THE Last Will and Testament Of RICHARD BRANDON Esquire; headsman, and hangman to the Pretended PARLIAMENT. With his several LEGACIES to the Parliament and counsel of STATE. With a true Relation of all his good qualities, also his ungodly life, and sudden Death; and how before his end, the devil appeared ununto him, putting him in mind of the late good service he did for his Masters the Regicides in murdering their most gracious sovereign Lord, King Charles the First; with one Tench that provided Hooks, Pullyes and ropes to force him, now grievously troubled with a devil, and consumes and rots away. With divers Instructions left to his Executors William Low, and sheehead Ralph. justified by one Mr. Reynalds, and Mr. Carpenter, and divers of his neighbours. The Cities new Mark of honour. Printed for the good of the STATE. 1649. THE Last Will and Testament Of RICHARD BRANDON Esquire; headsman, and hangman to the Pretended PARLIAMENT. IN the Name of the Parliament and council of State, Amen. I Richard Brandon Esquire, being sore sick in Body, but in perfect Memory, Do make this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following, Imprimis. I give and bequeathe my Soul to the Parliament, to be disposed of as they shall think fit. For my Body, That I desire may be Entombed in Westminster Abbey near Doctor Dorrislaw, and to be attended thither by the supreme Authority and council of State. I give and bequeathe 500 yards and a half of a Mourning ribbon, called Gallow-grass, to all and every Member of Parliament, that they may wear the same, or otherwise use it at their own discretions. Also, I desire my Wife that every Member of the late Court of justice for trial of the King that attends me to the grave, may have close mourning out of my Wardroabe. I also give and bequeathe to all and every Member of Parliament a precious receipt called a Hempen caudle to cure them of any disease. I give unto John Bradshaw Lord President of the council of State, a receipt of choke-wort to cure his Conscience: Like wise I give and bequeathe to him and his heirs Parliament everlasting my manor House of Newgate, that he and his Family may live in it, and enjoy it to their lives ends: and in case the present Parliament shall adjourn, if the people shall think fit, it may be thither, where each one may take his place according to his Degree: And in case it be too little, that they may have egress and regress, to a House known by the name of the Sessious-House situate in the Old Bayly London, with all and every the Appurtinances belonging thereto, to have, use, and occupy at their own discretions, life everlasting, Parliament without end. I give and bequeathe to the ●a●e House of Lords, and to all and every Member belonging to the same, my manor House known by the name of traitor's Reward, situate on Tower-hill for them and their heirs for ever; but that none shall make entry thereon under the degree of a Lord, except it be the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Lord President of the council of State, upon forfeiture of their heads. I give and bequeathe to Col. Poppum, Col. Doan, and Colonel Blague, the Parliaments Admirals at Sea, my honour of Wapping-Dock towards the Reparations of their late losses at Sea; provided they enter not thereon, till the King return into England, and then after his return it shall be lawful, for one, or all three to enter thereon, provided, that they stay not there longer than the next springtide; and than it go directly in their Line to the heirs Male of their own bodies from one generation to another Par●iament without end. I give and bequeathe unto the Iuncto and all Rebels in general, whether distinguished by the names of Supream●sts, Commons, Committees Sequestrators, Excise-men, Pursuivants. &c. my manor of Tyburn, in the County of Middlesex, with one parcel of Land lying by marrowbone Park to build a chapel on, and one piece of Ground lying by the King's highway for a burying place for them and their heirs for ever, with all the Wood and Timber thereon for their Lives: Provided, that they build a college on the said parcel of Ground known by the name of Doctor S●●ries-●app, and that Dr. Fairfax, Dr. Cromwell, Mr Goodwin and Mr Owen, shall be heads thereof, take their degrees there, and Commence accordingly. I give and bequeathe several Classes of blood to these persons following; I give a Glass of Straffords blood to cure the three Kingdoms of the Plague, commonly called the bloody-issue. I give a Glass of Canterbury's blood to seroboams-Calves, I mean the Presby torian Ministry, Dr Burgess, Mr Calamy, Sedgwick, Gouge, &c. to cure the Church of all Heresies, schisms, Blasphemies, Treasons, nonsense, and Contradictions. I give a Glass of Tomkins, and Challoner's blood to the wisdom of Gui●d hall, I mean the Major and wise Aldermen of the City. A G●ass of Burleighs blood, to the consideration of all Loyal hearts. A Glass of commixed blood of Lucas and Lisle to Tom Lord Fairfax, and his heirs. I give and bequeathe a Viol of the late King's blood to his Excellency Thomas Lord Fairfax, General of the Forces raised for the defence of the King and Kingdom, the privilege of Parliament, the true Protestant Religion, and the Laws of England, to be shared between him and his lieutenant Gen. Cromwell, and desire that this Viol may be retained and intayled on them and their Children, aiders, assisters or abetters for ever and ever Parliament everlasting. I give a Glass of the Lord Capulets blood to comfort all drooping Loyalists that are afraid to suffer death for the testimony of a good Conscience. I give both my eyes to the Common-wealth, that they may see how they are cheated and deluded by perjured rogues & villains. I give my Members to Harry Martin, with a proviso that he provide for my