Mr. Love's speech made on the scaffold on Tower-hill, August 22. 1651. With his…

As concerning my Judges, I will not judge them, and yet I will not justify them, I believe that what moved Herod to cut off John Baptists head, moved them to cut off mine, and that was for his Oaths sake, John Baptists [meaning Herod] to avoid perjury, he would commit murder, whereas if John Baptists head had been upon his shoulders, he would have been guilty of neither. I have something in the second place to speak concerning my self, and then I shall come briefly to a conclusion. Concerning my self, I have gone through various reports: There are many sons of slander, whose mouths are as an open Sepulchre to bury my name before my friends can bury my body. My comfort is, there will be a Resurrection of Names as well as Bodies at the last Day; God will not only wipe off tears from mine eyes this day, but wipe off all blots and reproaches from my Name before many days be over; and though my body will soon rot under ground, yet my hope is my name will not rot above it: I am not ignorant what Calumnies are cast upon me, and ⟨p. 4⟩more likely to be after I am dead and gone. The very night before my intended execution the last month, there was an insulting Letter written to me to tell me, That after I was dead there should be something published against me to my shame I hope you will have so much charity as not to believe Reproaches cast upon a dead man, who will be silent in the grave, and not able to speak a word in his own justification. I am aspersed both as to my Practices and as to my Principles. I shall begin with the first: There are five Aspersions as to my practices that are laid upon me: First, that I am a Liar, that I am an Extortioner, that I am an Adulterer, that I am a Murderer, and that I am a turbulent person; crimes scandalous in any man, but much more abominable in a Minister. Now I hope you will believe a dying man, who dare not look God in the face with a lie in his mouth. I am accused of lying, that what I denied before the high Court of Justice, that afterwards I should confess, or else was proved against me: Now in the presence of God I tell you, as I would confess nothing that was criminal, so I did deny nothing that was true, and that I might it seal to you with my blood;

As concerning my Judges, I will not judge them, and yet I will not justifie them, I believe that what moved Herod to cut off John Baptists head, moved them to cut off mine, and that was for his Oaths sake, John Baptists [meaning Herod] to avoid perjury, he would commit murther, whereas if John Baptists head had been upon his shoulders, he would have been guilty of neither. I have something in the second place to speak concerning my self, and then I shall come briefly to a conclusion. Concerning my self, I have gone through various reports: There are many sons of slander, whose mouths are as an open Sepulchre to bury my name before my friends can bury my body. My comfort is, there will be a Resurrection of Names as well as Bodies at the last Day; God will not onely wipe off tears from mine eyes this day, but wipe off all blots and reproaches from my Name before many dayes be over; and though my body will soon rot under ground, yet my hope is my name will not rot above it: I am not ignorant what Calumnies are cast upon me, and