Estates which we lost by not having the benefit of the Articles let hanging drawing and quartering be the denomination of Captain Crook's Articles Nevertheless I thank the Lord Protector for that he hath indulged me so far as to have my Head severed from my Body I should now give an account of my Faith but truly Gentlemen this poor Nation is rent into so many several opinions as that 't is impossible to give you my own without displeasing some of you however if any be so critical as to enquire of what Faith I die it is the same belief of the Apostles and of Athanasius Creed I have subscribed and do own the Nine and Thirty Articles of the Church of England if this will not satisfie I refer my self to this Reverend Doctor Short to whom I have unbosomed my self as to the particulars of my Religion And now having given you an Account concerning my self I hold my self obliged in duty to some of my Friends to take off some suspicion that lies upon them I mean as to some Persons of Honour with whom upon my examination I was charged to have a correspondency withal concerning this business viz. The Lord Marquess of Hertford the Marquess of Winchester and the Earl of Pembrook I did then acquit them and do now second it with this protestation that I never had any correspondency with any of them in relation to this particular business or indeed to any that concerned the Protector or his Government As for the Marquess of Winchester I saw him some twelve years since and not later and if I should see him here present I believe I should not know him As for the Earl of Pembrook he was not a Man likely to whom I should discover my thoughts because I know not how he stands affected I was likewise examined concerning my Brother Freke my Cousin Hastings and Mr. Dorrington they are Men of very great Estates which may make them liable to this Inquisition and endeavoured to be brought into my condition but I do here so far acquit them as to give the World this protestation That I am confident they are as innocent as the youngest Child here I have no more to say to you now but that I am in Charity with all Men and I thank God I can forgive my greatest persecutors I can go on my bare knees to the greatest of mine enemics to forgive them And I do freely forgive all that ever had a hand in my Death I have offered the Protector good security for my future demeanour as I suppose he could have expected if he had thought sit to have given me my Life Certainly I should not have been so ungrateful as to have employed it against him I do humbly submit to God's pleasure knowing that the Issues of Life and Death are in his hands my Blood is but a small sacrifice If it had been saved I am so much a Gentleman as to have given thanks to him that preserved it and so much a Christian as to forgive them that takes it away but seeing God by his Providence hath called me to lay it down I submit to him Death is a debt a due debt owing by all it is terrible to nature but I look on it without terrour it pleased God to make me a good Husband and I am not come to pay this Debt before it be due I am not ashamed of the cause for which I die and I hope that none of my Friends or Allyants will be ashamed of it or of the Ignominy of my death seeing it is for so good a Cause I do not look upon it as the pulling down of my Family but the raising it up one story higher I am not so prodigal of Nature as to throw away my Life but have used all yet none but Honourable and honest means to preserve it These unhappy times have been very fatal to my Family Two of my Brothers slain and my self going to the slaughter it is God's Will and I must submit to that Providence I must render a due acknowledgement of the great civilities I have received from this City of Exeter and from some Persons of Quality and for the plentiful provision made for the Prisoners especially I thank this noble Sheriff for his many great favours and courtesies towards us and in particular to my self and I desire the Sheriff to present my due respects to the Protector and although he had no mercy for my self yet that he would have respect to my Family for the business I now die I look on it as an Individuum vagum I know not what they mean when they assert this to be Treason except they make it like the Wind in the Gospel to blow where it listeth I know not to what end it may come I pray God that my own and my Brother's blood who is now to die with me may be the last I am now stripping off my cloaths to fight a duel with death and conceive no other duel to be lawful but my Saviour hath pulled out the sting of this mine enemy he made himself a Sacrifice for me I do not account that man deserving a drop of his blood that will not spend all for him in a good cause As I now put off these garments of cloth so I hope I have put off my garments of sin and have put on the Robes of Christ's Righteousness here which will bring me to the enjayment of his glorious Robes anon I desire to see the Axe and he kissed it saying I am like to have a sharp passage of it but my Saviour hath taken