The Very COPY of a PAPER Delivered to the SHERIFFS, Upon the Scaffold on Tower-hill, on Friday Decemb. 7. 1683.  By Algernoon Sidney, Esq Before his Execution there. 
Men, Brethren, and Fathers; Friends, Countrymen, and Strangers;  
IT May be expected that I should now say some Great matters unto you, but the Rigour of the Season, and the Infirmities of my Age, increased by a close Imprisonment of above Five months, doth not permit me.  
Moreover, we live in an Age that maketh Truth pass for Treason: I dare not say any thing contrary unto it, and the Ears of those that are about me will probably be found too tender to hear it. My Trial and Condemnation doth sufficiently evidence this.  
West, Rumsey, and Keyling, who were brought to prove the Plot, said no more of me, than that they knew me not; and some others equally unknown unto me, had used my Name, and that of some others, to give a little Reputation unto their Designs. The Lord Howard is too infamous by his Life, and the many Perjuries not to be denied, or rather sworn by himself, to deserve mention; and being a single Witness would be of no value, though he had been of unblemished Credit, or had not seen and confessed that the Crimes committed by him would be pardoned only for committing more; and even the Pardon promised could not be obtained till the Drudgery of Swearing was over.  
This being laid aside, the whole matter is reduced to the Papers said to be found in my Closet by the King's Officers, without any other Proof of their being written by me, than what is taken from suppositions upon the similitude of an Hand that is easily counterfeited, and which hath been lately declared in the Lady Car's Case to be no Lawful Evidence in Criminal Causes.  
But if I had been seen to write them, the matter would not be much altered. They plainly appear to relate unto a large Treatise written long since in answer to Filmer's Book, which by all Intelligent Men is thought to be grounded upon wicked Principles, equally pernicious unto Magistrates and People.  
If he might publish unto the World his Opinion, That all Men are born under a necessity derived from the Laws of God and Nature, to submit unto an Absolute Kingly Government, which could be restrained by no Law, or Oath; and that he that hath the Power, whether he came unto it by Creation, Election, Inheritance, Usurpation, or any other way had the Right; and none must Oppose his Will, but the Persons and Estates of his Subjects must be indispensably subject unto it; I know not why I might not have published my Opinion to the contrary, without the breach of any Law I have yet known.  
I might as freely as he, publicly have declared my Thoughts, and the Reasons upon which they were grounded, and I persuaded to believe, That God had left Nations unto the Liberty of setting up such Governments as best pleased themselves.  
That Magistrates were set up for the good of Nations, not Nations for the honour or glory of Magistrates.  
That the Right and Power of Magistrates in every Country, was that which the Laws of that Country made it to be.  
That those Laws were to be observed, and the Oaths taken by them, having the force of a Contract between Magistrate and People, could not be Violated without danger of dissolving the whole Fabric.  
That Usurpation could give no Right, and the most dangerous of all Enemies unto Kings were they, who raising their Power to an Exorbitant Height, allowed unto Usurpers all the Rights belonging unto it.  
That such Usurpations being seldom Compassed without the Slaughter of the Reigning Person, or Family, the worst of all Villainies was thereby rewarded with the most Glorious Privileges.  
That if such Doctrines were received, they would stir up men to the Destruction of Princes with more Violence than all the Passions that have hitherto raged in the Hearts of the most Unruly.  
That none could be Safe, if such a Reward were proposed unto any that could destroy them.  
That few would be so gentle as to spare even the Best, if by their destruction a Wild Usurper could become God's Anointed; and by the most execrable Wickedness invest himself with that Divine Character.  
