Sir Thomas Armstrongs Farewel:
Who for High-Treason (conspiring against the Life of the King, and his Royal Brother, and the subversion
of the Government;) was on the 14th. day of June, 1684. condemned to be Drawn, Hangd, and Quarterd;
and was accordingly executed at Tyburn, on the 20th. of the said Month, in the view of many Spectators.
Tune of, Digbys Farewel: Or, Packingtons Pound.
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FArewel Worldly Pleasures and fading delight,
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For now all my days must be turnd into night,
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Now suffer I must, and the race I have run,
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Has shortned my days, and my thred it is spun:
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Oh wretch that I was for to Plot or Conspire
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Against that good Prince, who the world do admire!
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And now for the same I am in a sad plight,
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A poor, and distressed, unfortunate Knight.
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How might I have lived in splendour and fame,
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That now by true Subjects am greatly to blame:
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No pitty I find there is falls to my share,
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My spirits decay, and I fall in despair,:
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But how could I expect any favour to find,
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That harbourd such thoughts in my treacherous mind
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All you that in mercy do fix your delight,
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Now pitty etc.
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My days, that long time I in pleasure did spend,
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In shame and disgrace like a Traytor I end;
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Though it grieves me to think, yet confess it I must,
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The Sentence past on me is nothing but just;
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For the deeds I have done, & the words I have said,
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Were I to be punishd by losing my Head,
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Grim death would the less then my senses affright,
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That am a distressed etc.
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But the thoughts of a Rope are most dreadful to me,
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That must hang for my Crimes at the 3 cornerd tree,
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And there in the view of a thousand, or more,
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Receive what I long had deserved before.
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Oh Justice severe! how swift are thy wings
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To pursue the Blood-suckers of mercifull Kings;
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Who in thoughts are oppressed by day and by night,
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Like me a distressed etc.
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Though I had got over and crossed the Seas,
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My mind was afflicted, my soul not at ease,
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My conscience was filled with horrour and d[r]ead,
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That Vengeance would follow where ever I fled;
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And now to my sorrow most certain I find
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That which so long time hath afflicted my mind,
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And w[i]ll now put an end to my joy and delight,
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Tha[t] am a distressed unfortunate Knight.
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The Second Part, to the same Tune.
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My Crimes are so great and so heinous indeed,
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That the thoughts of them now make my soul for to bleed;
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& now tis high time for to mourn & lament,
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That my precious time have so wickedly spent;
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Oh now let me mourn in showres of tears
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That I have so wickedly spent all my Years;
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Now Death is eontinually in my sight;
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Oh pitty a poor and unfortunate Knight.
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My greifs and my sorrows what tongue can express?
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And few there is pitty me in my distress;
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But all will allow it is nothing but reason
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That Traytors should dye for their hatching of Trea-son:
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For I must confess tis by Heaven forbid,
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And like unto Murder long never lies hid,
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But one time or other it cometh to light:
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Oh pitty etc.
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And bloody designs seldome take their effect;
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Because theyr unjust, and their course in direct
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Let others beware by my sorrowful end,
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That did on the hopes of preferment depend;
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But now you may see by my Pride and Ambition
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Ive brought my self into a wofull condition:
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All you that do come for to see this sad sight,
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Pray pitty a poor etc.
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Let reason prevail, and your conscience convince
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That you ought to obey your most Soveraign Prince,
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For I do confess at this minute of death,
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A more merciful Prince never yet did draw breath,
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Than Brittains great Charles, who Rules in the nation
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True Subjects delight, and the Worlds admiration:
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Tho by doing of things too unjust, and not right,
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I now am etc.
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And now all my friends I must bid you adieu,
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The time is but short I can tarry with you.
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Oh learn to be wise and take warning by me;
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The fruits of High-Treason are bad you may see;
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And now tis too late, I in sorrow lament
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That I like a Traytor my life-time have spent.
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Let your actions be just, and your dealing upright:
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Not like this same poor and unfortunate Knight.
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