IOHN de PARIS, borne at Versigni in Picardie, Gentle­man of the Chamber vnto the most Illustrious and mighty Prince Maurice de Nassau, &c. at this present prisoner in the Court of Holland, hath con­fessed, being from the Racke, that Iohn de Wely Merchant Ieweller of Amsterdam, on Saturday the twelfth of March last past, hauing shewed vnto his Excellencie [Page]a certaine most precious Hat-band beset with Dia­monds, to sell vnto him; and vnderstanding that his Excellencie would speake with him againe, he prayed the said Prisoner, that hée would kéepe the said Hat­band, to shew the same to his Excellencie: and that hereupon the Prisoner receiued the Hat-band of him, and leading the said Wely into his Chamber, shewed him a Truncke, in the which he would lay vp the fore­said Hat-band with other of his Excellencies Hat­bands: So retayning the same, hee kept it vntill the next day, that hée shewed it to some of his friends at­tending his Excellencies returne from the Church, with the Princesse of Orrange, to let his Excellencie haue a view thereof once more: which hauing done hée restored it againe to the said de Wely. And this done, that the said Prisoner beganne then to conferre with Iohn de Vigne a Souldier of his Excellencies Guard, saying vnto him, that who so could turne vp the héetes of such a man, and seaze on his Iewels, should haue enough for all his life time: and that discoursing farther hereof, hée in the end resolued with the Soul­dier, that if they might get Iohn de Wely with his Iewels, into the same Chamber where before he had kept his Hat-band for him, they would kill him, and possesse themselues of his Iewels, assigning for this businesse the very same day, being Sunday, that his Excellencie was to make a Feast, that by the noyse of the dauncing and stirre that would be, they might the more safely effect their purpose: and that there­upon the said Prisoner asked the Merchant if hée would come to sée his Excellencies Banquet, who an­swered, yea, if hée might enter in: and that thereupon hée replyed, I will attend you at the gate, and take you in, but bring not your Iewels with you least you haue them pickt out of your pocket, (which the [Page]Prisoner spake to the end hée might be the lesse sus­pected of the said Merchant, and yet with intention in case hée brought them with him, to make an end of their purpose, the aboue said la Vigne being for that intent come also to the Court: but at that time the said Iohn de Wely came not.

That on the morrow, being Munday, the Prisoner and Iohn de Vigne, did yet more firmely purpose to execute their intention, if they might get Iohn de Wely vp into the house with his Iewels: and that there they would pistoll him least hée should speake or make any noyse. And if by chance this were to be done whilst his Excellencie was at Court, then should the Priso­ner presently vpon the report of the blow, runne into his Excellencies Armory, and say hée had shot at one of his armours: but if his Excellencie were absent, that then there néeded lesse care and consideration to be had of the matter. That Iohn de Wely the same Munday morning came to the Court, whom the said Prisoner asked why hée came not to the banquet: and that afterwards de Wely demanded if it were possi­ble for him to speake with his Excellencie: and that then the Prisoner answered him that it would be a fitter time after dinner, saying vnto him, come then, and bring your Iewels with you: that the said Pri­soner had shut the wooden windowes of his Cham­ber to be the lesse séene: and that after dinner the Exercise of armes being ended, hée brought vp the said Iohn de la Vigne into his Excellencies Armorie, and charged him to be in a readinesse. That Iohn de Wely according to appointment, came to the Court about thrée a clocke after noone, walking there vp and downe alone: and that the said Prisoner hauing well obserued that no body was with him, no not so much as his seruant, that after the Prisoner had beckned [Page]with his hand out at the window where the Halber­deers doe fit, vnto Iohn de Wely, he went vp vnto him, who lead him into the Diuing-roome, and then the Prisoner féeing that his Excellencie was in his Chamber, and that in the Lobby were onely two lit­tle Pages playing at Cardes, he called the said Iohn de Wely to come in, and opening the Lobby-doore and the stayre-foote-doore, caused him to passe vnder the Arras, and so to ascend, following him without being soone of the Pages: then the Prisoner led him first into a Chamber, where the Count William de Nassau vseth to lye when hee comes to the Hage and from thonce into his about Chamber, where hee had kept his Hat-band for him: and that then the said Priso­ner went to fetch certaine old Hat-bands of his Ex­cellencies, which hée brought to the Ieweller to sée: and that the [...] the Ieweller spake to him of certaine Buttons set with Diamonds, which hee had taken againe in exchange of other Iewels [...] to whom the Prisoner answered that hée could not then let him haue them, but that hée should there stay a while, vn­till his Excellencie should come and speake with him. That th [...] the Prisoner [...] out of his Chamber a Pistoll, and a [...] with Pouder and Bollets in the same, the Ieweller not any whit apperteining the same, and carryed it into the Armarie where Iohn de le Vigne, the Souldier attended him, saying to the Ieweller as hée went out; I will g [...] s [...]e what his Excellencie doth: and to la Vigne as hée passed by him, Hée is there.

