THE SPEECH OF Colonel HUGH GROVE, UPON The Scaffold at Exeter, on Monday last, immediately before his head was severed from his Body.  
With his Prayer a little before death, and his Declaration and Protest to the People, touching a A Loyal Heart, A faithful Conscience, A Bloody Scaffold, And a Fatal Axe.  
TAken by an impartial Hand, and transmitted to the Press, to the end, it might be printed, published, and dispersed, throughout the three Nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland.  
London, Printed for Sam. Burdet, 1655.   

The Speech of Col. Hugh Grove, on Monday last, at the place of Execution upon the Scaffold, immediately before his head was severed from his body.  
AFter he came upon the Scaffold, kissing the Block he said, I hope there is no more but this block between me & heaven; and I hope I shall neither tyre in my way, nor go out of it: and turning to the Rail, he spoke to the People as followeth; Christian Gentlemen, and Friends, Should I be silent in this great Work, and not act my part like a Christian upon this bloody Scaffold, some might be so exasperated as to expostulate why this great Judgement is fallen upon me; but know I am able to give a better account of my moral honesty, judgement, and execution, than my Judgers themselves, or you are able to give; It is God's wrath upon me for fins long unrepented of, many judgements withstood, and mercies slighted; therefore God has whipped me by his severe Rod of Correction that he might not lose me; I pray join with me in prayer that it may not be a fruitless Rod, that when by this Rod I have laid down my life, by this staff I may be comforted, and received into glory.  
And I desire that God Almighty would confer of his infinite and inestimable grace and mercy to those that are the cause of my coming hither to pay this violent death, as much mercy as their hearts can wish; and truly, for my heart, I shall not accuse any one of them of malice, truly I will not, nay I will not think there was any malice in them; what other ends there is I know not, nor I will not examine, but let it be what it will, from my very soul I forgive them every one: and so the Lord of Heaven bless you all, God Almighty be infinite in goodness and mercy to you, and direct you in those ways of true obedience to his Commands, our great and glorious King, that so he may send down his Spirit of Peace and Concord, & unite the hearts of all his Subjects on Earth.  
I take it for an honour, and I own thankfulness to those under whose power I am, that they have sent me to a place, however of punishment, yet of some honour to die a death, somewhat worthy of my blood, answerable to my birth; and this courtesy of theirs hath much helped towards the pacification of my mind.  
I am not the first that hath suffered in this kind, it is the common portion of us all while we are in this life to err, Righteous Judgement we must wait for in another place, for here we are very subject to be mis-judged one of another.  
For my Death, I here acquit all the world, and beseech the Lord God of Heaven hearty to forgive them that are accessary to it. As for my Native Country, I wish it all the prosperity and happiness in the World, I did it living, and now dying it is my wish, I do most humbly recommend this to every one that hears me, and desire they would lay their hands upon their hearts, and consider seriously whether the beginning of the happiness and reformation of a people should be written in Letters of blood: consider this when you are at your homes, and let me be never so unhappy, as that the last drop of my blood should rise up in Judgement against any one of you, but I fear you are in a wrong way.  
That debt I own to Nature, to pay it upon the score of a subject, doth hold forth somewhat of Innocency: O what a sad thing it is, when Loyalty must be accounted not only a Sin, but a Crime! may, a Crime of so vast and boundless extent, that nothing can appease and satisfy the wrath and indignation thereof, but Life itself.  
Blessed be God, that he hath thought me worthy to suffer for my integrity and faithfulness towards my Master; and blessed be his Name who hath filled me with such ecstasies of Heaven, that I thing long till I am arrived at Tabernacle, which leads to Eternal Glory.  
As touching my Religion, I profess that I die a true and obedient Son to the Church of England, wherein I was born, and in which I was bred: peace and prosperity be ever to it. I have always been fearful of offending Almighty God, according to the grace he hath given me, and my Allegiance hath been incorporated into my Religion. Blessed be Almighty God that hath called me to the knowledge of him, and this ready Obedience which I pray, and mercifully accepting of my Saviour, and patiented Death: And I beseech you all whatsoever you are, That you will accompany me with your prayers, whereby my soul may be assisted within me, in that passage to my Saviour, whither I am a going. And turning to two Ministers upon the Scaffold, said, I have a good Cause, and a gracious God on my side.  Minister, 
Sir, There is but one stage more; this stage is turbulent & troublesome; it is a short one, but you may consider, it will soon carry you a very great way; it will carry you from earth to heaven; and there you shall find a great deal of cordial joy and comfort.  Col. 
