THE PROCEED To EXECUTION of the Sentence awarded against Capt. Thomas Walcot, William Hone, & John Rouse; FOR High Treason. Who were on Friday the 20th. of this Instant July Drawn, Hanged and Quartered at Tyburn, for Conspiring against the Life of the KING, and to raise War and Rebellion, in order to Subvert the Government, etc. Containing a Relation of what happened during their Imprisonment, and at the place of Execution. With their Confessions at Tyburn. THomas Walcot, William Hone, and John Rouse, having been Accused to the Kings most Honourable Council, by the Discoverers of the Plot against the Life of His Majesty, of many Treasonable purposes and intentions, and upon Warrant Issued out for that purpose Apprehended, they were on the 12th. of this instant July brought to the Session's house in the Old Bailie, and their Arraigned upon the Indictments of High Treason found against them by the Grand Jury for Conspiring the Death of the King, and designing to raise War and Rebellion, and in order thereto procuring Arms, as Blunderbusses, Muskets, Pistols and the like, to which Indictments they Pleading Not Guilty; whereupon Thomas Walcot being ordered to look to his Challenges, in order to excepting against the Preemptory number, which is 35, of the Jurors, he made exceptions against all such as belonged to the Lieutenancy, but in the end a Jury of 12. Men being sworn, they were charged with, to try the Issue between the King and him, in case of his Life and Death: Whereupon Colonel Rumsie, M. Well, Mr. Keeling, Mr. Bourn and others, swore him present at divers Treasonable Conspiracies, Consults, and Traitorous Contrivancies, that he was to Command a Party to destroy the King's Guards, whilst others Assassinated the King and Duke, etc. in February last, at what time they were to return from Newmarket, and that a Consult was held to inquire into the day of their return, and that they differed about the particular time, though afterwards they came to a Result, but that the Fire that happened at Newmarket frustrated the Intention, etc. On the Friday following being the 13th. instant, William Hone, and John Rouse, were Tried for the Like Treason in Conspiring against His Majesty, him to Death, and final Destruction to put, etc. against whom the King's Evidence deposed, first, that Hone had agreed to be one of the Assassinates, and was to have a sum of Money to buy him Furniture for that purpose, as Horse and Arms, etc. and that he had declared he was to be one that should seize the Captain and Lieutenant, and that at another time he declared it would never be well till the Blackbird and Goldfinch were knocked on the Head, and that both those Mysterious Expressions, he explained himself to mean the King and Duke of York; these and many more were the circumstances that occurred upon this and the former Trial, under the like circumstances was John Rouse Indicted for High Treason and Conspiracy against the Life of the King tending to the subversion of the Government, so that in the end after divers Arguments they were found Guilty, and the day following received Sentence to be Drawn, Hanged and Quartered, as the Law in case of Conviction for High Treason requires, when desiring their Friends might visit them, and time for Repentance allowed, they were remanded to Prison, where as Men sensible of the near approach of their dissolution they continued, being often visited by their Friends and Relations who came to condole their misfortunes, and to comfort them with seasonable admonitions to prepare for a future state, seeing their Lives were forfeited by the Law, and that Execution of the Sentence passed upon them would not be long deferred, forasmuch as all hopes of pardon was vanished, and whether a Reprieve for longer Life would be granted to them remained doubtful; the former and the latter being at the pleasure of His Majesty, whom they had so highly offended; whereupon they taking the cordial advice of those that regarded their happiness as to the Life to come, seriously considering in what estate they remain, and what a large account they were shortly to give before the Dreadful Tribunal of all their Actions, insomuch that at times they were not interrupted by Visitants, their serious thoughts were for the most part employed in Confessing their Sins, and begging pardon of God for their Offences, during their abode in Newgate, the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex came to visit them, in order to persuade them to an ingenious Confession, as far as they were conscious of the Conspiracy of which they stood Convicted, the same Arguments used divers other Loyal Persons, but they seemed much reserved, saying, they had been brought to disgrace, and consequently to an untimely end, by their too much credulity, and that it was now too late to retrieve what was past, but earnestly begged pardon of those they had Offended. Captain Walcot seldom appeared publicly, but kept himself to his retirement, either Reading or Conversing with particular Friends that came to take their last farewell of him. John Rouse was often observed busy as is supposed writing for the most part, but to what effect remains yet uncertain, unless a Petition humbly to beseech His Majesty to bestow his dead Body on his Wife. William Hone was most dejected of the three, the fear of death having in a manner stupefied him, in so much that he was hardly induced to answer to the questions demanded of him by such as came to Examine or Discourse him. This and such like was their behaviour, till they had notice that the Warrant was Signed for their Execution, and that they must prepare to die as this day, which heavy though expected news they received with different passions, continuing as Men that devoted to the Grave till this Morning, at what time being put into a Sledg, they were drawn to the place of Execution, attended by a strong Guard of the Sheriff's Men, and Hamlet Wonders. About 10 in the Morning Thomas Walcot, John Rouse, and William Hone were brought to Tyburn, the former in a Sledg by himself, and the 2 latter in an other Sledg, when being unbound, they were helped into the Cart prepared for that purpose, and there for a while conversed with the Ministers, who were Dr. Cartwhite, and Mr. Ordinary, both of them