The Protestant Martyrs, Floating text 1 – Floating text 2
An Account of what paſſed at the Execution of the late Duke of Monmouth, on Wedneſday the 15th. of July, 1685. on Tower-Hill.
THE Duke of Monmouth came from the Tower to the Scaffold, attended by the Biſhop of Ely, the Biſhop of Bath and Wells, Dr. Teniſon, and Dr. Hooper; which four the King ſent him, as his Aſſiſtants, to prepare him for Death: The Duke himſelf entreated all four of them to accompany him a the Place of Execution, and to cantinue with him to the laſt. The two Biſhops going in the Lieutenant's Coach with him to the Bars, made Seaſonable and Devont Applications to him all the way; and one of them deſired him not to be ſurprized, if they to the very laſt upon the Scaffold, renewed thoſe Exhortations to a particular Repentance, which they had ſo often repeated before.
At his firſt coming upon the Scaffold, he looked for the Executioner; and ſeeing him, ſaid, Is this the Man to do the Buſineſs? Do your Work well.
Then the Duke of Monmouth began to ſpeak, ſome one or other of the Aſſiſtants during the whole time, applying themſelves to him.
Monmouth.
I ſhall ſay but very little; I come to die; I die a Proteſtant of the Church of England.
Aſſiſtants.
My Lord, if you be of the Church of England, you muſt acknowledge the Doctrine of Non-Reſiſtance to be true.
Mon.
If I acknowledge the Doctrine of the Church of England in general, that includes all.
Aſſiſt.
Sir, it is fit to own that Doctrine particularly, which reſpects your Caſe.
Here he was much urged about that Doctrine of Non-reſiſtance; but he repeated in effect his firſt Anſwer. Then he began as if he was about to make a premeditated Speech, in this manner.
Mon.
I have had a Scandal raiſed upon me about a Woman, a Lady of Vertue and Honour. I will name her; the Lady Henrietta Wentworth. I declare, That ſhe is a very Vertuous and Godly Woman. I have committed no Sin with her; and that which hath paſſed betwixt us, was very Honeſt and Innocent in the ſight of God.
Aſſiſt.
In your Opiuion, perhaps, Sir, as you have been often told; (i. e. in the Tower) but this is not fit Diſcourſe in this Place.
Mr. Sheriff Goſtlin.
Sir, were you ever Married to her?
Mon.
This is not a time to Anſwer that Queſtion.
Sher. Goſtlin.
Sir, I hoped to have heard of your Repentance for the Treaſon and Bloodſhed which hath been committed.
Mon.
I die very Penitent.
Aſſiſt.
My Lord, it is fit to be particular; and conſidering the Publick Evil you have done, you ought to do as much Good now as poſſibly you can, by a Publick Acknowledgment.
Mon.
What I have thought fit to ſay of Publick Affairs, is in a Paper which I have Signed; I refer to my Paper.
Aſſiſt.
My Lord, there is nothing in that Paper about Reſiſtance; and you ought to be particular in your Repentance, and to have it well grounded. God give you True Repentance.
Mon.
I die very Penitent, and die with great Chearfulneſs, for I know I ſhall go to God.
Aſſiſt.
My Lord, you muſt go to God in his own way. Sir, be ſure you be truly Penitent, and ask Forgiveneſs of God, for the many you have wronged.
Mon.
I am ſorry for every one I have wronged, I forgive every Body; I have had many Enemies, I forgive them all.
Aſſiſt.
Sir, your Acknowledgment ought to be particular.
Mon.
I am to die; pray, my Lord—I refer to my Paper.
Aſſiſt.
They are but a few Words that we deſire: We only deſire an Anſwer to this Point.
Mon.
I can Bleſs God, that he hath given me ſo much Grace, that for theſe two Years laſt paſt, I have had a Life unlike to my former Courſe, and in which I have been happy.
Aſſiſt.
Sir, was there no Ill in theſe two Years? In theſe Years, theſe great Evils have happened; and the giving Publick Satisfaction is a neceſſary part of Repentance; be pleaſed to own a Deteſtation of your REBELLION.
Mon.