away the sting of death and I hope he will sweeten it to me Thus I commit my Soul to God my Creator and Redeemer look on me O Lord at my last gasping hear my Prayer and the Prayers of all good people I will close with praying for the King I thank thee O God for all thy dispensations towards me Glory be to God on high on Earth peace and good Will towards Men Causa non poena seu passio facit Martyrem To dic in the defence and for the Testimony of any Divine Truth is truly to be a Martyr Memorable hath been the stedfast obedience and fidelity of this City to the Crown in the various succession of Ages and Times of the Britains Romans Saxons Danes and Normans which have been well remunerated by their several and successive Kings in their distinct Reigns as is manifested by the many and large Immunities Liberties and Priviledges from time to time conferred on their City Whatever the Antiquity of this City be I find that 't was built before London even at Brute's first landing here by his Nephew Corinaeus on whom Brute bestowed this Western Country Hooker Stowe Bale Anno Mundi 2855. The same being before Christ's Incarnation eleven hundred years and upwards And presently thereafter Brute built London calling it Troynovant This City is thought to be one of the first Cities that
year of the Reign of King Edward the Sixth Annoque Domini 1549. the Gates of the City were again opened In remembrance whereof an Anniversary with much joy and solemnity is here kept and thankfully observed on every sixth day of August Of which good service thus worthily performed by the Citizens hereof a Learned Authour of late thus speaks Whoso example God grant all Cities may follow Boswell in his Armory of Honour for 110. and withal learn to be noble by Exeter A Modern Authour and Native of this City Dr. Vilvain of late wrote this Distich and translated the same Vrbs sitâ— Devoniae in Medie cui Excestriâ— nomen Cincta fuit decies obsidione gravi In mid'st of Devon Exeter City seated Hath with Ten Sieges grievously been sireitned 'T is well known what sufferings Persons of the best Quality within this City in the time of the late Rebellion did undergo by manifesting their Loyalty to their Soveraign Lord and King even by Fines Imprisonments by Sea and by Land Compositions Sequestrations Decimations and what not A Sequestrator was then found to be like the great Sultan's horse that where he treads the grass grows no more In a word they ruined the Father begger'd the Son and strangled the hopes of all Posterity in many flourishing Families as too sad experience hath informed too many now alive My Litany or supplication is stedfast Dii terris talem nostris avertite pestem Reform the wicked World most gracious God Heal our Back-slidings and remove thy Rod. And one Gentleman amongst sundry others for their Loyalty to the King here murthered being priviledged to be decently Interred in St. Sydwell's Church without the East-gate of the said City his Corps was thither attended by some thousand Persons of a depressed party of which number I then thought my self happy to be one In whose memory this ensuing Epitaph was Inscribed on his Tombstone viz. Hic jacet Hugo Grove de Enford in Comitatu Wiltoniae Armiger in restituendo Ecclesiam in asserendo Regem in propugnando legem ac libertatem Anglicanam captue decollatus decimo sexto Maii 1655. Whose Speech on the Scaffold at the time of his Execution here followeth Good People I Never was guilty of much Rhetorick nor ever loved long Speeches in all my Life and therefore you cannot expect either of them from me now at my death all that I shall desire of you besides your hearty prayers for my Soul is that you will bear me witness that I dye a true Son of the Church of England as it was established by King Edward the Sixth Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles of ever blessed Memory that I die a loyal Subject to King Charles the Second my undoubted Soveraign and a Lover of the good old Laws of the Land the just privileges of Parliament and the right liberties of the people for the re-establishing of all which I undertook this engagement and for which I am now ready to lay down my life God forgive the Judges and Council perverting the Laws God forgive the bloody-minded Jury and those that procured them God forgive Captain Crook for denying his Articles so unworthily God forgive Mr. Dove High Sheriff of Will and all others fâ—â—â—wearting so maliciously against me God forgâ—â—â—ll mine enemies I heartily forgive them God bless the King and all that love him and turn the hearts of all that hate him and God bless you all and be merciful to you and my Soul The last Speech of John Penruddock Esquire on the same Scaffold and on the same day being Wednesday 16. Maii 1665. likewise beheaded Wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death I thank God who hath given me the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Gentlemen IT hath ever been the Custom of all persons whatsoever when they come to die to declare themselves in order to the satisfaction of