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L E A R N I N G W A R G A M E S S E R I E S
STARSHIP
TECHNIQUES
WARGAME
STARSHIP
TECHNIQUES
2 INTRO KIRILL KANAEV
22 SPACE MARINES STORM SPEEDER
38 CRASHED SERPENT
56 BARC SPEEDER
70 STORMFANG GUNSHIP
80 NECRON NIGHT SHROUD BOMBER
90 ADEPTUS ASTARTES XIPHON INTERCEPTOR
www.ak-interactive.com
Collaborators:
Kirill Kanaev / Rubén González / Rick Lawler / Juan Villegas / Eduardo Fernández / Brennan Baker / Damien Tomasina
Original idea: Fernando Vallejo / Editorial: AK Interactive / Editor: David Martínez
Design: Murat Özgül / Cover design: BMS / Translation: Jon Feenstra
Printed in Logroño
© 2023 AK Interactive. All right reserved. This publication cannot be reproduced or disseminated in any way and by
any source, electronic or mechanical, present or future, including photocopy, recording or any other means of storage
or retrieval of information, without the written consent of the editor.
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING
INTRODUCTION
This second volume will delve into the techniques and effects
KIRILL KANAEV
for modelers who want to take miniatures a step further, with
even more realistic and spectacular finishes. We will show again
ships from different universes and games, representing them
in an operational way or in scenarios that contextualize and re-
inforce the message we want to convey.
Another type of machine that could be a basis for the imagination of starships are jet fighters.
All the effects of aging, scratches, rust, watermarks and o thers to float above the surface and jet engines that make them fast.
could also be applied to science fiction vehicles. And here it Some of them are light armored and some are heavy like battle
must be said again that sci-fi ships do not yet exist in reali- tanks. In my opinion, they are similar to actual tanks, not alumi-
ty and this allows us the freedom to paint them as we want to num jet aircraft. They are made of thick metal and look bulky,
make them beautiful and interesting. This means that we are have no aerodynamic lines, but have jet engines. The WH40K
not obliged to reproduce all the aging effects, we can choose universe is a mix of science fiction and simple technologies, so
only what we like to enhance the model because we can their hulls can be made of steel and have rust marks. Compared
imagine the non-existing technologies. It can help us create an to real vehicles that are painted in camouflage, Space Marines
approximation and a context about the universe our starship is use bright and flashy colors. This is the reason why I choose
in and exact precise technologies are not necessary. It can be a military modeling techniques and apply them to bright colors.
combination of anything we choose. It should also be remembered that these are game models and
sometimes they have to be painted in large quantity for the
At this point I would like to focus on the flying vehicles of the game. Hence the need to make the painting algorithm that will
Warhammer 40,000 universe. Let’s take a look at some m odels be simple, understandable and possible to repeat many times
I painted for the board game - Space Marine skimmers, based to give the same look to many vehicles. I have played WH40K
on anti-gravity technologies. Warhammer 40K is a very dark since 1998 and during this period I have used different paints
setting combining high tech and medieval gothic, arcane tech- and schemes and only in 2013 have I found a good pattern that
nologies and something well known as machine guns or jet I was satisfied to spread it and apply it on all game models. The
engines. I try to imagine the purpose and materials for my ve- painting algorithm I was talking about is based on several ideas
hicles. These are attack vehicles that use anti-gravity shields and concepts that we will see below.
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING ¦ INTRODUCTION
The second purpose is to show the color modulation of the paint 2. Application of the main colors. One option to achieve clear
layer as it would be visible in reality. After a long use, the vehicle’s and bright colors are inks. Compared to normal paints, inks are
paint may appear damaged, partially blurred at the edges, show very transparent, but have pure and saturating pigments. On
some dirt or be discolored by ultraviolet rays. These effects can the white base coat, the inks get a perfect pure color. Another
also be shown using the black and white preshading technique. reason why the inks work perfectly with this technique is the
To perform this technique we can use the airbrush or do it with a transparency. The black and white preshading under the paint
brush. It is also possible to apply powder pigment to darken the layer loses contrast, which is good for large scale vehicles, but
deepest places and the marks of the volumes on a white base. in 1:60 scale we need to maintain a strong contrast to enhance
the volume of the model. The inks reduce the contrast between
black and white keeping the pattern visible but with color and
we can increase the opacity of the ink by adding layers.
4¦5
If we need to get a nice saturated yellow with airbrush over the white under-
coat, it is better to use transparent orange instead. The transparent pigment
property makes a thin layer of orange look like yellow. If what is needed is to
have exactly orange, then we just need to airbrush more layers.
