considering likewise that he cou'd not accomplish his Designs while the King remain'd so near the Parliament sent privately to the King that he was in no Safety their and that he wou'd be more secure in the Isle of White upon which the poor King so deluded makes his Escape thither by Night and there sent Propositions to the Parliament which they reject with Indignation Because the King would include the Scots Interest Upon this the Scots Enter England Demanding that the King might be brought to London the Army Disbanded and a lasting Peace settled between the two Kingdoms and joyning with Sir Marmaduke Langdale for the King they rout Lambert at Appleby and afterwards March into Lancashire intending for London but Cromwell and Lambert joyning Armies gave them an Entire Overthrow After which Cromwell Marched into Scotland and was Victorious there and now the Army out Plotting the Parliament call'd loudly to have the King brought to Justice In the mean time His Majesty was Convey'd out of the Isle of White and carried Prisoner to Hurst-Castle and the House being New-Moulded by the Army proceeded to restore the Vote of Non-Address That no Message be received from the King on pain of Treason and that the Council of State shou'd draw up a Charge of Treason against him Decemb 10th the King was brought from Hurst-Castle to Windsor and from thence to St. James's and all things were preparing for his Dismal Tragedy in which the Juncto proceeded notwithstanding the Dissent of the Lords and the Remonstrance of the Parliament of Scotland against it so that they appointed a New Tribunal called the High-Court of Justice who were impower'd to Hear Try Judge and Execute Charles Stuart King of England They Annull'd his Title order'd the Great Seal of England to be Broken and a New one to be made On Saturday Jan. 20th This Wicked High-Court of Justice sat in Westminster-Hall John Bradshaw was President of this Pretended Court the Counsellors to draw up the Charge were Dorislaus Dr. of Civil Laws John Cooke Solliciter Danby Serjeant at Arms With Clerks Messengers and Doorkeepers c. The Court being thus sat and call'd over the King was brought to the Bar by Collonel Hacker Conducting him to a Chair within the Bar And then Bradshaw said to the King Charles Stuart King of England the Commons of England being sensible of the Calamity brought upon this Nation and of the Innocent Blood shed which are Imputed to you as the Author according to that Duty which they ow to God and the Nation and themselves and according to that Power and Fundamental Trust reposed in them by the People have Constituted this High-Court of Justice before which you are now brought and are to hear your Charge upon which the Court will proceed Then the Solliciter accus'd him of High-Treason and the Charge was ordered to be read tho' the King desired first to be heard The King often smil'd whilst the Charge was reading especially at those words Tyrant Traytor Murderer c. Then Spoke Bradshaw Sir you have heard your Charge and you find in the close of it that the Court is Prayed in behalf of the Commons of England that you answer to the Charge which the Court now expects Then the King demanded by what Authority they had brought him thither To which Bradshaw told him That he was not to dispute that but to answer his Charge and the King still denying the Jurisdiction of the Court it was adjourn'd till Monday following so the King was conducted back several factious Fellows and lewd Soldiers shouting out for Justice thinking the rest of the People would have hallow'd to the same Tune but instead thereof they almost all cryed out God bless the King On Monday Jan. 22d the King was brought again to his Tryal at what time the King with abundance of Eloquence argued against their pretended High Court and not being able to out-reason him that Day neither they adjourn'd their Court again till the next which was Tuesday Jan. 23. the Court sate again and seventy three Commissioners were present The King being brought into Court Sollicitor Cook summ'd up what had been already done in it and complaining of the great delay of Justice moved for a speedy Judgment against the King Bradshaw Sir you have heard what is mov'd by the Council on behalf of the Kingdom against you and now the Court expects that you give in your possitive and Final Answer in plain English whether you are Guilty or Not Guilty of these Treasons laid to your Charge King When I was here yesterday I did desire to speak for the Liberties of the People of England I was interrupted I desire to know yet whether I may speak freely or not Bradshaw Sir you have heard the Resolution of the Court upon the like Question and that you ought to acknowledge the Jurisdiction of it and Answer to your Charge and when you have done that you shall be heard at large King For the Charge I value not a Rush it is the Liberty of the People of England that I stand for for me to acknowledge