THE Lieutenant of the Tower his Speech and Repentance, at the time of his Death, who, was executed vpon Tower Hill, on the 20. day of november. 1615.  
Together with a Meditation and Vow of his that he made not long before dyed.  Mors mihi Lucrum. 
Printed by G. Ela for Na: Butter, and are to be sold at his shop near Saint Austines gate.   

To the Reader.  
TO satisfy the World, which in a cause of this Nature, is commonly distracted into various opinions, adding or detracting from the truth, according to the humorous disposition with which it meets; And to do Right to the dead Gentleman, who( albeit his offence was foul to GOD and Man, and hateful to himself) deserved both love and pitty, for the Christian end he made) haue I( Reader for thy sake) collected the substance   

many others of several dispositions. All you being thus assembled to see me finish my dayes, the number of which is summed up, for the very minutes of my life may now be reckoned. Your expectation is to haue me say something, to give satisfaction to the World, and I will do it so far as I can, albeit in that speech of mine, I shall( as it was spoken unto me the last night) but chatter like a Crow. But whatsoever I deliver, I beseech you to take from a wounded bosom, for my purpose is to ripp up my very heart, and to leave nothing there which may prove any clog to my Conscience.  
Hither am I come to perform a work which of all others is to Man the most easy and yet to Flesh and Blood is the hardest, and that is, To die. To hid therefore any thing, for any worldly respect, were to leave a blot vpon my own soul, which I trust shall be presented( through the mercies of my Maker, and merits of my saviour) acceptable before GODS high tribunal.  
And first I will labour to satisfy some, who before my apprehension were well conceited of me, but since my Arraignment, as I understand, carried of me but hard opinions, for that at the bar I stood stiffly vpon the Iustice of my Innocence; and this they impute as a great fault, being afterwards that I was found guilty of the Crime. To which I answer, that I did it ignorantly: Nay I was so far from thinking myself foul in the Fact, that until these two Gentlemen,( Doctor Felton and Doctor whiteing, the physicians for my soul)  told me how deeply I had embrewed my hands in the blood of that gentleman, making me by GODS law as guilty in the Concealing, as if I had been a personal Actor in it: till then I say, I held myself so ignorant of the deed, and my Conscience so clear, that I did never ask GOD forgiveness, nor once repent me of the Fact, such was my blindness. So that it was not onely an error, or rather a horrible sin, in me to consent, but a worse, to deny it, so Bloody, so Treacherous, so foul, so Filthy a Fact as that was; for which I must confess the King, and the State haue dealt honourably, roundly, and justly, with me, in condemning me unto this death. And thus haue I laboured and done my best to clear this point, being willing by all good means to reduce your first opinions of me; that as formerly your conceited well of me, so you would now with a charitable affection perform the last duty of your Christian loues towards me, praying to GOD, both with me, and for me; to the intent that this Cup, whereof I am to drink, may not be grievous unto me, but that it may be a joyful conveyance to a better and more blessed comfort.  
Some perhaps will think it to be a Rigor of the State, or aggravation of my iudgement, that I should die in this place, but this do I take as an honor unto me, & herein do I aclowledge myself to stand much bound to the State, in that I haue this favour vouchsafed me to suffer Death in sight of my Charge, even where I had sinned, on the Tower-hill, rather than in the place of common Execution, where every base Malefactor dieth.  
Many do I see here whom I know well, and of whom I am likewise known: and now am I a Spectacle for them to be looked on, whom in former times( and in all mens accounts) they held never likely to come to such an end. But herein he hold the iustice of God, who is so opposed against sin, because that if we forget to seek him whilst we may, he will find us out when we would not be found of him.  
It is expected I should say something of the fact which I haue committed: And hither am I come resolved to clear my conscience( before I depart this world) of all matters which I either know, or can now remember. And so much I haue already delivered in writing to my Lo. chief Iustice:: and to prove that which I wrote is true, I yesterday confirmed it with the receiving of the blessed Sacrament, wishing unto you all as much comfort by those holy Mysteries, as I took by them: and I do here( though not with such a blood) yet with mine own blood, seal that which I haue written. For myself, I will hid nothing to make my fault seem less, but will ripp open this very heart of mine, and confess before God mine own uncleanness.  
