A more exact and perfect relation of the treachery, apprehension, conviction, condemnation, confession, and execution, of Francis Pitt, aged 65. Who was executed in Smithfield on Saturday, October the 12, 1644. For endeavouring to betray the garrison of Rushall-Hall in the county of Stafford, to the enemy. / Published by [bracket] Ithiel Smart and Edward Archer [bracket] two ministers. Who were acquainted with him in his life, and present with him at his death. By speciall command.

A more exact and perfect relation of the treachery, apprehension, conviction, condemnation, confession, and execution, of Francis Pitt, aged 65. Who was executed in Smithfield on Saturday, October the 12, 1644. For endeavouring to betray the garrison of Rushall-Hall in the county of Stafford, to the enemy. / Published by [bracket] Ithiel Smart and Edward Archer [bracket] two ministers. Who were acquainted with him in his life, and present with him at his death. By speciall command.

Table of contents

Title page

A ſhort and true Relation of the life and death of Francis Pitt.

Poſtſcript.

§

[Page]

A more Exact and Perfect RELATION OF THE Treachery, Apprehenſion, Conviction, Condemnation, Confeſsion, and Execution, OF Francis Pitt, Aged 65. Who was Executed in Smithfield on Saturday, October the 12. 1644. For endeavouring to betray the Garriſon of RƲSHALL-HALL in the County of Stafford, to the Enemy.

Publiſhed by Ithiel Smart and Edward Archer, two Miniſters. Who were acquainted with him in his life, and preſent with him at his death.

By ſpeciall Command.

1 Corinth. 10. 11. Now all theſe things hapned unto them for enſamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Verſe 12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he ſtandeth, take heed leſt he fall.

Matth. 26. 41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.

Prov. 1. 10. My ſon, if ſinners entice thee, conſent thou not.

Rom. 6. 21. What fruit have ye in thoſe things, whereof ye are now aſhamed: for the end of thoſe things is death.

Verſe 23 The wages of ſin is death, but the gift of God is eternall life, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.

London, Printed for John Field. Octob. 18. 1644.

A ſhort and true Relation of the life and death of Francis Pitt.

[Page]

[Page]

FRancis Pit, of Wedgefield in the Pariſh of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford Yeoman, being wrought upon (as he ſaid) by the Miniſtery of Maſter Lee, (heretofore Preacher there) made open profeſſion of the Goſpel, and attended upon the means of grace with much diligence, for many yeers together, whereby he obtained a good repute amongſt the godly (Miniſters and People) in thoſe parts; but of late (wanting the powerfull means which formerly thoſe parts did injoy) was ſeduced by the Popiſh party, contrary to his profeſſion, and againſt his own conſcience, (as he confeſſed) to endeavour the betraying of a Garriſon in the command of the Parliament, into the hands of the enemy: For the which Fact he was apprehended, and brought up to London in the moneth of September laſt; and being brought to tryall before the Honourable Councell of War, ſitting in Guildhall upon Tueſday the eighth day of this preſent October, was then and there arraigned, convicted, and condemned for the ſaid Offence: From which place he was carried to Newgate, where he was viſited the next day by two Miniſters of his acquaintance, who found him very ſad and ſtupid, and (as they conceived) inſenſible of his condition: The day following, four Miniſters (who were his Countrymen and known to him) went together, who dealt plainly with [Page] him; and after every ones endeavours for his good, and prayers to God for a bleſſing, left him for that night (as yet finding little comfort in him,) at their departure he deſired one of us to come to him the next morning, which was done, and coming to him, found him by himſelf at prayer, and riſing up confeſs'd, the words ſpoken the night before, had ſo wrought upon him, that he could take no reſt all night long; wherefore he deſired ſome further direction, promiſing to lay open himſelf freely (as indeed he did) according to the advice of the godly Miniſters who were with him the night before: After which time, he was much more comfortable to himſelf Pſal. 32. 3. When I kept ſilence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. and others.

