The last speeches and confession of the Lord Maguire

The last speeches, and confession of the Lord Maguire the Irish Rebell.

On Thursday, Feb. 20. the Lord Maguire was drawne upon a sledge from the Tower of London, through the citie unto Tyburne which being c••••••e and the cart set ready he kneeled upon the sledge and prayed for sometime after which the Sheriffe spake to him as followeth. viz.

Sheriffe Gibs.

MY Lord Maguire; It is now the last Declaration you are like to make in this world; Here you stand justly condemned to be executed for a very hainous crime, as is not paraleld by any History that was ever mentioned in the Christian world, taking all circumstances and their manner of proceedings, if you have done this, that you have done without any confession, why then certainly you have much innocent blood lies upon you, and much to answer for at the judgement Seat of God: It is one of the ten Commandments. Thou shalt not kill. There are many thousands, yea I may say hundred of thousands whose blood you & your complices have taken away: Men, and women, and children, such as you never saw, such as ne∣ver did you any injury, and not onely so, but they were your fel∣low Subjects, and were of the same cohabitation with you: you have now to answer for all this, as 'twas a confederacy wherein you were ingaged, My Lord, you have been an ingenious man as I have been told: you have been bred in Magdalene Colledge in Oxford, where you took the oath of Allegiance to our Soveraign Lord the King: contrary to this oath; you took upon you to sur∣prize His Castles and slay his subjects without any Commission as you declare your selfe, therefore now make some acknow∣ledgement, and give us the best satisfaction that you can that you doe hold it a very grievous sinne, and that you are heartily sorry for it.

Maguire.

God Almighty forgive me.

Sher.

Sir we desire you before this people here to expresse your sence of those horrid actions.

Maguire.

I desire Almighty God to forgive me my fi••••••.

Sheriffe Gibs.

Doe you beleeve you did well in those wicked actions.

Mag.

I have but a short time doe not trouble me.

Sher. Gibs.

Sir, It is just I should trouble you, that you may not be troubled for ever.

Mag.

I beseech you Sir, trouble me not I have but a little time to spend.

Sher. Gibs.

Sir, I shall give you as much time after as you shall spend to give satisfaction to the people: I doe require you as an instrument set in Gods stead here to make an acknowledgement to the people, whether you are sorry for what you have done or no? Whether it be good or no?

Maguire.

I beseech you, doe not trouble me.

Sheriffe.

I have told you, I would give you as much time after∣ward as I shall take up.

Mag.

I am not disposed to give you any Account.

Doctor Sibbalds.

If the blood of one Man, of Abel, cried to hea∣ven for vengeance, how much more shall the blood of many thousands: Oh give glory to God by confession of your sinnes, never any perished for want of mercy: Christ Jesus is full of mercy. Make a faithfull and humble confession, and there is par∣don with God: God pardoned Manasseh the greatest Idolater that ever was; the sea of his Mercy is bottomelesse.

Mag.

Pray give me leave to pray.

Doctor Sibbalds.

Give glory to God that your soul may not be presented to God with the blood of so many thousand people.

Sheriffe.

You are either to goe to heaven or hell, if you not make an ingenious confession, your case is desperate. Had you any commission or no.

Mag.

I tell you that there was no Commission that ever I saw.

Doctor Sib.

How then doe you think to escape the judgement of the great God, when you shall live, and die in such an outragious sinne as this is;

Sher.

Who were actors or plotters with you, or gave you any Com∣mission?

Mag.

For God sake give me leave that I may depart in p••••ce.

D. Sib.

There is no dissembling now: you are with in a few min••••s

to be presented before the Tribu••••••ll of that great Judge who will re∣ward every man according to their deeds. There is mercy with God, the penitent received mercy at the houre of death. Christ Jesus Armes are still open with mercy for the penitent.

Sher.

Had you not some pardon or Bull from the Pope for what you did? I desire you as a Minister of God to declare the truth?

Mag.

I am not of the same Religion with you.

Doct. Sib.

All your Religions agree in that: without confession there is no salvation.

Alder. Bunch.

My Lord, Be pleased to remember that text in the Re∣velation of the soules that lie under the Altar crying for God to avenge their blood; those souls that are in heaven now, where your soul must go or else go to hell. Pray therefore, That God would give you a reall and unfained repentance for all your sinnes: Beleeve that there is a God will bring vengeance upon you if you confesse not; Doe you know of any Bull or pardon.

Mag.

I saw none of it. All that I knew of I delivered in my exami∣nations.

Sher.

Have you any pardon from the Pope.

Mag.

I saw none.

Doct. Sib.

I beseech you my Lord in the name of God to discover the truth.

Mag.

What will you have me to speak?

Sher.

What inducements moved you to it?

Mag.

All that I said in my examinations are true, all that I said is right. I beseech you. Let me depart in peace.

Sher.

What grounds moved you first to attempt this?

Mag.

I have delivered all this in my examination; Gentlemen I be∣seech you to let me depart in peace.

Sher.

Whither was that a sin or no to shed so much innocent blood.

Mag.

For Gods sake Gentlemen I have—

Sher.

Sir will you die like a stock, will you go to hell without mercy, and not acknowledge your sorrowfulnesse for that foul crime?

D. Sib.

Do you think a Jesuit will pardon you when you will not con∣fesse: The question is, whether your Honour do think you did well or ill in this bloody Act?

Here he answered not but continued mumbling over a paper as he had done from his coming; whereupon it being asked what the paper was.

Sher.

It is a Directory for his Devotion.

D. Sib.

You are going to hell or heaven; oh discharge your conscience: Doe you know any plot or any thing is prejudiciall to the State of England, Discover it now.

