BaconwasinstructedbytheKingtodrawupapaperofallthepointsof“mercyandfavour“toSomersetwhichmightresultfromtheevidence；andSomersetwasagainrecommendedtopleadguilty，andpromisedthatnoevilshouldensuetohim。
　　TheCountesswasfirsttried。Shetrembledandshedtearsduringthereadingoftheindictment，and，inalowvoice，pleadedguilty。Onbeingaskedwhysentenceofdeathshouldnotbepassedagainsther，sherepliedmeekly，“Icanmuchaggravate，butnothingextenuatemyfault。Idesiremercy，andthatthelordswillintercedeformewiththeKing。“Sentenceofdeathwaspasseduponher。
　　NextdaytheEarlwasbroughttotrial。HeappearstohavemistrustedthepromisesofJames，andhepleadednotguilty。Withaself-possessionandconfidence，whichhefelt，probably，fromhisknowledgeoftheKing’scharacter，herigorouslycross-examinedthewitnesses，andmadeastubborndefence。Afteratrialwhichlastedelevenhours，hewasfoundguilty，andcondemnedtothefelon’sdeath。
　　WhatevermayhavebeenthesecretsbetweenthecriminalandtheKing，thelatter，notwithstandinghisterrificoath，wasafraidtosignthedeath-warrant。Itmight，perchance，havebeenhisown。TheEarlandCountesswerecommittedtotheTower，wheretheyremainedfornearlyfiveyears。Attheendofthisperiod，tothesurpriseandscandalofthecommunity，andthedisgraceofitschiefmagistrate，theybothreceivedtheroyalpardon，butwereorderedtoresideatadistancefromthecourt。Havingbeenfoundguiltyoffelony，theestatesoftheEarlhadbecomeforfeited；butJamesgrantedhimoutoftheirrevenuesanincomeof4，000poundsperannum！Shamelessnesscouldgonofurther。
　　Oftheafterlifeofthesecriminalsnothingisknown，exceptthatthelovetheyhadformerlyborneeachotherwaschangedintoaversion，andthattheylivedunderthesameroofformonthstogetherwithouttheinterchangeofaword。
　　Theexposureoftheiratrocitiesdidnotputastoptothepracticeofpoisoning。Onthecontrary，asweshallseehereafter，itengenderedthatinsaneimitationwhichissostrangeafeatureofthehumancharacter。Jameshimselfissupposed，withgreatprobability，tohavefallenavictimtoit。Inthenotesto“Harris’sLifeandWritingsofJamesI，“thereisagooddealofinformationonthesubject。TheguiltofBuckingham，althoughnotfullyestablished，restsuponcircumstancesofsuspicionstrongerthanhavebeensufficienttoleadhundredstothescaffold。HismotivesforcommittingthecrimearestatedtohavebeenadesireofrevengeforthecoldnesswithwhichtheKing，inthelatteryearsofhisreign，begantoregardhim；hisfearthatJamesintendedtodegradehim；andhishopethatthegreatinfluencehepossessedoverthemindoftheheir-apparentwouldlastthroughanewreign，iftheoldonewerebroughttoaclose。
　　Inthesecondvolumeofthe“HarleianMiscellany，“thereisatract，entitledthe“ForerunnerofRevenge，“writtenbyGeorgeEglisham，doctorofmedicine，andoneofthephysicianstoKingJames。
　　Harris，inquotingit，saysthatitisfullofrancourandprejudice。
　　Itisevidentlyexaggerated；butforms，nevertheless，alinkinthechainofevidence。Eglishamsays:——“TheKingbeingsickofanague，theDuketookthisopportunity，whenalltheKing’sdoctorsofphysicwereatdinner，andofferedtohimawhitepowdertotake，thewhichhealongtimerefused；but，overcomewithhisflatteringimportunity，hetookitinwine，andimmediatelybecameworseandworse，fallingintomanyswooningsandpains，andviolentfluxesofthebelly，sotormented，thathisMajestycriedoutaloudofthiswhitepowder，’WouldtoGodIhadnevertakenit？“Hethentellsus“OftheCountessofBuckinghamtheDuke’smotherapplyingtheplaistertotheKing’sheartandbreast，whereuponhegrewfaintandshort-breathed，andinagony。Thatthephysiciansexclaimed，thattheKingwaspoisoned；thatBuckinghamcommandedthemoutoftheroom，andcommittedoneofthemcloseprisonertohisownchamber，andanothertoberemovedfromcourt；andthat，afterhisMajesty’sdeath，hisbodyandheadswelledabovemeasure；hishair，withtheskinofhishead，stucktohispillow，andhisnailsbecamelooseonhisfingersandtoes。“