The next morning (being Saterday, the day of Execution) we came to him, and found him very ready and willing to undergo the ſentence of death, as having hopes of a better life, though as yet his light was not ſo clear as afterwards it appeared to be; yet ſaid, he was never more cheerfull in his dayes.

Having ſpent ſome time in prayer and preparation, he was haſtned to the place of Execution, to the which, we did accompany him, and (putting all the money he had left into the priſoners Box) he went along very cheerfully, telling the people by the way, I am going to Heaven, good people help me forward with your prayers, I hope this day to be in Heaven; and as he went, entreated us to help his memory, in any thing we would have him ſpeak unto, that might tend to Gods glory, and the benefit of the people: Being come to the Tree, the Executioner put the Rope about his Neck; whereupon he ſaid, I bleſſe God I am not afraid of death: after which paſſage (the other priſoner being to die firſt) the Martiall took him to a private Chamber, not far off, to retire himſelf for a time; [Page] immediately he went to prayer, wherein God did mightily aſſiſt him, ſo that he expreſt much fervency and zeal, remembring not onely himſelf, but all others, both publike perſons, and his own private friends, with ſuch inlargement and variety of expreſſion, as cauſed much affection and admiration in all that were preſent; ſo that abundance A man at other times of no great parts. of tears were ſhed. Prayer ended, the Martiall came for him, with whom he went willingly, and when he ſaw ſome whiſpering, who were in hopes of a Reprieve, he haſtned them, ſaying, Sirs, what do we ſtay for? Being come again to the place, and the Rope put about his Neck, the Executioner going up before him, he turned to us, and ſmiling ſaid; Here's one leads me up like a dog in a Halter, but anon I ſhall have better Leaders to bring me to Heaven: As he ſtept up the Ladder, he ſaid, now the Lord direct me, and aſſiſt me, to ſpeak ſomething that may be for his glory: Being upon the Ladder, he beheld one about to write, in the firſt place therefore he deſired him to take ſpeciall notice of what he ſpake, and to Print it, and then lifting up his heart and voyce to God, addreſt himſelf to ſpeak, as foll weth.

GOod people, I deſire the Lord to bleſſe you all, and I deſire all your prayers to Heaven for me: Good Lord what a multitude of people are here! I deſire to ſpeak to you all in generall; I wiſh that all could hear me. I am here juſtly brought to this place for mine offence; I preſume 'tis well known to you all what it is, 'tis this, An attempt to betray a Garriſon under the Parliaments Command. In that Act I was made an Inſtrument between a Popiſh Garriſon, and a Garriſon under the Parliament; of which Treachery I was not ignorant; and for that Fact I confeſſe, that I deſerve this death, and deſire all Spectators to take notice of it: For mine own part, I have been [Page] bred up under a powerfull Miniſtery; I have had good education, and have been a great profeſſor, but the Lod knows my heart, I have been a diſſembling Hypocrite; and now I do here heartily confeſſe it, and bewail it: And the Lord bleſſe you all, and give every one of you grace to take notice thereof, that you may be warned by me▪ And the Lord bleſſe this great Citie; and the Lord bleſſe the Countrey likewiſe, eſpecially that where I was born; and the Lord make every man faithfull. I have been a great Profeſſor, but I have not done my Maſters will: I have been a great ſinner: I now call to minde a Text in There is more mentioned there. the firſt to the Romans, from the 29. verſe to the end, there is a Catalogue of 17 or 18 ſins (as I take it) I am guilty of them all; therefore I ſuffer juſtly: I do freely confeſſe it; The ſeed of all was in him. yet one thing I have to ſay, I deſire all men to take notice of it, If any Magiſtrates or Parliament men were here, I would ſpeak it to them; but I deſire you Maſter Martiall, and you two (ſpeaking to us) who are acquainted with my Lord Mayor, and other great Magiſtrates, to tell it them from a dying man, I beſeech you remember it, 'tis this, That they uſe not their power as a Net to catch the ſmall The ſame phraſe he had in his prayer in the Chamber where he prayed, alſo that God would root out that den of theeves at Dudley Caſtle, and added this, Not that I ſeek it by way of revenge, but as they are thine enemies, O Lord. Fiſhes, and let the great ones eſcape: I deſire that great Offenders may be brought to condign puniſhment as well as leſſer: For my part, I deſire to juſtifie that good Councell of War, and the Lord bleſſe them, they have dealt but juſtly with me, and the Lord ſhew them mercy for doing me juſtice. The Lord bleſſe the Parliament, and keep them from Treachery; for there are many Achans ſtill in the Camp.

