THE Manner of the EXECUTION OF William Howard, late Earl of Stafford, and one of the Popish Lords On Wednesday the 29th of this instant December, For High-Treason, In Conspiring the Death OF THE KING, AND To subvert the Protestant Religion.  
When Men ingrateful, and base Souls are by their Prince's favours, raised most Commonly they degenerate into Terasons, and the foulest Crimes that Interest or Ambition can put into their Minds, not only against those that are their Equals, but against that power that raised them; and that they ought most to reverence and respect as bound to it, not only by the Laws of Man, but likewise by those of Heaven, which have commanded us to honour and Obey the King, and that it is Damnation to resist his power; yet such have been our Traitorous Sons of Rome, that blinded by their Superstitious Zeal and gross Errors they have not regard either; but have gone on in such horrid and diabolick Conspiracies which had they not been prevent by an Almighty Arm. and we plucked out of the Jaws of Ruin and Desolation; their horrible effects, had ●●de the World look pail to see the Kingdoms lie welltring in their children's Bloods; whilst on each hand insulting Papists with Fire and Sword, destroyed each Sex and Age of their merciless cruelty many Countries can testfie; witness Bohemia, Abligentia, Waldentia, Podmont, Flanders, France, Ireland, England, and, an● many Countries more where those Slaves to the Scarlet Beast, and Enemies to the Gospel have Tyranized; but let us leave those acts of Ancient times, and come to these our Modern ones, and take a serious view of the mighty Stratagems, and Dark contrivances they had for this Fifteen or Sixteen Years passed been brooding.  
First, To Fire the famous City and great Metropolis of the Nation by, That to reduce us to poverty, and in rich themselves by the plunder; that vot taking effect, a Massacre was next designed; but first the King must be Murdered to begin the bloody Scene and Tragical destruction to perfect this, they had hired several Persons with vast Sums, five Hundred or a Thousand pound, was a small offer, and over and above a Pardon for their sins; for ever such was their Ignorance hudwinked to rush upon Damnation; nay so far went, they, when they saw the courage of their Ruffians fail, and that God held back their ●ands; as to offer Waik●man, Ten Thousand pounds actually for to Administer a Dose of Poison, but at last Heaven brought to light their Hellish practices, so deep in Night and Darkness laid, and the grand Traitors were apprehended and lodged safe in the strong Tower; this Lord of whose deserved fall we intent to Treat, being one of the Number, and proved to be guilty of most or all the before mentioned villainies; for so we may rightly term such vile and horrid Treasons in his Plea before the Lords assembled in Parliament, he could not well deny the same, they were sworn so positively and plain against him, by those very men whom he had endeavoured, or did actually hire to undertake the same by which it was seen that Heaven's immediate hand was in the discovery and means to bring him to his deserved punishment; so that after several Evidences for him had argued backward and forwards confounding their Testimonies almost at every Question demanded of them rather to his disadvantage, than profit, so that one of his Servants was heard to say to him in Court that he wondered he would ever trust Mr. Dudgale (one of the meterial Evidences for the King) with any of his secrets for he had often told he would betray his Trust, or words to that effect.  
After he had, had a fair Trial before his Peers which lasted for the space of Six days he was Cast by his Peers and found guilty of the High Treason, with which he was charged; upon which he made many Apologies but of no avail, for the most part being convinced of the illegality of his Opinions by the Lord high Steward. So that at last he was brought to the Bar with the Tower Axe borens before him, to receive Sentence of death, at which he seemed much dismayed; for it is most commonly observed those that are inclined to cruelty and eagerly hunt after the lives of others, are not willing to grapple with death himself; one thing is worthy to be observed which never yet any Papists owned, that upon his Trial he being questioned as to the Plot of Gunpowder Treason, whither he did not believe that was carried on by the Papists? His answer was, That he did believe it, but that they were very vile and wicked men. His Sentence after a most Anthentick Speech made by the Lord High Stward, was, That he must go to the place from whence he came, and from thence be drawn upon a Hurdle to the appointed place of Execution, there to be hanged up by the Neck not till he was dead, but to be cut down alive, his privy Members to be cut off, and his Bowels to be riped out and burnt before his face, than his Head to be severed from his body, and his Four Quarters to be divided and disposed of according to his Majesty's pleasure, or to this effect; then the Axe being borens before him, he was conveyed by the Lieutenant, and a Guard of Partisans into the Barge, that lay at Old Palace Stairs, and in it to the Tower, where he went through Traitor's Gate to his former Lodging; seeming very much discontented and troubled in Mind; for no doubt his Conscience being awaked he began to think of his latter end.  
Being come into the Tower to his old Lodging he behaved himself very modestly fetching many sighs at the reflection of his Tottering State, and the near approach of Death; being often observed to pray to himself and meditate upon the misery his horrid Treason had involved him in: For souler Crimes have not been known, the he past doubt was guilty of during his Imprisonment; after condemnation Dr. Burnet, and several other Godly Ministers were with him, to preswade him to a free Confession of the horrid Plot, and so far prevailed with him as to make him somewhat relent, burr 'twas not long, for being over awed by Rome's pernicious Serpents that lay hissing Damnation in his Ears. If he discovered out, he was no doubt compelled to recant those: thought yet something more than ever Catholic did: yet, he owned, for he did confess their was a Plot to promoate the Catholic Religion, and that there were several Geatherings and Contributions to propagate the same; but devised that aught was intended or designed against the Life of his Majesty, upon the pretence of of a Discovery, he was likewise according to his own desire brought to the Bar of the House of Lords, where he shown his Malice and his weakness by endeavouring to spot the candid Reputation of some Honourable worthies, but in vain, for it not only begat him a sharp Reproof, but likewise incensed the House against him, being remmanded to the Tower, where he continued very pensive when he knew the day was perfixed for his Execution which was the 29th. of this instant December, and that now intercession would be vain; the watches being warned, and the Trained-Bands ordered to be in Arms, on Wednesday the date above mentioned; be was brought our of the Tower by a Guard of Partisans, and conveyed through a lain of Soldiers and the Hamblets Wards, the Axe being borens before him to the place of Execution, being come to the Scaffold he was by the assistance of some Officers of the Tower, helped upon the Scaffold that stood upon the Hill where no sooner being mounted, but his countenance altered exceedingly as dreading much the near approach of certain Death, whilst many Catholics that crowded as near as possible and had taken up stand: look as dejected as he to see the Champion of their Cause now bogle at Death; many prayers he made and often lifted up his hands with divers Protestations, for the space of half an hour, was observed to weep often casting his eyes upon his Friend that stood nearest him as being loath to bid the World farewel, though he would not have blushed to have been a main Agent in destroying so many Thousands as were intended a Sacrifice to Rome Yet, Notwithstanding his fear: Stafford, must receive the reward of his black Treasons, in order to which accordingly he laying his Head on the Block, after some Time the Executioner did his Office and at one blow severed his Head from his Body, doth of them containing life and motion for a good space especially the Body which stirred ●nd wallowed to and fro, and had the Simptoms of Life, for about a quarter of an hour after the blow was given as it is credibly reported by those who had the ordering of the same; thus fell the Traitor, in the Snare he had laid for others, and had his own Blood justly shed, who did design to make Three Kingdoms Swim in Blood; after Execution his Body was conveyed back into the Tower, to be disposed of as his Majesty shall think fit.   

London, Printed by D. Mallet. 1680.