as to have given Thanks to him that preferv'd it, and fo much a Chriftian as to forgive them which take it; but feeing God by his Providence hath call'd me to lay it down, I willingly fubmit to it, tho' terrible to Nature; but bleffed be my Saviour, who hath taken out the Sting; fo that I look upon it, without Terror, Death is a Debt, and a due Debt; and it hath pleafed God to make me fo good a Husband that I am come to pay it before it is due. I am not afham'd of the Caufe for which I die, but rather rejoice that I am thought worthy to fuffer in the Defence and Caufe of God's true Church, my lawful King, the Liberty of the Subject, and Privilege of Parliaments; therefore I hope none of my Alliance and Friends will be afham'd of it; it is fo far from pulling down my Family, that I look upon it as the railing of it one Story higher; neither was Į fo prodigal of Nature, as to throw away my Life, but have used (tho' none but honourable and honeft) means to preferve it. Thefe unhappy Times indeed have been very fatal to my Family, two of my Brothers already flain, and my felf going to the Slaughter; it is God's Will, and I humbly fubmit to that Providence. I mult render an Acknowledgment of the great Civilities that I have receiv'd from this City of Exon, and fome Perfons of Quality, and for their plentiful Provifion made for the Prifoners. I thank Mr. Sheriff for his Favour towards us, in particular to myfelf, and I defire him to prefent my due Refpects to the Protector, and tho' he had no Mercy for myfelf, yet that he would have respect to my Family. I am now a ftripping off my Cloaths to fight a Duel with Death (I conceive no other Duel lawful) but my Saviour hath pulled out the Sting of this mine Enemy, by making himself a Sacrifice for me, and truly I do not think that Man deferving one Drop of his Blood that will

not

!

not fpend all for him in fo good a Caufe. The Truth is, Gentlemen, in this Age Treafon is an Individuum Vagum, like the Wind in the Gofpel, it bloweth where it lifteth: So now Treafon is what they please, and lighteth upon whom they will. Indeed no Man, except he will be a Traitor, can avoid this Cenfure of Treafon. I know not to what End it may come, but I pray God my own and my Brother's Blood, that is now to die with me, may be the laft upon this feore: Now, : Gentlemen, you may fee what a Condition you are in without a King; you have no Law to protect you, no Rule to walk by when you perform your Duty to God, your King and Country; you difpleafe the Arbitrary Power now fet up (I cannot call it Government) I fhall leave you to perufe my Tryal, and there you fhall fee what a Condition this poor Nation is brought into; and (no Question) will be utterly destroy'd, if not reftor'd (by loyal Subjects) to its old and glori ous Government; I pray God he lay not his Judgments upon England for their fluggishness in doing their Duty, and readiness to put their Hands in their Bofoms, or rather taking Part with the Enemy of Truth. The Lord open their Eyes, that they may be no longer led, or drawn into fuch Snares, elfe the Child that is unborn will curfe the Day of their Parents Birth; God Almighty preferve my lawful King, Charles II. from the Hands of his Enemies, and break down that Wall of Pride and Rebellion, which fo long hath kept him from his juft Rights. God preferve his Royal Mother, and all his Majesty's Royal Brethren, and incline their Hearts to feek after him; God incline the Hearts of all true English-men to ftand up as one Man to bring in the King, and redeem themselves and this poor Kingdom out of its more than Egyptian Slavery.

As

As I have now put off these Garments of Cloth, fo I hope I have put off my Garments of Sin, and have put on the Robes of Chrift's Righteoufness here, which will bring me to the Enjoyment of his glorious Robes anon. Then he kneel'd down and kifs'd the Block, and faid thus; I commit my Soul to God my Creator and Redeemer, Look upon me, O Lord, at my laft gafping, hear my Prayer, and the Prayers of all good People; I thank thee, O God, for all thy Difpenfations towards me. Then kneeling down, he pray'd moft devoutly. Then he defir'd to fee the Ax, and kiffed it, faying, I am like to have a fharp Paffage of it, but my Saviour hath fweeten'd it unto me. Then he faid, If I would have been so unworthy as others have been, I fuppofe I might by a Lie have faved my Life, which I fcorn to purchase at fuch a rate; I defy fuch Temptations and them that gave them me. Glory be to God on high, on Earth Peace, good Will towards Men, and the Lord have Mercy upon my poor Soul. Amen. So laying his Neck upon the Block, after fome private Ejaculations, he gave the Headfman a Sign with his Hand, who at one Blow fever'd his Head from his Body.

