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
homes and let me be never so unhappy as that the last drop of my Bloud should rise up in Judgment against any one of you but I fear you are in a wrong way My Lords I have but one word mâ—re and with that I shall end I prosesse 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 enclined 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 bosom I hope I shall shortly be gathered to those Eternal happinesses which shall never have end I desire heartily the forgivenesse of every man for any rash or unadvised words or anything done amisse And so my Lords and Gentlemen Farewel Farewel 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 Tear 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 entreat you all to pray with me and for me then his Chaplain laid the Book of Common-prayer upon the Chair before him as he kneeled down on which he prayd almost a quarter of an hour and then as long or longer without the Book concluded with the Lords Prayer Standing up he espies his Brother Sir George Wentworth and cals him to him saying Brother we must part remember me to my Sister and to my Wife and carry my Blessing to my Son and charge him that he fear God and continue an obedient Son to the Church of England and warn him that he bears no private grudg or revenge toward any man concerning me bid him beware that he meddle not with Church-Livings for that will prove a Moth canker to him in his Estate and wish him to content himself to be a Servant to his Country not aiming at higher preferments Aliter To his Son Mr. Wentworth he commends himself and gives him charge to serve his God to submit to his King with all Faith and Allegiance in things temporal to the Church in things Spiritual chargeth him again and again as he will answer it to him in Heaven never to meddle with the Patrimony of the Church for if he did it would be a Canker to eat up the rest of his Estate Carry my blessing also to my Daughter Anne and Arabella charge them to serve and fear God and he will blesse them not forgetting my little Infant who yet knows neither good nor evil and cannot speak for it self God speak for it and blesse it now said he I have nigh done one stroke will make my Wife husbandlesse my dear children fatherlesse and my poor Servants masterlesse and will separate me from my dear Brother and all my Friends But let God be to you and them all in all After this going to take off his Doubler and to make himself unready he said I thank God I am not afraid of death nor daunted with any discouragement rising from any fears but do as chearfully put off my Doublet at this time as ever I did when I went to bed then he put off the Doublet wound up his hair with his hands and put on a white Cap. Then he called where is the man that is to do this last Office meaning the Executioner call him to me when he came and asked him forgivenesse he told him he forgave him and all the world then kneeling down by the Block he went to Prayer again himself the Primate of Ireland kneeling on the one side and the Minister on the other To the which Minister after Prayer he turned himself having done Prayer and spoke some few words softly having his hands lifted up and closed with the Ministers hands Then bowing himself to lay his Head upon the Block he told the Executioner that he would first lay down his Head to try the fitnesse of the Block and take it up again before he would lay it down for good and all And so he did and before he laid it down again he told the Executioner that he would give him warning when to strike by stretching forth his hands And presently laying down his Neck upon the Block and stretching forth his Hands the Executioner struck off his Head at one blow and taking it up in his hand shewed it to all the People and said God save the King His Body was afterwards embalmed and appointed to be carried into Yorkshire there to be buried among his Ancestors He lift these three Instructions for his Son in Writing First That he should continue still to be brought up under those governors to whom he had committed him as being the best he could pick out of all those within his knowledge and that he should not change them unlesse they were weary of him that he should rather want himself then they should want any thing they could desire Secondly He chargeth him as he would answer it at the last day not to put himself upon any publick Employments till he was Thirty years of age at least And then if his Prince should call him to Publick Service he should carefully undertake it to restifie his Obedience and withal to be faithful and sincere to his Master though he should come to the same end that himself did Thirdly That he should never lay any hand upon any thing that belonged to the Church He foresaw that Ruine was like to come upon the Revenues of the Church and that perhaps they might be shared amongst the Nobility and Gentry But if his Son medled with any of it he wished the Curse of God might follow him and all them to the destruction of the most Apostolical Church upon Earth Epitaph on the Earl of Strafford HEre lies Wise and Valiant Dust Huddled up 'twixt Fit and Just STRAFFORD who was hurried hence 'Twixt Treason and Convenience He spent his time here in a Mist A Papist yet a Calvinist His Princes nearest Joy and Grief He had yet wanted all Relief The Prop and Ruine of the State The Peoples violent Love and Hate One in Extreams lov'd and abhorr'd Riddles lie here or in a word Here lies Bloud
