A SHORT AND true RELATION OF The life and death of Sir Thomas Wentworth Knight, earl of Strafford, Viscount Wentworth, Ba●on Wentworth of Wentworth Wood-house, New-march, Oversley and Raby, Lord Lie●tenant general, and general governor of the kingdom of Ireland, Lord President of the counsel established in the North parts of England, Lord Lieutenant of the County and city of york, and one of his Majesties most honourable Privy council, and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter.  
Who was beheaded on Tower-hill, the 12. of May, 1641.  
With certain Caveats to all men, of what degree soever, to take warning by his fall.  Lege, ●●● disease. 
 woodcut of the beheading of the Earl of Strafford  
Printed in the year 1641.   

A Short and true Relation, of the life and death of the earl of Strafford.  
THe news which now I shall divulge, hath( I know) been long look● for,( and at length is come to pass) else what was the meaning of that late out-cry by the Commons, to both Houses of Parliament for justice? Is any man sorry for the death of the earl of Straff●rd? I am sure Trades-men have but little reason for it. Their trading was so good all the time of his trial, which was long and merciful: But before I come to treat of his death, give me leave to speak a little of his life.  
What his Parentage was, how born, and where, it is not my purpose to trouble myself with, there be many in London which can relate that more true than myself; It is my intent to be brief, wherefore I will begin with him rising.  
In the time of King james, of blessed memory, who was more against that which he followed of late, than himself? no man living then, could more condemn and abhor that way of living, than himself: but as and grew greater in honour, so he grew less in grace.  
Whereas humility and equity he first affencted, rising by preferment, he took upon him injustice and Pride, of which 'vice give me leave to treat a little, concerning which I cannot begin to speak without expressions filled with exclamations.  
O how many thousands have fallen by this notorious 'vice of Pride! by it the devil himself fell, and by this did our fore-father Adam fall: were it not for this 'vice of Pride, O how peaceably might we all live!  
If there were no Pride, there would be no rebellion; if no rebellion, no war; if no war, it must needs be granted that there would be nothing else but peace ▪ How many slain bodies, and perhaps souls too ▪ hath this one 'vice of Pride been guilty of! as for example, red the Story of Caesar and Pompey, whose Prides were of so high a nature, that the one could not endure to hear of an equal, the other a superior: the Pride of which two bread a most bloody civill war, throughout the whole world.  
red also the Story of Marcus Antonius, his Pride which had the whole Roman Empire under his subjection, except one Augustus which was in power and authority equal with him: And this mans Pride stit'd him again, that he might reign alone.  
But to the purpose, which is concerning the Lord Wentworth, and his Treachery: This Volume cannot contain the grievances, which by him have been planted in England, Scotland, and Ireland: red but the Articles of which he was accused, and then judge the man by his works.  
The name of a traitor he disdained, but to use equity it went against his conscience. That he had wisdom tis true, but he abused it, that is most certain. What could a man have desired more then was granted to him? did he desire honour? he had it, as may appear by his rising.  
First it was but Mr. then Sr. Thomas Wentworth, then L. Wentworth, then earl of Strafford, L. Lieutenant of Ireland, beside other Titles which his royal sovereign conferred upon him, but yet with all this was he not contented, but still sought after more.  
Was it for want of wisdom he thus craved? surely no, for as I said before, wisdom he had, but it was overshadowed with a mask of impudence, as by a worthy patron of piety, he was  told in the High Court of Parliament.  
Sophister-like for a long time, with his fallacies did he hold dispute against the whole kingdom, but the most learned and wise House of Parliament, like true disputants a● length dissolved them, and not long after made a dissolution of his head, and Eng●ands grievances.  
Did lye die undeservedly? who dares say so? nay who can say it? surely they are not England or Ireland, which can witness that( not long since) famous place of London-Derry in Ireland, belonging once unto the Citizens of London, which had, and bath so great plenty of wood, wher-with Spanish Pikes are made wi●hall, the Inhabitants whereof furnished our Kings Dominions suffici●ntly for their own occasions, and then( because it was the commodity which they could best traffic with, they sent some over the Seas to Holland, Netherlands, or the like places; for which this man by a project he had made, London paying a great sum of money, lost its privilege of the place, the chief Inhabitants left it, and the place now look●s more like a desolate wilderness then a place of re●owne, as before it was; his brethren projectors, perhaps may argue this for a dead of charity, but there is no true Christian but that may lawfully deny their hardest proposition, I will add one or two more of his charitable deeds, and then let the whole world judge, whether this man was not worthy of death.  
