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before his death , and in the following year were published in a small volume by two of his friends , under the title of " A Dying Father ' s Last Legacy , " as before mentioned . This
little boot is a most interesting publication j and I think it impossible to read it without forming a very high idea of the good sense and the amiable character of the writer .
On Wednesday the 10 th day of October , 1660 , the Lieutenant of the Tower , according to his warrant , delivered the regicides , together with Peters , to the Sheriff of London , when they were all conveyed in several coaches , with a strong guard of horse and foot , to Newgate . On the
Saturday following , Peters was put upon his trial at the Old Bailey , when he behaved with great firmness , and openly contradicted many things which were sworn agaiust him , particularly in the evideiice of Dr . Young . This man had been a violent declahner for the Parliament , and had
entertained Peters in his house for ten weeks , in order < l to get within him / 1 as he expressed it , " and learn his intentions . " Then , when Peters came upon his trial , this treacherous and
unprincipled wretch volunteered his evidence against him . Sir Orlando Bridgeman , the Lord Chief-Baron , and Finch , the Solicitor-General , seem to have been determined to
convict the prisoner . The latter in his charge to the jury told them , " the death of this man will preach better than his Jife ; and I hope , said he , 41 you will make an example of this carnal prophet . " In passing sentence ,
the Lord Chief-Baron paid him a compliment respecting his liberal education ; and then , having enlarged tnuch upon the enormity of inflicting death upon a king , he ordered him to be carried back to Newgate , to await the execution of the law . * On the
next day , which was Sunday , Peters was so composed as to be able to preach to his fellow-prisoners in Newgate , and others who came there to visit them . The text which he made choice of for the occasion was from Psalm xlii . : u Why art them cast down , O my soul ? And why art thou
* See the Trial of the Regicides , quarto , 1 G 0 O , pp . 155—184 .
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disquieted within nje ? Hope thou in God , for I shall yet praise him , " &c . * Some memorable occurrences in the last hours of this unfortunate man , and which were published soon after his death , tnu . st not be overlooked .
A night or two before he suffered , two of the king ' s chaplains paid him a visit in prison , to persuade him to repent of his activity in the Parliament cause , which they endeavoured to enforce upon him by a promise of pardon from the king ; but though
fcjs spirits were at that time much oppressed , he told them boldly , and with * a noble animation of spirit , that ** he had no cause in the least to repent of his adhering to that interest ; but rather , that he had in the prosecution thereof done no more for God and his
people in these nations : " and then , dismissing his visitants with civility , he addressed his conversation to some other ministers who were present , and wliom he judged better , able to comfort him at that trying season . + of
On Tuesday the l ^ th day October , Mr . John Cook , who had been Solicitor-General under Cromvvell , and Hugh Peters were drawn together on two hurdles to Charing-Cioss , the place of execution : and the
wretches who conducted the business had the brutality to place the head of Major-General Harrfcon , who had been executed on the Saturday before , all gory and uncovered , upon the hurdle which carried the
Solicitor-General , 011 purpose to intimidate him ; but it seemed to produce a contrary effect , and to animate him wilh courage , while it occasioned the warmestt expressions of detestation from the populace . %
" Being thus carried upon the sledge to execution , and made to sit therein within the rails at Charing-Cross , to behold the execution of Mr . Cook , one came to him and upbraided him with the death of the king , bidding him ( with opprobrious language ) to repent : he replied , with a truly Christian meekness of spirit /*' Friend ,
* See Speeches and Prayers of some of the late Kiwg- ' s Judges , quarto , 1660 , p . 58 . f Ibid . p . 61 . JLudlow ' s Memoirs . III . 62 .
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( $ 06 The Nonconformist . No . XIV .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1819, page 606, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1777/page/18/
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