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fo well appriz'd of the Inconveniencies of that State, and have faid never fo many fevere things against it, firft or laft we all venture; but none with fo ill a Grace as the old Batchelor, who has all his Life-time been railing at it.

The Execution of THOMAS Duke of NORFOLK

N the ad of June 1572, about eight in the Morning the Duke was brought to a Scaffold erected on Tower-hill, attended by Alexander Nowel, Dean of St. Paul's, who having defir'd the People to keep filence, the Duke faid:

It is not rare, good People, to fee a Man come to die; although, Thanks be to God, fince the beginning of the Queen's Majefty's Reign in this Place hath not been any. But fince it is my Fortune to be the first, I pray God I may be the laft, fuch hath been, and is the Mercifulness of her Majefty, whom God long preferve. You know I have been long looked for in this prefent Cafe of mine, divers times in this Place; but by her Majefty's Clemency prolonged hitherto. It is not common to fee a Man of my Vocation to be a Speaker; nevertheless I will be brief, and gladly fhew you the Estate of thofe Offences which my Confcience doth burden me for. I have been by my Peers found worthy of Death, whereof I do acquit them; for I come not hither to juftify myself, nei ther yet to charge my Peers with Injuftice, but rather submit myself to this which God hath prepared for me. And thus confidering the Weaknefs of my Flesh and Blood, that at fuch time a Man's Senfes will partly fail, I do mind to divide my Speeches into three Parts, defiring you to take it full and whole, and not to tear it in Pieces.

And

And firft, in dealing in Matters temporal towards the Queen of Scots, I dealt not as a good Subject, for that I made not the Queen's Majefty privy thereunto, which indeed I confess I ought not fo to have done; for this Offence I was committed to this Houfe [pointing to the Tower] and, upon my humble Submiffion, deliver❜d; then making Promise to the Queen's Majesty (whom I pray God long to profper) never to deal in thofe Matters again; But contrary to my Submiffion and Promise made to the Queen's Majefty, abufing her Clemency towards me; which hath and doth grieve me more than any one thing hath done; I dealt in this Matter again, perfectly for faving my Life, and other Caufes which I could alledge.

[Here Mr. Sheriff Branch, standing by the Duke, defir'd him very courteously to make an End as fhort as might be, for the time did fpend.]

Then the Duke beginning again, faid, it hath been bruited, that I took my Oath, and receiv'd the Sacrament, that I fhould never deal in thofe Matters again; which is untrue, and yet the Oath too much.

[Now Mr. Chriftopher, one of the Officers, hearing thefe Words, defir'd the Duke to be fhort; we are come hither, faid he, to fee you put to Execution, and we must not delay while these Speeches pafs from you, for in this we hazard our Lives.]

Then the Duke faid, I do not excufe myself, but I come to discharge my Conscience, and to acquit my Peers, and not to complain of any Injuftice, for I have deferv'd this, and more a great deal, in that I have abus'd the Queen's Majefty's Mercy towards me; whom once again, with Hands lifted up, I pray God long to preserve and reign over you, and that my Death may be an

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End

End of all Troubles; and to augment my Fault, it is faid I had Familiarity with evil Dealers: Indeed I will confefs and tell you, that I never faw, nor never had Conference, but once with one Radolph, and yet never against the Queen's Mar jefty, God is my Judge; altho' many lewd Offers and Motions were made to me; for it is well known I had to do with him, by reafon I was bound to him by Recognifance for a great Sum of Money; and as for the two Letters that came from the Pope, I confefs I did fee them, the one cypher'd, the other decypher'd, I never confented to them, neither was I confenting to the late Rebellion in the North, notwithstanding I come not hither as unguilty.

