here and therefore I tell you and I pray God it be not laid to your charge that I am the Martyr of the people Introth Sirs I shall not hold you much longer for I will onely say this to you that in truth I could have desired some little time longer because I would have put this that I have said in a little more order and a little better digested then I have done and therefore I hope you will excuse me I have delivered my Conscience I pray God that you doe take those courses that are best for the good of the Kingdome and your own salvations Dr. Juxon Will your Majesty though it may be very well known your Majesties affections to Religion ye it may be expected that you should say somewhat for t the worlds satisfaction King I thank you very heartily my Lord for that I had almost forgotten it Introth Sirs My Conscience in Religion I think is very well known to all the world and therefore I declare before you all That I die a Christian according to the profession of the Church of England as I found it left me by my Father and this honest man I think will witness it Then turning to the Officers said Sirs excuse me for this same I have a good cause and I have a gracious God I will say no more Then turning to Colonel Hacker he said Take care they doe not put me to pain and Sir this and it please you But then a Gentleman coming near the Ax the King said take heed of the Ax pray Take heed of the Ax then the King speaking to the Executioner said I shall say but very short prayers and when I thrust out my hands Then the King called to Doctor Juxon for his Night cap and having put it on he said to the Executioner Does my hair trouble you who desired him to put it all under his cap which the king did accordingly by the help of the executioner and the Bishop then the King turning to Doctor Iuxon said I have a good Cause and a gracious God on my side Doctor Juxon There is but one Stage more this Stage is turbulent and troublesome it is a short one But you may consider it will soon carry you a very great way it will carry you from earth to heaven and there you shall find a great deal of cordial joy and comfort King I goe from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown where no disturbance can be no disturbance in the world Doctor Juxon You are exchanged from a Temporal to an Eternal Crown a good exchange The king then said to the executioner is my hair well Then the King took off his Cloak and his George giving his George to Doctor Juxon saying Remember Then the King put off his Doublet and being in his Wastcoat put his cloak on again then looking upon the block said to the executioner You must set it fast Executioner It is fast Sir King When I put my hands out this way stretching them out then After that having said two or three words as he stood to himself with hands and eyes lift up Immediately stooping down laid his neck upon the Block and then the Executioner again putting his hair under his Cap the King said thinking he had been going to strike stay for the sign Executioner Yes I will and it please your Majesty And after a very little pause the King stretching forth his hands The Executioner at one blow severed his head from his body the head being off the Executioner held it up and shewed it to the people which done it was with the Body put in a Coffin covered with black Velvet for that purpose and conveyed into his Lodgings there And from thence it was carried to his house at Saint James's where his body was embalmed and put in a Coffin of Lead laid there a fortnight to be seen by the people and on the Wednesday sevennight after his Corps embalmed and coffined in Lead was delivered cheifly to the care of four of his Servants viz. Mr. Herbert Captain Anthony Mildmay his Sewers Captain Preston and John Joyner former Cook to to his Majesty they attended with others cloathed in mourning Suits and Cloaks accompanied the Herse that night to Windsor and placed it in that which was formerly the Kings Bed-chamber next day it was removed into the Deans Hall which Room was hanged with black and made dark Lights burning round the Hearse in which it remained till three in the Afternoon about which time came the Duke of Lenox the Marquesse of Hertford the Marquesse of Dorchster the Earl of Lynsey having obtained an order from the Parliament for the Decent Enterment of the King their royal Master provided the expence thereof exceeded not five hundred pounds at their coming into the Castle they shewed their Order of Parliament to Collonel Wichcott Governour of the Castle desiring the Enterment might be in St. George's Chappel and by the form in the Common Prayer Book of the Church of England this request was by the Governour denyed saying it was improbable that the Parliament would permit the use of what they had so solemnly abolished and therein destroy their own Act To which the Lords replied there is a difference betwixt destroying their own Act and dispensing with it and that no power so binds its own hands as to disable it self in some cases all could not prevail the Governour persisting in the negative