1 2 3 4 5
6¦7
It is possible to use more than two colors in this step depending on the scale of the vehicle and the surface space. In 1:60 scale this
is enough to achieve an interesting look. Then we check the assembly. Sometimes inks, paints and decals can have a different gloss.
To correct it and unify the finish we will use satin or matte varnish.
4. The next optional step is the coating of assorted dry pigments that may represent some type of rust or smoke and dirt particles
absorbed by the paint layer. In my thoughts, the skimmers are made of thick steel plates and a little dark brown pigment helps me
achieve the look of an old machine. I add dark brown pigment applied with a dry brush and a coat of pigment fixative. If we need an
even more shabby look we can use different shades of brown and black. We can apply watermarks and drips with watercolor pencils.
It is possible to use any aging technique and modeling materials. You just need to follow a certain logic. For example, if you paint
something like a starship you have to keep in mind that there is no dirt in open space. But if your spacecraft has a landing gear it
may touch the ground and have mud and dust on the struts. The last detail in this step is the oil wash for the panel marking. This was
done with sepia brown mixed with White Spirit. This technique is also similar to those used in military modeling.
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING ¦ INTRODUCTION
5. When all these steps are applied, the final touch on the hull is the painting of the edges to show the polished steel on external
parts. Graphite pencil or pigment can be used. In the examples of this introduction these ships were for playing, so I needed some-
thing more durable, otherwise it could be erased by the hands. So I painted the edges with gunmetal. After this final touch the hull
looks more solid and material. ,
These ancient, arrogant aliens are not kind. Their long history is full of dark and sinister secrets. To show this dark side of the Eldar
I have painted another spaceship in a style taken from the artwork of H.R. Giger - this one is biomechanical. You can see the same
aesthetic in the Alien movies. I have adapted this grim style to the shapes of the flying machine. The Nightwing is exactly the space-
craft for operations in open space and atmosphere. It is reminiscent of a fighter plane and has wings of variable geometry.
There are no bright colors, the whole range is monochromatic in black and white. A little dark navy blue
has been added so that the gray tone is not so simple, it is more interesting and allows us to modulate
the shades minimally. It reminds us of death and eternity. Even the precious stones have a pale gray
color and do not present any striking tone that breaks the harmony.
1 6 ¦ 17
The shapes of the ship are very aggressive, the central part is reminiscent of a skull. In my opinion the fuselage is semi-transparent
like dark volcanic glass, all the structures are skeletal, the hoses and membranes make up the internal structure of the ship, visible
through the armor. It is a rib cage around the engines, the hoses running the length of the ship are reminiscent of worms or intes-
tines, the membranes enveloping that structure look like connections between organs, the rings around the air intakes look like
sphincters. These alien technologies are completely different from anything humans know. All these elements are not randomly
placed but are combined with the main compositional lines and volumes of the model.
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING ¦ INTRODUCTION
1 8 ¦ 19
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING ¦ INTRODUCTION
In this model I repeat again the biomechanical style of H.R.Giger but adding more details and complicating even more the scheme.
The greenish black part of the machine is semi-transparent, the internal structure is visible through the plates and armor. The head
is sculpted again and has a face with a distant smile. The greenish stones are reminiscent of jade. The non-transparent parts of the
armor are painted in a range of greens and browns with stripes reminiscent of reptile skin. On this area I have added the pipes as a
structure, painting as lights and shadows on the armor plates.
2 0 ¦ 21
As you can see, science fiction machinery can be very different and have many nuances. We can be inspired by whatever we want,
both in the fine arts or nature itself. The artistic component and the freedom that the genre allows us, unlike the corseted colors and
markings of historical modeling that try to imitate a reality in which there is not much margin, is what really engages and allows us
to demonstrate and take risks in techniques, finishes and impossible colors.
In the following pages we will approach different examples step-by-step with different degrees of difficulty and we will focus in each
one on a more specific aspect or technique.
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING
INTRODUCTION Using AK’s DUAL EXO range of paints we THE SHIP This fast war machine for Space Marines is heavily
are going to see how to use two paints to achieve volumes on armed to annihilate entire swaths of enemy infantry in barrages
this fantastic sci-fi model. One of the virtues of these pairs of blistering projectiles. Speeding over the battlefield, its spe-
of pots included in the DUAL EXO boxes is precisely the color cialized crew destroys formations, barricades and defenses
harmony that they present and that allows us to simplify and with equal ease.
greatly accelerate the work of searching for analogous c olors,
for example, when applying modulation or even zenithal
lighting to our models. After this stage we will see how to work
a ship with a professional finish that includes different types
of paint and effects.
