Part 8 (1/2)
Coote bid me carry him into Leicester fields, and to make all the haste I could; my lord of Warwick and my lord Mohun being in the next chairs, asked him, Whither are you a-going, and called out twice, and he said, To Leicester fields; pray do not, says my lord of Warwick, but come along with us, and let it alone till to-morrow; but he bid us go on; and as we were turning up St. Martin's Lane, by the Cross Keys tavern, my lord Mohun, and my lord Warwick called out to us to stop, and their chairs came up to the back door of the Cross Keys tavern, and there all the three chairs were set on a-breast in St. Martin's Lane, and while they were talking together, there came by three chairs on the other side of the way; and Mr. Coote bid us take up and make all the haste we could to get before them into Leicester fields, so taking up the chair again, Mr. Coote bid us make haste, and if we could go no faster, he swore, d.a.m.n him, he would run his sword in one of our bodies: There were two chairs before me, and my lord Mohun and my lord Warwick followed in two chairs after me; and when we came to the corner of Leicester fields, at Green street end, all the three chairs were set down a-breast again, and Mr. Coote put his hand in his pocket, and took out half a guinea to pay, and said he had no silver; and my lord of Warwick spoke to my lord Mohun, who took out three s.h.i.+llings out of his pocket, who said, there was for my lord Warwick, captain Coote, and himself; and when they were gone out, I took my box and my pipe, and filled my pipe, and took the lanthorn and lighted it, and by that time I had lighted my pipe, I heard a calling out, Chair, chair, again, towards the upper end of the square; so I took my chair, and there was one of the chairs that was not gone; and so we came up to the upper end of the fields, and they called to us to bring the chairs over the rails; we told them we did not know how to do that, for we should not be able to get them back again; at last we did get over the rails, and made up close to the place where we heard the noise, for we could see nothing, it being a very dark night; and when we came up close to them, by our lanthorn there were two gentlemen holding up Mr. Coote under their arms, and crying out, My dear Coote, My dear Coote!
ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, who were those two gentlemen?
BROWNE--I did not know them, one was in red cloaths, and the other had gold lace, and they would have had me have taken Mr.
Coote into my chair; but seeing him b.l.o.o.d.y, and not able to help himself, I said I would not spoil my chair, and so would not meddle with him; but they said they would make me any satisfaction for my chair, and desired me to take him in; but he gave himself a spring from them, and we found he was too heavy for us to lift over the rails, and all we could do could not make him sit in the chair, but the chair was broken with endeavouring to place him there; and they said if we would carry him to a surgeon's, they would give us 100 security; but we finding it impossible, the watch was called for, but n.o.body would come near, for they said it was out of their ward, and so they would not come anigh me; and I staid about half an hour with my chair broken, and afterwards I was laid hold upon, both I and my partner, and we were kept till next night eleven a-clock; and that is all the satisfaction that I have had for my chair and every thing.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Pray, my lord, I desire he may recollect himself; for we do apprehend it is very material, who it was that desired to take Mr. Coote into the chair.
BROWNE--I cannot tell who they were, it was so very dark I could only see their cloaths.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Did you see the earl of Warwick there?
BROWNE--No, Sir, he was not there; one of them, I tell you, had officers' cloaths on, red lined with blue, and the other had gold lace on; there was n.o.body there that held him up but them two.
MARQUIS OF NORMANBY--He says he saw two persons holding up Mr.
Coote; it would be very well to have that matter very well settled, who those two persons were; I desire to know how he is sure my lord of Warwick was not one of them two?
BROWNE--I know my lord of Warwick very well, and I am sure he was neither of the two.
DUKE OF LEEDS--I would know what light he had to discern it so well by, that he can be sure my lord of Warwick was not there; for he says it was a very dark night, and yet he describes the particular persons that held Mr. Coote up.
BROWNE--Yes, my lord, I am sure my lord of Warwick was none of them.
DUKE OF LEEDS--How could you distinguish in so dark a night, the colours of people's cloaths?
BROWNE--With the candle that I had lighted in my lanthorn.
DUKE OF LEEDS--He could not know any of the persons unless he held a lanthorn to their faces, or knew them very well before.
LORD HIGH STEWARD--My lord Warwick, will your lords.h.i.+p ask this witness any questions?
EARL OF WARWICK--My lord, I desire he may be asked, Whether I did not bid him stop at St. Martin's-lane end, and do all that I could to hinder Mr. Coote from going any further, but to go home?
BROWNE--The earl of Warwick, and my lord Mohun, as they turned up the lane, asked Mr. Coote, whither he was going? And when he said to Leicester-fields, they desired him to let it alone till to-morrow; and my lord Mohun said he should go home with him; but the other bid us go on, and said he would not go to his lodgings, but that they would make an end of it that night; still they called to him again, Dear Coote, let us speak a word with you; and as the chairs came to the back-door of the Cross-keys tavern, there they stood all of a breast, and they both of them spoke to him, and stood a pretty while there, and in the mean time three chairs pa.s.sed by on the other side; he commanded us to take up, and carry him away to Leicester-fields immediately, and overtake the other chairs, or he would run one of us into the body.
LORD HIGH STEWARD--Would your lords.h.i.+p ask him any more questions?
EARL OF WARWICK--No, my lord.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL--My lord, I observe, he says they discoursed some time together while they stopped in St. Martin's-lane; I desire that he may be asked, Whether he can tell what that discourse was?
BROWNE--I could not well hear, they whispered together, but I could hear my lord Mohun, and my lord of Warwick, desire capt.
Coote to go home, and let the business alone till another time.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL--I desire he may explain himself, what that business was that they would have put off till to-morrow.
BROWNE--I know not what it was; I heard of no anger betwixt them, but they were as good friends, for anything I know to the contrary, as ever they were in their lives or as ever I see any men.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL--Our next witness is William Crippes. [Who was sworn.]