Had Fortune as Familiar as a Wife
Aftiff hard Iron Soldier; for he

It feems had more of Mars than Mercury; At Sea he thunder'd, calm'd each ragingWave And now he's dead,fent thundring to hisGrave.

Soon after was St Venant taken by the English, the Lord Henry Cromwel madeDeputy of Ireland. Sir John Reynolds, Collonel White, and fome other Officers drown'd on the Goodwin Sands, as they were coming out of Flanders into England.

One writes that the fubtilty of discovering of Plots, tho' but in the Embryo, or before they are hatcht, in the time of Peace, is the most fuccinct way of letting of Blood March 24 (the laft Day of the Year accounted for 1657, a great Confpiracy was again difcovered in London,feveral Regiments (as was faid) being enrolled; who on the firft day of May in the Night time should have fet Fire on feveral parts of the City, and whilft the Confufion and horrour thereof had feiz'd all Men, they fhould have made a general maffacree of allwho oppofed them. Hereupon feveral Perfons were apprehended as Dr. Hemet, Sir Henry Slingsby, Collonel Afhton, &c. and a High Court of Justice erested for the Tryal of them; and first they began with Sir Henry Slingsby, the Articles charged

D 4

charged against them will in part discover themselves in their feveral Speeches made juft before their Deaths. In fhort, they were both condemned, Dr.Hewer (profeffing himself to be Ignorant of fuch Law; tho' amongst the most learned Divines few of them were more learned in the Gospel) being taken in three Defaults upon formalities of the Court, was proceeded against

as mute.

Faly 8. 1658. was the Day appointed for their beheading, Sir Henry Slingsby firft mounting the Stage, fpake in effect as followeth.

That he stood condemned by the Court of Juftice, as contriving and endeavouring to withdraw divers Officers of the Garifon of Kingston upon Hull from their Duty; and perfuading them to a furrendering and yielding up that Garifon, and one that held corripondence with fome beyond Sea to that end. That it was true, he had Conference upon that Account with the Officers of that Garifon; and that he gave Major VVaterhouse a Commiffion figned Charles R. But that it was but an old one that had lain by him, tho' he thought fit to make use of it to the Major. Many Paffages he said there were which he would not infift on; hat fome Friends of his had mede Applica

tion to his Highnefs for the faving of his Life but it feems it was not thought fit to be granted, and therefore he fubmitted, and was ready to die, &c.

Having uttered thefe and the like Words he took off a Ring from his Bandftrings wherein instead of a Seal engraven, was the Picture of the late King exactly done, and giving it to a'Gentleman that stood by him, he faid, pray give this to Harry. Then he addreft himself to prayer, wherein he continued fome Time; taking leave of his Friends, he fubmitted his Neck to the Block, and had his Head fever'd from his Body at one Blow by the Executioner, This at one Blow by the Executioner, the Reader may obferve hath been very often repeated in this Voluma.

His Tragick Scene being acted, that Religious and Reverend Divine Doctor Hewer, the golden tongu'd Chryfoftom, entered the Lifts of Death. In this Warfare the Doctor put on the fpiritual Armour of a bleffec Confidence, delivering his Mind to the People in thefe following Words.

I am now become a publick Spectacle t Men and Angles, and (I hope) God who i omniscient is now beholding me with muc Pity, Mercy and Compaflion; and thi more because I am now come to that en DS

th

that his own Son came into the World to, bear Witness of the Truth; he himself faid, For this end was I born, for this Caufe came I into the World, that I should bear Witnefs to the Truth. I was brought into the World (the Chriftian World) for to bear Witness of the Truth of the Gofpel, as a common Chriftian; I was brought into the World (the Church) as a Minifter of his bleffed Word and Sacraments; (bleffed be his Name for that great Honour and Dignity;) and I came into the World to die more immediately for the Teftimony of Jefus, which God hath now call'd me to. I came into thisWorld(thisCommonwealth) to be a Member thereof, to bear Witness to the Truthes of the Cuftoms, the Laws, the Liberties, and Privaledges thereof; fol am a Member of the Commowealth. And methinks it feems to me a ftrange Thing, that in as much as we all plead for Liberty and Privaledges, and I pleading for the Priraledges; the Laws, the Statutes, and the Cuftoms of this Land, yet I fhould die by hofe that fhould ftand for the Laws, the tatues, and Privaledges of the Land. And am here beheld by thofe that plead for heir Liberties, and I hope I am pittied, beufe I here give up my felf willingly and

to be a State-Martyr for the publick

good; and I had rather die many Deaths iny felf, then betray my fellow Freemen to fo many inconveniencies that they might be like to fuffer, by being fubject to the Wills of them that will'd me to this Death.

And it is worthy Rememberance that Mafter Soliciter having impeach'd me of Treafon to the Commiffioners of the Court against his Highness, I did often (when brought before thofe Commiffioners) plead for the Liberties of the People of England, though I had no Knowledge of the Law, yet I had Inftructions from thole that were learnd in the Law, and had several LawCafes and Prefidents put into my Hand, though not by them, and urg'd feveral Law. Cafes, and made my Appeal. First, for the Judicature that I was to be try'd by, Whether it were according to Law? Whether it were according to the A&t? And whether it were according to the Words of the faid A&t? I did appeal to have the faid A&t argued by learned Lawyers on both fides and then to be refolved by his Highness's own Council, which was denied me. (This by the by.), I preffing the Arguement, made a fecond Appeal, that thole Judges. if they would give fingly their feveral Judgments that it was a juft and lawful Court of Judicature, I would