Page:Celebrated Trials - Volume 1.djvu/124

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Sir Thomas Pope being gone, the other prepared himself for death; put on his best clothes, viz. his silk camlet gown, which was a present to him from Antonio Bonavista, a noble citizen of Lucca, since his confinement. The lieutenant observing this, advised him to put them off again, saying, "He that is to have them is but a Javill."[1]—"What, Mr. Lieutenant," said Sir Thomas, "shall I account him a Javill, who will this day do me so singular a service? nay, I do assure you, were it cloth of gold, I should think it well bestowed upon him; for St. Cyprian, the famous bishop of Carthage, gave his executioner thirty pieces of gold, because he knew he should be a means to procure him unspeakable happiness:" nevertheless, the lieutenant pressing still the matter to him, he, for the esteem he had for him, thought fit to put off that fine gown, and to put on a frieze one, yet he sent out of the small remains he had of money, a gold angel to the hangman, as a sign he had no prejudice to him, but that rather he had an esteem for him.

About nine o'clock the lieutenant conducted him out of the Tower; his beard was long, contrary to his usual fashion; his face pale and thin, carrying a red cross in his hand, and often lifting up his eyes to Heaven. Passing forwards, a good woman came out of her house and offered him a cup of wine, which he accepted not, saying, "Christ at his passion drank no wine, but gall and vinegar." But another woman came crying to him, and demanded some papers she had put into his hands when he was lord chancellor; but he answered her, "Good woman, have patience but for an hour, and by that time the king will rid me of the care I have for those papers, and every thing else." Another woman, hired, as some thought, by his enemies to disgrace him, followed him also, and cried out, he had done her much wrong when he was lord chancellor; to which he made answer, that he very well remembered her cause, and that if he were then to decide it, he would make the same decree as before.

Being brought to the scaffold, he seemed to be so

  1. ↑ A rascally fellow.
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