Biography of Basil Feilding 2nd Earl Denbigh 1608-1675

Several Speeches Upon the Scaffold. The Earl of Cambridg being come upon the Scaffold, and two of his own fsrvants waiting upon him, he first spake to the Doctor as followeth:

Earl of Cambridg. Whether shall I pray first?

Dr Sibbald. As Your Lordship pleases.

Earl of Camrbidg. My Lord of Denbigh has sent to speak with me I know not the fashion I may ask you Sir; Do Gentlemen expect I should say any thing to them, or no, they cannot hear it.

Dr Sibbald. There will be a greater silence by and be. It will not be amiss, if your Lordship defer Your speaking till You hear from his Lordship.

Cambrig. There is something in it. He was with the House.

Dr Sibbald. I suppose he would give no interruption to Your Lordship, at this time, were there not something of concernment in it.

Cambridg. He is my Brother, and has been a very faithful Seravant to this State, and he was in great esteem and reputation with them.

He is in the Hall, and sent to speak with a Servant of mine to send something to me.

Dr Sibbald. It will not lengthen the time much if you stay while you have a Return from him. My Lord, you should do well to bestow your time now in meditating upon, and imploring of the free mercy of God in Christ for your eternal Salvation,and look upon that ever-streaming Fountain of his precious Blood, that purgeth us from an our sins, even the sins of the deepest dye; the Blood of Jesus Chrift washes away all our sins, and that Blood of Christ is poured forth upon all such as by a lively Faith lay hold upon him: God fo loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end, that whosoever believed in him shuld not perish, but have everlasting life; that is now, my Lord, the Rock upon which you must chiefly rest, and labor to fix your self in the free mercy of God through Christ Jesus whose mercies are from everlasting to everlasting, unto all all such as with the eye of Faith behold hims behold Jefus the Author and Finisher of your Salvation, who, hath satisfied the Justice of God by that Al-suficiency of his Sacrifice, which once for all he offered upon the Cross for the sins of the whole world, so that the sting of death is taken away from all Beleevers, and he hath sanctified it as a passage to everlasting blessedness; It is true, the waters of Jordan run somewhat rough and, surly, betwixt the Wilderness and our passge into Canaam; but let us rest upon the Ark (my Lord) the Ark Chrift Jesus, that will carry us through, and above all, those waves to that Rock of ages, which no flood nor waves can reach unto and to him who is yesterday: today, and the same for ever, against whom the Powers and Principalities, the gates of Hell, shall never be able to prevail; lift up and fasten your eyes now upon Christ crucified; and labor to behold Jesus standing at the right hand of his Father; ( as the Protomartyr Stephen) ready to receive your soul, when it shall be separated from this frail and mortal body; Alass, no man would desire life; if he knew beforehand what it were to live, it is nothing but sorrow, vexation and grief and discontent that waits upon every condition, whether publique or private; in every station and calling there are several miseries and troubles that are inseparable from them;therefore what a bleffed thing it is to have a speedy and comfortable passage out of this raging Sea, into the Port of everlasting Happiness; We must pass, through a Sea, but it is the Sea of Christs Blood, in which never soul suffered shipwreck, in which we must be blown with winds and tempests, but but they are the Gales of Gods Spirit upon us, which blow away all contrary winds of diffidence in his Mercy. Here one acquainting the Earl, his servant was coming, he answered, So Sir; And turning to the under Sherifs son, said,

Cambridge: Sir, have you your Warrant here?

Sharrif: Yes, my Lord, we have a command.

Cambridg. A Command. I take this time, Sir, of staying, in regard of the Earl of Denbigh sending to sepak with me, I know now for what it is he desires me to stay.

Dr Sibbald. I presume Mr Sheriff will not grudg your Lordship a few minutes time, when so great a work as this is in hand.

His Lordships servant being returned, and having delivered his Message to the Earl of Cambridg privately, he said, So,it is done now; then turning to the front of the Scaffold, before which (as in all the rest of the pallace) there was a great concourse of people, he said,

Earl of Cambridge. I think it is truly not very necessary for me to speak much, there are many Gentlemen and Souldiers there that sees me, but my voyce truly is so weak they cannot hear me, neither truly was I ever at any time so much in love with speaking, or with any thing I had to express, that I took delight in it yet this being the last time that I am to do so, by a divine Providence of Almighty God, who hath brought me to this end justly for my sins. I shall to you Sir, Mr Sheriff, declare thus much, as to the matters that I am now to suffer for, which is as being a Traytor to the Kingdom of England: Truly Sir, it was a Country that equally loved with my own, I made no diference, I never intended either the generality of its prejudice,or any particular mans in it; what I did was by the Command of the Parliament of the Country where was born, whose Commands I could not disobey, without running into the same hazard thereof that, I am now in; The ends, Sir, of that Engagement is publique, they are in Print, and formall not need to specifie them.

Dr Sibbald. The Sun perhaps will be too much in Your Lordships face, as You speak.

Cambridg. No Sir, it will not burn it; I hopel I shall see a brighter Sun then this, Sir, very speedily.

Dr Sibbald. The Sun Of Righteousness my Lord.

Cambridg. But to that which I was saying Sir. It pleased God so to despose that Army under my Command, as it was ruined; and as their General, clothed with a Commission, stand here, now ready to dye; I shall not trouble you with repeating of my Plea, what I said in my own Defence at the Court of Justice, myself being satisfied with