LETTER TO Mr. MILES PRANCE, In Relation to the Murder of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey.  
Mr. PRANCE,  
PErceiving by some late Pamphlets several Rumours raised, as if there were endeavours used to asperse your Evidence in relation to the Death of Sir E.B.G. and to lay that Murder upon Himself. And remembering the consternation which then was in all people's minds by the Discovery at that time of a Dreadful and most Horrid Popish Plot, which occasioned divers to report, and most to believe (even several days before the dead Body was found,) That he was Murdered by the Papists at . And hearing that the Coroners Jury or Inquest were first of Opinion, and accordingly declared he was Felo de Se; And that there was much Art and Skill used to procure their Verdict to the contrary; More particularly, the refusing of the Body (at their Instance and request) to be opened; and opposing the Assistance of the Coroner of Westminster, (who is taken notice of to be a Knowing and Impartial Man in the Execution of his Office;) who was desired to, and did attend for that purpose, but was dismissed with a Guiney; telling him, they had no need of his Service. I made it my business, partly for Yours, but chief for the Truth's sake, to make a strict Enquiry into the farther Causes of the aforesaid Rumours, and do find these particulars very much urged, and discoursed of, (viz.)  
I. In opposition to the Evidence of his being dogged up and down, and lodged in a great House at St. Clement's on Saturday the 12 of October 1678. (being the day he was first missing.) It is affirmed he went out of his House that very Saturday morning about 9 a Clock; (which is the last time he ever returned thither;) And about 10 that Forenoon was in the Fields walking towards Marybone, (in which Parish his dead Corpse was afterwards found;) And was there met by a Brewer in S. Giles', who discoursed with him; And about 11. of the same day he was seen passing by the Lady Cooks Lodgings near the Cockpit; After which, he was seen in St. Martin's- lane, went by the Church, and down Church lane into the Strand; About 1. passed by the door of one Mr. Ratcliff an Oyl-man in the Strand And soon after was met in the back Court of Lincoln's Inn by two Gentlemen, who observed him to make a sudden turn, and to go out at the back Door; They went out at that Door also, and did see him turn the corner Wall; Between which place and Turnstile, he was met by a Barrister at Law; And that a person living near Primrose-Hill, declared before divers persons, that he saw him about 3 that Saturday in the Afternoon walking in those Fields, his usual Walk being that way.  
II. They say, the place where and the posture wherein he was found, are very remarkable. As to the place; It was in a Ditch on the South side of Primrose-hill, surrounded with divers Closes, Fenced with high Mounds and Ditches, no Road near, only some deep dirty Lanes made only for the conveniency for driving Cows and such like Cattle in and out of the Grounds; And those very Lanes not coming near 500 yards of the place, and impossible for any Man on Horse back with a Dead Corpse before him at Midnight to approach, unless Gaps were made ith'Mounds, as the Constable and his Assistants found by Experience when they came on Horseback thither. As to the posture, his Breast was Unbuttoned, his Waistcoat and Shirt put by, his Sword run in under his left Pap next his Skin, the Point coming out at his right Shoulder about 6 Inches, his left Arm doubled under him, (on which his Head seemed to lean,) and his right Arm stiff, stretched out upon the Bank, his Belly and Breast being supported by the side of the Bank, his Knees knit together, and with his Hips a little bending or doubling under him.  
And they infer from thence, that he being a tall raw-boned Man, (after he had been several days dead,) could never be crooked so as to be crammed into a Sedan, (which are very low built, and difficult to be carried with proper Braces, much more as You Evidenced with Cords,) then straightened, and his Legs opened, and mounted on Horseback, and then put into the posture he was found in, and stiffened again.  