The bonourable Colonel JOHN PENRUDDOCK'S CHARACTER.

The Colonel was a Gentleman of a fair Fortune in the Weft of England, and of great Zeal for the King's Service: He join'd Major-General Wagstaff with a confiderable Party when he furpriz'd Salisbury, and feiz'd the Protector's Judges and High Sheriff in their Beds; never was there a bolder Attempt, or better executed on their Part. The Gentlemen that were actually engag'd in it, and their Followers, hardly a

mounted

mounted to two hundred Men: And to fee them poffefs themselves of one of the principal Cities of the Kingdom, at a time when the Judges and all the Civil Power of the Country were, affembled there at the Affizes, when the Ufurpers were in full Peace, and had a good Army of Veteran Troops at their Command. (Clar. Hift. Vol. III. p. 556.) To fee them in these Circumstances publickly proclaim the King in that great City, when few Men dare to name him: This was an Action the greateft Hero would have been proud to have had a Share in, and for which every Gentleman concern'd ought to have had a Statue erected to his Honour.

Nor should the want of Succefs leffen the Glory of the Action in the Opinion of any confiderate Man: For had the other Counties done their Duty according to their refpective Engagements, they had probably been Inftruments of the greatest Deliverance that ever an oppreffed People were fenfible of. The noble Hiftorian indeed attributes their ill Fortune in fome measure to their too great Compaffion, and unfeasonable Tendernefs in Matters of Blood (and to this in other Parts of his Hiftory he also afcribes the Misfortunes of their great Mafter.) But if this was an Error, furely it was an Error on the right Hand And adinitting they were mistaken in the Means, the End was nevertheless glorious.o It was an Attempt to refcue themselves and their Fellow-Subjects from Slavery, from the Infults of thofe who had heretofore been their Ser vants, or were fprung from the meaneft Mechanicks! It was to reftore both King and People to their ancient Rights. It was for the Restoration of their Laws, and of their holy Religion.

And accordingly we find, when they were drag'd to their Executions, the Principles, on which they acted, infpir'd them with a fuitable Courage and Refolution, and they died profeffing their Loyalty to their Prince, and glorying in their late great Attempt, and only bewail'd the Supineness of their Fellow-Subjects, whofe too great Sluggishness and Inactivity had render'd the Design abortive.

The dying Speech of Captain HUGH GROVE, of Chifenburg, in the Parish of Enford, in the Coun ty of Wilts, Efq; who was executed with Colonel PENRUDDOCK the 16th of May, 1655, in the Caftle of Exon.

I

Good People,

never was guilty of much Rhetorick, nor ever lov'd long Speeches in my Life, and therefore you cannot expect either of them from me now at my Death. All that I fhall defire of you, befides your hearty Prayers for my Soul, is, that you would bear me witness I die a true Son of the Church of England, as it was eftablifh'd by King Edward VI. Queen Elizabeth, King James, and King Charles I, of ever bleffed Memory; that I die a loyal Subject to King Charles II. my undoubted Sovereign, and a Lover of the good old Laws of the Land, the juft Privileges of Parliaments, and Rights and Liberties of the People; for the re-establishing of all which, I did undertake this Engagement, and for which I am ready to lay down my Life. God forgive the bloodyminded Jury, and thofe that procur'd 'em. God forgive Capt. Crook for denying his Articles fo unworthily. God forgive Mr. Dove, and all other Perfons fwearing fo maliciously and falfly against me. God forgive all mine Enemies, I heartily forgive