We cannot sufficiently bewail the iniquity of these last and worst dayes of the world, in which the crying and scar­let sin of Murther makes so ample and so bloody a progession, that notwithstanding God hath shewn in this our Nation his just judgements upon such bloody miscreants, especial­ly upon those that have come to that height of wickednesse, to imbrue their hands in their Princes blood, yet now we can scarce turn our ear or eye any where, but we shal be infor­ced either to hear with pitty the mournful effects, or to see with grief the lamentable Tragedies thereof, as if we were become such wretched and execrable Atheists, to believe There were no Heaven to reward the Righteous, or Hell to punish such miscreants, Mat. 25.34.41. but that all people that wish good either to their bodies or souls, may hate that crying sin of murther, we have put forth this fol­lowing Narrative.

COssuma Albertus a Prince of Transilvania, being by the Turks and Tartars forced to flee his Countrey for succour and relief, about 14 months since arrived in England, and took up his Lodgings at the George Inn in Lumbar street. A little time after his coming he made his Adress, with a Letter he had from the Em­peror of Germany to our Soveraign Lord King Charles, who gave him a benevolence worthy his acceptance; This we received from a person that was then his servant, [Page 3] having been here a few moneths, he went for France, and afterwards to Flanders, in both which he was ve­ry nobly treated; then he returning to England, land­ed at Rye in Kent with his Charriot and two Servants; In Kent he visited many Persons of quality, amongst the rest, the Right Honourable the Lord Dacres and his Lady, who gave him Noble entertainment two dayes and nights; when the said Prince prepares to go for London, the Lord Dacres offers him the use of his Coach and Horses up to London, his being poor and unfit to travel, which he thankfully refusing, said he durst not trust his own Coach-man, having but lately retained him at Deep in France; departing from thence, he intends for Copi-hall to visit the Duke of Richmond, but was by his wicked Servants prevented from either seeing that Duke or any other in this World, for they, viz. the Coach-man and Foot-boy, as they have since confessed, having agreed to mur­ther their Prince and Master three dayes before, and waited onely for an oppertunity; it so happened that the Charriot as they were going on their way in the evening, (it being a wilful mistake of the Charriot man to go out of the way, that he might have the op­portunity to work his Divelish design) the Charriot stuck so fast in some slow, that they were forced to call for help, there being Country men with Horses near hand, which set them at liberty; but driving, not far distant they were set again, and the night drawing on, they could get no help; Therefore the Prince resolved to rest in his Charriot all the night; And being lame, caused his Page to pull off his coat, and wrapt it about him to keep him warm, and so set­led himself to sleep; This was in the Parish of Stroud within a mile of Rochester, being Tuesday, the 15. day of this present October 1661. He being thus laid [Page 4] to rest and fast a sleep, his Coach man whose name is Isaac Jacob, alias Jacques, by Religion a Jew, about mid­night takes the Princes Shavil or Hanger from under his Head, where he usually laid it, there being none present but himself and the Page, and therewith he stab'd him in two or three places upon his breast, upon which he cryed out in his own Language, Lord have mercy upon my Soul, what have I done that you should kill me, do you think thereby to be Master of my Countrey? Then both of them drag'd him out of his Charriot a little distance, and there cut off his Head, and his left Arm, and out and mangled his Face, and picked out his eyes that none might know who he was; He was found with Scarlet Breeches, and Stockings laced with Gold lace, and pearl colour silk hose under them; His Charriot still remaining fast in the mire till morning; They drew the Curtains very close, that their Princes absence should not be discovered, which being done with some help, they freed the Charriot from thence, and drew to Greenhith three miles from Gravesend. When they came there, they called for the Master of the House, and told him that their Prince had taken a pair of Oars at Gravesend, and was gone for London; And therefore desired that the Chariot and Horses should be well looked to, and about eight or ten daies hence they would come and content him, for now they must after their Master to London.

On Saturday following this Princes body was dis­covered by a dog, who brought that arm they had cut-off from his body, into a field where some men were at work, who presently gave intelligence to the Town, upon which search was made, and both his head and body were found in the places as before is related.

The discovering and apprehending of these mur­therers was as followeth; it so happened that on fry­day [Page 5] the 18 of this Instant, there came into the Shop of Captain Blaney sword-cutler in Burchen Lane these two Murtherers, to barter away their Princes Shavel or Hanger, but they could not agree; The page having on his arme a bag of money sealed up with about 20 seals, and the coach-man a silk purse with a conside­rable sum of Spanish Gold Pistobots in it.

