The magistrates now perceiving that the putting William Robinson and
Marmaduke Stevenson to death, caused great discontent among the people,
resolved to send away Mary Dyar, thereby to calm their minds a little.
And so she was put on horseback, and by four horsemen conveyed fifteen
miles towards Rhode Island, where she was left with a horse and a man,
to be conveyed the rest of the way: which she soon sent back, and so
repaired home. By the style of her letters, and her undaunted carriage,
it appears that she had indeed some extraordinary qualities; I find
also, that she was of a comely and grave countenance, of a good family
and estate, and a mother of several children: but her husband it seems
was of another persuasion.
Whilst I now leave her at home, I am to say that one John Chamberlain,
an inhabitant of Boston, having seen the execution of W. Robinson and
M. Stevenson, was so reached by their pious speeches, that he received
the doctrine of the Truth, for which they died: but his visiting those
in prison was so ill resented, that afterwards he was whipped several
times severely; as was also Edward Wharton, an inhabitant of Salem:
who having said that the guilt of Robinson and Stevenson’s blood was
so great and heavy, that he was not able to bear it, was, for this
his pretended sauciness, whipped with twenty lashes, and fined twenty
pounds.
But before I quite leave the persons that were hanged, I must say, that
being dead, their countenances still looked fresh; (for the terror
of death had not seized them.) But being cut down, they were very
barbarously used, none taking hold of their bodies: which so fell down
on the ground, that thereby the scull of W. Robinson was broken: and
even their shirts were ripped off with a knife, and their naked bodies
cast into a hole which was digged, without any covering. And when some
of their friends would have laid their bodies into coffins, it was
denied them. Neither would they suffer the place where the bodies were
cast, to be fenced with pales, lest ravenous beasts might prey upon
them.
When the people returned from the execution, many seemed sad and heavy;
and coming to the drawbridge, one end of it fell upon some, and several
were hurt, especially a wicked woman, who had reviled the said two
persons at their death; but now she was so bruised, that her flesh
rotted from her bones, which made such a noisome stink, that people
could not endure to be with her: in which miserable condition she
remained till she died. But the magistrates, instead of taking notice
of this, grew more hardened; and priest Wilson did not stick to make a
ballad on the executed.
1660.
Now I return again to Mary Dyar, who being come to Rhode Island, went
from thence to Long Island, where she staid the most part of the
winter: and then coming home again, she was moved to return to the
bloody town of Boston, whither she came on the 21st of the Third month,
1660, and on the 31st she was sent for by the general court. Being
come, the governor, John Endicot, said, ‘Are you the same Mary Dyar
that was here before?’ And it seems he was preparing an evasion for
her, there having been another of that name returned from Old England.
But she was so far from disguising, that she answered undauntedly,
‘I am the same Mary Dyar that was here the last general court.’ Then
Endicot said, ‘You will own yourself a Quaker, will you not?’ To which
Mary Dyar said, ‘I own myself to be reproachfully called so.’ Then the
jailer, (who would also say something,) said, ‘She is a vagabond.’ And
Endicot said, the sentence was past upon her the last general court,
and now likewise: ‘You must return to the prison, and there remain till
to-morrow at nine o’clock; then from thence you must go to the gallows,
and there be hanged till you are dead.’ To which Mary Dyar said, ‘This
is no more than what thou saidst before.’ And Endicot returned, ‘But
now it is to be executed; therefore prepare yourself to-morrow at nine
o’clock.’ She then spoke thus: ‘I came in obedience to the will of God
the last general court, desiring you to repeal your unrighteous laws of
banishment on pain of death; and that same is my work now, and earnest
request; although I told you, that if you refused to repeal them,
the Lord would send others of his servants to witness against them.’
Hereupon Endicot asked her, whether she was a prophetess? And she
answered, ‘she spoke the words that the Lord spoke in her; and now the
thing was come to pass.’ And beginning to speak of her call, Endicot
cried, ‘Away with her; away with her.’ So she was brought to the prison
house where she was before, and kept close shut up until the next day.
About the appointed time the marshal Michaelson came, and called her
to come hastily; and coming into the room where she was, she desired
him to stay a little; and speaking mildly, said, she should be ready
presently. But he being of a rough temper, said he could not wait
upon her, but she should now wait upon him. One Margaret Smith, her
companion, being grieved to see such hard-heartedness, spoke something
against their unjust laws and proceedings; to which he said, ‘You shall
have your share of the same.’ Then Mary Dyar was brought forth, and
with a band of soldiers led through the town, the drums being beaten
before and behind her, and so continued, that none might hear her
speak all the way to the place of execution, which was about a mile.