servants joyned himself with the Lord Goring Sr. Charles Lucas and others who with a considerable Army were then in Essex and after a long Siege were forced to surrender their Garrison of Colchester In the Articles of that rendition this right noble Lord was included and had quarter given him for life though it was afterwards unhansomly unsaid again by him that gave it who left him after his Parol given to a High Court of Justice upon this surrender he was committed to the Tower where whilst he remained he endeavoured to escape which he well effected but crossing the water through some discourse he let fall Jones the Waterman conceiving what he was upon his landing discovered him had him retaken and committed again in order to his Tryal In the middle of March 1648 he was brought before the said High Court of Justice where he said enough in reason and justice to have cleared himself insisting upon his Priviledge as a Peer and claiming the benefit of the Laws which owned no such arbitrary Power as this against the life of any Subject especially a Noble Man and in sum denied their Jurisdiction and pleaded his quarter given him as abovesaid but nothing would avail they proceeded to Judgment and with Duke Hamilton the Earl of Holland Earl of Norwich and Sr. John Owen sentenced him to be beheaded which was executed accordingly on the ninth of March. We will now take a view of him after the tmie of his Condemnation when he was to encounter and look Death in the face He alwaies kept a very chearful and well composed temper of mind which proceeded from true Christian Principles he would often say it was the good God he served and the good cause he had served for that made him not to fear Death adding that he never had the temptation of so much as a thought to check him for his engagement in this quarrel for he took it for his Crown and glory and wished he had a greater ability and better fortune to engage in it The afternoon before his suffering he was a great while in private with a Minister where bewailing with that sense which became a true and not despairing penitent the sins of his life past the greatest he could remember was his voting my Lord of Straffords death which though as he said he did without any malice at all yet he confessed it to be a very great sin and that he had done it out of a base fear his own words of a prevailing party of which he had very often and very heartily repented and was confident of Gods pardon for it Then he desired to receive the Blessed Sacrament before he dyed After this being afraid of some danger to the Minister that attended him for that work of Love and some Conference in order to his preparation both for his provision and his voyage the Sacrament and his death he desired to go to Prayers which being performed he returned to his private devotions The next morning being the day of his death he desired the Minister who was with him before to hear and joyn with him in Prayers which he did for half an hour in an excellent method very apt Expressions and most strong hearty and passionate affections First confessing and bewailing his sins with strong cries and tears then humbly and most earnestly desiring Gods mercy through the Merits of Christ alone Secondly For his dear Lady and Children with some passion but for her especially with most ardent affections recommending them to the Divine Providence with great confidence and affurance and desiring for them rather the blessings of a better life than of this Thirdly For the King Church and Kingdom And Lastly For his Enemies with almost the same ardour and affection After Prayer ended my Lord of Norwich and Sr. John Owen being sent for the Minister read the whole Office of the Church for Good Friday and then after a short Homily for the occasion he received the Sacrament again in which action he behaved himself with great Humility Zeal and Devotion Being demanded after the receiving thereof how he found himself he replyed very much better stronger and cheerfuller for that heavenly repast and that he doubted not to walk like a Christian through the vale of death in the strength of it But he was to have an Agony before his Passion and that was the parting with his Wife eldest Son now Earl of Essex his Son in Law two of his Uncles and Sr. T.C. especially his parting with his dearest Lady which indeed was the saddest spectacle that could be In which occasion as he could not choose but shew and confesse a little of humane frailty yet even then he did not forget both to comfort and counsel her and the rest of his friends particularly in blessing the yuong Lord he commanded him never to revenge his death though it should be in his power the like he said unto his Lady He told his Son he would leave him a Legacy out of David's Psalms and that was this Lord lead me in a plain path For Boy saith he I would have you a plain honest man and hate dissimulation After this was past with much adoe his Wife and the rest of his Friends were perswaded to begone and then being all alone with the Minister he said Doctor the hardest part of my work in this World is now past meaning the parting with his Wife Then he desired the said Minister to pray preparatively for his death that in the last action he might so behave himself as might be most for Gods Glory for the indearing of his dead Masters memory and his present Masters service and that he might avoid the doing or saying of any thing which might savour either of ambition or vanity This being done he was conveyed with the other two Lords who suffered with him to Sr. Robert