be answerable for all his Errors when they were to be charged upon him and to this noâ— of them should concur with greater alacrity than himself That he hoped none of theâ— would deny to give him the priviledge of the first Voice which was That he would never in heart nor hand concur with them to punish this man as a Traytor and desired therefore that they would think of some other way how the Business might be composed Nor should it ever be less dear to him though with the loss of His dearest Blood to protect the Innocent than to punish the Guilty At this the House of Commons startled and adjorned themselves till Monday divers censures are past upon the King's Speech even of those that lov'd His Honour some think he was drawn to this by a certain fore-knowledge of the Lords facility to give way to the Commons and that it was better to express himself then if by that means he could hinder the Sentence than to countermand the Execution thereof when it was passed and so draw all the envy upon himself Others are of opinion which is more probable that this hath been a Plot of the Kings bosome enemies to set him at odds with His Subjects that thereby they might Fish the more securely in these troubled Waters The reason is because it is very likely the Lord Strafford might have passed free by the Voices of the Lords but now howsoever the matter falleth out all the blame will be imputed to the King for if he be condemned it will be no thanks to the King if justified that will certainly be laid to the King too as who by His Threats and Menaces hath forestalled the Voices of his Nobility It is conceiv'd by wise men and such as wish no evil to my Lord Strafford that it had been far better both for the King and him to have first â—â—yed the utmost of the Lords for the King because it was both possible and probable that he might have gained the Declaration of the Lords for him if not it was time enough to Interpose His own Power afterwards for the Lord Strafford because it hath made the House of Commons a great deal the more pressing fearing by the King 's Peremptory Answer from whom in regard of the advantage of the times they expected nothing but a Concedimus omnia that there is some Plot under hand And these thoughts produced the late tumults of the Londoners of which more by and by And it is verily thought that for these two Reasons the Lieutenants seeming Friends but indeed real Enemies have put the King upon this way hoping thereby that the Lords should find occasion to pretend necessity of doing that which perhaps in regard of common equity or the King's displeasure they could nor durst have done howsoever Facta est alia the King is now so far ingaged that with respect to Honour and Conscience he cannot retire for if the Procedure be by a Legislative Power it falls directly upon him nor can he give his assent if by a Judiciary then must he either hinder the Execution or be said to have Charged himself with Injustice This hath produced strange alterations even the Marriage of the Prince of Orange done on Sunday last May the Second with ordinary Solemnity is now exceeding hateful to the Commons which so much before desired it some say the Precipitation of that Marriage Imports no good others that the Parliament had condescended to that Marriage but did not expect that Acceleration a third sort that the Party is mean enough if not too low for the King of England's Eldest Daughter all of them that the Dutch-men have offered Money to the King for a new Service of War and have thereby bought this Honour this is increased by the Landing of a Dutch-man who is to be Gentleman of the Kings Horse And shortly with us the Hollander will be no less odious than the Spaniard Oh the wonderful changes of the untoward unconstant and giddy multitude How unhappy a time it is to know what Liberty means and to get the Reins cast about their own necks it ranges madly up and down nec modum tenens nec terminum nor is capable of subsistance till it hath lost it self and what it so much affects Liberty So Knives are put into the hands of Children who discern no danger but affect them for their splendor and glittering So Poyson into the Mouths of Fools which is judged only by the Taste and Sweetness But it seems the Judgment of this Kingdom cannot be prevented and because they have sinned against themselves by abusing their Plenty and Fatness it is the just Judgement of God that they be the Executioners of his Judgments upon themselves Before I tell you of Monday and Tuesdays Madness I must tell you when and whence this fury hath its first motion Upon the Thursday before a great many Apprentices beset the Spanish Embassadors House neer Bishopsâ—gate threatning to pull it down and kill the Man the Mayor of London comes amongst them and with a great deal of pains persuaded them to retire home and afterwards entred into the Ambassador's House at his coming in the Ambassador desired him to pull down his Sword which was carried before him because he was now where the King of Spain had Jurisdiction That being done he told the Lord Mayor that in all his life time he had never seen such a barbarous attempt and desired to know whether England was a civil Nation or no where the Law of Nations was so monstrously