The confession of Edward Fitz-Harys, Esquire written with his own hand, and delivered to Doctor Hawkins minister of the tower, the f[i]rst of July, 1681 ; being the day of his execution ; together with his last speech.

The confession of Edward Fitz-Harys, Esquire written with his own hand, and delivered to Doctor Hawkins minister of the tower, the f[i]rst of July, 1681 ; being the day of his execution ; together with his last speech.

Table of contents

Title page

The Confession of Edward Fitz-Harys Esq.

Mr. Fitz-Harys's Speech at his Execution, at TYBURN, July 1. 1681.

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THE CONFESSION OF Edward Fitz-harys, ESQUIRE, Written with his Own Hand, And delivered to Doctor Hawkins MINISTER OF THE TOWER, The First of July, 1681.

Being the Day of His EXECUTION.

Together with his Last Speech.

LONDON, Printed for S. Carr. 1681.

[Page] The Confession of Edward Fitz-Harys Esq.

[Page]

I Edward Fitz-Harys, having been Indicted of High Treason, for endeavouring to dethrone the KING, was thereupon found Guilty, and Sentence of Death passed upon me. I the aforesaid Edward Fitz-Harys do voluntarily and freely, without any hopes to save my Life, but as a Dying Man, and to discharge my Conscience towards God, and for the better satisfaction of the World, make this Declaration following, in the presence of God, and unto Doctor Francis Hawkins, Chaplain of the Tower of London.

I do profess and declare my Religion in the general to be that which hath been truly and anciently delivered in the first Four General Councils; and in particular, my Belief is that true Faith of a Christian briefly contained in those Three Creeds commonly called The Apostles Creed, St. Athanasius's, and The Nicene Creeds: And I die a Member, and in the Communion of Christ's Holy Catholick Church, hoping for Mercy through the alone Merits of the Passion of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I do also confess and declare, as to the Crimes which I die for, I was no further concerned in the Libel, than as employed to give the King notice of what Libels or other Accusations there were against him; and to this Intent and no other I endeavoured to get this Libel, which at length I did, from Mr. Everard▪ all written under his own Hand, and carried it to Mrs. Wall, by whose means I conveyed all Matters of this or the like nature to the King. I told her I had a Business of great consequence to acquaint the King with: but she answered me, That my Lord Sunderland being out, there would be no Money had for Secret Service, and advised me to go to the Lord Clarendon or Hyde: But before I could do this, I was taken. As for that part of the Libel which I left with Everard, as a Pledge to assure him I would not betray him, I received it of the Lord Howard: And the Money I received from the King, was for bringing a Libel called The King Ʋnvail'd, and the Lady Portsmouths Articles. I call God to Witness, I never had a Farthing Charity from the King.

I do further confess and declare, That the Lord Howard told me of a Design to seize upon the King's Person, and to carry him into the City, and there detain him till he had condescended to their Desires. Heyns and my self were privy to this Design, and had several Meetings with the Lord Howard; and as an Encouragement, the Lord Howard assured us of breaking the Settlement of Ireland, taking of the Additional Revenue of the Bishops, Forty nine Men, and Grantees, whose Estates were to be shar'd amongst the Party.

[Page] I do confess and declare, That while I was in Newgate, the Sheriffs, Bethel and Cornish, came to me, with a Token from the Lord Howard, which I knew to be true, and brought Heads with them from Everard, wherein he accused me of being a Court Emissary, or Yorkist, put on by the King to put the Libel into Protestants Houses, to trepan them. But I declare upon my death I had no such intent, nor do I know any such thing: The Sheriffs likewise told me I was to be tryed within three or four Days, that the People would prosecute me, and the Parliament would Impeach me, and that nothing would save my life but discovering the Popish Plot; and then the Sheriffs aforesaid gave me great Encouragement from my Lord Howard, that if I would declare that I believed so much of the Plot as amounted to the introducing the R. C. or if I could find out any that could Criminate the Queen, R. H. or make so much as a plausible Story to confirm the Plot, that the Parliament would restore me to my Fathers Estate, with the Profits thereof since His Majesties Restauration. I finding my self in the condition I was, in Newgate, Fettered, Moneyless and Friendless, my Wife ready to Lye-in without any subsistence, my Children in a miserable condition, and must needs be in a worse by my death, and I could see no other Refuge for life but complying with them, so, not with ambitious intent, but to save my life, I did comply: The Sheriffs brought Instructions which they said came from the Lords and Commons, who met that day in order to Address to the King in my behalf, if I should confirm the Instructions; and they made use of the Lord Shaftsbury's Name, and others, what Advantage I might have thereby. At the first I made a formal Story concerning the Plot, which was not prejudicial to any body, but most relating to general Heads known publickly; upon which Mr. Cornish told me, These were things cryed about the Streets two Years ago: I replyed, I could say no more: Mr. Sheriff said, he was sorry for me with all his heart, but thought I could say more if I would, and pressed me hard to speak to several Heads, unto which unless I spoke, he said, there was no hopes of life; the Heads I was to speak to is what the Examination taken by Sir Robert Clayton and Sir George Treby contains, and a great deal more that I did not say then, relating to the Queen, R. H. Earl of Danby, declaring French Pensioners, Lords, Hallifax, Hyde, Clarendon, Feversham, Seymer, and others; the burning the Fleet, Forts and Governments in Popish hands, Meal-Tub Plot, Prentices Plot, the Contrivance of the Libel on the Lady Portsmouth, being a French Design to destroy Protestants: These and many other Heads were brought me by the Sheriffs.