the World whether they be guilty of the facts of which they stand charged the crime for which I am now to die is High Treason as 't is said I cannot deny but that I was at Southmolton in this County but whether my being there or my Actions amount to so high a crime as High Treason I leave to the Law and World to judge If I were conscious of any base end in this my undertaking I would not be so injurious to my own Soul or disingenuous to you as not to make a publick acknowledgement thereof I suppose that divers persons as they are byassed by their several interests and Relations will give their opinion to the World concerning us 'T is impossible therefore to express my self in those particulars as not to expose both my Judgement and Reputation to others on a breach of Charity concerning me or my Actions I thought sit to decline all discourse which may give them a capacity either to injure my self or cause My Trial was Publick Honourable and Eminent my several Examinations I believe will be produced when I am in my Grave I will refer you therefore to my first Tryal which I am sure some of you heard and to the latter which many of you in good time may see Had Captain Crook done himself and us that right that a Gentleman and Soldier ought to have done I had now enjoyed my own right and had not been here this day I forgive the Man with all my heart truly he did us an injury by enforcing those Articles upon us which his own Conscience tells him he had no intention to perform but truly Gentlemen his protesting against those Articles which he himself with so many protestations and importunities put upon us hath drawn so much dishonour and blood upon his head that I fear some heavy Judgement will pursue him although he hath been false to us I pray God I do not prove a true Prophet to him I am very glad that some of our party have enjoyed the benefit of his Articles though I am thereof deprived albeit I drew them with my own hand thus much I am obliged to say for the honour of the Soldiery who have been so far from the breaking of any Articles given to others that they have rather bettered them then otherwise 'T is now my misfortune to be made a Precedent and an example together but I will not do the Protector so much injury as to load him with this dishonour seeing that I have been informed that he would have made good our Conditions if Crook that gave them had not abjured them This is not a time for me to enlarge on any Subject seeing I am now become the subject of death my self but as I said that the Articles were drawn by my hand I thought my self obliged to a particular Justification of them I could tell you of some Soldiers that are turned out of his Troop for defending of those Conditions of ours but let that pass and for ever hence-forward instead of Life Liberty and
Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1565. Mayors and Bayliffs John Woolcott Robert Chaff Thomas Bruerton Robert Lambell Alexander Trigg This Mayor passed all the Offices towards the Mayoralty about 22. years last past when he was a Merchant flourishing with Wealth but falling afterwards into decay and no less in respect of his old Age 't was thought fit not to cast the Office of Mayoralty upon him nevertheless the lot being now fallen to him a fitting house was purposely provided for him and the charge of keeping the same for this year was undertaken by the Chamber and defrayed accordingly Regna Regum 8. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1566. Mayors and Bayliffs Thomas Richardson Simon Knight Nicholas Martin John Pope Thomas Bird The Exchequer of St. Peters 23. Octobris was robbed but the Thieves were so honest as that when they had carried home the money and finding the same to be more then they needed returned the over-plus Regna Regum 9. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1567. Mayors and Bayliffs John Smith William Chappell Thomas Martin John Hutchins John Jones A voluntary collection here made of threescore pounds in money towards the reparation of St. Mary Michels Tower and Spire the Weather-cock thereof being blown down Regna Regum 10. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1568. Mayors and Bayliffs Robert Chaff Edward Lymett John Levermove Richard Newman Roger Robinson Calabear Weare by means of a great Frost was much in decay and afterwards new made in a frame of Timber Regna Regum 11. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1569. Mayors and Bayliffs William Chappel Thomas Bruerton John Pyle William Hunt John Collins Bishop Allâ—igh having well governed this Church nine years and upwards 15. Aprilis departed this Life and lies buried under a fair Marble stone in the Quire of his own Church with this Inscription thereon Reverendus Pateâ— Willielmus Alleigh Exoniensis Episcopus Aceâ—rimus Evangelicae veritatis propugnator morum probitate praecelebris bonarum Disciplinarum mirabili scientia clarus in Christo Domino sub hoc marmore quiescit obiit Decimo Quinto Aprilis Anno Domini 1570. William Bradbridge Dean of Sarisbury was the next elected Bishop of this Church and accordingly consecrated at Lambeth by Mathew Parker Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 28. Aprilis The Plague reigning here the chiefest Men of the City removed into the Country with their Families Regna Regum 12. