or, "Thou tyrant Ferdinand, your throne is established in
blood; but if you kill my body, and disperse my members, they shall
still rise up in judgment against you." He then was silent, and having
walked about for some time, seemed to recover his fortitude, and growing
calm, said to a gentleman who stood near, I was, a few minutes since,
greatly discomposed, but now I feel my spirits revive; God be praised
for affording me such comfort; death no longer appears as the king of
terrors, but seems to invite me to participate of some unknown joys.
Kneeling before the block, he said, Almighty God! to thee I commend my
soul, receive it for the sake of Christ, and admit it to the glory of
thy presence. The executioner put this nobleman to considerable pain, by
making several strokes before he severed the head from the body.

The earl of Rugenia was distinguished for his superior abilities, and
unaffected piety. On the scaffold he said, "We who drew our swords,
fought only to preserve the liberties of the people, and to keep our
consciences sacred: as we were overcome, I am better pleased at the
sentence of death, than if the emperor had given me life; for I find
that it pleases God to have his truth defended, not by our swords, but
by our blood." He then went boldly to the block, saying, I shall now be
speedily with Christ, and received the crown of martyrdom with great
courage.

Sir Gaspar Kaplitz was 86 years of age. When he came to the place of
execution, he addressed the principal officer thus: "Behold a miserable
ancient man, who hath often entreated God to take him out of this wicked
world, but could not until now obtain his desire, for God reserved me
till these years to be a spectacle to the world and a sacrifice to
himself; therefore God's will be done." One of the officers told him, in
consideration of his great age, that if he would only ask pardon, he
would immediately receive it. "Ask pardon, (exclaimed he) I will ask
pardon of God, whom I have frequently offended; but not of the emperor,
to whom I never gave any offence should I sue for pardon, it might be
justly suspected I had committed some crime for which I deserved this
condemnation. No, no, as I die innocent, and with a clear conscience, I
would not be separated from this noble company of martyrs:" so saying,
he cheerfully resigned his neck to the block.

Procopius Dorzecki on the scaffold said, "We are now under the emperor's
judgment; but in time he shal