True recital of the Confession of the two Murderers John de Paris, and John de la Vigne:  
Touching the horrible Murder committed vpon the person of Mr. John de Wely, a Merchant-Ieweller of Amsterdam: Together with the sentence given against them at the Court of Holland, at the Hage, the 16. day of May, 1616. and executed vpon them the same day.  
 scene of an execution: one man about to be beheaded while spectators look on, and another strapped to a wheel   

THE CONFESSION, TOGETHER WITH THE SENTENCE OF JOHN de PARIS: Touching the horrible murder committed vpon the person of Mr. John de Wely, Merchant jeweller of AMSTERDAM.  
John de PARIS, born at Versigni in picardy, Gentleman of the Chamber unto the most Illustrious and mighty Prince Maurice de Nassau, &c. at this present prisoner in the Court of Holland, hath confessed, being from the rack, that John de Wely Merchant jeweller of Amsterdam, on Saturday the twelfth of March last past, having shewed unto his excellency a certain most precious Hat-band beset with Diamonds, to sell unto him; and understanding that his excellency would speak with him again, he prayed the said Prisoner, that he would keep the said Hatband, to show the same to his excellency: and that hereupon the Prisoner received the Hat-band of him, and leading the said Wely into his Chamber, shewed him a trunk, in the which he would lay up the foresaid Hat-band with other of his Excellencies Hatbands: So retaining the same, he kept it until the next day, that he shewed it to some of his friends attending his Excellencies return from the Church, with the princess of Orrange, to let his excellency haue a view thereof once more: which having done he restored it again to the said de Wely. And this done, that the said Prisoner began then to confer with John de Vigne a soldier of his Excellencies Guard, saying unto him, that who so could turn up the héetes of such a man, and seize on his jewels, should haue enough for all his life time: and that discoursing farther hereof, he in the end resolved with the soldier, that if they might get John de Wely with his jewels, into the same Chamber where before he had kept his Hat-band for him, they would kill him, and possess themselves of his jewels, assigning for this business the very same day, being Sunday, that his excellency was to make a Feast, that by the noise of the dancing and stir that would be, they might the more safely effect their purpose: and that thereupon the said Prisoner asked the Merchant if he would come to see his Excellencies Banquet, who answered, yea, if he might enter in: and that thereupon he replied, I will attend you at the gate, and take you in, but bring not your jewels with you least you haue them picked out of your pocket,( which the Prisoner spake to the end he might be the less suspected of the said Merchant, and yet with intention in case he brought them with him, to make an end of their purpose, the above said la Vigne being for that intent come also to the Court: but at that time the said John de Wely came not.  
That on the morrow, being monday, the Prisoner and John de Vigne, did yet more firmly purpose to execute their intention, if they might get John de Wely up into the house with his jewels: and that there they would pistol him least he should speak or make any noise. And if by chance this were to be done whilst his excellency was at Court, then should the Prisoner presently vpon the report of the blow, run into his Excellencies armoury, and say he had shot at one of his armours: but if his excellency were absent, that then there needed less care and consideration to be had of the matter. That John de Wely the same monday morning came to the Court, whom the said Prisoner asked why he came not to the banquet: and that afterwards de Wely demanded if it were possible for him to speak with his excellency: and that then the Prisoner answered him that it would be a fitter time after dinner, saying unto him, come then, and bring your jewels with you: that the said Prisoner had shut the wooden windows of his Chamber to be the less seen: and that after dinner the Exercise of arms being ended, he brought up the said John de la Vigne into his Excellencies Armorie, and charged him to be in a readiness. That John de Wely according to appointment, came to the Court about three a clock after noon, walking there up and down alone: and that the said Prisoner having well observed that no body was with him, no not so much as his seruant, that after the Prisoner had beckoned with his hand out at the window where the Halberdeers do fit, unto John de Wely, he went up unto him, who led him into the Diuing-roome, and then the Prisoner féeing that his excellency was in his Chamber, and that in the Lobby were onely two little Pages playing at cards, he called the said John de Wely to come in, and opening the Lobby-doore and the stayre-foote-doore, caused him to pass under the Arras, and so to ascend, following him without being soon of the Pages: then the Prisoner lead him first into a Chamber, where the Count William de Nassau useth to lie when he comes to the Hage and from thonce into his about Chamber, where he had kept his Hat-band for him: and that then the said Prisoner went to fetch certain old Hat-bands of his Excellencies, which he brought to the jeweller to see: and that the●● the jeweller spake to him of certain Buttons set with Diamonds, which he had taken again in exchange of other jewels 〈◇〉 to whom the Prisoner answered that he could not then let him haue them, but that he should there stay a while, until his excellency should come and speak with him. That th●● the Prisoner 〈◇〉 out of his Chamber a pistol, and a 〈◇〉 with powder and Bollets in the same, the jeweller not any whit appertaining the same, and carried it into the Armarie where John de le Vigne, the soldier attended him, saying to the jeweller as he went out; I will g●● s●e what his excellency doth: and to la Vigne as he passed by him, he is there.  
