all Happiness where every Tear shall be wiped away from our Eyes and every sad thought from our Hearts and so God bless 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 〈◊〉 pray with me and for me then his Chaplain laid the Book of Common-Prayer upon the Chaâ— before him as he kneeled down on which he prayed almost a quarter of an hour and then as long or longer without the Book and concluded with the Lords Prayer Standing up he spies his Brother Sir George Wentworth and calls 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 grudge or revenge toward any man concerning me and bid him beware that he meddle not with Church-livings for that will prove a Moth and 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 bless them not forgetting my little Infant who yet knows neither good nor evil and cannot speak for it self God speak for it and bless it Now said he I have nigh done one stroke will make my Wife Husbandless my dear Children Fatherless and my poor Servants Masterless 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 Doublet 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 his 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 forgiveness 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 spake some few words softly having his hands lifted up and closed with the Minister's 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 fitness 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 strook 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 appoined to be carried into York-shire there to be buried amongst his Ancestors He left these three Instructions for his Son in Writing First That he should continue still to be brought up under those Governours to whom he had committed him as being the best he could pick out of all those within his knowledge and that be should not change them unless they were weary of him that he should rather want himself than they should want any thing they could desire Secondly He charged him as he would answer it at the last day not to put himself upon any public Employments 'till he was thirty years of Age at least And then if his Prince should â—all him to public Service he should carefully undertake it to testifie his Obedience and withall 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 Ruin 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 FINIS Mondayâ— Tuesday Pyms first charge The Lieutenants Answer Three new Articles Expres Thursday Expres 2. Staffords Reply Friday Express 3. 4. Corks two Falls 1 Interlining 2 His Groom Satturday Charge 1. Staffords Reply Charge 2. Straffords Reply Charge 3. Straffords Reply Secondly Charge 4. Straffords Reply Glinn 's Ejaculation Straffords Reply Monday Charge Art 6. Strafford 's Reply Charge Strafford 's Reply Tuesday Charge latter part of the 8th Article Lady Hibot's Case Strafford 's Reply Charge Article 9. Stafford 's Reply Wednesday Charge Artic. 10. Strafford 's Reply Charge Artic. 11. Strafford's Reply Thursday Artic 12. Charge by Maynard Staffords Reply Charge by Mâ— Palmer latter part of the 15. Article seizing and laying Souldiers upon the Subjects Straffords Reply Glins Speech Straffords Reply Serjeant Savils Coppy of the Commission rejected Straffords Reply Saturday Charge Article 1â— by Mr. Palmer Straffords Reply Whitlocks Charge Article 19. Oath to Scots in Ireland Straffords Reply Monday Article 20 the next 〈◊〉 crowded together Glynâ— Honey Comb interposed Straffords Reply Strafford 's Reply Wednesday Whitlocks Charge Straffords Reply Charge Article 26. Straffords Reply Charge Article 27. Strafford 's Reply Thuasday Charge Sir Walter Earl's Observations Glyns charitable speech Strafford's Reply Friday he was hindred from coming by a fit of the Stone Glyn again Report of my Lord Strafford's death Saturday Monday spent in a conference betwixt both Houses Tuesday Strafford's reply My Lord Strafford's last Speech in the Hall The Recorder Thursday The formality of a conference Monday Protestation Saturday May 8. Sunday Four Bishops
Bridgeman who made it manifest that the Salvo of 25 Edward 3. was repealed and that no man could now be convicted of Treason but by the Letter of that Statute But being put to Voice it was carried for the Bill and a Committee appointed for to draw it up This gave occasion of much talk abroad and they who were otherwise the Lord Strafford's Enemies could not find Equity enough in the Bill of Attainder Some could not conceive what difference imaginable was betwixt the Bill and the Charge presented before for in the Charge he was accused of Treason and the Bill though they had no Legislative power seemed nothing but an Affirmation of the same Others who would have the Bill understood of a Definitive sentence because it was consecutive to the Proofs were not satisfied but that it was against all practice that the Commons should give sentence upon the death of a Peer and that it was against common Equity too that the Party accusant should give the Judgment if the complainers were admitted to be Judges A third sort gave it out that this was no Sentence against the