respect to my family I am now stripping off my clothes to fight a duel with death I conceive no other duel lawful but my Saviour hath pulled out the sting of this mine enemy by making himself a sacrifice for me And truly I do not think that man deserving one drop of his bloud that will not spend all for him in so good a cause The Truth is Gentlemen in this Age Trea on is an individium vagum like the wind in the Gospel it bloweth wher it listeth So now Treason is what they please lighteth upon whom they will Indeed no man except he will be a Traytor can avoid this Censure of Treason I know not to what end it may come but I pray God my own and my Brothers blood 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 walke 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 to 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 sluggishness in doing their duty and readiness 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 that is unborn will curse the day of their Parents birth God almighty preserve my Lawful K. 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 Majestys Royal Brethren and incline their hearts to seek after him God incline the hearts of all true Englisâ—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 have put on the Robes of Christs Righteousnesse 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 upon 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 towards me Then kneeling down he prayed most devoutfuly as followeth O Eternal 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 sins 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 heynous transgressions Thou that sittest at the right hard of God make intercession for me O holy and blessed Spirit which art 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 reviveâ— and quicken my hope and expectation of joys prepared for true and faithfull servarâ—ts Let the infinite Love of God my Saviour make 〈◊〉 love to him steafast sincere and constant O Lord consider my condition accept my tears aswage my grief give me comfort and confidence in theâ— impute not unto me my former sins but most mercifull Fathâ—r 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 knowledge against remorse of conscience against the motions 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 general 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 sins 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 Mediator 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 Savior 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 lye 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 true Speech of that Valiant and piously resolved Hugh Grove of Chisenbury in the Parish of Enford and County of Wilts Esquire beheaded the 16th 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 cannor 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 Charls the first of blessed memmory That I die a Loyall Subject to King Charls 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 did undertake this engagement and for which I am ready to lay down my life God forgive the bloody-minded Jury and those that procured them God forgive Captain Crook for denying his Articles so unworthily God forgive Mr. Dove and all other persons swearing so maliciously 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 merciful to you and to
God I have been long in my Race and how I have looked to Jesus the Author and Finisher of my Faith he best knowes 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 no coming to the right hand of God Jesus despised 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 now upon the very Brink of it an Argument I hope that God is bringing me into the Land of Promise for that was the way through which he led his People But before they came to it he instituted a Passeover for them a Lamb it was but it must be eaten with sour herbs I shall obey and labour to digest the sour herbs as well as the Lamb. And I shall remember it is the Lords Passeover I shall not think of the herbs nor be angry with the hand which gathereth them but look up only to him who instituted that and governs these For men can have no more power over me then what is given them from above I am not in love with this passage through the Red Sea for I have the weaknesse and infirmities of flesh and bloud plentifully in me and I have prayed with my Saviour ut transiret Calix iste that this Cup of Red Wine might passe from me But if not Gods will not mine be done and I shall most willingly drink of this Cup as deep as he pleases and enter into this Sea yea and passe through it in the way that he shall lead me But I would have it remembred good people that when Gods Servants were in this boysterous Sea and Aaron among 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 the Three Children from the Furnace and I most humbly thank my Saviour for it my Resolution is now as theirs was then They would not worship the Image the King had set up nor will 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 Calf in Dan and Bethel And as for this People they are at this day miserably misled God of his mercy open their eyes that they may see the right way for at this day the Blind lead the Blind and if they go on both will certainly fall into the Ditch For my self I am and I acknowledge it in all humility a most grievous sinner many waies by thought word and deed and I cannot doubt but that God hath Mercy in store for me a poor Penitent as well as for other sinners I have now upon this sad occasion ransacked every Corner of my heart yet I thank God I have not found among the many any one sin which deserves death by any known Law of this Kingdom And yet hereby I charge nothing upon my Judges for if they proceed upon Proof by valuable Witnesses I or any other Innocent may be justly condemned And I thank God though the weight of the Sentence lie heavy upon me I am as quiet within as ever I was in my life And though I am not only the first Archbishop but the first man that ever died by an Ordinance of Parliament yet some of my Predecessors have gone this way though not by this means For Elphegus was hurried away and lost his Head by the Danes and Simon Sudbury in the Fury of Wat Tyler and his Fellows Before these St. John Baptist had his Head danced off by a Lewd Woman and St. Cyprian Archbishop of Carthage submitted his Head to a persecuting Sword Many examples great and good and they