A True and Perfect RELATION, Of the most remarkable Passages and Speeches at, and before the Death of His EXCELLENCE JAMES MARQVES of MONTROSE Earl of Kincardin, Lord Graeme, Baron of Mont-dieu, etc.▪ Knight of the most Honourable Order of Saint George.  
Lieutenant Governor and Captain General for His Majesty in the Kingdom of Scotland.  
Faithfully collected by an Eye witness; In EDINBURGH as they happened upon the 18. 20. and the 21. of May 1650.  
ANNO M.D.C.L.   

A True and Perfect RELATION, Of all the Passages concerning the Examination, Trial and Death of the most Honble: James Marquis of Montrose, Earl of Kincardin, Lord Graeme, Baron of Mont-dieu, etc. Knight of the most Honourable Order of St. George. Lieutenant Governor & Captain General for His Majesty in the Kingdom of Scotland.  
THe Parliament of Scotland being informed that the Marquis of Montrose was taken, and foreseeing that his countenance and carriage might gain him some favour amongst the People, thought fit to give out their sentence against him before he should come to Edinburgh. And therefore upon the 17. of May anno 1650. in the morning, they appointed a Comittie to prepare and give in their opinions what was fittest to be done with him, where the same forenoon they gave in their report in writing to this Effect: That so soon as he should come to the Town, he should be met at the Gate by the Magistrates, and Hangman; That he should be tied with cords upon a Cart bareheaded, and the Hangman to ride upon the horse that drew the Cart covered before him, and so to be brought through the town. That He should be hanged on a gibbet at the Cross of Edinburgh until he died, His History, and Declaration hanging about his neck, and so hang three hours in Public view of all the People: after which He should be beheaded, and quartered. His head to be fixed upon the Prison house of Edinburgh, & his Legs and arms over the gates of the Cities of Sterling, Glascowe, Perth alias Saint johns-towne and Aberdeine. And in Case He repent not, (whereby the Sentence of Excommunication may be taken of by the Church): the Bulk of His body should be buried in the Grey friars; if not, to be buried in the Boromoore.  
Upon the 18. day about 4. a clock in the afternoon, He Was brought in at the Water Gate, and according to the Sentence was met by the Magistrates, the guards, and the Hangman of the City, the rest of the Prisoners being tied two and two together, going bareheaded before him; So soon as He came within the Gate the Magistrates shown Him the Sentence, which when He had read, and perceived the Cart, and Hangman there ready, He said; He would willingly obey, He was only sorry that through Him, His Majesty whose Person he presented, should be so dishonoured. then going cheerfully into the Cart, He being uncovered was by the Hangman tied thereunto with Ropes, and the Hangman on the horse rid covered, thus was He carried to the prison, and in all the way, there appeared in Him such a Majesty, Courage, & Modesty, no way Daunted, That His very Enemies, nay common women, who as it was believed by divers would have stoned Him in the Cart as he passed, were upon the sight of Him so astonished, & moved: that their intended curses, were turned, into Tears & Prayers for Him; In so much as the next day (being Sunday), the Ministers Preached against them for not reviling and stoning of Him as he passed along.  
When He was taken from the Cart, He gave the Hangman gold, telling him that was a reward for driving the Cart: It was seven a clock at night before he was entered into the Prison, and immediately the Parliament met, & sent some of their Members, and some Ministers to examine Him; but He refused to Answer any thing to them, until He was satisfied upon what terms they stood with the King, His Royal Master. which being reported unto the Parliament, they ceased proceeding against Him until Monday, and allowed their Commissioners to tell Him that the King, & they were agreed: He desired to be at rest for He was weary with a long journey, & He said The Compliment they had put upon him that day was somewhat tedious.  
The next day being Sunday, He was constantly attended by Ministers and Parliament men, who still pursued him with threaten but they got no advantage of Him; He told them, They thought they had a fronted him the day before by carring him in a cart, but they were much mistaken; For he thought it the most Honourable & joyfulst journey that ever he made, God Having all the while most comfortably manifested His presence to him, and furnishing Him with resolution to over look the reproaches of men, and to behold him, for whose cause He suffered.  