The Lords betook themselves to the search of a convenient place for the Burial of the Corps the which after some pains taking therein they discover a Vault in the middle of the Quire wherein as is probably conjectured lyeth the body of King Henry the eight and his beloved wife the Lady Jane Seamor both in Coffins of Lead in this Vault there being Room for one more they resolve to inter the body of the King the which was accordingly brought to the place born by the Officers of the Garrison the four Corners of the Velvet Pall born up by the aforesaid four Lords the pious Bishop of London following next and other persons of Quality the body was committed to the earth with sighs and tears especially of the Reverend Bishop to be denyed to do the last Duty and Service to his Dear and Royal Master the Velvet Pall being cast into the Vault was laid over the Body upon the Coffin was these words set KING CHARLES 1648. A Letter worthy Perusal written by King CHARLES to his Son the PRINCE from Newport in the Isle of Wight Dated November 29. 1648. Son BY what hath been said you may see how long We have laboured in the search of Peace Do not you be discourag'd to tread those wayes in all those worthy means to restore your self to your Right but prefer the way of Peace shew the greatness of your mind rather to conquer your enemies by pardoning then by punishing If you saw how unmanly and unchristianly this implacable disposition is
things against me I pray with all my soul that God would forgive all those that upon so slender and small grounds adjudg'd me to die taking advantage of such simple ignorance as I was in And I had at the very beginning of my pleading engaged their Honors no advantage should be taken against me to my prejudice that in as much as I understood nothing of the Law And having heard that a man in the nicety of the Law might be lost in the severity thereof meerly for speaking a word out of simple ignorance I made it my prayer to them that no advantage might be taken against me to the prejudice of my person and there was to me a seeming consent for the President told me there should be no advantage taken against me and upon these considerations I am afraid there was too great uncharitableness But I pray God forgive them from the very bottom of my soul and I desire that even those that shed my bloud may have the bowels of the God of Mercy shed for them And now having given you the occasion of my coming hither it is fit I should give you somewhat as concerning my self as I am a Christian and as I am a Clergy-man First as I am a Christian I thank God I was baptized to the Holy Church so I was baptized to be a Member of the holy Catholick Church that is the Church of England which I dare say for purity of Doctrine and orderly Discipline till a sad reformation had spoiled the face of the Church and made it a querie whether it were a Church or no I say it was more purely Divine and Apostolical than any other Doctrine or Church in the Christian World whether National or Classical or Congregational And I must tel you That as I am a Member of this Church so I am a Member of the holy Catholick Church and shall give a most just confession of my Faith both negatively and affirmatively Negatively I am so a Member of the holy Catholick Church that I abhor all Sects Schisms Sedition and Tyranny in Religion Affirmatively so That as I hold Communion with so I love and honour all Christians in the world that love the same Lord JESUS in sincerity and call on his Name agreeing with those truths that are absolutely necessary and clearly demonstrated in the Word of God both in the Old and New Testament though in charity dissenting from some others that are not necessary And I as I am thus a Christian I hope for salvation through the merits of Christ Jesus his bloud I rely on his merits I trust to for the salvation of my own soul though to this Faith Good Works are necessary not meritorious in us but onely made meritorious by Christ his death by his all-sufficiency by his satisfaction and his righteousnesse they become meritorious but in us they are no other than as defiled Rags And truly as I am a Member of the Church so I told you I was a Member of this Community and so pleaded for the Liberties and Priviledges thereof I must now answer something I am aspersed withall in the world They talk of something of a Plot and a Treasonable desâ—gn and that I had a great interest in the knowledge and practise thereof and that for the saving my life I would have discovered and betrayed I cannot tel what I hope my conversation hath not been such here in this City where I have been a long time very wel known as to make one imagine I should intermeddle in such an action and go so contrary to the practise of my profession and I hope there are none so uncharitable towards me as to believe I had a knowledge of that design Here I must come to particulars for a Plot of having a design upon the City of London for the firing of it I so much tremble at the thought of the thing that should have been done as they say for the carrying on of