Then, that the Prisoner charged the Pistoll with very little powder, that it might make the lesse noise: which hauing made ready, hee gaue vnto the Soul­dier, who told him then, that it would be fit to haue a Poinyard also to make altogether an end of him: [Page]or else in case the Pistoll should fasie to goe off, to pre­uent being discouered. Then the said prisoner retur­ned into the chamber where the Iew [...]ller sat staying, to fetch a key, with which he opened a presse of armor and tooke out a gilt Poinyard, the which hée gaue to La Vigne, who put it into his pocket, and that the Pri­soner saying vnto him, you will sée when the time shall be fitting, returned againe to the Chamber to the Ieweller, whither anon after came the Souldier, as if he came to séeke the Prisoner, who sate by the fire side. That in this meane while his Excellencie had tooke Coach, and was gone to Ryswick, and Iohn de Wely being busily viewing his Excellencies olde hat­bands, the said Prisoner gaue a signe to the Souldi­er to come to him, who as he approached, came behind the said Ieweller, & with his Pistoll shot him through the head, the bullet entring a little aboue one of his eares, came out behind the other, and strucke against the walls. With this blow the Iewellers hat was all torne, and his eyes turned and stared in his head like a madde mans: That the said Prisoner after the blow ran out of the Chamber, shut it, and going towards the Armorie to sée if any were thereabout, or had heard any thing, and finding no body, hée returned to the Chamber, where he found that the Souldier had flung downe the Ieweller on the ground, and had twice stabbed him with the poinyard; but seeing that the body moued still very much, hée the said Prisoner tooke two silke ribbands, & hauing tyed them together, and put them about the Iewellers necke, did so stran­gle him, that then he tooke out of his pocket all his Iewells, which were found to be these péeces follow­ing, viz. The aboue said pre [...]ious hatband, [...]s;ixe rich Diamond rings, a great chaine of Pearles of seauen doubles: Moreouer, thrée hundred thréescore and [Page]fiftéene pearles on little strings. More, 120. Pearles vnstrung, foure Ouale péeces enriched with Dia­monds, and a Carcanet of Diamonds, all which Iew­els the Prisoner shut vp in a trunck in the said Cham­ber, burning the Iewellers hat-band, falling-band, gloues, Table-booke and purse, héeping the money which was therein. That the said Prisoner, and La Vigne the Souldier after this drew the body into a corner, laying it with the head vpon a leather Male, that the bloud should not runne about, and drew the Table before the body, that it might not be séene. Ha­uing done this, they went about the Court to séeke a boate, in which they might transport the body into the fields to bury it, but not finding any, they resolued to thrust him into the Ashe-dunghill, which is in the backe Court of the house, and then went both of them with another man to drinke thrée or foure pots of wine in the Towne, hauing alwaies in minde the houre how thereby they might excuse themselues if any suspicion should be had of them. Then the time being come that his Excellence sate downe to supper, the prisoner went downe into the house to fetch a sho­uell and spade, which he carried into his Chamber to burie the body withall afterwards, and that with the same La Vigne made a hole in the Ash-dunghill, and that as soone as his Excellence was gone to bed, and that the prisoner had sent away the Halberdeers and shut the doores, hée, together with La Vigne the Souldier, went downe very softly to sée if the hole in the ashes were bigge enough to burie the body in, and opening the dore, and going through the gallery towards the Porters lodge, came to the hole, which they mended a little: then putting off their shoes that they might be the lesse heard, they went vp againe, and that then the Prisoner hauing taken a Napkun, [Page]with the same and the