Conscience to give offence to Almighty God I am now if it may be with your Commission Master Sheriff to pour out my Soul to Almighty God in two or three Words the place is straitned if I knew wherein to give any satisfaction to any Person whatsoever that imagines I have offended him or he me I am here in the fear of God to do it I forgive them with all my Soul and my forgiveness is clear as I am now going to receive Happiness at the Hand of my Saviour if I thought it were satisfaction to Sir Thomas Bendish and all the Company or any who think they have offended me I am come Master Sheriff to pay that Debt I owe to nature to pay it upon the Score of a Loyal Subject my Conscience within me informing me that for the intentions of serving my Prince I could not deserve such a Death though ten thousand times more other ways Having expressed himself to this effect with much meekness he submitted his Neck to the Ax having first said Lord Jesus receive my Soul the Executioner at one blow severed his Head from his Body Not long after Brown Bushel was beheaded under the Scaffold on Tower-Hill one who had formerly done great service to the Royal Party both by Sea and Land crimes of such a Nature as brought him into compass of Piracy and then of high Treason Soon after ensuing the Deaths of Mr. Love and Mr. Gibbons who were beheaded ed on Tower-hill the 22. of August 1651. Their Crimes objected were for combining with the Scots to re-establish Charles Stuart many others were apprehended upon the same Account but these two only suffered Passing over these Golgotha's the Reader may be pleas'd to understand that all these Persons here mentioned save only the Earl of Darby suffered Death before that memorable Battle at Worcester though in our History we have related them after as not willing to discontinue the series of our affairs with Scotland by such diversions But to return to matters of more publick concernment the Isles of Jersey Jernsey and Man who had hitherto held for the King submitted themselves so that now all seemed quiet when suddenly a War brake forth with Holland began only at first upon points of Honour at Sea Van Trump the Dutch Admiral refusing to vail his Flag a Ceremonial Honour which the English appropriate to themselves as being Lords of these narrow Seas whereupon a sharp Fight ensued betwixt them wherein the Dutch were discomfited one of their Ships sunk and another of thirty Guns taken with the Captains of both and about a hundred and fifty Prisoners This Skirmish produced open War betwixt the two Nations notwithstanding Overtures of Peace made by the Hollander General Blake the English Admiral surprizes twelve Dutch Men of War towards the Isles of Orkney Sir George Ascue in the Road betwixt Dover and Calice sets upon their Fleet being thirty in Number of which ten were taken and burnt the rest hardly escaping Soon after near Pliniouth he gave them another Fight wherein the Dutch went again by the worst These successes were seconded by others very remarkable General Blake steering Northwards took six Holland Ships of a great Value about the Downes Captain Penne also took six more upon the Coast of France Soon after the Navies engaged in another Fight at a place called the Kentish â—â—ock wherein the Dutch were again de eleven of their Men of War set upon four of the English in the Straights took the Phenix Frigot and much damaged the other In a short space after another Sea Engagement ensued on the Back-side of Goodwin Sands wherein the English were worsted four Ships taken and a considerable Loss of Men. The greatest Fight of all was near the Isle of Wight and Portland wherein the Dutch received a great Overthrow fifty Merchants being taken nine Men of War above two thousand slain and fifteen hundred taken Prisoners But this great Victory soon after received a check the English Fleet in the Levant Seas being again worsted by the Dutch with the Loss of divers Ships and Men. But leaving off these Affairs for a time let us come to General Cromwel who pretending for the better accomplishing of his own Designs the dialtory proceedings pernicious and arbitrary actings in the Parliament to perpetuate their Session to be very dangerous and enthrall the Nation this train of his he knew would take well with the People he therefore resolved to put a Period to the Parliament and accordingly accompanied by the chief Officers of the Army he entered the House and having declared his Intentions some by force some through fear and others not without a great deal of reluctancy and murmuring departed the House To set a fair gloss upon what he had done and to give some satisfaction to the People he publishes a Declaration the substance whereof followeth That after God was pleased marvelously to appear for his People in reducing Ireland and Scotland to so great a Peace and England to perfect quiet whereby the Parliament had opportunity to give the People the Harvest of all their Labour Blood and Treasure and to settle a due Liberty in reference to Civil and Spiritual things whereunto they were obliged by their Duty Engagements and those great and wonderful things God hath wrought for them But they made so little Progress therein that it was matter of much Grief to the good People of the Land who thereupon