrown on the mysterious death of Sir Thomas
Overbury。 Winwood investigated in secret。 An English lad； one Reeves；
an apothecary's assistant； thinking himself dying； had confessed at
Flushing that Overbury had been poisoned by an injection of corrosive
sublimate。 Reeves himself had given the injection on the orders of his
master； Loubel； the apothecary who had attended Overbury on the day
before his death。 Winwood sought out Loubel； and from him went to Sir
Gervase Elwes。 The story he was able to make from what he had from
the two men he took to the King。 From this beginning rose up the Great
Oyer of Poisoning。 The matter was put into the hands of the Lord Chief
Justice； Sir Edward Co