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be borne unhappy, that are not some way profitable to their country; and then how accursed are they borne, that seeke the destruction of the whole kingdom.

"Papistes will perhaps idly say, it was a bloody execution; but in respect to their desert, in the blood they intended to have shedde, it was a mercifull punishment; for if Jazabel, a queen, for seeking the murther of one private man, was throwne out of a windowe, and fedde upon by doggs; how can these people bee thought to bee cruelly used, that could entend and practise so horrible a villainy, as the death of so gracious a King, Queene, and Prince, so Noble Peeres, and the ruine of so flourishing a Kingdome?

"After their apprehension in the countrie, and brought up to London, upon the appearance of their foule treason, before his Majestie's most Honourable Councell, they were by their commandment committed to his Majestie's Tower of London, where they wanted nothing that in the mercy of a Christian prince was thought fit, and indeed too good for so unchristian offenders.

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"For in the time of their imprisonment they seemed to feel no part of feare, either of the wrath of God, the doome of justice, or the shame of sinne; but as it were, with seared consciences, senseless of grace, lived, as not liking to die, or not feeling the sorrow of their sinnes. They rather feasted with their sinnes, than fasted with sorrow for them: were richly apparelled, fared deliciously, and tooke tobacco out of measure, with a seeming carelessnesse of their crime, as it were daring the law to passe upon them; but the Almightie and our most mercifull good God first revealed them, his Majesties and his Counsailes carefull head apprehended them, the law plainly did discipher them, Justice gave judgment on them, and Death made an end of them. But to come to their arraignment, and to deliver the manner of their behaviour.

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After they went to the Tower by water, and come to Westminster, before they came into the hall, they made some halfe howre's stay, or more, in the Star-Chamber; whither being brought, and remaining till the court was all ready to hear them, and according to the lawe give judgment on them, it was strange to note their carriage even on their very countenances; some hanging downe the heade, as if their hearts were full of doggedness, and others forcing a steerne looke, as if they would feare death, with a frowne, never seeming to pray, except it were by the dozen, upon their beades, and taking tobacco, as if that hanging were no trouble to them, saying little but in commendation of their conceited religion, craving mercy of neyther God nor the King for their offences, and making their consciences, as it were as wide as the worlde.

"Now being come into the hall, and upon the scaffold at the barre, standing to answer their indictments, they all pleaded not guiltie; but were all found guiltie.

"Digbie, without craving mercie, or favour of either God or the King, made only five worldly requests; that his wife might have her jointer, his children the land intailed by his father, his sisters their legacies in his hand unpaid, his debts paide, and for his death to be beheaded and not hanged.

"Robert Winter, in like manner thinkeing himselfe alreadie halfe a saint for his whole villanie, said little to any purpose that eyther made shew of sorrow, or sought for mercie towards his brother, in regarde of his offence, as he said, through his onely perswasion.

"His brother said little: but with a guiltie conscience swallowed up a concealed griefe, with little shew of sorrow for that time.

Graunt, stubborn in his idolatrie, seemed nothing penitent for his villanie, asked little mercy, but as it were careless of grace, received the doome of his desert.

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"The younger Winter saide little, but to excuse the fowleness of his fact, in being drawne in by his brother, and not of his owne plotting, with little talk to little purpose, troubled the time the lesser while.

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Rockwood, out of a studied speech, would faine have made his bringing uppe and breeding in idolatrie, to have been some excuse to his villanie; but a faire talke could not help a fowle deed; and therefore, being found guiltie of the treason, had his judgement with the rest of the traytors.

"Now after their condemnation and judgement, being sent backe to the Tower, there they remained till the Thursday following. Upon sleddes and hurdles they were drawn unto Paule's Churchyearde: fowre of them, viz. Everarde Digbie, the elder Winter, Graunt, and Bates, of whome I forgot to speake, haveing no great matter to speake of, but only that being villaine, and hoping of advancement by the same, he had the reward of a traytor.

