Overbury) would have made white Broth of them, but that the Prerogative kept them from the Pot: yet the Subservient Instruments, the lesser Flies could not break throw, but lay entangled in the Cobweb; amongst others Mistress Turner, the first inventress of yellow Starch, was executed in a Cobweb Lawn Ruff of that colour at Tyburn, and with her I believe that yellow Starch, which so much disfigured our Nation, and rendered them so ridiculous and fantastic, will receive its Funeral. 46
We now come to the reign of Charles I, starting in 1626.
1628 This Summer there was a great Army prepared for forraigne service, whereof the Duke of Buckingham was Generall, who went to Portsmouth, to set all things in readinesse for present dispatch: And upon Saturday the 23. of August, as hee was going thorow his Hall, which was filled with Commaunders, and strangers, suddainly and vnexpectedly John Felton a Lieutenant, stabd the Duke into the breast, with a knife, and slily withdrew himselfe, undiscerned of any to doe the fact, the Duke stepping to lay hold on him, drew out the knife and began to stagger, the bloud gashing out at his mouth, at which dreadfull sight, certaine Commanders with their strength held him up, the Duke being deprived of speech and life. And then all the doores and passages being stopped, and many with their weapons drawne to kill the Murtherer, the offender himselfe seeing the uproare, boldly confessed, saying, I am the man that did it, and being examined by the Lords, was committed. The King at that time was but sixe miles from Portsmouth: The Corpes was brought to London, on Saturday the 30. of August, the Nobility, Friends, and Officers brought the Corpes by night with Torches lighted to Wallingford house neere Charing-Crosse: the Murtherer was brought to the Tower the 5 of September. Thursday the 27 of November, the aforenamed John Felton, was brought from the Tower, and Arraigned at the Kings Bench, where he very penitently confessed the fact, saying, I have slaine a most Noble loyall Subiect, and wish that this my right hand might be here cut off, as a true testimony of my hearty sorrow, and had his Judgement to be hanged: from thence he was sent to the Gate-house, where he remained till Saturday, and then sent to Tibourne, and there executed, where hee humbly and heartily repented his offence, and asked forgivenesse of God, the King, and the Dutchesse, and of all the Land, saying, he had slaine a most Noble loyall Subject, and desired all men do pray for him. The next day being Sunday, his Body was sent by Coach towards Portsmouth, and was there hanged in Chaines. 47
Only one or two priests were executed in England during the first fifteen years of Charles’s reign. Between 1641 and 1651 the following priests were drawn, hanged, and quartered at Tyburn merely for being priests. No other charge was made against them, but this sufficed:
Charles had more than one contest with the Parliament on the subject of the execution of priests. In January 1641, Thomas Goodman, a priest and Jesuit, had been condemned. The king reprieved him; the two Houses remonstrated and urged that the law might be executed. Charles reminded Parliament of the inconvenience which might ensue to Protestant Englishmen and others abroad, but having said this he left the final decision to the Houses. Goodman petitioned the king: ‘He would esteem his blood well shed to cement the breach between your majesty and your subjects.’ He was suffered to die in Newgate. Much the same happened later in the year. Seven priests were condemned on 8 December. The French ambassador exerted himself on their behalf. Charles consulted the two Houses as to a reprieve, to be followed by banishment. He did in fact reprieve them. The Houses petitioned for execution. Charles replied that he desired to banish the priests, ‘but if you think the execution of these persons so very necessary to the great and pious work of reformation, we refer it wholly to you,
We now come to the reign of Charles I, starting in 1626.
1628 This Summer there was a great Army prepared for forraigne service, whereof the Duke of Buckingham was Generall, who went to Portsmouth, to set all things in readinesse for present dispatch: And upon Saturday the 23. of August, as hee was going thorow his Hall, which was filled with Commaunders, and strangers, suddainly and vnexpectedly John Felton a Lieutenant, stabd the Duke into the breast, with a knife, and slily withdrew himselfe, undiscerned of any to doe the fact, the Duke stepping to lay hold on him, drew out the knife and began to stagger, the bloud gashing out at his mouth, at which dreadfull sight, certaine Commanders with their strength held him up, the Duke being deprived of speech and life. And then all the doores and passages being stopped, and many with their weapons drawne to kill the Murtherer, the offender himselfe seeing the uproare, boldly confessed, saying, I am the man that did it, and being examined by the Lords, was committed. The King at that time was but sixe miles from Portsmouth: The Corpes was brought to London, on Saturday the 30. of August, the Nobility, Friends, and Officers brought the Corpes by night with Torches lighted to Wallingford house neere Charing-Crosse: the Murtherer was brought to the Tower the 5 of September. Thursday the 27 of November, the aforenamed John Felton, was brought from the Tower, and Arraigned at the Kings Bench, where he very penitently confessed the fact, saying, I have slaine a most Noble loyall Subiect, and wish that this my right hand might be here cut off, as a true testimony of my hearty sorrow, and had his Judgement to be hanged: from thence he was sent to the Gate-house, where he remained till Saturday, and then sent to Tibourne, and there executed, where hee humbly and heartily repented his offence, and asked forgivenesse of God, the King, and the Dutchesse, and of all the Land, saying, he had slaine a most Noble loyall Subject, and desired all men do pray for him. The next day being Sunday, his Body was sent by Coach towards Portsmouth, and was there hanged in Chaines. 47
Only one or two priests were executed in England during the first fifteen years of Charles’s reign. Between 1641 and 1651 the following priests were drawn, hanged, and quartered at Tyburn merely for being priests. No other charge was made against them, but this sufficed:
Charles had more than one contest with the Parliament on the subject of the execution of priests. In January 1641, Thomas Goodman, a priest and Jesuit, had been condemned. The king reprieved him; the two Houses remonstrated and urged that the law might be executed. Charles reminded Parliament of the inconvenience which might ensue to Protestant Englishmen and others abroad, but having said this he left the final decision to the Houses. Goodman petitioned the king: ‘He would esteem his blood well shed to cement the breach between your majesty and your subjects.’ He was suffered to die in Newgate. Much the same happened later in the year. Seven priests were condemned on 8 December. The French ambassador exerted himself on their behalf. Charles consulted the two Houses as to a reprieve, to be followed by banishment. He did in fact reprieve them. The Houses petitioned for execution. Charles replied that he desired to banish the priests, ‘but if you think the execution of these persons so very necessary to the great and pious work of reformation, we refer it wholly to you,
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