Sir Thomas Wentworth. They were paraded in formal state through the eastern counties, and at each town a few words of warning were addressed on the occasion to the people. Wentworth brought them thus to Lincoln, where they were delivered over to the Duke of Norfolk. Constable suffered first. He was taken to Hull,[1] and there hanged in chains.[2] Before his death he said that, although he had declared on his examination that he had revealed everything of importance which he knew, yet he had concealed some matter connected with Lord Darcy for fear of doing him an injury. 'He was in doubt whether he had offended God in receiving the sacrament in such manner, concealing the truth upon a good purpose.'[3] This secret, whatever it was, he carried with him from the world. His own offences he admitted freely, protesting, however, that he had added nothing to them since the pardon.
A fuller account remains of the end of Aske. He, too, like Constable, had some mystery on his conscience
- ↑ MS. Rolls House, A 2, 28.
- ↑ A curious drawing of Hull, which was made about this time, with the plans of the new fortifications erected by Henry, is in the Cotton Library. A gallows stands outside the gate, with a body hanging on it, which was probably meant for Constable's.
- ↑ Immediately before 'Sir Robert Constable should receive his rights, it was asked of him if that his confession put in writing was all that he did know. To which he made answer that it was all. Notwithstanding he knew, besides that, sundrr naughty words and high cracks that my Lord Darcy had blown out, which he thought not best to show so long as the said lord was on life, partly because they should rather do hurt than good, and partly because he had no proof of them.'But what these words were he would not declare, but in generality. Howbeit, his open confession was right good.'—MS. State Paper Office, first series, vol. i.
