Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 6.djvu/324

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [n s. vi. OCT. 5, 1912.

godly a faithfull, painefull, active minister of God's Word, that hath done so much for the Cause and People of God cannot in peace and conscience doe lesse then to humble themselves before the Lord, and aske God forgivenesse and take shame before men also to themselves by acknowledging it before men. But, however, he and others of God's people [i.e., Walker himself] that have "been thus abused may see enough in the grace of God of sufficiency for them to make them live above those revilings of corrupt tongues, seeing Christ promiseth to such His blessing. Yet some will probably be made exemplary who have reviled Mr. Peters and others [sic] by lying scandals, to make others for the future beware."

Had this passage been written by a good man, it would have to be received with respect. As it is, to appreciate fully its mingled impudence and self-praise Walker's past history as forger and literary pirate should be borne in mind, as well as the fearful falsehoods he told about George Pox and his followers a year later on. In .Severall Proceedings for 16-23 September, 1652 (p. 2457), Walker set out the recanta- tion in question by Robert Eeles. In it Eeles stated that the pamphlet was brought him by Acton, who had " fled out of the way," and then apologized in abject terms. That is all.

An apology of this sort, from a poor printer afraid of losing his livelihood, is worthless. All the world knew that the stories about Peters were true.

In George Bate's ' Lives, Actions, and Execution ' of the regicides, published in 1661, there is a passage (p. 46) about Peters's immorality and madness in 1656 ; and in the ' Thurloe State Papers,' vol. iv. p. 754, a passage in an unsigned letter from Amster- dam, dated 5 May, 1655, and addressed to Thurloe, makes a definite accusation. I particularly desire to draw attention to that passage, as it is not indexed in the ' Thurloe State Papers,' appears to be unknown, and explains the statement in the ' Clarke Papers ' (Camden Society), vol. iii. p. 66, (a news- letter from Gilbert Mabbot, dated 5 April, 1656). Again, in the Historical Manuscripts Commission's Twelfth Report, Appendix VII. (Fleming Papers), p. 22, there is calen- dared a letter, dated 2 May, 1656, from Thomas Smith to Daniel Fleming, stating that

" Hugh Peters, who fell lately into a prae- munire, was so schooled for it by the protector that it put him into a high fever, which soon after turned to a downright frenzy. The physicians took about thirty ounces of blood from him, yet nothing would do until the protector sent to see how he did. He intends shortly to take the fresh air and to publish something in the .nature of a recantation."

My next two extracts come from America. Wm. Hooke, writing from London to New England on 13 April, 1657, says :

" Mr. Peters is not yet thoroughly recovered out of his late eclipse, but I hear better of his preaching than was formerly spoken of it. Ho hath been loving to me and hath, I hope, received benefit by the things have lately bef alien him." C.M.H.S., Series III., vol. i. p. 183.

And on 28 September, 1658. the Rev. John Davenport, Peters's old associate in Holland, writing to John Winthrop, states that he has received a letter from London, from a Mr. Blinman, saying that

" Mr. Hugh Peters is distracted and under sore horrors of conscience, crying out of himself as damned and confessing haynous actings. He concludes, for the truth hereof, ' Sit fides penes auctorem ' " !

When Peters's old associates could write thus of him in private letters we can attach credence to the following passage in the Royalist MercuriusElencticus for 18-25 June, 1649 :

" Such is the just judgment of God upon that hypocritical bloody wretch that at certain times he is absolutely distracted, through the horrible gripes of his guilty conscience, crying out in the dead of the night, ' I am damn'd, I am damn'd, Oh ! I cannot repent, there is no hope of Salva- tion, I must to Hell, the Devil will have me,' with many other such terrible outcries and expressions against the Army, condemning Cromwell and Ireton as the authors of all his afflictions, instan- cing many particulars of their horrid plots and contrivances against this kingdom to advance themselves and their retinue, and how far he was engaged in everything. But still concluding, with Spira (?) ' He is damn'd, he cannot repent, the Devil will have him.' In which vein, if he con- tinues long, it will be very requisite they give him an Italian fig, and so send him after Dorislaus to enquire for his wits. And yet the hangman hath cleared him of one thing, and that was the execution of the King ; who, Wednesday last, lying at the last gasp, acknowledged the murder and that he had SQL from the regicides for his labour, cursing and swearing against the Parlia- ment and, with Peters, despairing of his Salva- tion, in which miserable condition he expired."

The hangman was Richard Brandon, who died on Wednesday, 20 June, 1649 ; but Henry Walker was the " executioner " of the King. J. B. WILLIAMS.

(To be continued.)

THE GUILDHALL LIBRARY.

A PAMPHLET before me provides at an interesting date a suggestion for the re- founding of the Guildhall Library. Its full title is :

" An Essay on the Many Advantages accruing to the Community from the Superior Neatness, &c., of Great and Capital Cities, particularly Apply'd