THe Parliament of Scotland being informed that the Marques of Montrose was taken, and fore­seeing that his countenance and carriage might gaine him some favour amongst the People, thought fit to give out their sentence against him before he should come to Edenburgh. And therefore upon the 17. of May anno 1650. in the morning, they ap­pointed [Page] a Comittie to prepare and give in their opi­nions what was fittest to be don with him, where the same forenoone they gave in their report in writing to this Effect: That so soone as he should come to the Towne, he should be met at the Gate by the Magi­strates, and Hangman; That he should be tyed with cords upon a Cart bareheaded, and the Hangman to ride upon the horse that drew the Cart covered before him, and so to be brought through the towne. That He should be hanged on a gibbet at the Crosse of Edenburgh untill he died, His Historie, and Declaration hanging about his neck, and so hang three houres in Publick view of all the People: after which He should be be­headed, and quartered. His head to be fixt upon the Prison house of Edenburgh, & his Leggs and armes over the gates of the Cities of Sterling, Glascowe, Perth alias Saint Iohns-Towne and Aberdeine. And in Case He re­pented not, (whereby the Sentence of Excommunica­tion may be taken of by the Church): the Bulke of His bodie should be burried in the Gray friers; if not, to be burried in the Boromoore.

Upon the 18. day about 4. a clocke in the after­noone, He Was brought in at the Water Gate, and ac­cording to the Sentence was met by the Magistrates, the gardes, and the Hangman of the Citie, the rest of the Prisoners being tyed two and two together, going bareheaded before him; So soone as He came within the Gate the Magistrates shewed Him the Sentence, which when He had read, and perceived the Cart, and Hangman there ready, He said; He would willingly obey, He was only sorrie that through Him, His Majestie whose Per­son he presented, should be so dishonored. then going cherefully [Page] into the Cart, He being uncovered was by the Hang­man tyed thereunto with Ropes, and the Hangman on the horse rid covered, thus was He carried to the pri­son, and in all the way, there appeared in Him such a Majestie, Courage, & Modestie, no way Daunted, That His very Enemies, nay common women, who as it was be­leeved by divers would have stoned Him in the Cart as he passed, were upon the sight of Him so astonished, & moved: that their intended curses, were turned, into Teares & Prayers for Him; In so much as the next day (being Sunday), the Ministers Preached against them for not reviling and stoning of Him as he passed along.

When He was taken from the Cart, He gave the Hangman gold, telling him that was a reward for driving the Cart: It was seven a clocke at night before he was entered into the Prison, and immediately the Par­liament met, & sent some of their Members, and some Ministers to examine Him; but He refused to Answer any thing to them, untill He was satisfied upon what tearmes they stood with the King, His Royal Master. which being reported unto the Parliament, they ceased proceeding against Him untill Munday, and allowed their Commissioners to tell Him that the King, & they were agreed: He desired to be at rest for He was wearie with a long journey, & He said The Complement they had put upon him that day was somewhat tedious.

The next day being Sunday, He was constantly at­tended by Ministers and Parliament men, who still persued him with threatnings but they got no advan­tage of Him; He told them, They thought they had a fronted him the day before by carring him in a cart, but they were much mistaken; For he thought it the most Honorable & joyfulst journey [Page] that ever he made, God Having all the while most comfortably manifested His presence to him, and furnishing Him with resolution to over looke the reproches of men, and to behold him, for whose cause He suffered.

Upon Munday in the forenoone, He was brought be­fore the Parliament and after the deliverie of a Long penned discourse by the Chancellour where in he was pleased to take notice of His miscarriages against the first Co­venant, the League and Covenant, His Invasion, & joining with the Irish Rebells & blood gultines; and that now, how God had brought Him to just punishment: He desired to know if he might be allowed to speake for himself, which being Granted, He said, Since you have declared unto me, that you have agreed with the King, I looke upon you, as if His MAJESTIE were sitting amongst you, and in that Relation I appeare with this reverence bareheaded: My Care hath been allwaies to walke as became a good Christian, and a Loyall Subject; I engaged in the first Co­venant, and was faithfull to it, untill I perceived some private Per­sons under Colour of Religion intended to wring the Authoritie from the King, and to seaze on it for themselves; and when it was thought fit for the clearing of honest men that a bond should be subscribed, wherein the securitie of Religion was sufficiently provided for, I sub­scribed. For the League and Covenant, I thanke God I was never in it, and so could not breake it, but how farr Religion hath been ad­vanced by it, and the sad consequences that have followed on it, these poore distressed Kingdomes can witnes. for when His Late MAJESTIE had by the Blessing of God almost subdued those Re­bells that rose against him in England, and that a faction of this King­dom went in to the assistance of those Rebells, His MA­JESTIE gave Comission to me, to come into this Kingdome, and to make a diversion of those forces that were going from hence against Him I acknowleged the command most Iust, and [Page] I conceaved my selfe bound in conscience and dutie to obey it, what my carriage was in this Country many of you may beare witnes; Disorders in an Army can not be prevented, but they were no sooner knowne, then punished; never was any mans blood spilt but in Battaile, & even then many thousand Lives have I preserved; and as I came in upon His MA­JESTIES Warrant: so upon His Letters did I lay aside all Interest, and retreat.

And for my coming in at this time, it was by His MAJESTIES com­mands, in order to the accelerating of the Treatie betwixt Him & You; His MAJESTIE knowing that when ever He had ended with you I was readie to retire upon his call. I may justly say, that never subject acted upon more Honorable grounds, nor by so lawfull a power, as I did in this service; and therfore I desire you to lay aside prejudice, and consider me as a Christian in relation to the justice of the quarrell; as a Subject in relation to my Royal Masters commands; and as your Neighbour in relation to the manie of your Lives, I have preserved in battaile; & be not too, rash but let me be judged by the Lawes of God, the Lawes of Nature, and Nations, and the Lawes of this Land; if you do otherwise, I do heare appeale from you, to the Righteous judge of the world, who one day must be both your Iudge and myne, and who allwaies gives Righteous Iudgement.

