This is a true Account of the sentencing of Lady Alice Lisle by Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys on August 28 in Winchester.
My lord,
What I now give you, is an account from a witness to the sentencing of Lady Alice Lisle.
The next morning, being Friday, August 28, Lady Lisle was once more brought to the bar. She was to be sentenced for harbouring one Mr Hicks, who was declared a traitor although he had not been convicted as such, nor had he appeared on any lists of known enemies. Thus, making it impossible for anyone to know the punishment for giving him assistance was also treason. Therefore, making the trial of Lady Lisle a cruel indictment on Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys and the King himself. For as you shall read, as is the way of all tyrants, his majesty clearly agreed the verdict before the case was heard before the Jury.
Calling Lady Lisle to the bar for the final time, Justice Jeffreys, gave a long and rambling rant on the ‘…canting, whining, Presbyterian, fanatical profession… of Mr Hick.’ After which pointing at Lady Lisle and beseeched the local populace to take heed and learn, ‘from that women, the sad and dismal effects of disloyalty a treason; and from all the rest the deplorable mischiefs that attend licentiousness and debauchery.’ It was only now that he pronounced the sentence, ‘there remains no more for me to do, I say but to pronounce the sentence of the law, which is this. The court does award, that you Mrs Lisle, will be conveyed from whence you came, and thence you are to be drawn upon a hurdle to the place of Execution, where your body is to be burnt alive till you be dead. And the Lord have mercy upon your Soul.’
At this some around her did cry ‘Lord have Mercy!’ yet, Lady Lisle did not flinch or sway, even a little. Then Justice Jeffreys continued, ‘Look you Mrs Lisle, when I left his majesty, he was pleased to remit the time of all executions to me, that where-ever I found any obstinacy or impenitence, I might order the executions with what speed I should think best. Therefore, Mr Sheriff, take notice, you are to prepare for the execution of this gentlewomen this afternoon. But withal, I give you the prisoner, this intimation. The judges shall stay in town an hour or two, you shall have pen, ink and paper, brought to you and if in the mean time you employ them in this hour, it maybe you hear further from us, in deferring the execution.’ With this the poor unfortunate Lady was taken away by the Sherrif
It was now clear to all those in that court, that the King himself had sanctioned this case. The King had set both the verdict and sentence with Justice Jeffreys before even the Jury was called. Their plan was to entrap the non-conformist Presbyterian community into treason and thereby purge the country of them. Only the fortitude of Lady Lisle saved so many more innocent lives from martyrdom. For she did employ the pen, ink or paper but only for her last words and testimony.
Only by chance, the Sheriff was not able to complete the sentence before the Assize left Winchester and announced that the execution could happen before Monday for want of good kindling. Furthermore, the cathedral and town dignitaries, in some shock as to the brutal and unusual project to burn a woman with hours, visited the court Judges. With this and nothing being forthcoming from Lady Lisle, the Lord Chief Justice agreed to adjourn the execution until Wednesday. The friends of the poor Lady are now in earnest looking to change the sentence by pleading directly with the King. For my part, I see little chance of this, for only the King can overturn the verdict and sentence, yet he is only thinking of blood, slaughter and vengeance.
In my next, I shall write to you of the final injustice given to Lady Lisle.
Your humble servant.
William Savage
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