of these Inviters 'T is no time to dissemble How willingly I was to have served this Nation in any thing that was in my power is known to very many honest pious and religious men and how ready I would have been to have done what I could to have served them if it had pleased them to have preserved my life in whose hands there was a power They have not thought it fit and so I am become unuseful in that which willingly I would have done As I said at first Sir so I say now concerning that point I wish the Kingdoms happiness I wish it peace and truly Sir I wish that this bloud of mine may be the last that is drawn and howsoever I may perhaps have some reluctancy with my self as to the matter of my fact for my suffering for my fact yet I freely forgive all Sir I carry no rancour along with me to my grave His Will be done that has created both Heaven and Earth and me a poor miserable sinful creature now speaking before him For me to speak Sir to you State-business and the Government of the Kingdom or my opinion in that or for any thing in that nature truly it is to no end it contributes nothing My own inclination hath been to peace from the beginning and it is known to many that I never was an ill instrument betwixt the King and his people I never acted to the prejudice of the Parliament I bore no Arms I medled not with it I was not wanting by my prayers to God Almighty for the happiness of the King and truly I shall pray still that God may so direct him as that may be done which shall tend to his glory the peace happiness of the Kingdom I have not much more to say that I remember of I think I have spoken of my Religion D. Sibbald Your Lordship has not so fully said it Camb. Truly I do believe I did say something D. Sibbald I know you did 't is pleasing to hear it from your Lordship again Camb. Truly Sir for the profession of my Religion that which I said was the established Religion and that which I have practised in my own Kingdom where I was born and bred my Tenents they need not to be exprest they are known to all and I am not of a rigid opinion many godly men there is that may have scruples which do not concern me at all at no time they may differ in Opinion and now more then at any time differing in Opinion does not move me not any mans my own is clear Sir The Lord forgive me my sins and I forgive freely all those that even I might as a worldly man have the greatest animosity against We are bidden to forgive Sir 'T is a command laid upon us and there mentioned Forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us D. Sibb 'T is our Saviours rule Love your Enemies Bless them that Curse you pray for them that persecute you do good to them that despightfully use you Camb. Sir it is high time for me to make an end of this and truly I remember no more that I have to say but to pray to God Almighty a few words and then I have done Then kneeling down with D. Sibbald he prayed thus MOst Blessed Lord I thy poor and most unworthy servant come unto thee presuming in thy infinite Mercy and the Merits of Jesus Christ who sits upon the Throne I come flying from that of Justice to that of Mercy and Tenderness for his Sake which shed his blood for sinners that he would take Compassion upon me that he will look upon we as one that graciously hears me that he would look upon me as one that hath Redeemed me that he would look upon me as one that hath shed his blood for me that he would look upon me as one who now calls and hopes to be saved by his All-sufficient merits For his sake Glorious God have Compassion upon me in the Freeness of thy infinite Mercy that when this sinful soul of mine shall depart out of this frail Carcass of Clay I may be carried into thy Everlasting Glory O Lord by thy Free Grace and out of thy infinite mercy hear me and look down and have Compassion upon me and thou Lord Jesus thou my Lord and thou my God and thou my Redeemer hear me take pity upon me take pity upon me gracious God and so deal with my soul that by thy precious merits I may attain to thy joy and bliss O Lord remember me so miserable and sinful a creature now thou O Lord thou O Lord that dyed for me receive me and receive me into thy own bound of mercy O Lord I trust in thee suffer me not now to be confounded Satan has had too long possession of this soul O let him not now prevail against it but let me O Lord from henceforth dwell with thee for evermore Now Lord it is thy time to hear me hear me gracious Jesus even for thy own Goodness Mercy and Truth O Glorious God O Blessed Father O Holy Redeemer O Gracious Comforted O Holy and Blessed Trinity I do render up my soul into thy hands and commit it with the Mediation of my Redeemer Praising thee for all thy Dispensations that it has pleased thee to confer upon me and even for this Praise and Honour and Thanks from this time forth for evermore D. Sibbald My Lord I trust you now behold with the Eye of Faith the Son of Righteousness shining upon your soul and will cheerfully submit unto him who hath Redeemed us through his Blood even the Blood of Jesus Christ that you may appear at the Tribunal of God clothed with the White Robe of his Unspotted Righteousness the Lord grant that with the Eye of Faith you may now see the Heavens opened and Jesus Christ standing at the Right Hand of God ready to receive you into his Arms of Mercy Camb. Then the Earl turning to the Executioner said Shall I put on another Cap Must this Hair be turn'd up from my Neck There are three of my servants to give satisfaction D. Sibbald My Lord I hope you are able to give all that are about you satisfaction you are assured that God is reconciled unto you through the Blood of Christ Jesus and the Spirit of the Lord witnesseth to you that Christ is become now a Jesus unto you My Lord fasten the Eyes of your Faith upon Jesus the Author and Finisher of your Salvation who himself was brought to a violent death for the Redemption of Mankind he chearfully submitted to his Fathers good pleasure in it and for us Blessed and holy is he that hath part my Lord in the first resurrection that is in the first Riser Jesus Christ who is both the Resurrection and the Life over him the second death shall have no power 'T is the unspeakable joy of a Believer that at the hour of death his soul
with God least of all in matter of Religion and therefore I desire it may be remembred I have always lived in the Protestant Religion established in England and in that I come now to die What Clamors and Slanders I have endured for labouring to keep an Uniformity in the external service of God according to the Doctrine and Disciplice of this Church all men know and I have abundantly felt Now at last I am accused of high Treason in Parliament a crime which my soul ever abhorred this Treason was charged upon me to consist of two parts An endeavour to subvert the Law of the Realm and a like endeavour to overthrow the true Protestant Religion established by those Laws Besides my Answers which I gave to the severall Charges I protested my innocency in both Houses it was said Prisoners protestations at the Barre must not be taken de ipso I can bring no witnesse of my heart and the intentions thereof therefore I must come to my Protestation not at the bar but to my Protestation at this hour and instant of my death in which as I said before I hope all men will be such charitable Christians as not to think I would die and dissemble my Religion I doe therefore here with that caution that I delivered before without all prejudice in the world to my Judges that are to proceed secundum allegata probata and so to be understood I die in the presence of Almighty God and all his holy and blessed Angels and I take it now on my death that I never endeavoured the subversion of the Laws of the Realm nor never any change of the Protestant Religion into Popish superstition and I desire you all to remember this Protest of mine for my innocency in these and from all manner of Treasons whatsoever I have been accused likewise as an enemy to Parliaments no God forbid I understood them and the benefits that come by them a great deal too well to be so but I did indeed dislike some misgovernments as I conceived of some few one or two Parliaments and I did conceive humbly that I might have reason for it for corruptio optimi est pessima There is no corruption in the world so bad as that which is of the best thing in it self for the better the thing is in nature the worse it is corrupted and this being the highest and greatest Court over which no other can have any jurisdiction in the Kingdome if by any way a mis-government which God forbid should any ways fall upon it the Subjects of this Kingdome are left without all manner of remedy and therefore God preserve them and bless them and direct them that there may be no mis-conceit much lesse mis-government amongst them I will not inlarge my self any further I have done I forgive all the world all and every of those bitter enemies or others whosoever they have been which have any wayes prosecuted me in this kind and I humbly desire to be forgiven first of God and then of every man whether I have offended him or no if he doe but conceive that I have Lord doe thou forgive me and I beg forgivenesse of him and so I heartily desire you to joyn with me in prayer The Bishop of Canterburies first prayer on the Scaffold O Eternall God and mercifull Father look down upon me in mercy in the riches and fulnesse of all thy mercies look upon me but not till thou hast nailed my sins to the Cross of Christ look upon me but not till thou hast bathed me in the blood of Christ not till I have hid my self in the wounds of Christ that so the punishment that is due to my sinnes may passe away and goe over me and since thou art pleased to try me to the uttermost I humbly beseech thee give me now in this great instant full patience proportionable comfort a heart ready to die for thine honour the Kings happinesse and the Churches preservation and my zeal to these farre from arrogancy be it spoken is all the sin humane frailty excepted and all incidents thereunto which is yet known of me in this particular for which I now come to suffer I say in this particular of Treason but otherwise my sinnes are many and great Lord pradon them all and those especially whatsoever they be which have drawn down this present Judgment upon me and when thou hast given me strength to bear it then doe with me as seems best in thy own eyes and carry me through death that I may look upon it in what visage soever it shall appear to me and that there may be a stop of this issue of blood in this more then miserable Kingdome I shall desire that I may pray for the people too as well as for my self O Lord I beseech thee give grace of repentance to all people that have a thirst for blood but if they will not repent then scatter their devices so and such as are or shall be contrary to the glory of thy great name the truth and sincerity of Religion the establishment of the King and his Posterity after him in their just Rights and Priviledges the honour and conservation of Parliaments in their ancient and just power the preservation of this poor Church in her truth peace and patrimony and the setlement of this distracted and distressed people under their ancient Laws and in their native Liberties and when thou hast done all this in meer mercy for them O Lord fill their hearts with thankfulnesse and with religious dutifull obedience to thee and thy Commandments all their daies So Amen Lord Jesus and I beseech thee receive my soul to mercy Our Father which art in Heaven Hollowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen When he had finished his Prayer he gave his Paper to Doctor Sterne saying Doctor I give you this that you may shew it to your Fellow-Chaplains that they may see how I am gone out of the world and Gods blessing and his mercy be upon them Then turning to Master Hinde he said Friend I beseech you hear me I cannot say I have spoken every word as it is in my Paper but I have gone very neer it to help my memory as well as I could but I beseech you let me have no wrong done me Hinde Sir you shall not if I doe any wrong let it fall on my own head I pray God have mercy on your soul Cant. I thank you I did not speak with any jealousie as if you would doe so but I spake it onely as a poor man going out of the world it is not possible for me to keep to the words in my paper and a phrase may doe me wrong I did think here would have been an
