The Protestant Martyrs, Floating text 5 – Floating text 6
Colonel RƲMBOLD.
AT the ſame place died Colonel Richard Rumbold, June 26, 1685. moſt of what occurred conſiderable in his Defence and Speech, you have had already in the Buſineſs of the Aſſaſſination. Two or three Paſſages more there are worth Remarks in the ſame, as Arguments of his Senſe and Courage. For this Cauſe, he ſays, we…e every Hair of his Head and Beard a Life, he'd joyfully ſacrifice 'em all. That he was never Antimonarchical in his Principles, but for a King and Free Parliament: the King having Power enough to make him great, and the people to make 'em happy. [That he died in the Defence of the juſt Laws and Lib rties of the Nations.] [That none was marks by God above another; for no Man came into the World with a Saddle on their Backs, nor others booted and ſpurr'd to ride upon't.] And being askt if he thought not his Sentence dreadful? Anſwered, [He wiſht he had a Limb for every Town in Chriſtendom.]
The next Place was Lyme, where many of Note died, particularly Col. Holmes, who was the firſt of thoſe there executed, near the ſame place where they landed, when they came a-Shoar with the Duke of Monmouth, being brought to the Place after ſome Difficulty; for the Horſes that were firſt put into the Stedge would not ſtir, which obliged thoſe concerned to get others, which they did from the Coach-man, who had that Morning brought them to Town; when they were put into the Sledge, they broke it in pieces, which cauſed the Priſoners to go on Foot to the place of Execution; where being come, as I told you before, the Colonel began thus at the Foot of the Ladder; He ſat down with an Aſpect altogether void of Fear, but on the contrary with a kind of ſmilin… countenance, ſo began to ſpeak to the Spectators to this purpoſe. That he would give them an Account of his firſt Undertaking in the Deſign, which was long before in London; for there he agreed to ſtand by, and aſſiſt the Duke of Monmouth, when Opportunity offered; in order to which, he went to Holland with him, and there continued until this Expedition, in which God had thought fit to fruſtrate his and other good Mens Expectations: He believed the Proteſtant Religion was bleeding, and in a Step towards Extirpation, and therefore he with theſe his Brethren that were to ſuffer with him, and thouſands more, had adventured their Lives and their All to ſave it; but God Almighty had not appointed 'em to be the Inſtruments in ſo glorious a Work; yet notwithſtanding he did verily believe, and doubted not, but that God would make uſe of others, that ſhould meet with better ſucceſs, though the Way or Means was not yet viſible▪ but of this he did not doubt: He alſo was ſatisfied of the Duke's Title, ſo that Matter did not afflict him on account of his engaging on his Score: And going on further with a Diſcourſe of this Nature, he was asked by a Perſon, Why he did not pray for the King? He with a ſmiling Countenance anſwered, I am ſorry you do not yet underſtand the Difference between ſpeaking and praying. And having ended his Diſcourſe, he then prepared himſelf by prayer for his Diſſolution, which was very devout and pious for half an hour.
Col. Holmes in his Prayer not mentioning the King, he was charged as before; to which he replied, He prayed for him in general, praying for all Mankind. Thus fell the valiant and good Chriſtian, Col. Holmes; his dying Words we have now found come to paſs, he was much lamented by all that ſaw him, except by ſome, that 'tis feared, are delivered up to a feared Conſcience.
The Laſt Speech of Dr. Hicks.
I am now going into that World, where many dark Things ſhall be made perfectly manifeſt and clear, and many doubtful Things fully reſolved, and a plenary Satisfaction given concerning them; all Diſputes and Miſtakes concerning Treaſon, Rebellion, and Schiſm, ſhall be at an End, and ceaſe for ever: Many Things that are innocent, lawful, and laudable, which have ſoul Marks and black Characters ſtampt and fixe upon 'em here, they ſhall be perfectly purified, and fully cleanſed from there; where at one View more ſhall be known of them, than by all wrangling Debates and eager Diſputes, or by reading all Polemical Books concerning them here. I greatly deplore and bewail the greedy Appetite and inſatiable Thirſt, that profeſſing Proteſtants have after the Blood of their Brethren, and the high pleaſure they take in the Effuſion thereof. But what will not Men do, when they are either judicially blinded, or their ſecular worldly Intereſt inſenſibly inſinuates and winds it ſelf into their Religion, is ſo twiſted and incorporated with it, that it animates and acts it, is the Life and Soul, the vital Form and Power, and made wholly ſubſervient thereunto.