Cottons where the Minister staid with him till he was called to the Scaffold whither the Guard of Souldiers permitted him not to come so that my Lord took leave of him there The same day he died he wrote this following Letter to his Wife My dearest Life MY Eternal life is in Christ Jesus my wordly considerations in the highest degree thou hast deserved let me live long here in thy dear memory to the comfort of my Family our dear Children whom God out of mercy in Christ hath bestowed upon us I beseech thee take care of thy health sorrow not afflict not thy self too much God will be unto thee better than an Husband and to my Children better than a Father I am sure he is able to be so I am confident he is graciously pleased to be so God be with thee my most vertuous Wife God multiply many Comforts to thee and my Children which is the fervent Prayer of Thy c. He hath also left behind him an excellent Book of Meditations and some other Miscellaneous things especially an Exhertation to stir up the hearts and endeavours of
I find a great Reward of it for I have found their Prayers and their kindness now in this distress and in this condition and I think it a great reward and 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 bloud 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 Mr. 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 intreateth us to come will not sleight us when we come to intreat him My Lord there is enough there and fix your heart there and fix your eyes there that eye of Faith and that eye of Hope exercise these Grace 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 an 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 an heart to tast some sweetness and Love in this bitter Potion and to see somthing of Mercy and Goodness to you and shew you some sign 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 only in words nor tears God hath not left us without much Comfort and 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 up your Spirit and if there want Evidence there is Reliance my security lies not in my knowing that I shall come to Heaven and come to Glory but in my resting and relying upon him when the Anchor of Faith is thrown out there may be shakings and tossings but there is Safety nothing shall interrupt Safety although somthing may interrupt Security my safety is sure although I apprehend it not and what if I go to God in the dark What if I come to him as Nicodemus did staggering in the night It is a night of trouble a night of darkness though I come trembling and staggering in this night yet I shall be sure to find comfort and fixedness in him And the Lord of Heaven be the strength stay and support of your soul and the Lord furnish you with all those Graces which may carry you into the besom of the Lord Jesus that when you expire this life you may be able to expire it into him in whom you may begin to live to all Eternity and that is my humble Prayer Holland M. Bolton God hath given me long time in this world he hath carried me through many great accidents of fortune he hath at last brought me down into a condition where I find my self brought to an end for a dis-affection to this State to this Parliament that as I said before I did believe no body in the world more unlikely to have expected to suffer for that cause I look upon it as a great Judgment of God for my sins And truly Sir since that the death is violent I am the less troubled with it because of those violent deaths that I have seen before principally my Saviour that hath shewed us the way how and in what manner he hath done it and for what cause I am the more comforted I am the more rejoyced It is not long since the King my Master passed in the same manâ—er and truly I hope that his purposes and intentions were such as a man may not be ashamed not only to follow him in the way that was taken with him but likewise not ashamed of his putposes if God had given him life I have often disputed with him concerning many things of this kind and I conceive his sufferings and his better knowledge and better understanding if God had spared him life might have made him a Pr. very happy toward himself this Kingdom I have seen and known that those blessed souls in Heaven have passed thither by the gate of sorrow and many by the gate of violence and since it is Gods pleasure to dispose me this way I submit my soul to him with all comfort and with all hope that he hath made this my end and this my conclusion that though I be low in death yet nevertheless this lowness shall raise me to the highest glory for ever Truly I have non said much in publick to the People concerning the particular Actions that I conceive I have done by my Counsels in this Kingdom I conceive they are well known it were somthing of vanity methinks to take notice of them here I 'le rather die with them with the comfort of them in my own bosom that I never intended in this Action or any action that ever I did in my life either malice or bloudshed or prejudice to any creature that lives For that which concerns my Religion I made my Profession before of it how I was bred and in what manner I was bred in a Family that was looked upon to be no little notorious in opposition to some liberties they have conceived then to be taken and truly there was some mark upon me as if I had some taint of it even throughout my whole