empty Scaffold that I might have had room to die I beseech you let me have an end of this misery for I have endured it long When room was made he spake thus I le pull off my Doublet and Gods will be done I am willing to goe out of the world no man can be more willing to send me out then I am willing to be gone Sir John Clothworthy What speciall Text of Scripture now is comfortable to a man in his departure Cant. Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo. Sir John Clothworthy That is a good desire but there must be a foundation for that desire as assurance Cant. No man can expresse it it is to be found within Sir John Clothworthy It is founded upon a word though and that word would be known Cant. That word is the knowledge of Jesus Christ and that alone And turning to the Executioner he gave him money saying here honest friend God forgive thee and doe thy office upon me in mercy The Executioner desired him to give some signe when he should strike he answered Yes I will but let me fit my self first Then kneeling down on his knees he prayed thus The Arch-Bishops last prayer on the Scaffold LOrd I am coming as fast as I can I know I must passe through the shadow of death before I can come to see thee but it is but umbra mortis a meer shadow of death a little darknesse upon nature but thou by thy merits and passion hast broke through the jawes of death so Lord receive my soul and have mercy upon me and blesse this Kingdome with peace and with plenty and with brotherly love and charity that there may not be this effusion of Christian blood amongst them for Jesus Christ sake if it be thy will And when he said Lord receive my soul which was his signe the Eecutioner did his office The severall Speeches of Duke Hamilton Earl of Cambridge the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capell immediately before their execution upon the Scaffold in the Palace yard Westminster on Friday March 9. 1649. Duke Hamilton Earl of Cambridg his Speech on the Scaffold March 9. 1649. UPon Friday the ninth of this instant being the day appointed for the Execution of the sentence of Death upon the Earl of Cambridge the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel about ten of Clock that morning L. Col. Beecher came with his Order to the several Prisoners at St. James's requiring them to come away According to which Order they were carried in Sedans with a Guard to Sir Thomas Cottons house at Westminster where they continued about the space of two hours passing away most of that time in religious and seasonable conferences with the Ministers there present with them After which being called away to the Scaffold it was desired that before they went they might have the opportunity of commending their Souls to God by prayer which being readily granted and the room voided Mr. Bolton was desired by the Lord of Holland to take that pains with them which was accordingly done with great appearance of solemn Affections among them Prayer being concluded and hearty thanks returned by them all to the Ministers who performed as also to the rest who were their Assistants in this sad time of trouble the Earl of Cambridge prepared first to go towards the place of Execution and after mutual embraces and some short ejaculatory expressions to and for his fellow-sufferers he took his leave of them all and went along with the Officers attended upon by Dr. Sibbald whom he had chosen for his Comforter in this his sad condition The Scaffold being erected in the new Palace-yard at Westminster over against the great Hal-Gate in the sight of the place where the High-Court of Justice formerly sate the Hal-doors being open there was his Excellencies Regiment of Horse commanded by Capt. Disher and several Companies of Col. Hewsons and Col. Prides Regiments of Foot drawn up in the place When the Earl came from Westminster Hall neer the Scaffold he was met by the Undersheriff of Middlesex and a Guard of his men who took the charge of him from Lieut. Col. Beecher and the Partizans that were his Guard The Sheriff of London being also according to command from the High Court of Justice present to see the Execution performed The Earl of Cambridge being come upon the Scaffold and two of his own servants waiting upon him he first spake to the Doctor as followeth E. of Camb. Whether shall I pray first Dr. Sibbald As your Lordship pleases E. of Camb. My Lord of Denbigh has sent to speak with me I know not the faction I may ask you Sir Doe those Gentlemen expect I should say any thing to them or no they cannot hear Dr. Sibbald There will be a greater silence by and by It will not be amiss if your Lordship defer your speaking till you hear from his Lordship Camb. There is something in it He was with the House Dr. Sibbald I suppose he would give no interruption to your Lordship at this time were there not something of concernment in it Camb. He is my Brother and has been a very faithful servant to the State and he was in great esteem and reputation with them He is in the Hall and sent to speak with a servant of mine to send something to me Sibbald It will not lengthen the time much if you stay while you have a return from him My Lord you should do well to bestow your time now in meditating upon and imploring of the free mercy of God in Christ for your eternal Salvation and look upon that ever-streaming Fountain of his precious Bloud that purgeth us from all our sins even the sins of the deepest dye the Bloud of Jesus Christ washes away all our sins and that Bloud of Christ is powred forth upon all such as by a lively Faith lay hold upon him God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to the end that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life that is now my Lord the Rock upon which you must chiefly rest and labour to fix your self in the free mercy of God through Christ Jesus whose mercies are from everlasting to everlasting unto all such as with the eye of Faith behold him behold Jesus the Author and Finisher of your Salvation who hath satisfied the Justice of God by that All-sufficiency of his Sacrifice which once for all he offered upon the Cross for the sins of the whole world so that the sting of death is taken away from all Believers and he hath sanctified it as a passage to everlasting blessedness It is true the waters of Jordan run somewhat rough and surly betwixt the Wilderness and our passage into Canaan but let us rest upon the Ark my Lord the Ark Christ Jesus that will carry us through and above all those waves to that Rock of ages which no flood nor waves can reach unto
hath an immediate passage from this earthly Tabernacle to that Region of endless glory yea to the presence of God himself in whose presence is fulness of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore Then the E. of Cambridge turning to the Executioner said which way is it that you would have me lie Sir Execut. The Executioner pointing to the front of the Scaffold the Earl replyed What my Head this way Then the Under-Sheriffs son said my Lord the Order is that you should lay your head towards the High Court of Justice The E. of Cambridge after a little discourse in private with some of his servants kneeled down on the side of the Scaffold and prayed a while to himself When he had finisht his prayer D. Sibbald spake to him thus My Lord I humbly beseech God that you may now with a holy and Christian courage give up your soul to the hand of your faithful Creator and gracious Redeemer and not be dismayed with any sad apprehension of the terrors of this death and what a blessed and glorious exchange you shall make within a very few minutes Then with a chearfull and smiling countenance the Earl embracing the Doctor in his Arms said Camb. Truly Sir I do take you in mine Arms and truly I bless God for it I do not fear I have an assurance that is grounded here laying his hand upon his heart Now that gives me more true joy then ever I had I pass out of a miserable world to go into an eternal and glorious Kingdome and Sir though I have been a most sinful creature yet Gods mercy I know is infinite and I bless my God for it I go with so clear a Conscience that I know not the man that I have personally injured D. Sibbald My Lord it is a marvellous great satisfaction that at this last hour you can say so I beseech the Lord for his eternal mercy strengthen your Faith that in the very moment of your Dissolution you may see the Arms of the Lord Jesus stretched out ready to receive your soul Then the Earl of Cambridge embracing those his Servants which were there present said to each of them You have been very faithful to me and the Lord bless you Camb. Then turning to the Executioner said I shall say a very short Prayer to my God while I lie down there and when I stretch out my hand my right hand then Sir do your Duty and I do freely forgive you and so I do all the world D. Sibbald The Lord in great mercy go along with You and bring You to the possession of everlasting life strengthning Your Faith in Jesus Christ This is a passage My Lord a short passage unto eternal glory I hope through the free grace of Your gracious God You are now able to say O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory and to make this comfortable answer Blessed be God blessed be God who hath given me an assurance of victory through Christ Jesus Then the Earl of Cambridge said to the Executioner Must I lie all along Execut. Yes and 't please your Lordship Camb. When I stretch out my hands but I will fit my head first tell me if I be right and how you would have me lie Ex. Your shirt must be pinn'd back for it lie too high upon your shoulders which was done accordingly D. Sibbald My Lord Now now lift up Your eyes unto Jesus Christ and cast Your self now into the everlasting Arms of Your gracious Redeemer Then the Earl having laid his head over the Block said Is this right D. Sibbald Jesus the Son of David have mercy upon You. Execut. Lie a little lower Sir Camb. Well Stay then till I give you the signe And so having layn a short space devoutly praying to himself he stretched out his right hand whereupon the Executioner at one blow severed his head from his body which was received by two of his servants then kneeling by him into a Crimson Taffaty Scarf and that with the body immediately put into a Coffin brought upon the Scaffold for that purpose and from thence conveyed to the house that was Sir John Hamiltons at the Mews This execution being done the Sheriffs Guard went immediately to meet the Earl of Holland which they did in the mid-way between the Scaffold and Westminster-Hall and the Under-Sheriffs son having received him into his charge conducted him to the Scaffold he taking M. Bolton all the way in his hand passed all along to the Scaffold discoursing together upon which being come observing his voice would not reach to the people in regard the Guard compassed the Scaffold he said Henry Lord Rich Earl of Holland His Speech on the Scaffold immediately before his Death March 9. 