Lord Strafford but only a passing of a new Act of Parliament about a matter not hitherto declared Treasonable but yet these doubted that by declaring the matter of Fact to be approved and applying the censure to it in reference to the Lord Strafford it would ever be thought a Sentence against him to blemish his own Fame and the Blood of his Posterity Moreover that if they were about to make a new Act it were strange to punish a man for the breach of such a Statute as was not yet extant in Rerum Naturâ which should in reason refer only to fuâ—ure obedience And what is more strange though there were a new Statute yet by what Authority the Parliament hath or could declare any Individual or Accumulative Act which is already to be Treasonable which must be Treason by virtue of a Statute or else no Treason at all now there is none can be brought except the twenty fifth of Edward the third whereof the Letter of that Statute cannot by their own Confession nor was not so much as once alleaged against the Lord Strafford and for the Salvo or Proviso which they mainly insisted on the same stands repealed by two posterior Acts of Parliament You have the Mutterings of all sorts of People The Lords fearing the Proceedings as a beaten Path trodden out to the ruin of their own Lives and Estates told the House of Commons in their Conference upon Thursday That they would go on the same way they did already and according to the Order of the House give full Audience to the Lord Strafford's Councel in matter of Law and that they themselves as competent Judges would by themselves only give Sentence in the Cause nor was there any other course sutable to the practice and Statutes of the Kingdom the Safety of the Nobility or to Equity or common Justice It was replied by them of the Lower House That they were resolved to go on with their Bill and if the same should be rejected by the Lords they feared a Rupture and Division might follow to the utter Ruine and Desolation of the whole Kingdom that no content would be given to the Subject and this was a strong Argument indeed yet better beseeming Partiality and Violence than the pretended Justice and Piety of the times unless the man who had so much intruded upon their Right and discontented the People might be punished as a Traytor and for the practice of the Kingdom that no man had ever found such a favourable hearing and that the Process against Essex Norfolk Somerset were all of them closed up in one day Upon Friday the Lords gave Answer That they could expect nothing from the House of Commons but what should tend to the Peace and Preservation of the Kingdom nor was there a more forceable way than to preserve the Laws and Customs thereof lest Innovation so much complained of by them might unhappily be found among themselves That the Subjects should have all that Justice could afford but that an Act of Injustice would never give satisfaction to the World nor safety to themselves the Eyes of all Foreign States being fixed upon the business now in agitation and the wisdom of our Nation either to be much advanced or depressed by their Judgments in this Case That the Process against Norfolk and Essex for Somerset was convict only of Felony and had not so much Animadversion to save himself by his Book were for direct and formal Treasons comprised in one or two Individual Acts but this against the Lord Strafford only Arbitrary and Accumulative to be pick'd out of Twenty eight Articles And therefore that it was impossible to have a full Examination of them all to give Sentence against him and those Noble men were charged with some Actual breach of Statutes formerly made but here a new Statute was to be made or else he to be found guiltless They concluded that they had given Order for his appearance on Saturday and that in the Great Hall at Westminster where the House of Commons might if they pleased be present After some deliberation with the House the Conferrers answered That since the Lords had so resolved they would not deny to be there present and to hear what his Councel could say for him but to reply any more in public they neither could nor would because of the Bill already past only if the Lords should take any scruple in the matter of Law they would be ready to give them satisfaction by a private Conference so they willingly declined to do what indeed they could not possibly do that is to give public satisfaction in the matter of Law Upon Saturday they convened in the Great Hall but they that were of the Committee for the great Charge did not stand at the Bar as before but sat promiscuously with the rest of their Fellows so that a mouth was not opened in the behalf of the House of Commons all that day After they were set the Lord Steward told the Lieutenant That the Lords had resolved to give him a fair hearing in the matter of Law and therefore desired that the Councel might keep that distance moderation and respect to the Judicatory that was fitting and not at all to meddle with the matter of Fact The Lieutenant replied That in all humility he did acknowledge that favour from the Lords and that it was such an one too as he could not but expect from such honourable Peers and just Persons in whose integrity and goodness under that which he had placed above he had reposed his chiefest confidence for his Councel they knew much better than himself what concerned the point of Discretion and Reverence and that he doubted not but that they would give all satisfaction and obedience Then his Councel were called to the Bar Mr. Lane the Prince's Attorney Mr. Gardiner Recorder of