a new Court that I never heard of before I that am your King that should be an example to all the People of England to uphold Justice to maintain the Old Laws Indeed I do not know how to do it You spoke well one day of the Obligation that was laid upon me by God to maintain the Liberties of my People the same Obligation you speak of calls upon me to defend as much as in me lies the ancient Laws of the Kingdom therefore till I know that this is not against the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom I can put in no particular Answer If you will give me time I will shew you my Reasons and this Here the King was again interrupted but recovering himself went on saying By your favour you ought not to interrupt me How I came hither I know not there 's no Law to make your King your Prisoner I was in a Treaty on the publick Faith of the Kingdom made to me by the two Houses of Parliament that was the Representative of the Kingdom and I had almost made an end of the Treaty when I was hurried away and brought hither and therefore Bradshaw Sir you must know the pleasure of the Court. King By your favour Sir Here Bradshaw interrupted him Bradshaw Nay Sir by your favour you may not be permitted to fall into those Discourses you appear as a Delinquent you have not acknowledged the Authority of the 〈◊〉 the Court craves it not of you but once more they command you to give your positive Answer Clerk Do your Duty King Duty Sir Then the Clerk read Charles Stuart King of England you are accused in behalf of the Commons of England of divers Crimes and Treasons which Charge has been read unto you the Court now equires you to give your positive and final Answer by way of Confession or Denial of the Charge King
I say again to you so that I may give Satisfaction to the People of England of the clearness of my Proceedings not by way of Answer but to satisfie them that I have done nothing against that Trust that hath been committed to me I would do it but to Acknowledge a New Court against their Privileges to alter the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom Sir you must excuse me Bradshaw Sir this is the third time that you have publickly disavowed this Court and put an Affront upon it how far you have preserved the Privileges of the People your Actions have spoken but truly Sir Men's intentions should be known by their Actions you have written your meaning in bloody Characters throughout the whole Kingdom but Sir you understand the Pleasure of the Court. Clerk Record the Default you that took Charge of the Prisoner take him back again So the King went forth with his Guards and his Court adjourn'd to the Painted Chamber the Cryer as at other times said God bless the Kingdom of England Saturday the 27th of Jan. 1648 the Court sate again in Westminster-Hall Bradshaw was in Scarlet Robes after him 67 Commissioners answer'd to their Names the King came in in his wonted posture with his Hat on a company of Soldiers and seditious Persons were placed about the Court to cry for Justice Judgment and Execution the People not daring to cry God bless him for fear of being beaten again by the Soldiers Bradshaw Gentlemen it is well known to all here present that the Prisoner at the Bar hath been several times convented and brought before this Court to make Answer to a Charge of High-Treason and other Crimes exhibited against him in the Name of the people of England to which Charge being required to Answer he hath been so far from Obeying the Commands of the Court by submitting to their Justice as he began to take upon him reasoning and debating unto the Authority of the Court and to the Highest Court that appointed them to Try and Judge him but being Over-rul'd in that and required to make his Answer he still continued contumacious and refus'd to submit to an answer hereupon the Court that they may not be wanting to themselves nor the Trust repos'd in them nor that any Man's Wilfulness prevent Justice they have consider'd of the Charge and of the Contumacy and of that confession which in Law doth arise on that Contumacy they have also consider'd the Notoriety of the Fact charg'd upon this Prisoner and upon the whole matter they are resolved and have agreed upon a Sentence to be pronounced against him but in respect he doth desire to be heard before the Sentence be pronounced against him the Court doth resolve to hear him yet Sir this I must tell you before-hand which you have been minded of at our Courts if that which you have to say be to offer any Debate concerning the Jurisdiction you are not to be heard in it You have offer'd it formerly and you have struck as the root that is the Power and Supreme Authority of the Commons of England which this Court will not admit a Debate of and which indeed is an irrational thing in them to do being a Court that Acts upon Authority derived from them But Sir if you have any thing to say in defence of your self concerning the matter