A General Mistake, Corrected: OR THE VINDICATION OF THE Right Honourable the Countess Dowager of ESSEX, AND THE Bishop of SALISBURY; In the GAZETTE of the 31st of July last. No Argument against, but for the truth of the Murder of that Great Patriot, Arthur (late) Earl of ESSEX.  
In a Letter to a Friend,  
August the 2d. 1690. SIR,  
IN last Thursdays Gazette, you will find, the Right Honourable, the Countess Dowager of Essex, and the Reverend Father in God, Gilbert, Lord Bishop of Salisbury, have entirely disavowed, what a Discourse touching the Murder of the late Earl of Essex hath fastened on them. Their Denial is thus worded: (Viz.)  
Whereas in a Letter to a Friend, written by Mr. Laurence Braddon, touching the Murder of the late E. of Essex, an Account is given, Page 54, and 55, of some Discourse, that the Countess Dowager of Essex, and the Bishop of Salisbury had upon that Subject, at a Meeting with several Lords. The Countess Dowager and the Bishop, find themselves so much w●●●g'd in that Relation, that they have thought it became them, to Disavow it entirely, the whole Discourse fastened on them, being false, and nothing to THAT PURPOSE, having been upon that Occasion mentioned by either of them.  
July 24. 

E. Essex,  
Gil. Sarum.    
I perceive this is (through Mistake) generally misapplyed; for last Night meeting with some, who (had been ever prejudiced against the belief of this Murder, and) had often heard me say, That I doubted not, but that unfortunate Earl was treacherously taken off, and that I was therein confirmed upon reading a late Letter to a Friend, written by Mr. Braddon upon that deplorable Subject. These Gentlemen believing, that by this Gazette they had got an Objection, which at one Struck entirely defeated the whole Power of the Proofs in that Letter, (which they confessed they had not read) immediately very warmly accosted me herewith; and upon this occasion very scurrilously reflected upon Mr. Braddon, for imposing upon the World, such (as they called them) villainous and false Proofs for that (pretended) Murder— I (not then remembering that particular part of the Book, to which this denial had Relation) did immediately fetch the Discourse, and I then found, that this Vindication was so far from denying any of the Proofs which had been brought to testify that Treachery, that on the contrary, it entirely disavowed the most material Argument, I could ever yet hear brought to justify the Belief of the Self-murder, which that Letter mentioneth in pag. 54, & 55, where Mr. Braddon (after he had given numerous Evidences in many Particulars, which put together, almost demonstrate the truth of that complicated Cruelty) saith, by way of Objection against the Murder, as followeth, (Viz.)  
I shall now mention one or two more Objections against my Lord's being murdered and then draw to a Conclusion. The first is this, (viz.) the Right Honourable the Lady Gou●●●ess-Dowage of Essex, having heretofore declared (whether lately, I cannot say) That she did believe her Lord cut his own Throat; and being so possessed, some time after this Committee had several times sat, she desired several Lords (amongst which some were of this Right Honourable Committee) to meet at her House; and after her Honour had acquainted their Lordships with the occasion of her request, an eminent Divine (and now Bishop) did inform their Lordships what were the Reasons that moved her Honour to believe that her Lord did indeed lay violent hands on himself, the Chief, if not the Only where of, was, That some sho●● time before my Lord's Commitment to the Tower, his Lordship seemed to be under a great concern of mind; but then declared, That the trouble he was in did not arise from any thoughts of Self-preservation, for Himself was the least of his Care; but the thoughts of his Family, what would after his Death become of them, was what did indeed trouble him: As for himself, be was resolved what to do; SEVERAL TIMES VERY RESOLUTELY REPEATING THAT EXPRESSION, AS FOR MYSELF, I AM RESOLVED WHAT TO DO. This I was told by a Gentleman then present, who (as I have great reason to believe) would have represented every thing to the best advantage (as far as Truth would permit) on the behalf of such Objections— So far that Letter.  
This you find is not brought by Mr. Braddon as an argument to prove my Lord's being murder d● but on the contrary, raised by way of Objection against the Belief thereof; which Objection Mr. B. here saith, he received from One then present, but if that Gentleman (who is said to have given the Information) was mistaken in his relation, the Author of the Letter for that deserves no reflections, and it can hardly be supposed that Mr. Braddon would (without some grounds) have raised such a material objection (as this would have been, had it been true) against the proof of that Murder, for endeavouring the Detection whereof he hath been so barbarously treated by the Corruption of the late Misgovernment: neither hath the substance of what is here objected, been discredited, (or at least rejected) by those who are and have ever been most zealous for stifling this Discovery. For how often have these Gentlemen in all public Places, urged (in effect) the same (viz. the Countess and the Bishop of Salisbury's Belief of the Self murder, and their satisfying several Honourable Lords in the Truth thereof) as what should convince all men of the reality of that Self-violent—. But this common, and (as these Men thought) unanswerable Argument for such satisfaction, is now struck dumb, being stripped of its Credit, when thus solemnly and publicly entirely disavowed, and NOTHING TO THAT PURPOSE having been upon that occasion mentioned by either of those two Honourable Persons—. The Gentlemen who at first so hotly assaulted me upon reading this denial, and the things denied, finding this to be the TRUE State of the Case, soon became more cool and ingenuously confessed they had been imposed upon, and before we parted did frankly acknowledge their rashness in their reflections— wherefore they protested they began to doubt of the Truth of the Self-murder in the Belief whereof they before thought themselves upon good grounds well convinced—. And hereupon they did desire me to lend them that Discourse, promising that they would read the whole, and without prejudice weigh what is therein said to he proved— after they have done this, I doubt not but some, if not all of them, will be satisfied of the Truth of that most barbarous State-treachery a more cruel Murder than which (in all its relations considered) this Kingdom never saw. And that we never may see the like part acted over again, but that the Actors, Aiders, Abetters, and Concealers of this, may in this World receive their just Reward is the hearty Prayers of,  
Sir your very humble Servant, T. W.   

A Letter in Proof of the Murder of the late Earl of Essex, written by L. Braddon Gent. who was upwards of Five Years prosecuted and imprisoned, for endeavouring to discover the same. Sold by most Booksellers.   

London, Printed for the Author, 1690.