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 Fulness My Lord that fulness be your Comfort that fulness of Mercy that fulness of love that fulness of righteousness and power be now your riches and your only stay and the Lord interpose himself between God and you as your Faith hath endeavoured to interpose him between God and your soul so I doubt not 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 merciful Saviour and knows what you would desire and wait upon him while you live trust in him when you die â—here is riches enough and mercy enough if he open not yet die at his door 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 eternal glory through my Saviour upon whom I relie from whom only I can expect Mercy into his Arms I commend my Spirit into his bleeding Arms 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 eternal mercy through the Merits through the worthiness through the Mediation of Christ that hath purchased it with his own most precious 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 welcom 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 only 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 thirsts after him clouds are gathering and I trust in God through all my heaviness and I hope through all impediments he will settle my Interest in him and throw off all the claim 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 blessedness of his Presence to all Eternity Hodges My Lord 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 sins 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 only trusts upon his Mercy for his compassion and that as he hath purchased me he would lay his claim 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 Sin Satan nothing shall be able to condemn it is Christ that justifies you Holland Indeed if Christ justifie no body can condemn and I trust in God in his justification though there is a 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 on 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 a 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 arms of mercy and say there I will Anchor and there I will die he is a Saviour for us in all conditions whither should we go 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 yeâ— God I hope will Anchor my Soul fast upon Christ Jesus and if I die not with that clearnesse and heir inesse 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 and holiness with more diligence than truly I have been careful to presse them unto you have the charge of the same place you may do much for them and I recommend them to your kindnesse and the goodnesse of your Conscience Dr. Sibbald standing 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 Countenance 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 eternal 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 than
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
men to have saved the precious life of the King c. which being to be had will need no other Commendation When the other two Lords were beheaded he was brought last to the Scaffold where he spake as followeth His Lordship in the way to the Scaffold put of his hat to the People on both sides looking very austerely about him And being come upon the Scaffold Lieut. Collonel Beecher said to him Sir 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 salves 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 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 do 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 honour 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 English-men behold here an English-man 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 Laws 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 Commandment injoyned by God himself which enjoyns reverence and obedience to Parents All Divines on all hands though they contradict one another in many several opinions yet all Divines on all hands do acknowledge that here is intended Magistracy and Order and certainly I have obeyed that Magistracy and that Order underwhich 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 Commandment 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 than 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 do 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 blood 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 business at that time And truly this I think I am most guilty of of not courage enough in it but malice I had none but whatsoever it was GOD I am sure hath pardoned it hath given me the assurance of it that Christ Iesus his Blood 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 than our gracious King CHARLES that died last God Almighty preserve our King that now is his Son God send him more fortunate and longer dayes God Almighty so assist him that he may exceed both the vertues and sufficiencies of his Father For certainly I that have been a Councellour 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 than in him great judgment great understanding great apprehension much honour in his nature and truly a very perfect Englishman 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 Kingdom come that is while all temporal 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 Iesus 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 blesse you all God Almighty be infinite in goodnesse and mercy to you and direct you in those wayes of obedience to his Commands to His Majesty that this Kingdom may be an happy and glorious Nation again and that your King may be an happy King in so good and so obedient a people God Almighty keep you all God Almighty preserve this Kingdom God Almighty preserve you all Then turning about and looking