[Next day, the Archbishop receiving the news that the Bill of Attainder had passed in the house of lords, broke off his History, and prepared himself for death. H. W.] The Reasons of the Commons for the attainder of the Archbishop, were at a conference, Jan. 2, by Serjeant Wilde, Mr. Browne, and Mr. Nicolas, communicated to the lords; wito thereupon, on the 4th of January, passed the following Ordinance of Attainder whereby it was ordained, that he should suffer death, as in cases of High-Treason. And on the 6th of January it was ordered by both houses that he should suffer accordingly on Friday the 10th. Ordinance of Attainder. acquainted the Commons with a Letter and Petition from the Archbishop, and a Pardon to him from the king, dated the 12th of April, 19 Car, of which he desired the benefit: but the same was over-ruled and rejected. His PetiDr. Haywood, and Dr. Martin, might be pertion was, That in case he must die, Dr. Stern, mitted to Le with him before and at his death, the manner of his Execution might be altered to administer comfort to his soul; and that to beheading. To which the lords agreed, but that Dr. Stern and Mr. Marshall, and Mr. the commons then refused both; only granted Palmer, should go to him; and one or both of the latter to be constantly present, whilst Dr. Stern was with him. But the next day, sons, from his being a divine, a bishop, one that had the honour to sit in the house of peers, and one of the king's most honourable Privy-Council, &c. praying, in those regards, not to be exposed to such an ignominious Death; the commons consented to remit the rest of the Sentence, and that he should suffer death by being beheaded. Accordingly, on the 10th of January, he was conducted from the Tower to the scaffold on Tower-bill; where being arrived, holding a Paper in his hand, he spake to the people as followeth : 'Whereas the knights, citizens, and bur-upon another Petition of his, setting forth Reagesses of the house of commons, in the present parliament assembled, have in the name of themselves, and of all the commons of England, impeached Wilham Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, for endeavouring to subvert the 'fundamental laws and government of the kingdom of England; and, instead thereof, to introduce an arbitrary and tyrannical govern 'ment against law, and to alter and subvert 'God's true religion by law established in this realm; and, instead thereof, to set up popish superstition and idolatry, and to subvert the rights of parliament, and the ancient course of parli'mentary proceedings: and by false and inali- "Good people; This is an uncomfortable cious slanders, to incense his majesty against time to preach, yet I shall begin with a text of parliaments; for which the said archbishop Scripture, Heb. xii. 2. Let us run with padeserves to undergo the pains and forfeitures tience the Race that is set before us, looking of high-treason; which said offences have been unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; sufficiently proved against the said archbishop who, for the joy that was set before him, enduupon his Impeachment: be it therefore order-red the cross, despising the shame, and is set ed and ordained, by the lords and commons in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That the said archbishop, for the offences aforesaid, shall stand and be adjudged attainted of high-treason, and shall suffer the pains of death; and shall incur 'all forfeitures both of lands and goods, as a person attainted of high-treason should or ought to do. Provided, That no judge or judges, justice or justices whatsoever, shall judge or interpret any act or thing to be treason, or hear or determine any treason, other manner than he or they should or ought to have done before the making of this Ordinance; and as if this Ordinance had never been bad or made; saving always unto all and singular persons and bodies politic and corporate, their heirs and successors, (other than the said archbishop and his heirs, and such as claim by, from, or under him) all such right, title, and interest of, in, and to all and singular such of the lands, tenements, and hereditaments, as he, or any of them, had before the first day of this present parliament, any thing herein contained to the contrary, notwithstanding."t in any down at the right hand of the throne of God.' "I have been long in my race, and how I have looked unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, he best knows. I am now come to the end of my race, and here I find the cross; a death of shame: but the shame must be despised, or no coming to the right hand of God; Jesus despised the shame for me, and God forbid but I should despise the shame for him! I am going apace (as you see) towards the Red Sea, and my feet are now upon the very brink of it; an argument, I hope, that God is bringing me into the Land of Promise, for that was the way through which he led his people; but before they came to it, he institu ted a Passover for thein, a lamb it was, but must be eaten with sour herbs. I shall obey, and labour to digest the sour herbs as well as the lamb; and I shall remember it is the Lord's Passover I shall not think of the herbs, nor be angry with the hand that gathereth them, but look up only unto Him who instituted that, and governs these. For men can have no more power over me than what is given from above. I am not in love with this passage through the Red Sea, for I But on the 7th, the lords at a Conference have the weaknes and infirmity of flesh and 5 Rushworth, p. 780. f See 3 Cobb. Parl. Ifist. 