With this guard she came to the gallows, and being gone up the ladder,
some said to her, that if she would return, she might come down and
save her life. To which she replied, ‘Nay, I cannot, for in obedience
to the will of the Lord I came, and in his will I abide faithful to the
death.’ Then captain John Webb said, that she had been there before,
and had the sentence of banishment upon pain of death, and had broken
the law in coming again now; and therefore she was guilty of her own
blood. To which she returned, ‘Nay, I came to keep blood-guiltiness
from you, desiring you to repeal the unrighteous and unjust law of
banishment upon pain of death, made against the innocent servants
of the Lord; therefore my blood will be required at your hands, who
wilfully do it: but for those that do it in the simplicity of their
hearts, I desire the Lord to forgive them. I came to do the will of
my Father, and in obedience to his will, I stand even to death.’ Then
priest Wilson said, ‘Mary Dyar, O repent, O repent, and be not so
deluded, and carried away by the deceit of the devil.’ To this Mary
Dyar answered, ‘Nay, man, I am not now to repent.’ And being asked by
some, whether she would have the elders pray for her, she said, ‘I know
never an elder here.’ Being further asked, whether she would have any
of the people to pray for her? She answered, she desired the prayers
of all the people of God. Thereupon some scoffingly said, ‘It may be
she thinks there is none here.’ She looking about, said, ‘I know but
few here.’ Then they spoke to her again, that one of the elders might
pray for her. To which she replied, ‘Nay, first a child, then a young
man, then a strong man, before an elder in Christ Jesus.’ After this
she was charged with something which was not understood what it was,
but she seemed to hear it; for she said, ‘It is false, it is false; I
never spoke those words.’ Then one mentioned that she should have said,
she had been in paradise. To which she answered, ‘Yea, I have been in
paradise several days.’ And more she spoke of the eternal happiness
into which she was now to enter. In this well-disposed condition she
was turned off, and died a martyr of Christ, being twice led to death,
which the first time she expected with undaunted courage, and now
suffered with Christian fortitude.
Thus this honest, valiant woman finished her days: but so hardened were
these persecutors, that one of the court said scoffingly, ‘She did hang
as a flag for others to take example by.’ And putting to death for
religion did not yet cease, as will be related hereafter: but first
I will take a turn again to Old England, where there was now great
division, and a revolution in the state.
* * * * *
About the beginning of this year, E. Burrough wrote the following
letter to the parliament, which then had the power again in their hands.
‘_Friends_,
‘All these overturnings, and almost wonderful changings, were
effected through the justice of the Lord’s hand. You are now
again at the stern of government, and on the throne; and I dare
not but say it is of and by the Lord, and that he hath done it
contrary to the expectations of many; and what his end is in
it, remains with him. But I am sure one cause is, that you may
execute part of his wrath upon that treacherous generation
of hypocritical and deceitful men, some of the army I mean. I
need not say to you, how that many of them were raised up from
a low estate; and, instead of serving the nation, became their
lords and oppressors; they have abused the Lord’s mercy to them,
and exalted themselves, and became as great oppressors, and
as grievous to the nation, as ever they were that went before
them; and some of them took the very tithes and estates of their
enemies, and followed their evil spirit also, though the Lord was
long-suffering to them, and gave them a day, and put opportunity
into their hands, wherein they might have done good; but they
also neglected to serve God and the nation, to themselves; and
because of the ambition and pride of some of them, the Lord
suffered them to make this last interruption upon you, which was
great treachery in man’s account, that thereby their measure
might be filled up, and that he might give you occasion against
them, and suffer you to be filled with indignation towards
them, to break them to pieces: and what you do to some of them,
in casting them out, and afflicting them, you are but God’s
executioners therein; you are the executioners of his anger, in
what you do to them; and who shall prevent you, or forbid him to
go on? For they have long enough dissembled with this nation, in
professing more than others, and doing less, and their downfall
is now. And God hath looked upon you, to be hard-hearted and
cruel enough, and very fit executioners of vengeance upon such
men, as I have mentioned.