I beg your Lordſhip that you would ſtick to my Paper.
Aſſiſt.
My Lord, as I ſaid before, there is nothing in your Paper about the Doctrine of Non-reſiſtance,
Mon.
I Repent of all things that a true Chriſtian ought to Repent of. I am to die; pray, my Lord—
Aſſiſt.
Then, my Lord, we can only recommend you to the Mercy of God; but we cannot Pray with that Chearfulneſs and Encouragement, as we ſhould if you had made a particular Acknowledgment.
Mon.
God be praiſed, I have Encouragement enough in my ſelf; I die with a clear Conſcience, I have wronged no Man.
Aſſiſt.
How, Sir, no Man! Have you not been Guilty of Invaſion, and of much Blood, which hath been ſhed, and it may be, of the Loſs of many Souls that followed you? You muſt needs have wronged a great many.
Mon.
I do, Sir, own that, and am ſorry for it.
Aſſ.
Give it the true Name, Sir, and call it Rebellion.
Mon.
What Name you pleaſe, Sir; I am ſorry for Invading the Kingdom, and for the Blood that has been ſhed, and for the Souls which may have been loſt by my means; I am ſorry it ever happened.
Mr. Sher. Vandeput.
He ſays, he is ſorry for Invading the Kingdom.
Aſſ.
We have nothing to add, but to renew the frequent Exhortations we have made to you, to give ſome Satisfaction for the Publick Injuries to the Kingdom. There have been a great many Lives loſt by this Reſiſtance of your Lawful Prince.
Mon.
What I have done, has been very ill; and I wiſh with all my Heart it had never been: I never was a Man that delighted in Blood; I was very far from it; I was as cautious in this as any Man was; the Almighty God knows how I now die, with all the Joyfulneſs in the World.
Aſſ.
God grant you may, Sir; God give you true Repentance.
Mon.
If I had not True Repentance, I ſhonld not ſo eaſily have been without the ſear of Dying: I ſhall die like a Lamb.
Aſſ.
Much may come from Natural Courage.
Mon.
I do not attribute it to my own Nature, for I am fearful as other Men are; but I have now no fear, as you may ſee by my Face; but there is ſomething within me that does it, for I am ſure I ſhall go to God.
Aſſ.
My Lord, be ſure upon good Grounds; do you Repent you of all your Sins, known, or unknown; confeſſed, or not confeſſed; of all the Sins which might proceed from Error in Judgment?
Mon.
In general for all, I do with all my Soul.
Aſſ.
God Almighty of his Infinite Mercy forgive you. Here are great Numbers of Spectators, here are the Sheriffs, they repreſent the Great City, and in ſpeaking to them, you ſpeak to the Great City; make ſome Satisfaction by owning your Crime be…ore them—He was exhorted to Pray for the King; and was asked, whether he did not deſire to ſend ſome Dutiful Meſſage to His Majeſty, and to recommend his Wife and Children to His Maieſty's Favour.
Mon.
What harm have they done? Do it if you pleaſe: I pray for him, and for all Men.
Aſſ.
(At his Undreſſing) My Lord, you have been bred a Soldier; you will do a generous Chriſtian thing, if you pleaſe to ſpeak to the Soldiers, and ſay, That here you ſtand a ſad Example of Rebellion, and en reat them and the People to be Loyal and Obedient to the King.
Mon.
I have ſaid, I will make no Speeches; I will make no Speeches; I am come to die.
Aſſ.
My Lord, Ten Words will be enough.
M.
(Then calling his Servant, and giving him ſomething like a Tooth-pick Caſe) Here, ſaid he, give this to the Perſon to whom you are to deliver the other things. (To the Executioner:) Here are ſix Guinea's for you; pray do your Buſineſs well: Don't ſerve me as you did my Lord Ruſſel. I have heard, you ſtruck him three or four times. Here (to his Servant) take theſe remaining Guinea's, and give them to him if he does his Work well.
Exec.
I hope I ſhall.
Mon.
If you ſtrike me twice, I cannot promiſe you, not to ſtir.