This he delivered with such Gravitie, & with out Passion, as was much admired even of His Enemies: After which, the Chancellour commanded the Sentence to be read, which He heard with a setled and an unmoved countenance, and de­siering to be further heard, was presently stopt by the Chancel­lour who commanded He should be presently removed back againe to prison, where being no sooner come but the Mi­nisters assault him afresh, agravating the terror of the Sen­tence, thereby to affright him; He acknowledged Him selfe much beholding to the Parliament for the Honor they put upon him saying, He Tooke it for a greater Honor to have His Head stand upon the prison Gate for this Quarrell; then to have his [Page] picture in the Kings Bedchamber. And (least his Loyaltie should be for­gotten) they had highly Honoured him, in designing lasting monuments to foure of the cheifest Cities, to beare up his memoriall to all posteritie. Wishing he had had flesh enough, to have sent a peece to Every Citie in Christendome to witnesse his Loyaltie to his King and Countrie.

His Friends were not suffered to come neare him, but a gard was alwaies in the Chamber with Him, in so much as He had neither time, nor place for His Private Devotions. but in their Hearing.

The next day being the 21. Cloathed in a Scarlet cloake richly Laced with Gould Lace, He was brought to the Scaf­fold: He came a long the streets with so great state, & there appeared in His countenance so much Beautie, Majesiie and Gravitie, as amazed the behoulders; and manie even of His Enemies did acknowledge Him to be the Gallants Subject in the world: but because all His Friends & well willers were debar'd from coming neare him; there was a boy designed for that purpose on the Scaffold who tooke His Last speech. Which was to this Effect.

I am sorrie if this manner of my End be Scandalous to any good Chri­stian. Doth it not often happen to the righteous according to the waies of the wicked, and to the wicked, according to the waies of the righteous? doth not some time a just man perish in His righteousnes, & a wicked man prosper in his malice? They who know me, should not disesteeme me for this; many greater then I have been dealt with in this Kind; yet I must not say but that all Gods Iudgements are Iust; For my private sinns, I acknowledge this to be Iust with God, I submit my selfe to him: but in regard of man, I may say they are but instruments, God forgive them, I forgive them, they have oppressed the poore, and violently perverted Iudgement, and Iustice, but He that is higher then they will reward them.

What I did in this Kingdome, was in obedience to the most just Com­mands of my Soveraigne, For His defence in the day of His distrese, against those that rose up against him. I acknowledge nothing, but feare God [Page] and Honor the King, according to the commandements of God, and the Law of Nature, and Nations, and I have not sinned against man, but against God; and with Him there is Mercie, which is the ground of my drawing neare unto him.

It is objected against me by many, (even good People,) That I am under the Censure of the Church; This is not my fault, since it is only for doing my Dutie, by Obeying my Princes most just Commands for Re­ligion, His Sacred Person, and Authoritie. Yet I am sorrie they did excomunicate me; and in that, which is according to Gods Lawes; without wronging my conscience or allegeance I desire to be relaxed; if they will not thus do it, I appeale to God who is the righteous Iudge of the world, & who must; & will I hope be my Iudge and Saviour.

It is spoken of me that I should blame the King (God forbid,) For the Late King, He Lived a Saint, and Died a Martyr; I pray God, I may so end as He did; If ever I would wish my soule in an other mans stead, it should be in his. For His MAJESTIE now Living, never People I beleive might be more happie in a King: His commands to me were most just; in nothing that He promiseth will He faile, He deales justly with all men, I pray God He be so dealt with all that He be not betrayed under trust as His Father was.

I desire not to be mistaken, as if my carriage at this time in Relation to your waies were stubborne; I do but follow the Light of my owne conscience, which is seconded by the working of the Good Spirit of God that is within me, I thanke him, I goe to Heavens throne with ioy. If He enable me against the feare of Death, and furnish me with cou­rage, and confidence to embrace it even in its most uglie shape: Let God be glorified in my end, though it were in my damnation. Yet I say not this out of any feare or distrust, but out of my Dutie to God, and Love to his People.

I have no more to say but that I desire your Charitie, and Prayers. I shall pray for you all; I leave my Soule to God; my Service to m [...] Prince; my Goodwill to my Friends; and my Name, and Charitie to You all. And thus briefly I have exonerated my Conscience.

[Page] Being desired to pray a part, He said, I have already powred out my soule before the Lord who knowes my heart, and into whose hands I have commended my Spirit, and he hath been gratiously pleased to re­turne to me a full assurance of peace in Iesus Christ my Redeemer. And therfore if you will not Ioine with me in prayer; my reiterating againe will be both Scandalous to you, and me. So closing his Eyes, & holding up his hands, he stood a good space at his inward devotions. being perceived to be inwardly moved all the while; When He had don, He cald for the Executioner, & gave him mo­ney, then having brought unto him hanging in a cord His Declaration, & Historie, He hanged them about his necke; say­ing, Though it hath pleased His Sacred MAJESTIE that now is, to make him one of the Knights of the most Honorable Order of the Garter; yet He did not thinke him selfe more Honored by the Garter, then by that cord; with the bookes which he would embrace about his neck with as much ioy & content, as ever he did the Garter, or a chaine of gould, & therfore desired them to be tied unto him as they pleased.

When this was done & His armes tied, He asked the Of­ficers, If they had any more Dishonour, as they conceaved it, to put upon him, he was readie to accept it. And so with an Vndaunted Courage & Gravitie suffered, According to the Sentence past upon him.