In the letter from Miles Corbett, and Valentine Walton to Mr. Lenthall the speaker, directed, Haste, Haste, Post Haste, the account agrees with the examination of Dr. Hudson, with respect to the king's coming with Hudson to Downham, and lodging there on Thursday the last day of April, but states that they cannot learn where they were on Friday night. It afterwards mentions several particular circumstances, as their being at a blind alehouse at Crimplesham about eight miles from Lynn, and the king's being in a parson's habit, and changing his black coat and cassock for a grey one procured by Mr. Skipwith; and that his majesty bought a new hat at Downham. But these particulars seem to be delivered more from hearsay accounts, than regular evidence. The main of June, 1646, he was disovered at Rochester, brought to London, and committed prisoner to London house. On Nov. 18, he escaped from his prison, and in January following he was retaken, and committed close prisoner to the Tower. He escaped also from thence in the beginning of 1648. On the 6th of June that year, intelligence was brought to the parliament that the royalists were in arms in Lincolnshire under the command of Dr. Hudson; and two days after, information came from col. Tho. Waite that he had suppressed the insur rection of malignants at Stamford in Lincolnshire, and had killed their commander Dr. Hudson. The circumstances of his death were attended with peculiar barbarity. He fled with the chief of his party to Woodcroft house near Peterborough. The house being forced, and most of the royalists taken, Hudson, with some of the most courageous, went to the battlements, where they defended themselves for some time. At length, upon promise of quarter, they yielded; but when they had so done, the promise of quarter was broken. Hudson being thrown over the battlements, caught old of a spout, or out-stone, and there hung: but his hands being cut off, he fell into the moat underneath, much wounded, and desired to come on land to die there. he approached the shore, one of his enemies beat his brains out with the butt end of his musket. See A. Wood, Vol. II. col. 113.] 5 As purport purport of this letter confirms the deposition in Dr. Hudson's examination, that the king certainly was at Downham, on the last of April, or the first of May and in fact he was there on both days, coming to that place on the last of April, and leaving it on the first of May. Mr. Ferrar's MS. asserts that the king came very privately to Gidding, May 2. Dr. Hudson says the king slept at Coppinford, May 1. These two accounts may easily be reconciled. Dr. Hudson reckons the night, or time of his majesty's lodging and sleeping, as belonging to the preceding day, on which he came from Downham or Crimplesham, which was May the first. But as the king came very privately to Gidding, and in the very dead of the night; and as it must necessarily require some time to provide for his lodging at Coppinford, this would of course break into the morning of May the 2 and Mr. Ferrar might with equal propriety say that the king came very privately to Gidding, and that he conducted his majesty to sleep at Coppinford, May 2. These circumstances must awaken the compassion of every feeling heart, even amongst those who are disposed to lay the heaviest load of blame 7 Awaken the compassion.] The distresses of this unhappy Monarch, independently of the last bloody scene of the tragedy, excited much commiseration in the English hearts even of many who never sided amongst his partizans in the war. We are told in the Life of Mr. Thomas Rosewell, afterwards a Dissenting Minister, and who was found guilty of Treason in the reign of Charles II, that travelling a little from home, he accidentally saw King Charles the first, in the fields, sitting at dinner under a tree, with some few persons about him. This made such deep impressions in his young and tender mind, as disposed him to the greater compassion and loyalty towards that unhappy Monarch." Trial of Mr. Thomas Rosewell, p. 5. прод upon the king: since they are mentioned not as an insinuation that he was free from faults, or as an extenuation of those with which he might be justly charged: but as a proof of very affecting distress, and a strong instance of the instability of worldly greatness. He had his faults; and who hath not? but let it be remembered that there were virtues to set in the balance against them. I have been anxious to ascertain this point, from a desire to make it known beyond all doubt, what was the very last place where this most unfortunate prince was in the hands of those whom he might safely trust, and under the protection of an honest and confidential friend; and that this place was the residence, and now contains the remains of that worthy person to whose memory these pages are devoted. In fitting up the house at Gidding, moral sentences, and short passages from the Scriptures had been put up in various places; and in the great parlour 8 Passages from the Scriptures.] This was according to a practice introduced, both into houses and churches, about the time of the Reformation. 