his Condition, could in the leaft be perceiv'd in him. He look'd Death in the Face with fo undaunted a Refolution, as gave many occafion to fay, Grace had left in him no Refentments of Nature. After a fhort paufe, viewing the People, and finding them attentive to what he fhould fay, he ftept to one Side of the Scaffold, and with a graceful Air, and intelligible Voice, pronounc'd his laft Speech as follows.

My Lord's laft Speech.

By the Permiffion of Almighty God, I am this Day brought hither to fuffer Death, as if I were' . guilty of High-Treafon. I do moft truly, in the Prefence of the eternal, omnipotent, and allknowing God, proteft upon my Salvation, that I am as innocent as it is poffible for any Man to be, fo much as in a Thought, of the Crimes laid to my Charge.

I acknowledge it to be a particular Grace and Favour of the Holy Trinity, to have given me this long time to prepare myfelf for Eternity. I have not made fo good ufe of that Grace as L ought to have done, partly by my not having fo well recollected myself as I might have done, and partly, becaufe not only my Friends, but my Wife and Children have for feveral Days been forbidden to fee me, but in the Prefence of one of my Warders. This hath been a great Trouble and Distraction unto me, but I hope God of his infinite Mercy will pardon my Defects, and accept of my good. Intentions.

Since my long Imprisonment, I have confider'd often what could be the original Caufe of my being thus accused, fince I knew myself not culpable, fo much as in a Thought; and I cannot be lieve it to be upon any other Account than my

being of the Church of Rome. I have no reafon to be afham'd of my Religion, for it teacheth nothing but the right Worship of God, Obedience to the King, and due Subordination to the temporal Laws of the Kingdom. And I do fubmit to all Articles of Faith believed and taught in the Catholick Church, believing them to be moft confonant to the Word of God. And whereas it hath fo much and often been objected, that the Church holds that Sovereign Princes, excommunicated by the Pope, may, by their Subjects, be depos'd or murder'd: As to the Murder of Princes, I have been taught as a Matter of Faith in the Catholick Church, that fuch Doctrine is diabolical, horrid, deteftable, and contrary to the Law of God, Nature, and Nations; and as fuch from my Heart I renounce and abominate it. As for the Doctrine of depofing Princes, I know fome Divines of the Catholick Church hold it; but as Able and Learned as they have written against it: But it was not pretended to be the Doctrine of the Church, that is, any Point of Catholick Faith: Wherefore I do here in my Confcience declare, that it is my true and real Judgment, that the fame Doctrine of depofing Kings, is contrary to the fundamental Laws of this Kingdom, injurious to Soveraign Power, and confequently would be in me or any other of his Majesty's Subjects, impious and damnable. I believe and profefs, that there is one God, one Saviour, one Holy Catholick Church, of which, through the Mercy, Grace, and Goodnefs of God, I die a Member.

To my great and unfpeakable Grief, I have offended God in many things, by many great Offences; but I give him moft humble Thanks, not in any of thofe Crimes of which I was accufed. A a 2

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All the Members of either House having Liberty to propofe in the House what they think fit for the Good of the Kingdom; accordingly I propofed what I thought fit; the House is Judge of the Fitness or Unfitnefs of it; and I think I never faid any thing that was unfitting there, or contrary to the Law and Ufe of Parliament; for certainly if I had, the Lords would (as they might) have punifh'd me: So I am not culpable before God or Man.

It is much reported of Indulgences, Difpenfations, and Pardons, to murder, rebel, lie, forfwear, and commit fuch other Crimes held and given in the Church; I do here profefs, in the Prefence of God, I never learnt, believ'd, or practis'd any fuch Thing, but the contrary; and I fpeak this without any Equivocation or Refervation whatsoever: And certainly, were I guilty, either myself, or knew of any one that were guilty, whofoever that were fo, of any of thofe Crimes of which I am accufed, I were not only the greateft Fool imaginable, but a perfect mad Man, and as wicked as any of thofe that fo falfely have accus'd me, if I fhould not discover any ill Defign I knew in any kind, and fo upon Discovery fave my Life, I have fo often had fo fair Occafions propofed unto me, and fo am guilty of SelfMurder, which is a moft grievous and heinous Sin; and though I was laft impeach'd at the Lord's Bar, yet I have great Grounds to believe, that I was first brought to Tryal, on the Belief, that, to fave my Life, I would make fome great Discovery; and truly fo I would, had I known any fuch thing of any ill Design, or illegal dangerous Plot, either of myself, or any other Perfon whatsoever, without any Exception. But had I a thousand Lives, I would lofe them all, rather than falfely accufe either myself, or any

other

other whatsoever. And if I had known of any Treafon, and fhould thus deny it, as I do now upon my Salvation at this time, I fhould have no Hope of Salvation, which now I have, through the Merits of Christ Jesus.

I do befeech God to blefs his Majefty, who is my lawful King and Sovereign,whom I was always, by all Laws Humane and Divine, bound to obey; and I am fure that no Power upon Earth, either fingly or all together, can legally allow me, or any Body elfe, to lift up a Hand against him, or his legal Authority. I do hold that the Conftitution of the Government of this Kingdom is the only way to continue Peace and Quietness, which God long continue.

Next to Treafon I hold Murder in abhorrence, and have ever done and do; and I do fincerely profefs, that if I could at this time free myself immediately, and establish what Religion I would, and what Government I would, and make myself as great as I could wish, and all by the Death of one of thefe Fellows, that by their Perjuries have brought me to the Place where I am, I fo much abhor to be the Cause of any Man's Death, that I would not any way be the Caufe of their Murder; how much lefs would I endeavour the Affaffination of his Majefty, whom I hold to be as gracious a King as ever this or any other Nation had, and under whom the People may enjoy their Liberties, as much as ever any did? and if it please God to grant him Life and Happiness, according as I have always wifh'd and pray'd for, I am morally perfuaded, that he, and all his Dominions, will be as happy and profperous as ever People were, which I befeech God grant,

I do moft humbly ask Pardon of the Almighty and All-merciful God, for all the great Offences I have committed against his divine Majefty;

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and I know he would not have the Death and Confufion of a Sinner, but that he may repent and live; in that Affurance I hope, knowing he never defpifeth a contrite Heart; and though I have not fo feeling a Contrition as I would, yet I have it as well as I can; and I doubt not but that God will accept of the good Will.

I do defire that all People will forgive me any Injury that I have done them in any thing, either Wilfully or by Chance; and I do heartily forgive all People in this World that have injur'd me; I forgive even thofe perjur'd Men, that fo falfely have brought me hither by their Perjuries.

I do now upon my Death and Salvation aver, that I never spoke one Word either to Oates or Turbervil, or, to my Knowledge, ever faw them until my Tryal; And for Dugdale, I never spoke unto him of any thing but about a Foot-boy, or Foot-man, or Foot-race; and never was then alone with him: All the Punishment that I wifh them, is, that they may repent and acknowledge the Wrong that they have done me; then it will appear how innocent I am: God forgive them! I have a great Confidence that it will please Almighty God, and that he will in a fhort time. bring Truth to Light; then you and all the World will fee and know what Injury they have done me.

I hope that I have made it appear that I have fome Confcience, for if I had none, certainly I would have fay'd my Life, by acknowledging myfelf guilty, which I could have done, though I know I am not in the leaft guilty. And I having fome Confcience make very ill ufe of it, for I throw myself into eternal Pain, by thus plainly and conftantly denying thus at my Death the Knowledge of what I am accus'd of in the leaft.