'Upon Wednesday last (being the 20 of this instant June, 1649) Richard Brandon, the late Executioner and Hangman, who beheaded his late Majesty, King of Great Brittaine, departed this life. But during the time of his sicknesse his conscience was much troubled, and exceedingly perplexed in mind, yet little shew of repentance, for remission of his sins, and by past transgressions, which had so much power and influence upon him, that he seemed to live in them and they in him. And upon Sunday last, a young man of his acquaintance going in to visit him, fell into discourse, asked him how he did, and whether he was not troubled in conscience, for cutting off of the King's head? 'He replied by reason that (upon the time of his tryal, and at the denouncing of Sentence against him) he had taken a vow and protestation, _wishing God to perish him body and soul, if ever he appeared on the scaffold to do the act or lift up his hand against him_. 'Further acknowledging, _That he was no sooner entered upon the scaffold, but immediately he fell a trembling, and hath ever since continued in the like agony_. 'He likewise confessed that he had 30 pounds for his pains, all paid him in half-crowns, within an hour after the blow was given, and that he had an orange stuck full of cloves, and a handkircher out of the King's pocket, so soon as he was carried off from the scaffold; for which orange he was proffered 20 shillings by a gentleman in Whitehall, but refused the same, and afterwards sold it for ten S. in Rosemary-lane. 'About 6 of the clock at night he returned home to his wife living in Rosemary Lane, and gave her the money, saying, _That it was the deerest money that ever he earned in his life, for it would cost him his life_. Which prophetical words were soon made manifest; for it appeared that ever since he hath been in a most sad condition, and upon the Almightie's first scourging of him with the Rod of meeknesse, and the friendly admonition of divers friends, for the calling of him to repentance, yet he persisted on in his vicious Vices, and would not hearken thereunto, but lay raging and swearing, and still pointing at one thing or another, which he conceived to appear visible before him.