violated The Mayor replied That they were of the base and rascally sort of People and intreated the Tumult might not be imputed to the Town The Ambassador answered That he could hardly acknowledge that to be a Town â—eâ— scarce a Society of Men where there was so little Civility and Government The Mayor told him That the people were discontent because Mass was said in his house The Ambassador replied That the English Ambassador had the free Exercise of his Religion at Madrid and that he would rather forgo his life than any of those Privileges due to him by â—action and the Law of Nations The Mayor answered They were the more incensed against him because the Londoners popishly affected were permitted to come into his house to Mass which was beyond both Law and Custom The Ambassador replied That if the Mayor would keep them without doors he would promise to send for none of them but if they came once within his doors he could not in preservation of his Conscience or his Master's Honour deny them either access to his Religion or safeguard to their Persons as far as in him lay Upon this a Guard was appointed to attend the Ambassador's house whether to keep out Papists or to preserve them that were within or to let in others is yet to be disputed The storm was quiet from thence 'till Monday when the people being inflamed again by the King's Speech
about the two first particulars but did hear of none and that it was no small disadvantage to him to be charged with a great many odious Crimes by a Book Printed and flying from hand to hand through the whole Kingdom yet when they came to prove there should be no such thing laid against him Secondly About the Speeches He ingeniously confessed that some such thing might perhaps have escaped the dore of his lips when he saw their backwardness to his Majesties Service and as the times were then conditioned he did not think it much amiss to call that faction by the name of Rebels but yet he thought he had abundantly satisfied for that oversight if it was any at York For having understood there that the City of London were willing to make a Loan of Money he there before the great councel of the Peers expressed himself to this sence that the Londoners had sufficiently made up all their delays hitherto by their Act that the King was oblieged to their forwardness and that he himself should be as ready to serve them as any poor Gentleman in England About the other words he said that being in conference with some of the Londoners there came at that time to his hands a Letter from the Earl of Leicester then at Paris wherein were the Gazets inclosed reporting that the Cardinal had given some such order as to leavy Money by forces this he said he only told the Lord Cottington standing by without the last application or intention concerning the English Affairs Cottington being examined upon this declared the same in the same manner Thirdly to Sir Ralph Freeman he said that his Testimony did not concern the Charge at all nor did he think any thing amiss in it though he had said it if the Servants of the Mint refused 〈◊〉 work according to directions they did deserve the House of Correction nor was it Treasonable to say the King might use that House for the Correction of his Servants as well as any Man in the Citty for theirs Fourthly He said that there was no great likelyhood that he had committed real Acts of Treason when his adverse party was content to trifle away so much time about words neither was there any Treason in them though they had been fully verified and therefore in that as in all other Articles he reserved a power for his Councel to dispute in matter of Law They went to the Twenty seventh Article and Charged thus That immediately after his Appointment to be Lord Lieutenant to the Army here in England he shewed what Principles of Arbitrary Government lurked within his bosom for by his own immediate Authority without and against Law he had laid Impost of Money upon the Kings Subjects where they mention three Particulars First That he had imposed 8 d. per diem upon the County of York for entertaining the Trayned Bands there one whole Month. Secondly That they had sent out Warrants for collecting the same and threatned to imprison such as should refuse to pay Thirdly That he said that it was a Crime nigh to the Crime of high Treason not to pay the saâ— Fourthly They added that in his general Replies he had brought two things for his defence first that this mony was freely and voluntarily offered by those in York-shire secondly that the great Councel of the Peers had notice of the same To the first they answered that a Petition was indeed preferred by the York shire men and a Month pay offered but that the Lord Srafford had refused to present the same upon this exception only because in the same they had petitioned for a Parliament whereby he evidently declared what little â—nclination he had to that way To the Second They appeal'd to all the Lords present whether any such Order did pass before the Council of the Peers at York The Proofs were First A Warrant issued by Colonel Pennyman for this Money and another by Sir Edward Osborne Secondly Mr John Burrowes who declared that he was Clerk to the great Council but did remember of no Order and