During his Undreſſing, and ſtanding towards the Block, were uſed divers Ejaculations, and much of the 51ſt Pſalm, and particularly, Deliver me from Blood-guiltineſs, O God, Thou God, &c. Then he lay down; and ſoon after he raiſed himſelf upon his Elbow, and ſaid to the Executioner,
Prithee let me feel the Ax. He felt the Edge, and ſaid, I fear it is not ſharp enough.
Execut.
It is ſharp enough, and heavy enough.
Then he lay down again. During this ſpace, many pious Ejaculatious were uſed by thoſe who aſſiſted him, with great Fervency.
God accept your Repentance, God accept your Repentance, God accept your imperfect Repentance; My Lord, God accept your Repentance; God Almighty ſhew his Omnipotent Mercy up on you: Father, into thy Hands we commend his Spirit, &c. Lord Jeſus receive his Soul.
A Brief Abſtract of the Paper left behind him.
I Repent in general of all my Sins, and am more particularly concern'd for what Blood hath been ſpilt on my Account, and the rather, ſeeing the iſſue is ſuch as I ſear will prove of Fatal Conſequence to the Reformed Proteſtant Religion. Inſtead of being counted Factious and Rebellious, the very oppoſing of Popery and Arbitrary Power, now ariſing and appearing plain enough, would ſufficiently have protected my Cauſe; beſides, ſeveral other moſt heinous and notorious Crimes (ſuch as the unhappy Fate of the Earl of Eſſex, and my Father of ever bleſſed Memory, and others now covered over with Jeſuitical Policy) ſhould have been detected and avenged. I have lived, and ſhall now die in the Faith of this, That God will work a Deliverance for his People; and then will be diſcovered the great, and horrid, and ſcarcely to be parallell'd Villanies our Enemies have heen guilty of; but now you ſee my Caſe is deſperate, yet know, that I die a Martyr for the People, and ſhall rather pity the State, that their falſe and covetous Minds have brought themſelves and me to, than diſcover who are the Perſons concerned in my Overthrow; and I heartily forgive all that have wronged me, even thoſe that have been Inſtrumental in my Fall, earneſtly praying for their Souls. And I hope King James will ſhew himſelf to be of his Brother's Blood, and extend his Mercy to my Children, even as he was wont to his greateſt Enemies, they being not capable to Act, and therefore not conſcious of any Offence againſt the Government.
A Copy of the Duke of Monmouth's LETTER to the King, Dated from Ringwood the 8th of July, 1685.
YOUR Majeſty may think, it is the Misfortune I now lie under, makes me make this Application to you; but I do aſſure your Majeſty it is the Remorſe I now have in me, of the Wrongs I have done you in ſeveral things, and now, in taking up Arms againſt you. For my taking up Arms, it never was in my Thoughts ſince the King died. The Prince and Princeſs of Orange will be Witneſs for me, of the Aſſurance I gave them, That I would never ſtir againſt you; but my Misfortune was ſuch, as to meet with ſome Horrid People, that made me believe things of your Majeſty, and gave me ſo many falſe Arguments, that I was fully led away, to believe▪ That it was a Shame and a Sin before God not to do it. But, Sir, I will not trouble your Majeſty at preſent with many things that I could ſay for my ſelf, that I am ſure would move your Compaſſion; the chief end of this Letter, being only to beg of you, That I may have that Happineſs, as to ſpeak to your Majeſty: For I have that to ſay to you, Sir, that I hope may give you a long and happy Reign. I am ſure, Sir, when you hear me, you will be convinced of the Zeal I have for your Preſervation, and how heartily I repent of what I have done. I can ſay no more to your Majeſty now, being this Letter muſt be ſeen by thoſe that keep me. Therefore, Sir, I ſhall make an end, in begging of your Majeſty to believe ſo well of me, That I would rather die a thouſand Deaths, than excuſe any thing I have done, if I did not really think my ſelf the moſt in the wrong, that ever any Man was, and had not from the bottom of my Heart an abhorrence for thoſe that put him upon it, and for the Action it ſelf. I hope, Sir, God Almighty will ſtrike your Heart with Mercy and Compaſſion for me, as he has done mine with the Abhorrence of what I have done. Therefore I hope, Sir, I may live to ſhew you how Zealous I ſhall ever be for your Service; and could I ſay but one Word in this Letter, you would be convinced of it; but it is of that Conſequence, That I dare not do it. Therefore, Sir, I do beg of you once more, to let me ſpeak to you, for then you will be convinced how much I ſhall ever be Your Majeſty's moſt Humble and Dutiful.