such a design if my heart deceive me not had I known it I so much abhor the thing I should have been the first discoverer of it Nor ever had I correspondencie or meetings with such persons as would have carried on such a design It is said likewise I entertained the Earl the Marquess of Ormond To my remembrance I never saw the face of that honourable person in my life It is said One Lords day I did preach at Saint Gregories and the next Lords day I was at Brussels or Bruges and kist the Kings hand and brought I cannot tel what Orders and Instructions from him This I shal say For these three years last past together I have not been sixty miles from this City of London and I think it is somewhat further to either of those places than threescore miles It is said that I kept correspondence with one Mallory and Bishop They are persons I have heard of their names but never saw their faces and to my knowledge I do not know they know me nor do I know them at all but onely as I have heard of their names And whosoever else hath suggested such things against me I know not His Highness was pleased to tel me I was like a flaming Torch in the midst of a sheaf of Corn He meaning I being a publick Preacher was able to set the City on fire by sedition and combustions and promoting designes Here truly I do say and have it from many of those that are Judges of the High-Court that upon examination of the business they have not found me a medler at all in these Affaires And truly I must needs say therefore That it was a very uncharitable act in them who ever they were that brought such accusation against me and irritated his Highness against me I will not say it was malice it might be zeal but it was rash zeal which caused me to be sentenced to this place The God of mercy pardon and forgive them all And truly as I am a Member of the Church and as a Member of the Community where on behalf I have been speaking I cannot but do as our Saviour himself did for his Disciples when he was to be taken from them he blessed them and ascended up to heaven My trust is in the mercy of the most High I shall not miscarry and however my daies are shortned by this unexpected doom and shal be brought untimely to the grave I cannot go without my prayers for a blessing upon all the people of this Land and cannot but bless them all in the name of God and beseech God to bless them in all their waies and his blessing be upon them Let us pray O Most glorious Lord God thou whose dwelling is so far above the highest Heavens that thou humblest thy self but to look upon the things that are in Heaven and that are in earth and thou dost whatsoever thou wilt both in Heaven in Earth in the Sea and in all deep places In thy hands are
blessings upon them I accuse no man I find fault nor quarrell with no man neither with the persons that were the occasions they were but instruments neither at the persons condemning I accept thankfully the Sentence of Death upon my self and I beseech Almighty God that I may be the last that may suffer upon this score or upon any other Master Sheriff If there be any thing wherein I can give any other satisfaction to any Christian whatsoever in any kind as I spake in generall I bless Almighty God from my own Heart now so assisted by the especiall Operation and Motions and Dictates of the Holy Ghost if I can know any thing wherein or how to be now in my dying not having served God so well in my life serviceable to the Church of God of Christ and the full satisaction of any whatsover I am here ready I am unacquainted but in my extasies to Heaven there is that Glory I am going to I beseech Almighty God that he will give me grace to bless his holy Name as for all as for Jesus Christ and in him all things so particularly for this that he hath thought me worthy to bring me hither for my faithfulness to my Master that is the most pious and most just Prince in all the world My Master hath suffered bitterly in England and if there be any failing in his service the fault is onely mine God knows I have done nothing in the business but by the instance of the Merchants I delivered my Letters and there they lie To other things I am a Stranger I hope that God will give me the grace of perseverance in that Christian Religion in that loyalty to my Prince in that love to all the World that now being to give up my accompt to him that I may with comfort be received in the arms of his mercy If there be any thing Master Sheriff that I may give satisfaction in I am ready to do it according to the poor talent I have I will receive my punishment in the way God hath prepared for me and many ways I have been taken up Truly I am bound to all that see me and many thousands more since I came into England not an uncivil look we had strange reports abroad not an uncivil look from any God repay them all and return them from the Throne of his Grace into their own Bosoms And God in particular bless that Honourable Lady who was the occasion of the coming of my Lords Grace of Armagh with the Confirmation of those glorious and eternal Messages of Comfort which