Daughters (his worship's sinners) in the suburbs. I commend my Wife & aged Mother to the care & protection of the council of State, and to live with my Lady Fairfax and Mistress Cromwell all their days. I give my Curtains and Hangings to the Judges of the High Court of justice. I give to Alderman Atkins all the old Shirts and Smocks in my Wardroabe to make him clean, that he may be no more called Shit-breech. I commit the keeping of all my ●lipps and Gibbets to the two Sheriffs, to be used hereafter for the good of the Aldermen and City. I bequeathe my Neck-verse to all those that take upon them to Preach, before they can read. I freely give and bequeathe into the hands of the Army, and every member of them, my Burning-Iron with the mark T, because they shall be known to Tom T— their General, till they T troop, T to, T Tyburn. Lastly, I (for want of an Heir of my own Body to enjoy my Office) do Will and Ordain William lo, and Sheeps-head-Ralph my Executors, to see this my last Will and Testament faithfully performed, without any Fraud or cozening, according to the true sense and meaning hereof; and all and every the several Legacies to be paid to the Persons before named, before the next Rogation-Sunday after my death: And this my Will to stand and remain in full force, revoking all former Wills, Bills, Bonds, Gifts or Promises whatsoever. Witness my Hand and Seal, The mark of Richard Brandon. Witnesses. Joh. Reynolds, Gun-smith Will. Shelton, Halter-maker Tho. Jarman, Gibbet-maker Rich. Axe, Cutler. Abrah. Carpenter, alias Jews-eares. Will. Reve Scribe. Sealed and delivered June 20. 1649. In the first year of the Subjects Liberty. The manner of the ungodly life, and fearful death of Richard Brandon, Esq. one of the Parliaments Executioners of their Lord and sovereign King CHARLES the I. THis Hangman Richard Brandon, being a lewd and notorious villain, that formerly had been twice Condemned by the Law to be Hanged for having two Wives, and by the mercy of the State pardoned as a fit Instrument of their new Reformation; was naturally addicted to two of his Mrs qualities, viz. Drunkenness and Lust; he was the only Son of Gregory Brandon, and claimed the Gallows by inheritance; was a man for his time faithful to the Parliament and State: The first he beheaded was the Earl of Strafford, before which time (because he would be a good Proficient in his Art) he beheaded dogs and cats, and others he quartered and hanged, so that in little time he became his Arts-master, and proved as unlucky a Hangman as the best; and did behead, hang, draw, and quarter better than any of his Predecessors. Besides could shoot, could Bird, or any thing, What e'er belonged to Axe or Hempen string. This young Gregory, proving so apt and good an Artist, that with a little Snick-up, he could cure all Diseases or Maladies whatsoever in the Body politic, not too far gone. He had a neat, assured cleanly trick To cure any neck that had the crick, Nay, all Diseases, call them as you please, He had a Medicine gave them present ease: But like a Rogue, he lately gave o'er those That were his sovereigns, and his country's foes▪ When justice called him, then he'd not be seen, To search their wounds while they were fresh & green. But now they are unto a Gangrena run, There's little good by Hempseed to be done. Had justice been impartial, it had been Reason To hang up traitors in their thoughts of Treason: But now their thoughts are grown unto the Act What helps it now to hang them for the Fact? Yet hang they shall, and end their lives on Trees, Take them Will lo, for they are all thy Fees. This 〈◊〉 was by the Bloody Iuncto 〈◊〉 out of his bed by a Troop of horse at their late inhuman Butchery of their King; he making a show, as if he had been unwilling to do so vile and ungodly an Act; yet for the reward of money, (the main Engine that sets all the juncto's wheels of treason a going) was inwardly rejoiced, that he should have thirty pounds for one chop, though at the Sacred neck of God's anointed. The abhorred Deed being done; he had his reward; which served him but in the stews and Brothers to purchase a Surfeit, which: soon turned to the Naples scab, alias Morbus Galicus, which appeared in his Neck and throat, his eyes an bloodshot ●ike a Ferrus; some of his neighbours going to visit him; he bid them have a care, for the devil was in the room, and stayed to fetch him; they bid him call on God, and that the●e was mercy for him: he answered; That he expected not any mercy for obeying men rathe● then God, and murdering his King; moreover said; that his majesty told him when he asked him forgiveness; That he could not forgive any subject that came to murder him: His neighbours bid him repent; He replied, That one stood at his bed's feet, that would not suffer him, (meaning the devil) they told him, it was but his fancy; for they saw nothing; when on the sudden the candle went out and such a stink of bromstone in the Chamber, that they were near choked; and glad to groap their way out much amazed; and that night he died (a fearful example for all Regicides.) His carcase was carried by four of his Gibbitteers to Mary-Matt-Fellow, with great joy and whoring of the People, who pulled up all the nettles & weeds in stead of rosemary, with which they strewed the ways, and decked the posts, and tied about their hogs and dogs necks with black parings of cloth; crying, Two of the rogues are gone to the devil, (meaning Dorislaw and Greg.) and we hope the rest will follow. There is one Tench a ●●●●-maker in Hounsditch, that provided ropes pulleys, and hoo●es (incase the King resisted) to compel and force him down to the block, this rogue is also haunted with a devil; and 〈◊〉 away. Beware you 〈◊〉 you must all adjourn To 〈◊〉 Court, where your black souls will burn. FINIS.