Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A45375
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A true copie of a paper delivered by the Duke of Hamilton to some of his servants at St James that morning before he suffred, in the presence of Doctor Sibbald.
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Hamilton, James Hamilton, Duke of, 1606-1649.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing H485; ESTC R217437
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2,979
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6
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A true COPIE of a Paper delivered by the Duke of Hamilton to some of his Servantes at St James that morning before he suffred in the presence of Doctor Sibbald I Know you that are here to be true and faithfull to me I will therefore in your hearing say some what in order to my selfe and to my present Condition and giue you also this Copie of it which after I am gone may perhaps be thought necessary to be published as the last testimony of my loyaltie to my King for whom I now dye and of my affection to my Countrey for the pursuance of whose pious and loyall Comands I am now to suffer That my Religion hath allwayes bin and still is Orthodoxe I am confident no man doubtes I shall not therefore need to say much to that Particular onely that I am of the true reformed Protestant Religion as it is professed in the Church of Scotland I doe take God to witnes that I haue bin constantly a loyall and faithfull subject and servant to his late Majestie in spite of all malice and Calumnie I haue had the honour since my Childhood to attend and be neare him till now of late and during all that tyme I observed in him as eminent vertues and as litle vice as in any man I ever knew And I dare say he neuer harboured thought of Countenancing Popery in any of his Dominions otherwise then was allowed by the Lawes of England and that among all his Subjects there could not be found a better Protestant then him selfe And surely also he was free from having any intent to exercise any tyranny or absolute Power ouer his Subjects and that he hath beene so unfortunate I rather impute the Cause of it to the sins of his people then to his owne For my owne part I doe protest neuer to haue swerued from that true alleageance which was due vnto him and that hath Constantly bin paid to my Comfort I speake it to his Progenitours by my Ancestours for many ages without spott or dishonour and I hope shall be still by my successours to his posterity I doe heartily wish well to and pray for his Royall Issue and shall dye a true and loyall subject to his eldest son Charles the second the vnquestionable King by right of all his Fathers Kingdomes I hope though I doe not liue to see it that Gods Justice and Goodnes will in his owne time establish him on the throne of his Father which I doubt not some of you will see come to passe and I am Confident that till then and soe long as men deepely plunged in guilt and selfe Interest vsurpe power and gouernment These Kingdomes will fall short either of Peace or any other permanent happines I speake this from my just affection to the Royall Race and much Compassion to his Majesties Subjects but not from any Malice anger or desire of Reuenge against any for what I haue or am to suffer for I forgiue all men It is well knowne what Calumnies and aspersions haue beene throwne vpon me by men of seuerall Parties and Interests not excepting those who would seeme to carrie much affection to his late Majestie as though I had expressed disseruice or disloyaltie vnto him the which how malitious and groundles they were I appeale to God who with my owne Conscience clearely beareth witnes of my innocency therein And I shall beg mercie from him to whom I am now to giue an account of all my thoughts and actions as I haue still had a faithfull and a loyall heart to my Master It hath bin a generall Complaint that I perswaded his Majestie to passe the Act for Contynuing this Parliament I dispute not whether the doing of it at that time might haue bin reputed good or bad but surely it was not I that did perswade it Neither did I at all deale with his Majestie for his Consent to the Bill of attainder for taking away the life of the Earle of Strafford whose great parts and affection is knowne I highly valued yet some haue beene pleased to attribute to me the Cause of that concession but were his Majestie now living I am confident he would publiquely Cleare me in both these as he hath bin pleased many tymes in priuate formerly to doe And truely I am not conscious to my selfe though I haue bin for many yeares a privie Councellour to him of euer giving him any aduice that tended to other End as I conceived then the good and Peace of his Majestie and his Dominions It hath bin rumoured since my last imprisonment that I should confesse my selfe to be the greatest Instrument vnder his Majestie by making vse of his Scottish great Seale for authorising the warre in Ireland A report so false and simple as in my opinion iudicious and honest men will not beleeue it And truely as I am free from having hand therein in any maner of way so I am of nothing more confident then that his Majestie was also absolutely free there of and that he was not in any Case a Causer or Countenancer of those Irish troubles I haue bin often examined touching Persons of severall quallities within this kingdome that as is supposed did invite into England the late Army from Scotland or promised assistance after theire Comming and of late much perswasion hath bin used with me to that purpose as that vpon my discouerie thereof depended the onely meanes of my preseruation I will not say that I had any thing to reveale which would haue beene satisfactorie but this I desire you to attest to the world that I haue not accused or said any thing that may reflect on any man of what degree soeuer within the Kings Dominions And indeed it was so Contrarie to my Conscience and so derogatorie to my honour that if I had beene able yet I should neuer haue preiudiced any in that nature though it had beene to saue me a 100. liues Touching that foule and sencelesse slander that I betraid the Army vnder my Conduct the care and paines I then tooke to preuent the losse of it and the neare approach of my suffring for it will I suppose abundantly Contradict this aspersion I was satisfied with the justnes and necessity of that engagement vpon the Growndes of the Declaration of the Parliament of Scotland fearing then the sad confusions which hath since followed here both in Church and State and particularly the fatall fall of my Master to the preservation of whose Person I was by obligation and a naturall affection as passionately tied as I could be by dutie and alleagiance And now I confesse I am void of all rancour or displeasure against any though I am within few houres to dyes adiudged by a lawlesse and arbitrary Court of purpose erected as is said to destroy my Master and some of his seruants and for a great part composed of men Mechanick and vnfit to be Judges my death being decreed right or wrong as is reported before ever the tryall began and though my death is no lesse then murder yet I forgiue all and pray to God to doe it and that my blood be not laid to theire Charge or to some powerfull and eminent mens who as is thought vpon some sinister Ends haue many moneths since Contriued my destruction which now is ready to take effect And though I haue answered to that Court in regard of the justnes of my defence which I thought would haue waighed with them yet I neuer thought nor doe I acknowledge any Iurisdiction or lawfull Authority in the same not withstanding I doe with all Christian humility submitt to the Punishment which for my other personall sins the Lord hath justly brought vpon me I should have spoken much more yet would not haue said so much but for feare lest either my memorie might slipp it on the Scaffold or that the rudenes of some people by noise or otherwise might have interrupted me speaking on this subject Soe I thanke God I am well prepared God blesse you Remember me to all my freinds I know I haue beene a great sinner yet through faith I haue an assurance that God will forgiue me and have mercie vpon me through the alone suffring and intercession of Jesus Christ my Sauiour AMEN HAGE Printed by SAMUELL BROUN English Bookeseller Dwelling in the Achter-om at the Signe of the English Printing house Anno M. DC XLIX