Upon Monday in the forenoon, He was brought before the Parliament and after the delivery of a Long penned discourse by the Chancellor where in he was pleased to take notice of His miscarriages against the first Covenant, the League and Covenant, His Invasion, & joining with the Irish Rebels & blood gultines; and that now, how God had brought Him to just punishment: He desired to know if he might be allowed to speak for himself, which being Granted, He said, Since you have declared unto me, that you have agreed with the King, I look upon you, as if His MAJESTY were sitting amongst you, and in that Relation I appear with this reverence bareheaded: My Care hath been always to walk as became a good Christian, and a Loyal Subject; I engaged in the first Covenant, and was faithful to it, until I perceived some private Persons under Colour of Religion intended to wring the Authority from the King, and to seize on it for themselves; and when it was thought fit for the clearing of honest men that a bond should be subscribed, wherein the security of Religion was sufficiently provided for, I subscribed. For the League and Covenant, I thank God I was never in it, and so could not break it, but how far Religion hath been advanced by it, and the sad consequences that have followed on it, these poor distressed Kingdoms can witness. for when His Late MAJESTY had by the Blessing of God almost subdued those Rebels that risen against him in England, and that a faction of this Kingdom went in to the assistance of those Rebels, His MAJESTY gave Commission to me, to come into this Kingdom, and to make a diversion of those forces that were going from hence against Him I acknowleged the command most Just, and I conceived myself bound in conscience and duty to obey it, what my carriage was in this Country many of you may bear witness; Disorders in an Army can not be prevented, but they were no sooner known, then punished; never was any man's blood spilt but in Battle, & even then many thousand Lives have I preserved; and as I came in upon His MAJESTY'S Warrant: so upon His Letters did I lay aside all Interest, and retreat.  
And for my coming in at this time, it was by His MAJESTY'S commands, in order to the accelerating of the Treaty betwixt Him & You; His MAJESTY knowing that when ever He had ended with you I was ready to retire upon his call. I may justly say, that never subject acted upon more Honourable grounds, nor by so lawful a power, as I did in this service; and therefore I desire you to lay aside prejudice, and consider me as a Christian in relation to the justice of the quarrel; as a Subject in relation to my Royal Master's commands; and as your Neighbour in relation to the many of your Lives, I have preserved in battle; & be not too, rash but let me be judged by the Laws of God, the Laws of Nature, and Nations, and the Laws of this Land; if you do otherwise, I do hear appeal from you, to the Righteous judge of the world, who one day must be both your judge and mine, and who always gives Righteous judgement.  
This he delivered with such Gravity, & with out Passion, as was much admired even of His Enemies: After which, the Chancellor commanded the Sentence to be read, which He heard with a settled and an unmoved countenance, and desiring to be further heard, was presently stopped by the Chancellor who commanded He should be presently removed back again to prison, where being no sooner come but the Ministers assault him afresh, agravating the terror of the Sentence, thereby to affright him; He acknowledged Himself much beholding to the Parliament for the Honour they put upon him saying, He took it for a greater Honour to have His Head stand upon the prison Gate for this Quarrel; then to have his picture in the King's Bedchamber. And (lest his Loyalty should be forgotten) they had highly Honoured him, in designing lasting monuments to four of the chiefest Cities, to bear up his memorial to all posterity. Wishing he had had flesh enough, to have sent a piece to Every City in Christendom to witness his Loyalty to his King and Country.  
His Friends were not suffered to come near him, but a guard was always in the Chamber with Him, in so much as He had neither time, nor place for His Private Devotions. but in their Hearing.  