324. blood plentifully in me, and I have prayed with my Saviour, ut transiret Calis iste, that this Cup of red wine might pass from me; | mies which have persecuted me, and humbly desire to be forgiven of God first, and then of every man, whether I have offended him or not, if he do but conceive that I have: Lord, do thou forgive me, and I beg forgiveness of him; and so I heartily desire you to join in prayers with me.*" but if not, God's will, not mine, be done :' and I shall most willingly drink of this cup as deep as he pleases, and enter into this sea, yea, and pass through it in the way that he shall lead me; but I would have it remembered, good people, that when God's servants were in this boisterous sea, and Aaron amongst them, the Egyptians who persecuted them, and did in a mauner drive them into the sea, were drowned in the same waters, while they were in pursuit of them. And as for this people, they are at this day miserably misled; God of his mercy open their eyes, that they may sce the right way! for at this day the blind lead the blind, and if they go on, both will certainly fall into the ditch. Though the weight of my Sentence be heavy upon me, I am as quiet within as ever I was in my life. And though I am not only the first Archbishop, but the first man that ever died by an Ordinance in parliament, yet some of my predecessors have gone this way, though not by this means.- -Here is a great clamour that I would have brought in Popery: I shall answer that more fully by-andby. In the mean time, you know what the Pharisees said against Christ himself, 'If we 'let him alone, all men will believe in him, et 'venient Romani, and the Romans will come ' and take away our place and nation.' Here was a causeless cry against Christ, that the Romans would come: and see how just the Judgment was; they crucified Christ for fear the Romans should come, and his death was it that brought in the Romans upon them: God punishing them with that which they most feared. And I pray God this clamour of venient Romani, for which I have given no cause, help not to bring them in: For the Pope never had such an harvest in England since the Reformation, as he hath now upon the Sects and Divisions that are among us.-This I shall be bold to speak of the King, our gracious sovereign : He hath been much traduced also for bringing in Popery, but in my conscience (of which I shall give God a very present account), I know him to be as free from the charge as any man living, and I hold him to be as sound a Protestant (according to the Religion by law established) as any man in this kingdom, and that he will venture his life as far, and as freely, for it. And I think I do, or should, know both his affection to Religion, and his grounds for it, as fully as any man in England.-I have been accused as an Enemy to Parliaments. No! I understand them, and the benefit that comes by them, too well to be so; but I did mislike the misgovernments of soine Parliaments many ways, and I have good reason for it, for Corruptio optimi est pessima. There is no corruption in the world so bad as that which is of the best thing within itself; for the better the thing is in nature, the worse it is corrupted. And that being the highest court, over which no other hath Jurisdiction; when it is misinform ed or misgoverned, the subject is left without all remedy: But I have done. I forgive all the world, all and every of those bitter Ene Having ended his Prayers, and finding the scaffold crowded, he desired they would give him room to die, that he might have an end of the miseries he had so long endured; and coming near the block, he said, God's will be done! I am willing to go out of the world, none can be more willing to send me;' and perceiving some people under the Scaffold through the boards, he desired the chinks might be stopped, or the people removed, for he did not desire his Blood should fall upon their heads.' Sir John Clotworthy demanded of him, what was the most comfortable Saying * "His Speech and Prayer ended," says Kennett," he gave the prayer which he read into the hands of his chaplain Mr. Stern; and seeing one Hind had been writing his Speech as it came from his mouth, he desired him Not to do him wrong in publishing a false or imperfect copy.' Sir John Clotworthy did rudely interrupt him with impertinent questions, which he answered with all Christian meekness. The first question was, What was the most com'fortable saying which a dying man would have in his mouth? He answered, Cupio dissolvi 'et esse cum Christo.' The other asked again, 'What was the fittest speech a man would use to express his confidence and assurance?' He answered, Such assurance is to be found within, and no Words are able to express it rightly. The busy man demanding a place ' of Scripture, whereupon such assurance might be grounded:' He used some words to this effect, that it was the Word of God concerning Christ and his dying for us.'" "Even upon the scaffold, and during the intervals of his prayers, he was harrassed and molested by sir John Clotworthy, a zealot of the reigning sect, and a great leader in the Lower House. This was the time he chose for examining the principles of the dying Primate, and trepanning him into a confession that he trusted for his salvation to the merits of good works, not to the merit of the Redeemer." Hume.