I haue sinned exceedingly against thee O my maker, and in this am I most faulty, that I did not reveal to the King, so soon as I myself had knowledge of the business. But( alas) fear to loose these worldly pleasures, and the love to promotion, made me forget my duty to my sovereign, and not to regard my God, who is a swift avenger of blood: and would to heaven I had trusted to his providence, and set the things of this world at nought, for heauens sake, and a good conscience. You see, Gentlemen, promotion cannot rescue us from the iustice of God, which always pursues after sin: And therefore I exhort you not to trust in men( how great soever) for they cannot hid themselves when God is angry; neither can they protect you from shane, when God will consume you: he that sitteth in heaven, will deride and scorn their foolish inventions. As for me, I will not spare to lay open my own shane: think you I care for the reputation of this world? No, I weigh it not. This my soul shall receive more comfort from God in my upright dealing.  
My sin, in this foul fact, was great, for vpon me lay all the blood,  shed, and to be  shed: I haue made many children fatherless, many wives husbandles, many parents childless: and I myself leave a comfortless wife and eight children behind me for it too: for if I had revealed it when I might, I had freed much blood from being spilled, in so much as I could wish( Gods Iustice and charity reserved) I might hang in chains, till I rot away by piecemeal: nor cared I what tortures my body were put unto, so I might expaite or free the blood of so many,( some in one place, and some in another) which is both like to bee  shed, and is already  shed, and the Lord knows when it will haue an end.  
Concerning myself, I will aggravate the crime, by speaking of every circumstance I can remember. And now it comes into my mind, what trust that gentleman put into me: he reputed me to bee most faithful unto him;( Oh the vildnesse of my heart!) I proved unfaithful, and was his deadly deceitful friend.  
And here( Gentlemen) I exhort you all that you would take notice of this, ever to bee faithful to those who put you in trust.  
Sir Thomas O. trusted me, and I was unfaithful and treacherous to him, in drawing tickets for him to his disadvantage. I promised him secrecy, yet betrayed him, onely to satisfy greatness: But God, who sees the secret thoughts of mans heart, will disclose all vnuist actions at last: nay, I am persuaded that whosoever they bee that commit sin in their child-hood, at one time or other it will be revealed.  
In this place it cometh to my mind, that in my younger dayes( as well beyond the Seas as here) I was much addicted to that idle vein of game, I was bewitched with it indeed: And I played not for little for final summs neither, but for Great-ones, yet ever haunted with ill lucke: And vpon a time, being much displeased at my loss, I said, not in a careless maner, Would I might be hanged; But seriously, and advisedly( between God and myself) clapping my hands vpon my breast, I spake thus, If ever I play again, then let me be hanged. Now gentlemen here you may behold the ustice of God, paying me my wish and imprecation home. Bee careful therefore I exhort you, that you vow nothing but that unto which you will give all diligence to perform: for the powerful God, before whom you make such vows, will otherwise bee auegned:  
in this place Doctor Whiting putting him in mind to satisfy the World touching his Religion thus he went on.  
THe matter you speak to me of, faith he, is well thought vpon: for I hear that abroad hath been some murmuring and questions made about me for my Religion; Some giuing out that I was infected with anabaptism: A fond, ridiculous, foolish and fantastical opinion, which I never affencted but rather despised.  
Many may think that the manner of my death doth much discourage me, that I should die in a halter: I would haue you all to think that I scorn all such worldly thoughts: I care not for it, I value not any earthly shane at all, so as may haue honour and glory anon in heaven: and I make no doubt, but I shall suddenly be more happy then you all, and that I shall see GOD face to face: and if there be any point of innocency in me at all, I do utterly cast it from me, and I do commit it wholly to GOD.  