That he deserved death long since for his politic treachery he wrought against the English scarce any are ignorant, wherefore I will pass that over, and show some tragical stories by him acted and his complices in Ireland, as for example sir Richard B●l●on Knight, Lord chancellor of Ireland, John Lord Bishop of Derry, Sir Gerard Lowther Knight, Lord chief Justice of the common Plea●s, and sir George Raddisse Knight, intending the destruction of the Common-wealth of Ireland, traitorously confederated and conspired together, to subvert the fundamental Laws of that kingdom, and in pursuance thereof they trai●erously contrived an arbitrary and tyrannicall government against Law throughout the kingdom, being countenanced and assisted by Thomas earl of Strafford, he being then chief governor of that kingdom.  
As appeared by the Articles against the afore-named person in the Parliament assembled in Ireland.  
What harm could such weak members have done, had they had no staff to uphold them? in plain terms, one may lawfully say, they were brought up like so many young Spannels, to fetch & carry what their Master pleased; I have myself known daws to follow their Masters whithersoever they went, and why may not rooks which participate of their nature do the same.  
When the head hath an ache, the rest of the body is ill at ease: so when the governor is tainted, his counsel must needs stink: but I proceed.  
After he had prosecuted his intent concerning the subversion of fundamental laws, the better to preserve him and his forenamed ●rai●erous confederates, he laboured to subvert the rights of Parliament, and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceedings, lest his confederates being questioned in Ireland, he himself should bee convicted in England as he now is: ●ull well he knew the afflictions which Ireland had endured, as the general and apparent decay of Trades, occasioned by the new and illegal raising of the book of Rates and Impositions, as 12 pence a piece custom for Hides, bought for 3, 4, or 5 shillings, and many other heavy impositions upon native and other commodities exported, by the reason whereof Merchants are beggared, being disenabled and discouraged to trade; and some of the honourable persons as who gained thereby, were often judg●d and parties, but the Kings Maj●sties profit thereby was not considerably advanced: so as his treasury was full, he cared not how empty the Kings was, as appeared by the Proclamation for the sole exemption of uttering Tobacco, which was bought at low rates, & uttered at very high and exc●ss●●e rates, by means thereof thousands of families within the Kingdom of Ireland, & of his Majesties subjects in several islands & other parts of the Westindies were destroyed, and the most part of the co●n of that kingdom engrossed into particular hands, insomuch as it was probably affirmed, the profit arising and engrossed thereby, di● surmount his Majesties revenues certain and casual within that kingdom, and yet his Majesty received very little profit by the same.  
Crassus the Roman, was accounted the richest man living in his time; but had not this man been cut off, Crassus might have been accounted a beggar in comparison of him, his thousands yearly so increased.  
What a rare and gain●full plot was that of him, to cause a Proclamation in Ireland in the year of our Lord, 1635. prohibiting men of qual●ity and estate, for to depart that kingdom into England without his licence, whereby the Subjects of Ireland were hindered and interrupted, from having redress and access to his 〈◇〉 and Pri●● council of England, to declare the●● just grievances, or to obt●●● just remedy for them,( in such sort as their 〈◇〉 in all ages, since the reign of King Henry the second) g●●●● fees being exacted for every of the said Licenses.  
Should I go about to relate all the grievances which poor Ireland, of late endured? what ●●●ty heart is there, which would not ready be to break? what eyes could so ba●ren be of ●earess, as would not g●sh out fountains? how they suffered in their goods, having them forcibly s●atched away.  
I say, should I nominate how many thousand of his Majesties liege people of that kingdom, have been ruined in their lands, Li●erties, and lives; and many of them being of good quality, and reputation, have been ●●●erly de●amed, by Pillory, Mu●ilation of Members, and many other infamous punishments, all would think it an incredible thing, that such plots and cruelty could be ●arboured in the heart of any mortal man, the actions being so diabolical.  
As I did promise at the first to be brief, so I do intend ▪ I will only give all exhortations to s●●● his like, least hereafter they participate of his death, who is now beheaded.  
Art thou high, ●● low? rich, or poor? Noble, or Ignoble? still let thy eye be upon equity, regard not these worldly vanities, more than thy soul and bodies safety, bee still content with that thou hast; for things ill gotten never prosper. Let Lord Wentworth be an example to all; let his death cause us to have a care how we live: which that it may, God of his mercy grant, So bee it.  
FINIS.