London Mr. Loe and Mr. Lightfoot Mr. Lane spake and much to this sence and purpose My Lords there is an heavy Charge lieth on me and my Fellows nothing less than to defend the Life the Estate the Reputation yea the Posterity of this Honourable Person at the Bar if therefore we shall be more pressing we hope your Lordships will interpret this our forwardness to be for Honour and Conscience sake in a matter that concerneth both so nearly But it shall be our endeavour to carry our selves with our best respects to your Lordships and with all content and satisfaction to the honourable House of Commons and because your Lordships mentioned the matter of Fact one thing I dare be bold to say that all the time of this Noble Lord's defences he did not so much as crave any one of our Opinions yea or acquainted us with any thing that tended that way And for the matter of Law those Statutes cited by himself were none of our stock but taken up at his own adventure nor do I speak this to derogate from the pertinency of those Statutes for they shall be the subject of my discourse but that the Noble-man be not disappointed of your right Conceptions and his own due Praise My Lords It is your pleasure we meddle not with matter of Fact and indeed we need not meddle at all with it because we hope it is already done and that sufficiently to our hands yet the matter of Law doth so naturally arise out of the matter of Fact that of necessity under your Lordships savours we must somewhat grate on this if we speak of that nor do I conceive it possible for us to speak advantagiously enough for the Lord Strafford's just defence unless the whole matter of Fact be determined either as proved or not proved or at least some states of Questions agreed upon where we may fix and settle our Arguments and therefore it is my Lords that I have chosen not at all to touch the matter of Law until your Lordships shall be pleased to chalk me out â—way unless it be to clear your judgments in one Statute only viz. 25 Ed. 3. Because when the same was alleaged by the Lord Strafford in his own Defence that not being convicted of the Letter thereof he could not be convicted of Treason I remember the Salvo of that Statute was much insisted upon by those from the House of Commons as much conducing to their own ends My Lords I will first speak of the Statute it self and then of its Salvo or Provision The Statute is That if any man shall intend the death of the King his Queen their Children kill the Chancellor or Judge upon the Bench imbase the King's Coyn or counterfeit the Broad-Seal c. he shall be convicted and punished as a Traytor that the Lord Strafford comes within the Letter of this Statute is not so much as once alleaged nor indeed it cannot be with any reason all that can be said is That by Relation or by Argument à minore ad majus he may be drawn thither yet that this cannot be I humbly offer these Considerations First This is a Declarative Law and such are not to be taken by way of Consequence Equity or Construction but by the Letter only otherwise they should imply a contradiction to themselves and be no more Declarative Laws but Laws of Construction or Constitutive Secondly This is a Penal Law and such if our Grounds hitherto unquestioned hold good can admit of no Constructions or Inferences for Penalties are to persuade the keeping of known Laws not of Laws conjectural ambiguous and by consequence which perhaps the most Learned may not in their Disputes question much less the Subject who is not obliged to interpret the Statute doubt of in the point of Obedience yea rather without any doubt he is to obey the Letter of the Statute and conceive and that truly that he is not lyable to the Penalty Thirdly We have a notable Law 13 Eliz. cap. 2. whereby it is declared That the bringing in of Bulls from Rome to stir up the Subject to Mutiny and Rebellion shall be punished as Treason Now if by interpretation or by consequence this sence might have been thrust upon the preceding Statutes the making of this had been superfluous yea the persons then charged with that Crime might have been impeached of Treason even before the making of this Act. Anno 21 of Ed. 3. We have a Statute declaring That for a Servant to kill his Master is an Act of Treason and in the three and twentieth year of the same King a Process of Treason was framed against a man for killing his Father grounded upon the same Argument à minori ad majus But it was found and the Sentence is yet in the Records that although in the one and twentieth year of Edward the third that Argument might have been admitted yet in