THE SPEECHES OF Oliver Cromwell, Henry Ireton, AND John Bradshaw. Intended to Have been spoken at their Execution at Tyburn, Jan. 30. 1660. But for many weighty Reasons omitted. And now Published by MARCHIAMONT NEEDHAM And PAGAN FISHER Servants, Poets, and Pampleteers to his Infernal Highness. Imprimatur, THO. DUN, Esq LONDON, Printed and are to be sold at the Old Exchange, and in Westminster-Hall 1660. Feb. 6 Cromwell's SPEECH AT THE GALLOWS. GENTLEMEN, IT being a thing commonly expected at this place to speak something; I shall not break that good old custom, (although I must needs confess, I have broken all else that lay in my power.) In truth Friends, it is a cold Season, and therefore I hope, if I do not speak so much as you may expect, I being grown an old man, you will pardon me; But here is my good Lord Bradshaw, to whom I shall refer myself to speak the rest: And first hum— have— you must understand, (which I should have been loath you should, but that you know already) That I was the Son of a Brewer, in the Isle of Elie, which I need not to have told you, for it is visibly to be seen in my Nose, being the colour of his Copper; I am loath to say either He, or I were Gentlemen, because many here would be apt to give me the lie. However, for my part I followed always gentlemen's exercises; Swearing, Whoreing, Drinking, and other the like commendable qualities, whilst I was a young man; When I grew more in years, I grew more cunning, and having played the Fools part before, I played the Knaves now; and by my plausible carriage, and opposing in a high nature all Government and Order in Church and State, I won the love, and notice of all the Hare-brained Sectaries of those times, (who afterwards was very serviceable to my ambitious thoughts, And to let you know what little reason I have to love learning, I was expelled the University, but I think I was even with them since. I was forthwith made a Committee-man, and how I behaved myself therein, is notoriously known. I think I did not at all swerve from the first constitution of that Office, as you may read in that elegant Character of a Committee-man, given by Mr. John Cleaveland, to which I refer you. But I was not contented with this preferment alone, which made me seek further, (and indeed though I have none of the best Faces, I quickly found 'twas well approved off for a Warlike or Ammunition Face, having the advantage of a light from my Nose, in all dark, and Warlike Stratagems, (not excepting Plundering itself) by which I quickly found a nearer way to get Wealth, then by Brewing; For I fell to hopping from a Captain to a Colonel, and so on till I got to be a General; and now I am fairly hoped hither, what cheats I acted on God and man, you all too well know, and therefore I need not name them: But I must tell you I loved, I, and that my own Daughter Cl●ypool, 〈◊〉, and John Lambert's Lady too; I think she loved me too, her Husband came to preferment by it; and let him, when he comes hither, tell you the rest, which I know will not be long after▪ You will wonder I am so ingenious to confess this; Why truly I will tell you, and I speak in presence of two of my loving Friends by me, I did much more, that was in private, which you may wonder at, should I tell; but I was just in it, (I would not do unjustly for a World) 'twas according to my agreement with the old Gentleman, that the King of Sweden keeps his Court with, where I am sure we shall be very merry; And I think, if I am not mistaken, we have laid a design; which if we do not differ among ourselves, we may carry on with success; But oh the violency of some cursed Cavele●rish spirits, (I think there are not many) but those few may spoil all; and hinder that good work of Reformation we intent. But I shall hang, draw, plunder and decimate them; And indeed, it will be an unspeakable comfort to my spirit to go through with so good a work; nay, I hope to make them as good and orderly as my soldiers were here; and I doubt not but to raise great sums for the poor Protestants in Piedmont, and elsewhere, and it shall be my care they shall never have it. But since I speak of Caveleers, I cannot forget George Monck, I thought he had been surely one of us; but he may be glad I left a fool to my son, he had never had his ends else; but let it pass, 'tis not the first time the devil was cheated by a Monk. And now, good people, I find myself spent: I have only one or two words more, and that is in behalf of two old servants of mine Hills and Field: truly, they were my Printers and servants: the first was a great Sufferer before my power was, and I think unjustly, 'twas only for having but two wives (a venial sin I think); I wish these may be entertained or suffered to follow their Trades, and I dare undertake to send them work, and for an earnest I desire they may print this my Speech. Whereupon he was turned off the Ladder, almost before he had done, and now lies buried under the Gallows. His EPITAPH. Here lies Ignominious Dust, Which was the only Seat of Lust: A man, and yet a Monster too, That did both King and State undo: 'Tis said by all this is his doom, And that he ne'er deserved a Tomb. Ireton's Speech at the Gallows. Dear Friends, IT is the Custom of this place to speak, although indeed I am very unwilling, but it being an ordinary thing on this occasion, you will not be denied; I must indeed confess that I have been absent from you a long time, but yet my Spirit was ever with you, and in continual counsel with my Father Nol and Bradshaw; but before I left you, I perfected my business in sending the King into a better world, though I thought other; yet since I have been in pursuit of him many a time, and made much enquiry after him, but could never find him, nor hear of him, where I have been: It may be some may wonder if I should here declare myself a Gentleman. I am sure I have a very fair Coat of Arms to show sored, though I confess I bought them. Truly Friends, I think the Good Old Cause had not so well prospered, in case I had not went Agent to the other world; whither I had not so soon went, but that I thought I might meet many of the Cavaliers there, and be a continual plague to them, by the Interest I had in the black Prince. Indeed I must needs say he shown me a great respect at my first arrival, especially when I did but name my Father Cromwell and bradshaw's names to him, though at first he took my Father in law to be Dick his Son: but when I informed him he formerly went by another name in his youth, he quickly remembered him, but why should I trouble you with this at this time: I am come hitherto give an account to the Law