Being asked whether he knew any Treacherous ones, and deſired to reveal them; He anſwered no, if he did, far be it from him to conceal them; I mean (ſaid he) thoſe prophane ones that are imployed in the Parliaments Service, [Page] I never heard more ſwearing, nor ſaw more drunkenneſſe, and prophaneneſſe, then I ſaw in the Garriſon at Ruſhall, Ile mention one: The Martiall (I have forgotten his name) he did ſwear and blaſpheme, as if he would cauſe the ſtones to flie out of the Wals; and after I fell into his hands, he ſtript me and abuſed me, and uſed me more like a Jew, then a Chriſtian: Now the Lord amend that and other places under the Parliaments Command, or elſe they can never proſper, they can never proſper. And the Lord bleſſe the King, and I deſire every honeſt man to honour Him, ſo far as He doth Honour God, and to obey Him, in what they may, not diſobeying God. I deſire the Lord to bring Him home to His Parliament, and to remove far from Him, all evill Counſellours; and the Lord bleſſe His Friends and Welwillers: I am perſwaded the King of Himſelf is an honeſt Man, onely He is miſled; and I hope He will return to his Parliament: (The King is the Head, the Parliament is the Body; if they be divided, what good can be expected) But I hope He will return, that (though I am now a dying man, yet) you that hear me this day, may enjoy a happy peace, and ſee that which I am not like to ſee.

And now for you that hear me, and are to celebrate a Here was much more ſpoken to clear Religion, and to exhort to Pietie. Sabbath to morrow, I beſeech you all to prepare your ſelves for it, and labour to riſe early to fit your ſelves for the Lords work. If any of you be to go to a Market, (though in the depth of Winter,) yet youl be up before day to go to it; I beſeech you therefore to make uſe of the time of the Market for your ſouls: Men in the Countrey Many Country people were there, as well as Citizens, it being Market day. will ride a great way to buy their Seed Corn, think not much to take pains, and to travell for the Word of God, that Immortall Seed, when you have it not at home, though (bleſſed be God) you of this City need [Page] not go far. Labour to hearken to the Word of God, and labour to carry it home with you, and to practice it. Leave ſitting in your doors (an evil cuſtome I have obſerved ſince I came up to the City) and meditate of what you have heard: God requireth the whole day to be kept Holy. I lived in a Countrey where few powerfull Miniſters are left: And all you that have ſlighted the Word of God formerly, take heed of it now: I have been a great Offender in this particular, and I have played the Hypocrite exceedingly; I have been very zealous outwardly, and I have kept many Faſt dayes very ſtrictly, both publike and private; I have enjoyed the company of the beſt Miniſters, and have aſſociated my ſelf with moſt Religious people, and yet I have played the Hypocrite exceedingly. The Lord forgive me, and good people pray for me: And now I beſeech you, lift up all your hearts to God for me; I have known much and done little: I pray God give you all grace to labour to know much, and to practiſe it.

Then being deſired by Maſter Smart to give more full ſatisfaction to the people touching his Offence, That he being a Profeſſour would hearken to a Papiſt in ſo foul an Act, was a thing very ſcandalous.

