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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

An account of the death of Sir Charles Lucas &c., the originall of which, writt with my owne Fathers’ hand, I gave Sir Thomas Clarges. - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 2 [1894]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (Camden Society, 1894). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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An account of the death of Sir Charles Lucas &c., the originall of which, writt with my owne Fathers’ hand, I gave Sir Thomas Clarges.

Colchester, 28 August, 1648. Sir Charles Lucas speech att his first comeing into the Castle yard.

There may be something that I may vindicate my self in. In order to my duty, I came to this place in the Prince’s service, but since I came hither, I am not guilty of wronging the least person the least soldier of this army.

God knowes I never intended my owne particular in my life, and if God Almighty had pleas’d as for my sins I doe justly deserve death, but for this God Almighty is the best judge; yet I should have been very glad, that thosea people that made themselves my judges had been pleas’d to have allow’d mee a longer time of repentance, for the best of us all hath not liv’d such a life but he does deserve a longer time of repentance then I have now.

Minister.

If it be true, it is as acceptable.

Sir Charles.

My sins are many, and Gods mercies are great that I doe expect.

All those that have either kindnesse for the King, or so much conscience for themselves, I shall desire that they would be pleased to let me have their prayers. For what God hath bestow’d upon mee in this life, I praise him, and pray for his mercy upon mee after this life. I doe not professe my self a rhetorician att all. I doe not know how it may be construed, but in the first place, I wish I could have liv’d longer, to have serv’d my Prince and my country, or at least [had] a larger time of repentance. But [since it] hath pleas’d . . . . to allow mee the means to receive the Sacrament, God make mee a worthy receiver, to my salvation, not my damnation; and so God blesse you all, and send you peace and happinesse in the Kingdome.

Sir Bernard Gascoyne.

I would very faine take my leave of Sir Charles Lucas, for I care not how soon, when it shall please those God hath made my judges—

Sir Charles.

Farewell, Sir Bernard.

They embrace and kisse.

Sir Charles.

I confesse the great obligation our country owes to you, for your service to our Prince.

Sir Bernard.

It is a very great consolation to mee for to die with such a companion. I did no man any hurt.

Sir Charles.

[To the minister.] If you have the means to see his Majestie present my duty to him, he is my Prince and Master. Bid my parents and friends they should not afflict themselves. Truly I think it is a great deal of happinesse to mee [to die thus]. God might have taken mee away without such a sense of my sins. They know my genius would not let mee die upon any base thing; bid them blesse God, that I die so happy for the service of my country, as I beleive I have, and have the honour of it.

[To the officers] What is the death that is pleas’d to be assign’d to my self and these worthy gentlemen? doe you know by what means?

Captain Packer.

That which is most proper to soldiers, to be shot.

Sir Charles.

With all my heart, shoote mee out of a cannon when they please.

To his Kinsman.

Present my duty to my father.

He and the minister retire aside and pray against the Castle wall.

Sir Charles.

Come, my heart, I need not cheer you up, I know your chearfulnesse by my owne, but here is my amends, I die for my Prince, and you die not soe.

Sir Bernard.

I thank God, I doe not fear death.

Sir Charles.

I will not say I do not apprehend death, but I can look him in the face now.

Sir Bernard.

I wish to die, and repent of my sins.

Sir Charles.

You have God’s word for it, if I may speak a divines part in it, [that] at what time [soever] a sinner does repent. . . .

Minister.

Hee that repents truely and properly.

Sir Bernard.

I could say so, wheras you repent: from the bottom of my heart I have not found so sorrowfull as it need to bee.

Sir George Lisle.

Better late than never. Though I don’t beleive in predestination, yet I beleive it is God’s will, and truly I should have thought myself a happy person, if I could live to have a larger time of repentance, and to see the King my master in his throne again, whom I beseech God to send to all the happinesse which is due to so just, so good a man.

I was bid to goe my way, say divers people; but truely I was confident my innocencie in this action would have rendred mee very clear from any such punishment, especially so suddenly.

Sir Bernard.

My conscience is guilty of many things, but nothing this way.

I say that I have never in my life done any action which I will not acknowledge before all the world.

Sir George.

He will that his body remaine with my servant.

I will bear it with as much patience as I can, I should take it for a very great favour done to my poor soul to have a little more time, I have deserv’d it as much as an enemy can doe.

Sir Charles.

I should very willingly hear, if you would please to satisfy mee, by whom I am condemned, whether by my Lord Fairfax alone, or by a Councell of Warr; I beseech you to lett me know my judge.

Com̃. Ireton.

I may answer so far, as you were condemned by the Parliament, upon your owne actions. [The war] wherein you have so voluntarily a second time engaged, hath rendred you in their judgement in generall your whole party deserving death, and your self is in some particular exception.

Sir Charles.

Pray Gentlemen bee pleas’d to give a dyeing man leave to speak, I beseech you.

Com̃. Ireton.

Know, your self as all others that engage a second time against the Parliament are traitors and rebells, and they doe employ us as soldiers by authority from them to suppresse and destroy. Would you know our commission, itt’s that. Sir, you were here in armes, (the head), one of the heads of a great party; you have not yet had quarter given, not any of those gentlemen yonder, but by the Generall’s demands of you, and by your commissioners consent to it, you were to render your selves att mercy; and for yourself you can’t but know, because your commissioner came in to acquaint you with it, that by mercy it was meant to be free in the Generall’s breast, without any obligation to the contrary, to put some of you to the sword, if he saw cause. Now as to any matter of judgement; neither the Generall nor any censure of the Councill hath pass’d in this businesse; the judgement hath been in generall pronounced by the Parliament, for whom wee fight, and you being persons in hostility, that yet have had no assurance of quarter, for you it is only thus far resolv’d by the Generall, by the advice of the Councill of war in generall upon the businesse.

