CANTERBURIES AMAZEMENT: OR The Ghost of the young fellow Thomas Bensted, who was Drawn, Hanged, and Quartered by the means of the Bishop of CANTERBURY; who appeared to him in the Tower, since the jesuites Execution.  
With a Discourse between the two Heads on London Bridge, the one being Thomas Bensteeds, the other the late jesuites.   woodcut scene depicting Thomas Bensted's dismembered corpse, with his ghost appearing to a sleeping man who are thou I am thom●● Bensteed 
Printed for F. Coules, in the Year 1641.   

Canterbury's amazement: OR The Ghost of the young fellow Thomas Bensteed, who was drawn, hanged, and quartered, by the cruelty of the Bishop of CANTERBURY; who lately appeared to him in the Tower, since the Jesuits Execution.  Canterbury. 
THIS is the time that every Creature hath his dull senses wrapped in silent sleep: the hardy labourer that toils all day, and wearies his irksome members with incessant labours this hour has a free dispensation from his pains, and easeth his wearied body with soundest sleep. The covetous and priping Usurer that is not capable of the least intermission, but esteems each minute an age, wherein he doth not employ his working brain, labours with subtle inventions to augment the massy stock of his ill-got and unnecessary treasure, at this minute enjoys his natural rest. The crafty Politician, whose restless perecranion is continually full of divers imperfect and indigested crockets, acquaint devices, and State projects, this midnight hour Morpheus hath dandled his over wearied senses into sound and senseless sleep, all creatures are hushed into quiet rest: There is no noise at all stirring in City or Country, not so much as the barking of dogs, or howling of wolves, yet I am so haunted with idle fancies and imaginary conceits, that sleep these eight days hath been to me a mere stranger. One night I see many religious Ministers (whom for too much sedulity and diligence in the execution of their ministerial functions, and for their obstinacy to innovations, and their industrious care of the souls committed to their charge, I have not only deprived them of their Benefices, sequestered their estates, and thereby utterly undone them, their poor wives and children, but made them uncapable of any Priestly function here in their Native Country; and they were thereby enforced to seek their livelybood in remote and foreign places, though they were ancient, or by any other way unable to undergo Travail, offering the incense of their prayers against me: another night me thinks I see my dire oppressions, presented in a hellish Mask, each act that I have done is laid before me in my sleep; among which I find few good ones; yet why should I be transported with fear, for shadows they have no substance and are caused by dull and melanchely fancies: a faint-hearted soldier that can slay, and then be touched with remorse of conscience for what he has done: Why should I be afraid to behold the apparitions of those things which I before delighted to enact? Avaunt then idle fear, seek thy abode in others breasts, I will not harbour thee in mine, and yet I must: Bless me my better Genius! what do I see! the formidable figure of a quartered man: my Resolution now plays the unconstant woman; my whole body is a perpetual palsy, my senses never were benumbed till now, my rational part of man begin to forsake my drooping soul; Courage, I never found defect of thee till now. Let me have strength enough to speak unto this airy substance. What art thou that at this dead hour of the night, assailst my quiet chamber? speak what is thy business.  Bensteed. 
Why my Lord, is your grace senseless? know you not me? I am Drum-Maior Bensteed, that with my gallant Myrmidons come thus in Arms the second time. Why do you stand so like a Statue? Do you trust to the justice of your cause? Why do not you take your Barge and waft your Grace to Whitehall; there's the Sanctuary you once fled to for aid.  Canter. 
'tis needless, I am safer here, and in a stronger house: and for that Bensteed thou namest, he is secure enough; I fixed his head on London bridge, there he keeps watch; the Scots cannot come in, but he must descry them.  Bensteed. 
O my Lord, but Bensteed has a fellow watchman that does now supply my place, one of your Grace's friends now bears me company: this is his first night: he's a very learned grave man: your Grace I am confident knows him.  Canter. 
What was his name, and for what offence does he bear thee company?  Bensteed. 
A jesuite, my Lord, his name is Ward, Walker, Waller, Slater, or any of them.  Canter. 
A jesuite? and so many names? I wonder that I never heard of him. O how negligent were my High Commission Officers, that could not hunt out that piece of Superstition?  Benst. 
I protest my Lord, your Grace dissembles admirably: as if a jesuite could not live in peace for your Officers: alas, my Lord, they were better employed, in seeking out men that repeated Sermons together, and could have better Compositions of them than of jesuites, they were rather privileged than punished.  Canter. 
But speak if thou be that Bensteed, what is thy business here? wherefore dost thou thus haunt me in this fearful shape?  Benst. 
My Lord, I come to know wherefore I was made such an example, and to dispute the cause, I was so unjustly put to death?  Canter. 