1649. Holland IT is to no purpose I think to speak any thing here Which may must I speak And then being directed to the front of the Scaffold he leaning over the Rayls said I think it is sit to say something since God hath called me to this place The first thing which I must profess is what concerns my Religion and my Breeding which hath been in a good Family that hath ever been faithful to the true Protestant Religion in the which I have been bred in the which I have lived and in the which by Gods grace and mercy I shall dye I have not lived according to that Education I had in that Family where I was born and bred I hope God will forgive me my sins since I conceive it is very much his pleasure to bring me to this place for the sins that I have committed The cause that hath brought me hither I believe by many hath been much mistaken They have conceived that I have had ill Designs to the State and to the Kingdome Truly I look upon it as a Judgement and a just Judgement of God not but I have offended so much the State and the Kingdome and the Parliament as that I have had an extream vanity in serving them very extraordinarily For those Actions that I have done I think it is known they have been ever very faithful to the Publike and very particularly to Parliaments My Affections have been ever exprest truly and clearly to them The dispositions of Affairs now have put things in another posture then they were when I was engaged with the Parliament I have never gone off from those Principles that ever I have professed I have lived in them and by Gods grace will die in them There may be Alterations and Changes that may carry them further then I thought reasonable and truly there I left them But there hath been nothing that I have said or done or professed either by Covenant or Declaration which hath not been very constant and very clear upon the principles that I ever have gone upon which was to serve the King the Parliament Religion I should have said in the first place the Commonwealth and to seek the
Peace of the Kingdome That made me think it no improper time being prest out by Accidents and Circumstances to seek the Peace of the Kingdome which I thought was proper since there was something then in Agitation but nothing agreed on for sending Propositions to the King that was the furthest aym that I had and truly beyond that I had no intention none at all And God be praised although my blood comes to be shed here there was I think scarce a drop of blood shed in that Action that I was engaged in For the present Affairs as they are I cannot tell how to judge of them and truly they are in such a condition as I conceive nobody can make a judgment of them and therefore I must make use of Prayers rather then of my Opinion which are That God would bless this Kingdome this Nation this State that he would settle it in a way agreeable to what this Kingdome hath been happily governed under by a King by the Lords by the Commons a Government that I conceive it hath flourished much under and I pray God the change of it bring not rather a prejudice a disorder and a confusion then the contrary I look upon the Posterity of the King and truly my Conscience directs me to it to desire that if God be pleased that these People may look upon them with that Affection that they owe that they may be called in again and they may be not through blood nor through disorder admitted again into that power and to that glory that God in their Birth intended to them I shall pray with all my soul for the happiness of this State of this Nation that the blood which is here spilt may even be the last that may fall among us and truly I should lay down my life with as much cheerfulnesse as ever person did if I conceived that there would be no more blood follow us for a State or Affairs that are built upon blood is a foundation for the most part that doth not prosper After the blessing that I give to the Nation to the Kingdome and truly to the Parliament I do wish with all my heart happiness and a blessing to all those that have been Authors in this business and truly that have been Authors in this very work that bringeth us hither I do not only forgive them but I pray heartily and really for them as God will forgive my sins so I desire God may forgive them I have a particular relation as I am Chancellour of Cambridge and truly I must here since it is the last of my prayers pray to God that that University may go on in that happy way which it is in that God may make it a Nursery to plant those persons that may be distributed to the Kingdom that the souls of the people may receive a great benefit and a great advantage by them and I hope God will reward them for their kindness and their affections that I have found from them I have said what Religion I have been bred in what Religion I have been born in what Religion I have practised I began with it and I must end with it I told you that my actions and my life have not been agreeable to my Breeding I have told you likewise that the Family where I was bred hath been an exemplary Family I may say so I hope without vanity of much affection to Religion and of much faithfulness to this Kingdom and to this State I have indeavoured to do those actions that became an honest man and a good English-man and which became a good Christian I have been willing to oblige those that have been in trouble those that have been in persecution and truly I find a great reward of it for I have found their prayers and their kindnesse now in this distresse and in this condition and I think it a great reward I pray God reward them for it I am a great sinner and I hope God will be pleased to hear my prayers to give me faith to trust in him that as he hath called me to death at this place he will make it but a passage to an eternal life through Jesus Christ which I trust to which I rely upon and which I expect by the mercy of God And so I pray God bless you all and send that you may see this to be the last execution and the last blood that is likely to be spilt among you And then turning to the side rayl he prayed for a good space of time after which M. Bolton said My Lord Now look upon him whom you have trusted My Lord I hope that here is your last prayer there will no more prayers remain but praises And I hope that after this day is over there will a day begin that shall never have end And I look upon this my Lord the morning of it the morning of that day My Lord You know where your fulness lies where your riches lie where is your only rock to anchor on You know there is fulness in Christ If the Lord comes not in with fulness of Comfort to You yet resolve to wait upon him while You live and to trust in him when You die and then say I will die here I will perish at thy feet I will be found dead at the feet of Jesus Christ Certainly he that came to seek and save lost sinners will not reject lost sinners when they come to seek him He that entreateth us to come will not slight us when we come to entreat him My Lord there is enough there and fix your heart there and fix Your Eies there that Eye of Faith and that Eye of Hope Exercise these Graces now there will be no exercise hereafter As Your Lordship said Here take an end of Faith and take an end of Hope and take a Farewel of Repentance and all these and welcome God and welcome Christ and welcome Glory and welcome Happiness to all Eternity and so it will be a happy passage then if it be a passage here from misery to happiness And though it be but a sad way yet if it will bring You into the presence of joy although it be a valley of tears although it be a shadow of death yet if God will please to bring You and make it a passage to that happiness welcome Lord. And I doubt not but God will give You a heart to tast some sweetness and love in this bitter Potion and to see something of Mercy and Goodness to You and shew You some signe and token of good so that Your soul may see that which we have had already experience of blessed be God for it many Experiences many Expressions not onely in words but tears God hath not left us without much comfort nor evidence and I hope my Lord You that have given so many Evidences to us I hope You want none Your self but that the Lord will be pleased to support You and bear
fill You full with his joy and kindness O my dear Lord the Lord of Heaven and Earth be with You and the Lord of Heaven and Earth bring You to that Safety Holland I shall make as much haste as I can to come to that glory and the Lord of Heaven and Earth take my soul I look upon my self entirely in Him and hope to find mercy through Him I expect it and through that Fountain that is opened for Sin and for Uncleanness my soul must receive it for did I rest in any thing else I have nothing but sin and corruption in me I have nothing but that which in stead of being carried up into the Arms of God and of Glory I have nothing but may throw me down into Hell Bolton But my Lord when you are cloathed with the righteousnesse of another you will appear glorious though now sinfull in your self The Apostle saith I desire not to be found in my own righteousness and when you are cloathed with another the Lord will own you and I shall say but thus much Doubt not that ever God will deny salvation to sinners that come to him when the end of all his death and sufferings was the salvation of sinners when as I say the whole end and the whole design and the great work that God had to do in the world by the death of Christ wherein he laid out all his councells and infinite wisdom and mercy and goodness beyond which there was a Non ultra in Gods thoughts what this was the great design and great end the salvation of sinners that poor souls should come over to him and live certainly when sinners come he will not reject he will not refuse And my Lord do but think of this the greatest work that ever was done in the world was the bloud of Christ that was shed never any thing like it and this blood of Christ that was shed never any thing like it And this blood of Christ that was shed was shed for them that come if not for them for none it was in vain else you see the Devills they are out of capacity of good by it the Angels they have no need of it wicked men will not come and there are but a few that come over but a few that come over and should he deny them there were no end nor fruit of the bloud and sufferings of the Lord Jesus and had your Lordship been with Christ in that bloudy agony when he was in that bloudy sweat sweating drops of bloud if you had asked him Lord what art thou now a doing art thou not now reconciling an angry God and me together art thou not pacifying the wrath of God art thou not interposing thy self between the justice of God and my soul Would he not have said yea and surely then he will not deny it now My Lord His passions are over his compassions still remain and the larger and greater because he is gone up into a higher place that he may throw down more abundance of his mercy and grace upon you and my Lord think of that infinite love that abundance of riches in Christ I am lost I am empty I have nothing I am poor I am sinfull be it so as bad as God will make me and as vile as I possibly can conceive my self I am willing to be but when I have said all the more I advance that riches and honour that grace of God And why should I doubt when by this he puts me into a capacity into a disposition for him to shew we mercy that by this I may the better advance the riches of his grace and say grace grace to the Lord to all eternity that God should own such a Creature that deserves nothing and the lesse I deserve the more conspicuous is his grace and this is certain the riches of his grace he throweth amongst men that the glory of his grace might be given to himself if we can give him but the glory of