Sir Charles.

Sir, this is a very nice point to take away a man’s life, when there is a law in the Kingdome, which truely I must plead; and look to it [lest] my blood be upon you. I doe plead before you all the lawes of this Kingdome. I have fought with a commission from those who were my soveraignes, and from that commission I must justifie my action. For yeilding to mercy, wee must needs yeild to those in whose power we were then. I must starve or yeild. That yeilding of ours, all the world knows, was meer constraint.

Com̃. Ireton.

Wee take it for no other.

Sir Charles.

If wee yeild ourselves unto you, if it be for our lives you should try us.

Com̃. Ireton.

If wee had taken it for any other then what you had voluntarily done upon confidence of the Generall’s mercy.

Sir George.

I am confident I did it upon that ground.

Com̃ Ireton.

But now it is by constraint, and no otherwise. I did speak that that you may yet know there was no assurance of quarter given to any of you, and the Generall did expressly declare that he would be free to it.

Sir George.

Gentlemen, lay your hands seriously upon your breasts, you that were of the Council of Warr, and consider what it is to take away a man’s life in this kind, that you may have nothing to rise against you hereafter.

Com̃. Ireton.

Sir, wee have nothing more to add to that. But to what you said before: you know it is a certaine rule, that among armes the lawes are silent, and had not you by armes stopt the lawes of the land, you and other men might have had the justice of the lawes of the land; but you and others, by pretence of the lawes of the land, have stopt the current of judgement and law which wee had. When you are mett in armes there is no more reason for you to plead it now then there hath been to many soldiers and officers of the Parliaments party, when they have mett some under your command, if they had pleaded the lawes of the land against them.

Sir Charles.

It was never knowne that men were kill’d in cold blood, before.

Collonel Whalley.

Sir, shall I answer you for that. You have given us a president before, where there was Major Wandsteada and about forty more, they submitted to mercy, and they hang’d up 14 of them. Ensigne —

May it please your Honour I will satisfy you.

Sir Charles.

If the Generall pleases, a man may be mercifull, and satisfy both his mercy, and the world besides, and justice. I doe here beseech the Generall that he will be pleased to looke upon mee in that nature as I am in his power, that he will excuse mee with my life, if I can but obtaine the General’s mercy and favour [to me] and these gentlemen; and if it be not, God’s will be done, I must submitt to it.

Com̃ Ireton.

I have no more to say to you, nor is there any other judgment that wee have received from the Generall, but you being persons who being in armes and hostility against the Parliament, he may as justly kill and give no quarter to you as ever any was in this warr. He having given you no assurance of quarter nor any of you, has only determined to yourselves in particular, that you are not in the compasse of quarter. Tis no more then if the soldiers mett you and shot you.

Sir Charles.

I am within the lawes of the Kingdome, for what I did is by commission, and quarter hath been given as the lawes of armes doth require elsewhere.

Com̃ Ireton.

Sir, you are better acquainted with the lawes of armes. Is any body bound to give quarter where it is ask’d?

Two of the soldiers sayd, that at StaNA he came in rageing, and swore a great oath, ‘why should they have any more quarter, then wee had at Cannon-Froome.’b

Com̃ Ireton.

You being a traitor—

Sir Charles.

I am no traitor, but a true subject to my King, and the lawes of the Kingdome. Sir, you ought to prove mee one, before you condemne mee to be a traitor.

Com̃ Ireton.

Wee tell you what judgement you are concluded by, and that is by the judgement of the Parliament.

Sir Charles.

I can say no more. I shall only desire that my life may satisfy for all the rest of these gentlemen, and these gentlemen may goe free.

Sir George.

I have given many hundred men quarter.

Sir Charles.

Give mee leave to pray with these gentlemen.

Retires with Sir George Lisle and Sir Bernard Gascoigne.

Gentlemen, I now die like a soldier, will you that these gentlemen shall looke upon mee?

They embrace and kisse.

Sir Charles.

Remember mee to all my friends.

Sir Bernard.

I thank God I am no more troubled at it.

Sir Charles.

Remember me to all my friends, and tell them that I have died in a good cause; if I have offended any, I desire forgivenesse; I would have a decent buriall, and that I might be buried by my ancestours, and where they are. Their monuments are not only defac’t, but their dead bodies remov’d.a Let us from henceforth lye in quiet.

Give mee leave to pray but a few words, and now I have done.

I pray God forgive you all, I pray God forgive you, gentlemen. Farewell, I pray God vengeance may not fall on you for it.

When I shall [fall] lay mee downe decently

One goeing to pull downe his cap, he said, stay a little.

Oh Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, receive my soule.

After this six dragoones with fire locks discharg’d att him; and after his falling, Sir George Lisle, having kissed him, was also shot to death.

[a ]M.S. “more.”

[a ]Major Wansey and the garrison of Woodhouse in Wiltshire are referred to. Fourteen of the garrison were hanged by Sir Francis Dodington’s orders, two by himself and twelve by Sir William St. Leger. Ludlow, Memoirs, i., 103.

[a ]This word is unfinished. Probably Stinchcombe in Gloucestershire, a small parliamentary garrison near Berkeley Castle, taken by the troops of Rupert and Sir Charles Lucas in Aug., 1645. Twenty, or according to some stories forty, of the garrison are said to have been put to the sword in cold blood. Webb, Civil War in Herefordshire, ii., 214. Report on the Portland MSS., i., 250.

[b ]Stormed by the Scots in July, 1645. Vicars, Burning Bush, p. 203; Webb, Civil War in Herefordshire, ii. 378.

[a ]See Mercurius Rusticus, No. 1; Carter, pp. 167, 234.