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L. C. 7. I pray God work in you a temper fit to go unto the other world, for I fee you are not fit for this.

Col. Sydney. My lord, feel my pulfe [holding out his hand] and fee if I am difordered. I blefs God, I never was in better temper, than I am now.

Then the lieutenant of the Tower carried back his prifaner.

APOLOGY

APOLOGY*

OF

ALGERNON SYDNEY,

IN THE DAY OF HIS DEATH.

BEING

EING ready to dye under an accufation of many crimes, I thought fit to leaue this as a teftimony unto the world, that, as I had from my youth endeavoured to uphold the common rights of mankind, the lawes of this land, and the Proteftant religion, against corrupt principles, arbitrary power, and Popery, I doe now willingly lay downe my life for the fame; and having a sure witneffe within me, that God doth abfolue me, and uphold me, in the utmost extremityes, am uery littell follicitous, though man doth condemne me.

I am noe wayes afhamed to anote, that from the yeare 1642, untill the coming in of the king, I did profecute the above-mentioned principles; and hauing then finished to the aduantage of all Europe, and the honour of this nation, a negotiation, upon which I had been employed in the north, chofe rather to remaine beyond the feas, than to returne into my owne country, though general Monk, upon account of many obligations receaued from

The reader will find a difficulty in understanding fome words and paffages in this Apology, which, it is not improbable, was dictated to a Frenchman, Jofeph Ducas, the fame who gave evidence on the trial.

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me, did defire me to returne, with large offers of all the aduantages he could procure for me.

I well knew his power, and did not doubt of his intentions: but though I thought it my duty to submit unto the prouidence of God, in the frange reuolutions brought amongst us, through the unfearchable councels of his will, durft not recead from the ways of righteousnesse; and through his grace was enabled to reject the rewards of iniquity.

It being acknowledged, that though I had euer opposed the then triumphing party, noe man had euer fhewed himself to be a fairer enemy, and that I had done many perfonall and most important feruices, as well to the royall family, as unto fuch as depended upon it, I hoped that noe man would fearch into my prefent thoughts, nor fo far to remember my former actions, as to difturb me in a moft innocent exile; and that the moft malicious of my enemyes should not pretend that I practiced any thing against the gouernement, I made Rome the place of my retreat, which was certainly an ill feene to act any thing, that was difpleafing unto it.

But I foon found, that no inoffenfiueneffe of behaviour could preferve me against the malice of thoes, who fought to destroy me; and was deffended from such as there defigned to affaffinate me, only by the charity of Arangers.

When the care of my priuate affaires brought me into Flanders and Holland, anno 1663, the fame dangers accompanied me; and, that no place might be fafe unto me, Andrew White, with fome others, were fent into the most remote parts of Germany, to murther me.

The

The afperity of this perfecution obliged me to feek the protection of fomme forraine princes; and being then in the ftrength of my age, had reputation enough to haue gained honourable imployments; but all my defignes were broken by letters and meffages from this court, fo as none durft entertaine me; and when I could not comprehend the grounds of dealing with me in such a way, when I knew that many others, whoe had been my compaignons, and given (as I thought) more just causes of hatred against them, that I had done, were receaued into fauour, or fuffer'd to liue quietly. A man of quality, whoe well knew the temper of the court, explained the mistery unto me, by letting me know, that I was diftinguished from the reft, because it was knowne, that I could not be corrupted.

Noe man could have thought it strange, if this has caft me into the utmost extreamityes; and perhaps occafions of being reuenged would not have been wanting, if I had fought them; but, instead of that, I caft myself into unfufpected retirement in the most remote parts of France, where I pafled aboue eleuen yeares, and was drawne out of it only by a defire ef feing my aged father before he died, and obtained the king's paffeport for my fecurity.

My father dyed within a few weeks after my comming ouer; and, when I prepared myself to returne into Guafcony, there to pate the remaining part of my life, I was hindered by the carl of Licefter my brother, who queftioned all that my father had giuen me for my fubfiftance, and by a long and tedious fuitte in fhancery, detained me in England, untill I was made a prifoner.

When

When a fauorable decree, obtained in fhancery, gave me hopes of being freed from fuch uexatious bufineffe, I reaffumed my former defigne of returning into France; and to that end bought a small parcell of ground, in a friend's name, with an intention of going immediately unto it. This proceeded from the uncafineffe of my life, when I found, that not only the reall difcontents, that grew to be too common, were afcribed unto me, but sham plots faftened upon me, foe as I could never think my life a day in fafety.

Not long after the difcovery of the popish plot, his majeftye was informed of a great plot of the non-conformifts, and that I was at the head of it; and though (being admitted unto his mageftye's prefence) I did truly fhew unto him, that there neither was nor could be any thing of that nature, as things then flood; because it would caft his mageftye into conjunction with the Popish, which they did most abhorre; the fham was continued, as appeares by the mealetub bufineffe. Though my name was not there found, I am well informed, that, if it had fuccceded, I fhould haue been inuolued in it.

Other waves were inuented to uex and ruine me. When I only looked ouer a balcony to fee what pafled at the election of the fheriffs of London, I was indicted for a riot.

In April laft I was told by a perfon of eminent quality, uirtue, and understanding, that I fhould infaillibly be made a prifoner. I afked upon what pretence. He alleagued fomme things that were entirely friuolous, relating unto vile perfons, whoes faces and names I did not

know,

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