his grace we shall never doubt to partake of the riches of it and that fulnesse My Lord that fulness be your comfort that fulnesse of mercy that fulnesse of love that fulnesse of righteousness and power be now your riches and your onely stay and the Lord interpose himself between God and you as your Faith hath indeavoured to interpose him between God and your soul so I doubt not but there he stands my Lord to plead for you and when you are not able to do any thing your self yet lie down at the feet of him that is a mercifull Saviour and knowes what you would desire and wait upon him while you live trust in him when you die there is riches enough and mercy enough if he open not yet die at his doore say there I 'le die there is mercy enough Holland And here is the place where I lie down before him from whence I hope he will raise me to an eternall Glory through my Saviour upon whom I rely from whom only I can expect mercy into his armes I commend my spirit into his bleeding armes that when I leave this bleeding body that must lie upon this place he will receive that soul that ariseth out of it and receive it into his eternall mercy through the merits through the worthiness through the mediation of Christ that hath purchased it with his own most pretious bloud Bolton My Lord Though you conclude here I hope you begin above and though you put an end here I hope there will never be an end of the mercy and goodness of God and if this be the morning of Eternity if this be the rise of Glory if God pleaseth to throw you down here to raise you up for ever say Welcome Lord welcome that death that shall make way for life and welcome any condition that shall throw me down here to bring me into the possession of Jesus Christ Hodges My Lord if you have made a Deed of Gift of your self to Jesus Christ to be found onely in him I am confident you shall stand at the day of Christ my dear Lord we shall meet in happiness Holland Christ Jesus receive my soul my soul hungers and thirsts after him clouds are gathering and I trust in God through all my heavinesse and I hope through all impediments he will settle my interest in him and throw off all the claime that Satan can make unto it and that he will carry my soul in despight of all the calumnies and all that the Devil and Satan can invent will carry it into eternal mercy there to receive the blessednesse of his presence to all Eternity Hodges My Lords it was his own by Creation it is his own now by Redemption and purchase and it is likewise his own by resignation O my Lord look therefore up to the Lamb of God that sits at the right hand of God to take away the sinnes of the World O that Lamb of God! Holland That Lamb of God
into his hands I commit my soul and that Lamb of God that sits upon the Throne to Judge those 24. that fall down before him I hope he will be pleased to look downward and judge me with mercy that fall down before him and that adore him that onely trusts upon his Mercy for his compassion and that as he hath purchased me he would lay his claime unto me now and receive me Bolton My Lord think of this there is no condemnation to them who are in Christ who is it that can condemn it is Christ that justifies and therefore look now upon this My Lord upon this Christ upon this Christ that justifies Hell Death Sinne Satan nothing shall be able to condemn it is Christ that justifies you Holland Indeed if Christ justify no body can condemn and I trust in God in his justification though there is confusion here without us and though there are wonders and staring that now disquiet yet I trust that I shall be carried into that mercy that God will receive my soul Bolton I doubt not my Lord but as you are a Spectacle of pitty here so you are an object of Gods mercy above Holland Then the Earl of Holland looking over among the people pointing to a Souldier said This honest man took me prisoner you little thought I should have been brought to this when I delivered my self to you upon conditions and espying Captain Watson on horse-back putting off his hat said to him God be with you Sir God reward you Sir Bolton My Lord throw your self into the armes of mercy and say there I will Anchor and there I will die he is a Saviour for us in all coditions whither should we goe he hath the words of eternal life and upon him do you rest wait while you live and even trust in Death Holland Here must now be my Anchor a great Storm makes me find my anchor and but in storms no body trusts to his anchor and therefore I must trust upon my anchor Upon that God said Mr. Bolton upon whom your Anchor trusts yea God I hope will anchor my Soul fast upon Christ Jesus and if I die not with that clearness and that heartiness that you speak of truly I will trust in God though he kill me I will relie upon him and in the Mercy of my Saviour Bolton There is mercy enough my Lord and to spare you shall not need to doubt they shall never go begging to another door my Lord that come to him Then the Earl of Holland speaking to Mr. Hodges said I pray God reward you for all your kindness and pray as you have done instruct my Family that they may serve God with faithfulness with holiness with more diligence then truly I have been careful to press them unto you have the charge of the same place you may do much for them and I recommend them to your kindness and the goodness of your Conscience Dr. Sibbald standing by upon the Scaffold in his passage to Col. Beecher expressed himself thus to his Lordship Dr. Sibbald The Lord lift up the light of his counnance upon you and you shall be safe Holland Then the Earl of Holland embraced Lieutenant Col. Beecher and took his leave of him After which he came to Mr. Bolton and having embraced him and returned him many thanks for his great pains and affections to his soul desiring God to reward him and return his love into his bosom Mr. Bolton said to him The Lord God support you and be seen in this great extremity the Lord reveal and discover himself to you and make your death the passage unto eternall life Then the Earl of Holland turning to the Executioner said here my friend let my Cloathes and my body alone there is Ten pounds for thee that is better then my Cloathes I am sure of it Executioner Will your Lordsh please to give me a Sign when I shall strike And then his Lordship said you have room enough here have you not and the Executioner said Yes Bolton The Lord be your strength there is riches in him The Lord of Heaven impart himself to you he is able to save to the uttermost We cannot fall so low as to fall below the everlasting armes of God and therefore the Lord be a support and stay to you in your low condition that he will be pleased to make this an advantage to that Life and glory that will make amends for all Holland Then the Earl of Holland turning to the Executioner said Friend do you hear me if you take up my head doe not take off my Cap. Then turning to his Servants he said to one Fare you well thou art an honest fellow and to another God be with thee thou art an honest man and then said Stay I will kneel down and ask God forgiveness and then prayed for a pretty space with seeming earnestness Bolton The Lord grant you may finde life in death Holland Which is the way of lying which they shewed him and then going to the front of the Scaffold he said to the people God bless you all and God deliver you from any such accident as may bring you to any such death as is violent either by War or by these accidents but that there may be Peace among you and you may find that these accidents that have happned to us may be the last that may happen in this Kingdome it is that I desire it is that I beg of God next the saving of my Soul I pray God give all happiness to this Kingdome to this people and this Nation and then turning to the Executioner said How must I lie I know not Executioner Lie down flat upon your belly and then having laid himself down he said must I lie closer Executioner Yes and backwarder Holland I will tell you when you shall strike and then as he lay seemed to pray with much affection for a short space and then lifting up his head said where is the man and seeing the Executioner by him he said stay while I give the Sign and presently after stretching out his hand and the Executioner being not fully ready he said now now just as the words were coming out of his mouth the Executioner at one blow severed his head from his body Arthur Lord Capel his Speech on the Scaffold immediately before his death March 9. 1649. The Execution of the Lord of Holland being thus performed the Lord Capel was brought to the Scaffold as the former and in the way to the Scaffold he put off his Hat to the people on both sides looking very austerely about him And being come upon the Scaffold Lieut. Col. Beecher said to him Is your Chaplain here CApel No I have taken my leave of him and perceiving some of his servants to weep he said Gentlemen refrain your selves refrain your selves and turning to Lieut Col. Beecher he said what did the Lords speak with their Hats off or no Col. Beech. With
though I confess a very hard one as to perform it pretty handsomly both as becomes a Gentleman and a Christian Onely I must desire you to expect no fine Prologue or Speech from me I never studied to make Orations a very unfit man to lay plots against a State who am scarce able to lay a few lines of plain English together as I ought But though I cannot speak happily I doubt not but I shall die happily I confess my self a great sinner Who is innocent God be mercifull to me a miserable sinner I adore the justice of God in all this that is come upon me I have deserved to die long since and blessed be God who hath given me such time to prepare But for this Crime I stand condemned for to day I do protest mine own innocency as to any consent or engagement to act in it I hope you will believe me when you consider upon what slender proofs and testimonies I suffer none of them legal or positive but circumstantial For my Brother Charls Alas poor youth how he was wrought upon But I desire all my friends to think honourably of him For my Brother Sir Gilbert This imagination of a Plot is said to have been hatched in France but I fear the nest was at Whitehall As for the King so far from concurring to such a Deed that I am only unsatisfied in this whether I shall die right in his favour because suspected of any thing so unworthy of him I fear he lost his Kingdome by such practises but whether he would recover them so is a question God hath better ways when it shall be good in his sight to plead his cause I was lately in France but on mine own score for I have commanded there and probably might For my past life it hath been but a troublesome one but now I hope I shall rest Since I was any thing I have served the King as I was bound And I wish all that did so had done it as faithfully He was condemned for a Tyrant but God For my Religion though a Souldier I am able to profess I am a Christian Souldier a true Son of the Church of England as constituted under Q. Elizabeth K. James and K. Charls of blessed memory Her Doctrine and Government I embrace Her Truth and Peace I pray God to restore I humbly give thanks to God Almighty for providing me the comfort of a Minister on whose fidelity I might repose my soul And I pray God to bless the poor faithful Ministers of this Church and give you hearts to esteem them the want whereof is no small cause of our misery My days have been few and evil yet God be blessed in all the vanities and folly of youth I have been far from Atheism or contempt of Gods worship I had alwaies awful impressions of Gods honour and service which is now my comfort And now dear Countrymen fare you well I pray God bless you all this whole Nation Alas poor England