withal added that it might have passed at that time when he attended at Rippon Thirdly Mr. Dunston who declared that he had known that Money levied by some Musqueteers Fourthly By Sir William Ingram who declared that he had heard the Lieutenant say that to refuse the same came nigh to the Crime of High Treason The concluded the Charge That by these Particulars it was more than evident what unhappyâ— Purposes and Trayterous Designes he had to subdue this Kingdom and subvert the Fundamental Laws and Priviledges First To the Petition That it was a true Petition drawn up by the York-shire Gentlemen and as true that he had refused to present the same because of that clause about the Parliament but the matter was thus At his Majesties coming to York it was thought necessary for the defence of that County to keep the Trayned Band on foot because the Enemy was upon the Borders and therefore the King directed him to write to all the Free-holders in York-shire to see what they would do for their own defence The Time and Place were designed by the King but the night before the Meeting a small Number convented and in a private and factious way did draw up that Petition upon the morrow at their appointed Diet in presence of the whole Number the Petition was presented to him where he did advise them to leave out that Clause and that because he knew the King out of his own Gracious Disposition had intended to call a Parliament which he desired should rather be freely done than upon the constraint and importunity of Petitions moreover it would seem a Mercenary thing in them at one and the same time to offer a Benevolence and withal to Petition for his Favour upon this Remonstrance they were all willing to recall the Petition and directed him by word of Mouth to offer unto the King the Months pay in their Names which he did accordingly in the presence of Forty of them to their no small advantage This he proved by Sir William Pennyman Sir Paul Neale Sir George Wentworth Sir William Savil Sir Thomas Danby who all of them declared as much in ample terms and withal added That nothing was done upon better grounds of Necessity and Obedience than the Offer of â—hat Money and that they never had heard any man grudge against it to this time For the Second about the Council of Peers he alledged that he never made mention of any Order of theirs but he remembred very well it was twice propounded before them that the King had approved it at that time a just and necessary Act and none of the Council had contradicted it which he conceived as a tacit approbation and an Order in Equivalence But though that had not been yet there was nothing done in the Business but at the special desires of the Gentlemen themselves and for their necessary
this wonder of the Times only I leave his virtues to speak the rest to the Admiration of Ours and Compassion of succeeding Ages A Letter to a Friend BElieve me Sir this blessed departure of his hath put me in love with Scaffolds more than Death-beds Let it be my Paradox if not Prophetical to me that it is the best kind of Dissolution provided there be Innocence to uphold the Conscience and with good men at least to maintain the Reputation afterwards Here you are attended with the Pregnancy of Judgment and Memory not weakned nor clouded with tedious and giddy Sicknesses Here you have a time prefixed and must of necessity concentricate your self and your best resolution elsewhere Nature is unwilling to find a Suspension abhorring its own Destruction Imo quam multos in medio scelere mors occupavit medium secuit crimen Here a Moment ends the Pain which perhaps not seven Apprentiships elsewere and here if any where we find pitty yea deservings both with God and good men but he that sent us hither must prescribe us the way of our return Vpon that very day of the Execution in the Afternoon Abyssâ—s abyssum invocat Blood calls for Blood there happened a conflict betwixt the Scots and English Army no certain number yet reported nor what occasion some say Six score some Three score Scots some Twenty some Thirty English only the matter it self was represented by the General the Lord Holland upon a Letter from Sir John Conniers to the Parliament upon Friday with a mighty regret that he had been appointed for Peace but that unhappy rub had fallen out much contrary to his desire The King sent a Letter the day before the Execution by the Prince to the Vpper-house desiring the Rigour of that Sentence might be remitted but it was sent back unbroken up for fear either to refuse the King or discontent the People God forbid His Majesty should give so slender an ear to their Petitions The Lord Strafford's Children are restored to all his Estate and if they Petition for it shall be to his Honours too the House of Commons have been as forward in this as any else whether to make some recompence to them or to give proof to the Nobility lest they should be scared by the example that not so much the Means as the Man was aimed at But it will be a Question whether they can restore that Head too when the Kingdom shall need its service It is to be feared that his great Abilities will shortly be more understood by our want of them than our fruition so dark is mans understanding in Preserving that which