A Sight of the Transactions of these Latter Years, Section 3
The Earl of Straffords Speech on the Scaffold.
MY Lord Primate of Ireland, (and my Lords, and the reſt of theſe Gentlemen) it is a very great comfort to me, to have your Lordſhip by me this day, in regard I have been known to you a long time, I ſhould be very glad to obtain ſo much ſilence, as to be heard a few words, but I doubt I ſhall not; my Lord, I come
The Miniſters and people ſolemnly take the Proteſtation in all Churches over the Kingdome,
Mr. Burton, Dr. Baſtwick & Mr: Prinne▪ triumphantly from perpetuall captivity▪ thoſe 3 famous Wittneſses of Truth, return home to London, attended with thouſands of horſe and foot,
hither by the good will and pleaſure of Almighty God, to pay that laſt debt I owe to ſin, which is death, and by the bleſſing of that God to riſe again through the merits of Chriſt Jeſus to eternall glory; I with I had been private, that I might have been heard; My Lord, if I might be ſo much beholding to you, that I might uſe a few words, I ſhould take it for a very great courteſie; My Lord, I come hither to ſubmit to that judgement which hath paſt againſt me, I doe it with a very quiet and contented minde, I doe freely forgive all the world, a forgiveneſſe that is not ſpoken from teeth outward (as they ſay) but from the heart; I ſpeak it in the preſence of Almighty God, before whom I ſtand, that there is not ſo much as a diſpleaſing thought in me, ariſing to any creature; I thank God, I may ſay truely, and my Conſcience bears me witneſſe, that in all my ſervices ſince I have had the honour to ſerve his Majeſty in any imployment, I never had any thing in my heart, but the joynt and individuall proſperity of King and people; if it have been my …p to be miſconſtr…ed, it is the common portion of us all while we are in this life, the righteous judgement is hereafter, here we are ſubject to error, and apt to be miſ-judged one of another; there is one thing I deſire to cleere my ſelfe of, and I am very confident, I ſpeak it with ſo much clearneſſe, that I hope I ſhall have your Chriſtian charity in the beliefe of it, I did alwaies ever thinke the Parliaments of England, were the happieſt Conſtitutions that any kingdome, or any Nation lived under, and under God the means of m…king King and people happy, ſo far have I been from being againſt Parliaments; for my death, I here acquit all the world, and pray God heartily to forgive them; and in particular, my Lord Primate, I am very glad that his Majeſty is pleaſed to conceive me not meriting ſo ſevere, and heavy a puniſhment as the utmoſt execution of this ſentence; I am very glad, and infinitely rejoyce in this mercy of his, and beſeech God to turn it to him, and that he may finde mercy when he hath moſt need of it;. I wiſh this kingdome all the proſperity and happineſſe in the world; I did it living, and now dying it is my wiſh, I doe now profeſſe it from my heart, and do moſt humbly recommend it unto every man here, and wiſh every man to lay his hand upon his heart, and conſider ſeriouſly whether the beginning of the happineſſe of a people ſhould be writen in letters of blood, I feare you are in a wrong way, and I deſire Almighty God that no one drop of my blood may riſe up in judgement againſt you.
(My Lord) I profeſſe my ſelf a true and obedient Son to the Church of England, to that Church wherein I was born, and wherein I was bred; proſperity and happineſſe, be ever to it: and whereas it hath been ſaid that I have inclined to popery, if it be an obiection worth anſwering, let me ſay truly, that from the time ſince I was one and twenty years of age, till this houre, now going upon 49. I never had thought in my heart, to doubt of the truth of my religion in England: and never any had the boldneſſe to ſuggeſt to me the contrary, to the beſt of my remembrance; and ſo being reconciled to the mercies of Chriſt Jeſus my Saviour, into whole boſome I hope ſhortly to be gathered, to thoſe eternall happineſſes that ſhall never have end. I deſire heartily the forgiveneſſe of every man, both for any raſh or unadviſed word, or deed, and deſire your prayers: And ſo my Lords farewell, farewell all the things of this world: Lord ſtrengthen my faith, give me confidence and aſſurance in the merits of Chriſt Jeſus. I deſire you that you would be ſ…lent and ioyne in prayers with me; and I tr…ſt in God that we ſhall all meet, and live eternally in heaven, there to receive the accompliſhment of all happineſſe, where every teare ſhall be wiped from our eyes, and every ſad thought from our hearts: And ſo God bleſſe this kingdome, and Jeſus have mercy upon my Soule. Amen.
47. For the advancing of which deſigne, the Earle of Straford, then priſoner in the Tower, attempted an eſcape, with Sir William Belfore, then Leivtenant of the Tower, promiſing and aſſuring him twenty thouſand pound, and the marriage of
The Earle of Strafford for treaſonable practiſes beheaded on the Tower-hill▪
Sr. Francis Windebank, Sr. Iohn Finch, the Lord Digbie, Iermin etc: fly for their lives beyond ſea,
his daughter to Sir Williams Son, if he would but conſent unto and aſſiſt his eſcape; bu… Sir William hated ſuch bribes, and ſo the neck of all that plot was broken.
48. Then, they attempted by foule and falſe ſcandals on the Parliament, to intice the Army of the Scots, (then, ſtill in the North) to a newtral…ty, and to ſit ſtill whiles our Engliſh army acted the farther deſignes hatched and hammered ſtill in their heads and hearts, but this plot prevailed not neither.