applied themselves to the Army expecting redress by their means who though unwilling to meddle with the Civil Authority agreed that such Officers as were Members of Parliament should move them to proceed vigorously in reforming what was amiss in the Common-wealth and in settling it upon a foundation of Justice and Righteousness which being done it was hoped the Parliament would have answered their expectations But finding the contrary they renewed their desires by an humble Petition in August 1652 which produced no considerable effects nor was any such Progress made therein as might imply their real Intentions to accomplish what was petitioned for but rather an averseness to the things themselves with much bitterness and opposition to the People of God and his Spirit acting in them insomuch that the Godly Party in Parliament were rendred of no further use then to countenance the ends of a corrupt party for effecting their desires of perpetuating themselves in the supream Government For obviating these evils the Officers of the Army obtained several meetings with some of the Parliament to consider what remedy might be applied to prevent the same but such endeavours proving ineffectual it became evident that this Parliament through the corruption of some the jealousie of others non-attendance of many would never answer those ends which God his People and the whole Nation expected from them But that this cause which God had so greatly blessed must needs languish under their Hands and by degrees be lost and the Lives Liberties and Comforts
Obstruction of it upon nothing more than my own Sin and seeing God sees it fit having not glorified him in my Life I might do it in my Death which I am contented to do I profess in the fear of God particular Malice to any one of State or Parliament to do them a bodily Injury I had none For the cause in which I had long waded I must needs say my engagement or continuance in it hath laid no scruple upon my Conscience it was on Principles of Law the Knowledge whereof I profess and on Principles of Religion my Judgement satisfied and Conscience rectified that I have pursued those ways which I bless God I find no blackness upon my Conscience nor have I put it into the Bed-roll of my Sins I will not presume to decide controversies I desire God to honour himself in prospering that side that hath right with it and that you may enjoy Peace and Plenty beyond all you possess here In my Conversation in the World I do not know where I have an Enemy with cause or that there is such a Person whom I have to regret but if there be any whom I cannot recollect under the notion of christian Men I pardon them as freely as if I had named them by name I freely forgive them being in free Peace with all the World as I desire God for Christs sake to be at Peace with me For the business of Death it is a sad Sentence in it self if Men consult with Flesh and Blood But truly without boasting I say it or if I do boast I boast in the Lord I have not to this minute had one consultation with the Flesh about the blow of the Axe more then as my passport to Glory I take it for an honour and I owe thankfulness to those under whose Power I am that they sent me hither to a place however of Punishment yet of some Honour to die a death somewhat worthy of my Blood answerable to my Birth and Qualification and this courtesie of theirs much helped towards the pacification of my Mind I shall desire God that those Genâ—lemen in that sad Bed-roll to be tryed by the High Court of Justice that they may find that really there that is nominal in the Act an High Court of Justice a Court of High Justice high in its Righteousness though not in its severity Father forgive them and forgive me as I forgive them I desire you now that you would pray for me and not give over praying till the Hour of my Death not till the Moment of my Death for the Hour is come already the instant of Time approaches that as I have a great load of Sins so I may have the wings of your Prayers to help those Angels that are to convey my Soul to Heaven and I doubt not but I shall see my Saviour and my gallant Master the King of England and another Master whom I much honoured my Lord Capel hoping this Day to see my Christ in the presence of the Father the King in the presence of him my Lord Capel in the presence of them all and my self there to rejoyce with all other Saints and Angels for ever more After the uttering of these and many the like Words declaring his Faith and Confidence in God with as much undaunted yet Christian Courage as possibly could be in Man he exposed his Neck to the fatal Ax commending his Soul into the Hands of a faithful and merciful Creator thro' the meritorious Passion of a gracious Redeemer and having said Lord Jesus receive me the Executioner with one Blow severed his Head from his Body For such a collateral design not long after one Master Benson was executed at Tyburn one that had some Relations to Sir John Gell who was tried for the same Conspiraccy with his Man Sir John's former Services to the Parliament being his best and most assured Intercessors for his Life and at that time were more then ordinary Advantages to him I shall in the next place give you an account of the Beheading of Sir Henry Hide He was by the Scots King commissonated as Ambassadour to the Grand Signior at Constantinople and stood in Competition with Sir Thomas Bendish then Ambassadour for the English for his Place whereupon they had a Hearing before the Vizier Bassa the result whereof was that Sir Thomas Bendish should dispose of the said Sir Henry Hide as he thought good who was to the same purpose sent to Smyrna thence into England and there condemned and executed before the Royal Exchange in London March 4. 