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.
Bed-chamber Whence it was next day removed into the Dean's Hall and from thence by the Duke of Richmond the Marquiss of Hertford the Marquiss of Dorchester and the Earl of Lindsey convey'd to St. George's Chapel and there Interred in the Vault as is supposed of King Henry the Eighth and Queen Jane with this Inscription upon the Coffin CHARLES King of England MDCXLVIII This Unfortunate Prince was of a Majestick Comply Presence of a sweet grave but melancholy aspect His Face was regular handsom and well complexioned his Body strong healthy and well made and tho' of a low Stature was able to endure the greatest Fatigues In his temper he was Brave Magnificent Liberal and Constant a great Lover and as great a Master of Manly Exercises and yet no less accomplished in the Graces and Entertainments of a Court Nor did he fall short of the bravest Hero's in Personal Valour having exposed his Person in every Battel he Fought and oftentimes Charging in the Head of his Squadrons He had a good tast of Learning and a more than ordinary skill in the Liberal Arts especially Paiâ—â—ing Sculpture Architecture and Medals and being a generous Benefactor to the most celebrated Masters in those Arts 〈◊〉 acquired the Noblest Collection of any Prince in his time and more than all the Kings of England had done before him In his Devotions he was Constant Regular and Intent a great Patron of the Clergy of the Church of England and so Zealous for the Doctrine and Discipline of that Church that he seal'd it with his Blood and when he could no longer support it with his Arms he defended it by his Pen beyond all contraction He was well read in all the essential Points of Divinity and was as great a Master in it as his Father but without the allay of Pedantry Of this among ether things the Papers that pass'd betwixt him and Henderson at New-Castle will be a lasting Monument He was a lover of Episcopacy because he understood its Antiquity and Excellency in Ecclesiastical Government in opposition to all other new invented Models whatsoever His great Presence of Mind was Conspicuous both in the Field and on the Scaffold and was not mistaken in himself when he said before the High Court of Justice That he understood as much Law as any Private Gentleman in England He was a Passionate Lover of the Queen who was a Beautiful Lady and in all things very accomplish'd In short he was the Best of Husbands the Best of Fathers the Best of Masters and peradventure the Best of Men. He spake several Languages very well and with a singular good Grace tho now and then when he was warm in Discourse he was inclinable to stammer He wrote a tolerable good Hand for a King but his Sence was strong and his Stile Laconick and yet he seldom writ in any Language but English Some of his Manifesto's Declarations and other Publick Papers he drew himself and most of them he Corrected In comparing those of the Kings with the Parliaments he must have lost his Understanding that does not give the Preference to the Kings for strength of reasoning and Force of expression There are several pieces of his own Hand-writing yet to be seen which for Matter and Form surpass those of his ablest Ministers and come nothing short of Strafford and Falkland two most Celebrated Pens of that Time What his Opinion was about Subjects Defending their Religion and Liberties by Force of Arms appeared in the Business of Rochel For though some would have perswaded us of late that Defensive Arms were inconsistent with the Principles of the Church of England I hope they will not deny but this King understood the Doctrine and Principles of the English Church as well as any other Person can pretend to know them and yet it is certain that in his Practice and Declarations he approv'd of the Rochellerr Vindicating their Religion and Liberties from the Encroachments made by their Sovereign and that by Force of Arms and assisted them in so doing No Prince was better Instructed in the Principles of Government than he was and his only unhappiness was that he sometimes trusted to other Men's Counsels rather than to his own and put so much Power into his Enemies hands in hopes of gaining them that he was no longer in Power to defend himself In effect he was too good a Man to be a happy Prince and rather was destroyed by his own tenderness than by the Force of his Enemies as appears by the ill use which was made of it in several Treaties Councils and Battels To conclude the War it self was unjustifiable Rebellious and Barbarous but the Formalities of proceeding against him by Arraignment Tryal Sentence and Execution fill'd all Christendom with Horror and Indignation and 't is to be fear'd that his Blood still cries aloud for Vengeance against the Contrivers and Instruments of that Execrable Murder which no sin can equal but the Justifying it and tho' Indemnity has pardon'd it no Oblivion can deface it FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THe Best and most Experienced Remedy for Sore or Weak Eyes that ever yet was made known to the World being of that wonderful Efficacy that it infallibly dispels any Humor or Salt Rheum distilling from the Head and takes all Soreness or Redness or Swellings It also strengthens weak Eyes sometimes occasioned by the Small-Pox and will disperse any Film or Cataract growing over the Eye whereby the Sight oftentimes becomes dim In a few times using this Excellent Remedy to those that will be perswaded to use it often it will preserve the Sight to an incredible Age and read the smallest of Prints It being a Secret acquired by a Gentleman in his long Study whereby he has wrought wonderful Cures among his Relations and Acquaintance and now made publick for the Benefit of all People that will make tryal of it For those that are really Poor they shall have it for nothing to Others for 6 d. the Bottle Only to be had at the Bible in Fetter-Lane near Fleet-street