"Now these foure, being drawne to the scaffold, made one purpose for their execution :-First went up Digbie, a man of a goodly personage, and a manly aspect: yet might a warie eye, in the change of his countenance beholde an inwarde feare of death; for his colour grew pale and his eye heavie, notwithstanding that hee enforced himselfe to speake as stoutly as hee could: his speech was not long, and to little good purpose, onely that his belied conscience, being but indeed a blinded conceit, had led him into this offence, which in respect of his religion, (alias indeed idolatrie) hee held no offence, but in respect of the law, he held an offence, for which hee asked forgiveness of God, the King, and the whole Kingdome ; and so with vain and superstitious crossing of himselfe, refusing to have any prayers of any but of the Romish Catholicks, went up the ladder, and, with the helpe of the hangman, made an end of his wicked daies in this world.

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“After him went Winter up to the scaffold, where he used few words to anie good effect: without asking (mer-cie of either God or the King for his offence, went up the ladder, and making a few prayers to himselfe, staid not long for his execution.

"After him went Graunt, who, abbominably blinded with his horrible idolatrie, though he confessed his offence to bee hainous, yet would faine have excused it by his conscience, for religion. Having used a few idle wordes to ill effect, hee was, as his fellowes before him, ledde the way to the halter, and so, after his crossing of himselfe, to the last part of his tragedie.

"Last of them came Bates, who seemed sorry for his offence, and asked forgiveness of God and the King, and of the whole kingdome, prayed to God for the preservaotion of them all, and as hee seyed, only for his love to his maister, drawne to forget his duty to God, his King and countrie, and therefore was now drawne from the Tower to Paule's Churchyeard, and there hanged and quartered for his treacherie. Thus ended that daies business.

"The next day being Friday were drawne from the Tower to the old Palace in Westminster, over against the Parliament-House, Thomas Winter, the younger brother, Rockwood, Cayes, and Faulkes the minor, justly called the Devill of the vault. Winter first being brought to the scaffolde made little speech, but seeming after a sort as it were sorry for his offence, with a very pale and dead colour, went uppe the ladder, and after a swing or two with the halter, to the quartering block was drawne, and "there quickly dispatched.

"Next him came Rockwood, who made a speech of some longer time, confessing his offence to God, in seeking 1to shedde bloode, and asking therefore mercy of his Divine Majestie, his offence to the King, of whose Majestie hee likewise humbly asked forgiveness, his offence to the

whole: state, of whom in generall he asked forgiveness, and beseeching God to bless the King, the Queene, and all his royall progenie, and that they might long live to reigne in peace and happiness over this kingdome; but last of all, to marre all the pottage with one filthy weede, to marre his good prayers with an ill conclusion, he prayed God to make the king a Catholicke, otherwise a papiste, (which God for his mercy ever forbid); and so beseeching the King to bee good to his wife and children, protesting to die in his idolatrie, a Romish Catholicke, he went uppe the ladder, and hanging till he was almost dead, was drawne to the blocke, where he gave his last gaspe.

"After him came Caies, who, like a desperate villaine, using little speech with small or no shew of repentance, went stoutele up the ladder, where, not staying the hangman's turne, turned himselfe off with such a leap, that with the swing he brake the halter; but after his fall was quicklie drawne to the blocke, and there was quicklie, divided in foure partes.

"Last of all came Faulkes alias John, who would have put fire to the powder; his body being weake with torture and sickness, he was scarce able to go up the ladder, but yet with much ado, by the helpe of the hangman, went hie enough to breake his necke with the fall; who made no long speech, but after a sort seeming to be sorrie for his offence, asked a kinde of forgiveness of the King and the State, for his bloody intent, with his crosses and his idle ceremonies, made his end upon the gallowes and the blocke, to the great joy of the beholders that the land was ended of so wicked a villaine.

"Thus I have ended my discourse upon the arraignment and execution of these eight traytors, executed upon Thursday and Friday last past, in Paule's Churchyard and the old pallace at Westminster."

WILLIAM. I thank you, Sir, for so excellent a con

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