By W. W. Ravenhill, Esq. 



II 



Church of England as it was established by Edwd. the 6^ and Eliz. and K. 

 James and Charles of ever blessed memory, That I die a loyale subject to 

 King Charles the 2 nd my undoubted soveraigne, and a lover of the good old 

 laws, the just privileges of parliament, and the rights and libertyes of the people, 

 for the reestablishing of all which I undertooke this engagement and for which 

 1 am now ready to lay down my life: God forgive the judges and counsell for 

 perverting the law, God forgive the bloudy minded jury and those that procured 

 them. God forgive Captayne Crooke for denying his articles soe unworthily. 

 God forgive Mr. Dove and other persons for swearing soe malitiously and falsely 

 against mee. God forgive all myne enemyes, I heartily forgive them. God 

 bless the king and all that love him. Turne the hearts of all that hate him. 

 God bless you all and be mercifull to you and to my soule."* 



His prayer. 



This is word for word the same as Penruddock's, and therefore 

 is not repeated. His speech challenges our admiration, as a model 

 of terse eloquence — the frank language of a thorough soldier. 



The newspapers are very various as to the day of execution, 

 placing it on the 7th, 8th or 9th, and 16th of May. 



The 9th is the date Aubrey gives in his Miscellanies, p. £2, ed. 

 1720, chapter on days of fatality. Colonel Grove, he says, "was 

 beheaded May the 9th, 1655. On that very day three years his 

 son died at London, of malignant fever, and about the same hour." 

 Alas for the fatalists and Aubrey's veracity Grove was beheaded 

 May 16th, as we shall find further proof of hereafter ! 



The following newspaper slip, evidently from "a round" nibbed 

 pen, is worth preserving : — 1 



"From Exeter we had the certain news of the execution of Colonels Penruddock 

 and Grove which was not until Wednesday last (16th) As by an Eye witness 

 take as followeth : 1 This morning (16th) Colonel Penruddock and Colonel Grove 

 were beheaded in the Castle Green at Exeter. T was upon the scaffold and saw 

 the Execution ; their heads being severed from their bodies; their speeches were 

 but short and to very little purpose ; they dyed very stoutly and very desperately, 

 vindicating their carriage and actions without any confession or contrition for 

 sin at all. I cannot give you the particulars neither indeed are they so con- 

 siderable unless it be to prevent false copies which I make no question, but will 

 be largely set forth by some though to little purpose and I fear lesse truth.' " 



* There can be no doubt but tbat this was the speech he then uttered. It will be found 

 amongst the Thurloe papers (toI. 3, p. 445), endorsed " Taken in shorthand upon the scaffold 

 by N. I. [one of the Izaack's family ?], a true lover of bis, and bis constant visitant in prison; and 

 it is in the pamphlet of July 2nd, 1655. 



1 Perfect Diurnall, Monday, May 21st, 1655, p. 4373. 



C 2 