Because thou wast found guilty of Treason, and therefore according to the Laws of England, aught to be hanged, drawn, and quartered.  Benst. 
Oh my Lord; the Laws of England never made Riots Treason: and I had no hand my Lord in breaking open the White Lion prison: the greatest matter I did my Lord was, I attempted to break open your fortified Gates with a Broom stick, which was a thing altogether impossible; which had I done my Lord, it had been at the worst but Felony or Burglary, and not Treason, but I was poor, and one fit to suffer; I had no gratuities to bestow on your Grace, I had no Butts of Sack for your Cellar, nor Beaver hat, perfumed Gloves, or plush Cloak for your Gentlemen: If I had as good store of Pieces my Lord, to have presented Petitions to your Grace withal, I might then perchance have had them subscribed with a We refer this Petition, with a private note in the Margin; but wanting these, I ought to die, though for no other crime.  Canter. 
Why simple fellow, dost thou know what belongeth to the English Laws better than those grave judges who sat on the Bench at thy trial, that thou makest these bold distinctions? and dost thou challenge them of injustice? they had a hand in the business as well as myself.  Benst. 
I dare not tax the judges, let those that have sued in forma pauper is do that; sor it may be your politic Lordship informed them more than what was truth, or it may be they took your Grace rather for a Pope than a subject, and so it became Treason; but if otherwise, let them be assured my cause will have a revenge: And for yourself, who all the Kingdom knows is guilty of this, and many more greater Offences, rest confident that my recompense will not be very easy.  Cant. 
But good Mr. Bensteeds Ghost, let me know the cause, why you accompanied with your fellow Rebels, sought my life more than any man's else? I am utterly ignorant of any crime whereof I was guilty to incense any man against me.  Benst. 
So you are ignorant of sowing discord between the Scots and us: How many truly affected subjects lost their lives, more precious than your own in that skirmish? and how many should have lost their lives, had your projects taken their full effect? Moreover I believe you are ignorant, that when a Parliament was begun, and every poor man that had been unjustly wronged, might without the giving of gratuities have had his injuries righted, who was the chief cause of its dissolution? all this you are pleased to forget, but assure yourself it will be remembered. You have forgot too I believe bestowing Benefices on non Residents, that would preach once a month, and keep Curates who would read long service, tickle them up with Homilies, and always conclude within the time, and never preach in the afternoon, but spend that time in mirth and good fellowship amongst their neighbours, in the Alehouse, or at Bowls, according to your book which tolerated Sundays Pastimes. Nor you do not remember, that you would have had the Kingdom governed by the Civil Law only: then your High Commission would have been high enough indeed, so high as it is low now. You have forgot also the threaten you bestowed upon the judges that opposed the Ship-money. You have forgot too the sounding of the new Canons, and the ex Officio Oath etc. You have forgot that you endeavoured to pull down the French Church, which was erected for the French Protestants that fled hither for succour: had they been Papists, their Church might have stood long enough without your contradiction.  Cant. 
O gentle soul, I believe thou knowest all my faults, which are fare more than those thou hast put me in mind of: Let me entreat thee therefore, to leave me, that I may repair to my devotion, and crave pardon from heaven for these and all the rest of my misdoings, and study to give the wronged world what satisfaction possible I may: wrack not my wounded conscience with the remembrance of my horrid acts; if any pity harbour within thee (wronged Spirit) let me be its object: I crave for pity that before had none.  Benst. 
O my little good Lord, had you been composed of mercy and justice, you would have mingled one with the other, and not let justice take place, becoming so severe and cruel to prosecute the Law against me, as to send for the judges, and to compel them by menacing words at your house, to make it treason, when neither Act nor Precedent could be found for the like; you might have censured me to have lost my ears, or have branded me in the forehead and cheeks, and so have banished me: but to take my life, and thus to mangle me, and let my blood be spilt upon the thirsty ground, which was as thirsty as your obdurate heart: but look which way you please, go which way you can, I am still in your sight, hers an arm and a leg Westward, there an arm and a leg Eastward; this is inhumanity, and especially from you, and one of your Coat and function: the Law itself hath provided mercy for some relinquents; and you to have no compassion, which should plead for mercy! But it is noted, you never spared any, but prosecuted them to the height of your malice as you have done me poor man.  Cant. 
I confess, it was my only act, & by my instigation; but I would thou hadst been executed in any other place, than at that which is my way to my Country Palace at Croyden.  Benst. 
