¶ A prayer sayd by the lorde Sturton being on his knees before he went vp the ladder, and also his confession before his death the .vi. day of Marche in the yeare of our lord God. M. D. L .vii.
LOrd harken to my wordes, consider the thought of my hert, behold how lowde I crye vnto the, let my iust prayer enter into thine eares which vnfainedly cometh from mine heart, heare me lorde for I am poore and destitute of mannes helpe, take care for my soule, saue me thy seruaunt which wholye trust in the, haue mercy vpon me, O Lord, for I will neuer cease crying to the for helpe, for ye art mild & more merciful thē my tōg can expresse, as oftē as aduersity assaileth me I wil crie and cal for helpe vnto the, I wyl cal vpō yt in the day time, and in the night my cry shal not be hid from the, O thou god of the heauens, the maker of the waters, and lord of all creatures, heare me a poore sinner calling vpon the and putting my hole trust in thy mercy. O lord what great pleasures thou haste prepared for me in heauē, that I should delight in no earthly thing but in the, my most pleasure is to cleane fast vnto the and in the to set my hope and trust, haue mercy vpon me O lorde (O lord god) haue mercye vpon me: for thy manifolde mercies sake. Forgeue almine offences. I commit my spirite into thy handes, de lyuer me from the powers of darkenes of this worlde. Thou hast redemed me Lorde God of truth. I praye you all to pray for me, and then he sayd. In tedomine speraui non confundar in eternum. &c.
¶ The wordes of the lord Sturton vpon the ladder before his death.
GOod people I am come hither to dye, I am come hither to dye, and iustly condempned for mine offences by the lawe, what myne offences were it is not vnknowen vnto you all, whiche was for a moste cruell and detestable murther, by my commaundemēt done and committed. wherfore I shall desire you al for gods sake, to let me be an example to you all, and to all the worlde, and beware yt ye let no ranker or malice take roote in your hartes, for where ranker or malyce is rooted no good vertue can growe, I shall desyre you all, and al the worlde to forgeue me, and specially those poore women and childrē, whose husbandes I haue so cruelly caused to be murthered, that god may put it into their hartes for Christes sake and for charity to forgeue me, and if there be any here whom I haue offended I shal desire you all for charities sake to forgeue me, and if there be any of you whom hath oftended me, I do from the bottome of my heart forgiue you as truly as I trust god of his mercy hath forgeuen me, being most sory and repentaunt. And when I shall depart this world that ye wil say all, Lord, take his spirite into thy handes, and I shal also desire you for Christes sake to saye with me vpon your knees our lordes prayer which is the Pater noster, and so turning him vnto the East sayed our Lordes praier, which done he desired Sir John Souch to forgiue him, who aunswered, my lord I forgeue you euen from the bottome of my heart, and then going higher vpō the ladder sayd, good people pray for me, and so winking sayd somwhat softer. I charge the Sathā in goddes name to depart from me, and suffer my soule to rest in our lord. And then sayd, Domine accipe spiritum meum thre times, thē one of the garde did bind a handker theife about his eyes, and so he was immedtatly turned beside the ladder, on whose soule Christ take mercy.
Amen.
¶ Imprinted at London in Flete strete nere to Saint Dunstans Churche by Thomas Marshe.