-The fact seems scarcely to warrant the Historians representation. His last Character is thus given by lord Clarendon: He underwent his Sentence with all Christian courage and magnanimity, to the admiration of the beholders, and confusion of his enemies. Much hath been said of the person of this great prelate before, of his great endowments and natural infirmities; to which shall be added no more in this place (his memory deserving a particular celebration) than that his learning, piety, and virtue, have been attained by very few, and the greatest of his infirmities are common to all, even to the best men." a dying man could have in his mouth:' He | abouts after the death of the other archbishop, answered, Cupio dissolvi et esse cum Christo.' he was completely invested in that high digSir John still pressed him with several imper-nity, and settled in his palace at Lambeth. tinent questions, to which his grace answered This great prelate had been before in great with abundance of meekness; and turning to favour with the duke of Buckingham, whose the Executioner, he gave him money, and said, chief confident lie was, and by him recom ، Here, honest friend, God forgive thee, and I mended to the king, as fittest to be trusted in do, and do thy office upon me with mercy!' the conferring all Ecclesiastical Preferments, Having made another short Prayer, he laid his | when he was but bishop of St. David's, or head down upon the block, and prayed a little newly preferred to Bath and Wells; and from time to himself, after which he said aloud, that time he entirely governed that province, 'Lord, receive my soul;' and this being the without a rival: so that his promotion to Cansignal, the Executioner immediately severed terbury was long foreseen, and expected, nor his head from his body at one blow. He was was it attended with any increase of envy, or buried after the manner of the Church of Eng-dislike. land, in the church of Allhallows, Barking; the very day the Liturgy was abolished by an Ordinance of Parliament, and the Directory set up in the room of it. A brass plate was nailed on his coffin with this inscription: In hac Cistula conduntur exuviæ Gulielmi Laud, Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis, qui securi percussus immortalitatem adiit die x. Januarii, ætatis suæ 73, Archiepiscopatus xii.' "Laud," says Whitelocke, speaking of the Dissolution of the Parliament and continuance of the Convocation in 1640, “ was more busy in temporal affairs and matters of state, than his predecessors of later times had been. Judge Whitelocke (the Author's father) who was anciently and thoroughly acquainted with him, and knew his disposition, would say, 'He was too full of fire, though a just and good man, | and that his want of experience in state matters, and his too much zeal for the Church, and heat, if he proceeded in the way he was then in, would set this nation on fire. " Memoirs, Apr. 13, 1640, p. 32. Lord Clarendon, vol. 1, p. 89, says, "It was within one week after the king's return from Scotland, that Abbot died at his house at Lambeth. The king took very little time to con. sider who should be his successor, but the very next time the bishop of London, who was longer on his way home than the king had been, came to him, his majesty entertained him very chearfully with this compellation, 4 My Lord's Grace of Canterbury, you are very welcome,' and gave order the same day for the dispatch of all the necessary forms for the translation: so that within a month or there There is in the Lambeth Collection, the following Extract given, in MS. 942, 19, from Spondanus, relating to the beheading of Laud, viz. "Spondanus in Continuatione Annalium Card. Baroni ad A. p. 1645. Alense Januario, Gulielmus Archiepisc. Cantuariensis et Primas Angliæ, extra Romanæ et Apostolica [Ecclesia] castra, post Incarcerationem in Turri Londinensi spatio multorum mensium, capite plectitur Londini, jussu Parliamentariorum, ob defensa jura Regia et Carolo data consilia, contra Puritanos. Catholica Religio ei morienti defuit, quod dolendum." | | "He was a man of great parts, and very exemplary virtues, allayed and discredited by some unpopular natural infirmities; the greatest of which was, besides a hasty, sharp way of expressing himself, that he believed innocence of heart, and integrity of manners, was a guard strong enough to secure any man in his voyage through this world, in what company soever Ire travelled, and through what ways soever he was to pass and sure never any man was better supplied with that provision. He was born of honest parents, who were well able to provide for his education in the schools of learning, from whence they sent him to St. John's college in Oxford, the worst endowed at that time of any in that famous university. From a scholar he became a fellow, and then the president of the college, after he had received all the graces, and degrees, the proctorship, and the doctorship, could be obtained there. He was always maligned, and persecuted by those who were of the Calvinian faction, which was then very powerful, and who, according to their usual maxim and practice, call every man they do not love, papist; and, under this senseless appellation, they created him many troubles, and vexations; and so far suppressed him, that though he was the king's chaplain, and taken notice of for an excellent preacher, and a scholar of the most sublime parts, he had not any preferment to invite him to leave his poor college, which only gave him bread, till the vigor of his age was past: and when he was promoted by king James, it was but to a poor bishopric in Wales, which was not so good a support for a bishop, as his college was for a private scholar, though a doctor. ، Parliaments in that time were