But why was I quartered, and thus in piecemeal set up at each gate, for birds and other ravenous souls to be made a prey unto, and to endure now a pluck, and th●● a tug from the hunglie Crows as they fly  woodcut scene of a man cutting open a woman and removing her heart with a dismembered body hanging on the city walls surrounding him over me, to make me still cry out, O cruel Canterbury, remember I was a Christian, and so died a penitent Christian. Was my fact so heinous that nothing could pacify your rage, that when my life was expired, my torn and slaughtered carcase must be hung between heaven and earth, as not worthy of either: I spilt no blood in the mutiny, (as I have said) but I have read that Churchmen, and women, are still most bloody minded, as the Martyrs are monuments of the cruelty of bloody Bonner, & malicious Gardner; and now you cruel Laud and spiteful Wren, to each of you, and those judges of the Law which judged me, I have given my quarters for a memorial.  Cant. 
Enough, all is true thou hast said concerning them; but for thy particular, I was informed that thou wert a Prentice of London, and sent with divers others by your Masters to pull down my Palace, because I confess, I was ever an enemy to the Citizens and City for divers reasons, and therefore did command this justice to be done, for others to take example by.  Benst. 
Alas, I was a young man, and but nineteen years of age, and not of ripe years, but as full of sorrow for your cruelty; for had you suffered my body to have been buried, I might have been forgotten in a short space, but to set my dismembered joints upon the gates of this stately City for every one to gaze on, savourd not of that Christianity which you seemed to profess, unless it were of that superstitious Religion, that practices only blood, and builds them Altars with the bones of Martyrs.  Cant. 
O speak no more, thou hast penetrated my proud heart, and mollified my seared conscience: what would I not give to redeem thy life, if it were possible?  Benst. 
Your wishes come to late; but let me thus advise you, procure by some means, that my parched limbs may be taken down, that those friends, kindred, and country men, nay my poor father, and mother, may not forsake their concourse to London about their livelihood, and trade; for sometimes I am forgotten by them, when other matters of greater consequence is in their heads: but when they come near London bridge, then is their grief renewed with anxiety of mind, ready to strike them dead when they see my head, as if I were set up on purpose to cross and perplex them, or to examine their private businesses, or wherefore they come, this is a double suffering; nay my Lord, be not much affrighted, nor do not shake and shiver too much: let not your Gentlemen which lie here at your beds feet in a Trundle bed be disturbed by your passion: but let me now admonish and tell you, that you must labour and study with all your might, as ever you did to raise yourself to be a Bishop, to repent for your sins, and not only so, but labour to give satisfaction for the wrong you have done to several men: I could give you a catalogue of those men's names which you have highly injured: but I will forbear, because I know you cannot forget them, especially having so good a memory, & now no State affairs to trouble your Grace withal: and so farewell, referring you not to an High Commissioner, but to your own self, which if you do really perform, you shall upon your submission be silent as a dead Duck, or an innocent Lamb.  Cant. 
Prithee leave me.  Benst. 
Well, I'll leave thee, and yet still be with thee; for assure thyself, that when thou dost appear before the Parliament, I will be also there, and be a torment, not a comfort, to thy afflicted conscience: with the eyes of thy imagination thou shalt behold my severed limbs, and then 
Conceive what trembling in thy joints shall dwell,  
Blood is the reward of blood: Farewell.    

A Discourse between the two Heads on London Bridge; the one being Bensteeds, the other the late jesuites.  Bensteed. 
WHO art thou, that dares come up without my consent, and stand thus cheek by jowl with me?  jesuite. 
my name is Slater, Ward, Waller, and Walker, a jesuite I was by my profession, and have taken Orders in that Society these 35. years and upwards, for which I was condemned, and am now come to be thy fellow watchman, to overlook all.  Benst. 
And why so many names didst thou bear?  jesuite. 
The better to conceal myself, and all my plots and intentions.  Benst. 
Thou hast now as many quarters as before thou hadst names: but what plots hadst thou in thy head, when it was on thy shoulders?  Ies. 
I may now reveal them which are past, because I can invent no more: and the rather because I had a pardon from the Pope before I was executed: we had many agents about the late plot which was intended against the City of London, and the Tower, & those no mean ones: for had our plots tooks effect, I had been advanced to a more eminent place with my head on my shoulders, than now I am without it, had I been wife, and not too confident of myself and my disguise, I might have fled, and been as safe as the rest of the Conspirators.  Benst. 
I perceive your fact was more heinous than mine, and therefore may justly claim place here better than I  jesuite. 
Not better Mr. Bensteed, for you are the ancientest slander of the two, and therefore may claim pre-eminence.  Benst. 
Your conspiracy was against the state of our whole Kingdom, to ruin that: mine was only against a particular man, the Bishop of Canterbury, a Subject; yours of a higher consequence, and for which you suffer justly.  jesuite. 
That's true; but had he that power still as he had when thou wert condemned, I should not have thus suffered. But I am weary with my late journey, and have got a scuffing in my head, so that I am now ill at ease to relate the rest of my plots at this time; which I will forbear till our next night's conference.  
FINIS.