And for any matter of Glory, I do with the Saints of GOD expect it through the merits of Christ, at the Resurrection: yea it is my glory to die thus. I might haue died in my bed, or shooting the Bridge or else haue fallen down suddenly, in which death I should haue wanted this space to repent, being the sweet comfort and assured hope of Gods favour which of his mercy he hath vouchsafed me; So that it swalloweth up all fear of death or reproach of the World: wishing unto all you( Gentlemen) who now behold me, that wheresoever you shall die,( either in your beds or else-where howsoewer) you may feel such comfort and resolution as God in his mercy hath bestowed upon me and my wounded soul for this and the rest of my grievous sins.  
But me thinks I hear some of you conjecture and say, that I express no great Arguments or signs of sorrow: You think my heart should rather dissolve and melt into tears, then to appear so insensible of fear as I may seem: but I must tell you, tears were never common in me: I may therefore fear though I do not weep. I haue been courageous both beyond the Seas and here in mine own Country: but( Gentlemen) that was when there was no peril before me. But now the stroke of death is upon me. It affrights me, and there is cause to fear: yet notwithstanding, my heart seemeth unto you to be rather of ston than of flesh. But I would haue you understand, that this boldness doth not proceed from any manly fortitude, for I am a man, frail as you are, and dare as little look death in the face as any other: ther terors of death do as much trouble my human sense, as of any man whatsoever: but that which swalloweth up all manner of fear in me, & maketh me to glory and to rejoice in, is, the full assurance which I conceive of the unspeakable love of God to those who are his, of which number I persuade myself to bee one, and that I shall presently enjoy it.  
I confess I haue sinned exceedingly, against thee( oh God) many ways, in profaning thy holy sabbaths, in taking thy glorious name in vain, in my concupiscence in turning all thy graces into wantonness, in my Riotous wasting so many of thy good Creatures, as would haue relieved many poor people, whose prayers I might haue had this day.  
I haue sinned against thee in my Child-hood: but Childrens sins are childishly performed: but I confirmed them in my manhood, there was my sin. I am persuaded, there is no sin, that a man committeth in his life, knowing it to be a sin, and not repenting of it, but the Lord will judge it.  
I admonish you therefore that are here assembled, to take good notice of your sins, and let none escape you unrepented. And yet when you haue done the best you can, there will lye butted some one sin or other sufficient to condemn you.  
O Lord cleanse me from my secret sins, which are in me so rife. I abused the tender education of my Parents. You perhaps that knew me will say no; I lived in an honest form, and was not bad in my life.  
But I know best myself what I was: & if I who was so esteemed of amongst Men, shall scarcely be saved, what will become of those, whom you point at for notorious lieuers?  
The last night God put into my mind the remembrance of one sin of mine, which here I will lay open, that others may take heed. I took a vain pride in my pen, and some of my friends would tell me I had some induments and special gift that way:( though I say nor so myself) but mark the iudgement of God in this; that Pen which I was so proud of, hatch struck me dead, and like Absolons hair hath hanged me: for there hath dropped a word or two from my Pen, in a letter of mine, which vpon my salvation I am not able to answer, or to give any good account of. At my Arraignment I pleaded hard for life, & protested my Innocency, but when my own Pen came against me, I was forthwith not able to speak anything for myself: for I stood as one amazed, or that had no Tongue.  
See( Gentlemen) the just Iudgement of GOD, who made that thing of which I was most proud, to be my bane: take notice how strangely sin is punished, and learn euery-one to strive against it.  
I haue heard the word of GOD, and often red it( but without use) for I must tell you these two worthy, Gentlemen( to whom I am so much bound, God reward them for their love) even they begot me very lately, for I am not ashamed to confess that I was to be begotten unto Christ within these three daies: yea I haue often prayed against sin, and made many vows to forsake it, but upon the next occasion, my foul heart hath been ready to run with the wicked.  
Had I learned but this one lesson in the 119. psalm,( Depart from me ye wicked, I will keep the Commandements of my God &c.) I had been likely to haue enjoyed many dayes here on eath: whereas now you all see me ready to bee cut short by reason of my sin.  