[Page] I do farther confess and declare, That Sir Robert Clayton and Sir George Treby coming to me to examine me, Sir Robert Clayton asked me what I could say concerning Godfrey's Murder? I answered, Something. He replied, It may be I was in a confusion; recollect your self. And what I said concerning Father Patrick, was forced out of me; and what I said concerning him is not true. Sir George Treby was with me three hours, or thereabouts, and pressed to say concerning Godfrey's Death, And said, Unless I could speak to that Murder, I could say nothing; Whereupon, I said something I had from others. He asked me if I could say no more? I replied, Is not this enough to save my Life? Am I not Rogue enough? The Recorder hereupon swore Gods wounds, What were you ever but a Rogue? Then the Recorder entred upon the Heads of the Examination; which being done, He told me, All this would not save my Life, unless I would speak to the Libel, which was a Court-trick; And it was not for nothing that I had been so often seen at the Lady Portsmouth's. The Lord Shaftsbury said, You know more of these matters than any man. Sir George would have me speak to the Consult; that the Duke was at it, the Lords, Belasis, Arundel and Powis were at it; You have seen them go to it at St. James's; without doubt they were there; Do you but say it, we have those that will swear it.

I do further declare and confess, That what I said against the Queen and the Duke, I was put upon, in the matter of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Murder; And do further declare, That what I swore against the Earl of Danby; the threatning words that were uttered I did (to the best of my remembrance) hear, but whom they concern'd I could not well know, by what my Lord himself said. And what de Puis told me concerning my Lord of Danby, I do believe was spoken out of ill will; And what I said against him, was to stave off my Try [...] till a Parliament; and they were the more desirous to accuse the Lord Danby of Godfrey's Murder, because the Crime of Murder is not incerted in his Pardon I am sorry for what I said against the Queen, his Royal Highness, and the Earl of Danby; I desire God to forgive me the wrong I did them, and do heartily beg their Pardon.

[Page] I do further declare and protest, That this Confession and Declaration of mine I own sincerely, as a dying man, and not to save my Life; And I call God and all his Angels to witness the Truth of it; And I renounce Mercy at the Hands of God Almighty, if this be not true.

And I do further declare and protest, as a dying man, unto James Walmesly, Edward Pattel and Mary Walmesly, That I have made this Confession and Declaration unto Doctor Hawkins, freely, and of my own voluntary accord, without any manner of promise made, or hopes given me by him from the King of saving my Life by this Confession; I having given him to understand beforehand they were matters of Consequence, and such as chiefly concern [...]d the good of the King and Kingdom.

I give the Doctor my hearty Thanks for all his Prayers, Counsel and Charitable Offices he hath done me, and I pray God to bless him for ever for it. I forgive all the World, and desire all the World to forgive me; And the Lord have mercy on my Soul.

EDWARD FITZ-HARYS.

This Protestation was made by Mr. Fitz-Harys, July 1. between the hours of 7 and 8 in the morning, in the presence and hearing of us whose Names are hereunder-written.

James Walmesly.

Edward Pattel.

Mary Walmesly.

I Do hereby declare, That Mr. Fitz-Harys, before he began to write any part of this Narrative, was, more than once, assured by me that there was no hope of his Life, whatever he should say; nor of his Salvation, if he should say any thing that he knew to be false: of which he being throughly sensible, and perfectly convinced, proceeded to write the Narrative aforesaid. And I continuing to admonish him upon every point that was material, not to say any thing but what was exactly true, he took occasion, at several periods of his Narrative, to kneel down, and solemnly to Protest the Truth of every word therein contained. And this I do again declare upon the Faith of a Christian, and the word of a Minister of the Gospel.

Francis Hawkins.

Mr. Fitz-Harys's Speech at his Execution, at TYBURN, July 1. 1681.

[Page]

GOod People, This Infamous kind of Death is much wore irksom to me, than Death it self: Such a Judgment as this my Sins against God may justly bring upon me, and I do most humbly submit unto it. But as to the Crimes which I now die for, I take God to witness, I was no further concerned in the Libel, than to discover to the King what Practises of that kind were against him, being employed or that end, though those that employed me refused to do me Justice at my Tryal. And I call God to Witness, I never had a Farthing of Money of the King in my life, but on the Account of the like Service. And as to the Witnesses that have Sworn against me, I do here solemnly declare, now at my Death, that I have not French Ambassador since the beginning of the breaking out of the Plot, neither have I had any acquaintance with him. And as to his Confessor, I never spoke with him in my life; neither have I had any dealing, either directly or indirectly, in my life with them, though Sir William Waller and the rest Swore most falsly to the contrary. And how like it is that the French Ambassador would give three thousand Crowns for writing that Libel, I leave the World to judge. What I might further declare, I have left with Doctor Hawkins. I forgive all the World, and do hope that God will forgive me. I beg the Prayers of all good People for a happy Passage into the other World.

Edw. Fitz-Harys.

Information about this book

Title statement

The confession of Edward Fitz-Harys, Esquire written with his own hand, and delivered to Doctor Hawkins minister of the tower, the f[i]rst of July, 1681 ; being the day of his execution ; together with his last speech.

Fitzharris, Edward, 1648?-1681.

Edition statement

1681

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A39602

ID [STC]

Wing F1092

ID [STC]

ESTC R5611

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

12901330

ID [OCLC]

ocm 12901330

ID [VID]

95254

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This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A39602)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 95254)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 982:7)

Source

— The confession of Edward Fitz-Harys, Esquire written with his own hand, and delivered to Doctor Hawkins minister of the tower, the f[i]rst of July, 1681 ; being the day of his execution ; together with his last speech., Fitzharris, Edward, 1648?-1681..

Extent

6 p.

Printed for S. Carr,. London :: 1681.. (Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.)

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