Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

wordly requests, that his wife might have her jointure, his children the lands entailed by his father, his sisters their legacies in his hand unpaid, his debts paid, and for his death, to be beheaded, and not hanged.

Robert Winter, in like

manner, thinking himself already half a saint for his whole villany, said little to any purpose, that either made shew of sorrow, or sought mercy, but only made a request to the King for mercy towards his brother, in regard of his offence, as he said, through his only per

suasion.

His brother said little, but, with a guilty conscience, swallowed up a concealed grief, with little show of sorrow for that time.

Grant, stubborn in his idolatry, seemed nothing penitent for his villany, asked little mercy, but, as it were, careless of grace, received the doom of his desert.

The younger Winter said little, but to excuse the foulness of his fact, in being drawn in by his brother, and not of his own plotting, with little talk to little purpose, troubled the time the lesser while.

Rookwood, out of a studied speech, would feign have made his bringing up, and breeding in idolatry, to have been some excuse to his villany; but a fair talk could not help a foul deed, and therefore, being

found guilty of the treason, had his judgment with the rest of the traitors.

Now, after their commendation and judgment, being sent back to the tower, there they remained till the Thursday following; upon sledges and hurdles they were drawn into St. Paul's Church-yard, four of them, viz. Everard Digby, the elder Winter, Grant, and Bates, of whom I forgot to speak, having no great matter to speak of, but only that being a villain, and hoping for advancement by the same, he had the reward of a traitor.

Now these four being drawn to the scaffold, made on purpose for their execution: first went up Digby, a man of a goodly personage, and a manly aspect, yet might a wary eye, in the change of his countenance, behold an inward fear of death, for his colour grew pale and his eye heavy; notwithstanding that he enforced himself to speak, as stoutly as he could, his speech was not long, and to little good purpose, only, that his belied conscience, being, but indeed, a blinded conceit, had led him into this offence, which, in respect of his religion, alias, indeed idolatry, he held no offence, but, in respect of the law, he held an offence for which he asked forgiveness of God, of the King, and the whole kingdom; and so, with vain and superstitious crossing of himself, betook him to his Latin prayers, mumbling to himself, refusing to have any prayers

of any, but of the Romish Catholics; went up the ladder, and, with the help of the hangman, made an end of his wicked days in this world.

After him went Winter up to the scaffold, where he used few words to any good effect, without asking mercy of either God, or the King, for his offence; went up the ladder, and, making a few prayers to himself staid not long for his execution.

After him went Grant, who, abominably blinded with his horrible idolatry, though he confessed his offence to be heinous, yet, would feign have excused it by his conscience for religion; a bloody religion, to make so bloody conscience; but better that his blood, and all such as he was, should be shed by the justice of law, than the blood of many thousands to have been shed by his villany, without law or justice; but to the purpose, having used a few idle words to ill effect, he was, as his fellow before him, led the way to the halter; and so, after his crossing of himself, to the last part of his tragedy.

Last of them came Bates, who seemed sorry for his offence, and asked forgiveness of God, and the King, and of the whole kingdom; prayed to God for the preservation of them all, and, as he said, only for his love to his master, drawn to forget

C

his duty to God, his king and country, and therefore was now drawn from the tower to St. Paul's Churchyard, and there hanged and quartered for his treachery. Thus ended that day's business.

The next day, being Friday, were drawn from the Tower to the Old Palace in Westminster, over against the Parliament-house, Thomas Winter, the younger brother, Rookwood, Keyes, and Fawkes the minor, justly called, the Devil of the Vault; for, had he not been a devil incarnate, he had never conceived so villanous a thought, nor been employed in so damnable an action.

Now Winter, first being brought to the scaffold, made little speech, but seeming, after a sort, as it were sorry for his offence, and yet crossing himself, as though those were wards to put by the devil's stoccadoes, having already made a wound in his soul, of which he had not yet a full feeling, protesting to die a true Catholic, as he said; with a very pale and dead colour went up the ladder, and, after a swing or two with a halter, to the quartering-block was drawn, and there quickly dispatched.

Next him came Rookwood, who made a speech of some longer time, confessing his offence to God, in seeking to shed blood, and asking therefore mercy of his Divine Majesty; his offence to the

King, of whose Majesty he likewise humbly asked forgiveness; his offence to the whole state, of whom in general he asked forgiveness, beseeching God to bless the King, the Queen, and all his royal progeny, and that they might long live to reign in peace and happiness over this kingdom. But last of all, to mar all the potage, with one filthy weed, to mar this good prayer with an ill conclusion, he prayed God to make the King a Catholic, otherwise a Papist, which God of his infinite mercy ever forbid; and so, beseeching the King to be good to his wife and children, protesting to die in his idolatry, a Romish Catholic, he went up the ladder, and, hanging till he was almost dead, was drawn to the block, where he gave his last gasp.

After him came Keyes, who, like a desperate villain, using little speech, with small or no show of repentance, went stoutly up the ladder; where, not staying the hangman's turn, he turned himself off with such a leap, that with the swing he brake the halter, but, after his fall, was quickly drawn to the block, and there was quickly divided into four parts.

Last of all came the great Devil of all, Fawkes, alias Johnson, who should have put fire to the powder. His body being weak with torture and sickness, he was scarce able to go up the ladder, but with much ado, by the help of the hangman,

« VorigeDoorgaan »