Volumes
with two colors
and professional finish
Zenithal Light"Modulation
2 2 ¦ 23
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING ¦ SPACE MARINES STORM SPEEDER
01
02
03
04
05
07 08
07 Once we have finished with the details we can apply a light 08 After finishing the painting of the interior and before s tarting
earthy filter in the crevices and recesses. As the tone contrasts to airbrush the exterior color we must prime the model exter-
a lot the dilution and pigmentation of the filter is enough to nally. To do this it will be enough to airbrush a lacquer type RC
achieve the subtle aspect we are looking for in the piece. It is or similar, preferably light gray or even white. We can also use
normal that we unintentionally stain other areas, to clean the specific primers.
excess first let the filter dry and then, with a clean brush dipped
in White Spirit type thinner we will clean where necessary.
2 6 ¦ 27
09
WARGAME STARSHIP MODELING ¦ SPACE MARINES STORM SPEEDER
11
10
13
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Unlike many celebrated men, he was unaffectedly modest, and
devoid of self-seeking, so that while it was said of some other great
personages that they seemed wiser than they were, the common
voice of the nation agreed in this, that Sir Nicholas Bacon was even
wiser than he seemed.
To the Queen he was indeed a most valuable minister, and a most
trusty counsellor, for not only was he as a statesman remarkable for
a clear head, and wise, farseeing sagacity, but he had marvellous
skill in balancing factions, and it was thought he taught the Queen
this same secret, the more important to Elizabeth, for being, as Her
Majesty was, the last of her family, she was without those supports
that are ordinarily incidental to Princes.
In Chancery, also, Bacon much distinguished himself by the very
moderate use he made of power, and by the great respect he ever
showed for the Common Law. But better than all, in an age of
bigotry, when religious differences aroused in men every violent and
cruel passion, Bacon showed that though his own religious opinions
were strong, he could speak and act on that, as on all other
subjects, with moderation and with strict equity.
The main business of the session of January, 1559, was the
settlement of religious observances, and no man had a greater share
in this momentous and difficult question than the Lord Keeper.
The speeches he made at this period are described by many
contemporary writers as "most eloquent, solid, and excellent
speeches;" and at this day we can perceive that they were, as
another old chronicler observes, "models of eloquence, profound
wisdom, and conciliatory discretion."
Few men have left behind them so delightful a character as this
famous statesman and lawyer.
Powerful and wise in public life, in his home he was the tender
father, the affectionate relative, the indulgent and unostentatious
friend.
Though endowed with a keen appreciation of art, and gifted with a
fine and graceful taste, as appeared by his house and gardens at
Gorhambury, yet he never permitted himself to indulge in an undue
or lavish expenditure. So simple and modest was he in this respect,
that, when the Queen came to visit him at Redgrave, Her Majesty
said she found the house too small for so great a man.
"Nay, madam," said the Chancellor, "but it is your Majesty who has
made me too great for my house."
Yet, with his usual graceful tact and ready acquiescence in the
wishes of his Royal Mistress, he immediately built two small wings to
his house.
His health began to fail during the later years of his life, and he
became distressingly corpulent; but he was as diligent in his work,
and his temper remained as kind, and his wit as bright as ever.
After having held the Great Seal more than twenty years, this able
statesman and faithful counsellor was suddenly removed from this
life by the following accident:
He was under the hands of his barber, and the weather being rather
sultry, although February, Sir Nicholas, who suffered much from heat
by reason of his great size, caused the window before him to be
opened. He presently fell asleep, but after a time, a current of cold
air blowing upon him, he awoke shivering and feeling very ill.
"Why," said he to his servant, "did you suffer me to sleep thus
exposed?"
The man replied that he durst not venture to disturb him.
"Then," said the Lord Keeper, "by your civility I lose my life." And so
indeed it proved. He was removed immediately to his bed-chamber,
and was tended with loving care, but he expired a very few days
after being taken ill.
Sir Nicholas was twice married. By his first wife, Jane, daughter of
William Fernley, he had three sons, who died young, and three
daughters.
By his second wife, Anne, daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, a woman
distinguished alike for her beauty, her piety, and her learning, he had
two sons, of whom the youngest, Francis, became so celebrated as
Chancellor, philosopher, and writer; a man whose exceptionally
brilliant gifts have thrown comparatively into the shade the far more
elevated character of his father.
