[219] See Hakluyt’s record of the daring and endurance of our Elizabethan seamen.—F.
[220] “Confession by torment is esteemed for nothing, for if hee confesse at the iudgement, the tryall of the 12 goeth not vpon him; if hee deny the fact: that which he said before, hindreth him not. The nature of English-men is to neglect death, to abide no torment: and therefore hee will confesse rather to haue done anything, yea to haue killed his owne father, than to suffer torment: for death, our nation doth not so much esteeme as a meere torment. In no place shall you see malefactors goe more constantly, more assuredly, and with lesse lamentation to their death than in England.... The nature of our nation is free, stout, haulty, prodigall of life and blood; but contumely, beating, servitude, and seruile torment, and punishment; it will not abide. So in this nature & fashion, our ancient Princes and legislatoors haue nourished them, as to make them stout-hearted, couragious, and souldiers, not villaines and slaues; and that is the scope almost of all our Policie.”—Sir Thomas Smith’s Commonwealth of England, ed. 1621, p. 97, Book II., chap. 27 (not 25).—F.
[221] But see how felons who won’t confess are pressed to death by heavy weights.—F.
[222] A.D. 1586. Hol. iii. 1434, col. 2. “On the one and twentith daie of Ianuarie, two Seminarie preests (before arreigned and condemned) were drawne to Tiburne, and there hanged, bowelled, and quartered. Also on the same daie a wench was burnt in Smithfield, for poisoning of hir aunt and mistresse, and also attempting to haue doon the like to hir vncle.”——A.D. 1577. “The thirtith daie of Nouember, Cutbert Maine was drawne, hanged, and quartered at Lanceston in Cornewall for preferring Romane power ... 1577-8. The third daie of Februarie, John Nelson, for denieng the queenes supremasie, and such other traitorous words against hir maiestie, was drawne from Newgate to Tiburne, and there hanged, bowelled, and quartered. And on the seuenth of the same moneth of Februarie, Thomas Sherewin was likewise drawne from the tower of London to Tiburne, and there hanged, bowelled, and quartered for the like offense.”—Holinshed iii. 1271, col. 1, l. 15, l. 47—F.
[223] A.D. 1540. “The eight and twentith of Julie (as you have heard before), the Lord Cromwell was beheaded, and likewise with him the Lord Hungerford of Heitesburie, who at the houre of his death seemed vnquiet, as manie iudged him rather in a frensie than otherwise: he suffered for buggerie.”—Holinshed, iii. 952, col. 2, l. 21. See the rest of the column for other executions for heresy, for affirming Henry VIII.’s marriage with his first queen, Katherine, to be good, for treason, and for robbing a lady.—F.
[224] A.D. 1580, ann. Elizabeth 23. “The eight and twentith daie of Nouember, were arreigned in the King’s [Queen’s] Bench, William Randoll for coniuring to know where treasure was hid in the earth, and goods felloniouslie taken, were become: Thomas Elks, Thomas Lupton, Rafe Spacie, and Christopher Waddington, for being present, aiding, and procuring the said Randoll to the coniuration aforesaid: Randoll, Elks, Spacie, and Waddington, were found guiltie, and had iudgement to be hanged: Randoll was executed, the other were repriued.”—Holinshed, iii. 1314, col. 2, l. 68.——A.D. 1587. “The thirteenth of Januarie, a man was draune to Saint Thomas of Waterings, and there hanged, headed and quartered, for begging by a licence whereunto the queenes hand was counterfeited.”—Holinshed, iii. 1315, col. 1, l. 46.—F.
[225] Cap. 8, Record Commission Statutes.—F.
[226] Sir John Falstaff.—F.
[227] Mr. William Shakspere.—F.
[228] A.D. 1569-70. “The seven and twentith of Januarie, Philip Mestrell, a Frenchman, and two Englishmen, were draune from Newgate to Tiburne, and there hanged, the Frenchman quartered, who had coined gold counterfeit; the Englishmen, the one had dipped silver, the other, cast testons of tin.”—Hol., iii. 1211, col. 1, l. 65.——A.D. 1577-8. “The fiue and twentith of Februarie, John de Loy, a Frenchman, and fiue English gentlemen, was conueied from the tower of London towards Norwich, there to be arreigned and executed for coining of monie counterfeit.”—Hol., iii. 1271, col. 1, l. 55.—F.