III. Now although the Matters aforesaid may be said to be only circumstantial, Yet they produce undeniable Arguments against your Evidence, (viz.) They say, that if a Man, or any other Creature be Strangled, or Hanged, and his Body cold, and the Blood settled in the Veins, (as he must needs be if Your Evidence be true,) run 20 Swords through such a Body, not one drop of Blood will come out: But on the contrary, his Body when found, was full of Blood, insomuch, that (over and above the Cakes or great Goblets of congealed putrified Blood found afterwards in his ) the Constable when he pulled the Sword out of his Body, it crashed against his Backbone, and Gobbets of Blood and Water gushed or gubbled out of that Wound in abundance, not only in that very place where the Sword was pulled out, but in all his passage to the White-House, especially there where his Body was lifted over two high Stump; and also when he was laid upon the Table, the Blood and Water so issued out of that Wound, that it ran from off the Table upon the Floor, and from thence into the Cellar; So that they do aver, that That Wound that he received by that Sword must of necessity be the cause of his Death. And they take notice, that so much of the Sword as was in his Body, was discoloured and blackish; and that part that came out at his back was of a dullish colour, and the Point thereof was rusty; Also, that his , Belt and Scabbard were weather-heaten to rags; his Body stunk extremely; his Eyes, Nostrils, and corners of his Mouth were Flyblown; all which must naturally be by his being so long in the Air.  
iv They say, That when a Man is Strangled or Hanged, his Eyes will be extorted, his Face will be swelled & black; Whereas His Eyes were shut his Face was pale, only the left part of his Chin, with his Breast and Belly being next the Earth, were putrified, and looked of a Blue and Greenish colour, more especially about the Wound; For that the Blood, when hot, running to the Wound, caused the greater putrefaction in that place; Whenas, if the Wound had been made after he was dead, and cold, the rest of his Body would have putrified as soon, and as much as there.  
V They say, That the cleanness of his Shoes makes against Your Evidence; For his Shoes were cleaned or rather glazed on the very bottoms of the Soles, occasioned by his walking in the Grass, and Grass-seeds were observed to stick in the Seams of his Shoes; And besides, there was not one speck of Dirt on his , or Legs, not so much as a Horsehair sticking thereon; Whereas, the Constable, and those that went with him, were dirtyed and moiled up to the very Saddle-skirts, and not easily to be cleaned; And Mr. Prance, you know that a tall Dead Man on Horseback, cannot lift up his Legs to save them from the Dirt.  
VI As to the looseness of his Neck, and the Rim or Green Circle about it, They say they are Ridiculous and Impertinent Arguments against so many Demonstrative ones; especially, when there is not a Nurse, or any Woman of Age, that hath buried any Relations, but will tell you it's very common for People to die with Necks as lose as his was: And the Rim about his Neck was so far from being like one made with a Cravat or Handkerchief, that it seems to be occasioned by the great height & stifness of his Collar, which was fast Buttoned about his Neck, and on which his Head wrested, and was unbuttoned about 10 of the clock the next day, before the Coroner or Jury came. But if that Rim, or those Bruises, that Your Evidence seems to make the cause of his Death, were really so; Then they allege, that in such case, the whole Mass of Blood would have settled there, and his Neck and Bruises would have swelled, and have been perfect Black, which was not in His case.  
VII. They also say, That all these Matters are Notorious, and will be proved by divers credible and undeniable Eye and Ear Witnesses; And besides, They observe, that Bedlow's (before the Committee of Lords,) and Your Evidence in relation to this Gentleman's Death, are as different as the East is from the West; For You Dog him out of St Clements; the other decoys him from Charing-Cross: You swear he was Strangled with a Handkerchief near the Stables going to the Waterside; Bedlow, that he was Smothered with a Pill●w in a Room in the great Court in . You say he took Horse at Soho; Bedlow says he took Coach at Clarenden-house, with many more suck like contradictions; And considering the Old Proverb, forewarned, fore armed A further and fuller account of the whole matter expect, I being loath at present to exceed the bounds of a Letter, I am,  
Sir, Your very Loving Friend, Truman. Cammbridge, Febr. 23. 1681.   

LONDON, Printed for M.G. at the Sign of Sir E. B.G's. Head near Fleet-bridge.