Happy would it have been for the son, if, with his father's talents, he
had inherited his father's unswerving integrity and noble sense of
honour.
Far happier would have been the closing years of Lord Bacon's life
had he, like his father, Sir Nicholas, dealt righteously with all men.
SIR WILLIAM GASCOIGNE.
Although Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench
during the reign of James I., was not a member of the Ancient and
Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, yet, as his portrait hangs in the
Great Hall, and as he occupied himself much in the affairs of this Inn
of Court, a few words respecting this eminent lawyer may not be
misplaced here.
There has probably never been a more consummate master of his
profession than Sir Edward Coke. His interest in it amounted to
enthusiasm. He loved to grapple with every legal difficulty, and
brought to bear upon all its intricate technicalities a dispassionate
calmness that unfortunately failed him in the ordinary affairs of life.
For this reason he was even a greater man during the periods of his
disgrace than when most triumphant.
During these seasons of enforced retirement he could devote himself
to a subject that he loved, and with which he was thoroughly
conversant, whereas the too great energy of his character, whilst in
the enjoyment of successful power, led to his giving way to
intemperate violence both of expression and action.
Like most distinguished lawyers, success came to him early in life.
One of his first cases was a remarkable one, and brought him much
credit.
Mr. Edward Denny was Vicar of Northlinham in Norfolk, and the then
Lord Cromwell, who lived in the neighbourhood, procured two
persons to preach several sermons in Mr. Denny's church.
Both these persons took the opportunity thus afforded them of
inveighing against the Book of Common Prayer, styling it
superstitious and impious.
For this reason, the Vicar, having learnt they had no license, when
one of them came next to preach would have prevented him, but
the man being protected by Lord Cromwell insisted on preaching,
and did preach.
This proceeding caused warm words to pass between Lord Cromwell
and the Vicar, the former saying:
"Thou art a false varlet, and I like not of thee."
To which the latter replied:
"It is no marvel that you like not of me, as you like those others"
(meaning the preachers) "that maintain sedition against the Queen's
proceedings."
Upon this Lord Cromwell brought an action against the Vicar, de
scandalis magnatum. The defendant justified, thereupon the plaintiff
demurred, and the bar was held insufficient; but upon a motion in
arrest of judgment, that the declaration was insufficient, the Court
gave judgment for the defendant.
Lord Cromwell then brought another action, and so the matter went
on for years until Coke became engaged in the case, and he so
skilfully seized the opportunity of managing and reporting it that his
name was at once brought favourably before the public.
His marriage with Bridgett, daughter and co-heiress of John Paxton,
Esq., a lady, with whom he had £35,000, and who was allied to
some of the most powerful families in the kingdom, doubtless aided
him in his career, although in after life he was wont to boast that he
had triumphed neither by "pen nor purse," signifying thereby that he
had never craved any man's help, nor had he ever opened his purse
to buy any place.
His perfect knowledge of the laws of England, and his wonderful
memory in recalling every technical circumstance bearing on or
connected with those laws, was something marvellous. For this
reason his judgments on all legal points have ever been held to be
of exceeding value.
Unhappily in criminal trials his warmth of temper and his violence of
language tended much to injure his reputation and to lessen him in
the opinion of the world. Still, in spite of these great defects, his
unequalled talents forced men to yield to his judgment, and however
much they might condemn him they bowed to his will.
A notable instance of this occurred during the famous trial of Sir
Walter Raleigh.
Sir Edward Coke, who was then Attorney-General, conducted the
case on behalf of the Crown, and expressed himself with such
energy against the prisoner, that Lord Cecil at length interfered and
desired him to be more patient.
Much offended, Coke at once sat down, and preserved an angry
silence. At length the Commissioners were compelled to entreat him
to continue his address. For some time he refused; then suddenly
rising, with a power and skill that electrified all present, he
recapitulated the charges. So powerful were his words, so lucid were
his arguments, that it was evident from that moment that the
prisoner's doom was sealed.
The scene that day in the Court at Winchester, where the trial took
place, must have been alike impressive and sorrowful.
The handsome, gallant Sir Walter Raleigh, the quondam favourite of
the Queen, for years the popular hero of the nation, now worn and
bent by age and many troubles, is standing at the bar, to be tried for
his life, accused of treason against his Sovereign and against his
country.