‘But now concerning you, and your present state, as you are in
present place and power, I have something to say to you; though
they are fallen, and you yet stand, and you have a little time
after them; but this I say, do not glory over their fall, neither
glory as though you should stand for ever; for they were not
greater sinners than you are, neither are you one whit more
righteous than some of them; but you are as sure to fall, as they
are fallen, with no less measure of dishonour and affliction than
is come upon them; and you are in your last hour; and I dare
not say, that God expects much more from you, than for the end
aforesaid, viz. to be the executioners of justice upon men as
sinful as yourselves; so do not glory over them that are fallen:
but know that your time also is but short, and your fall may
prove to your destruction, and theirs may prove to make them
better, and refine them: and if God hath chosen you to execute
some part of his wrath upon them, for their wickedness, he
will doubtless find instruments to execute his wrath upon you,
else he will do it with his own hands; for he purposeth not to
spare you; for your sins cry as loud as any other people’s, and
the oppressions are as great under you, as under them whom you
condemn. And I desire, if there be any good men amongst you, that
such who are wise may consider, and mind the hand of the Lord in
and through all these things that are come to pass; for God is
working as well as you, he is seeking to set up a kingdom as well
as you, and his government and your’s cannot stand together; and
he will make you know that he is stronger, and his government of
more force, and your kingdom cannot stand in place with his.
‘Therefore, Oh that you would take heed! Oh that you would be
wise, if so be some of you may be spared! and be not too zealous
in your way, nor too furious in your proceedings; do but to
others as you intend to receive from others, and from the Lord;
and go not beyond your commission; for a permission at least
you have had from God, even to scourge hypocrites, and to be a
judgment upon that hypocritical, seeming religious generation of
men aforesaid, which have many a time as it were mocked God, and
pretended love to him with their lips, when their hearts have
yearned after self-honour, and treasures of this world: I say,
your present hour and permission is for this end, but not to
persecute the people of the Lord, nor to destroy God’s heritage;
but if you shall extend your power unto such a work, and if you
do persecute the innocent without cause, and make war against the
Lamb and his followers, and make laws, and execute them to the
oppression of the saints of the Most High, then you go beyond
your commission; for God hath not called you unto this, but to
be instruments in another cause. And the children of Zion, they
trust in the living God, and fear not the terror of mighty men,
neither can they be afraid at the roaring of the sea, nor at
the present threatening of the heathen, for God is with them.
And I say unto you, the servant of the Lord hath pondered and
considered all these proceedings, and viewed the present state of
things at this day, and there is no vision from God unto you of
peace and comfort, nor of a happy and lasting government, as you
stand: if any prophet shall divine this unto you, he speaks what
he hath not from the Lord, but the vision of his own heart, and
he deceives you and himself; for you are not established upon a
right foundation, neither are you acted by a right spirit, which
can truly govern for God; but the spirit of wrath and fury is put
into you, for the work to which you are called. And I know not
how to warn you, that you do not persecute the people of God.
For why? It may be you must fill up your measure of wickedness
thereby, that God may break you perpetually; yet the less will be
your judgment, if you do it not: but and if you do it, the Lord
will take occasion against you, to wound you, and you shall never
be healed, and as you do afflict others, so and much more shall
it be done unto you from the Lord.
‘Wherefore, consider what I have said; for this is the vision of
the Almighty unto you, that shall not go unfulfilled: and what
you do, you must do it quickly; for your time is short, and your
power will God subdue; and his kingdom and power will he speedily
exalt over your heads, and make you and the nations know that
he is God, and that all power is with him, and that he can do
whatsoever he will; and it is his right alone to reign, and his
children’s portion to possess the kingdom with him. Let the whole
earth, and all the powers thereof, bow and tremble before him:
let not your hearts be stout and rebellious against him, for he
can grind you to powder, and sink you into confusion and misery,
as a stone into the sea.’
This was directed for the hands of the speaker in parliament, and
accordingly was given to William Lenthal, being inclosed to him
with these lines following
‘_Friend_,
‘The inclosed I do commend unto thee to present unto the house,
and to endeavour sincerely the reading of it in your assembly;
for it is of special concernment to you all; and in the name of
the Lord, and by his Spirit, I do charge thee not to be negligent
in this matter, as though it were not of worth to you; and I
do lay it upon thee, as thou wilt answer the contrary at the
dreadful day of God, when the King of Righteousness shall judge
thee and all mankind.