Sir Walter Rawleigh his speech at his death  
 who was beheaded in the Pallace of Westminsterr  
 the 27th of October 1618./ betweene the  
 howres of 8 and 9 in the morning these lords  
 being present there.
 
 The Earle of Arundell  
 The Earle of Oxford  
 The Earle of Lincolne  
 The Earle of Northampton.  
 Lord Viscont Doncaster  
 Lord Percy  
 Lord Sheffeild  
 Lord Windsor.
 
 And also many knights gentlemen of ranke and quality beinge assended
 
 the Scaffold he saluted the lords & gentleman present which  
 done he spake as followeth./
 
 If there shall appeare any disturbance or trembling passion  
            in me I desire you not to impute it to any imbicillity or weaknes of heart but rather to a strong and uiolent feauor that  
 is now ready to hinder me in what I intend to say for this  
 is now the third fitt & the houre of it is neere at hand for  
 yesterday when I was called out of my bed I was in the  
 full heate & extreamity thereof & I pray god it may  
 now misse me that my voyce may not be hindred in the  
 deliuery of that I would say for I desire that your  
 lordshipps may be wittnesses thereof. I thanke god that I  
 am deliuered out of darkenes to dye in the light. heere  
 the lords most of them being in a window against the  
 scaffold desired him to stay his speech & they would  
 come downe to him which they did & then he proceeded  
 in this manner./
 
 As I sayd I thanke god I am come out of darkenes  
 to dye in the light I meane imprisonment in the towre  
 but concerning the matter for which the king hath taken  
 soe great offence against me (being insensed thereunto by  
 some) I must confesse that there were some probabilitys  
 to moue him thereunto yet farr from truth the mayne  
 & materiall poynts thereof are these first that I did  
 practise with France & secondly that I had spoken  
 uile naught & scandalous wordes of the kinge./
 
 For the first concerning some practise with Fraunce I  
 heere call the eternull god to wittnes that I neuer  
 directly nor indirectly had any practise treaty message  
 or businesse with the king or state of France or with  
 any thence nor neuer had any with the French Agent nor  
 yet neuer saw him vntill he came to me to my howse o  
 lord I call thy all seeing Majestie to wittnes that I am  
 most cleare & innocent herein alas it were a foolish  
 maddnes in mee to lye in the presence of god to whom I am  
 am at this uery instant going & before whom I am  
 now to make my accompt for what profitt would it be  
 to me to sett a little florish and glosse on these things &  
 loose my owne soule for when a man shall desire god 
 
 to be a wittnesse of his sayings & he shall then speake falslye  
 o what a most fearefull & terrible thing it is to call god to  bare wittnes of his falshood, euen in men that haue tyme after it to  
 repent then what is it to me that haue noe tyme after this: I  
 am now out of the power of the world & am not in case to flatter  
 kings, but now am in the power of death, it is true that I did  
 intend to fly to Rochell & to haue liued there vntill I could  
 haue wrought my peace, but that I euer intended any enterprise  
 or that there was a frentch commission forth as is surmised &  
 hath been strongly enforced against me o lord I renownce thy  
 mercyes if I know of any such thing./