the 27 it could not by reason of the Declarative Law intervening in the 25 year and this Case comes very home to the Point in Law My Lords I will not demand what kind of Offence it may be for a man to subvert the fundamental Laws of a Kingdom the Crime doubtless is unnatural and monstrous and the punishment must keep the same proportion only I presume to offer these few things to your Lordships considerations First That one or more Acts of Injustice whether maliciously or ignorantly done can in no sence of Law be called the subversion of the fundamental Laws if so as many Judges perhaps so many Traytors It is very incident to man's Nature to err nor doth the Lord Strafford plead his innocency in over-sights but in Treason Secondly I do remember the Case of John de la Poole Duke of Suffolk this man in the twenty eighth of Henry the Sixth was charged by the House of Commons with Articles of Treason and those too very like to these against my Lord Strafford 1. That he had given the King bad advices 2. That he had embased his Coyn. 3. That he had sessed men of War 4. That he had given out summary Decrees 5. That he had Imposed Taxes 6. That he had corrupted the Fountain of Justice 7. That he had persuaded the King to unnecessary War and to the giving over of Anjou in France Ovum Ovo And for all these though he was Charged with High Treason for wronging the right of the Subject and subverting the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom yet after a long Agitation the matter was found by the Lords of Parliament not to imply Treason but only Felony Add to this another who in the twenty third of Henry the eighth was charged for subverting the English Laws and yet no Treason charged upon him Add to both the Charge of Richard Larks pleaded at the Common-Pleas who was charged with Treason for subverting the Law but convicted only of Felony by which you may see my Lords what to this time hath been subverting
the Oath and Law-giver is the party only some have observed two remarkable things upon this First Some think it strange that seeing the House of Commons have lately fined the Convocation House upon this ground especially that they enjoyned an oath which is a Legislative power say they and only due to Parliaments how they at this time as if all the Legislative power were in them without the advice of the Lords I say not of the Church though in matters Ecclesiastical or approbation of the King which is conceived to be a mighty encroachment upon his Prerogative should offer either to prescribe or subscribe such an Oath as if it were essential to our Reformation ever to be done by the people without Authority of the Superiour Powers and yet before it pass into a Statute it must come in by a Bill â—steron proteron but perhaps it is hoped that by this Anti-dated subscription they shall find out the more easy passage for the Bill when it comes to be propounded Secondly That the House of Commons were four hours pleading upon that one expression in the Protestation The true reformed Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England Some who were more tender toward the Church and desiring that the word Discipline might be adjoyned to the word Doctrine but others mainly opposed that reasoning that no Discipline could be admitted but all to be esteemed as Popish that was not conteined in the Doctrine that is in the word of God which party at the last did prevail though the other affirmed that there was more express warrant in the word of God for Bishops than for ruling Elders but if some Hint be not there intended against the Deans and Chapters the Lyturgies and Ceremonies yea the very Bishops of the Church of England let any man judge and of what dangerous consequence that may be if those who pretend to have authority in all Church Affaires may be permitted to give Sentence is not difficult to determin This day the people met again but in smaller numbers they have threatned to come to morrow with all their main forces and not to desâ—â—t till the Lieutenant be executed and their other petitions obteined The Oath was likewise presented to the Lords and some say all of them except the eight Recusant Lords and four of the Bishops have signed the same but others say they have only admitted the Bill which is more likely I think it is Lucaâ— tells us the tale That when the 100 handed Gyant Briareus whom the Mithologizers of Poems use as a Type of the multitude was first brought into the world his Father Jupiter desired Mercury to set his Scheme and calculate the Stars of his Nativity no Father said Mercury that is needless a little time will shew his disposition for so many hands cannot belong Idle A very lively Idea of this business now in Agitation Your self may make the application by the events Upon Saturday May the eighth the Bill against the Lord Strafford past the Lords there were forty five present of which nineteen voiced for him and twenty six against him the greatest part of his friends absented themselves upon pretence whether true or suppositious that they feared the multitude otherwise his Suffrages