He gave him Hearty thanks for minding him of it, and ſpake to the people:

Good people pray for me, and help me, in remembring me to utter what I ſhould ſpeak: The Gentleman that imployed me about this Treachery, was the Governour of Dudley Caſtle, his name is Luſon, he is my Landlord, I hold a Farm of him (a good one) but 'tis onely for my life; this day I muſt ſurrender it. Now the manner of it was thus, He ſent for me to come to him, and askt me, what I did ſo øften at Ruſhall-Hall; I told him I [Page] had been there but twice of late; once I went to pay money, contribution money; the other time, to redeem my Neighbours Cattle that were taken away: He told me, ſeeing you have ſuch acquaintance there, I will ſee whether you will do as much for me; I would fain purchaſe that Garriſon, I will give two thouſand pound for it: I went with this Meſſage to the Governour, which was Captain Tuthill, who ſent me with Letters back; and ſo I carried Meſſages from one to the other; but it was not delivered up. Captain Tuthill promiſed me, if I could make that bargain, I ſhould have one hundred pounds of the money: yet I never askt him for any; neither had any, ſave one fourty ſhillings, which he gave me without demand. Colonell Luſon did give me no money, but he promiſed to be as good to me as ſeven yeers Rent.

I deſire you that write, to take notice thereof, that it may be publiſhed, that all the world may take warning of ſuch falſe-heartedneſſe.

It being urged then, that coveteouſneſſe miſled him, he ſaid, no, but mine eyes were blinded, that I did not He told us in private, that two Garriſons of the King being neer to it, (Leichfield, & Dudley,) the Country was forced to pay to both ſides, which was a ſore burden to them; better to pay to one onely as he ſuppoſed. ſee the evill conſequence of the delivering up of that Garriſon, 'twas hid from mine eyes; but now I ſee it, and I confeſſe mine Offence was great, and far greater then others, becauſe I have been a great Profeſſour.

Being askt by Maſter Smart, what he thought of the Cauſe, defended by the Parliament. He anſwered, I have alwayes held it to be juſt, and right, and therefore my ſin is ſo much the greater; I have ſtood for this Cauſe, yea, all my Friends, and Children have ſtood for it; and we do verily beleeve it to be the Cauſe of God: But it is for my ſins, and the ſins of other Hypocrites, [Page] That Gods Cauſe hath been ſo much diſhonoured, and beaten down:

I deſire you all, That Religion may not be ſtained by my ſuffering; nor good men ſlighted; nor Gods Cauſe fair the worſe for my Hypocriſie. I have read there was ever ſome wicked amongſt the moſt godly: There is ſome Chaff amongſt the fineſt Wheat; there was one Judas amongſt the twelve Apoſtles, and one Achan in the He ſaid indeed a eleven, but that was a miſtake. The ſum of his Speech being to vindicate Religion, and the Profeſſours thereof; and to quick [...]n Magiſtrates to the Execution of juſtice: ( [...]hat whileſt a Profeſſors ſuffers, prophane ones go not unpuniſhed) Both which are twice repeated. Camp: And therefore I beſeech you all, judge not ill of the Cauſe of Chriſt for mine Offence.

This one thing I deſire to ſpeak again, (that it may not be forgotten) to you that are Magiſtrates, or to you that are intimate with them; I deſire you to ſpeak theſe laſt words of mine to them, I mean to the Lord Major, and to the Honourable Councell of War, and tell them, that I beſeech them, That great Oſſenders may be brought to tryall, as well as leſſer.

Now for you that are imployed in Gods Cauſe, and are called forth to fight his Battles; go on couragiouſly and know, That you have God for your Captain, and then you cannot but prevail.

I remember how the Ethiopiaus came againſt Aſa, with a thouſand thouſand men, (what a world of men were here) He ſought unto the Lord, and went out againſt them, and the Lord going with him, he ſmote them, and overcame that mighty Hoſte: I do not read, that any of them eſcaped. You may read the ſtory, 2 Chron. 14. 8, 9, 10.

And take heed of diſobeying Gods call; remember that curſe of God againſt Meroz, Curſe ye Meroz, and the Inhabitants thereof, becauſe they came not forth to help the Lord againſt the mighty. You may ſee it, Judges 5. 23.