The next day being the 21. Clothed in a Scarlet cloak richly Laced with Gould Lace, He was brought to the Scaffold: He came a long the streets with so great state, & there appeared in His countenance so much Beauty, Majesiie and Gravity, as amazed the behoulders; and many even of His Enemies did acknowledge Him to be the Gallants Subject in the world: but because all His Friends & well willers were debarred from coming near him; there was a boy designed for that purpose on the Scaffold who took His Last speech. Which was to this Effect.  
I am sorry if this manner of my End be Scandalous to any good Christian. Doth it not often happen to the righteous according to the ways of the wicked, and to the wicked, according to the ways of the righteous? doth not some time a just man perish in His righteousness, & a wicked man prosper in his malice? They who know me, should not disesteem me for this; many greater than I have been dealt with in this Kind; yet I must not say but that all God's judgements are Just; For my private sins, I acknowledge this to be Just with God, I submit myself to him: but in regard of man, I may say they are but instruments, God forgive them, I forgive them, they have oppressed the poor, and violently perverted judgement, and justice, but He that is higher than they will reward them.  
What I did in this Kingdom, was in obedience to the most just Commands of my Sovereign, For His defence in the day of His distrese, against those that risen up against him. I acknowledge nothing, but fear God and Honour the King, according to the commandments of God, and the Law of Nature, and Nations, and I have not sinned against man, but against God; and with Him there is Mercy, which is the ground of my drawing near unto him.  
It is objected against me by many, (even good People,) That I am under the Censure of the Church; This is not my fault, since it is only for doing my Duty, by Obeying my Prince's most just Commands for Religion, His Sacred Person, and Authority. Yet I am sorry they did excommunicate me; and in that, which is according to God's Laws; without wronging my conscience or allegiance I desire to be relaxed; if they will not thus do it, I appeal to God who is the righteous judge of the world, & who must; & will I hope be my judge and Saviour.  
It is spoken of me that I should blame the King (God forbidden,) For the Late King, He Lived a Saint, and Died a Martyr; I pray God, I may so end as He did; If ever I would wish my soul in an other man's stead, it should be in his. For His MAJESTY now Living, never People I believe might be more happy in a King: His commands to me were most just; in nothing that He promiseth will He fail, He deals justly with all men, I pray God He be so dealt with all that He be not betrayed under trust as His Father was.  
I desire not to be mistaken, as if my carriage at this time in Relation to your ways were stubborn; I do but follow the Light of my own conscience, which is seconded by the working of the Good Spirit of God that is within me, I thank him, I go to Heaven's throne with joy. If He enable me against the fear of Death, and furnish me with courage, and confidence to embrace it even in its most ugly shape: Let God be glorified in my end, though it were in my damnation. Yet I say not this out of any fear or distrust, but out of my Duty to God, and Love to his People.  
I have no more to say but that I desire your Charity, and Prayers. I shall pray for you all; I leave my Soul to God; my Service to m● Prince; my Goodwill to my Friends; and my Name, and Charity to You all. And thus briefly I have exonerated my Conscience.  
Being desired to pray a part, He said, I have already poured out my soul before the Lord who knows my heart, and into whose hands I have commended my Spirit, and he hath been graciously pleased to return to me a full assurance of peace in jesus Christ my Redeemer. And therefore if you will not join with me in prayer; my reiterating again will be both Scandalous to you, and me. So closing his Eyes, & holding up his hands, he stood a good space at his inward devotions. being perceived to be inwardly moved all the while; When He had done, He called for the Executioner, & gave him money, then having brought unto him hanging in a cord His Declaration, & History, He hanged them about his neck; saying, Though it hath pleased His Sacred MAJESTY that now is, to make him one of the Knights of the most Honourable Order of the Garter; yet He did not think himself more Honoured by the Garter, then by that cord; with the books which he would embrace about his neck with as much joy & content, as ever he did the Garter, or a chain of gold, & therefore desired them to be tied unto him as they pleased.  
When this was done & His arms tied, He asked the Officers, If they had any more Dishonour, as they conceived it, to put upon him, he was ready to accept it. And so with an Undaunted Courage & Gravity suffered, According to the Sentence passed upon him.  
FINIS.