During the English Civil War, a series of armed conflicts between King Charles I and parliament in the 17th century, the Earl of Kingston professed himself as desirous of peace. Fully resolved not to act on either side, he said, "When I take arms with the king against the parliament, or with the parliament against the king, let a cannon-bullet divide me between them." God was pleased to bring this imprecation to pass a few months later, when he, going to Gainsborough, and there taking up arms for the king, was captured by parliamentary forces and put prisoner into a pinnace, and sent down the river to Hull.
It happened that a royalist army was marching along the shore. They shot at the pinnace. Being in danger, the Earl of Kingston went up on the deck to show himself and to prevail with them to forbear shooting. But as soon as he appeared, a cannon-bullet flew from the royalist army, and divided him in the middle. Thus, he perished according to his own imprecation.
十七世紀英國內戰期間，國王查理一世和國會屢次兵戈相向，金斯頓伯爵自言酷愛和平，決心不為任何一方效力，說道：「一旦我為國王而戰，或為國會而戰，願砲彈把我分為兩半，半歸國王，半歸國會。」幾個月之後，天教這毒咒成真。當時他正往蓋恩斯伯勒，準備執戈勤王，途中為國會軍隊俘虜，押上帆船，浮河而下，送去赫爾。
剛巧一支保王軍隊正沿着河岸走，向這艘帆船開砲。金斯頓伯爵見情況危急，親自走上甲板，想勸他們停止轟擊，不料他才現身，就遭保王軍一枚砲彈擊中，上下身分為兩半，應驗了他死亡的毒咒。