[Page] The Earl of Denb [...]gh I hear is going out for Staffordſhire, the Lord bleſſe and proſper him: I hear and hope he is an honeſt man, I pray God increaſe it, and bleſſe him. I could wiſh he were now with his Forces there, for that Countrey is in great want of them; and I could wiſh that he would take with him, ſome good and faithfull Miniſters, to plant in that barren Countrey, without which, I fear no good will be done there. I pray God they may do good there: Oh do you labour to do good there (ſpeaking to us.) Maſter Smart, I beſeech you do you labour to do good in Staffordſhire.

Then he was wiſht to compoſe his thoughts, and to call upon God in prayer, which he did with a great deal of life and devotion, neer half an hour, and proceeded a great way very methodically, after a ſweet and pertinent Preface; he began with confeſſion, and run over all the Commandments diſtinctly, and ordely, drawing a large inditement againſt himſelf, bewailing the breach of every Precept in ſeverall particulars; and in the cloſe of each, he added this Petition, Now the Lord forgive me this Tis pitty no one penned it. in; The good Lord forgive me this ſin, &c.

Theſe particulars were very remarkable; when he came to the fourth Commandment, he did exceedingly complain of the want of preparation to the duties of the Sabbath; that he had not remembred it the day before; nor riſen ſo early that day as he ſhould have done.

And when he came to the ſixth Commandment, he ſaid, True it is, I have not had my hands imbrewed in any mans blood; yet I have been taught, that malice is murther, and I have been a malicious man, &c.

And when he came to the eight Commandment, he ſaid, I have been no open theef, but I have been taught; [Page] He that is an unjuſt man, is a theef. I have dealt unjuſtly, the Lord forgive me; and where I cannot make reſtitution, good Lord do thou reſtore it.

Not that he did omit any one of the Commandments, or hide any of his ſins (as we conceive) but above all, he did extremely cry out of Hypocriſie, and complain of a barren, and fruiteleſſe profeſſion.

But when he came to interceſſion, he prayed heartily and religiouſly, for the King, for the Parliament, for the City, (particularly for the Lord Mayor, giving him theſe Titles; A mercifull man, a charitable man; he is good to poor and rich) the Councell of War that condemned him to die; the faithfull Miniſtery of the Kingdom; his native Countrey, his naturall Friends, and the whole Church of God.

And having concluded, he ſpake to the people, as followeth.

NOw good people, I beſeech you all pray for me; I beſeech you pray for me, and hear me once more. Hears a great many (looking round about him) I wiſh that all could hear me: You that are like to enjoy a Sabbath the next day; Labour to prepare your ſelves for Gods Service, and to hearken diligently to Gods Word; Labour to renew your Covenant, that of late you have made with God. Let theſe laſt words of a dying man prevail with you, to ſtick cloſe to God and his Cauſe. I confeſſe, I heard of the Covenant, but I never took it; you that have taken it, be carefull to renew it, and keep it: And ſo the Lord bleſſe you all; and the Lord have mercy upon my ſoul.

Then the Executioner putting the Rope faſt about his [Page] neck, he put by his hand, and ſaid, I pray thee forbear, I am not afraid to die; but let me ſpeak once more to my God. Lord have mercy upon me: Lord have mercy upon me. Dear Friends help me; Good Chriſtians help me, O help me, O help me; Now help me, Now help me; Sweet Jeſus help me, Sweet Jeſus help me; Deny me not now, Sweet Saviour deny me not now, now, now I come; Into thy hands I commend my Spirit; Lord receive my Soul, Lord receive my Soul: And ſpake no more words.

Now being before deſired by Maſter Archer, if he found God coming in to his ſoul, by any extraordinary ſupport and comfort in his departure, that he would make ſome outward ſign, to intimate it to us; accordingly ſoon after he was off the Ladder, as he hung, he lift up his right hand, and clapt it upon his Breaſt twice, or thrice, and then caſt up both his hands towards Heaven, and ſo gave us comfortable hopes that he is at reſt with the Lord. His body was taken thence to Sepulchers Church, and at night was attended with many godly Miniſters, and good Chriſtians to the Grave, where it now lies interred: But we hope his ſoul is in Heaven.

Poſtſcript.