had more than counterpoised the Voters for his death In the Bill he is condemned of Treason and all his English Lands the other part of the Coat is left for those in Ireland forfeited with an especial Proviso that this Act shall in no wayes he forceable against others than if it never had been made which to his friends of Judgment smells strongly of a particular hatred against him as if the same common way of Justice should not equally strike against all which it should do in true Justice but that Crimes did differ in their Subjects Two ways there were to have proceeded against him by a Legislative or by a Judiciary power both did strike home alike at his life and his Estate both alike ready both sure by reason of the proofs the Difference only this this might have been done without the King that only by him because this is a Sentence that a Statute A man would think the Judiciary way had been the more sure and that the King would rather have connived and not exercised his Prerogative by a Reprival than to have Intressed himself in the Legislative proceedings by consenting to the Act against him in whom the world conceived for by past and future services he had so great an Interrest But they it seems notwithstanding his Majesties late Attestation of the Gentlemans Innocency in point of Treason were more confident of his gracious Inclination to Justifie their own Act and more desirous too that he should demonstrate his willingness in punishing such transgressors and therefore the Bill went on by the Statute The same day another Bill passed both the Houses that because of the important business of the Kingdom the Parliament should not be broken up by the King without the special advise and consent of both the Houses till all their grievances were redressed and their safety provided for which space of time for any thing I know may last till dooms day some would have had the prefinition of 5 some 7 some 9 years put to it others replyed that this would be both odious and dangerous odious in that it should seem so long a Parliament dangerous in that the time may happen out possible to be longer some think it an honour I rather â— fatality or to sweeten the word a Providence that both their Bills should pass at once as if Generatio â—nius were Corruptio alterius And this new Government should take life from the death of the Earl of Strafford In the afternoon the House of Commons desired access to the King in the Banqueting House and having stayed there an hour for his coming in three words they propounded these two great Bills desiring that he would give his Royal Assent to them both Quod si non prosint singula Juncta Jubant Withall humbly shewing that the present danger of the Kingdom could admit of no delayes The King told them they should expect an answer on Monday Morning The Court at this time was surcharged with a confluence of People quasi Civitas tota sedibus suis mota as if the whole City was come to petition for Justice a Government indeed worse than a Democracy where the people do not rule but play the Tyrants If there were no Monarchy there needs no conscience to obey it But where it is and cannot protect it self the good subject must either forget himself or his loyalty A two edged sword killing either the body or the soul nor in this are men in better case than the winged Fishes that our Southern Mariners tell us of which if they swim beneath the water are catch'd by Dolphins if they fly above for refuge snatch'd away by the hungry Ravenous souls Lord help then the
this wonder of the Times only I leave his virtues to speak the rest to the Admiration of Ours and Compassion of succeeding Ages A Letter to a Friend BElieve me Sir this blessed departure of his hath put me in love with Scaffolds more than Death-beds Let it be my Paradox if not Prophetical to me that it is the best kind of Dissolution provided there be Innocence to uphold the Conscience and with good men at least to maintain the Reputation afterwards Here you are attended with the Pregnancy of Judgment and Memory not weakned nor clouded with tedious and giddy Sicknesses Here you have a time prefixed and must of necessity concentricate your self and your best resolution elsewhere Nature is unwilling to find a Suspension abhorring its own Destruction Imo quam multos in medio scelere mors occupavit medium secuit crimen Here a Moment ends the Pain which perhaps not seven Apprentiships elsewere and here if any where we find pitty yea deservings both with God and good men but he that sent us hither must prescribe us the way of our return Vpon that very day of the Execution in the Afternoon Abyssâ—s abyssum invocat Blood calls for Blood there happened a conflict betwixt the Scots and English Army no certain number yet reported nor what occasion some say Six score some Three score Scots some Twenty some Thirty English only the matter it self was represented by the General the Lord Holland upon a Letter from Sir John Conniers to the Parliament upon Friday with a mighty regret that he had been appointed for Peace but that unhappy rub had fallen out much