But( O LORD) albeit thou slayest me, yet will I put my trust in thee: let the LORD do to me what he will, I will die vpon this hand( of trusting in him) if I fail many a soul hath missed, but I haue sure hope of mercy in him; he hath sufficed and succoured me, I am sure, ever since the sentence of death hath passed upon me: such comfort flowing from the Godly endeavours of these Gentlemen( the divines) that neither the Reproach of this Death, nor the Torment of it hath any whit discouraged me; nay, let me tell you, the last night when I heard the time was appoynted, and saw the warrant in Master Sheriffs hand for my death, it no whit daunted me: But what put this courage into me? onely the hope which I had in GODS mercies.  
This Hope was a seed, and this Seed must come from a Roote; I looked vpon myself, and there was rather cause despair; and just cause, that I should not approach GODS presence. Thus then I disputed with GOD: This Hope being a seed must haue a Roote, and this Roote is not any thing in Man, no, it is Praescientia ( thy fore-knowledge,) O God, who hast elected me from eternity.  
I will tell you, I received more comfort this morning, coming along the streets, than ever I did in all my life. I saw much people gathered together, all the way as I came, to see me brought to this shameful end: who with their hearty prayers and well wishings gladded and comforted my very soul: insomuch as I could wish that I had come from Westminster hither. I protest unto you, I think I could never haue dyed so happily in my bed.  
But you will say, these are but speechees, and that I being so near death, my heart cannot be so free, as I seem in my speech: I confess, there are in my breast frailties, which do terrify, and will still be busy with me, but I beseech you when I am at the stroke of death, that you would pray to GOD( with me) that neither Sathans power, nor my weakness, may hinder my confidence. And I beseech God that amongst all who this day hear me, some may profit by my end: If I get but one soul, I shall haue much comfort in that; for that one soul my beget another, and that other another.  
I haue held you too long, but I will draw to an end: entreating you all to join in prayer to God for me.  

The sum of his Prayer.  
O Lord God omnipotent, who sittest in heaven, and seest all things which are done on earth: to whom are known all occasions of men; And who dost deride and laugh to scorn their Foolish inventions: thou( Lord) who art powerful to save at an instant, bow down the heauens, and behold me( wretched sinner!) unworthy to look up, or lift up my hands unto thee. Remember not( O Lord) the sins which I have committed. drive away this Mist which is before me; and break those thick clouds which my sins haue made, and may let my request to come into thy presence. Strengthen me in the midst of Death, in the assurance of thy Mercies; and give me a joyful Passage into thy heavenly Rest, now and for ever. Amen.   
After he had thus Prayed, he took his leave of all, with these words.  
GEntlemen, I shall see your faces now no more: and pulling down his Cap in his eyes, said some private prayer; in which time the Doctors prayed, and called to him, that he would remember his assurance, and not be dismayed at the Cup, that he was not drink of: he answered, I will drink it up, and never look what is in it. And after a little time more spent in private prayer, he said, Lord receive my soul: And so yielded up the Ghost.  

His Meditation and Vow. not long before his Death.  
WHen I considered Herods State, who though he heard John Baptist gladly, yet was he entangled with Herodias: and how Agrippa liked so well of Paul as he was persuaded almost to become a Christian, and how young mans will was good to follow christ yet was there one thing wanting: meethought the state of sinful man was not unlike. For also how the Angler though having caught a Fish but by the the chaps accounts it as his own: the bide taken but by the heel is a prey unto the Fowler: the jailer also holds his prisoner by one joint as safe, as cast in iron chains: then did I think what do these motions good, if not effected to the full? what though not notoriously evil? one sin sufficient to condemn: and is he guilty of all that guilty is of one? then said I unto the Lord I will freely cleanse my ways and wash my hands in innocency: I will take heed that I offend not in my tongue. Lord let my thoughts be such as I may al-waies say, try and examine me if there be any unrighteousness in me.   
Sir gervase Ellowis.  
FINIS.