1650. His last Words were to this Effect CHristian People I come hither to die I am brought hither to die and that I may die Christian like I humbly beseech the assistance of your Christian Prayers that by the benefit of them my passage may be the more easie Yet because Men in that condition which it hath pleased God to reduce me to give the more credit to Speech in the discharge of my Duty towards God I shall use a few Words and so conclude I pray all of you join with me to praise this Almighty God to whom I desire to render all hearty Thanks as for all his Mercies so in particular for this that he hath brought me hither that whereas I owe a Debt to Sin and and to Nature that now I can pay the Debt to Nature I can pay it upon the account of Grace And because it is fit to render the blessed account of that hope that is in me I shall tell you to the praise of Almighty God that I have been born and bred up in the Doctrine of the Church of England I have no negative Religion believing to be saved by the only merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ and whatsoever else is profest in the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England authorized by Law humbly beseeching Almighay God to restore unto this Church her Peace Prosperity and Patrimony whereof I have an Obedient and a Loving however an unworthy Son and now both my Hope being consident and my Faith perfected there remains only Christian Charity Charity we carry into Heaven Charity on Earth that I leave beseeching all whomsoever I have offended to forgive me as I from the bottom of my Heart do all whomsoever blessing Almighty God for the happy advantage he takes to bring me the sooner to Heaven I bless Almighty God that he hath given me this Advantage as he hath been Merciful to me before the Foundation of the World in my Saviour so that now he hath in Mercy honoured me with a suffering for his Name in Obedience to his Commandment On this Day sevennight I was summoned before that Justice which condemned me on Friday last praised be Almighty God that by this way he hath brought me nearer to himself My charge I presume is publick as my Punishment is visible if there have been any thing in the management of my part being unskilful having
erected for the Tryal of them and first they began with Sir Henry Slingsby the Articles charged against them will in part discover themselves in their several Speeches made just before their Deaths In short they were both condemned Dr. Hewet professing himself to be ignorant of such Law tho' amongst the most learned Divines few of them were more knowing in the Gospel being taken in three defaults upon formalities of the Court was proceeded against as mute June 8. 1658. was the Day appointed for their beheading Sir Henry Slingsby first mounting the Stage spake in effect as followeth That he stood condemned by the Court of Justice as contriving and endeavouring to withdraw divers Officers of the Garrison of Kingston upon Hull from their Duty and perswading them to a surrendring and yielding up of that Garrison and one that held correspondence with some beyond Sea to that end That it was true he had conference upon that Account with the Officers of that Garrison and that he gave Major Waterhouse a Commission signed Charles R. But that it was but an old one that had lain by him though he thought fit to make use of it to the Major Many Passages he said there were which he would not insist on that some Friends of his had made Application to his Highness for the saving of his Life but it seems it was thought fit not to be granted and therefore he submitted and was ready to dye c. Having uttered these and the like Words he took off a Ring from his Bandstrings wherein instead of a Seal engraven was the Picture of the late King exactly done and giving it to a Gentleman that stood by him he said Pray give this to Harry Then he addrest himself to Prayer wherein he continued some time taking leave of his Friends he submitted his Neck to the Block and had his Head severed from his Body at one Blow by the Executioner This at one Blow by the Executioner the Reader may observe hath been very often repeated in this Volume His Tragick Scene being acted that Religious and Reverend Divine Doctor Hewet the golden tongu'd Chrysostom entered the Lists of Death In this Warfare the Doctor put on the spiritual Armour of a blessed Confidence delivering his Mind to the People in these following Words I am now become a publick Spectacle to Men and Angels and I hope God who is omniscient is now beholding me with much Pity Mercy and Compassion and the more because I am now come to that end that his own Son came into the World to to bear Witness to the Truth he himself said For this end was I born for this cause came I into the World that I should bear