Then, that the Prisoner charged the pistol with very little powder, that it might make the less noise: which having made ready, he gave unto the soldier, who  told him then, that it would be fit to haue a poniard also to make altogether an end of him: or else in case the pistol should fasie to go off, to prevent being discovered. Then the said prisoner returned into the chamber where the Iew●ller sat staying, to fetch a key, with which he opened a press of armour and took out a gilded poniard, the which he gave to La Vigne, who put it into his pocket, and that the Prisoner saying unto him, you will see when the time shall be fitting, returned again to the Chamber to the jeweller, whither anon after came the soldier, as if he came to seek the Prisoner, who sate by the fire side. That in this mean while his excellency had took Coach, and was gone to Ryswick, and John de Wely being busily viewing his Excellencies old hatbands, the said Prisoner gave a sign to the soldier to come to him, who as he approached, came behind the said jeweller,& with his pistol shot him through the head, the bullet entering a little above one of his ears, came out behind the other, and struck against the walls. With this blow the jewellers hat was all torn, and his eyes turned and stared in his head like a mad mans: That the said Prisoner after the blow ran out of the Chamber, shut it, and going towards the Armorie to see if any were thereabout, or had heard any thing, and finding no body, he returned to the Chamber, where he found that the soldier had flung down the jeweller on the ground, and had twice stabbed him with the poniard; but seeing that the body moved still very much, he the said Prisoner took two silk ribbons,& having tied them together, and put them about the jewellers neck, did so strangle him, that then he took out of his pocket all his jewels, which were found to be these pieces following, viz. The above said pre●ious hatband, ●s; ixe rich Diamond rings, a great chain of pearls of seven doubles: moreover, three hundred threescore and fifteen pearls on little strings. More, 120. pearls vnstrung, four Ouale pieces enriched with Diamonds, and a Carcanet of Diamonds, all which jewels the Prisoner shut up in a trunk in the said Chamber, burning the jewellers hat-band, falling-band, gloves, Table-booke and purse, héeping the money which was therein. That the said Prisoner, and La Vigne the soldier after this drew the body into a corner, laying it with the head vpon a leather Male, that the blood should not run about, and drew the Table before the body, that it might not be seen. having done this, they went about the Court to seek a boat, in which they might transport the body into the fields to bury it, but not finding any, they resolved to thrust him into the Ashe-dunghill, which is in the back Court of the house, and then went both of them with another man to drink three or four pots of wine in the town, having always in mind the hour how thereby they might excuse themselves if any suspicion should be had of them. Then the time being come that his Excellence sate down to supper, the prisoner went down into the house to fetch a dwell and spade, which he carried into his Chamber to bury the body withall afterwards, and that with the same La Vigne made a hole in the Ash-dunghill, and that as soon as his Excellence was gone to bed, and that the prisoner had sent away the Halberdeers and shut the doors, he, together with La Vigne the soldier, went down very softly to see if the hole in the ashes were big enough to bury the body in, and opening the door, 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 less heard, they went up again, and that then the Prisoner having taken a Napkun, with the same and the above said silk ribbons bound up the jewellers nose and mouth, and pulled his hat over his ears that he might bleed the less: then putting the jewellers cloak about him, took up the body vpon his shoulders, and carried him softly down the stairs, La Vigne holding up his legs to eschew the noise of knocking them against the steps, and so through the said door and great Gallery aforesaid, and from thence through the alley which is in the midst strait through the base court to the said hole: where having taken off the Napkin, and the silk ribbons from the body, they rolled it into the said hole, casting his cloak vpon the same, and smoothing it over with earth as well as they could, and over that again ashes, that none might perceive there had been any digging there: and carrying away with them the naykin, and foresaid filke ribbons, and shouells, to the end nothing should be left behind, which might show the least appearance of the fact, that they got safely up again into the Chamber vnséene of any, the night being very dark, and the wind vehement. That they had left a candle burning in the Chamber, and hung cloaks before the glass windows, that the light might not be seen, that they had reviewed the stairs and wiped up the blood which was fallen thereupon, and that after they had burnt the Napkin and ribbons, they went in the end to their ledgings, making clean their shouets in the pond, and themselves at the pomp in the Stable yard. That they had cast into the pond a watch, a key, and a silver instrument of the said jewellers. That the said Prisoner on the morrow after did burn the above name leather Male, and carried away the foresaid jewels from the Court to his own house; that he had locked them in a little coffer until the body of John de Wely was found: afterward that he hide them in an earthen pot of flowers in his Garden, since that, had butted them in his seller.  