When will these black days be over When will there be blood enough I wish mine might fill up the measure I forgive all Once more fare you well Commend me to all my friends Pray for me I pray God make you as faithful and loyal as I have lived and as happy as I shall be by and by when I am dead Come Lord Jesus come quickly Father of mercies have mercy on me Saviour of the world save my soul O Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world hear my prayers Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit Lord Jesus receive my soul The last Speech of Mr. Peter Vowell which he intended to have delivered had he been permitted upon Munday the tenth of July 1654. on which day he suffered death in the place where Charing-Cross stood as from the Original paper written with his own hand appeareth Gentlemen AT this earthly Bar from them that pretend to have a great measure of sanctity I had hard measure but to that Bar I am now going the Bar of heaven I shall have Justice yea one day Justice against them except they water their beds and couches with tears of Repentance The Court gave severe and rash Judgement on my body and sent a pitifull fellow but a pitiless fellow that gave as rash a Judgement of my soul but that precious Jewel none of them could touch to hurt The Souls under the Altar cry loud for vengeance long ago how many more of late years have been added to them to help the cry the cry is loud of those lately whose blood hath been unlawfully spilt but vengeance is Gods and I will leave it to him The Court of my Tryal said I was confident and held it as a fault He also whom they sent to the Tower I know not if to entrap me under pretense to comfort my soul told me also I was confident I say the same and the same confidence I bring with me now and by Gods assistance I hope I shall carry it out of this world with my innocency Gentlemen Souldiers Among the ancient and savage sort of Heathen they had a Law once every three six or twelve moneths to offer up a sacrifice of humane blood to their God and that their God was a Divel Among us whether heathen or not you best know of late years we have had a fatal custome once in three six or twelve moneths to make not only a sacrifice but many sacrifices of humane Christian blood our Scaffolds have reek'd and smok'd with the choisest sort of blood But unto what God do you judge What God is he that delights in the blood of man Baal the god of Ekron Beelzebub the god of Flyes Amongst the Primitive Christians that lived neerest the time of our Saviour Christ the greatest Tyrants and persecutors of the Christians lived the persecution was great and yet the courage of those persecuted Christians was so great that it excelled the fury of the persecutors that they came in faster to be kill'd then they could kill they offered their bodies and throats so thick unto the slaughter that the hands of the Tyrants were weary with killing and yet Sanguis Martirum was Semen Ecclesiae and many Heathens came in with the Christians seeing their cheerful constancy rurned Christians and dyed Christians and dyed with them the Christians still encreased the more Of late years here hath been a great persecution in this Nation and yet the sufferers have been so many and present themselves so thick in the vindication of their King Country and Laws that they startled the very enemy himself their constancy so great that the eyes of their Judges dropped tears whether real or true let the Judge of Judges judge They still stand amazed at their constancy though they exceed the old Heathens Are not weary of killing Oh Souldiers How many of you have been brought up and led on by blind Principles wronged in your Education or seduced by your indiscreet
the hearts of all men and thou turnest them which way soever thou wilt O Lord look in mercy and compassion we beseech thee on this great and numerous people of this Land look upon them O Lord with an eye of pity not with an eye of fury and indignation O look not upon all those great and grievous sins that have provoked thee most juctly to wrath and displeasure against us Gracious God! who can stand in thy sight when thou art angry when thou with rebuke dost correct man for sin thou makest his beauty to consume away like as it were a Moth fretting a garment O Lord thy indignation and wrath lies heavy upon us and thou hast vexed us with scourges thou hast made us a reproach and a by-word amongst our Neighbours and the very Heathen laugh us to scorn Oh that thou wouldest turn us again O Lord God of hosts that thou wouldst shew us the light of thy countenance that we may behold it that thou wouldst humble us for all those sins and grievous transgressions that are amongst us for those Atheisms for those infidelities horrid Blasphemies and Prophanenesse for those Sacriledges for those Heresies for those Schisms Errors and all those blindnesses of heart pride vain-glory and hypocrisie for that envy hatred and malice and all uncharitablenesse that hath set us one against another that we are so dashed one against another even to destroy each other Ephraim against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah O Lord we are like those Moabites and Ammonites c. This thou hast done to us O Lord because we have rebelled against thee O how greatly and grievously have we sinned against thee yet for all this thou hast not requited us according to our ill deservings for thou mightest have brought us to desolation and destruction Fire might have come down from Heaven and destroyed us our foreign Enemies and the Enemies of thee and thy Christ our Saviour might have swallowed us up What have we not deserved Yet O the long-suffering and patience and goodness of our God! O Lord our God! we pray thee that thy patience and long-suffering might lead to repentance that thou wouldst be pleased thou who delightest not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his sins and live that thou wouldest turn us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Draw us and we shall run after thee Draw us with the Cords of love and by the bands of loving kindness by the powerful working of thy holy spirit in our souls working contrition in our hearts and a godly sorrow for all our sins even a sorrow to repentance and a repentance to salvation never to be repented of Lord break these stony hearts of ours by the hammer of thy word molifie them by the oyle of thy Grace smite these rockie hearts of ours by the Rod of thy most gracious power that we may shed forth rivers of tears for all the sins we have committed O that thou wouldst make us grieve because we cannot grieve and to weep because we cannot weep enough That thou wouldest humble us more and more in the true sight and sense of all our provocations against thee and that thou wouldest be pleased in the bloud of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from all our sins Lord let his bloud that speaks better things than that of Abel cry louder in thine ears for mercy then all those mischiefs and wickednesses that have been done amongst us for vengeance O besprinkle our polluted but penitent souls in the bloud of Jesus Christ that we may be clean in thy sight and that the light of thy countenance may shine upon us Lord be pleased to seal unto our souls the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins Say to each of our souls and say that we may hear it that thou art well pleased with us and appeased towards us Lord do thou by thy spirit assure our spirits that we are thy children and that thou art reconciled to us in the bloud of Jesus Christ To this end O Lord create in us new hearts and renew right spirits within us Cast us not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from us but give us the comfort of thy help and establish us with thy free spirit Help us to live as thy redeemed ones and Lord let us not any longer by our wicked lives deny that most holy faith whereof our lips have so long time made profession but let us that call on the name of the Lord JESUS depart from iniquity and hate every evil way Help us to cast away all our transgressions whereby we have transgressed and make us new hearts Carry us along through the Pilgrimage of this world supplying us with all things needfull for us thy grace alone is sufficient for us Lord let thy grace be assistant to us to strengthen us against all the temptations of Satan especially against those sins wherunto we are most prone either by custom or constitution or most easily provoked O Lord with what affliction soever thou shalt punish do not punish us with spirituall judgements and disertions Give us not over to our own hearts lusts to our vile lewd and corrupt affections Give us not over to hardness and impenitency of heart but make us sensible of the least sin and give us thy grace to think no sin little committed against thee our God but that we may be humbled for it and repent of it and reform it in our lives and conversations And Lord keep us from presumptious sins O let not them get the dominion over us but keep us innocent from the great offence O Lord our strength and our Redeemer And Lord sanctifie unto us all thy methods and proceedings with us sitting us for all further tribulations and tryalls whatsoever thou in thy divine pleasure shalt be pleased to impose upon us Lord give us patience constancy resolution and fortitude to undergoe them that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we may fear no ill knowing that thou O Lord art mercifull with us and that with thy rod as well us with thy staffe thou wilt support and comfort us and that nothing shall be able to separate us from thy love which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. And gracious God! we beseech thee be thou pleased to look mercifully and compassionately on thy holy Catholick Church and grant that all they that do confesse thy holy Name may agree together in the truth of thy holy Word and live in unity and godly love Thou hast promised O Lord The gates of hell shall not prevail against thy Church Perform we beseech thee thy most gâ—acious promises both to thy whole Church and to that part of it which thou hast planted and now afflicted in these sinfull Lands and Nations wherein we live Arise O Lord and have mercy upon our Sion for it is time that thou have mercy upon