My Lord Jefferies, after he had left Briſtol, being come to the King to give an Account of his Affairs in the Weſt, the Great Seal being to be diſpoſed of, by the Death of the late Keeper, he kiſs'd the King's Hand for it, and was made Lord Chancellour, which was only an Earneſt of his Deſert for ſo eminent and extraordinary a piece of Service; ſo now that which remains, is to give an Account of divers that had fled, and hid themſelves up and down in Holes and Privacies, whoſe Friends made all Application to ſome great Men or other to procure their Pardons; ſome to this, and others to ſuch as they thought Favourites of the King; but the Rewards muſt be aſcertain'd before any Application could be made: Divers Liſts being ſent up, and the Rewards aſcertained, which amongſt many of them put together, did amount to conſiderable; ſo that it was now who could find a Friend to relieve his diſtreſſed Relations, which were forced to wander up and down in Caves and Deſarts for fear of being taken: But this Misfortune attended the Agents, that unleſs my Lord Chancellour were uſed, by his Creatures, that were allowed by him ſo to do; other Applications commonly met with Diſappointments, which cauſed an Emulation among the great Men; one ſuppoſing to have deſerted the King's Ear as well as the other, which cauſed other Meaſures to be taken, though ſome were wheedled out of their Money. At laſt came out a General Pardon, with Exceptions, very few, if any of thoſe that were ſollicited for, not being excepted, were of Courſe pardoned; but however, divers Sums of Money having been paid, no Reſtitution to be had, for from Hell is no Redemption. A Weſtern Gentleman's Purchaſe came to fifteen or ſixteen hundred Guineas, which my Lord Chancellour had. Amongſt the Exceptions were a Parcel of Yaunton Girls, ſome of which were Children of eight or ten Years old; however ſomething was to be made of them, if theſe Ladies were judged guilty of Treaſon, for preſenting the Duke of Monmouth with Colours, &c. and for to preſerve theſe from Trial, they were given to Maids of Honour to make up their Chriſtmas▪Box; ſo that an Agent of theirs was ſent down into the Country to compound with their Parents, to preſerve them from what might after follow, if taken; ſo that ſome, according to Ability, gave 100 l. others 50 l. all which however did not anſwer the Ladies firſt Expectations; yet it did ſatisfie, and they were accordingly pardoned. Thus we have given you an Account of what hath happened on this Occaſion, being in every Point Truth: We might have farther enlarged, but that would have ſpoiled the Deſign, and ſwoln our Pocket-Companion to a Volume too big.
We ſhall therefore next proceed to give you a true and exact Liſt of all them that were condemned, and ſuffered in the Weſt, and the Year 1685. under the Sentence of my Lord Chief Juſtice Jeffreys, with the Names of the Towns where every Man was executed.
Lyme 12.
COl. Holmes, Mr. Batiſcomb, Mr. William Hewling, Mr. Sampſon Lark, Dr. Temple, Capt. Madders, Capt. Matthews, Mr. Joſeph Tyler, Mr. William Cox, &c.
Bath 6.
Walter Baker, Henry Body, Gerrard Bryant, Thomas Clotworthy, Thomas Collins, John Carter.
Philipsnorton 12.
Robert Cook, Edward Creaves, John Caſwell, Thomas Hayward, John Hellier, Edward Beere, Henry Portridge, George Pether, Thomas Peirce, John Richards, John Staple, John Smith.
Froome 12.
Francis Smith, Samuel Vill, alias Vile, Thomas Star, Philip Uſher, Robert Beamant, William Clement, John Humphrey, George Haſty, Robert Man, Thomas Pearl, Laurence Lott, Thomas Lott.
Bruton 3.
James Feildſen, Humphrey Braden, Richard Bole.
Wincanton 6.
John Howel, Richard Harvey, John Tucker, William Holland, Hugh Holland, Thomas Bowden.
Shepton-Mallet 13.
Stephen Mallet, Joſeph Smith, John Gilham, Jun. Giles Bramble, Richard Chinn, William Cruiſe, George Pavier, John Hildworth, John Aſhwood, Thomas Smith, John Dorcheſter, Sen. John Combe, John Groves.
Hensford 12.
Roger Cornelius, John Starr, Humphrey Edwards, William Pierce, Arthur Sullway, George Adams, Henry Ruſſel, George Knight, Robert Wine, William Clerk, alias Chick, Preſton Bevis, Richard Finier.
Wrington 3.
Alexander Key, David Boyſs, Joſhua French.