for my former transactions, ('tis strange a man should give account for that he never cared for) but although you may for breach of them condemn me, and these my Friends, yet we have very good Friends whither we are going, and such as love those best, as are of our Principles: And now I speak of Principles; I ought to tell you what they are, but you know them too well already, however I must be talking if I cannot do any thing. Well, were our Army alive, I think we should not stand thus on Confessions; but it matters not, we have not been ashamed of worse actions than these, and why should we be afraid now: We have that I am sure in us will carry us through ten thousand of these disgraces, and bring us safe to our own homes; We have I assure you a remnant left among you, that will stand for and justify us, though at last they stand where we do: A remnant I say of those Agitating spirits that were in my days, that will stand close by the Good Old Cause, though they are sure to meet with Hell and Damnation in the end, which they need not doubt of; and if you all well understood yourselves, you would be of my mind; Friends, wonder not if I have not mentioned any thing of Religion, for I so much loved the thing, that I ever hated the name, and am an utter enemy to all that pretend to it; and for the Law, I think in all my actions you may see I never owned that: But indeed, I had almost forgot to tell my title of Honour, which was Lord Deputy of Ireland, Noll Cromwell's own son (though some thought I was only so by Law) but you know I would never endure that term in all my life: And so now I hope I have satisfied you all, yet no more than you knew before, therefore you are all fools to stand so long in the cold for nothing, and so good night to you; for I am going where I shall be warm enough: Only remember me to my Brother the Lord Major that was, who if you had had any wit, you had never made choice of such a Fool, who (though my Brother) hath no more wit than his Horse. His EPITAPH. Thus ends he that did betray His King and Country, made a prey Of Law and Gospel, and did spend His chiefest skill to put an end To Kingly Power, and throw down Both the King's Title, and his Crown. Bradshaw's Speech at the Gallows. Good People, I Am here become a sad Spectacle to you this day, and indeed I ever thought I should arrive here one day; If I should tell you where I was born, it would be to no purpose, because my Country hath disowned me; I was bred to the profession of the Law, a Judge, nay, a Precedent too, and all to serve this old Gentleman, (pointing to Cromwell.) I found out the first invention for giving opprobrious, wicked, and villainous language to Kings; for which we are now come to a recompense here, but seeing our designs thrive no better here, we will see what we can do in the other World. And truly, I am only now sorry that this good Gentleman, and I should ever differ, considering we served both one Master, and how alike we were in every thing, not only in our Faces, but even in our very lives and death, being all of a mettle too. But the truth is, he had a King in his Belly, and I had a Commonwealth in mine; and to tell you, I thought by it, I was the biger man, and yet I must study the confusion of the Law on the top of Westminster-Abby, in a little Room; and he must have all Whitehall to himself; indeed Friends, you cannot but judge this unjust, and this was the rise of our difference, and though he made me cross the Cudgels to him, yet at last I got possession of White-Hall, and a Precedent I was there too, for I cannot love to go backward in my honours, for the same place is kept for me where I am going, else I should quarrel there too, and set all in a flame; and if Old Nick be not too cunning for us, we shall spoil his Monarchy, and make it a Christian Commonwealth. And truly I think James Harrington hath hit it as well as may be, and for my part, I was angry he did not put my Name as Author of it, because I was ever noted that way beyond him; and now to be a Commissioner of the Great Seal, is a fine thing indeed, I hope I shall have that place too, else I shall not be pleased, and besides there's a great deal of reason for it, nor do I covet to have all neither, but my share, my share. But Gentlemen, I am too too worldly at this place; you expect to hear somewhat of my Religion, and for my part, I never knew any such thing in a Commonwealth, except the Jewish Religion, and truly that I would be soon of, did I love any, because they Crucify'd their King; and truly I may be thought a Jew for the same thing; but though I love the practice, I hate the Religion, it having been so much defaced in my Dear Friend and Brother Miles Corbet; as to the love of my Country, indeed I would do much for her, and if she would but go with me where I am going, I am confident I could procure her to be the Signior Commonwealth, and should take place of Holland, in spite of their Butter Boxes, although I must confess they are to be highly commended too, for their Religion. Thus far you may easily understand me, I think, and were I not sufficiently known, I should tell you much more, but I think there is one general mistake among you all, in thinking me to be an able Lawyer, indeed Friends I must needs clear meself, and profess my ignorance of that, which my thinks you may easily understand by my continual practice against either Law or Reason, and therefore that doubt is easily cleared: Truly Friends, my case now, may be some of yours hereafter, and therefore I tell you one thing for your comfort, you talk, and many talk of a thing called Conscience, trouble of Conscience; truly I must tell you, I believe there is no such thing, if there were, sure I might have been acquainted with it, having ventured far in search of it; thereof take my counsel and course, and you will never fear that, and indeed 'tis only a fear. Well Friends, you have warm Cloth on, and do not much feel the cold, but let me tell you I do, being but thin clad, on purpose for my journey, being to go into a very hot Country, where, if it be any of your fortune● to come, gentlemans you shall not want a Precedent, I'll promise you that: And now I think I have spoken more than you expected I should, and therefore I may now freely take my leave of you, for here's so good company goes along, that I would not stay behind upon any terms, and so I wish you all a good night. His EPITAPH. Law lies a bleeding, Monarchy▪ Extinguished, sure the Law must die. Yet both revive, and Bradshaws made A sa● example to his Trade. His end to all 's a good take heed, How they the bounds of Law exceed. FINIS.