her yea the time is come for thy servants think upon her stones and it pitieth them to set her in the dust Lord maintain thine own cause Rescue the light of thy Truth from all those clouds of Errors and Heresies which doe so much obscure it and let the light thereof in a free profession break forth and shine again among us and that continually even as long as the Sun and Moon endures To this end O Lord blesse us all and blesse Him the posterity which in Authority ought to rule over and be above us Blesse Him in His soul and in His body in his Friends and in His Servants and in His Relations Guide Him by thy Counsell prosper Him in all undertakings granting Him a long prosperous and honourable life here upon earth and that He may attain to a blessed life hereafter And gracious God! look mercifully upon all our Relations and doe thou bring them to the light of thy Truth that are wandring and ready to fall Confirm them in thy Truth that already stand Shew some good token for good unto them that they may rejoyce O let thy good hand of providence be over them in all their ways And to all orders and degrees of men that be amongst us Give religious hearts to them that now rule in Authority over us Loyall hearts in their Subjects towards their Supreme And loving hearts in all men to their Friends and charitable hearts one towards another And for the continuance of thy Gospel among us restore in thy good time to their severall Places and Callings and give Grace O Heavenly Father to all Bishops Pastors and curates that they may both by their Life and Doctrine set forth thy true and lively word and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments And Lord blesse thy Church still with Pastors after thine own heart with a continuall succession of faithfull and able men that they may both by Life and Doctrine declare thy Truth and never for fear of favour back slide or depart from the same And give them the assistance of thy spirit that may inable them so to preach thy word that may keep thy People upright in the midst of a corrupted and corrupt generation And good Lord blesse thy people every where with hearing ears understanding hearts consciencious souls and obedient lives especially those over whom I have had either lately or formerly a charge that with meek heart and due reverence they may hear and receive thy holy word truly serving thee in righteousnesse and holinesse all the days of their lives And we beseech thee of thy goodnesse O Lord to comfort and succour all those that in this transitory life be in trouble sorrow need sicknesse or any other adversity Lord help the helpless comfort the comfortless visit the sick relieve the oppressed help them to right that suffer wrong set them at liberty that are in Prison restore the banished and of thy great mercy and in thy good time deliver all thy people out of their necessities Lord do thou of thy great mercy fit us all for our latter end for the hour of death and the day of Judgment and doe thou in the hour of death and at the day of Judgement from thy wrath and everlasting damnation good Lord deliver us through the cross and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ In the mean time O Lord teach us so to number our dayes and me my Minutes that we may apply our hearts to true wisdome that we may be wise unto salvation that we may live soberly godly and righteously in this present world denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts Lord teach us so to live thaâ— we may not be afraid to die and that we may so live that we may be alwaies prepared to die that when death shall seize upon us it may not surprise us but that we may lift up our heads with joy knowing that our redemption draws nigh and that we shall be for ever happy being assured that we shall come to the felicitie of the chosen and rejoyce with the gladness of the people and give us such a fulnesse of thy holy Spirit that may make us stedfast in this faith and confirm us in this hope indue us with patience under thy afflicting hand and withall a cheerful resolution of our selves to thy divine disposing that so passing the pilgrimage of this world we may come to the Land of promise the heavenly Canaan that we may reign with thee in the world to come through Jesus Christ our Lord in whose blessed Name and Words we further call upon thee saying Our Father c. Let thy mighty hand and outstretched arme O Lord be the defence of me and all other thy servants thy mercy and loving kindness in Jesus Christ our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy Grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation to the end and in the end through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen FINIS Here the King would have delivered his Reasons * Hereabout the King was stopt and not sufferd to speak any more concerning Reason Here an honorable Lady interrupted the Court saying not halfe the People but she was soon silenced * Pointing to Dr. Juxod * Turning to some Gentlemen that wrote * Meaning if he did blunt the edge * Pointing to Dr. Juxon * It is thought for to give it to the Prince * He was hereunto moved by Mr. Peters * An. Aet 72. * Lib. 2. de vitae Contemp. Cap. 4. * Observing the Writers * Looking towards M. Bolton * Pointing to the Block * At which word King and Laws a Trooper said aloud we will neither have King Lord nor Laws and upon a sudden the souldiers being either surprized with fear at a strange noise that was heard or else falling into mutiny presently fell into a tumult riding up and down the streets cutting and slashing the people some being killed and many wounded his Lordship looking upon this sad spectacle said thus Gentlemen it troubles me more then my own death that others are hurt and I fear die for me I beseech you stay your hands I flie not you pursue not me and here are none to pursue you But being interrupted in his speech and not permitted to go on further for which the Officers were much troubled he turn'd aside to his servant and gave him the speech into his hand saying I will speak to my God who I know will hear me and when I am dead let the world know what I would have said Here his Lordship was interrupted but it was as follows in his own copy under his own hand Here his Lordship began to speak again M. Bond. M. Caryl
any fortunes to lose My Lords I have now troubled you longer then I should have done were it not for the interest of those dear pledges a Saint in heaven left me I should be loth my Lords there he stopped What I forfeit for my self it is nothing but that my indiscretion should forfeit for my child it even woundeth me deep to the very soul You will pardon my infirmity something I should have said but I am not able and sighed therefore let it passe And now my Lords I have been by the blessing of Almighty God taught that the afflictions of this life present are not to be compared to the eternal weight of that glory that shall be revealed to us hereafter And so my Lords even so with tranquility of mind I do submit my self freely and clearly to your Lordships judgments and whether that righteous judgement shall be to life or death Te Deum laudamus te Dominum consitemur The Earl of Straffords Speech on the Scaffold immediately before his Execution on Tower-hill May 12. 1641. My L. Primate of Ireland IT is my very great comfort that I have your Lordship by me this day in regard I have been known to you this many years and I doe thank God and your Lordship for it that you are here I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few words but I doubt I shall not the noise is so great My Lords I am come hither by the good will and pleasure of Almighty God to pay that last debt I owe to sin which is death and by the blessing of that God to rise again through the merits of Jesus Christ to righteousnesse and life eternal Here he was a little interrupted My Lords I am come hither to submit to that Judgement which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented mind I thank God I doe freely forgive all the world a forgivenesse that is not spoken from the teeth outwards as they say but from the very heart I speak it in the presence of Almighty God before whom I stand that there is not a displeasing thought arising in me towards any man living I thank God I can say it and truly too my conscience bearing me witness that in all my imployment since I had the Honour to serve his Majestie I never had any thing in the purpose of my heart but what tended to the joynt and Individuall prosperity of King and people although it hath been my ill fortune to be misconstrued I am not the first that hath suffered in this kind it is the common portion of us all while we are in this life to erre Righteous Judgement we must wait for in another place for here we are very subject to be mis-judged one of another There is one thing that I desire to free my self of and I am very confident speaking it now with so much chearfulnesse that I shall obtain your Christian charity in the belief of it I was so far from being against Parliaments that I did alwaies think the Parliaments of England were the most happy constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and the best means under God to make the King and people happy For my Death I here acquit all the world and beseech the God of Heaven heartily to forgive them that contrived it though in the intentions and purposes of my heart I am not guilty of what I dye for And my Lord Primate it is a great comfort for me that his Majesty conceives me not meriting so severe and heavy a punishment as is the utmost execution of this Sentence I do infinitely rejoyce in this mercy of his and I beseech God return it into his own bosome that he may find mercy when he stands most in need of it I wish this Kingdom all the Prosperity and happinesse in the world I did it living and now dying it is my wish I do most humbly recommend this to every one who hears me and desire they would lay their hands upon their hearts and consider seriously whether the beginning of the happinesse and reformation of a Kingdom should be written in Letters of bloud consider this when you are at your homes and let me be never so unhappy as that the last drop of my bloud should rise up in Judgement against any one of you but I fear you are in a wrong way My Lords I have but one word more and with that I shall end I professe that I die a true and obedient Son to the Church of England wherein I was born and in which I was bred Peace and prosperity be ever to it It hath been objected if it were an objection worth the answering that I have been inclined to Popery but I say truly from my heart that from the time that I was one and twenty years of age to this present going now upon forty nine I never had in my heart to doubt of this religion of the Church of England Nor ever had any man the boldnesse to suggest any such thing to me to the best of my remembrance and so being reconciled by the merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour into whose bosome I hope I shall shortly be gathered to those eternall happinesses which shall never have end I desire heartily the forgivenesse of every man for any rash or unadvised words or any thing done amisse and so my Lords and Gentlemen Farewell Farewell all the things of this world I desire that you would be silent and joyn with me in prayer and I trust in God we shall all meet and live eternally in heaven there to receive the Accomplishment of all happinesse where every teare shall be wiped away from our eyes and every sad thought from our hearts and so God blesse 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 intreat you all to pray with me and for me then his Chaplain laid the book of Common-prayer upon the Chaire 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 espies his Brother Sir Gorge 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 warne 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