contrary to his desire The King sent a Letter the day before the Execution by the Prince to the Vpper-house desiring the Rigour of that Sentence might be remitted but it was sent back unbroken up for fear either to refuse the King or discontent the People God forbid His Majesty should give so slender an ear to their Petitions The Lord Strafford's Children are restored to all his Estate and if they Petition for it shall be to his Honours too the House of Commons have been as forward in this as any else whether to make some recompence to them or to give proof to the Nobility lest they should be scared by the example that not so much the Means as the Man was aimed at But it will be a Question whether they can restore that Head too when the Kingdom shall need its service It is to be feared that his great Abilities will shortly be more understood by our want of them than our fruition so dark is mans understanding in Preserving that which is virtuous and useful amongst us Virtutem Incolumem odimus The Earl of Strafford's Letter to His MAJESTY IT hath been my greatest grief in all my troubles to be taken as a person that should endeavour to present and set things amiss between Your Majesty and Your People and to have given Councel tending to the disquiet of Your Majesty and Your three Kingdoms Most true it is that such an attempt my private condition considered had been a great madness seeing through your gracious favour I was so provided as I could not expect in any kind to mend my Fortune or to please my mind more than by resting where your bounteous hand had placed me nay the business is most mightily mistaken for unto your Majesty it is well known that my poor and humble advices concluded still in this That your Majesty should never be happy 'till there were a right understanding procured betwixt you and them No other means to effect and settle this happiness but by the Councel and Assent of the Parliament and no way to prevent the growing Evils of this State but by putting your self entirely upon the Loyalty and good Affection of your Subjects Yet such is my misfortune the truth finds little credit the contrary it seems generally believed and my self reputed the cause of this great separation betwixt you and your People Under a heavier Censure than this I am persuaded no Gentleman can suffer and now I understand that the minds of Men are the more incensed against me notwithstanding your Majesty hath declared That in your Princely Opinion I am not guilty of Treason nor are you satisfied in Conscience to pass the Bill This brings me into a great streight Here is before me the ruin of my Children and Family hitherto untouch'd in all the branches of it with any foul Crime Here are before me the many Evils which may befall your Sacred Person and the whole Kingdom should your self and the Parliament be less satisfied the one with the other than is necessary for the King and People Here are before me the things most valued most feared by mortal Men Life and Death To say Sir there hath not been a conflict within me about these things were to make my self less Man than God knows my infirmities will give me leave and to call a destruction upon my self and my young Children where the intentions at least of my heart have been innocent of this great Offence may be believed would find no easie consent from Flesh and Blood But out of much sadness I am come to a Resolution of that which I take to be best becoming me that is To look upon that which is principally to be considered in it self and that is doubtless the prosperity of your sacred Person and the Common-wealth infinitely to be preferred before any Man's private Interest And therefore in few words as I have put my self wholly upon the Honour and Justice of my Peers so clearly as I wish your Majesty hath been pleased to have spared that Declaration of yours on Saturday last and to have left me entirely to their Lordships so now to set your Majesty's Conscience at Liberty I do most humbly beseech You for the preventing of such mischiefs as may happen by your refusal to pass the Bill by this means to remove praised be God I cannot say this accursed but I confess this unfortunate thing forth of the way towards that blessed Agreement which God I trust shall for ever Establish betwixt you and your Subjects Sir my consent herein shall acquit you more to God than all the World can do beside To a willing Man there is no injury done and as by God's Grace I forgive all the World with a calmness and meekness of infinite contentment to my dislodging Soul so Sir I can give the life of this World with all chearfulness imaginable in the just acknowledgment of your exceeding favours and only beg that in your goodness you would vouchsafe to cast your gracious Regard upon my poor Son and his three Sisters less or more and no otherwise than their unfortunate Father shall appear more or less guilty of this Death God preserve your Majesty Tower May 9. 1641. Your Majesties most Humble and Faithful Subject and Servant STRAFFORD The Petition of THOMAS Earl of STRAFFORD to the Right-Honourable the