Picturesque Sketches of London, Past and PresentMiller, Thomas
Philosophy
Picturesque Sketches of London, Past and Present
Miller, Thomas
London (England) -- Description and travel
"She sayd to the people standing thereabout: 'Good people, I am come
hether to die, and by a lawe I am condemned to the same. The facte,
indede, against the quenes highnesse was unlawful, and the consenting
thereunto by me; but touching the procurement and desyre therof by me or
on my halfe, I doo wash my handes thereof in innocencie, before God and
the face of you, good Christian people, this day,' and therewith she
wrong hir handes, in which she had hir booke. Then she sayd, 'I pray you
all, good Christian people, to bear me witness that I dye a true
Christian woman, and that I looke to be saved by none other meane but
only by the mercy of God in the merites of the blood of his only sonne
Jesus Christ: and I confesse, when I dyd know the word of God I
neglected the same, loved my selfe and the world, and therefore this
plague or punyshment is happely and worthely happened unto me for my
sins; and yet I thank God of his goodnesse that he hath thus geven me a
tyme and respet to repent. And now, good people, while I am alyve, I
pray you to assyst me with your prayers.' And then, knelyng downe, she
turned to Fecknam, saying, 'Shall I say this psalme?' And he said 'Yea.'
Then she said the psalme of _Miserere mei, Deus_, in English, in most
devout manner, to the end. Then she stode up, and gave her maiden,
mistress Tylney, her gloves and handkercher, and her booke to maister
Bruges, the levetenantes brother; forthwith she untyed her gown. The
hangman went to her to help her of therewith; then she desyred him to
let her alone, turning towardes her two gentylwomen, who helped her off
therwith, and also with her frose past and neckercher, geving to her a
fayre handkercher to knytte about her eyes. Then the hangman kneeled
downe and asked her forgevenesse, whome she forgave most willingly. Then
he willed her to stand upon the strawe; which doing, she sawe the
blocke. Then she sayd, 'I pray you dispatch me quickly.' Then she
kneeled down, saying, 'Wil you take it (her head) off before I lay me
downe?' and the hangman answered her, 'No, madame.' She tyed the kercher
about her eys; then feeling for the blocke, saide, 'What shall I do?
Where is it?' One of the standers-by guyding her therunto, she layde her
heade down upon the blocke, and stretched forth her body, and said,
'Lorde, into thy hands I commende my spirite!' And so she ended."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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