aboue said silke ribbins bound vp the Iewellers nose and mouth, and pulled his hat ouer his eares that hée might bléede the lesse: then putting the Iewellers cloake about him, tooke vp the body vpon his shoulders, and carried him softly downe the staires, La Vigne holding vp his legs to eschew the noyse of knocking them against the steps, and so through the said dore and great Gallery aforesaid, and from thence through the alley which is in the middest straight through the base court to the said hole: where hauing taken off the Napkin, and the silke ribbins from the body, they rouled it into the said hole, casting his cloake vpon the same, and smoothing it ouer with earth as well as they could, and ouer that againe ashes, that none might perceiue there had béene any digging there: and carrying away with them the nay­kin, and foresaide filke ribbins, and shouells, to the end nothing should be left behinde, which might shew the least appearance of the fact, that they got safely vp againe into the Chamber vnséene of any, the night being very darke, and the winde vehement. That they had left a Candell burning in the Chamber, and hung cloakes before the glasse windowes, that the light might not be séene, that they had reuiewed the staires and wiped vp the bloud which was fallen thereupon, and that after they had burnt the Napkin and ribbins, they went in the end to their ledgings, making cleane their shouets in the pond, and them­selues at the pompe in the Stable yard. That they had cast into the pond a watch, a keye, and a siluer in­strument of the said Iewellers. That the said Priso­ner on the morrow after did burne the aboue named leather Male, and carried away the foresaid Iewells from the Court to his owne house; that he had locked them in a little Cofer vntill the body of Iohn de Wely [Page]was found: afterward that he hid them in an earthen pot of flowers in his Garden, since that, had buried them in his seller.

MOreouer the said Prisoner hath confessed, that ha­uing one day vnderstood that his Excellencies Notary had at home a great summe of money in spe­ciall péeces, hée studied how he might finde the meanes to get the same. And therefore hée being on May Eue last past with Iohn de la Vigne, Goussepin, and the saide Clarke in a certaine Tauerne, and séeing the said Notarie to be ouercome with drinke, he consulted with La Vigne how they might get the keyes out of his packet, and goe home to his house to fetch the mo­ney. And that Iohn de la Vigne lying vpon the same bed with the Notary, drew the keyes out of his pocket, & gaue them to the said prisoner, who went with the same to his owne house to fetch a Candell and liue coales, which he carried to the Notaries chamber, and hauing lighted his candell, ransackt all his cofers, and brought away with him all the mony he found therein, which came to a good summe, and that hauing put out the candle, he came forth with the money, and shut the dore: and that anon at the Court he met with the said Goussepin, whom he saith knew nothing of the enter­prize: And because one of the bags in which the mo­ney was, had béen tyed at one end, and in the middest, it did vntye at the end, and some of the money fell on the ground, which when the prisoner stooped to take vp, the said Goussepin perceiued what it was. That being come backe to the Inne, hée put the money in a corner of the entry, and giuing the keyes againe to la Vigne, he put them in the Notaries pocket againe: af­ter hauing awaked him, they conducted him to his own chamber, and from thence went to this said prisoners [Page]owne house, where hée the said Prisoner shewed some money, saying it was the Notaries: and gaue some part thereof to Goussepin to hold his peace: but that vnto La Vigne himselfe hée disco­uered to haue more, of which hee should be partaker, as hée did indéede make him after Goussepin was gone, but a certaine quantitie of Rose-Nobles he imparted not vnto him, but kept them for him­selfe.