now I am going to enjoy being thankfull to all those that know me and know me not for since I am come hither whereas I might have received prejudice in respect to my Loyalty which is not the way now I have from them all received courtesie the Lord repay them I thank God I am otherwise bred and my Allegiance hath been incorporated imbodied into my Religion and besides the great desires of other Gentlemen that I might goe out of the World but that the world might see that the Grace of God hath had a perfect Reformation in me and a willing and thankfull Submission to his Will therefore I repent me not of it but I beseech Almighty God to bless and prosper all people whatsoever that to this Kingdome belong As my Speech is imperfect so is my Health I have forced my self in this Discourse to give that satisfaction which I could And I beseech you Mr. Sheriff if you can hear of any Gentlemen that are wronged what I offer here I am to answer it and I beseech you joyn with me in your Christian Prayres that I may have a passage whither I am now going to give an account not only of every deed but of every word Then turning to his Man he said Sir H. Hide John Which is the Executioner The Executioner being brought to him he said Sir H. Hide Honest Friend I have no quarrel with you you are the welcome instrument do your work only let me see the place that I may fit my self for I have an infirm body Sheriff You shall when you have prayed if you please to pray first Sir H. Hide I desire to see the Block I can pray afterwards Here Mr. Executioner is that money that is left here is Four pounds for you Then being shewed the Block he kissed it saying Sir H. Hide It is unworthy for me to put my Head where my Masters was Blessed be God Blessed be his holy Name putting off his Hat I have an infirmity in my Body but God hath enabled me inwardly Pray M. Sheriff let me have a little more room Sheriff Go to Prayer and we will clear the room Sir H. Hide I have I thank Almighty God done those Christian Offices belonging to me at home I come hither only to die Then kneeling down he said the Lords prayer Then having prayed a short space he stood up and turning to the Executioner said Sir H. Hide Honest Friend I pray give me direction what I am to doe and doe your Office You will cure all diseases presently pray direct me Then the Executioner going to spread the Scarf over the Block he said Sir H. Hide Put it not on now but by and by D. Hide God Almighty strengthen you Sir H. Hide God reward you all Then the Executioner going to put up his Hair under his Sattin Cap he thought he had been taking of it off Whereupon he said Sir H. Hide Must I have my black Cap off it is very cold all these Diseases will be cured the Lord be thanked Then going to lie down his Man not helping him he said Sir H. Hide John help me a little I pray Did not I tell you I could neither rise nor fall lay me down and lift me up again John Then rising again upon his knees he spake to the Executioner having the Ax in his hand Sir H. Hide Pray Sir give me the Ax. And then taking the Ax in his hand he kissed it and returned it to the Executioner again saying Sir H. Hide I will only say Lord Jesus receive my Soul and when I lift up my Right-hand do your work And then lying down again after a little space he lift up his Right-hand and the Executioner at one stroke severed his Head from his Body The speech of James Earl of Derby upon the Scaffold at Bolton in Lancashire together with his Deportment and prayer before his death on Wednesday the 15. day of October 1651. THe Earl of Derby according to the order of the Court Marshall held at Chester by which he was sentenced to die at Bolton in Lancashire was brought to that Town with a guard of Horse and Foot of Colonel Jones's commanded by one Southley who received his order from Colonel Robert Duckenfield betwixt 12. and 1. of the clock on Wednesday the 15. of October the people weeping praying and bewailing him all the way from the prison
in our ill-willers â—â—u would avoid that spirit Censure us not for having parted with too much of Our own right the price was great the commodity was security to Us Peace to Our People And We are confident another Parliament would remember how useful a Kings power is to a Peoples liberty Of how much we have divested Our self that We they might meet again in a due Parliamentary way to agree the bounds for Prince and People And in this give belief to Our experience never to affect more Greatness or Prerogative than what is really and intrinsecally for the good of your Subjects not satisfaction of Favorites And if you thus use it you will never want means to be a Father to all and a bountiful Prince to any you would ba extraordinarily gracious unto You may perceive all men trust their treasure where it returns them interest And if Princes like the Sea receive and repay all the fresh streams and rivets trust them with they will nor grudge but pride themselves to make them up an Ocean These considerations may make you a great Prince as your Father is now a low one and your state maybe so