Chap. V1IIt The HISTORY ófthe PURITANS. 379 " never. I never did any thing in this caufe (Lord thou art witnet3) for Queen zab " contention, vain-glory, or to draw difciples after me. Great things El 593th " in this life I never fought for; fufíiiciency I have had with great out- t ,r " ward trouble; but molt content I was with my lot; and content I am " and fhall be with my untimely death, though 1 leave behind me a friend- " lefs widow and four infants, the eldeft of which is not above four " years old. I do from my heart forgive all that leek my life ; and if my " ° death can procure any quietnefs to the church of God or the Rate, I " (hall rejoice. May my prince have many fuch fubjeds, but may none " of them meet with fuch a reward ! My earned requeft is, that her " majefty may be acquainted with thefe things before my death, or at lead " after my departure. " Subfcribed with the heart and hand, that never deviled or writ any " thing to the difcredit or defamation ofmy fovereign queenElizabeth c " I take it on my death, as I hope to have a life after this, by me fohn Penry. It was never known before this time, that a minifter and a lcholar His death; was condemned to death for private papers found in his ftudy; nor do I remember more than once fnce that time, in whole cafe it was given for law, that fcribere fi agere, that to write has been conftrued an overt- ad; but Penry muff die write or wrong ; the archbifhop was the firft man who figned the warrant for his execution, and after him Puckering and Pcpham. The warrant was Pent immediately to the fheriff, who thevery fame day erected a gallows at St. Thomas Waterings; and while the pri- foner was at dinner fent his officers to bid him make ready, for he mutt die that afternoon ; accordingly he was carried in a cart to the place of execution; when he came thither the fheriff would not fuffer him to fpeak to the people, nor make any profefiion of his faith towards God, or his loyalty to the queen, but ordered him to be turned off in a hurry about five of the clock in the evening, May 29th. 1593. in the 34th year of his age. The court being ftruck with this behaviour of the Browni/ls, began to be afhamed of hanging men for (edition againft theRate, whodied with fuch ftrong profeffions of loyalty to the queen and government, and therefore could fuffer only for the caufe of religion. This railed an odium againft the bithops and the high commoners, who all men knew were at the bottom of thefe proceedings. It is Paid the queen herfelf was dif- pleafed with them when the heard of the devotion and loyalty of the fufferers. It was therefore refolved to proceed for the future on the late ftatute of the 31û Eliz. to retain the queen's fubjedls in .their.obedience ; Ccc z and
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