1578 - Francis Fletcher
Two Mutineers: One Execution and one Skeleton
St. Julian, Argentina
After dinner, all things being brought in readiness, by him that supplied the room of the provost Marshall; without any dallying, or delaying the time, he [Doughty], came forth, and kneeled down, preparing at once his neck to the axe, and his spirit for heaven: which having done, without long ceremony, as who had before digested this whole tragedy, he desired all the rest to pray for him, and willed the executioner to do his office, not to fear or spare.
Thus having by the worthy manner of his death (being much more honorable by it, then blamable for any other of his actions) fully blotted out, what ever stain his fault might seem to being upon him, he left unto our fleet a lamentable example of a goodly gentleman, who in seeking advancement unfit for him, cast away himself: and unto posterity a monument, of I know not what, fatal calamity, incident to that port, and such like actions, which might happily afford a new pair of parallels to be added to Plutarchs: in that the same place, near about the same time of the year, witnessed the execution of a gentleman, suffering both of the like cause, employed both in like service, entertained both in great place, ended both with excellent qualities, the one 58 years after the other.
For on the maine, our men found a gibbet, fallen down, made of a spruce mast, with mens bones underneath it, which they conjectured to be the same gibbet, which Magellane commanded to be erected, in the year 1520, for the execution of John Carthagena, the Bishop of Burgos cosen, who by the kings order was joined with Magellane in commission, and made his vice-admiral.
In the island, as we digged to burie this gentleman, we found a great grinding stone, broken in two parts, which we took and set fast in the ground, the one part as the head, the other at the feet, building up the middle space with other stones and turfes of earth, and engraved in the stones the names of the parties buried here, with the time of their departure, and a memorial of our generals name [Francis Drake] in Latin, that it might be better understood, of all that should come after us.
Fletcher, Francis
The World Encompassed By Sir Francis Drake …
London 1628