charged the Court has given me in command to hear you King Since I see that you will not hear any thing of Debate concerning that which I confess I thought most material for the Peace of the Kingdom and for the Liberty of the Subject I shall wave it but only I must tell you that this many a day all things have been taken away from me but that that I call dearer to me than my Life which is my Conscience and my Honour and if I had respect to my Life more than the Peace of the Kingdom and the Liberty of the Subject certainly I should have made a particular defence for my Life for by that at least wise I might have delay'd an Vgly Sentence which I believe will pass upon me therefore certainly Sir as a Man that hath some understanding some knowledge of the World if that true Zeal to my Country had not over born the Care that I have for my own preservation I should have gone another way to work than that I have done Now Sir I conceive that a hasty Sentence once pass'd may sooner be repented of than recall'd and truly the self same desire that I have for the Peace of the Kingdom and the Liberty of the Subject more than my own particular Ends makes me now at last desire that I may say something that concerns both I desire that before Sentence be given that I may be heard in the Printed Chamber before the Lords and Commons This delay cannot be prejudicial to you whatsoever I say if that I say be no Reason those that hear must be Judges I cannot be Judge of that which I have to say if it be reason and really for the welfare of the Kingdom and the Liberty of the Subject I am sure it is very well worth the hearing therefore I do conjure you as you love that which you pretend I hope it is real the Liberty of the Subject and Peace of the Kingdom that you will grant me this hearing before any Sentence passeth but if I cannot get this Liberty I do protest that your fair shews of Liberty and Peace are pure shews and that you will not hear your King Bradshaw said this was declining the Jurisdiction of the Court and delay yet the Court withdrew for half an Hour Advised upon it and Sate again Bradshaw said to the King that the Court had considered what he had moved and also their own Authority the return from the Court said he is this That they have been too much delayed by you already and are Judges appointed by the highest Authority and Judges are no more delay than to deny Justice and notwithstanding what you have Offer'd they are resolved to proceed to Sentence and to Judgment that is their Unanimous Resolution The King press'd again and again that he might be heard by the Lords and Commons in the Painted Chamber with great Earnestness and was often denied by Bradshaw at last the King desired that this motion of his might be entred Bradshaw began in a long Speech to declare the Grounds of the Sentence highly aggravating the King s pretended Offences and misapplying both Law and History to his present purpose and when Bradshaw had done speaking Broughten the Clerk Read the Sentence drawn up in Parchment to this Effect That whereas the Commons of England had appointed them an High-Court of Justice for the Trial of Charles Stewart King of England before whom he had been three times Convened and at the first time a Charge of High Treason and other High Crimes and Misdemeanors was read in the behalf of Kingdom of the England c.
which Charge being read unto him as aforesaid he the said Charles Stewart was required to give his Answer but he refused so to do and so express'd the several passages at the Trial in refusing to Answer for all which Treasons and Crimes this Court doth Adjudge that he the said Charles Stewart as a Tyrant Traytor Murderer and publick Enemy shall be put to Death by Severing his Head from his Body After the Sentence was Read Bradshaw said This Sentence now Read and published is the Act Sentence Judgment and Resolution of the whole Court and then the whole Court stood up as assenting to what Bradshaw said King Will you hear me a Word Sir Bradshaw Sir you are not to be heard after the Sentence King No Sir Bradshaw No Sir by your favour Sir Guard withdraw your Prisoner King I am not suffered to Speak expect what Justice other People will have This pretended Court after Judgment given went into the Painted Chamber and appointed Sir Hardress Waller Ireton Harrison Dean and Okey to consider of the time and place for the Execution The King being not allowed to Reply was taken by his Guards to Sir Robert Cotton's House and as he pass'd down Stairs the Rude Soldiers Scoff'd at him blew the Smoak of their Tobacco in his Face a thing always very offensitive to him strewed pieces of Pipes in his way and one more abominable insolent than the rest Spit in his Face which his Majesty patiently wiped off taking no farther notice of it And as he pass'd farther hearing some of them by the instigation of their Officers cry out Justice Justice and Execution he said Alas poor Souls