great beauty, which leads to the library belonging to the church. The building of the fine tower called La Tour de Beurre, was commenced in 1485, with the money paid by the people of Rouen, for an indulgence purchased by them, to eat butter instead of oil, during the solemn fast of Lent." Accounts from Ghent state, that the fine ancient cathedral in that town, was on the 11th inst. much damaged by fire. Fortunately the most precious morceaux, among others the Apocalypse of John Van Eyck, the Children which ornament the altar, &c., have been saved. The friends of the arts were so zealous in their exertions, that only the building has suffered. CONDUCT AND EXECUTION OF THE UNFORTUNATE DUKE OF MONMOUTH. The following extract, from a letter written by Dr. Lloyd, Bishop of St. Asaph, to Bishop Fell*, gives a very exact account of the last conduct of the unfortunate Duke of Monmouth. It is dated July 16, 1685, the very day after his execution. "I told your Lordship, in my last, the Bishop of Ely was appointed by his Majesty to attend the Duke of Monmouth, and to prepare him to die the next day. The Duke wrote to his Majesty, representing how usefull he might and would * Aubry's Lives of Eminent Men, vol, i. p. 27, be, if his Majesty would be pleased to grant him his life. But, if it might not be, he desired a longer time, and to have another Divine to assist him, Dr. Tenison, or whom else the King should appoint. The King sent him the Bishop of Bath and Wells to attend, and to tell him he must die the next morning. The two Bishops sate up in his chamber all night, and watcht whilst he slept. In the morning, by his Majesty's orders, the Lords Privy Seale and Dartmouth brought him also Dr. Tenison and Dr. Hooper. All these were with him till he died. "They got him to owne the King's title to the Crown, and to declare in writing that the last King told him he was never married to his Mother, and by word of mouth to acknowledge his invasion was sin; but could never get him to confess it was a rebellion. They got him to owne that he and Lady Harriot Wentworth had lived in all points like man and wife; but they could not make him confess it was adultery. He acknowledged, that he and his Duchess were married by the law of the land, and therefore his children might inherit, if the King pleased. But he did not consider what he did when he married her. He confest that he had lived many years in all sorts of debauchery, but said he had repented of it, askt pardon, and doubted not that God had forgiven him. He said, that since that time he had an affection for Lady Harriot, and prayed that if it were pleasing to God, it might continue, otherwise that it might cease; and God heard his prayer. The affection did continue, and therefore he doubted not it was pleasing to God; and that this was a marriage, their choice of one another being guided not by lust, but by judgment, upon due consideration. They endeavoured to shew him the falsehood and mischievousness of this enthusiasticall principle. But he told them it was his opinion, and he was fully satisfied in it. After all, he desired them to give him the communion next morning. They told him they could not do it, while he was in that error and sin. He said he was sorry for it. "The next morning, he told them, he had prayed that if he was in an error, in that matter, God would convince him of it; but God had not convinced him, and therefore he believed it was no error. "When he was upon the scaffold, he profest himself a Protestant of the Church of England. They told him, he could not be so, if he did not owne the doctrine of the Church of England in the point of non-resistance, and if he persisted in that enthusiastic persuasion. He said, he could not help it, but yet he approved the doctrine of the Church in all other things. He then spoke to the people, in vindication of the Lady Harriot, saying she was a woman of great honour and virtue, a re ligious godly lady (these were his words.) They told him of his living in adultery with her. He said, No: for these two yeers last past he had not lived in any sin that he knew of; and that he had never wronged any person; and that he was sure, when he died, to go to God, and therefore he did not fear death, which (he said) they might see in his face. Then they prayd for him, and he kneeld down and joind with them. After all, they had a short prayer for the King, at which he paused, but at last said Amen. He spoke to the Headsman to see he did his business well, and not use him as he did the Lord Russell, to give him 2 or 3 strokes; for if he did, he should not be able to lie still without turning. Then he gave the Executioner 6 ginnies, and 4 to one Marshall, a servant of Sir T. Armstrong's, that attended him with the King's leave: desiring Marshall to give them the Executioner if he did his work well, and not otherwise. He gave this Marshall overnight his ring and watch; and now he gave him his case of pickteeth; all for Lady Harriot. Then he laid himself down; and upon the signe given, the Headsman gave a light stroke, at which he lookt him in the face; then he laid him down again, and the Headsman gave him 2 strokes more, and then layd down the ax, saying he could not finish his work, till being threatened by the Sheriff and others then present, he took up the ax again, and at 2 strokes more cut off his head. |