They came to the same place again on Saturday, and upon the munday following they came to the white Bear to Mr. Turners to buy new cloaths; but the murther being neither then known or heard of, there they were not in the least suspected; But within half an hour after, Mr. Nathaniel Mannock a Grocer in Leaden-hall Street, who came the day before from Rochester, and having taken a view of the body of the Prince, came to the house of Captain Wilmore, next door to Captain Blaneys, relating what he had seen of that murther; The people saying that the murther was committed by his own Servants, at which they be­gan to mistrust these fellows; whereupon Capt. Wil­more sent to Capt. Blaney, who when he had heard this report, he affirmed that one of them that offered him the Hanger, was to his knowledge servant to the afore­said murthered Prince, who lay at the George in Lum­bar Street; and comparing these things together, they went and acquainted the Lord Mayor of what they then suspected. Whereupon the Lord Mayor gave them order to make a strict inquiry after them, which they did as followeth. Captain Wilmore about some half an hour before this report was made, saw the Coach-man pass by his door with one Samuel a Jew, well known to himself and Capt. Blaney, and the place of his abode; And thereupon furnishing himself, and Capt. Wilmore, Mr. Mannock, Mr. Ecclestone with Arms; They presently went down to the fiery Becon, [Page 6] a victualling house in Cree Church lane, the lodging of the aforesaid Samuel the Jew, to enquire after the man that was that day with him in Burchen lane; And being well acquainted with the said Jew, at first sight bid them welcome, and caused them to go up into his Chamber with him, where presently he espied the said Coachman being very jovial, there being 8 or 10 Jews more at that time in the room with him, & mu­sick playing to him Capt. Blaney and Capt. Wilmore after they had stayed above a short time, came down, and called up Mr. Mannock and Mr. Eccleston, who stayed at the door below; And then all went up with their swords drawn, Capt. Blaney desiring them to secure the door, layed hands on the supposed murtherer, and told him (presenting his pistoll to his brest) that he was his Prisoner, which striking amazement to the rest of the Jews, they cryed out, what do you come to murther us? Then was silence made, the murtherer being searched by Mr. Mannock and Mr. Ecclestone, they found only a naked knife, and two dollors and some other small money about him.

Then Capt. Blaney asked the Jew, where his man was that with him offered the shavle or hanger at his shop on fryday and saturday last, which he denyed, and said, that he had no such man; Upon which the maid of the house was called, and was askt how long it was since that Gentlemans man was there, she said a­bout 2 hours before, but still he disowned any servant.

Then they sending for a Constable, charged him to take that person into safe custody upon suspition of murder. Then enquiring after his lodging, went thi­ther to inquire for the Page, who then went for the said Coach-mans servant, he styling himself a Merchant, which was at the house of one Mis. Greenbank; and coming thither they enquired for the Jews man, she [Page 7] replied that he was gone to Graves-end with his Masters Trunk and Portmantle, and that he would return that night or the next morning; they commanded her to secure all that belonged to the said pretended Mer­chant or servant, she having in her custody a bag con­taining 125 French crowns, his shavel and hanger co­vered with crimson Velvet sutable to his furniture, a very rich Saddle with 2 bridles and some other things belonging to the Prince; Then going back to the Prisoner, they had him before the Lord Mayor where he was examined, but would confess nothing, only that he was lately Interpreter to the Prince of Conde, where he had got some Estate.

After they pursuing their enquiry, understood who was the Porter that carryed away the Trunk, and finding him he informed them where he left the Trunk, and the Page, which was at the sign of the Flushing near St. Katherns. They repairing thither a­bout 10 a clock at night found him in bed, where was also the Trunk and Port-mantle; they seized on him, and commited him to the Counter for that night. The next morning being carried before the Lord Mayor, he after some Interrogatories, and fair words to have him confess the truth, discovered in his confession the whole murther as before is related, and acknowledg­ed his name to be Casimirus Karsagi. The Lord Mayor ordered a further Examination of them face to face, which was appointed at 5 a clock in the afternoon the next day, where the Coach-man understanding that the Page had discovered the murther, did acknow­ledge that he was the Princes Servant, and did come from France with him, and was with him every night to the night before he was murthered, Mr. Mannock certified the Mayor of Rochester concerning these [Page 8] proceedings, upon which the Mayor returned this following letter.