[Page]

Courteous Reader,

VVE Humble crave this favour: Pardon the Stile, It is his own as neer as may be; we have not varied from the ſence, if at all from his words; we have loſt much, but added nothing (to our knowledge:) Excuſe the method, tis from a dying man, and we conceive not premeditated: Accept of the whole, tis intended for thy good, and publiſhed to theſe ends. 1. To ſatisfie the deſires of our acquaintance dead, of many friends yet living. The one deſired it to be Printed, the other have requeſted (indeed Commanded) us to do it, the rather becauſe of the former imperfect Copy. 2. To comfort his friends, now in ſadneſſe, for his death, that they ſorrow not as others which have no hope. 3. To vindicate Religion, twas not his profeſſion, but hypocriſie 1 Theſ. 4. 13. Rom. 3. 4 (as himſelf confeſſeth) that brought him to this: Let God be true, and every man a lier. 4. To reclaim the wicked, If this be done to the green Tree, what ſhall be done to the dry. If it firſt begin at us, Luke 23. 31. 1 Pet. 4. 17. 1 Cor. 10. 12. what ſhall the end be of them that obey not the Goſpel of God. 5. To admoniſh the godly, Let him that thinketh he ſtandeth, take heed left he fall: Let no man preſume of his own ſtrength. 6. To ſtop the mouthes of gain-ſayers, who complain, that one who had formerly been a profeſſor, and one who offended ſo lately; yea, one who gave manifeſt ſigns of his repentance, ſhould ſuffer death, and as it were lead the way, when many wicked Achans, who have long troubled this our Iſrael; yea, many Achitophels, who have both plotted and acted all this miſchief, remain alive.

Silence, Let Juſtice take place, and the mouth of all wickedneſſe he ſtopt.

For the firſt, (that a Profeſſor ſhould ſuffer) Know that (though the Law be quick ſighted) yet Iuſtice is blinde, and muſt know neither Father nor Mother, Friend nor Foe. Now Iuſtice and Iudgement muſt go hand in hand, 'tis Gods own Ordinance, Levit. 19. 15. Ye ſhall do no unrighteouſneſſe in Iudgement; thou ſhalt not reſpect the perſon [Page] of the poor; nor honour the perſon of the mighty; but in righteouſneſſe thou ſhalt judge thy Neighbour: As alſo Deut. 16. 18, 19. Judges and Officers ſhalt thou make thee in all thy Gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee throughout thy Tribes, and they ſhall judge the people with juſt judgement.

Thou ſhalt not wreſt judgement, Thou ſhalt not reſpect perſons, &c.

Iuſtice would prevent Iudgement, but Iudgement muſt preſerve Judgements ſhall return to Juſtice, Pſal. 94. 15. juſtice. Wherefore to pervert Iudgement (though through favour and affection) is the great oft injuſtice; as coyning baſe Coyn, double Treaſon. To give a man poyſon is evil, but to remove counter-poyſons, this is worſe, heres no remedy: This is to take away the balm of Gilead. Religion and Iuſtice bound all; He that cuts theſe bonds diſſolves all. Now Iuſtice looks not upon the man but the Cauſe, reſpects not the perſon, Exo. 23. 3. Dent. 1. 16, 17. Prov. [...]. 5. and 24. 23. and 28. 21. but the offence: And we are perſwaded, that Honourable Councell looked not upon him as a Profeſſor, but as a Malefactor They did not know the man, nor yet that he was a profeſſor. Now our Saviours counſell is, Iudge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement, Iohn 7. 24.

No mans goodneſſe (much leſſe profeſſion) muſt bear him out in a bad cauſe Juſtus eſt qui juſtefacit

Again, 'Tis not the Iudge but the Law, or rather not the Law, but the crime that condemneth. Wherefore, there is a woe denounced againſt thoſe Iudges that ſpeak falſely in judgement, Woe unto them that ſpeak good of evil, and evil of good, Iſai. 5. 20. He that juſtifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juſt, even they both are abomination to the Lord, Prov. 17. 15. He that ſaith to the wicked, thou art righteous, him ſhall the people curſe, Nations ſhall abhor him; But to them that rebuke him, ſhall be delight, and a good bleſſing ſhall come upon them, Prov. 24. 24, 25.