moreover the said Prisoner hath confessed, that having one day understood that his Excellencies Notary had at home a great sum of money in special pieces, he studied how he might find the means to get the same. And therefore he being on May eve last past with John de la Vigne, Goussepin, and the said clerk in a certain tavern, and seeing the said notary to be overcome with drink, he consulted with La Vigne how they might get the keys out of his packet, and go home to his house to fetch the money. And that John de la Vigne lying vpon the same bed with the Notary, drew the keys out of his pocket,& gave them to the said prisoner, who went with the same to his own house to fetch a candle and live coals, which he carried to the Notaries chamber, and having lighted his candle, ransacked all his coffers, and brought away with him all the money he found therein, which came to a good sum, and that having put out the candle, he came forth with the money, and shut the door: and that anon at the Court he met with the said Goussepin, whom he saith knew nothing of the enterprise: And because one of the bags in which the money was, had been tied at one end, and in the midst, it did untie at the end, and some of the money fell on the ground, which when the prisoner stooped to take up, the said Goussepin perceived what it was. That being come back to the inn, he put the money in a corner of the entry, and giuing the keys again to la Vigne, he put them in the Notaries pocket again: after having awaked him, they conducted him to his own chamber, and from thence went to this said prisoners own house, where he the said Prisoner shewed some money, saying it was the Notaries: and gave some part thereof to Goussepin to hold his peace: but that unto La Vigne himself he discovered to haue more, of which he should be partaker, as he did indeed make him after Goussepin was gone, but a certain quantity of Rose-Nobles he imparted not unto him, but kept them for himself.  
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 he had served many yeares, and therefore should haue carried the more respect unto the said Court: Therefore according to all right, and for example sake unto others, he ought with all rigour to be punished. Wherefore the Court having with ripe deliberation and consultation sifted and considered all which appertaineth to the matter, In the name and on the behalf of the chief Magistrate and County of Holland, zealand, and freeze, hath condemned the said Prisoner, and him doth condemn by these presents, publicly and in the audience of all, vpon his knees, with hands upheld, to beseech God, the Court of Iustice, his excellency, and the Parents of the said John de Wely to pardon him, and afterwards to be lead to the accustomend place of Execution, and there to be laid and tied vpon a cross of wood, and all his members thereon to be broken, beginning below and ending above, until death follow thereupon: and then his body to be laid vpon a wheel in the place accustomend there to remain: and declareth all his goods to be confiscated to the profit of the chief Magistrate.  
Made at the Hage, by Mr. Nicholas Cromholt, Adrian Iunius, Peter Gouenbourg de Beloirs, Henry Rose, Amile de Rosendale, Florens Schoterbosch, steven de la Douse, Lord of Nortwijke and Cattendijke, Gelein Aleman, Lancelot de Brederode, Adrian Keding Berchont, and William de Baresdorp, counsellors of Holland: and pronounced the 16. of May. 1616. In knowledge of me: And subsigned, A. DVYCK.   

THE CONFESSION, AND SENTENCE OF John de la VIGNE: For the horrible murder committed on the person of John de Wely, Merchant jeweller of AMSTERDAM.  
John de la VIGNE, born at Chastillon vpon Loing, in times past a Lackey or foote-man unto the most Illustrious and valiant Prince, Maurice d'Orange, &c. and then a soldier of his Excellencies Guard, at this present prisoner in the Court of Holland, hath confessed, being from the Torture and rack: That vpon Sunday the thirteenth of March last past, whilst his excellency was at the Church, he being come to the Court, and in his Excel: withdrawing-Chamber, John de Paris shewed him and some others that were by, a very sumptuous rich Hat-band beset with Diamonds, which the laid John de Paris had then in his keeping: and that after he had put it up again, that he the said Prisoner being fallen into discourse with the said John de Paris, amongst other talk said unto him at length, that who so could dispatch that man out of the way, meaning the jeweller, should get a great booty by the match: unto whom the Prisoner made answer thereupon, that it was too dangerous a matter to do that in the Court: and that John de Paris made reply, there would be that night a feast at Court to which he would come, and that then it might be done. That he the said Prisoner hereupon was persuaded thereunto, and resolved together to do the deed the same evening. That for that purpose he came that evening to the Court, and there remained.  