is virtuous and useful amongst us Virtutem Incolumem odimus The Earl of Strafford's Letter to His MAJESTY IT hath been my greatest grief in all my troubles to be taken as a person that should endeavour to present and set things amiss between Your Majesty and Your People and to have given Councel tending to the disquiet of Your Majesty and Your three Kingdoms Most true it is that such an attempt my private condition considered had been a great madness seeing through your gracious favour I was so provided as I could not expect in any kind to mend my Fortune or to please my mind more than by resting where your bounteous hand had placed me nay the business is most mightily mistaken for unto your Majesty it is well known that my poor and humble advices concluded still in this That your Majesty should never be happy 'till there were a right understanding procured betwixt you and them No other means to effect and settle this happiness but by the Councel and Assent of the Parliament and no way to prevent the growing Evils of this State but by putting your self entirely upon the Loyalty and good Affection of your Subjects Yet such is my misfortune the truth finds little credit the contrary it seems generally believed and my self reputed the cause of this great separation betwixt you and your People Under a heavier Censure than this I am persuaded no Gentleman can suffer and now I understand that the minds of Men are the more incensed against me notwithstanding your Majesty hath declared That in your Princely Opinion I am not guilty of Treason nor are you satisfied in Conscience to pass the Bill This brings me into a great streight Here is before me the ruin of my Children and Family hitherto untouch'd in all the branches of it with any foul Crime Here are before me the many Evils which may befall your Sacred Person and the whole Kingdom should your self and the Parliament be less satisfied the one with the other than is necessary for the King and People Here are before me the things most valued most feared by mortal Men Life and Death To say Sir there hath not been a conflict within me about these things were to make my self less Man than God knows my infirmities will give me leave and to call a destruction upon my self and my young Children where the intentions at least of my heart have been innocent of this great Offence may be believed would find no easie consent from Flesh and Blood But out of much sadness I am come to a Resolution of that which I take to be best becoming me that is To look upon that which is principally to be considered in it self and that is doubtless the prosperity of your sacred Person and the Common-wealth infinitely to be preferred before any Man's private Interest And therefore in few words as I have put my self wholly upon the Honour and Justice of my Peers so clearly as I wish your Majesty hath been pleased to have spared that Declaration of yours on Saturday last and to have left me entirely to their Lordships so now to set your Majesty's Conscience at Liberty I do most humbly beseech You for the preventing of such mischiefs as may happen by your refusal to pass the Bill by this means to remove praised be God I cannot say this accursed but I confess this unfortunate thing forth of the way towards that blessed Agreement which God I trust shall for ever Establish betwixt you and your Subjects Sir my consent herein shall acquit you more to God than all the World can do beside To a willing Man there is no injury done and as by God's Grace I forgive all the World with a calmness and meekness of infinite contentment to my dislodging Soul so Sir I can give the life of this World with all chearfulness imaginable in the just acknowledgment of your exceeding favours and only beg that in your goodness you would vouchsafe to cast your gracious Regard upon my poor Son and his three Sisters less or more and no otherwise than their unfortunate Father shall appear more or less guilty of this Death God preserve your Majesty Tower May 9. 1641. Your Majesties most Humble and Faithful Subject and Servant STRAFFORD The Petition of THOMAS Earl of STRAFFORD to the Right-Honourable the
all Happiness where every Tear shall be wiped away from our Eyes and every sad thought from our Hearts and so God bless this Kingdom and Jesus have mercy on my Soul Then turning himself about he Saluted all the Noble-men and took a solemn leave of all considerable persons upon the Scaffold giving them his hand After that he said Gentlemen I would say my Prayers and entreat you all 〈◊〉 pray with me and for me then his Chaplain laid the Book of Common-Prayer upon the Chaâ— before him as he kneeled down on which he prayed almost a quarter of an hour and then as long or longer without the Book and concluded with the Lords Prayer Standing up he spies his Brother Sir George Wentworth and calls him to him saying Brother we must part remember me to my Sister and to my Wife and carry my Blessing to my Son and charge him that he fear God and continue an obedient Son to the Church of England and warn him that he bears no private grudge or revenge toward any man concerning me and bid him beware that he meddle not with Church-livings for that will prove a Moth and Canker to him in his Estate and wish him