teach me Patience For I hope my Cause in Heaven will look of another Dye then the colour that is put upon it here And some comfort it is to me not only that I go the way of these great men in their several generations but also that my Charge as foul as 't is made looks like that of the Jews against St. Paul Acts 25.3 For he was accused for the Law and the Temple i. e. Religion And like that of S. Stephen Acts 6.14 for breaking the Ordinances which Moses gave i. e. Law and Religion the holy place and the Temple v. 13. But you will say do I then compare my self with the Integrity of St. Paul and St. Stephen No far be that from me I only raise a Comfort to my self that these great Saints and Servants of God were laid at in their times as I am now And 't is memorable that S. Paul who helped on this Accusation against S. Stephen did after fall under the very same himself Yea but here is a great Clamour that I would have brought in Popery I shall answer that more fully by and by In the mean time you know what the Pharisees said against Christ himself If we let him alone all men will believe in him venient Romani and the Romans will come and take away both our Place and the Nation Here was a causelesse Cry against Christ that the Romans will come And see how just the Judgment of God was they crucified Christ for fear lest the Romans should come and his death was it which brought in the Romans upon them God punishing them with that which they most feared And I pray God this Clamour of venient Romani of which I have given no cause help not to bring them in for the Pope never had such a Harvest in England since the Reformation as he hath now upon the Sects and Divisions that are amongst us In the mean time by honour and dishonour by good and evil report as a Deceiver and yet true am I passing through this world 2 Cor. 6.8 Some Particulars also I think it not amiss to speak of And first this I shall be bold to speak of the King our Gracious Soveraign He hath been much traduced for bringing in of Popery but on my Conscience of which I shall give God a very present account I know Him to be as free from this Charge as any man living and I hold him to be as sound a Protestant according to the Religion by Law established as any man in this Kingdom and that he will venture his Life as far and as freely for it and I think I do or should know both His affection to Religion and His Grounds for it as fully as any man in England The second Particular is concerning this great and Populous City which God bless Here hath been of late a fashion taken up to gather hands and then to go to the Great Court of this Kingdom the Parliament and clamour for Justice as if that great and wise Court before
whom the Causes come which are unknown to the many could not or would not do Justice but at their appointment A way which may endanger many an Innocent man and pluck his bloud upon their own heads and perhaps upon the Cities also And this hath been lately practised against my self the Magistrate standing still and suffering them openly to proceed from Parish to Parish without check God forgive the setters of this with all my heart I beg it but many well meaning People are caught by it In St. Stephens case when nothing else would serve they stirred up the people against him and Herod went the same way when he had killed St. James yet he would not venter upon St. Peter till he found how the other pleased the people But take heed of having your hands full of bloud for there is a time best known to himself when God above other sins makes Inquisition for bloud and when that Inquisition is on foot the Psalmist tells us That God remembers but that 's not all He remembers and forgets not the Complaint of the Poor that is whose bloud is shed by oppression vers 9. take heed of this 'T is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God but then especially when he is making Inquisition for bloud And with my Prayers to avert it I do heartily desire this City to remember the Prophesie that is expressed Jer. 26.15 The third particular is the poor Church of England It hath flourished and been a shelter to other neighbouring Churches when storms have driven upon them But alas now 't is in a storm it self and God only knows whether or how it shall get out and which is worse than a storm from without it s become like an Oak cleft to shivers with wedges made out of its own body and at every cleft prophanenesse and irreligion is entring in while as Prosper speaks in his second Book De vit a contemptu cap. 4. Men that introduce prophanenesse are cloaked over with the name Religionis Imaginariae of Imaginary Religion for we have lost the Substance and dwell too much in Opinion and that Church which all the Jesuits machinations could not ruine is fallen into danger by her own The last particular for I am not willing to be too long is my self I was born and baptized in the bosome of the Church of England established by Law in that profession I have ever since lived and in that I come now to dye This is no time to dissemble with God least of all in matter of Religion and therefore I desire it may be remembred I have alwaies lived in the Protestant Religion established in England and in that I come now to dye What Clamours and Slanders I have endured for labouring to keep a Uniformity in the external service of God according to the Doctrine and Discipline 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 to consist of these two parts An endeavour to subvert the Laws of the Land and alike Endeavour to overthrow the true Protestant Religion Established by Law Besides my answers to the several Charges I protested my Innocency in both Houses It was said Prisoners Protestations at the Bar must not be taken I can bring no witnesse of my heart and the intentions thereof therefore I must come to my Protestation not at the Bar but my Protestation at this hour and instant of my death in which I hope all men will be such charitable Christians as not to think I would dye and dissemble being instantly to give God an account for the truth of it I do therefore in the presence of God and his holy Angels take it upon my death That I never endeavoured the subversion either of Law or Religion and I desire you all to remember this Protest of mine for my Innocencie in these and from all Treâ—sons whatsoever I have been accused likewise as an Enemy to Parliaments No I understand