Brave he has ever been, brave he is now, and the noble face, though
pale and haggard, is stern and composed. Unmoved in look or
action, he listens attentively to the words of one who is urging the
Judges, with all the might of burning eloquence, to pronounce him
worthy of death.
Perchance for one moment a gleam of hope may have entered the
prisoner's breast when he heard Lord Cecil speak, but if so, it must
have been speedily dispelled when the Attorney-General addressed
the Court.
Spare in form, exquisitely neat in dress, passionate in action and
emphasis, the fiery and searching eye of the great lawyer seems to
scan alike the thoughts as well as the faces of those on whom he
looks. And his voice, deep yet penetrating, has a ring that stirs
men's hearts, and brings conviction in its very accents.
With terrible minuteness, and with crushing legal skill, he states
every circumstance that can tell against the accused, and each
powerfully-worded sentence that fell from the lips of the Counsel for
the Crown must, to the friends of the unhappy man, have been as
another nail driven into the coffin that awaited him.
Long ere that famous speech was ended, hope and suspense must
have been over for the prisoner. The evidence against him had been
slender, but Coke's eloquence prevailed. Sir Walter was found guilty,
and condemned to death.
For a month he lay in prison, daily expecting his execution. Then he
was reprieved, and sent to the Tower, where he remained a prisoner
for sixteen long years.
After his release, he organised an expedition to Guiana, but, failing
in this, he returned to England, where he was soon after seized,
imprisoned, and beheaded, not for any fresh crime or
misdemeanour, but solely on the strength of his former trial and
condemnation nineteen years previously. He was executed in Old
Palace Yard, 1618, and died, as he had lived, a brave and resolute
man.
Coke's speech on this occasion, and also another made at the trial of
Sir Everard Digby, are masterpieces of skill and intelligence; but,
although such brilliant displays of eloquence and learning increased
his reputation as a lawyer, or rather as an orator, it was felt by the
world in general that he had permitted himself a license of
expression not seemly in one who held so high and responsible a
position.
These speeches, nevertheless, led to his promotion, for soon
afterwards he was appointed Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.
This place fulfilled all his ambition, and here he would have willingly
remained, but his bitter tongue, his caustic remarks, his intolerance
of the least opposition, made him many enemies, many detractors.
His foes calculated that were he placed in a position of greater
power, and therefore of greater prominence, his many faults of
temper would, notwithstanding his profound legal knowledge,
speedily lead to his downfall.
They suggested, therefore, that his talents merited a higher post,
and after a time they succeeded in having him raised to the more
elevated, but, in those days, perilous position of Chief Justice of the
King's Bench, or as he styled himself, Chief Justice of England.
They calculated, and the result showed they were correct, that on
account of the class of cases ordinarily brought within the
jurisdiction of the King's Bench, the Chief Justice would ere long find
himself at antagonism with the Court.
The annals of the Law Courts at this period of English history are
terrible to read. It is frightful to see on what slight grounds men
were accused, tried, convicted, and executed for treason.
Verily, in those days our laws appeared to have been written in
blood; but, notwithstanding their severity, it was for having shown
too great leniency in an affair that occurred about two years after he
was made Chief Justice that Sir Edward lost the King's favour.
This extraordinary and dreadful business was the discovery that Sir
Thomas Overbury had been murdered in the Tower, and as light was
gradually thrown on this dark matter, it became more and more
evident that great and powerful personages were deeply implicated,
not only in the foul murder, but also in other crimes of the most
heinous and disgraceful description.
In tracing and detecting the secrets of this black business, Lord Chief
Justice Coke showed so much zeal and diligence that he succeeded
in having apprehended and brought to justice some of the
(apparently) principal culprits, in spite, not only of the attempts that
were first made to enable them to escape, but of the influence that
was afterwards employed to stay their execution.
Richard Weston, who had been Overbury's keeper in the Tower, was
early brought to trial. At first he seemed resolved to be silent on
every subject, induced thereto, it is said, by an immense bribe from
the Earl of Somerset, but at length he was prevailed on to plead.
Poor wretch, the "persuasions" to which he yielded were the
thumbscrew and the rack, but no sooner did he plead than he was
speedily convicted and executed. Even at the foot of the gallows the
miserable creature was not left in peace. Lord Clare, Sir John
Wentworth, and Mr. Lumsden (friends of Somerset) attended him to
the scaffold, and vehemently urged him to declare, in these his last
moments, that a conspiracy had been concocted against Somerset.