for the Executioner who was gone off the Scaffold said which is the Gentleman which is the man Answer was made He is coming He then said Stay I must pull off my Doublet first and my Wastcoat and then the Executioner being come upon the Scaffold the Lord Capel said O friend prethee come hither Then the Executioner kneeling down the Lord Capel said I forgive thee from my Soul and not only forgive thee but I shall pray to God to give thee all grace for a better life There is five pound for thee and truly for my clothes and those things if there be any thing due to you for it you shall be fully recompenced but I desire my bedy may not be stripped here and no body to take notice of my body but my own Servants Look you Friend this I shall defire of you that when I lye down you would give me a time for a particular short Prayer Lieu. Col. Beecher Make your own sign my Lord. Capel Stay a little Which side do you stand upon speaking to the Executioner Stay I think I should lay my hands forward that way pointing fore-right and answer being made Yes he stood still a little while and then said God Almighty blesse all this people God Almighty slench this blood God Almighty stench stench stench this issue of blood this will not do the business God Almighty find out another way to do it And then turning to one of his Servants said Baldwin I cannot see any thing that belongs to my Wife but I must desire thee and beseech her to rest wholly upon Jesus Christ to be contented and fully satisfied and then speaking to his Servants he said God keep you and Gentlemen let me now do a business quickly privately and pray let mee have your prayers at the moment of death that God would receive my Soul L. Col. Beecher I wish it Capel Pray at the moment of striking joyn your Prayers but make no noise turning to his Servants it is inconvenient at this time Servant My Lord put on your cap. Capel Should I what will that do me good Stay a little it is well as it is now As he was putting up his hair And then turning to the Executioner he said honest man I have forgiven thee therefore strike boldly from my Soul I do it Then a Gentleman speaking to him he said Nay prethee be contented be quiet good Mr. be quiet Then turning to the Executioner he said Well you are ready when I am ready are you not and stretching out his hands he said Then pray stand off Gentlemen Then going to the front of the Scaffold he said to the People Gentlemen though I doubt not of it yet I think it convenient to ask it of you That you would all joyn in Prayers with me That God would mercifully receive my Soul and that for his alone mercies in Christ Iesus God Almighty keep you all Execut. My Lord shall I put up your hair Capel I I prethee do and then as he stood lifting up his hands and eyes he said O God I do with a perfect and willing heart submit to thy will O God! I do most willingly humble my self and then kneeling down said I will try first how I can Lye and laying his head upon the Block said Am I well now Execut. Yes And then as he lay with both his hand stretched out he said to the Executioner Here lie both my hands out when I lift up my hands thus lifting up his right hand then you may strike And then after he had said a short Prayer he lifted up his right hand and the Executioner at one blow severed his head from his body which was taken up by his Servants and put with his body into a coffin I Shall omit Duke Hamilton not only because of another Nation though a Peer of this but because it is in question whether he suffered not for obeying the commands of the Scotch Parliament and Kirk who sent him as General in that Expedition and that the Kings Interest was but collateral Let him therefore rest in his honourable grave while we softly and reverently pass over it to that of the Earl of Holland Henry Earl of Holland beheaded on the Scaffold in the Palace-yard at Westminster at the same time THis Lord in the beginning of the Reign of King Charles the Martyr was his special favourite and peculiar friend so that after that assassinate upon the Duke of Buckingham he was made Chancellor of the University of Cambridge having been newly before from Baron Rich of Kensington raised to the Honour of the Earldom of Holland and sent Colleague with the Earl of Carlisle in that splendid Embassy into France about the marriage of the Queen Mother Notwithstanding all these favours so freely conferred on him so uncertain variable and unobligeable are the minds of men for I cannot impute his siding with the Parliament to have been from any disgust or dislike he received from the King especially when Religion becomes the bone of contention he was one of those Lords that remained at London and made up a House of Peers although he never took up Arms Command or Employment against his good Master and Soveraign About the middle of the War sceing how unreasonably the Parliament persisted in carrying on the War being so often fruitlesly courted by the King to an accommodation he and the Earl of Bedford forsook their part and quarrel and escaped to the King at Oxford where finding not that kind and favourable reception they expected being looked on shily by the Court there especially this Lord he privately departed to London again having left a fair account of himself to the King But when the War was ended and the Parliament had refused to treat with his Majesty and so to settle the Kingdom he then took up Arms in earnest in the Kings behalf being real and cordial on this his last undertaking and engaged with him the Duke of