frequent, and grew very busy, and the party, under which he had suffered a continual persecution, appeared very powerful, and full of design, and they who had the courage to oppose them, be gun to be taken notice of with approbation, and countenance : under this style he came to be first cherished by the duke of Buckingham, who had made some experiments of the temper, and spirit of the other people, nothing to his satisfaction. From this time he prospered at the rate of his own wishes, and being transplanted out of his cold barren diocess of St. David's, into a warmer climate, he was left, as was said before, by that great favourite in that great trust with the king; who was sufficiently indisposed towards the persons, or the principles of Calvin's disciples. discredit, at least make the integrity of the end suspected, let the cause be what it will. He did court persons too little; nor cared to make his designs, and purposes, appear as candid as they were, by shewing them in any other dress than their own natural beauty, though perhaps in too rough a manner; and did not consider enough what men said, or were like to say of him." If the faults and vices were to be looked into and discovered, let the persons be who they would that were guilty of them, they were sure to find no connivance of favour from him. He intended the discipline of the Church should be felt, as well as spoken of, and that it should be applied to the greatest and most splendid transgressors, as well as to the punishment of smaller offences, and meaner offenders; and thereupon called for, or che rished the discovery of those who were not careful to cover their own iniquities, thinking they were above the reach of other men, or their power, or will to chastise. Persons of honour and great quality of the court, and of the country, were every day cited into the High Commission Court, upon the fame of their incontinence, or other scandal in their lives, and were there prosecuted to their shame and punishment: and as the shame, which they called an insolent triumph upon their degree and quality, and levelling them with the come mon people, was never forgotten, but watched for revenge; so the fines imposed there were the more questioned, and repined against, because they were assigned to the rebuilding and "When he came into great authority, it may be, he retained too keen a memory of those who had so unjustly, and uncharitably persecuted him before; and I doubt, was so far transported with the same passions he had reason to complain of in his adversaries, that, as they accused him of popery, because he had some doctrinal opinions which they liked not, though they were nothing allied to popery; so he entertained too much prejudice to some persons, as if they were enemies to the discipline of the Church, because they concurred with Calvin in some doctrinal points; when they abhorred his discipline, and reverenced the government of the Church, and prayed for the peace of it with as much zeal, and fervency as any in the kingdom; as they made manifest in their lives, and in their sufferings with it, and for it. He had, from his first entrance into the world, without any disguise, or dissimulation, declared his own opinion of that classis of men, and, as soon as it was in his power, he did all he could to hinder the growth and increase of that faction, and to restrain those who were inclined to it, from doing the mischief they desired to do. But his power at court could not enough qualify him to go through with that difficult reformation, whilst he had a superior in the church, who, having the reins in his hand, could slacken them according to his own humour and indiscretion; and was thought to be the more remiss, to ir-repairing St. Paul's church; and thought thereritate his choleric disposition. But when he had now the primacy in his own hand, the king being inspired with the same zeal, he thought he should be to blame, and have much to answer for, if he did not make haste to apply remedies to those diseases, which he saw would grow apace.-In September 1633, he was invested in the title, power, and jurisdiction of Abbot, his old antagonist at Oxford, and Archbishop of Canterbury, and entirely in pos- his predecessor in the Primacy, speaks much session of the revenue thereof, without a rival less favourably of him. Burnet, noticing in Church or State; that is, no man professed Laud's Defence of himself, says, that though to oppose his greatness; and he had never in-"written with so much care, it is a very weak terposed or appeared in matters of state to this performance. He intended in it to make an time.-The Archbishop had, all his life, emi- Appeal to the world. In most particulars he nently opposed Calvin's doctrine in those con- excuses himself by this, That he was but one troversies, before the name of Arminius was of many who either in Council, Star-Chamber, taken notice of, or his opinions heard of; and or High Commission voted illegal things. thereupon for want of another name, they had Now, though this was true that he was but called him a papist, which nobody believed him one, yet a chief minister in high favour deterto be, and he had more manifested the contrary mines so much, that they are little better than in his disputations, and writings, than most men machines acted by him. On other occasions had done; and it may be the other found the he says the things were proved by one witness more severe, and rigorous usage from him, for only. Now, how strong soever this defence their propagating that calumny against hin.may be