DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.53269#0240
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from him in great difpleafure, telling him foon afterwards, when they
met at Newmarket, that “ he would be even with him and he kept his
word ; for he communicated to Lady Effiex the language that Overbury
had held concerning her, and the counfel which he had given ; which fo
highly exafperated that abandoned woman, that die refolved to revenge
herfelf on him by taking away his life; a project in which her lover, and
her great-uncle, Northampton, were bafe enough to join;
She at hr ft (April n, 1613,) endeavoured to perfuade Sir David Wood;
who was difcontented with Overbury on account of his having prevented
him from fucceeding in fome application that he had made to Lord
Rochefter for a place at court, to affaffinate him, promifing to procure his
pardon: but Wood, though he feems to have been ready enough to
have perpetrated fuch a crime, did not choofe to venture his neck on
a 'woman s word. After various confultations, therefore, with her paramour
and Northampton, it was refolved that he ihould be taken off by poifon.
For that purpofe it was contrived that he ihould be fent to prifon, where
by proper management he might be entirely in their power. To accom-
plifh this point, Rochefter and Northampton mentioned Overbury to the
king as a proper perfon to be fent ambaffador either to the archduke at
Bruffels, or to France. Rochefter then gave his intended victim notice of
the king’s intention, and Overbury was at firft inclined to acquiefce in
the propofal5 but on further confideration was perfuaded not to accept
this office, which was reprefented by his falfe friend as only an honourable
exile, that would remove him from court, and for ever mar his fortunes j
and he was at the fame time affined, that if the king ffiould take any um-
brage at his non-compliance, Rochefter would take care to foften his dif-
pleafure. The archbifhop of Canterbury had already founded him on the
fubjeft; and on the 21ft of April,. 1613, the lord chancellor (Egerton)
and Lord Pembroke,* were, on Rochefter’s fuggeftion, fent by the king
to make a formal offer to Overbury of the ftation of ambaffador to
a foreign court; which he peremptorily refufed, urging with great warmth
that his majefty could neither in law or juftice compel him to leave his
* Winwood, iii. 447,
from him in great difpleafure, telling him foon afterwards, when they
met at Newmarket, that “ he would be even with him and he kept his
word ; for he communicated to Lady Effiex the language that Overbury
had held concerning her, and the counfel which he had given ; which fo
highly exafperated that abandoned woman, that die refolved to revenge
herfelf on him by taking away his life; a project in which her lover, and
her great-uncle, Northampton, were bafe enough to join;
She at hr ft (April n, 1613,) endeavoured to perfuade Sir David Wood;
who was difcontented with Overbury on account of his having prevented
him from fucceeding in fome application that he had made to Lord
Rochefter for a place at court, to affaffinate him, promifing to procure his
pardon: but Wood, though he feems to have been ready enough to
have perpetrated fuch a crime, did not choofe to venture his neck on
a 'woman s word. After various confultations, therefore, with her paramour
and Northampton, it was refolved that he ihould be taken off by poifon.
For that purpofe it was contrived that he ihould be fent to prifon, where
by proper management he might be entirely in their power. To accom-
plifh this point, Rochefter and Northampton mentioned Overbury to the
king as a proper perfon to be fent ambaffador either to the archduke at
Bruffels, or to France. Rochefter then gave his intended victim notice of
the king’s intention, and Overbury was at firft inclined to acquiefce in
the propofal5 but on further confideration was perfuaded not to accept
this office, which was reprefented by his falfe friend as only an honourable
exile, that would remove him from court, and for ever mar his fortunes j
and he was at the fame time affined, that if the king ffiould take any um-
brage at his non-compliance, Rochefter would take care to foften his dif-
pleafure. The archbifhop of Canterbury had already founded him on the
fubjeft; and on the 21ft of April,. 1613, the lord chancellor (Egerton)
and Lord Pembroke,* were, on Rochefter’s fuggeftion, fent by the king
to make a formal offer to Overbury of the ftation of ambaffador to
a foreign court; which he peremptorily refufed, urging with great warmth
that his majefty could neither in law or juftice compel him to leave his
* Winwood, iii. 447,