But because John de Wely was not come to the Banquet, and thereby their purpose vneffected, the Prisoner coming again on the morrow to Court, John de Paris said unto him, he will come to day to the Court, and I will so deal as I will draw him to my Chamber and there we must dispatch him. That the said Prisoner after dinner, having been at training, came to the Court, and laying down his arms in the Court of Guard, John de Paris made sign unto him to come up: whither he went, and stayed in the Princes Armorie a while, until the said John de Paris came unto him saying, The bide is in the net, bringing with him a pistol, which he charged and made ready, and gave it him, adding thereunto also a gilded Dagger which he had taken out of one of his Excellencies Presses, saying; If he struggle too much after we haue shot him with the pistol, we must give him two or three stabs with this poniard. moreover, he added these words; I will find means to busy the jeweller about some of his Excellencies Hat-bands, and then you may come near and shoot him with the pistol: and this said, he went towards the Chamber where John de Wely stayed: and that in this mean time his Excellencies Coach was ready to go abroad. That he the said prisoner a little after also came to John de Paris his Chamber, where the jeweller sate in a chair, and the Prisoner sate himself down by the fire: and that then John de Paris said unto Wely the jeweller, his excellency will speak with you by and by. But as soon as his Excellencies Coach was gone, John de Paris coming unto the jeweller, shewed him certain Hat-bands, which whilst he looked on, he made sign to the Prisoner, who approaching set himself behind the jeweller, and on the sudden shot him into the head, the Bullet entering above the one of his ears, came forth under the other, and so hit against the walls: with which blow the jeweller bled at the nose and the mouth, saying nothing but Alas, and so remained asrenyed in the chair: his Hat was much torn on that side the bullet entred. That then John de Paris ran out of the Chamber, shutting the door, to the end that if the blow were heard, he might say he shot off his pistol in the Armorie. That the jeweller a while after coming a little to himself, rose out of his chair, as if he would go towards the window: and that then he the said Prisoner caught hold of him, flung him down, and gave him two stabs with his poniard because he still struggled with life. That after this John de Paris came in, and seeing Wely to make some noise, he took a broad silk ribbon, and putting it about his neck, strangled him therewith. And that afterwards he put a leather skin which lay there, under his head, that the blood might stay thereon, and not run on the ground. That after this, the said John de Paris took out of the said jewellers pocket, all the jewels which were about him, which were found to be these pieces: viz. The aboue-mentioned rich Hat-band of Diamonds, six fair Diamond Rings, a chain of pearls with seven bouts. Item, a great quantity of other pearls on shorter strings. Item, certain pearls vnstrung, four pieces in form of an Ouall, beset with Diamonds: more, a Carkanet enriched with Diamonds. Which jewels John de Paris shut up into a trunk which was there in the Chamber: and that he cast the jewellers Band, his Hand kerchief, 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, leaving it vpon the said leather, John de Paris drawing the Table before it, that it might not be seen.  
After this that they went out of the Chamber, shutting the door with the Key: and when the hour of relieving the Watch drew near, he the said Prisoner carried his arms to his lodging, and being come back to John de Paris, they both went round about the Court, to see if they could find some boat 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 drink at the tavern. That they returned towards evening to the Court, and whilst his excellency was at supper, John de Paris went home to his house to fetch a dwell and Spade, which he carried into his Chamber. That afterwards they went both down together, to make a hole in the Ash-dunghill: having first taken away the ashes, and begun to make the hole, John de Paris went away leaving the Prisoner to make an end thereof. That he having somewhat well made the hole, left the shovels below, and went up unto John de Paris, who asking him if the hole were well made, answered that not yet so well as he could with it: whereupon John de Paris said, stay here a while, and we will go down together to make an end of it, as it should be. Afterwards, when his excellency was gone to bed, John de Paris went out of the Chamber, and caused all the doors to be shut, and the Halberdeers to withdraw themselves. This being done, they went down softly, opening the door in the Gallery towards the Porters Lodge: and having well put it to again, they went one after another to the hole, the which they having better fitted, and leaving there their shovels went up again, having first put off their shoo●s that their treading might not be heard. That then John de Paris with the silk ribbons aforesaid, tied a napkin before the jewellers month& nostrils that the blood should not come forth, and putting his cloak about his neck, least he should mar his clothes, he took up the body of the said jeweller on his back, and carried it down the stairs, he the said Prisoner holding up his feet: and that thus they carried him both together by the said door, and through the great Gallerte, and through the Alley which is in the midst; and from thence through the outmost Court strait to the hole, into the which they cast him, his cloak spread over the same,& then the earth as well as they could, and last of all the ashes that there might no sign of digging appear.  