them and the benefit that comes by them too well to be so But I did mislike the misgovernment of some Parliaments many waies and I had good 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 that being the highest Court over which no other have Jurisdiction when 't is mis-informed or mis-governed the Subject is left without all remedy But I have done I forgive all the World all and every of those bitter Enemies which have persecuted me and humbly desire to be forgiven of God first and then of every man whether I have offended him or not if he do but conceive that I have Lord do thou forgive me and I beg forgivenesse of him And so I heartily desire you to joyn in Prayer with me Oeternal God and merciful 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 Crosse of Christ not till thou hast bathed me in the bloud of Christ not till I have hid my self in the wounds of Christ that so the punishment due unto my sins may passe over me And since thou art pleased to try me to the utmost I humbly beseech thee give me now in this great instant full Patience proportionable Comfort and a heart ready to dye for thy Honour the Kings happinesse and this Churches preservation And my zeal to these far from arrogance be it spoken is all the sin humane frailty excepted and all incidents thereto which is yet known to me in this particular for which I now come to suffer I say in this particular of Treason but otherwise my sins are many and great Lord pardon them all and those especially what ever they are which have drawn down this present Judgment upon me and when thou hast given me strength to bear it do with me as seems best in thine own eyes and carry me through death that I may look upon it in what visage soever it shall appear to me Amen And that there may be a stop of this issue of bloud in this more than miserable Kingdom 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 Bloud thirsty people but if they will not repent O Lord confound all their devises Defeat and Frustrate all their designs and endeavours upon them which 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 just power the Preservation of this poor Church in her Truth Peace
if the heart be clean aliâ—s well enough Being thus prepared he calls for the Block and viewing it as with delight laid himself down upon it to see how it would fit and was so far from sinking at the sight of it that he almost play'd with it and rising quickly pulls a little paper-book out of his pocket which he gave to the Minister willing him to find that particular Prayer which was proper for that occasion but the crowd being great he could not quickly find it so that he kneeled down with the book open a while in his hand as if he had read but quickly shut it and prayed with great expressions of fervency by himself When he had done the Lieutenant said something to him as it seems concerning his Brother Charles that had witnessed against him I know not what the Lieutenant said for he spake low but Mr. Gerhard spake aloud and replyed passionatly O Christ Sir I love my poor brother with all my heart he is but a youth and was terrified I know how he was dealt with tell him I love him as well as ever I lov'd him in my life And commend me to my brother Sir Gilbert whose release I beseech you Sir to assist there being no more cause that I know of for imprisonment then only that he was found in the same bed with me which sure is no capital crime Having said this he took his leave of him and the Sheriff and all he knew on the stage and turning about once more to the people desired them to pray for him himself kneeling down with the Minister laid his hand in his bosom and they prayed together the last time After this he bids them all farewell again and besought them to remember they had a poor Soveraign abroad who deserved to be remembred Then forgiving the Executioner and saluting the Minister with his last embrace and kisses he bow'd himself to the stroak of death with as much Christian meeknesse and noble courage mix'd together as I beleive was ever seen in any that had bled upon that Altar And this all the people that were Spectators did seem to understand and acknowledge beholding his fatal blow with an universal sadness and silence whereas when the other Gentleman fell quickly after upon another score of blood and ryot they gave a great and general shout as applauding the Justice of the Portugals death but pittying and bewailing the untimely fall of so brave and magnanimous a spirit as did through all the clouds of death shine gloriously in this unfortunate Gentleman His Speech Gentlemen AS this kind of spectacle is no new entertainment to your eyes for you havhad a late glut of such objects So is it no strange thing to me to be made such a spectacle for I have been bred upon the Theatre of death and have learned that part so well though I confess a very hard one as to perform it pretty handsomly both as becomes a Gentleman and a Christian Only 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 confesse 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 ingagment 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 Charles Alas poor youth how he was wrought upon but I desire all my friends to think honour ably of him For my Brother Sir Gilbert This imagination of a Plot is said to be 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 dye right in his favour because suspected of any thing so unworthy of him I fear he lost his Kingdom by such practices 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 my 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 Queen Elizabeth K. James and K. Charles 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 faithfull Ministers of this Church and give you hearts to esteem them the want whereof is no small cause of our misery My dayes have been few and evil yet God be blessed in all the vanities and folly of youth I have been far from Atheism or concempt of Gods worship I had always awfull impressions of Gods honour and service which is now my comfort And now dear Countrymen fare you well I pray God blesse you all his 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 faithfull 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 pâ—irit 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 10th of July 1654. on which day he suffered death in the place where Charing Crosse 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