ready for us, we all went out to the Tower-hill; and there, over against
the scaffold, made on purpose this day, saw Sir Henry Vane brought.

[Sir Harry Vane the younger was born 1612. Charles signed on June
12th a warrant for the execution of Vane by hanging at Tyburn on the
14th, which sentence on the following day "upon humble suit made" to
him, Charles was "graciously pleased to mitigate," as the warrant
terms it, for the less ignominious punishment of beheading on Tower
Hill, and with permission that the head and body should be given to
the relations to be by them decently and privately interred.--
Lister's Life of Clarendon, ii, 123.]

A very great press of people. He made a long speech, many times
interrupted by the Sheriff and others there; and they would have taken his
paper out of his hand, but he would not let it go. But they caused all
the books of those that writ after him to be given the Sheriff; and the
trumpets were brought under the scaffold that he might not be heard. Then
he prayed, and so fitted himself, and received the blow; but the scaffold
was so crowded that we could not see it done. But Boreman, who had been
upon the scaffold, came to us and told us, that first he began to speak of
the irregular proceeding against him; that he was, against Magna Charta,
denied to have his exceptions against the indictment allowed; and that
there he was stopped by the Sheriff. Then he drew out his, paper of
notes, and begun to tell them first his life; that he was born a
gentleman, that he was bred up and had the quality of a gentleman, and to
make him in the opinion of the world more a gentleman, he had been, till
he was seventeen years old, a good fellow, but then it pleased God to lay
a foundation of grace in his heart, by which he was persuaded, against his
worldly interest, to leave all preferment and go abroad, where he might
serve God with more freedom. Then he was called home, and made a member