much the more established as mine hath been shaken For Subjects have learnt We dare say that Victories over their Princes are but Triumphs over themselves and so will be more unwilling to hearken to changes hereafter The English Nation are a sober People however at present under some infatuation We know not but this may be the last time We may speak to you or the world publickly We are sensible into what hand We are faln and yet We bless God We have those inward tefreshments that the malice of Our Enemies cannot perturb We have learnt to own Our self by tetiting into Our self and therefore can the better digest what befals Us not doubting but God can restrain Our Enemies malice and turn their fierceness into his praise To conclude if God give you success use it humbly and far from revenge It he restore you to your Right upon hard conditions what ever you promise keep Those men which have forced Lawes which they were bound to observe will find their triumphs full of troubles Do not think any thing in this World worth obtaining by foul and unjust means You are the Son of Our love and as We direct you to what we have recommended to you so we assure you We do not more affectionatlely pray for you to whom We are a natural Parent then We doe that the ancient glory and renown of this Nation be not buried in irreligion and fanatick humour And that all our Subjects to whom we are a Politick Parent may have such sober thoughts as to seek their Peace in the Orthodox Profession of the Christian Religion as it was established since the Reformation in this Kingdome and not in new Revelations And that the ancient Lawes with the Interpretation according to the known practises may once again be an hedge about them that you may in due time govern and they be governed as in the fear of the Lord. C.R. THe Commissioners are gone the Corn is now in the Ground We expect the Harvest if the Fruit be Peace We hope the God of Peace will in time reduce all to Truth and Order again Which that he may do is the prayer of C. R. AN ELEGIE On the Sufferings and Death OF K. Charles I. COme come let 's Mourn all Eyes that see this Day Melt into Showrs and Weep your selves away O that each Private head could yield a Flood Of Tears whil'st Britain's Head stream's out His Blood Could we pay what His Sacred Drops might claim The World must needs be drowned once again Hands cannot write for trembling let our Eye Supply the Quill and shed an Elegy Tongues cannot speak this Grief know's no such vent Nothing but Silence can be Eloquent Words are not here significant in This Our Sighs our Groans bear all the Emphasis Dread Sir What shall we say Hyperbole Is not a Figure when it speaks of Thee Thy Book is our best Language what to this Shall e're be added is thy Meiosis Thy Name 's a Text too hard for us no men Can write of it without Thy Parts and Pen. Thy Prisons Scorns Reproach and Poverty Though these were thought too courteous Injury How could'st Thow bear Thou Meeker Moses how Was ever Lion bit with Whelps till now And did not roar Thou England's David how Did Shimei's Tongue not move Thee Where 's the Man Where is the King Charles is all Christian Thou never wanted'st Subjects no when they Rebell'd thou mad'st thy Passions to obey Had'st Thou regain'd thy Throne of State by Power Thou had'st not then been more a Conqueror But Thou thine own Soul's Monarch art above Revenge and Anger Can'st Thou tame thy Love How could'st Thou bear Thy Queen's Divorce must She At once Thy Wife and yet Thy Widow be Where are Thy tender Babes once Princely bred Thy choycest Jewels are they Sequestred Where are thy Nobles Lo in stead of these Base savage Villains and Thine Enemies Egyptian Plague 't was onely Pharaoh's doom To see such Vermin in His Lodging-room What Guards are set what Watches do they keep They do not think Thee safe though lock't in Sleep Would they confine Thy Dreams within to dwell Nor let Thy Fancy pass their Centinel Are Thy Devotions dangerous Or do Thy Prayers want a Guard These faulty too Varlets 't was onely when they spake for You. But lo a Charge is drawn a Day is set The silent Lamb is brought the Wolves are met Law is arraign'd of Treason Peace of War And Justice stand's a Prisoner at the Bar. This Scene was like the Passion-Tragedie His Saviour's Person none could Act but He. Behold what Scribes were here what Pharisees What bands of Souldiers What false witnesses Here was a Priest and that a Chief one who Durst strike at God and His Vicegerent too Here Bradshaw Pilate there This make's them twain Pilate for Fear Bradshaw condemn'd for Gain Wretch could'st not thou be rich till Charles was dead Thou might'st have took the Crown yet spar'd the Head Th' hast justifi'd that Roman Judge He stood And washt in Water thou hast dipt in Blood And where 's the slaughter-House White-hall must be Lately His Palace now His Calvarie Great Charles is this Thy Dying-place And where Thou wer 't our King art thou our Martyr there Thence thence Thy Soul took flight and there will we Not cease to Mourn where Thou did'st cease to Be. And thus blest Soul He 's gon a Star whose fall As no Eclipse prove's Oecumenical That Wretch had skill to sin whose Hand did know How to behead three Kingdoms at one blow England hath lost the Influence of her King No wonder that so backward was Her Spring O dismal Day but yet how quickly gon It must be short Our Sun went down at Noon And now ye Senators is this the Thing So oft declar'd Is