for a Piece of Money they would do as much for their Commanders Afterward the King hearing that his Execution was determined to be the next day before the Palace at White-hall he sent an Officer in the Army to desire them that he might see his Children before his Death and that Doctor Juxon Bishop of London might be permitted to assist him in his private Devotions and receiving the Sacrament both which were granted to him upon a Motion to the Parliament The same day that the Warrant was Signed for his Execution the Duke of Gloucester and the Lady Elizabeth were brought to him whom he received with great Joy and Satisfaction and giving his Blessing to the Princess He bid her remember to tell her Brother James that he should no more look vpon Charles as his Elder Brother only but as his Sovereign and that they should Love one another and forgive their Fathers Enemies Then taking the Duke of Gloucester upon his Knee said Sweet-Heart now they will cut off thy Father's Head at which Words the Child looked very wishfully upon him Mark Child what I say they will cut off my Head and perhaps make thee a King but mark what I say you must not be a King so long as your Brothers Charles and James are alive for they will cut off your Brothers Heads as soon as they can catch them and cut thy Head off too at last and therefore I charge you do not be made a King by them At which the Child sighing said I will be torn in pieces first which falling so unexpectedly from a Child so young it made the King rejoyce exceedingly On the fatal day being the 30th of January the Bishop of London read Divine Service in his presence and the 27 of Matthew the History of our Saviour's Passion being appointed by the Church for that Day he gave the Bishop thanks for his seasonable choice of the Lesson but the Bishop acquainting him that it was the Service of the Day it comforted him exceedingly and then he proceeded to receive the Holy Sacrament His Devotions being ended he was brought from St. James's to White-hall by a Regiment of Foot part before and part behind with a Private Guard of Partisans about him the Bishop of London on the on the one Hand and Colonel Tomlinson who had the Charge of him on the other Bareheaded The Guards marching but a slow pace the King bid them go faster saying That he now went before them to strive for an Heavenly Crown with less sollicitude than he had often encouraged his Soldiers to Fight for an Earthly Diadem Being come to the end of the Park he went up the Stairs leading to the Long Gallery in White-hall where formerly he used to Lodge and there finding an expected delay the Scaffold being not ready he past most of that time in Prayer About twelve a Clock Colonel Hacker with other Officers and Soldiers brought the King with the Bishop and Colonel Tomlinson through the Banquetting-House to the Scaffold a Passage being made through a Window A strong Guard of several Regiments of Horse and Foot were planted on all sides which hindred the near approach of his Mourning Subjects who for discovering their Sorrow were barbarously used and the King from speaking to be heard and therefore being upon the Scaffold he chiefly directed his Speech to the Bishop and Colonel Tomlinson to this purpose I shall be very little heard of any body else I shall therefore speak a Word to you here indeed I could have held my Peace very well if I did not think that holding my Peace would make some Men think that I did submit to the Guilt as well as the Punishment but I think it is my Duty to God first and then to my Country to clear my self both as an Honest Man a Good King and a Good Christian I shall first begin with my Innocency and in Troth I think it not very needful to insist long upon this for all the World knows that I did never begin a War with the two Houses of Parliaments and I call God to Witness unto whom I must shortly make an account that I did never intend to Encroach upon their Privileges they began upon me it is the Militia they began upon they confest the Militia was mine but they thought fit to have it from me and to be short if any body will look to the Dates of Commissions of their Commissions and mine and likewise to the Declaration he will see clearly that they began these Troubles and not I. So as for the Guilt of these Enormous Crimes that are laid against me I hope that God will clear me I will not for I am in Charity and God forbid I should lay it upon the two Houses of Parliament there is no necessity of either I hope they are free of this Guilt but I believe that ill Instruments between them and me have been the cause of all this Bloodshed so that as I find my self clear of this I hope and pray God that they may too yet for all this God forbid I should be so ill a Christian as not to say God's Judgments are just upon me many times he doth pay Justice by an unjust Sentence that is ordinary I will say this that an unjust Sentence that is ordinary I will say this