The poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury in 1615, while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London, is a famous/ infamous incident of Jacobean times, and a historical scandal which periodically crops up again. Overbury was a courtier of James I who made powerful enemies including James's queen, Anne of Denmark, and they combined to turn the King against him and to have him arrested. During his custody he was poisoned (possibly smothered as well) by unknown people, and suspicion fell on the young Earl and Countess of Somerset, who had their own urgent reasons for wanting Overbury out of the way. The King's known bisexuality which made him pamper male favourites, the viciousness of Jacobean court intrigue, complex marriage and inheritance plots, and sheer bloody-mindedness all combined to create an evil-smelling cause celebre. It is a salutary reminder of how true even Shakespeare's most melodramatic plays often are to the realities of his age. B.F.