WhyWaitForever - London - History - Fawkes

The Weekely Newes. Numb. 19.

A Brief Discourse upon the Arraignment and Execution of the eight traytors - Digby, the two Winters, Graunt, Rookewood, Keyes, Bates, and Johnson, alias Guy Fawkes, four of which were executed in St. Paul's Churchyard, in London, upon Thursday, the 27th last, the other four in the Old Palace Yard, in Westminster, over against the Parliament House, and with a relation of the other traytors which were executed at Worcester.

Not to aggravate the sorrow of the living in the shame of the dead, but to dissuade the idolatrously blind from seeking their own destruction, the following account is written of the carrage of the eight papists herin named, of their little show of sorrow, their usuage in prison, and their obstinacy to their end.

First for their offence - it is so odious in the cars of all human creatures that it could hardly be believed that so many monstors in nature should carry the shapes of men - murder! Oh! it is the crying sin of the world, the horror thereof must needs be hateful to the whole world to hear of it. My intent is chiefly to make report of the manner of their Execution : for after their apprehension in the country they were brought up to London upon the appearance of their foul treason before his Majesties most honourable Council, they were, by their commandment, committed to his Majesty'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.

After the traytors went from the Tower by water, and came to Westminster, before they came into the hall they made some half-hour stay or more in the Star Chamber, wether being brought and remaining til the Court was all ready to hear them. It was strange to note their carriage even in their very countenances - some hanging down the head as if their hearts were full of doggedness, and others forcing a stern look as if they would "fear death with a frown," never seeming to pray - unless it were by the dozen upon their beads - and taking tobacco as if that hanging were no trouble to them; craving mercy of neither God nor the King for their offences, and making their conscience, as it were as wide of the mind, and to the very Gates of Hell to be the cause of their Hellish courses to make a work meritorious.

Coming into the Hall, and upon the scaffold at the bar, they all pleaded "not gulity," but they were all found "Guilty."

Digby - without craving mercy or favour of either God or the King - made only five requests:

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

Robert Winter, in like manner, thinking himself already have a saint for his whole villainy, said little to any purpose, but only made a request to the King for mercy towards his brother in regard of his offence, as he said, "Through his only persuasion." His brother said little, but, with a guilty conscience, swallowed up a concealed grief with little show of sorrow for that time.

Graunt, stubborn in his idolatry, seemed nothing penitent for his villainy, asked little mercy; butas it were, careless of grace, received the doom of his desert.

Rookewood, out of a studied speech, would fain have made his idolatry and bringing up an excuse for the foul deed, but he had his judgement with the rest of the traytors. Now, after their condemnation and judgement they were sent to the Tower of London, and when the day of execution arrived they were drawn upon sledges and hurdles into Saint Paul's Churchyard, four of them - namely, Everard Digby, the elder Winter, Graunt, and Bates.

First went up Digby, a man of goodly personage and a manly-xhtml.htmlect but with vain and superstitious crossing of himself he betook himself to his Latin prayers, mumbling to himself, refusing to have the prayers of any but the Roman Catholicks, went up the ladder, and, with the help of the hangman, made an end to his wicked days in this world.

After him Winter went up the scaffold, and staid not long for his execution. Then came Graunt who followed him, showing how so bloody a religion can make such bloody consciences. Then came Bates, and when he was hanged the Executioners prepared to Draw and Quarter them; and when this was done the business of the day was ended.

The next day being Friday were drawn from the Tower to the Old Palace Yard in Westminster.

Winter, he died a true Catholic, with a very pale face and dead colour, he went up the ladder, and, after a swing or two with the halter, to the quartering block was drawn, and there quickly despatched.

Next came Rookewood, who protested to die in his idolatry a RomishCatholick, went up the ladder, hanging till he was almost dead, then was drawn to the block, where he gave up his last -xhtml.html.

Then came Keyes, who was so sturdy a villain that he would not wait the hangman's turn, but turned himself off with such a leap that he broke the halter with the swing; but after his fall he was drawn to the block, and there his bowels withdrawn, and he was divided into four parts.

Last of all came the great Devil of all, Guy Fawkes, alias Johnson, who should have put fire to the powder. His body being weak with the torture and sixkness he was scarceable to go up the ladder, yet, with much ado, by the help of the hangman, went high enough to break his neck by the fall. He made no speech, but with the crosses and idle ceremonies made his end upton the gallows and the block, to the great joy of all beholders that the land was ended of so wicked a villainy.

The Tongue of Man never delivered. 
The Ear of Man never heard. 
The Heart of Man never conceited. 
Nor the Malice of Hellish or Earthly Devill ever practised. 
For if it be abominable to murder the least, 
If (by blood) to subvert Princes, States, and Kingdoms be 
hateful to God and Men, as all true Cristians must 
acknowledge, 
Then how much more than too, too monstrous shall all 
Christian Hearts judge the honour of this treason to murder 
and subvert 

Such a King, 
Such a Queen, 
Such a Prince, 
Such a Progeney, 
Such a State, 
Such a Government, 
So complete and absolute 
That God approves, 
The world admires, 
All true English Hearts honour and reverence, 
The Pope and his Disciples onely envies and maligns.