“The Lady Purbecke w^th her young sonne, and Sr.  Robert Howard are committed to the custodie of Generall Aldermen Barkham and Freeman to be close kept.  When she was carried to Sergeants ynne to be examined by the new L. Chiefe Justice and others she saide she marvailled what those poore old cuckolds had to say to her.  There is an imputation laide on her that with powders and potions she did intoxicate her husbands braines, and practised somewhat in that kinde upon the D. of Buckingham.  This (they say) is confest by one Lambe a notorious old rascall that was condemned the last sommer at the Ks. bench for a rape and arraigned some yeare or two before at Worcester for bewitching my L. Windsor ...  I see not what the fellow can gaine by this confession but to be hangd the sooner.  Would you thinke the Lady Hattens stomacke could stoupe to go seeke her L. Cooke at Stoke for his counsaile and assistance in this business?”

It would appear that Buckingham really believed Lady Purbeck to have possessed herself of some powers of witchcraft and that he felt considerable uneasiness on his own account, as well as on his brother’s, in connection with it; for he seems to have consulted some other sorcerer, with the object of out-witching the witchery of Lady Purbeck.  In some notes[75] by Archbishop Laud for a letter to Buckingham, the following cautious remarks are to be found:—­

“I remember your Grace when I came to you on other busyness told me you were gladd I was come, for you were about to send for me, that you calld me asyde into the gallerye behind yo^r lodgings bye the back stayres.  There you told me of one that had made a great offer of an easy and safe cure of your G. brother the Ld.  Purbecke.

“That it much trobbled you when he did but beginne to express himselfe because he sayde he would doe it bye onlye touchinge his head with his hands[76] w^ch made yo^r Grace jealous in as much as he mentioned noe Naturall Medicine.

“Upon this yo^r Gr. was pleased to aske what I thought of it.  I answered these were busynesses which I had little looked into.  But I did not believe the touch of his hand, or any mans els could produce such effects.

“Your G. asked farther if I remembered whether you might not entertayne him farther in discourse to see whether he would open or express any unlawfull practises; w^ch I thought you might for it went no farther than discourse.

“And to mye remembrance your Grace sayde that he offered to laye his hand on your head sayinge, I would doe noe more than thiss; And that thereupon you started backe, fearinge some sorcerye or ye like, and that you were not quiett till you had spoken with me about it.  This, or much to this effect is the uttermost I can remember that passed at ye time.”

Buckingham had evidently felt some scruples about meddling with the Black Art, and had consulted Laud on the question.  It is also pretty plain that Laud was anxious not to offend Buckingham, yet, at the same time, wished to guard against any possibility of being accused of approving, or even of conniving at, witchcraft.  These notes occur in a “draft of a speech, in the handwriting of Bishop Laud, and apparently intended to be addressed to the House of Commons, by the Duke of Buckingham.  It has not been found that this latter speech was ever actually spoken.”