　　Clarendon，who，bytheway，wasapartisanoftheDuke’s，givesatotallydifferentaccountofJames’sdeath。Hesays，“Itwasoccasionedbyanagueafterashortindispositionbythegoutwhich，meetingmanyhumoursinafatunwieldybodyoffifty-eightyearsold，infourorfivefitscarriedhimoutoftheworld。Afterwhosedeathmanyscandalousandlibellousdiscourseswereraised，withouttheleastcolourorground；asappeareduponthestrictestandmostmaliciousexaminationthatcouldbemade，longafter，inatimeoflicence，whennobodywasafraidofoffendingmajesty，andwhenprosecutingthehighestreproachesandcontumeliesagainsttheroyalfamilywasheldverymeritorious。“Notwithstandingthisconfidentdeclaration，theworldwillhardlybepersuadedthattherewasnotsometruthintherumoursthatwereabroad。Theinquirieswhichwereinstitutedwerenotstrict，asheasserts，andalltheunconstitutionalinfluenceofthepowerfulfavouritewasexertedtodefeatthem。InthecelebratedaccusationsbroughtagainstBuckinghambytheEarlofBristol，thepoisoningofKingJameswasplacedlastonthelist，andthepagesofhistorybearevidenceofthesummarymodeinwhichtheywere，forthetime，gotridof。
　　ThemanfromwhomBuckinghamissaidtohaveprocuredhispoisonswasoneDr。Lamb，aconjurorandempiric，who，besidesdealinginpoisons，pretendedtobeafortune-teller。Thepopularfury，whichbrokewithcomparativeharmlessnessagainsthispatron，wasdirectedagainstthisman，untilhecouldnotappearwithsafetyinthestreetsofLondon。Hisfatewasmelancholy。WalkingonedayinCheapside，disguised，ashethought，fromallobservers，hewasrecognizedbysomeidleboys，whobegantohootandpelthimwithrubbish，callingout，“Thepoisoner！thepoisoner！Downwiththewizard！downwithhim！“Amobverysooncollected，andtheDoctortooktohisheelsandranforhislife。HewaspursuedandseizedinWoodStreet，andfromthencedraggedbythehairthroughthemiretoSt。Paul’sCross；themobbeatinghimwithsticksandstones，andcallingout，“Killthewizard！killthepoisoner！“
　　CharlesI，onhearingoftheriot，rodefromWhitehalltoquellit；buthearrivedtoolatetosavethevictim。Everyboneinhisbodywasbroken，andhewasquitedead。Charleswasexcessivelyindignant，andfinedthecitysixhundredpoundsforitsinabilitytodeliveruptheringleaderstojustice。
　　ButitwasinItalythatpoisoningwasmostprevalent。Fromaveryearlyperiod，itseemstohavebeenlookeduponinthatcountryasaperfectlyjustifiablemeansofgettingridofanenemy。TheItaliansofthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturiespoisonedtheiropponentswithaslittlecompunctionasanEnglishmanofthepresentdaybringsanactionatlawagainstanyonewhohasdonehimaninjury。Thewritingsofcontemporaryauthorsinformusthat，whenLaSparaandLaTophaniacarriedontheirinfernaltrade，ladiesputpoisonbottlesontheirdressing-tablesasopenly，andusedthemwithaslittlescrupleuponothers，asmoderndamesuseEaudeCologneorlavender-wateruponthemselves。Sopowerfulistheinfluenceoffashion，itcanevencausemurdertoberegardedasavenialpeccadillo。
　　InthememoirsofthelastDukeofGuise，whomadeaQuixoticattempt，in1648，toseizeuponthegovernmentofNaples，wefindsomecuriousparticularsrelativetothepopularfeelingwithregardtopoisoning。Aman，namedGennaroAnnese，who，aftertheshortandextraordinarycareerofMasaniellothefisherman，hadestablishedhimselfasasortofcaptain-generalofthepopulace，renderedhimselfsoobnoxioustotheDukeofGuisethattheadherentsofthelatterdeterminedtomurderhim。Thecaptainoftheguard，astheDukehimselfverycoollyinformsus，wasrequestedtoundertakethisoffice。Itwassuggestedtohimthattheponiardwouldbethemosteffectualinstrument，butthemanturneduphiseyeswithpioushorrorattheproposition。HewasreadytopoisonGennaroAnnesewheneverhemightbecalledupontodoso；buttoponiardhim，hesaid，wouldbedisgraceful，andunbecominganofficeroftheguards！Atlastpoisonwasagreedupon，andAugustinoMolla，anattorneyintheDuke’sconfidence，broughtthebottlecontainingtheliquidtoshowittohismaster。ThefollowingistheDuke’sownaccount:——