66 Christophor. I am loth to go so soone out of this your Hall, which feedeth mine eies with so many godly and goodly spectacles. Philemon. Why is here any thing that you thinke worthy to be looked upon? Christoph. Every thing is here so pleasaunte and comfortable to the eye of a Christian man, that he being in this Haull maye justlye seeme to be in a delectable paradise, I had almost sayd in another heaven. For here is nothing dumme: all things speake. Theophile. I pray you what is there written upon your parclose dore? Philem. The saying of Christ, I am the dore: by me if any man entreth in, he shall be safe, and shall goe in and out, and shall find pasture. This is done to put me and my housholde in remembrance that Christ is the dore by whome we must enter into the favour of God. Eusebius. This is christenly done. What is this, that is written upon your chimney? Phil. The saying of the Prophete Esay, The fire of them shall not be quenched. Christ. parlour was an inscription which gave rise to much speculation and censure. It was nevertheless first approved of by several judicious divines, and particularly This is a terrible and hard saying. Phil. I have paynted this sentence in that place, that as the other fixed upon the dore maketh me to rejoyse and to put my whole affyaunce in Christ, so this in like mauer should absterre and feare me and mine from doyng evil whan by lookyng on this text we consider with ourselves the unquencheable flames of hell fier.-Euseb. What have ye there written in your window? Phitem. Christes saying in the Gospel of S. John, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me walketh not in darkeness, but shall have the light of life. Theoph. Your table also, me thinke, speaketh. Philem. Herein is graven the saying of Christ, Blessed is he that eateth bread in the kingdom of God. This is to admonish us, that we should not have all our pleasure in eating, drinking, and banketing after the maner of Epicures, but rather desier so to live in this world, that after this life we may be fed in the joyful kingdom of God by enjoying the most glorious sight of the divine majestie. Euseb. What have ye paynted over youre table? Philem. The sayinge of the prophete Esay, yea rather the commaundement of God by his Prophet, Breake thy bread to the hungry, and leade in the needy and way-faring into thy house. Euseb. I pray you what is that your chaires and stoles have carved on them? Philem. A saying of Christ in the Revelation of John; To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne. It is not unknowen to you, I am sure, how comfortable a thing it is for a wery body to sit, and to have a restyng place. Certes it is a thousande times more comfortable to have a place where body and soule after so many great and daungerous conflictes in this miserable worlde, may quietly rest. Therefore have I wrytten this texte on my chayres and stoles, to put me and myne in remembrance, that if we will find rest after this life, we must seriously not dally, but fighte with Satan our enemy." The cup, the dishes, the laver, the virginals, the door posts, all had their respective superscriptions in the house of Philemon, which are recounted in the progress of the Dialogue. The last instance mentioned, is the following. "Euseb. I pray you what two great tables have you hanging there openly? Phil. This is the table of the Ten Commaundements, which teacheth us what we ought to do, and what to eschewe. The other is a table also which containeth in it the offices of all degrees and ticularly by Mr. Herbert, who advised it to be engraved in brass, and so hung up that it might be seen of all. But calumny was now gone forth, and nothing could be done at Gidding that was not subjected to the severest misrepresentation. The inscription was as follows: Mary Ferrar, Widow aged fourscore years (who bids adieu to all fears and hopes of this world set up this Table. The and estates. It teacheth us what we owe to our most noble Prince, to our parentes, and to all superioures. In this table every man from the highest degree to the lowest may learne his office and duety. Therefore are these two tables red every day openly in my house: my wife and children, with all my servaunts beyng called thereunto, and giving attendance diligently to the reading of the same. If any of my houshold transgresse any parcel of God's lawe, he is brought streight way to these tables, and by them is his faulte declared unto hym. This is the order of my house. Other correccion than |