I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Being, where no disturbance can be.  Min. 
You are exchanged from a temporal Being, to an eternal Being; a good exchange. And I humbly beseech God that you may now with a holy and Christian courage give up your soul to the hand of your faithful Creator, and gracious Redeemer, and not be dismayed with the apprehension of any terrors of this death.  Col. 
Truly Sir, I do take you in mine Arms, and I bless God for it, I do not fear, I have an assurance that is grounded here (laying his hand upon his heart) which gives me more joy than ever I had; this is my Protest, I dissemble not my words.  Min. 
Sir it is a marvellous great satisfaction, that at this last hour you can say so, I beseech the Lord for his eternal mercy strengthen your Faith, that in the very moment of your Dissolution, you may says the Arms of the Lord Jesus stretched out ready to receive your soul. I doubt not Sir, but you now behold with the Eye of Faith, the Son of Righteousness shining upon your soul, and will cheerfully submit unto him, who hath redeemed us through his blood, even the blood of Jesus Christ; that you may appear at the Tribunal of God, clothed with the white Robe of his unspotted Righteousness; the Lord grant that with the Eye of Faith you may now see the heavens opened, and Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to receive you into his Arms of Mercy; for 'tis the unspeakable joy of a Believer, that at the hour of death his soul hath an immediate passage from this earthly Tabernacle, to that Region of endless Glory, yea to the presence of God himself, in whose presence is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  Col. 
Sir, Blessed be God, who hath endued me with such a Spirit, that witnesseth unto me, that Christ is become a Jesus unto me, the Author and Finisher of my Salvation, who himself was brought to a violent death by the Redemption of Mankind: This is all, Sir, that I have to say; only I desire you to join with me in prayer; and kneeling down, prayed thus,  
O Most blessed Lord, I thy poor and unworthy servant come unto thee, presumeing in thy infinite mercy, and the merits of Jesus Christ, who sits upon the Throne; I come flying from that of Justice, to that of mercy and tenderness, for his sake which shed his blood for sinners, that he would take compassion upon me, that he would look upon me as one that has redeemed me, and shed his blood for me; that he would look upon me, as one who now calls and hopes to be saved by his Alsufficient merits. For his sake, glorious God, have compassion on me in the freeness of thy infinite mercy, that when this sinful soul of mine shall departed out of this frail Carcase of Clay, I may be carried into thy everlasting Glory; O Lord, my, God, and my Redeemer, hear me, take pity upon me, take pity upon me, gracious Father, and so deal with with my soul, that by thy precious merits I may attain to thy joy and bliss; O Lord remember me, for thy Names sake, and receive me into thy own bound of mercy; O Lord, I trust in thee, let me not be confounded, but grant me a mansion in my father's house. O hear me sweet Jesus, even for thy own goodness, mercy, and truth; O glorious God, O blessed Father, O holy Redeemer, O gracious Comforter, O holy and blessed Trinity, I do render up my soul into thy hands, and commit it with the Mediation of my Redeemer, praising thee for all thy dispensations that it has pleased thee to confer upon me, and even for this, praise, honour, and thanks, from this time forth for evermore.  
Having ended his prayer, he prepared himself for the fatal stroke; and pulling off his Doublet, and putting on his Cap, the Minister again spakes Now, now, Sir, lift up your eyes unto Jesus Christ, and cast yourself into the everlasting Arms of your gracious Redeemer.  
Col. Sir, I thank you, to Paradise am I now going. And laying his head over the Block, to try it; the Minister concluded with these words: 
Jesus the Son of David, have mercy upon you.   
Then rising up, and taking his leave of his friends and acquaintance, saluting them with a courteous valediction, casting his eyes up, and fixing them very intentively upon Heaven, said, When I say Lord Jesus receive me, Executioner do thine Office; th●n kissing the Axe he laid down, and with as much undaunted, yet Christian courage, as possible could be in man, did he expose his throat to the fatal Axe, his life to the Executioner, and commended his soul into the hands of a faithful and merciful Creator, through the meritorious passion of a gracious Redeemer; and upon giving the sign, at one blow his head was severed from his shoulders; which was taken up by his friends, and (with his body) put into a Coffin and carried away.  
FINIS.