The Fugger Newsletters

Executions in London

Middelburg, 23 October 1586

Those who came over [from England] ... report that fourteen of the conspirators against the Queen of England have been executed. Some were quartered alive, among them a Jesuit, others executed with the axe, others again with the halter. One among them was dragged at the horse's tail from prison to scaffold through the streets. His mother had offered to give as much money as the horse could carry from the prison to the place of execution. This mother had also offered to maintain at her own cost a company of mercenaries for so long as the war should last in Holland and Zeeland, if only her son might be kept in prison for life. All she desired was to save his life and shield him from so shameful a death. But this was quite useless, and the course of justice was not interfered with. Those executed implicated the Queen of Scots in the conspiracy in order to destroy her. Parliament is assembled to judge whether this Queen has not forfeited her life. After the execution of these fourteen persons a new plan was discovered, to shoot the Queen out hunting. So five people, all of English birth, nobles and courtiers of the Queen of England, were at once imprisoned and a few days later quartered alive.