　　“Augustinocametomeatnight，andtoldme:’IhavebroughtyousomethingwhichwillfreeyoufromGennaro。Hedeservesdeath，anditisnogreatmatterafterwhatfashionjusticeisdoneuponhim。Lookatthisvial，fullofclearandbeautifulwater:infourdays’time，itwillpunishallhistreasons。Thecaptainoftheguardhasundertakentogiveithim；andasithasnotasteatall，Gennarowillsuspectnothing。’“
　　TheDukefurtherinformsusthatthedosewasdulyadministered；
　　butthatGennaro，fortunatelyforhimself，atenothingfordinnerthatdaybutcabbagedressedwithoil，whichactingasanantidote，causedhimtovomitprofusely，andsavedhislife。Hewasexceedinglyillforfivedays，butneversuspectedthathehadbeenpoisoned。
　　Inprocessoftime，poisonvendingbecameaprofitabletrade。
　　Elevenyearsafterthisperiod，itwascarriedonatRometosuchanextentthatthesluggishgovernmentwasrousedtointerference。
　　Beckmann，inhis“HistoryofInventions，“andLebret，inhis“MagazinzumGebrauchederStaatenKircheGeschichte，“orMagazineofMaterialsforaHistoryofaStateChurch，relatesthat，intheyear1659，itwasmadeknowntoPopeAlexanderVII。thatgreatnumbersofyoungwomenhadavowedintheconfessionalthattheyhadpoisonedtheirhusbandswithslowpoisons。TheCatholicclergy，whoingeneralholdthesecretsoftheconfessionalsosacred，wereshockedandalarmedattheextraordinaryprevalenceofthecrime。Althoughtheyrefrainedfromrevealingthenamesofthepenitents，theyconceivedthemselvesboundtoapprisetheheadofthechurchoftheenormitiesthatwerepractised。ItwasalsothesubjectofgeneralconversationinRomethatyoungwidowswereunusuallyabundant。Itwasremarked，too，thatifanycouplelivedunhappilytogether，thehusbandsoontookillanddied。Thepapalauthorities，whenoncetheybegantoinquire，soonlearnedthatasocietyofyoungwiveshadbeenformed，andmetnightly，forsomemysteriouspurpose，atthehouseofanoldwomannamedHieronymaSpara。Thishagwasareputedwitchandfortune-teller，andactedaspresidentoftheyoungviragos，severalofwhom，itwasafterwardsascertained，belongedtothefirstfamiliesofRome。
　　Inordertohavepositiveevidenceofthepracticesofthisfemaleconclave，aladywasemployedbytheGovernmenttoseekaninterviewwiththem。Shedressedherselfoutinthemostmagnificentstyle；andhavingbeenamplyprovidedwithmoney，shefoundbutlittledifficulty，whenshehadstatedherobject，ofprocuringanaudienceofLaSparaandhersisterhood。Shepretendedtobeinextremedistressofmindonaccountoftheinfidelitiesandill-treatmentofherhusband，andimploredLaSparatofurnishherwithafewdropsofthewonderfulelixir，theefficacyofwhichinsendingcruelhusbandsto“theirlastlongsleep“wassomuchvauntedbytheladiesofRome。
　　LaSparafellintothesnare，andsoldhersomeofher“drops，“atapricecommensuratewiththesupposedwealthofthepurchaser。
　　Theliquorthusobtainedwassubjectedtoananalysis，andfoundtobe，aswassuspected，aslowpoison-clear，tasteless，andlimpid，likethatspokenofbytheDukeofGuise。Uponthisevidencethehousewassurroundedbythepolice，andLaSparaandhercompanionstakenintocustody。LaSpara，whoisdescribedashavingbeenalittle，ugly，oldwoman，wasputtothetorture，butobstinatelyrefusedtoconfessherguilt。Anotherofthewomen，namedLaGratiosa，hadlessfirmness，andlaidbareallthesecretsoftheinfernalsisterhood。