Witness to the Truth I was brought into the World the Christian World for to bear Witness to the Truth of the Gospel as 〈◊〉 common Christian I was brought into thâ— World the Church as a Minister of hiâ— blessed Word and Sacraments blessed be his Name for that great Honour and Dignity and I came into the World to dy more immediately for the Testimony of Jesus which God hath now called me to 〈◊〉 came into this World this Commonwealth to be a Member thereof to bear Witness to the Truths of the Customs the Laws the Liberties and Priviledges thereof foâ— am a Member of the Common-wealth And methinks it seems to me a strange thing that in as much as we all plead for Liberty and Priviledges and I pleading for the Priviledges the Laws the Statutes and thâ— Customs of this Land yet I should die by those that should stand for the Laws the Statutes and Priviledges of the Land Anâ— I am here beheld by those that plead for their Liberties and I hope I am pittied because I here give up my self willingly and steely to be a State-Martyr for the publick good and I had rather die many Deaths my â—elf then betray my fellow Freemen to so â—any Inconveniencies that they might be â—â—ke to suffer by being subject to the Wills â—f them that willed me to this Death And it is worthy Remembrance that Master Solicitor having impeached me of Treason to the Commissioners of the Court â—gainst his Highness I did often when brought before those Commissioners plead for the Liberties of the People of England â—hough I had no Knowledge of the Law â—et I had Instructions from those that were learned in the Law and had several Law-Cases and made my Appeal First for â—he Judicature that I was to be tryed by Whether it were according to Law Whether it were according to the Act And whether it were according to the Words of the said Act I did appeal to have the said Act argued by learned Lawyers on both sides and then to be resolved by his Highness own Council which was denied me This by the by I pressing the Argument made a second Appeal that those Judges if they would give singly their several Judgments that it was a just and lawful Court of Judicature I would answer to my Charge I did make another Appeal to those that were his Highnesses Council and pleaded against me That if they would deliver it to me under their 〈◊〉 to be according to Law I would then plead and answer to the Charge What was then said further my Spirits being faint I shall not say much but only this I was taken in three defaults upon formality of the Court It seems it is a custom in all Courts which I did not know before that if they answer not the third time speaking by the Clerk that then they are guilty of three defaults and proceeded against as mute I had no such Knowledge of the Law So they found me guilty of those defaults and when I would have pleaded and resolved to begin to plead I was taken from the Bar. I did the next Day make my Petition to the Court in the Painted Chamber two Petitions were presented the same in effect the former the Title was mistaken Yet because the Title was mistaken and no Answer given therefore it was that another Petition was drawn up to the same Effect with a new Title given as I remember presented by the Serjeant at Arms and one writ it over in such haste lest they should be drawn out of the Painted Chamber into the Court that I had not time to read it over only I subscribed my Name and there was in the Front of the Petition a Word left out but what the Word was I know not and this was taken so ill as if I had put an Affront and Contempt on the Court And it was thought they would have heard me plead and then because of that mistake they sent Word I should have my Answer when I came into the Court and my Answer was the Sentence of Condemnation And therefore I pray with all my Soul that God would forgive all those that occasioned the Charge to be drawn against me to give such unjust Things against me I pray with all
Merits and Mercies of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ not doubting but that through the red Sea of his Blood he should arrive at the Heavenly Canaan and in little space behold his Saviour whom his Soul so much longed after Then fixing his Eyes upon the Multitude he spake to this effect I am brought here to a shameful Death I am an English Man born and as many know a Gentleman born I was drawn into this Business by several Persons and am now brought here for my former Sins God hath delivered me several Times from several Judgments he hath visited me at this Time because I slighted and did not pursue that Repentance that I promised Therefore I desire all good People to leave off their Sins for Christ his sake and beagme new Men for it is that that brings all Men to ruin I beseech God of Mercy have Mercy upon my Soul Lord God I come to thee Lord the Father of Heaven have Mercy upon me O God the Son Redeemer of the World have Mercy upon me O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have Merâ—y upon me Remember not my Offences but spare me good Lord God I beseech thee spare thy Servant whom thou hast vedeamed for thy dear Sons sake I have no more to say but desire the Prayers of all good People Having ended his Speech he committed his Spirit into the Hands of God and having said Lord have