The which fact of his being very bad, and the afore­said murder very horrible and most execrable: and so much the rather because it was committed in his Excellencies Court, whom hée had serued many yeares, and therefore should haue carryed the more respect vnto the said Court: Therefore according to all right, and for example sake vnto others, hee ought with all rigour to be punished. Wherefore the Court hauing with ripe deliberation and consul­tation sifted and considered all which appertayneth to the matter, In the name and on the behalfe of the chiefe Magistrate and County of Holland, Zeland, and Frize, hath condemned the said Prisoner, and him doth condemne by these presents, publikely and in the audience of all, vpon his knées, with hands vp­held, to beséech God, the Court of Iustice, his Ex­cellencie, and the Parents of the said Iohn de Wely to pardon him, and afterwards to be led to the ac­customed place of Execution, and there to be layd and tyed vpon a crosse of wood, and all his mem­bers thereon to be broken, beginning below and en­ding aboue, vntill death follow thereupon: and then his body to be laid vpon a whéele in the place accu­stomed there to remaine: and declareth all his goods to bée confiscated to the profit of the chiefe Ma­gistrate.

IOHN de la VIGNE, borne at Chastillon vpon Loing, in times past a Lackey or foote-man vnto the most Illustrious and valiant Prince, Maurice d'Orange, &c. and then a Souldier of his Excel­lencies Guard, at this present prisoner in the Court of Holland, hath confessed, being from the Torture and Racke: That vpon Sunday the thirtéenth of March last past, whilst his Excellencie was at the Church, hée being come to the Court, and in his Excel: withdrawing-Chamber, Iohn de Paris shewed him and some others [Page]that were by, a very sumptuous rich Hat-band beset with Diamonds, which the laid Iohn de Paris had then in his kéeping: and that after he had put it vp againe, that hee the said Prisoner being fallen into discourse with the said Iohn de Paris, amongst other talke said vnto him at length, that who so could dis­patch that man out of the way, meaning the Ieweller, should get a great booty by the match: vnto whom the Prisoner made answere thereupon, that it was too dangerous a matter to doe that in the Court: and that Iohn de Paris made reply, there would be that night a feast at Court to which hee would come, and that then it might be done. That he the said Prisoner hereupon was perswaded thereunto, and resolued together to doe the déede the same euening. That for that purpose he came that euening to the Court, and there re­mained.

But because Iohn de Wely was not come to the Banquet, and thereby their purpose vneffected, the Prisoner comming againe on the morrow to Court, Iohn de Paris said vnto him, Hée will come to day to the Court, and I will so deale as I will draw him to my Chamber and there we must dispatch him. That the said Prisoner after dinner, hauing béene at tray­ning, came to the Court, and laying downe his armes in the Court of Guard, Iohn de Paris made signe vn­to him to come vp: whither he went, and stayed in the Princes Armorie a while, vntill the said Iohn de Paris came vnto him saying, The bird is in the net, bring­ing with him a Pistoll, which he charged and made ready, and gaue it him, adding thereunto also a gilt Dagger which he had taken out of one of his Excel­lencies Presses, saying; If hée struggle too much after wée haue shot him with the Pistoll, we must giue him two or thrée stabs with this Poinyard. Moreouer, he [Page]added these words; I will finde meanes to busie the Ieweller about some of his Excellencies Hat-bands, and then you may come neare and shoote him with the Pistoll: and this said, he went towards the Chamber where Iohn de Wely stayed: and that in this meane time his Excellencies Coach was ready to goe abroad. That he the said prisoner a little after also came to Iohn de Paris his Chamber, where the Ieweller sate in a chaire, and the Prisoner sate himselfe downe by the fire: and that then Iohn de Paris said vnto Wely the Ieweller, his Excellencie will speake with you by and by. But as soone as his Excellencies Coach was gone, Iohn de Paris comming vnto the Ieweller, shewed him certaine Hat-bands, which whilest he looked on, he made signe to the Prisoner, who approaching set himselfe behinde the Ieweller, and on the sodaine shot him into the head, the