This is the Scope of the whole Treatise; the Writer gives such Reasons as at present did occur unto him, to prove it. This seems to agree with the Doctrines of the most Reverenced Authors of all Times, Nations and Religions. The best and wisest of Kings have ever acknowleged it. The present King of France hath declared that Kings have that happy want of Power, that they can do nothing contrary unto the Laws of their Country, and grounds his Quarrel with the King of Spain; Anno. 1667. upon that Principle. King James in his Speech to the Parliament Anno. 1603. doth in the highest degree assert it: The Scripture seems to declare it▪ If nevertheless the Writer was mistaken, he might have been refuted by Law, Reason and Scripture; and no Man for such matters was ever otherwise punished, than by being made to see his Error; and it hath not (as I think) been ever known that they had been referred to the Judgement of a Jury, composed of Men utterly unable to comprehend them.  
But there was little of this in my Case; the extravagance of my Prosecutors goes higher: the abovementioned Treatise was never finished, nor could be in many years, and most probably would never have been. So much as is of it was Written long since, never reviewed nor shown unto any Man; and the fiftieth part of it was produced, and not the tenth of that offered to be read. That which was never known unto those who are said to have Conspired with me, was said to be intended to stir up the People in Prosecution of the Designs of those Conspirators.  
When nothing of particular Application unto Time, Place, or Person could be found in it, (as hath ever been done by those who endeavoured to raise Insurrections) all was supplied by Innuendo's.  
Whatsoever is said of the Expulsion of Tarquin; the Insurrection against Nero; The Slaughter of Caligula, or Domitian; The Translation of the Crown of France from Meroveus his Race unto Pepin; and from his Descendants unto Hugh Capet, and the like, applied by Innuendo unto the King.  
They have not considered, that if such Acts of State be not good, there is not a King in the World that has any Title to the Crown he bears; nor can have any, unless he could deduce his Pedigree from the Eldest Son of Noah, and show that the Succession had still continued in the Eldest of the Eldest Line, and been so deduced to him.  
Every one may see what advantage this would be to all the Kings of the World; and whether that failing, it were not better for them to acknowledge they had received their Crowns by the Consent of Willing Nations; or to have no better Title unto them than Usurpation and Violence, which by the same ways may be taken from them.  
But I was long since told that I must Die, or the Plot must Die.  
Lest the means of destroying the best Protestants in England should fail, the Bench must be filled with such as had been Blemishes to the Bar.  
None but such as these would have Advised with the King's Council, of the means of bringing a Man to death; Suffered a Jury to be packed by the King's Solicitors, and the Under-Sheriff; Admit of Jurymen who are not Freeholders; Receive such Evidence as is above mentioned; Refuse a Copy of an Indictment, or to Suffer the Statute of 46 Ed. 3. to be read, that doth expressly Enact, It should in no Case be denied unto any Man upon any occasion whatsoever; Overrule the most important Points of Law without hearing. And whereas the Stat. 25 Ed. 3. upon which they said I should be Tried, doth Reserve unto the Parliament all Constructions to be made in Points of Treason, They could assume unto themselves not only a Power to make Constructions, but such Constructions as neither agree with Law, Reason, or Common Sense.  
By these means I am brought to this Place. The Lord forgive these Practices, and avert the Evils that threaten the Nation from them. The Lord Sanctify these my Sufferings unto me; and though I fall as a Sacrifice unto Idols, suffer not Idolatry to be Established in this Land. Bless thy People, and Save them. Defend thy own Cause, and Defend those that Defend it. Stir up such as are Faint; Direct those that are Willing; Confirm those that Waver; Give Wisdom and Integrity unto All. Order all things so as may most redound unto thine own Glory. Grant that I may Die glorifying Thee for all thy Mercies; and that at the last Thou hast permitted me to be Singled out as a Witness of thy Truth; and even by the Confession of my Opposers, for that OLD CAUSE in which I was from my Youth engaged, and for which Thou hast Often and Wonderfully declared thyself.   

We do Appoint Robert Horn, John Baker, and John Redmayne, to Print this Paper, and that none other do Presume to Print the same.  


Peter Daniel.  
Sam. Dashwood.     

LONDON, Printed for R. H. J. B. and J. R. and are to be sold by Walter Davis in Amen Corner, MDCLXXXIII.