MONMOƲTH.
There was alſo a ſhort Paper Printed at that time with his Speech wherein he declares, That his Father had told him in his Life-time, that he was never Married lo his Mother; which he hop'd would be a means for King James to uſe his Children with the more tenderneſs. We ſhall now proceed to give an Account of the Perſons that ſuffer'd for the ſime Cauſe, ſome of the more principal of which (whoſe Eſſigies are hereunto affix'd) 'tis thought worth the while to Treat diſtinctly of; giving an Exact Liſt of the other, and the Places where they ſuffer'd; and Firſt, of thoſe remarkable Brothers, Mr. Benjamin, and Mr. William Hewling; the Elder was a Captain of Horſe, and the Younger a Lieutenant of Foot in the Duke of Monmouth's Service: They got on Ship-board after the Defeat at Sedgmore, but were Caſt away on the Coaſt again, and ſo taken: The laſt, William, was Executed at Lyme, where juſt before he went to die, he ſaid to one of his Fellow-Sufferers, Here is a ſweet Promiſe for us; I will not leave you comfortleſs. I will come unto you. One taking Leave of him, he ſaid, Farewel till we meet in Heaven; preſently I ſhall be with Chriſt, O! I would not change Conditions with any that ſtay behind for ten thouſand Worlds: Pray remember my Dear Love to my Brother and Siſter, and tell them I deſire they would comfort themſelves that I am gone to Chriſt, and we ſhall quickly meet at the Glorious Mount Sion above. Afterwards he Prayed for near half an Hour with great Fervency, Bleſſing God earneſtly for the Blood of Jeſus Chriſt, Praying for the Peace of the Church of God, and of theſe Nations in particular. When he was going out of the World, with a Joyful Countenance he ſaid, Oh! now my Joy and Comfort is, that I have a Chriſt to go to; and ſo gently reſign'd his Spirit to God the 12th of Sept. 1685.
As to the Elder Brother, when he had receiv'd the News of his Brother's Death, and that he died with ſo much Comfort and Joy, he replied, We have no cauſe to fear Death, if the Preſence of God be with us; and added, Perhaps my Friends may think this Summer the ſaddeſt Time of my Life; but, I Bleſs God, it has been the ſweeteſt and moſt happy time of all. Speaking of the Diſappointment of their Expectations in the Work they had undertaken, he ſaid, With reference to the Glory of God, the Proſperity of the Goſpel, and the Delivery of the People of God, We have great cauſe to lament it, but for that outward Proſperity that have attended it, it's but of ſmall Moment, and Death would have ended i…. The Day of his Execution, with others, being come, it is remarkable that they ſat in the Sledge near half an Hour before the Officers could make the Horſes draw: at which they were greatly enrag'd, there being no viſible Obſtruction from either Weight or Way; but at laſt the Mayor and Sheriffs hawl'd them forward themſelves, Baalam like, driving the Horſes. Being come to the Place of Execution, and having embrac'd his Fellow-Sufferers, he deſir'd of the Sheriff that he might Pray particularly, but he could not grant it; only ask'd him, if he would Pray for the King? He anſwer'd, I Pray for all Men. He then deſir'd he might ſing a Pſalm; but the Sheriff told him, it muſt be with the Halters about their Necks: To which he replied, With all his Heart; and then Sung with ſuch Heavealy Joy, that many preſent ſaid, it both broke and rejoyc'd their Hearts. In the midſt of which he clos'd his Eyes on a vain World Sept. 30th. 1685.