To the fecond Part, I know I have not only been thought to be a Papist, a Favourer of Papifts, and a Maintainer of them. God is my Judge, be fore whom I ftand (lifting up his Eyes) I thank God I was never a Papift fince I knew what Religion meant, but I did always deteft Papistry, and all the vain Toys thereof, embracing ever, from the Bottom of my Heart, the true Religion of Jefus Chrift, trufting, by the Affurance of my Faith in his Blood, that is my only Redeemer and Saviour: Indeed I muft confefs that I had Servants and Friends that were Papifts; but if thereby I have offended God's Church, or any Proteftant, I defire God and them to forgive me.

Well now to the third Point, wherein I am to fhew how much I am bound to the Queen's Majefty for her Mercifulness towards me, in that her Majefty hath promifed to be good and gracious to my poor Children. I remember good Father Latimer making a Sermon in a more honourable Place than this is, out of the Pulpit (neither do I compare myself to him) he faid, That God did oftentimes take away a good and gracious Prince, for the

Sins and Difobedience of his Subjects, which God grant not to be in these Days, but that it will please God to continue and increase her Majesty's Years; yea, until the World's End, if it be his bleffed Will and Pleafure. You have a moft gracious Queen, as I muft needs confefs, and also Godly Religion; therefore look that your Livings and Converfations be answerable to the Religion of Chrift that proves you; that God may prof per the Prince, overthrow the Pope, and main tain your Wealth and Quietnefs. Let not my Perfon, good People, make my Speech worfe; they that have Factions (I fpeak not particularly, but generally) let them beware they be given over betimes; feek not to breviate God's Doings, left God prevent yours.

And then the Sheriff hastening him, he turned to the People, and embracing Sir Henry Lee, faid, I have, and always have had as true a Heart to my Prince as ever any Subject hath had. And fo Sir Henry Lee ftaying him by the left Arm, he kneel'd down and ask'd the Queen's Majefty Forgiveness; and rifing again, he embrac'd Mr. Dean of Paul's with a chearful Countenance; and afterwards for the most part fhaking those that were on the Scaffold by the Hands, and defiring them to pray for him; among the reft, the Executioner did on his Knees defire Forgiveness of his Death; who did very courteoufly forgive him, and put into the Hand of the Executioner four Soveraigns of Gold, and eighteen Shillings and fix Pence of Silver: This done, the Duke kneeling down, and the Dean of Paul's with him; he made his Prayers to God, and read the 51ft Pfalm, faying on to the lalt Verse fave one, viz. Build up the Walls of Jerufalem; he paused and faid, The Walls of England, good Lord: That Pfalm finifh'd, he began to read another, and at the feventh

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Verfe of the Pfalm; he payfed and faid, I had almoft forgotten, but not too late; I ask all the World Forgiveness, and I forgive all the World: The Pfalm finifhed, and other Prayers; he faid, In manus tuas Domine commendo Spiritum meum, Lord into thy Hands I commend my Spirit. Then he rofe up and pulled off his Velvet Gown, his black Sattin Doublet, and his Velvet Night-cap, and gave them to the Executioner, and being in a white Fuftian Waftcoat, he faid to Mr. Dean of Paul's, this is the white Sattin Doublet I made to die in, which the Preacher did speak of, and fo kneeling at the Block, he laid down himfelf, and rofe again, and laid the Straw and other things in fuch fort, as he might in a more convenient manner yield himself for the speedier Execution. This done, his Eyes and Hands lifted up, Mr. Dean defired the People filence, and faid, Now altogether, with one Voice, pray for him, faying, Lord Jefus receive thy Soul: The Duke yielding himself to the Block, refufing to have any Handkerchief before his Eyes, his Head was at one Chop cut off, and fhewed to all the People, and afterwards his Corps was put into a Coffin appertaining to Barking Church, with the Head alfo, and the Burial-Cloth laid over him, and fo was carried by four of the Lieutenant's Men, and was buried in the Chappel of the Tower by Mr. Dean of Paul's.

His CHARACTER.

Incredible it is how the People lov'd him (fays Cambden) which Love he got by his Bounty and fingular Courtefy, not unbecoming fo great a Prince. The wifer fort of Men were diverfly af fected about him; fome were terrified by the Greatnefs of that Danger, which, while he liv'd,

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