To the High Court of Justice, appointed
for the Tryal of
Charles Stuart
King of England.
By the Lady Eleanor Douglas.

Shews
The Kings consent therewith, how
Mervin E. of Castlehaven, Lord
Audeley, unmercifully was sentenced to
death Easter term 16311631, and in May cruelly
executed at Tower-Hill, accused
falsly of two Crimes, what lewdnes could
and malice produce; one, Of this being accessary to a Rape committed on Ann
his wife, done by a Page, one Broadway;
and, Of Sodomy (made death
H: 8.) committed with an Irish Footman,
Fitzpatrick O Donel; which aforesaid
Lord Audeley indicted of Felony,lony, A2r 3
brought to his tryal at westminster,
the K.King Attorney where shew’d, The King like God, would extend to the prisoner
all mercy: Likewise the Lo:Lord Keeper
that day Lo:Lord High Steward, because the
cry was great of Sodom, would see whether
those things were so; the Witnesses
whereupon call’d to appear, she a common
Whore her husbands accuser, without ever
appearing in Court, or taking any Oath,
had there contrary to the Law, one of her
consorts that said, “My Lady upon her
Honor saith thus, &c.” or, “It was true.”

The other Witness, the Irishman, he
a vagrant, had served under the Emperor,
although a Papist, had contrary to
Law, his Oath taken at the Bar, refusing
the Oath of Allegiance; where askt
by one of the Judges the maner, confest,
Not the act, but somewhat of a foul A2 na- A2v 4
nature, &c. what such malice & the like
might invent, promised to be the Queens
Footman. The Attorney, one not to seek of
his Errand, saying, “Howsoever, it was
an act of Uncleanness; prayed the
Court to proceed upon it: My Lords,”
said he, “you have heard this odious
Crime, how dark and mysterious ’tis
grown; you must be curious therefore
how you admit of any mitigation:”
who accordingly his counsel took, &c.

Upon which pronounced, “Lord have
mercy upon thee the prisoner,” to lose
his life fortwith, of such promised mercy
enjoyed the first fruits.

All which undue sinister proceedings by
way of humble Petition signed to the
K.King when perceived to what a low ebb the
cry was faln and his Chaplains, Deans
and others appointed to attend the prisoner,ner, A3r 5
partly by their relation, he thrice in
their presence had taken the Sacrament
upon it, “He was not guilty of those criminals;”
was pleased by them to let the
prisoner know his gracious Answer, “He
should dye like a Peer of the Realm,
be Beheaded, and not Hanged like a
common person: whose Servants, his
Page the principal, who ought to have
suffered, before the accessary; he and
his fellow-servant the Footman were
brought to their tryal the next Term.”

In behalf of whom the aforesaid Broadway,
came up divers Gentlemen of the
County to inform the King, able to testifie
of the Youths coming home to his Fathers
house, more then six moneths afore the
time put down by her of the Ravishment,
this Broadway come away from his
Lords service.

Who A3v 6

Who at last cast; when upon the Ladder
so far protested both his Masters innocency
that way and his own; taking
God to witness, “A virgin he came into
his service, and a virgin went forth
of it.”

O Donel praying to St. Dennis, cryed
out upon some of the Privy Councel
that told him, “He must speak for the
King,” and thought not to be served so.

And this mans house utterly ruined,
chiefly, because had declined Popery, before
his untimely death ever suspected; endeavoring
to reform his Family, by which
means cast himself upon the merciless
times. Mervin Earl of Castlehaven,
that faithful Martyr, suffering (as it
were) between those twain, “one on the
right hand, the other on the left,” the
honor having to be the first entred into the A4r 7
the joy of his Lord, of whom not withstanding
the worst any in the {Handwritten deletion: world could} end of handwritten deletion
world could say, was, “He had the best
things in him of any, and the worst:”
Upon the Scaffold making this his Confession;