EXECUTION OF THE EARL OF ARGYLE. Fox's History of James II. the| Earl of castle, 1971 and thence, On the thirtieth of | June, one thousand six | hundred | and | eighty | five, | Argyle was | brought from the first, to the | Laigh | council house, to the place of exe- | cution. |11|19| Be- | the | ber, was half | opened, | and | then he be- | held,| enjoying a sweet and | tranquil | slumber, man, who by the | doom of | him and his | fellows, was to die with- | in the | short | T space of two | hours. Struck with | the sight, quitted the castle with the utmost pre- | cipi- | tation, and | hid himself in the lodgings of an acquaintance who lived near, 17 where he threw himself upon the first | bed that pre- | sented itself || and had every ap- pearance of a man suffering the most ex- | crutiating | torture. His friend prised of the state he was con- cluded he was | ill, wine. who was ap-| and who | naturally in, He re-fused, saying, "no, no, | that will not help me. | | I have been at Ar- | it and the truth of may therefore be fairly considered | liable to that de- | gree of | doubt, as with | which men of judgment re-ceive | every | species of traditional history. 171 Woodrow, how- | ever, whose ve- | racity | is above suspicion, says, he had it | | | from the most un- questionable au- | thority. It is not in it- | self un-likely; 17 and who is there, that would not wish it | true? | What a satis- | factory | spectacle to a philosophical | mind, to see the op- | pressor | in the zenith of his power || envying his | victim! What an ac- | knowledgement of the | supe What an af- | fecting | ri- | ority of virtue ! and forcible testimony of the ¦ value of that | peace of mind, which | Innocence alone 7 | | can con- fer!1111111 We know not who that the guilt bly incurred for some | vain | title, least for some | increase of | wealth |flect | was probaor at which he | very fool calls | wise in something like com- passion, for that ish class of men whom the world | their generation. 11 Soon after this short re- | pose, Argyle | was brought according to order, to the | | Laigh | council-house, from | which | place |is| dated the letter to his wife, and from thence place of exe- | cution. 11111111 On the he had some dis- | course, as well with | Mr. | Annand, | a | minister |ap|pointed to attend him, || as with | to the | scaffold | by | Government Mr. Chateris. He de- | sired | both of | | 177 them to pray for him | and | prayed him- | self| al-ready related. every part of it. | || said he, from the passages The same | mixture is con- | spicuousin | "We | ought not," | to des- | pise | our af- | flictions, | nor to | | | faint under them. We should not | suf | fer ourselves to be ex- | asperated against the instruments of our | troubles, | nor by | fraudulent or | pusil- lanimous com- | pliance, || bring guilt | upon ourselves; || faint | hearts | are | usually false hearts, choosing | sin, rather than | suffering."1171He offers his prayers three kingdoms of England, | Scotland, land, || and that an | end | may be their present trials. for the and | Ireput to | Having | then for his | own | faults, | both of | God and | would have con- | cluded, that he had said | nothing asked | pardon man, he but | being re-minded of the | there | never might be | wanting | one of the | royal | family to sup- | port the | Protestant re- | ligion; | and if any of them had | swerved | from the | true | faith, he prayed | God his people from their machi- | nations. | 7|77| When he had ended, he turned to the south | side of the scaffold | and | said, | "Gentlemen, I pray you, I do not | miscon- | struct | my be- | havior this day. |11|I| freely for- | give | all men | their wrongs and | injuries | done a- | gainst | me, |as | I de- | sire | to be for- | given of | God. 11777. He | then em- | braced his friends, | gave some tokens of his re-membrance | to his son-in-law, | Lord | Maitland, for his | daughter and grand-children, stript himself | | of part of his ap- | parel, | of | which he | like | Having | uttered a short | prayer, he gave the | signal to the exe- | cutioner, | which was | instantand his head | severed from his | ly o- | beyed, 791 body. Such were the last hours and such the final great | man's | life. |11|11| May close of this the like happy se- renity, in such | dreadful And here we | come and | sit,|| time after | time, And call it social | worship; | | Is it | thus? 1971 Oh Thou! whose searching | all per- | vading eye 1 Scans every secret | movement of the heart,| And sees us as we | are | why | mourns my soul On these occasions? | Why so | dead and cold ◄| My best af- fections? | I have In my more secret | seasons, And in my chamber: even found thee | oft I in the field, | in the stir Of outward | occu- | pations has my mind | |