On August 13, Ralegh was examined about Cobham's negotiations with Arenberg. His statement was: "Lord Cobham offered me 10,000 crowns of the money, for the furthering of the Peace between England and Spain; and he said that I should have it within three days. I told him, 'When I see the money I will make you an answer.' For I thought it one of his ordinary idle conceits, and therefore made no account thereof. But this was as I think before Count Arenberg's coming over." And in a letter written to the Lords of the Council a few days after this examination, in which he proclaims his innocence of any treasonable practice, he breaks out, after enumerating his exploits against Spain, in bitterness at the irony of the charge. "Alas, to what end should we live in the world if all the endeavours of so many testimonies shall be blown off with one blast of breath, or be prevented by one man's charge." Lord Cobham had made several retractions of his outburst against Ralegh, both at Ralegh's instigation and on his own initiative. Sir George Harvey, the Governor of the Tower, was discreet enough to keep back the latter retraction until one month after the trial, when he showed Cecil a letter in which Cobham wrote of his accusation, "God is my wittness, it doth troble my contiens." Terror had unhinged Cobham's mind, he accused Ralegh and retracted his accusations in such a way that one retraction more or less mattered little; Sir George Harvey's sense of duty, however, is significant. The indictment was drawn up at Staines on the 21st of September. Three months were allowed to elapse before the trial took place. Meanwhile, Sir Francis Godolphin, High Sheriff of Cornwall, was authorized to take the muster of the county, "the Commission of Lieutenancy granted to Sir Walter Ralegh being become void and determined." In October Arenberg left England for Flanders, overwhelmed with evidence of the King's favour. The plague was raging in London, and accordingly the trial was to be held at Winchester. Sir William Waad was ordered to bring Sir Walter Ralegh to Wolvesey Castle--the episcopal palace of Winchester. Waad wrote to Cecil, "It was hob or nob whether Ralegh should have been brought alive through such multitudes of unruly people as did exclaim against him. We took the best order we could in setting watches through the streets, both in London and the suburbs. If one hare-brain fellow amongst so great multitudes had begun to set upon him--as they were very near to do it--no entreaty or means could have prevailed; the fury and tumult of the people was so great." Ralegh was driven in his own carriage; he faced the mob with disdain.