Mag.

I know nothing indeed.

Sher.

Do you know any thing that is hurtfull to the Parliament 〈◊〉〈◊〉 State?

Mag.

I know nothing, I have been a close prisoner.

Sher.

I but since you were abroad, since you broke prison.

Mag.

Truely I know nothing of it.

D. Sib.

His crime is blood especially the blood of so many thousand souls. He makes use of his paper to pore on, Its a dead letter unlesse you read it.

Sher.

Search his pockets whether he hath no Bull or pardon.

Here his pockets were searched where they found some Beads and a Crucifixe which were taken from him.

D. Sib.

Come my Lord, Leave those and acknowledge your offence to God and the world: one drop of the blood of Iesus Christ is able to purge away all the heavy load of blood that is upon you.

Sher.

You do not desire such favour from our hands, unlesse you were more ingenious then you are.

D. Sib.

My Lord, no more of these it is not your Ave-Maries not these things will doe you any good but it is Agnus Dei qui tollit pe••••a•••• mundi.

Then the L. Maguire read out of a paper as followeth.

Mag.

Since I am here to dye I desire to depart with a quiet minde; and with the marks of a good Christian, that is, asking forgivenesse, first of God, and next of the world. And I do forgive (from the bottom of my heart) all my enemies, and Offenders even those that have a hand in my death I die a Romane Catholike, and although I have been a great sinner yet am I now by God grace heartily sorry for all my sins, and I do most confidently trust to be saved (not by my own works but onely by the Passion, Merits, and mercy, of my dear Saviour Jesus Christ Into whose hands I commend my soule.

I beseech you Gentlemen let me have a little time to say my prayers.

Sher.

Sir, if you will answer ingeniously to those questions wee shall aske you, you shall have time afterwards: Whether do you ac∣count the shedding of the protestants blood to be a sin or not? And whe∣ther do you desire pardon of God for that sin.

Mag.

I do desire pardon of God for all my sins. I cannot resolve you in any thing for my part.

Sher.

You can tell what your conscience Dictates to you; Doe you thinke it was a sin or not; Declare it, and when you have dealt ingeni∣ously and faithfully with us, we will deal well with you.

Mag.

For my part I cannot determine it.

Sher.

Then now it seemes nothing to you to kill so many.

Mag.

How do you mean killing of them? To tell you my minde di∣rectly

for the killing I do not know that, but I thinke the Irish had a just cause for their Warres.

Sher.

Was there any assault made upon you, had you not en∣tred into a Covenant; had you not engaged by oath your self to your King?

Mag.

For Iesus Christ I beseech you to give me a little time to prepare my selfe.

Sher.

Have pitty upon your owne Soule.

Mag.

For God sake have pitty upon me and let me say my prayers.

Sher.

I say the like to you, in relation to your own Soul; whe∣ther do you think the massacre of so many 1000. Protestants was a good act, for Iesus Christs sake have pitty upon your own soul.

Mag.

Pray let me have a litle time to say my prayers.

Sher.

So much good bloud spilt and spent by you, and yet no remorse?

Heere one of the Sheriffes demanding his paper which he had in his hand, he threw it downe and thereupon it was taken up and given to the Sheriffe.

D. Sib.

Acknowledge your owne crimes and bloodshed; is it a sinne or not that massacre that hath bin committed?

Mag.

I tould you my opinion that I thought the Irish had just cause for the War, in what they had done,

Sher. Ch.

You that have murthered so many as you have done with your owne hands, and no more penitent?

D. Sib.

No, he was taken before hee could act his designes, he was a prime engine and confederate amongst them.

Sher.

If this be all we can get of you, you must stand or fall to your owne master.

Heere he expected to be suddenly turned off, and thereupon fell to his prayers: uttering the word Jesus about 20. or 30. times together

Sher.

My Lord before you die, we desire but one question and that is this: whether there were not some Agreement made by the Comissioners that came over out of Ireland before the Rebellion first broke out with the Recusants heere in England and whether they did not come back for further advice.

Mag.

I take it upon my death I doe not know that any man knew of it.

Sh.

Then you cake it upon your death you do not remember it.

Mag.

Of this fact wherein I am in barqued, in that I am brought into this trouble for, for which I was taken in Dublyn; to my best memorie or remembrance there was never a one in England, either Catholique or Protestant but one, and he was an Irish man and a Protestant.

Sher.

Where is he now, is he in England?

Mag.

I know not where he is, but he was in this Towne.

D. Sib.

Doe you not know of any English man or Sc••tch man that did know of it? you will doe very well to declare it.

Sher.

It was one of your Country men that was in this Towne your Conscience doth make you intimate thus much that he is in England, tell us his name and where he is.

Mac.

Nay in that excuse me

Sher.

Is he a Lord or what is he?

Mag.

He is but a Gentleman, a Gentleman.

Sher.

Where does he lie, or what manner of man is he? discover, discharge your Conscience and then you will die with more mercy and comfort I hope.

Sher. Ch.

My Lord, will you declare that Gentlemans name?

Mag.

You must excuse me, I will accuse no man; he was never any man that came to know of it but by chance, not as he was an Actor in it.

Shr.

Will you goe to Hell for him and your selfe, he may live to doe more mischiefe, prepare your selfe for death.

Mag.

I doe beseech all the Catholiques that are heere to pray for me, I beseech God to have mercie upon my Soule.

Here when the Cart was going away, notice was given him of a Lord who was there.

Ald. Bunch.

Heere is a Baron of Ireland, a Lord of Jreland that sat in Parliament with your Honour, if you have any thing to say to him, or will discover any thing to him.

Mag.

I have nothing to say to him.

After this the Executioner did his office