CHARLES I. KING OF ENGLAND c. England's black Tribunall Set forth in the TRIALL OF K. CHARLES I. At a High Court of Justice at Westminster-Hall Together with his last Speech when he was put to death on the Scaffold January 30. 1648. To which is added the several dying Speeches and manner of the putting to death of Earl of Strafford Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Duke Hamilton Earl of Holland Lord Capell Earl of Darby Sir Alex. Carew Sir John Hotham Capt. Hotham Mr. Nath. Tomkins Mr. Chaloner Col. Jo. Morris Cor. Blackburn Col. Andrews Sir Hen. Hide Col. Gerrard Mr. Pet. Vowell Col. Penruddock Capt. Hugh Grove Sir Hen. Slingsby Doctor Jo. Hewet The fourth Edition corrected and enlarged London Printed for J. Playford 1660. TO THE READER WHereas there has been printed of late years many severall impressions of the Relation of the Tryall of King Charles the 1 st and of the manner of the putting him to Death many of which have been very imperfect having had most of the remarkable passages left out But in this Edition some paines and care has been used to have it exact and perfect the which the Reader will find made good if he compare it to any of the former Printed copies Also an addition of the dying speeches of such of the English Nobilite Clergie and Gentry as has been executed for the cause of the late King from 1642. to 1659. of all which these following are true and exact Copies as no doubt will appear to the reader in the perusuall thereof I. P. A Table of the matters contained in this Book AN Act for the Tryall of the King Pag. 1 The first days proceedings Pag. 6 The Charge drawn up against the King Pag. 8 The second days proceedings Pag. 17 The third days proceedings Pag. 25 The fourth days proceedings K. Charles conference with his children His speech on the Scaffold His letter to his Sonne a little before his death An Elegie on the Death and sufferings of K. Charles A Table of the Speeches The E. of Straffords speech to the Court after his sentence Pag. 49 The E. of Straffords speech on the Scaffold Pag. 53 Mr. Nath. Tomkins Elegie Pag. 58 Mr. Chalenors speech at his Execution Pag. 61 Sir Alex. Carews speech on the Scaffold Pag. 65 Capt. John Hothams speech on the Scaffol Pag. 68 Sir John Hothams speech on the Scaffold Pag. 69 Arch Bishop of Canterburys speech on the Scaffold Pag. 72 Duke Hamiltons speech on the Scaffold Pag. 84 Earl of Hollands speech on the Scaffold Pag. 98 Lord Capells speech on the Scaffold Pag. 124 Col. John Moris speech at his Execution Pag. 121 Cor. M. Blackburn speech at his Execution Pag. 125 Col. Andrews speech on the Scaffold Pag. 126 Sir Hen. Hides speech on the Scaffold Pag. 134 E. of Darby's speech on the Scaffold Pag. 147 Col. Gerrards speech on the Scaffold Pag. 159 Mr. Peter Vowells speech at his Execut. Pag. 170 Col. Penruddocks speech on the Scaffold Pag. 175 Capt. Hugh Goves speech on the Scaffold Pag. 184 Sir Hen. Slingsbys speech on the Scaffold Pag. 185 Dr. John Hewets speech on the Scaffold Pag. 186 KING CHARLES HIS TRYALL Began Saturday January 20 th and ended January 27. 1648. An ACT. An Act of the Commons of England assembled in Parliament for erecting of an High Court of Justice for the Trying and Judging of CHARLES STUART King of England WHereas it is notorious That Charles Stuart the now King of England not content with those many incroachments which his Predecessors had made upon the People in their Rights and Freedoms hath had a wicked design totally to subvert the ancient and fundamental Laws and Liber-of this Nation And in their place to introduce an arbitrary and Tyrannical Government with fire and sword levyed and maintained a cruel war in the Land against the Parliament and Kingdome Whereby the Countrey hath been miserably wasted the publick Treasury exhausted Trade decayed and thousands of People murthered and infinite of other mischiefs committed For all which High and Treasonable Offences the said Charles Stuart might long since justly have been brought to exemplary and condign punishment Whereas also the Parliament well hoping that the restraint and imprisonment of his person after it had pleased God to deliver him into their hands would have quieted the disturbers of the Kingdom did forbear to proceed judicially against him But found by sad experience that such their remissives served onely to incourage him and his complices in the Continuance of their evil