The next was one William Jenkin, Condemn'd at the Bloody Aſſize at Dorcheſter, Sept. the 29th, at Night. After he had heard he muſt die the next Day, he was exceedingly compos'd and chearful, expreſſing his Satisfaction in the Will of God. He us'd many Excellent Speeches before, and at his Death: Among the reſt he ſaid, This manner of Death hath been the moſt terrible thing in the World to my Thoughts, but I beſs God, now am I neither afraid nor aſham'd to die. When the Sheriff came to perform his Execution, he was ſtill as Compo…'d as ever, and had the ſame Chearfulneſs and Serenity of Mind in taking Leave of his Friends; and likewiſe in the Sledge; inſomuch that ſome of his Friends, who had before Cenſur'd him, thinking he had been unmindful of his Death, by being ſo Chearful, now profeſs'd they were rather Aſtoniſh'd to ſee ſo young a Man leave the World, and go through Death as he did.
We come now to the moſt moving Scene of this horrid and barbarous Tragedy, in the Death of the Lady Liſle, above 80 Years of Age, for only Correſponding with one Nelthrope, and Dr. Hicks; for which ſhe was Beheaded at Wincheſter. Her Speech made at her Execution is as follows.
The Laſt Speech of the Lady Alicia Liſle.
GEntlemen, Friends and Neighbours, it may be expected that I ſhould ſay ſomething at my Death; and in order thereunto, I ſhall acquaint you, That my Birth and Education was both near this Place, and that my Parents inſtructed me in the Fear of God, and I now die of the Reformed Proteſtant Religion; That if ever Popery ſhould return into this Nation, it would be a very great and ſevere Judgment; That I die in Expectation of the Pardon of all my Sins, and of Acceptance with God the Father, by the imputed Righteouſneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, he being the end of the Law for Righteouſneſs to every one that believes: I thank God, through Jeſus Chriſt, that I do depart unto the Blood of Sprinkling, which ſpeaketh better things than that of Abel; God hav…ng made this Chaſtiſement an Ordinance to my Soul. I did once as little expect to come to this Place on this Occaſion, as any Perſon in this Place, or Nation; therefore let all learn not to be High-minded, but fear. The Lord is a Soveraign, and will take what way he ſees beſt to glorifie himſelf in, and by his poor Creatures; and I do humbly deſire to ſubmit to his Will, praying to him, That I may poſſeſs my Soul in Patience. The Crime that was laid to my Charge, was for Entertaining a Nonconformiſt Miniſter and others i… my Houſe; the ſaid Miniſter being ſworn to have been in the late Duke of Monmouth's Army; but I have been told, That if I had de…ied them, it would not at all have affected me; I have no Excuſe but Surprize and Fear, which I believe my Jury muſt make uſe of to excuſe their Verdict to the World. I have been alſo told, That the Court did uſe to be of Counſel for the Priſoner; but inſtead of Advice, I had Evidence againſt me from thence; which though it were only by hear-ſay, might poſſibly affect my Jury; my Defence being but ſuch, as might be expected from a weak Woman; but ſuch as it was, I did not bear it repeated again to the Jury; which, as I have been informed, is uſual in ſuch C…ſes. However, I forgive all the World, and therein all thoſe that have done me wrong; and in …ticular, I forgive Colonel Penruddock, although he told me, that he could have taken theſe Men before they c…me to my Houſe. And I do likewiſe forgive him, who deſired to be taken away from the Grand Jury to the Petty Jury, that he might be the more nearly concerned in my Death. As to what may be objected in reference to my Conviction, that I gave it under my Hand, that I had Diſcourſed with Nelthrop; that could be no Evidence againſt me, being after my Conviction and Sentence. I do acknowledge His Majeſty's Favour, in Revoking my Sentence; I pray God to preſerve him, that he may long Reign in Mercy, as well as Juſtice, and that he may Reign in Peace; and that the Proteſtant Religion may flouriſh under him. I alſo return Thanks to Gd and the Reverend Clergy, that aſſiſted me in my Impriſonment.
ALICIA LISLE.
One Mrs. Graunt was the next that ſuffered in this Cauſe; it was for harbouring one Burton, his Wife and Family, for which ſhe was Sentenced to be Burnt, and was accordingly ſo Executed on the 23d of October, 1685. at which time ſhe left her Murderers the following Memorial.