For the ſecond, That he came ſo ſoon to tryall, we can ſay no more to it, but this; God in his wiſe providence ſo ordered it: His witneſſes were ready, and his Fact apparent, whereas others are not proſecuted with that diligence, and prudence, as is deſired. The Councill being forced to ſend divers wayes, both by Sea, and Land, to call up witneſſes; ſo that (excuſe this boldneſſe) the delay is not in them who are to judge them, but in thoſe who do complain againſt them. And what though he lead the way? Who art thou that repineſt againſt God? What if God would thus be glorified? We are perſwaded, the Lord [Page]wrought a great work in him, and we hope much good by him, even by his death.

Object. But is may be ſaid, Why ſhould he call for Iuſtice? More need to call to God for Mercy? In his ſpeech he deſired juſtice might be executed upon Delinquents

Anſw. So he did, and we doubt not but that he found Mercy with the Lord: But to give thee ſatisfaction, Solomon holds forth an anſwer, Becauſe that ſentence againſt an evill work is not excented ſpeedily, therefore the heart of the ſons of men is fully ſet to do evil, Eccleſ. 8. 11.

We humbly conceive no man can juſtly complain of this: The Lord chargeth it as a hainous ſin upon his people the Iews. None calleth for Iuſtice, none pleadeth for Truth, Iſai. 59. 4. And for this, the Lord See the complaint alſo in the 14. and 15. Verſ. Prov. 4. 23. hid his face and would not hear.

To conclude, the words of a dying man are wont to take a deep impreſſion, theſe wrought kindely when they were uttered, we wiſh no better entertainment now they are Printed: Beware of a barren and fruitleſſe profeſſion; take heed of hypocriſie; keep thy heart with all diligence. Hear, read, and learn, thou knoweſt thy beginning, but no man knows his end; and whatſoever thy condition be, tis mutable, Prov. 27. 1. Nemo foelix ante mortem Solon to Craeſus. thou knoweſt not what a day may bring forth: Many in the courſe of their lives may be accounted happy, yet no man can write himſelf happy indeed, till his end: Remember the four laſt things, and thou ſhalt never do amiſſe. Live well, and die well; Take this for a warning. If thou reap benefit, we ſhall bleſſe God for it, and waite to ſerve thee in a greater imployment. Farewell.

Imprimatur,

Nath. Brent.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

A more exact and perfect relation of the treachery, apprehension, conviction, condemnation, confession, and execution, of Francis Pitt, aged 65. Who was executed in Smithfield on Saturday, October the 12, 1644. For endeavouring to betray the garrison of Rushall-Hall in the county of Stafford, to the enemy. / Published by [bracket] Ithiel Smart and Edward Archer [bracket] two ministers. Who were acquainted with him in his life, and present with him at his death. By speciall command.

Smart, Ithiel, 1598 or 9-1661.

Edition statement

1644

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2007-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A71040

ID [STC]

Wing S4011

ID [STC]

ESTC R7584

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

11901340

ID [OCLC]

ocm 11901340

ID [VID]

50583

Availability

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. A71040)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 50583)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 230:E13, no 8 or 1798:27)

Source

— A more exact and perfect relation of the treachery, apprehension, conviction, condemnation, confession, and execution, of Francis Pitt, aged 65. Who was executed in Smithfield on Saturday, October the 12, 1644. For endeavouring to betray the garrison of Rushall-Hall in the county of Stafford, to the enemy. / Published by [bracket] Ithiel Smart and Edward Archer [bracket] two ministers. Who were acquainted with him in his life, and present with him at his death. By speciall command., Smart, Ithiel, 1598 or 9-1661., Archer, Edward..

Extent

16 p.

Printed for John Field.,. London, :: Octob. 18. 1644.. (Item at reel 1798:27 identified as Wing M2699A (no entry in Wing CD-ROM).) (Reproductions of originals in Thomason Collection, British Library and Harvard University Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.