practises and in raising of new Commotions designs and invasions For prevention therefore of the like greater inconveniences And to the end that no Magistrate or Officer whatsoever may hereafter presume traiterously and maliciously to immagine or contrive the inslaving or destroying of the English Nation and to expect impunity in so doing Be it ordained and enacted by the Commons in Parliament assembled and it is hereby ordained and enacted by the Authority thereof That Thomas Lord Fairfax General Oliver Cromwell Lieutenant General Henry Ireton Commissary General Phillip Skippon Maior General Sir Hardress Waller Colonel Valentine Walton Col. Thomas Harrison Col. Edw. Whalley Col. Tho. Pride Col. Isaac Ewers Col. Rich. Ingoldsby Col. Rich. Dean Col. John Okey Col. Robert Overton Col. John Harrison Col. John Desborow Col. Will. Goffe Col. Rob. Duckenfield Col. Rowland Wilson Col. Henry Martin Col. William Purefoy Col. Godfrey Bosvile Col. Herbert Morley Col. John Barkstead Col. Matthew Tomlinson Col. John Lambert Col. Edmund Ludlow Col. John Hutchinson Col. Robert Titchborn Col. Owen Roe Col. Robert Manwaring Col. Robert Lilburn Col. Adrian Scroop Col. Algernoon Sidney Col. John Moore Col. Francis Lassells Col. Alexander Rigby Col. Edmund Harvey Col. John Venn Col. Anthony Stapley Col. Thomas Horton Col. Tho. Hammond Col. George Fenwick Col. George Fleetwood Col. John Temple Col. Thomas Waite Sir Henry Mildmay Sir Thomas Honywood Thomas Lord Grey Philip Lord Lisle William Lord Mounson Sir John Danvers Sir Thomas Maleverer Sir John Bourchier Sir James Harrington Sir William Brereton Robert Wallop William Heveningham Esquires Isaac Pennington Thomas Atkins Aldermen Sir Peter Wentworth Thomas Trenchard Jo. Blakston Gilbert Millington Esquires Sir Will. Constable Sir Arthur Hasilrigg Sir Mich. Livesey Richard Salway Hump. Salway Cor. Holland Jo. Carey Esquires Sir Will. Armin Jo. Jones Miles Corbet Francis Allen Thomas Lister Ben. Weston Peter Pelham Io. Gusden Esquires Fra. Thorpe Esq Serjeant at Law Io. Nut Tho. Challoner Io. Anlaby Richard Darley William Say John Aldred Jo. Nelthrop Esquires Sir William Roberts Henry Smith Edmund Wild Iohn Challoner Iosias Barnes Dennis Bond Humphrey Edwards Greg. Clement Io. Fray Tho. Wogan Esquires Sir Greg. Norton Io. Bradshaw Esq Serieant at Law Io. Dove Esq Iohn Fowk Thomas Scot Aldermen Will. Cawley Abraham Burrel Roger Gratwick Iohn Downes Esquires Robert Nichols Esq Serjeant at Law Vincent Potter Esq Sir Gilbert Pickering Io. Weaver Io. Lenthal Robert Reynolds Io. Lisle Nich. Love Esquires Sir
empty Scaffold that I might have had room to die I beseech you let me have an end of this misery for I have endured it long When room was made he spake thus I le pull off my Doublet and Gods will be done I am willing to goe out of the world no man can be more willing to send me out then I am willing to be gone Sir John Clothworthy What speciall Text of Scripture now is comfortable to a man in his departure Cant. Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo. Sir John Clothworthy That is a good desire but there must be a foundation for that desire as assurance Cant. No man can expresse it it is to be found within Sir John Clothworthy It is founded upon a word though and that word would be known Cant. That word is the knowledge of Jesus Christ and that alone And turning to the Executioner he gave him money saying here honest friend God forgive thee and doe thy office upon me in mercy The Executioner desired him to give some signe when he should strike he answered Yes I will but let me fit my self first Then kneeling down on his knees he prayed thus The Arch-Bishops last prayer on the Scaffold LOrd I am coming as fast as I can I know I must passe through the shadow of death before I can come to see thee but it is but umbra mortis a meer shadow of death a little darknesse upon nature but thou by thy merits and passion hast broke through the jawes of death so Lord receive my soul and have mercy upon me and blesse this Kingdome with peace and with plenty and with brotherly love and charity that there may not be this effusion of Christian blood amongst them for Jesus Christ sake if it be thy will And when he said Lord receive my soul which was his signe the Eecutioner did his office The severall Speeches of Duke Hamilton Earl of Cambridge the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capell immediately before their execution upon the Scaffold in the Palace yard Westminster on Friday March 9. 