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
out of his pocket in his hand wherein it seems he had prepared some heads of a speech which he intended to have delivered but the Sheriff and Lieuteant told him if he spoke any thing it must be very brief and that they must not suffer him to speak any thing that was seditious Well Gentlemen said he your will be done but God be praised I never yet had to do with any thing that was seditious I would fain have spoken something to clear my self to the world according to the custom if it might have been But come Sir saith he turning to the Minister Let you and I speake to him that will give us leave and so kneeling down together in a corner of the stage the Minister pray'd with him a short time which done they stood up again Then turning himself to the people and putting off his hat he told them That he was not permitted to speak a few words according to his intention yet he doubted not but what he would have said would come to their eyes though it must not come to their ears But this I desire all to take notice of and this he spoke with a double vehemence that I dye a faithfull subject and servant to King Charles the second whom I pray God to bless and restore to his Rights and had I ten thousand thousand lives I would gladly lay them all down thus for his service Here he was interrupted and the Sheriff wished him rather to confesse what he knew concerning the horrid plot he was condemned for He answered That he had confessed all that he knew concerning any Plot that he thought they knew more of the Plot that condemn'd him then he did but he heartily forgave them The Minister told him it was well done to forgive and pardon those that persecute us That was an act of true Christian love but as his case stood love was not enough He ought to deal in this business upon which his life lay with all candour and sincerity not concealing any thing of that nature as was charged against him as far as he might glorifie God and serve the publick good Upon which lifting up his eyes towards heaven and laying his hand upon his breast Oh Sir says he if there had been any such thing in this breast would I not have revealed it before this time I protest in the sight of Almighty God I know no more of any such design but onely what I have often acknowledged that it was motioned to me by Henshaw who I confidently believe is in their hands and debated twice or thrice when I was with him but I never entertained it at all and at the last flatly disown'd it and told him I would have nothing to do in it He was many times pressing me to nominate what persons I knew I could bring and to have their names but let them shew any such thing if they can against me But I am certain he is in their hands Pawsing here a little and fetching a turn or two on the Scaffold being very hot as he had been all that morning he call'd for some small beer which he had given order to be ready and was brought thither in a stone bottle of which he drank a little once or twice Then the Minister went to him and minded him that something might be expected from him as to his Religion and disposition to dye To which gathering up an extraordinary resolution in his face he replyed I dye a Christian a true Christian according to that Faith and Religion which was professed by the Church of Engl. in the time of our late King of blessed memory And I praise God I am so fitted and ready to dye that I am confident by the merits of Christ Jesus that my sins are pardoned and my salvation is at hand Then turning about he called for his wast-coat and cap and throwing off his doublet put them on whilst his servants helped to put up his hair His wast-coat was not very clean which he took notice of to his man but 't is no great matter said he if the heart be clean all 's well enough Being thus prepar'd 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 seesm concerning his Brother Charls that had witnessed against him I know not what the Lieutenant said for he spake low but Mr. Gerard spake aloud and replyed passionately 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 his imprisonment then onely that he was found in the same bed with me which sure is no capital crime Having said this he took his leave with 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 farewel 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 meekness and noble courage mix'd together as I believe 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 bloud and ryot they gave a great and generall 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 have had 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 Theater of death and have learned that part so well