persuading them to make an ingenious Confession, according to the best of their Knowledge: Whereupon Captain Walcot drew out two Papers and shown them to the Ministers, and those that were in the Cart, saying, that he had written them to read publicly, which when he was ordered to do, he with a composed Countenance did it Audibly, the first was in Nature of a Confession of his Enormities to God, wherein he desired forgiveness, declaring that he had been a great Sinner, and for that cause, God had suffered him to perpetrate those Crimes, that had rendered him worthy of Death; desiring God of his Mercy to forgive him his manifold Offences, and that all the World would forgive him, whom he had offended, putting up divers Ejaculations, desiring that he might be an Example to warn others from daring to Attempt any Treasonable Design or Conspiracy against the Life of the King, after which another Paper he held in his hand, sometimes looking on it, and other times not while he was speaking or making his Confession to the People, declaring, that he was Guilty of the Conspiracy, as to the knowledge thereof, and that he was drawn into the said Conspiracy by People that promised him great things, but that now he plainly perceived there was no Faith in Man, as to the matter of the Assassination, he confessed to have knowledge of it, and that he had been Incited thereto by Evil-affected Persons, whom he desired God to forgive, Praying that his and his Fellows present, might be the last Blood that might be shed upon the occasion of the Conspiracy he confessed he had been at divers Consults, and that once and no more to his remembrance, he had been in the Company of two Lords, naming divers of the Persons fled upon the Discovery of the Plot, and Conspiracy, saying, they had drawn him unexpectedly into the mischief, he having not long before arrived in England, and that too late, he was conscious of his too much credulity, which had brought him to his deserved though shameful and unexpected End, desiring of God to prosper, and preserve the King or to this purpose, he also said, that when the Conspiracy was discovered, he was promised by some who had drawn him into it, to be safely conveyed into Holland, and that when they had decoyed him and were conveying him to Prison-ward, they told him they designed to Ship him, etc. and so continued with penitential tears to bewail his Crimes and unhappy End, but would not own that he was actually to Kill the King, though he was to be assisting therein, desiring the People to obey, and in all Cordial sincerity endeared themselves to His Majesty, who well deserved the love and tenderest respect of his Subjects, this being the substance of Walcots Speech. John Rouse began to make his Confession, when having desired God to forgive him his Sins, he confessed that he had been at divers Consults, and that he was to have Acted, but as to each particular he was Ignorant, but that 〈◊〉 had been privy to many Treasonable Discourses, tending to an Insurrection the like, desiring God to forgive him his many Sins, which he said had been multiplied, but that he was above all sorrowful for offending against such ●●eat Light, saying, the cries of a Wife and Children, were the chiefest Instigat●… to make him Engage in the Wicked Design of which he hearty repent 〈◊〉 for which he had justly deserved to die, declaring, that he had been drawn into it by the Earl of Shaftesbury and others, who were now fled, and that he did not when first he entered into it, think the design had any ways tended to the touching the Life of His Majesty, or that the Conspiracy would have arrived to the height it at last did, and continued to express his sorrow and Repentance for his being so long concious of so Notorious a Wickedness, and not revealing it, which he attributed to the fear of his own Safety, by reason he had for some time past, been under Evil Circumstances, and been rendered obnoxious to many Persons of known Loyalty, and in Fine he confessed most of the Charge Evidenced against him, at his Trial in the Old-Bayly on the 13 Instant, grievously complaining against those that had drawn him into the Mischievous Conspiracy, begging forgiveness of all he had Offended in thought or deed, desiring God to continue the King's Life and long Reign, etc. Hone spoke little as to particulars, but in all general confessed that he was Guilty of the Conspiracy, and was to have been one of the number that was to have Assassinated the King in his return from Newmarket, and that Goodenough and others had by many persuasions prevailed with him, to undertake what he did, he likewise confessed he had told Mr. West, he had spoke with Goodenough, and related to him the measures that he was to take, saying, that he had agreed to be one in the Assassination with divers other Circumstances of which these are the most material, though indeed his Discourse was but short in respect to the two former. The Confessions thus made or as near as could be taken, thus or to this effect the Ministers Prayed with them, and sung a Psalm after which, they severally desired to say a Prayer of themselves, which was granted, Captain Walcot beginning first, who prayed fervently, as being throughly sensibly of his Offence, desiring the Prayers of all good Men, next Hone made a Prayer, and afterwards Rouse: Each of them seducing greatly to bewail the greatness of their Offences, ask forgiveness, especially of His Majesty, against whom they had so highly Offended, when being asked what further they had to say, they only desired, that God would forgive them, and that all People would take Example by them, and not be Enticed or persuaded to enterprise so great a wickedness as had brought them to ruin, though as they hoped God would accept of their late Repentance, and those that heard them, and beheld their untimely end would take warning thereby, and avoid the like Temptations. These or to this effect they having confessed and declared, the Cart was drawn away, and after they had hung 3 quarters of an hour, they were cut down and Quartered one by one, their Bowels Burnt &c. according to the Sentence pronounced against them. FINIS. Printed for Langley Curtis, at the Sign of Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's Head, near Fleet-Bridge.