18 SIR WALTER RALEIGH. 



marry his son Charles to the Infanta. 

 So he had Raleigh arrested on his return 

 to England, and on October 19, 1618, at 

 the age of sixty-six, he was beheaded, at 

 Westminster, upon the fifteen-year-old 

 charge of " treason." Because a " king " 

 had committed it, it wasn't called " mur- 

 der"; but when Cromwell cut off the 

 head of Charles the First Horrors ! 

 that was " murder " to kill a worthless 

 " king " ; but that was " execution " to 

 kill a fine gentleman like Raleigh, who 

 was worth titty thousand kings by divine 

 rot. 



No man could die more splendidly 

 than did Raleigh. He smilingly picked 

 up the axe on his way to the block and, 

 running his finger over the edge of it, 

 said : 



" This is a sharp medicine, but it will 

 cure all disease/' Two blows, and a 

 master of the sword, the compass, and 

 the pen was without a head. 



What a pity, that he couldn't have had 



