130 THE KING'S ANSWER TO THE ADDRESS.

science, and grant his Dissenting subjects an ample liberty to worship God in the way they are persuaded is most agreeable to His will, but gives them his kingly word the same shall continue during his reign; we do (as our friends of this city have already done) render the King our humble, Christian, and thankful acknowledgments, not only in behalf of ourselves, but with respect to our friends throughout England and Wales; and pray God with all our hearts to bless and preserve thee, O King, and those under thee in so good a work! And as we can assure the King it is well accepted in the several counties from whence we came, so we hope the good effects thereof for the peace, trade, and prosperity of the kingdom will produce such a concurrence from the Parliament as may secure it to our posterity in after times. And while we live, it shall be our endeavour (through God's grace) to demean ourselves as in conscience to God, and duty to the King, we are obliged.

His peaceable, loving, and faithful Subjects.

THE KING'S ANSWER.

GENTLEMEN,-I thank you heartily for your Address. Some of you know (I am sure you do, Mr Penn) that it was always my principle that conscience ought not to be forced, and that all men ought to have the liberty of their consciences; and what I have promised in my Declaration, I will continue to perform as long as I live; and I hope, before I die, to settle it so that after ages shall have no reason to alter it.

The dying SPEECH of ROBERT FRANCIS, of Gray's Inn, Esq., July 24, 1685, delivered by his own hand to the Ordinary at the place of Execution, desiring the same might be published.

I AM here, by the divine permission and providence of God, become a spectacle to God, angels, and men, for a rash, extravagant, and imprudent act, wherein I do confess I have not only offended against the government and courts of justice, but against Christianity, and even the rules of morality itself. Nevertheless (I hope) not only the Court, but all unbiassed men, from the several circumstances of the fact, are satisfied that I had no malicious intent of doing what fell out, nor had any grudge or personal prejudice to him upon any account whatsoever, more than what all honest and good men could not but have, that love the king and the government. The solemn truth of all which I have declared, not only upon the holy sacrament I received from Mr Master, but also that I never knew nor saw him before that unhappy moment, save once at a distance in the pillory at Westminster, and do now, as a dying man, solemnly avow and protest the same. I therefore, I hope, I may boldly say, I am not conscious of any guilt before God as to the malice. However, God in His great wisdom has been pleased to suffer this great calamity to fall upon me, and I hope this His severe chastisement is in order to bring me to Himself, when softer means had not sufficiently

132

HIS DYING SPEECH,

done it. All them that know me (I am sure) will do me that justice as to believe I am far from having done it either wilfully or mercenarily (as most untruly is reported). And that these honourable persons are above the thoughts of such unworthy things, for which they have been as maliciously as falsely traduced upon my score; I beg their pardon for the scandal I have unhappily been the occasion of, and desire this acknowledgment may be by them accepted as a reparation, since to disown it at this time of my death is all the satisfaction I am able to make them. As to my religion (however I have been represented), there are people that knew me at the University, and since that can be my witnesses, how obedient and zealous a son of the Church of England (by law established) I have been. And these worthy divines that did me the favour to visit me in affliction, will give the world an account (as occasion serves) of my integrity therein; and if I had been as zealous in the service of God as my Prince, he would not have left me so much to myself, as to have permitted me to have fallen into this unexpected extremity. And as for my morals, the honourable Society of Gray's Inn will answer for me, that in above these twelve years time I have had the honour of being admitted a member of that Society, I never had any quarrel or controversy with any member thereof; and all persons with whom I have had conversation, I question not, will give a good character of my innocent and peaceable behaviour. I pray God Almighty preserve and bless his most sacred Majesty, his royal consort Queen Mary, Catherine the

DELIVERED BY HIS OWN HAND

133

Queen Dowager, their royal highnesses, and all the royal family; and grant that these may never want one of that royal line to sway the sceptres of these kingdoms as long as sun and moon endure. In the union and love of his subjects, strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies, which I am glad to have seen so much prospect of, and am only sorry I am cut off from seeing my so much-desired satisfaction of those happy days all his good subjects will enjoy under his auspicious government. I pray God forgive me my sins that have made me unworthy of that blessing. Blessed be the Lord that I have lived, SO as not to be ashamed to live, or afraid to die; though I cannot but regret my being made a sacrifice to the faction who, I am satisfied, are the only people that will rejoice in my ruin; for there is no man that loves his Prince, but will lament that nothing less than the blood of an inoffensive man (save in this single extravagance) can satisfy them for the sudden intemperate transport of zeal and passion against one so notoriously wicked and infamous; for I do protest, before Almighty God (before whom I shall immediately appear), that when I went to the coach-side, I did not intend so much as to speak to him, or believe I could have had opportunity of so doing, much less of doing him any harm. Neither is it probable I should, with a small bamboo-cane, no bigger than a man's little finger, without any iron upon it, much less a dart in it, as it was most industriously spread abroad to prejudice me in the opinion of the world; for, if I had had such a wicked design intentionally, I

had a little short sword by my side much more proper for such a purpose. And further, if I had believed or known that I had done any harm to him, I had opportunity enough of escaping afterwards, which I never endeavoured. Now, all these things being duly weighed with their several circumstances, I leave my sad case to the consideration of all sober and charitable men. However, I would not have this to be interpreted as a reflection upon the Court, who, I doubt not, are by this time satisfied (and Mr Recorder did in open Court declare) that in their consciences they did not believe I maliciously designed him the mischief that happened, but that it was purely accidental. But in the strict construction of law, I was found guilty of murder. But that which most sensibly afflicts me, and is worse to me than death, that I cannot suffer alone, but that they have not only raised scandals upon me in particular preparatory to it, but upon my poor innocent wife, as if my jealousy of her had been the reason of my animosity to Dangerfield, when I am morally certain she never saw him in her whole life, save that fatal moment, and no couple (as hundreds can witness) have lived in better correspondence. And, besides that, she is as virtuous a woman as lives, and born of so good and loyal a family, that if she had been so inclined, she would have scorned to have prostituted herself to such a profligate person; but, on the contrary (God is my witness), I never had any such thoughts of her, and do as verily believe, as there is a God in heaven, I never had any reason, she having always been the most indulgent, kind, and