to content himself to be a Servant to his Country not aiming at higher Preferments Aliter To his Son Mr. Wentworth he commends himself and gives him charge to serve his God to submit to his King with all Faith and Allegiance in things Temporal to the Church in things Spiritual chargeth him again and again as he will answer it to him in Heaven never to meddle with the Patrimony of the Church for if he did it would be a Canker to eat up the rest of his Estate Carry my Blessing also to my Daughter Anne and Arabella charge them to serve and fear God and he will bless them not forgetting my little Infant who yet knows neither good nor evil and cannot speak for it self God speak for it and bless it Now said he I have nigh done one stroke will make my Wife Husbandless my dear Children Fatherless and my poor Servants Masterless and will separate me from my dear Brother and all my Friends But let God be to you and them all in all After this going to take off his Doublet and to make himself unready he said I thank God I am not afraid of Death nor daunted with any discouragement rising from any fears but do as chearfully put off my Doublet at this time as ever I did when I went to bed then he put off his Doublet wound up his Hair with his Hands and put on a white Cap. Then he called Where is the Man that is to do this last Office meaning the Executioner call him to me when he came and asked him forgiveness he told him he forgave him and all the World Then kneeling down by the Block he went to Prayer again himself the Primate of Ireland kneeling on the one side and the Minister on the other To the which Minister after Prayer he turned himself having done Prayer and spake some few words softly having his hands lifted up and closed with the Minister's hands Then bowing himself to lay his Head upon the Block he told the Executioner That he would first lay down his Head to try the fitness of the Block and take it up again before he would lay it down for good and all and so he did And before he laid it down again he told the Executioner That he would give him warning when to strike by stretching forth his hands and presently laying down his Neck upon the Block and stretching forth his hands the Executioner strook off his Head at one blow and taking it up in his hand shewed it to all the People and said God save the King His Body was afterwards Embalmed and appoined to be carried into York-shire there to be buried amongst his Ancestors He left these three Instructions for his Son in Writing First That he should continue still to be brought up under those Governours to whom he had committed him as being the best he could pick out of all those within his knowledge and that be should not change them unless they were weary of him that he should rather want himself than they should want any thing they could desire Secondly He charged him as he would answer it at the last day not to put himself upon any public Employments 'till he was thirty years of Age at least And then if his Prince should â—all him to public Service he should carefully undertake it to testifie his Obedience and withall to be faithful and sincere to his Master though he should come to the same end that himself did Thirdly That he should never lay any hand upon any thing that belonged to the Church He foresaw that Ruin was like to come upon the Revenues of the Church and that perhaps they might be shared amongst the Nobility and Gentry But if his Son medled with any of it he wished the Curse of God might follow him and all them to the Destruction of the most Apostolical Church upon Earth FINIS Mondayâ— Tuesday Pyms first charge The Lieutenants Answer Three new Articles Expres Thursday Expres 2. Staffords Reply Friday Express 3. 4. Corks two Falls 1 Interlining 2 His Groom Satturday Charge 1. Staffords Reply Charge 2. Straffords Reply Charge 3. Straffords Reply Secondly Charge 4. Straffords Reply Glinn 's Ejaculation Straffords Reply Monday Charge Art 6. Strafford 's Reply Charge Strafford 's Reply Tuesday Charge latter part of the 8th Article Lady Hibot's Case Strafford 's Reply Charge Article 9. Stafford 's Reply Wednesday Charge Artic. 10. Strafford 's Reply Charge Artic. 11. Strafford's Reply Thursday Artic 12. Charge by Maynard Staffords Reply Charge by Mâ— Palmer latter part of the 15. Article seizing and laying Souldiers upon the Subjects Straffords Reply Glins Speech Straffords Reply Serjeant Savils Coppy of the Commission rejected Straffords Reply Saturday Charge Article 1â— by Mr. Palmer Straffords Reply Whitlocks Charge Article 19. Oath to Scots in Ireland Straffords Reply Monday Article 20 the next 〈◊〉 crowded together Glynâ— Honey Comb interposed Straffords Reply Strafford 's Reply Wednesday Whitlocks Charge Straffords Reply Charge Article 26. Straffords Reply Charge Article 27. Strafford 's Reply Thuasday Charge Sir Walter Earl's Observations Glyns charitable speech Strafford's Reply Friday he was hindred from coming by a fit of the Stone Glyn again Report of my Lord Strafford's death Saturday Monday spent in a conference betwixt both Houses Tuesday Strafford's reply My Lord Strafford's last Speech in the Hall The Recorder Thursday The formality of a conference Monday Protestation Saturday May 8. Sunday Four Bishops