This done, they carried away their shovels and cleansed the stairs of some drops of blood which fell thereon, and washed John de Paris his Chamber without being seen of any body, because it was a dark and windy night. That afterwards they went down, shutting the Gallery door after them, and carrying with them their cloaks, hats, shoes, and shovels: that as they went John de Paris cast into the fish-pond a watch, and some other things of the jewellers: and thus they partend one from another. That on the morrow they burned the leather which they had laid the body vpon: and that after all this John de Paris carried away out of the Court the jewels, and laid them up in his house. That he the said Prisoner said unto him, seeing we are gone thus far, look that the jewels be safely kept: whereupon John de Paris hide them in the ground. That also at the instant the jeweller was murdered, the Prisoner knew well that he had these jewels about him: for John de Paris had enjoined him to bring them with him.  
BEsides all this, the Prisoner hath confessed, that some ten or fifteen dayes before May-Eue, John de Paris  told him that his Excellencies notary had much money, and many faire pieces of Gold: and that it would be a good booty if one could get them. That afterwards on May-Eue the Notary being with the same Prisoner, John de Paris, and Goussepin, in an inn, and having drunk too much, the said John de Paris spake to the Prisoner to pick the keys out of the Notaries pocket, and to go see what he had in his Chamber. That the said Prisoner having laid himself down with the Notary on a bed, took the keys out of his pocket, and gave them to John de Paris, who carried them with him out of doors, and went towards the Notaries chamber, where he took away his moneys, amounting to a great sum: and being come back, gave him the keys again, which he put up into the Notaries pocket as they were before. Afterwards they both of them together wakened the notary, conducted him to his Chamber, and left him there. That being arrived at John de Paris his lodging, he shewed him some of the moneys, which was in so great quantity as it amazed him. That he gave him fifty four Albertus pieces, and some filuer, and that he gave to Goussepin also some money to stoy his mouth though he knew nothing of the enterprise. That after Goussepin was gone, he the said Prisoner returned to John de Paris, who then gave him ninetéene double Georges, but no Rose-Nobles. That he the said Prisoner had carried this money to his lodging, and kept it there all night. But because he feared least the house might be preached, he carried it back again to John de Paris to keep it for him.  
Which deeds are all of very bad consequence, and the aforesaid murder most horrible and abominable, and the rather for that it was committed in his Excellencies Court, unto whom, having been Lackey, and a soldier of his guard, he should haue carried the more respect: and therefore according to all law and right, ought to be severely punished for example unto others. Wherefore the Court having with ripe deliberation in counsel, sought out and considered all that appertaineth to this business. In the name and on the behalf of the chief Magistrate, and County of Holland, zealand, and freeze, hath condemned the said Prisoner, and him doth condemn by these presents, publicly in the audience of the roll, vpon his knees, his hands held up, he doth beseech God, the Court of Iustice, his excellency, and the kindred of the said John de Wely to pardon him, and after this to be lead to the place of Execution, and there to be laid and bound vpon a cross, and all his members thereon to be broken, beginning below and finishing upwards, until death thereof ensue: and then his body to be cast on a wheel there to remain in the place accustomend: and declareth all his goods to be confiscated to the profit of the chief Magistrate.  
Made at the Hage, by Mr. Nicholas Cromholt, Adrian Iunius, Peter Couenbourg de Beloirs, Henry Rose, Amile de Rosendale, Florens Schoterbosch, steven de la Douse, Lord of Nortwijke and Cattendijke, Gelein Aleman, Lancelot de Brederode, Adrian Keding Berchout, and William de Ba●rsdorp, counsellors of Holland: and pronounced the 16. of May. 1616. In knowledge of me: And subsigned, A. DVYCK.   
FINIS.