Wells 8.
William Mead, Thomas Cade, Robert Doleman, Thomas Durſton, John Sheperd, Abraham Bend, William Durſton, William Plumley.
Ulvelſcomb 3.
William Ruſcomb, Thomas Pierce, Robert Combe.
Tuton upon Mendip 2.
Peter Prance, William Watkins.
Chard 12.
Edward Foote, John Knight, William Williams, John Jervis, Humphrey Hitchcook, William Godfrey, Abraham Pill, William Davy, Henry Eaſterbrook, James Dennett, Edward Warren, Simon Croſs.
Creokern 10.
John Spore, Roger Burnoll, William Pether, James Evory, Robert Hill, Nicholas Adams, Richard Stephens, Robert Halfwell, John Buſhel, William Laſhly.
Somerton 7.
William Gillet, Thomas Liſſant, William Pocock, Chriſtopher Stephens, George Cantick, Robert Allen, Joſeph Kelloway.
Yeovil 8.
Francis Foxwell, George Pitcher, Bernard Devereux, Bernard Thatcher for concealing Bovet, William Johnſon, Thomas Hurford, Edward Gillard, Oliver Powel.
Netherſtoe 3.
Humphrey Mitchel, Richard Culverell, Merrick Thomas.
Dunſter 3.
Henry Lackwell, John Geanes, William Sully.
Dulverton 3.
John Baſely, John Lloyd, Henry Thompſon.
Bridgewater 12.
Robert Fraunces, Nicholas Stodgell, Joſhua Bellamy, William Meggeridge, John Hurman, Robert Roper, Richard Harris, Richard Engram, John Trott, Roger Guppey, Roger Hore, Iſaiah Davis.
Ratcliffe-Hall at Briſtol 6.
Richard Evans, John Tinckwell, Chriſtopher Clerk, Edward Tippot, Philip Cumbridge, John Tucker, alias Clover.
Ilminſter 12.
Nicholas Collins, Sen. Stephen Newman, Robert Luckis, William Kitch, Thomas Burnard, William Wellen, John Parſons, Thomas Trooke, Robert Fawne, Weſtern Hillary, John Burgen, Charles Speake.
Stogerſey 2.
Hugh Aſhley, John Herring.
Wellington 3.
Francis Prieſt, Philip Bovet, Robert Reed.
South-petherton 3.
Cornelius Furfurd, John Parſons, Thomas Davis.
Porlock 2.
James Gale, Henry Edny.
Glaſendury 6.
John Hicks, Richard Pearce, Iſrael Briant, William Mead. James Pyes, John Broome.
Taunton 19.
Robert Perrot, Abraham Anſley, Benjamin Hewling, Peirce Murren, John Freake, John Savage, Abraham Matthews, William Jenkyns, Henry Liſle, John Dryer, John Hucker, Jonathan England, John Sharpe, William Deverſon, John Williams, John Patrum, James Whittom, William Satchel, John Trickey.
Langport 3.
Humphrey Peirce, Nicholas Venton, John Shellwood.
Arbridg 6.
Iſaac Tripp, Thomas Burnell, Thomas Hillary, John Gill, Senior. Thomas Monday, John Butcher.
Cutherſton 2.
Richard Bovet, Thomas Blackmore.
Minehead 6.
John Jones, alias Evens, Hugh Starke, Francis Bartlet, Peter Warren, Samuel Hawkins, Richard Sweet.
Evilcheſter 12.
Hugh Goodenough, Samuel Cox, William Somerton, John Maſters, John Walrand, David Langwell, Oſmond Barret, Matthew Croſs, Edward Burford, John Mortimer, John Stevens, Robert Townſden.
Stogummer 3.
George Hillard, John Lockſtone, Arthur Williams.
Caſtlecary 3.
Richard Aſh, Samuel Garniſh, Robert Hinde.
Milton-port 2.
Archibald Johnſon, James Maxwel.
Reinſham 11.
Charles Chapman, Richard Bowden, Thomas Trock, Lewis Harris, Edward Halſwell, Howel Thomas, George Badol, Richard Evans, John Winter, Andrew Rownſden, John Phillebey.
Suffer'd in all 251.
Beſides thoſe Hanged and Deſtroyed in cold Blood.
This Bloody Tragedy in the Weſt being over, our Proteſtant Judge returns for London; ſoon after which Alderman Corniſh felt the Anger of ſome Body behind the Curtain.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Tutchin, The Protestant Martyrs (1688)