any man could be and God Almighty I hope has forgiven me my sins and I desire you all to pray to God for me that I may be forgiven I hope God Almighty will forgive the Parliament and the Court Martial and all men that have had any thing to do with my death And Gentlemen I thank this Noble Gentleman for putting me in mind of it and I pray God bring more things to my memory and Gentlemen look to it all as I I have received many mercies I have been ingrateful to God Almighty and God Almighty hath let me see that though for this offence whereof I am accused he hath not done it yet he hath brought this affliction upon me to save my soul by Christ Jesus merits for alas this affliction is nothing to all my sins God Almighty kept me from my Trial at St. Albans and other places to bring me to this that I hope I shal glorifie God in And his blessed name be ever glorified Then Mr. Peters added THis is that I have now to say It hath been my Lot to spend much time with Sir John Hotham Gentlemen this is that he would have me to declare unto you that you may see in him the vanity of all things here below he hath lived in abundance of plenty and his estate hath been very large he hath been a man of 3000l a year and he had much money by him in the beginning of his daies he was a Souldier in the Low-Countries at the battel at Prague he does profess that in the places he lived in in the North part of England there was much ignorance through want of faithfull Preachers And I do wonder at it since the Reprieve came I have found the mercy of God revealed to him more every day then other especially by means of the Ministers whose bosomes God hath opened towards him Pray be pleased to take notice of his desire that you should see by him the vanity of wit parts prowesse strength or honour or any thing that comes by men After this he said Sir John Hotham desired him to let him know that upon his first going out a Souldier his Father seeing him on Horse-back spake to him thus Son when the Crown of England lies at stake then you will have fighting enough without going out of the land The Speech or Sermon of the most Reverend Father in God William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Immediately before his Execution on the Scaffold on Tower-Hill January 10. 1644. Upon HEB. 12.1 2. Let us run with patience that race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God Good People YOu 'l pardon my old Memory and upon so sad occasions as I am come to this place to make use of my papers I dare not trust my self otherwise Good People This is a very uncomfortable time to preach in and yet I shall begin with a Text of Scripture in the twelfth of the Hebrewes Let us run with patience that race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God I have been long in my race and how I have looked unto Jesus the Author and finisher of my faith is best known to him I am now come to the end of my race and here I find the Crosse a death of shame but the shame must be despised or there is no coming to the right hand of God Jesus despis'd the shame for me and God forbid but I should despise the shame for him I am going apace as you see towards the Red-sea and my feet are upon the very brinks of it an argument I hope that that God is bringing me to the Land of Promise for that was the way by which of old he led his people But before they came to the Sea he instituted a passe-over for them a Lamb it was but it was to be eaten with very sowre Herbs as in the Twelfth of Exodus I shall obey and labour to digest the sowre Herbs as well as the Lamb and I shall remember that it is the Lords Passeover I shall not think of the Herbs nor be angry with the hands that gathered them but look up onely to him who instituted the one and governeth the other For men can have no more power over me then that which is given them from above I am not in love with this passage through the red-Sea for I have the weaknesse and infirmity of flesh and bloud in me and I have prayed as my Saviour taught me and exampled me Ut transiret calix iste That this Cup of red Wine might passe away from me but since it is not that my will may his will be done and I shall most willingly drink of this Cup as deep as he pleases and enter into this Sea and passe through it in the way that he will be pleased to lead me And yet Good People it would be remembred That when the Servants of God old Israel were in this boisterous Sea and Aaron with them the Egyptians which persecuted them and did in a manner drive them into that Sea were drowned in the same waters while they were in pursuit of them I know my God whom I serve is as able to deliver me from this Sea of Bloud as he was to deliver three Children from the furnace as Daniel 3. And I most humbly thank my Saviour for it my Resolution is now as theirs was then their Resolution was They would not worship the Image the KING had set up nor shall I the Imaginations which the PEOPLE are setting up nor will I forsake the Temple and the truth of GOD to follow the Bleating of Jeroboams Calves in Dan and in Bethel And I pray God blesse all this People and open their eyes that they may see the right way for if it fall out that the blind lead the blind doubtlesse they will both into the ditch For my self I am and I acknowledged it in all humility a most grievous sinner many waies by thought word and deed and therefore I cannot doubt but that GOD hath mercy in store for me a poor penitent as well as for other sinners I have upon this sad occasion ransack'd every corner of my heart and yet I thank God I have not found any of my sins that are there any sins now deserving death by any known Law of this Kingdom and yet thereby I charge nothing upon my Judges I humbly beseech you I may rightly be understood I charge nothing in the least degree upon my Judges for they are to proceed by proof by valuable Witnesses and in that way I or any Innocent in the world may justly be
their Hats off And then coming to the front of the Scaffold he said I shall hardly be understood here I think and then began his speech as followeth Capel The conclusion that I made with those that sent me hither and are the cause of this violent death of mine shall be the beginning of what I shall say to you When I made an address to them which was the last I told them with much sincerity that I would pray to the God of all mercies that they might be partakers of his inestimable and boundless mercies in Jesus Christ and truly I still pray that prayer and I beseech the God of Heaven forgive any injury they have done to me from my soul I wish it And truly this I tell you as a Christian to let you see I am a Christian But it is necessary I should tell you somewhat more that I am a Protestant And truly I am a Protestant and very much in love with the profession of it after the manner as it was established in England by the thirty nine Articles a blessed way of profession and such an one as truly I never knew none so good I am so far from being a Papist which some body have truly very unworthily at some time charged me withall that truly I profess to you that though I love good works and commend good works yet I hold they have nothing at all to doe in the matter of salvation my Anchor-hold is this That Christ loved me and gave himself for me that is that that I rest upon And truly something I shall say to you as a Citizen of the whole world and in that consideration I am here condemned to die truly contrary to the Law that governs all the world that is the Law of the Sword I had the protection of that for my life and the honor of it but truly I will not trouble you much with that because in another place I have spoken very largely and liberally about it I believe you will hear by other means what Arguments I used in that case But truly that that is stranger you that are Englishmen behold here an Englishman here before you and acknowledged a Peer not condemned to die by any Law of England not by any Law of England nay shall I tell you more which is strangest of all contrary to all the Lawes of England that I know of And truly I will tell you in the matter of the civil part of my death and the cause that I have maintained I die I take it for maintaining the fifth Commandement injoyned by God himself which injoyns reverence and obedience to Parents All Divines on all hands though they contradict one another in many severall Opinions yet all Divines on all hands doe acknowledge that here is intended Magistracy and Order and certainly I have obeyed that Magistracy and that Order under which I have lived which I was bound to obey and truly I do say very confidently that I do die here for keeping for obeying that fifth Commandement given by God himself and written with his own finger And now Gentlemen I will take this opportunity to tell you That I cannot imitate a better nor a greater ingenuity then his that said of himself For suffering an unjust judgment upon another himself was brought to suffer by an unjust judgment Truly Gentlemen that God may be glorified that all men that are concerned in it may take the occasion of it of humble repentance to God Almighty for it I doe here profess to you that I did give my Vote to that Bill against the Earl of Strafford I doubt not but God almighty hath washed that away with a more precious bloud the blood of his own Son and my dear Saviour Jesus Christ and I hope he will wash it away from all those that are guilty of it truly this I may say I had not the least part nor degree of malice in doing of it but I must confess again to Gods glory and the accusation of mine own frailty and the frailty of my Nature that truly it was unworthy Cowardize not to resist so great a torrent as carried that businesse at that time And truly this I think I am most guilty of of not courage enough it it but malice I had none but what soever it was God I am sure hath pardoned it hath given me the assurance of it that Christ Jesus his bloud hath washed it away and truly I do from my soul wish that all men that have any stain by it may seriously repent and receive a remission and pardon from God for it And now Gentlemen we have had an occasion by this intimation to remember his Majesty our King that last was and I cannot speak of him nor think of it but truly I must needs say that in my opinion that have had time to consider all the Images of all the greatest and vertuousest Princes in the world and truly in my opinion there was not a more vertuous and more sufficient Prince known in the world then our gracious King Charls that died last God almighty preserve our King that now is his Son God send him moâ—e fortunate and longer daies God Almighty so assist him that he may exceed both the vertues and sufficiencies of his Father For certainly I that have been a Counsellor to him and have lived long with him and in a time when discovery is easily enough made for he was young he was about thirteen fourteen fifteen or sixteen years of age those years I was with him truly I never saw greater hopes of vertue in any young person then in him great judgement great understanding great apprehension much honour in his nature and truly a very perfect Englishmen in his inclination and I pray God restore him to this Kingdom and unite the Kingdoms one unto another and send a great happinesse both to you and to him that he may long live and reign among you and that that Family may reign till thy Kingdome come that is while all temporall power is consummated I beseech God of his mercy give much happinesse to this your King and to you that in it shall be his Subjects by the grace of Jesus Christ Truly I like my beginning so well that I will make my conclusion with it that is That God Almighty would confer of his infinite and inestimable grace and mercy to those that are the causers of my coming hither I pray God give them as much mercy as their hearts can wish and truly for my part I will not accuse any one of them of malice truly I will not nay I will not think there was any malice in them what other ends there is I know not nor will I examine but let it be what it will from my very soul I forgive them every one And so the Lord of heaven bless you all God almighty be infinite in goodness and mercy to you and direct you in those ways of obedience to
