The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-08-31
Sir Wa ter Raleigh Before His
Execution.


The eve of the day fixed for his exc.
cntion Raleigh had taken a final fare.
veil of his wife, and the interview be-.
tween the two had lasted until the alb
hey had tolled the hour of IL. All bust
ness matters had been settled and
there was nothing, therefore, on the
mind of the condemned man to inter-
fere with his hopes aud thoughts as to
the unseen world into which he was
about to enter. The king, asa.last fa-
vor had granted the wife, speedily to be
made 3 widow, permission to bury the
body OF her husband after the heads
man had done his fell work. sit is
WELL, dear Bessie" said Raleigh, press.
ing her in the agony of a last embrace,
which thou had st not always the dispo.
sing of when alive.' So those two par
ted never more to meet on this side
'the eternal silence." "God hold me
in my wits!" sighed the poor dame as
she entered her coach stationed under
the very shadow OF the scaffo)d, upon
which, in few brief hours the blood of
her husband was to be shed. AS
eight O'Clock struck Raleigh held
himself IN readiness to quit the Gate
house. A cup of excellent sack was now
brought him, which he drank at ouaff.
tle was asked how he liked it. GAS
the fellow" he replied, "who drinking
ofSt Giles bowl on his way to Tyburn,
said. it was good drink if man might
tarry by it," After this refresament
procession was made to the scaffold at
the head of which walked the dean os
Westminster. On the way to the Old
Palace yard Raleigh met Sir Hugh Bre
ton, an old friend, whom he had es.
pecially requested to be present at the
execution. ''Sir Hugh, to make sure
work, got letter from Secretary Lake
to the sheriff to see i'm placed conven-
iently, and meeting them the (process-
ion) as they came near to the scahold
delivered his letter. But the sheriff by
mishap had left his spectacles at home,
and put the letter in his pocket; in the
meanwhile, Sir Hugh being thrust aside
by the crowd, Sir Walter babe him
farewell, saying II do not know what
shift you will make, but I am sure to
have place" 1t was bitterly cold
October morning, rendered all the
more sharp by cutting east
Wind, and as Raleigh assembled
the scafold and prepared to address the
mob that thronged the paluce yard his
limbs, enteebled by confinement and ill
health, trembled SO visibly that he uld
observing this debility, offered to help
his i'll ated charge dow from the scat.
fold and take him to fire, so that be-
ing warmed he might be the better able
to believer his dying speech. 'No.
good Mr.. Sheriff" said Raleigh, s'let us
dispatch for within this quarter of an
hour mine ague will come upon me, and
if l be not dead before then mine enc
mics will say that I quake for fear"
Then. holding on by the rail of the scat
fold, he faced the crowd and thus be-
gan: II thank God heartily that He
has brought me into the light to die,
and that He hath not suffered me to die
in the dark prison of the tower, where
have suffered great deal of misery and
cruel sickness, and thank God that my
fever hath not taken me at the time.
as / prayed to God it might
not" After this preface be proceeded
to deal with the charges brought against
him. He denied that he ever entered
into any plot with France, though he
admitted, to save his life, he had at
tempted to escape into France. He de.
nled tnaC ne mad ever been COuuselled
BY Lord Carew and other lords to fly
the country, or that he had ever offered
Sir Lewis Stukely money to assist him
in escaping. "BuG, indeed" he acknowl.
edged, II showed him letter that if he
would go with me there should be order
taken for his debts when he was gone
neither had 100000 to give him, for ii
lad so much I could have made my
peace better With II other ways than in
giving it to Stukely." He declared that
his only object in starting for Guiana
was to discover the mine which
really existed there. He denied
that he ever intended to
desert his men when at Trinidad, as had
been alleged, or that he had been
forced to return home nv hia men
against his will. Nor was it true that he
had carried with him to sea numerous
pieces, and that the only object of his
voyage was to get money into his hands
he had taken out but little money, and
such as he had taken out he had brought
back. 'These be the material points, y
he concluded, ri thought good to speak
of, and am now at this instant to rem
der up an account to God; and pro-
test, as I appear before Him, this that
have spoken is true. and I hope I shall
be believed"