Bullet entring aboue the one of his eares, came forth vnder the other, and so hit against the wals: with which blow the Ieweller bled at the nose and the mouth, saying nothing but Alas, and so remained asrenyed in the chayre: his Hat was much torne on that side the bullet entred. That then Iohn de Paris ranne out of the Chamber, shutting the doore, to the end that if the blow were heard, hée might say he shot off his Pistoll in the Armorie. That the Ie­weller a while after comming a little to himselfe, rose out of his Chayre, as if he would goe towards the window: and that then hée the said Prisoner caught hold of him, flung him downe, and gaue him two stabs with his Poinyard because he still struggled with life. That after this Iohn de Paris came in, and séeing Wely to make some noyse, hée tooke a broad silke Ribband, and putting it about his necke, strangled him there­with. And that afterwards he put a leather skin which lay there, vnder his head, that the bloud might stay [Page]thereon, and not runne on the ground. That after this, the said Iohn de Paris tooke out of the said Iewellers pocket, all the Iewels which were about him, which were found to be these pieces: viz. The aboue-mentio­ned rich Hat-band of Diamonds, sixe fayre Diamond Rings, a Chayne of Pearles with seauen bouts. Item, a great quantitie of other Pearles on shorter strings. Item, certaine Pearles vnstrung, foure pieces in forme of an Ouall, beset with Diamonds: more, a Carkanet enriched with Diamonds. Which Iewels Iohn de Paris shut vp into a Truncke which was there in the Chamber: and that he cast the Iewellers Band, his Hand kerchiefe, Table-bookes and other things into the fire and burnt them. That after this they both to­gether drew the body into a corner of the Chamber, leauing it vpon the said leather, Iohn de Paris draw­ing the Table before it, that it might not be séene.

After this that they went out of the Chamber, shut­ting the doore with the Key: and when the houre of re­lieuing the Watch drew neare, he the said Prisoner carryed his armes to his lodging, and being come back to Iohn de Paris, they both went round about the Court, to sée if they could finde some Boate to carry away the body into the fields there to bury it: but not finding any, they concluded to bury it in the place where all the Ashes in the house were laid. That after this they went together with another friend to drinke at the Tauerne. That they returned towards euening to the Court, and whilst his Excellencie was at sup­per, Iohn de Paris went home to his house to fetch a Shouell and Spade, which he carryed into his Cham­ber. That afterwards they went both downe toge­ther, to make a hole in the Ash-dunghill: hauing first taken away the ashes, and begunne to make the hole, Iohn de Paris went away leauing the Prisoner to [Page]make an end thereof. That hée hauing somewhat well made the hole, left the Shouels below, and went vp vnto Iohn de Paris, who asking him if the hole were well made, answered that not yet so well as hée could with it: whereupon Iohn de Paris said, stay here a while, and we will goe downe together to make an end of it, as it should be. Afterwards, when his Excel­lencie was gone to bed, Iohn de Paris went out of the Chamber, and caused all the doores to be shut, and the Halberdeers to withdraw themselues. This being done, they went downe softly, opening the doore in the Gallery towards the Porters Lodge: and hauing well put it to againe, they went one after another to the hole, the which they hauing better fitted, and lea­uing there their Shouels went vp againe, hauing first put off their shoo [...]s that their treading might not be heard. That then Iohn de Paris with the silke Rib­bands aforesaid, tyed a napkin before the Iewellers month & nostrils that the bloud should not come forth, and putting his cloake about his necke, least hée should marre his cloathes, hee tooke vp the body of the said Ieweller on his back, and carried it downe the staires, he the said Prisoner holding vp his féete: and that thus they carryed him both together by the said doore, and through the great Gallerte, and through the Alley which is in the middest; and from thence through the outmost Court straight to the hole, into the which they cast him, his cloake spread ouer the same, & then the earth as well as they could, and last of all the ashes that there might no signe of digging appeare.