be Loyal I hope my God hath forgiven that when it is upon harmless employment not invading any according to his just Masters Order for indeed I have been alwayes bred up in that Religion my Allegiance hath been incorporated into my Religion and I have thought it a great part of the service due from me to Almighty God to serve the King putting off his hat I need not make any Apology for any thing in relation to the present things in England for were I as I spake before my Judges were I as evil as my Sentence hath here made me black it were impossible for me to have prejudiced any body in England or to England belonging in that imployment but I blesse God for his infinite mercy in Jesus Christ putting off his hat who hath brought me home to him here in this way it was the best Physick for the curing of my Soul and those that have done it have no more power in then that of my body I leave nothing behind me but that I am willing to part withall all that I am going to is desirable And that you may all know that Almighty God hath totally wrought in me a totall Deniall of my self and that there is that perfect Reformation of me within and of my own corruptions by the blessed Assistance of his holy Spirit I desire Almighty God in the abundance of the bowels of his mercy in Jesus Christ not onely to forgive every Enemy if any such be in the world here or wheresoever but to bring him into his bosom so much good and particular comfort as he may at any time whether the Cause were just or unjust have wished me any manner of evill for I take him to be the happy instrument of bringing me to heaven It is tedious but I have an inward comfort I bless Almighty God pray Gentlemen give me leave speaktng to some that prest upon him I should never do it but to give satisfaction to all charitable Hearts I have been troublesome Sheriff You have your liberty to speak more if you please Sir Henry Hide But as to that part Mr. Sheriff that did concern the Deniall as it was affirmed by Master Attorney Generall of my Masters imployment Truly landing at Whitehall I told that Council there was just Commissions to an old Officer by the blessing of God I have be me and I have other good things that God hath blessed me withall more then all the good Christians in the world that are not the Grand Seignior's Slaves and we that are Merchants abroad we allow our selves any sufferance that may induce to our own safety inlargement of Trade or preservation of what is ours Why I had by the grace of my gracious Master a confirmation of my old Commission of Consulage in Greece but as to the Embassie no more then my Credentiall Letters did speak nor no more then that I attempted an Internuncio they call it in those places which is a Messenger between the one and the other King They both unhappily died of severall deaths and both violent too And it is a custom not unknown to you Master Sheriff and other Gentlemen that practice in the world that Princes of course for the continuation of amity do send Messengers where there is peace that the transaction of those publick expressions of reciprocall Affections may be performed but for Embassie God forbid I should own it I never had it however they have used it as the happy means to bring me to God this day I beseech God in the bowels of my Saviour to forgive those people that have done it I owe them no harm so God pay them home with all the good of this and an everlasting life As for Power I have been long absent here in England I meddle with none Sufficient to me in Gods grace to the salvation of my soul I have been alwayes fearfull of offending Almighty God according to the grace he hath given me but to learn new Religion and new Ways that I must say Master Sheriff to you and all others that hear me I cannot dispence with my Conscience to give offence to Almighty God I am now if it may be with your Commission Master Sheriff to pour out my soul to Almighty God in two or three words the place is straitned If I knew wherein to give any satisfaction to any thing whatsoever wherein I have offended or no I am here in the fear of God to do it I forgive them with all my soul and my forgiveness is clear as I am now going to receive Happiness at the hand of my Saviour But if I thought it were satisfaction to Sir Thomas Bendish and all the Company or any who think they have offended me I am come Master Sheriff to pay that Obedience Willingly that Debt I owe to Nature to pay it upon the score of a Subject because Conscience within me tells me not that for the intentions of serving my Prince that I could deserve such a Death though ten thousand times more other ways Doctor Hide There was some suspition that you might impart the way you were upon to some of those Servants that were with you Sir Henry Hide I humbly thank you for remembring me of it and if any be here of the Turky Company this day or any Friend of theirs I shall desire them from a dying Man to take this truth That neither my Brother my innocent Brother that this is with me nor other Gentlemen with me in my company have contributed any thing to their disturbance it was my own business whatsoever hath been done that hath been to evil or loss though I deny both of them in my Intentions I come not here to accuse any man nor excuse my self but I praise God for all his deliverances yet I know I shall do God a great deal of Service and them a great deal of justice in not involving any of my company in any thing of mischief I cannot answer Objections I find a man may be in Turky or in any place all the World over where they will give that Language which they hold sitting but this is beneath me Blessed be Almighty God that hath called me to the Knowledge of him and this ready Obedience which I pray and mercifull accepting of my Saviour and patient Death And I beseech you all whatsoever you are that you will accompany me with your Prayers whereby my Soul may be assisted within me in that passage to my Saviour whither I am going I am weak of body I have discontinued long from the Kingdom I am unacquainted with new Forms I have desired to serve God according to his Commandments after the Old way I have begged mercy of God for all my offences to him and have had my pardon sealed from Heaven by the Bloud of my Saviour I beg pardon of all whosoever whether I have offended them or no I truly forgive them and have besought Almighty God to poure his
Gospel it bloweth where it listeth So now Treason is what they please and lighteth upon whom they will Indeed no man except he will be a Traitour can avoid this Censure of Treason I know not to what end it may come but I pray God my own and my Brothers bloud that is now to die with me may be the last upon this score Now Gentlemen you may see what a condition you are in without a King you have no Law to protect you no rule to walk by when you perform your duty to God your King and Country you displease the Arbitrary power now set up I cannot call it government I shall leave you peruse my Tryal and there you shall see what a condition this poor Nation is brought into and no question will be utterly destroyed if not restored by Loyal Subjects to its old and glorious Government I pray God he lay not his Judgements upon England for their sluggishnesse in doing their duty and readinesse to put their hands in their bosoms or rather taking part with the Enemy of Truth The Lord open their eyes that they may be no longer lead or drawn into such snares else the Child unborn will curse the day of their Parents birth God Almighty preserve my Lawful King Charles the second from the hands of his Enemies and break down that wall of Pride and Rebellion which so long hath kept him from his just Rights God preserve his Royal Mother and all his Majesties Royal Brethren and incline their hearts to seek after him God incline the hearts of all true English men to stand up as one Man to bring in the King and Redeem themselves and this poor Kingdom out of its more then Egyptian slavery As I have 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 Christs Righteousness here which will bring me to the enjoyment of his glorious Robes anon Then he kneeled down and kissed the block and said 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 thank thee O God for all thy dispensations to wards me Then kneeling down he prayed most devoutly as followeth O Eternall Almighty and most mercifull God the Righteous Judge of all the world look down in mercy on me a miserable sinner O blessed Jesus Redeemer of Mankind which takest away the sinnes of the world let thy perfect manner of obedience be presented to thy Heavenly Father for me Let thy precious death and bloud be the ransome and satisfaction of my many and haynous transgressions Thou that sittest at the right hand of God make intercession for me O holy and blessed Spirit which are the comforter fill my heart with thy consolations O holy blessed and glorious Trinity be mercifull to me confirm my faith in the promises of the Gospel revive and quicken my hope and expectation of joyes prepared for true and faithful servants Let the infinite Love of God my Saviour make my love to him stedfast sincere and constant O Lord consider my condition accept my tears asswage my grief give comfort and confidence in thee impute not unto me my former sinnes but most mercifull Father receive me into thy favour for the merits of Christ Jesus Many and grievous are my sins for I have sinned many times against the light of knowledg against remorse of conscience against the motions and opportunities of grace But accept I beseech thee the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart in and for the perfect sacrifice oblation and satisfaction of thy Son Jesus Christ O Lord receive my soul after it is delivered from the burthen of the flesh into perfect-joy in the sight and fruition of thee And at the generall resurrection grant that my body may be endowed with immortality and received with my soul into glory I praise thee O God I acknowledge thee to be the Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy on me Thou that sittest at the right hand of God hear my prayer O Lord Jesus Christ God and Man Mediatour betwixt God and Man I have sinned as a Man be thou mercifull to me as a God O holy and blessed Spirit help my infirmities with those sighs and groans which I cannot expresse Then he desired to see the Axe and kissed it saying I am like to have a sharp passage of it but my Saviour hath sweetned it unto me Then he said if I would have been so unworthy as others have been I suppose I might by a lie have saved my life which I scorn to purchase at such a rate I defie such temptations and them that gave them me Glory be to God on high On Earth peace Good will towards Men. And the Lord have mercy upon my poor soul Amen So laying his Neck upon the block after some private Ejaculations he gave the Heads-man a sign with his hand who at one blow severed his head from his body The Speech of that piously resolved Hugh Grove of Chisenbury in the parish of Enford and County of Wilts Esquire beheaded the 16. day of May 1655. in the Castle at Exon. 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 would bear me witnesse I die a true son of the Church of England as it was established by King Edward the sixth Queen Elizabeth King James and King Charles the first of ever blessed memory That I die a Loyall subject to King Charles the second my undoubted Soveraign and a lover of the good old Laws of the Land the just priviledges of Parliaments and Rights and Liberties of the People for the re-establishing of all which I doe undertake this ingagement and for which I am ready to lay down my life God forgive the bloudy-minded Jury and those that procured them God forgive Captain Crook for denying his Articles so unworthily God forgive Mr. Dove and all other persons swearing so malitiously and falsely against me God forgive all my enemies I heartily forgive them God blesse the King and all that love him turn the hearts of all that hate him God blesse you all and be mercifull to you and to my Soul Amen And so meekly laying his neck to the block and giving a signe his head at one blow and a draw of the axe was severed from his body The manner of the Execution of Sir Henry Slingsby on Tuesday the 8. of June 1658. With the substance of his speech before his Death ABout Eleven of the clock Sir Henry Slingsby was brought from the Tower to the Scaffold on Tower-Hill whither being come he fell upon his knees and for a short space prayed