in law, it is of no force in an appeal to He was a man of great courage and resolution, and being most assured within himself, that he proposed no end in all his actions and designs, but what was pious and just, as sure no man had ever a heart more entire to the King, the Church, or his country, he never studied the easiest ways to those ends; he thought, it may be, that any art or industry that way would fore to be the more severely imposed, and the less compassionately reduced and excused: which likewise made the jurisdiction and rigor of the Star-Chamber more felt, and murmured against, and sharpened many men's humours against the Bishops, before they had any ill intention towards the Church." the world; for if a thing is true, it is no matter how full or how defective the proof is. The thing that gave me the strongest prejudice against him in that Book is, that after he had seen the ill effects of his violent counsels, and bad been so long shut up and so long at leisure, to reflect on what had passed in the hurry of passion in the exaltation of his pros : ployment." Mr. Hatsell, in his very valuable "Precedents of the Proceedings in the House of Commons," vol. 4, pp. 128, 149, 170, notices some particulars of the course of these Proceedings against Archbishop Laud, but observes concerning the most important, that They do not fall within the compass of his work; being in times from whence no precedents ought to be drawn to justify the proceedings of either house of parliament." perity he does not, in any one part of that great Work, acknowledge his own errors, or mix in it any wise or pious reflections on the ill usage he met with, or the unhappy steps he had made." Of the Committee appointed to prepare the Charge against Laud "I," says the wary Whitlocke, " was one, and particularly summoned to attend that business; which I declined, and gave my reasons to Mr. Miles Corbett the chairman of that Committee, why it was not fit for me to appear in it against one To what has been already said (see the Note to whom I had been beholden for my educa- to p. 354) of Laud's severity, it may be added, tion. This would not satisfy Mr. Corbett, but that his appetite for revenge was so fierce, as still he pressed me, and sent for me to come to devour the vilest food. To gratify this apand attend the Committee, but I absolutely petite, he descended so low, as formally to refused it. This so displeased Mr. Corbett, complain to the Council, of Archibald Armthat he acquainted the house with my neglect, strong, the King's Fool, for a shrewd saucy and moved them earnestly that I might be re- speech, uttered in his official capacity, to the quired by their order to attend the service of Archbishop. This weighty cause was heard bethat Committee, and to be one of those that fore the king, Laud himself, the Lord Keeper, should manage the Evidence against the Arch- and the other great officers: and poor Arbishop. This was moved when I was in the chy, for his offence, had his fool's coat pulled house, and upon this alarm I held it fit for me over his head (no very dignified application, it to make my apology and endeavour to be dis- may seem, of the ceremonies of episcopal decharged from that employment, by urging that | gradation; see ante, vol. 1, p. 841, and Burn's the Archbishop did me the favour to take a Ecclesiastical Law, Title Degradation), and special care of my reading at St. John's Col- was discharged the King's service, and balege, in Oxford, and that it would be disinge-nished the court. See Rushworth, under date nuous and ungrateful for me to be personally March, 1637. 1 Oldmixon, 134. instrumental to take away his life, who was so instrumental for the bettering of mine. Upon which the house discharged me from this em In the Archbishop's Library at Lambeth, are several curious MSS. illustrative of dif ferent particulars of Laud's History. A brief RELATION of the Death and Sufferings of the Most Reverend and renowned Prelate the Lord Archbishop of CANTERBURY: With a more perfect Copy of his SPEECH, and other Passages on the Scaffold, than hath been hitherto imprinted. From the Collections of Sir Fran. Eyles Haskins Styles, Baronet. [From Sommers' Tracts, 2 Coll. vol. 2, p. 287.] JEREMIAH XXVi. 14, 15. rious manner of his death and sufferings, predosented in these short remembrances, conjecture of grace and nature, wherewith his former life at the splendour of those rare endowments both was adorned and beautified. The ordinary and unsatisfied reader may for his farther satisfaction repair to master Prynn's Breviate of his Life and Actions, though published of purpose to defame him, and render him more odious to the common people. Concerning which, the reader may observe in brief, that all which Mr. Prynn's industrious malice hath accused him of in those collections, is, that he was a man of such eminent virtues, such an exemplary piety towards God, such an unwearied fidelity to his gracious sovereign, of such a public soul towards church and state; so fixed a constancy in friendship, and one so little biassed by his private interests; that this age affords not many equals. And it would trouble Plutarch, if he were alive, to find out a fit parallel with whom to match him. All therefore I shall do at the present time, (and it is the last public office I shall do him) is, to lay down the story of his death and sufferings, toge ther with a view of those plots and practices which were set on foot, to pluck a few years from a weak old man, and bring him to an un 14. "As for me, behold I am in your hands, |