. Sir, My Consent shall more
acquit you herein to God, than all the World can do besides; To a
willing Man there is no Injury done; and as by God's Grace, I
forgive all the World, with a calmness and Meekness of infinite
Contentment to my dislodging Soul, so, Sir, to you I can give the
Life of this World with all the cheerfulness imaginable, in the
just Acknowledgment of your exceeding Favors; and only beg that
in your Goodness you would vouchsafe to cast your gracious Regard
upon my poor Son and his three sisters, less or more, and no
otherwise than as their unfortunate Father may hereafter appear
more or less guilty of this Death. God long preserve your
Majesty."

On receiving this letter the king caused the bill to be signed. He
would not do it with his own hands, but commissioned two of his
council to do it in his name. He then sent a messenger to Strafford to
announce the decision, and to inform him that he must prepare to die.
The messenger observed that the earl seemed surprised; and after
hearing that the king had signed the bill, he quoted, in a tone of
despair, the words of Scripture, "Put not your trust in princes, nor
in the sons of men, for in them is no salvation." Historians have
thought it strange that Strafford should have expressed this
disappointment when he had himself requested the king to resist the
popular will no longer; and they infer from it that he was not sincere
in the request, but supposed that the king would regard it as an act
of nobleness and generosity on his part, that would render him more
unwilling than ever to consent to his destruction, and that he was
accordingly surprised and disappointed when he found that the king had
taken him at his word. It is said, however, by some historians, that
this letter was a forgery, and that it was written by some of
Strafford's enemies to lead the king to resist no longer. The reader,
by perusing the letter again, can perhaps form some judgment whether
such a document was more likely to have been fabricated by enemies, or
really written by the unhappy prisoner himself.

The king did not entirely give up the hope of saving his friend, even
after the bill of attainder was signed. He addressed the following
message to the House of Lords.

My Lords,--I did yesterday satisfy the Justice of this Kingdom by
passing the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford: but
Mercy bein