This done, they carryed away their Shouels and cleansed the stayres of some drops of bloud which fell thereon, and washed Iohn de Paris his Chamber with­out being séene of any body, because it was a darke and windy night. That afterwards they went downe, [Page]shutting the Gallery doore after them, and carrying with them their cloakes, hats, shooes, and shouels: that as they went Iohn de Paris cast into the fish-pond a watch, and some other things of the Iewellers: and thus they parted one from another. That on the mor­row they burned the leather which they had laid the body vpon: and that after all this Iohn de Paris car­ryed away out of the Court the Iewels, and laid them vp in his house. That he the said Prisoner said vnto him, séeing wée are gone thus farre, looke that the Ie­wels be safely kept: whereupon Iohn de Paris hid them in the ground. That also at the instant the Ie­weller was murdered, the Prisoner knew well that he had these Iewels about him: for Iohn de Paris had enioyned him to bring them with him.

BEsides all this, the Prisoner hath confessed, that some tenne or fiftéene dayes before May-Eue, Iohn de Paris told him that his Excellencies Notarie had much money, and many faire pieces of Gold: and that it would be a good bootie if one could get them. That afterwards on May-Eue the Notary being with the same Prisoner, Iohn de Paris, and Goussepin, in an Inne, and hauing drunke too much, the said Iohn de Paris spake to the Prisoner to picke the keyes out of the Notaries pocket, and to goe sée what hée had in his Chamber. That the said Prisoner hauing laid him­selfe downe with the Notary on a bed, tooke the keyes out of his pocket, and gaue them to Iohn de Paris, who carried them with him out of doores, and went towards the Notaries chamber, where he tooke away his mo­nies, amounting to a great summe: and being come backe, gaue him the keyes againe, which he put vp into the Notaries pocket as they were before. Afterwards they both of them together wakened the Notarie, con­ducted [Page]him to his Chamber, and left him there. That being arriued at Iohn de Paris his lodging, hée shewed him some of the monies, which was in so great quanti­tie as it amazed him. That he gaue him fifty foure Al­bertus pieces, and some filuer, and that he gaue to Goussepin also some money to stoy his mouth though he knew nothing of the enterprize. That after Gousse­pin was gone, hée the said Prisoner returned to Iohn de Paris, who then gaue him ninetéene double Georges, but no Rose-Nobles. That hee the said Prisoner had carryed this money to his lodging, and kept it there all night. But because he feared least the house might be searched, he carryed it backe againe to Iohn de Paris to kéepe it for him.

Which déedes are all of very bad consequence, and the aforesaid murder most horrible and abhominable, and the rather for that it was committed in his Ex­cellencies Court, vnto whom, hauing béene Lackey, and a Souldier of his guard, he should haue carryed the more respect: and therefore according to all law and right, ought to be seuerely punished for example vnto others. Wherefore the Court hauing with ripe deli­beration in counsell, sought out and considered all that appertayneth to this businesse. In the name and on the behalfe of the chiefe Magistrate, and County of Holland, Zeland, and Frize, hath condemned the said Prisoner, and him doth condemne by these pre­sents, publikely in the audience of the Rolle, vpon his knées, his hands held vp, he doth beséech God, the Court of Iustice, his Excellencie, and the kindred of the said Iohn de Wely to pardon him, and after this to be led to the place of Execution, and there to be layd and bound vpon a crosse, and all his members thereon to be broken, beginning below and finishing vpwards, vntill death thereof ensue: and then his [Page]body to be cast on a wheele there to remaine in the place accustomed: and declareth all his goods to be confiscated to the profit of the chiefe Magistrate.