So evident was it that Overbury's murder concealed even darker
secrets, and that these secrets implicated powerful and therefore
formidable personages, that Sir Edward, with his keen legal
foresight, early foresaw peril. So imminent, indeed, did he consider
the danger, that he went to the King at Royston to beg His Majesty
would appoint a commission to assist him during the necessary
investigations, and thus in some degree enable him to share the
onus with others.
It has been hinted by some historians that the King knew more
about this hateful matter than he cared to acknowledge.
James I. was a shrewd and prudent man; he was timid also, and
ever shrank from allowing his name to be involved in any way with
affairs that would be distasteful to, or unpopular amongst, his newly-
acquired people. His shrewdness and his fears, however, led in
several instances to his acting in both a cowardly and a treacherous
manner.
In this case, whatever may have been the knowledge the King
possessed, he skilfully concealed his suspicions from the chief
person implicated. When informed of Overbury's murder, without a
moment's delay he despatched a messenger to the Chief Justice,
desiring him to arrest Lord Somerset.
Sir Edward Coke at that time lived in the Temple, and so
methodically did he measure out his time, that every hour had its
appointed usage. One of his rules was to go to bed at nine of the
clock, and to rise at three in the morning.
The Royal messenger arrived at the Temple about 1 a.m., and at
once proceeded to Sir Edward's lodging. Sir Edward's son was there,
and also some friends, but the Chief Justice was in bed.
Mr. Coke therefore received the messenger, who said:
"I come, sir, from His Majesty the King, and must have instant
speech with your father."
"Though you come from the King," said Mr. Coke, "you cannot and
shall not see my father, for if he be disturbed in his sleep he will not
be fit for any business; but if you will do as we do, you shall be
welcome. In two hours my father will rise, and you can then do as
you please."
To this proposal the messenger was compelled to assent, so he
waited.
At three o'clock, Sir Edward rang a little bell to give notice to his
servant to come to him.
The Royal messenger then entered, and gave the King's letter to the
Chief Justice, who at once made out the warrant for Somerset's
apprehension.
The messenger went post-haste back to Royston with the warrant,
and on being introduced into the Royal presence, found the King
sitting with his arm round the favourite's neck.
When the officer with the fatal document entered the room, James
was saying to the man whom he himself was causing to be arrested
on a charge of murder: "When shall I see thee again?" the favourite
being on the eve of his departure for London.
Somerset, when arrested by Sir Edward's warrant, exclaimed
indignantly at the affront thus offered to a peer of the realm, even in
the presence of the King's Majesty. In his anger he appealed to
James.
"Nay, man," said the King, "if Coke sends for me, I must go."
No sooner, however, was Somerset out of the room, than his wily
master added:
"Now the de'il go with thee, man, for I will never see thy face any
more."
It is difficult to understand what was really the King's belief, or what
were really the King's motives, on this occasion.
To some persons he asserted that he did not believe Somerset had
anything to do with the actual murder. Yet it was he who caused his
favourite to be arrested; and when that arrest had been made and
the Chief Justice had arrived at Royston, the King spoke with
exceeding angry energy, charging Sir Edward to prosecute the affair
with the utmost diligence.
He was to search into the very bottom of the conspiracy, and to
spare no man, however great he might be; the King concluding his
adjuration thus:
"God's curse be upon you and yours if you spare any of them, and
God's curse be upon me and mine, if I spare any one of them."
Not only the Earl of Somerset, but his wife, the young and beautiful
Countess of Somerset, was also arrested as being implicated in the
crime; and whilst their trials were in course of preparation, many
other persons of inferior rank were tried, condemned, and executed.
On the 7th November, Mrs. Anne Turner, who had been about Lady
Somerset from her childhood, was tried, convicted, and hanged.
On the 16th of the same month, Sir George Ellways, Lieutenant of
the Tower, was also convicted, and was hanged on Tower Hill on the
20th.
A week later, namely, on the 27th, James Franklin was tried,
convicted, and, a few days afterwards, hanged.
It might have been supposed that so many trials and executions
showed no want of zeal on the part of the Chief Justice and the
other Commissioners. Yet notwithstanding so sanguinary a list, Sir
Edward fell into disfavour for not hunting down and giving over to
the gibbet more of these miserable victims—victims who in all
probability had been but the creatures and tools of those who were
far more deeply implicated, and far more deeply culpable.
It has been supposed that the friends of Somerset trusted that the
nation would at length weary of so much bloodshed, and that time
and political events would cause the recollection of one black crime
to fade away.