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1570. Mayors and Bayliffs Simon Knight William Tryvett William Paramâ—re Hugh Wilsdon Walter Jones The Yarn Market was new builded Regna Regum 13. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1571. Mayors and Bayliffs Thomas Bruerton Nicholas Martin John Dorr William Martin William Monugwell Agnes the Wife of John Jones late of this City was burnt to death in Southen-hay for poysoning her said Husband Regna Regum 14. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1572. Mayors and Bayliffs John Peryâ—m John Blackall Thomas Prestwood Thomas Reymond Henry James Richard Sweet This John Peryam towards the end of his Mayoralty sc 5. Septembris died and John Blackall was elected Mayor in his place to perform that Office for the residue of the year Regna Regum 15. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1573. Mayors and Bayliffs William Tryvett George Peryaman John Davy Alexander Mayn Thomas Chappel A general Watch is here yearly kept on Midsomer-eve according to the ancient custom of the sayd City a chief end whereof is for the cleansing of the Harness and Artillery Regna Regum 16. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1574. Mayors and Bayliffs Nicholas Martin John Pope John Peryam John Sanford Richard Harding In the month of December there fell such a sudden storm of Hail Wind and Thunder as the like had not been heard or seen A pension of 40 s. per Annum by Patent under the Common Seal granted to Sir Gawen Carew Knight for his Life on whose decease the same was in like manner settled on Edmond Tremayn Esquire to them both in reward of their good services done this City In an Isle at the East end of the Cathedral Church there 's a fair Tomb of Free-stone with the Portraicture of Sir Peter Carew Knight compleatly armed who was Brother to the Lord Carew of Clopton sometime Lord President of Munster afterwards Master of his Majesties Ordinance then Chamberlain to Queen Ann and a Privy Counsellour and lastly Earl of Totnes both of them Sons to Dean Carew of this Cathedral Church who was the Queens Chaplain in Ordinary and endowed with other dignities Regna Regum 17. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1575. Mayors and Bayliffs John Peter Richard Prowsâ— George Smith Nicholas Spicer Richard Beaufitz A Freeman of this City being impleaded at Westminster for matters determinable here our Charters for Cognizance of Pleas were sent up and by Plea demanded and the cause thereon was ordered to be tryed here Thomas Williams Esquire serving in Parliament as one of our Citizens was elected Speaker of the House of Commons to whom was sent hence a present of 20 l. in gold in reward of his good service there done for this City on whose death to supply his room in Parliament Sir Peter Carew Knight was here Elected as one of our Citizens Regna Regum 18. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1576. Mayors and Bayliffs Thomas Prestwood Robert Chaffe Thomas Martin Thomas Spicer Lawrence Barcomb John Choppell This Thomas Presiwood in the beginning of his Mayoralty sc 28. Decemb. died and Robert Chaff elected his Successor to execute that Office for the residue of the year For the more decent sitting of the Mayor and Justices in Court the higher part of the Guild-hall was erected seated and plaunched Regna Regum 19. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1577. Mayors and Bayliffs George Peryman Michael Germin John Hakewill John Dod John Field Thomas Spicer of this City Merchant on a Wager loaded two Hogsheads of Wine on a Horse and carried them from one seller to another about the space of a Furlong Bishop Bradbridg at his Benefice of Newton-Ferrers in Devon 27. Junii being alone suddenly died a Man only memorable for this that nothing memorable is recorded of him saving that he well governed this Church about eight years and lies buried in the North-side of the Quire of his said Church near the high Altar Regna Regum 20. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1578. Mayors and Bayliffs Richard Prowse Jeffery Thomas William Perry Thomas Turbervill William Shepherd John Wolton sometime a Cannon Residentiary of this Church 24. Augusti was installed Bishop thereof by Edmond Grindall Arch-Bishop of Canterbury The Guild-hall was new cieled and glazed and before it a new Pump erected John Jones of this City Gold-smith bestowed on the Mayor hereof a Bason and Ewer of silver parcell gilded of 30 l. value for the use of the said Mayor and his Successors for ever for the Cities honour A house of Correction was here erected towards which the Citizens gave liberally whereof many of them afterwards repented Regna Regum 21. Q. Elizabeth An. D. 1579. Mayors and Bayliffs William Chappell Simon Knight Thomas Reymond John Aplin John