Copy 1

The chronicle of Queen Jane, and of two years of Queen Mary, and especially of the rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyat / Written by a resident in the Tower of London. Ed., with illustrative documents and notes, by John Gough Nichols.

Date:
[1850]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The chronicle of Queen Jane, and of two years of Queen Mary, and especially of the rebellion of Sir Thomas Wyat / Written by a resident in the Tower of London. Ed., with illustrative documents and notes, by John Gough Nichols. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    33/212 (page 21)
    of diverse gentyllmen, alwaies praying theym to forgeve and pray for him. His countenaunce never changed, but rather he semed more cherefull in countenaunce then when he was most at his libertye in his life-tyme. Anon, the sherive and sir John Gadge had made redy the indentures; then was sir John Gates brout out of the levete- nauntes house, and sett at the garden gate; then the(y) went for the duke, who within a littell while cam fourthe, and sir Thomas Palmer after him; and at the garden gate the duke and sir John Gates mett and spake together. “ Sir John,” saieth the duke, “ God have mercy upon us, for this daie shall ende bothe our lives. And I praye you forgeve me whatsoever I have offended; and I forgeve you with all my harte, althoughe you and your counsaill was a great occasion herof.” Well, my lorde,” saithe sir John Gates, “I forgive you as I wolde be forgeven; and yet you and your auctoritye was the onely originall cause of all together; but the Lorde pardon you, and I praie you forgeve me.” So, ether making obeasaunce to other, the duke proceded. The duke of Somerset’s sonnes stoode therby. And when he came apon the scaffolde, first, he put of his gowne of crane-colored damaske, and then he leaned apon the raile towarde the est, and saide to the people, allmost in every poynt as he had saide in the chapell,@ saving that when he came to the confession of a «« This present daye the duke of Northumberlande, sir John Gates, and master Pal- mere, came to executione, and suffered deathe. The duke’s confessyon was in effecte but lytle, as I hard saye ; hee confessed himselfe worthie to dye, and that he was a greate helper in of this religion which is false, thearfore God had punished us with the lose of kinge Henry 8, and also with the lose of king Edward 6, then with rebellione, and aftere with the swetinge sicknes, and yet we would not turne. Requiringe them all that weare presente to remember the ould learninge, thankinge God that he would vutsafe to call him nowe to be a Christyane, for this 16 yeares he had byne non. Theare weare a greate nom- ber turned with his words. He wished every man not to be covetous, for that was a greate parte of his distruction. He was asked further yf he had any thinge moare to saye, and he said nothinge but that he was worthie to dye, and so was moe than he, but he cam to dye, and not to accuse any mane. And thus bouldly he spak, tyll he layd his head on the block.’’ (Letter of William Dalby, as before cited.) Another account of the duke of Northumberland’s confession, from the MS. Harl. 284, is printed in Bayley’s History of the Tower of London, Appx. p. xlviii.; and by Tytler, vol. ii. p. 230, who refers to others in MS, Cotton, Titus, B 11. in MS. Reg. 12 A 26 (in Latin), and an abstract in MS. Harl, 2194.