Morcy upon my Soul he was turned off the Ladder and instantly cut down his Belly ripped up and his Bowels burnt in a Fire ready prepared for that purpose he being not yet Dead then was his Head cut off and his Body divided into four Quarters put into a Basket and conveyed back to Newgate Next they proceeded and fetcht John Betley for there was a great deal of Business done by the Executioner that Day into Cheapside where formerly the Cross stood where was likewise a Gibbet set up being come to the Place with a Minister the Minister read and the People sung with him a Psalm beginning thus O Lord consider my Distress c. Then he went up the Ladder and said as followeth LOrd receive my Soul and be merciful to me I commit my Soul into Almighty Gods Hands for he is my Protector and Redeemer I am not ashamed to live nor afraid to die for my Conversation hath been such in Christ Jesus I hope I shall find Mercy As concerning them that are my Enemies I pray God forgive them their Sins I freely forgive them all that have done me wrong As for the late Plot I was never but once in Company with them concerned therein I did know of such a Thing but deny that I acted therein Shall I damn my Soul at this Instant I will speak the Truth One Brandon that was one of them drew me into the Business and his Man I carrying Work to him could not refrain his House he so often enticed me thereto and would not let me alone till he had got me into a House where we drank together I have no more to say as to the Plot but desire Mercy from God Having this said the Executioner turned him off and the rest of the Sentence was executed upon him as before upon Colonel Ashton and his Head and Quarters were conveyed also to Newgate Some two Days after one Edmund Stacy also about the same Conspiracy was executed in Cornhil over against the Exchange as also a Youth in Smithfield having the Rope about his Neck the horror of Death being worse then Death it self but for his Souls Health was Reprieved the Torrent of Blood being for a while stayed Whilst these Tradgedies were acting on the Land a strange Accident no less prodigious happened on the Water a Whale of a monstrous bigness at least sixty Foot and of a proportionable Breadth was cast up on the River of Thames near London which by the common People was accounted a Prognostication of the Protectors Death which ensued not long after But to return to Flanders where we formerly left the Sea whereof like a sharp Humour did always nourish the Wounds of incurable Evils nor was the French their letting of her Blood sufficient she wanted an English Physician to treat her Our Armies whose Valours made not a stand at Mardike but with a gallant Resolution besieged Dunkirk which being a Place of great Importance the Spaniard intended to relieve and with an Army of sixteen thousand came within an English Mile and a half of the French Quarters whereupon the Engeish and French uniting their Forces leaving some part of them before Dunkirk to make good the Approaches and guard the Trenches with fifteen thousand Men and ten Pieces of Cannon set upon the Spaniard whom after a long and sharp Fight they put to a total Rout and Confusion with the Loss of three thousand five hundred Men which Victory was in a manner wholy attributed to the Valour of the English The Loss of this Day lost the Spaniard Dunkirk who quickly after surrendered up the Town upon these following Conditions 1. That the Town shall be yielded up with all their great Guns their stores of Victuals Magazines of Arms and Ammunition without any embezlement 2. That all Officers and Soldiers shall have Liberty to marth out with their Arms Drums beating Golours flying two Pieces of Oridinance and their Baggage 3. That they shall have the Liberty to march with a Convoy so conduct them to Saint Omers 4. That the Inhabitants should remain indempnified in their Persons and Goods and enjoying their former Customs and Priviledges for two Years and not be molested touching the Exercise of their Religion The Articles signed the Spaniards marched out being about one Thousand Horse and Foot and seven hundred more that were wounded the French according as it was articled before put the English in Possession thereof which ever since they have maintained I have heard of an expression of the Governours of Ostend A little before the Massacre there a Person of Quality being sent thither about the exchange of Prisoners after he was civilly treated the Glasses of Wine going freely about the Governour being in a safe Place began to throw forth Words to this effect Sir is this the Mode of your Mushroom Protector hath he no other Way to pay my Master the King of Spain for his Bullion but with Bullets Soon after the taking of Dunkirk deceased the Lady Cleypoll second Daughter to the Protector a Lady whom Posterity will mention with an honourable Character who often interposed and became an humble Supplicant to her Father for many Persons design'd to dye her last request as it was thought for some eminent Persons being deny'd was a means of hastening her Death which much sadned her Father's Spirits nor did he long survive her her Death causing more Wounds in his Heart than all he received in the Wars But as his Severity was great to his Enemies so did he excell in