1649. Duke Hamilton Earl of Cambridg his Speech on the Scaffold March 9. 1649. UPon Friday the ninth of this instant being the day appointed for the Execution of the sentence of Death upon the Earl of Cambridge the Earl of Holland and the Lord Capel about ten of Clock that morning L. Col. Beecher came with his Order to the several Prisoners at St. James's requiring them to come away According to which Order they were carried in Sedans with a Guard to Sir Thomas Cottons house at Westminster where they continued about the space of two hours passing away most of that time in religious and seasonable conferences with the Ministers there present with them After which being called away to the Scaffold it was desired that before they went they might have the opportunity of commending their Souls to God by prayer which being readily granted and the room voided Mr. Bolton was desired by the Lord of Holland to take that pains with them which was accordingly done with great appearance of solemn Affections among them Prayer being concluded and hearty thanks returned by them all to the Ministers who performed as also to the rest who were their Assistants in this sad time of trouble the Earl of Cambridge prepared first to go towards the place of Execution and after mutual embraces and some short ejaculatory expressions to and for his fellow-sufferers he took his leave of them all and went along with the Officers attended upon by Dr. Sibbald whom he had chosen for his Comforter in this his sad condition The Scaffold being erected in the new Palace-yard at Westminster over against the great Hal-Gate in the sight of the place where the High-Court of Justice formerly sate the Hal-doors being open there was his Excellencies Regiment of Horse commanded by Capt. Disher and several Companies of Col. Hewsons and Col. Prides Regiments of Foot drawn up in the place When the Earl came from Westminster Hall neer the Scaffold he was met by the Undersheriff of Middlesex and a Guard of his men who took the charge of him from Lieut. Col. Beecher and the Partizans that were his Guard The Sheriff of London being also according to command from the High Court of Justice present to see the Execution performed The Earl of Cambridge being come upon the Scaffold and two of his own servants waiting upon him he first spake to the Doctor as followeth E. of Camb. Whether shall I pray first Dr. Sibbald As your Lordship pleases E. of Camb. My Lord of Denbigh has sent to speak with me I know not the faction I may ask you Sir Doe those Gentlemen expect I should say any thing to them or no they cannot hear Dr. Sibbald There will be a greater silence by and by It will not be amiss if your Lordship defer your speaking till you hear from his Lordship Camb. There is something in it He was with the House Dr. Sibbald I suppose he would give no interruption to your Lordship at this time were there not something of concernment in it Camb. He is my Brother and has been a very faithful servant to the State and he was in great esteem and reputation with them He is in the Hall and sent to speak with a servant of mine to send something to me Sibbald It will not lengthen the time much if you stay while you have a return from him My Lord you should do well to bestow your time now in meditating upon and imploring of the free mercy of God in Christ for your eternal Salvation and look upon that ever-streaming Fountain of his precious Bloud that purgeth us from all our sins even the sins of the deepest dye the Bloud of Jesus Christ washes away all our sins and that Bloud of Christ is powred forth upon all such as by a lively Faith lay hold upon him God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to the end that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life that is now my Lord the Rock upon which you must chiefly rest and labour to fix your self in the free mercy of God through Christ Jesus whose mercies are from everlasting to everlasting unto all such as with the eye of Faith behold him behold Jesus the Author and Finisher of your Salvation who hath satisfied the Justice of God by that All-sufficiency of his Sacrifice which once for all he offered upon the Cross for the sins of the whole world so that the sting of death is taken away from all Believers and he hath sanctified it as a passage to everlasting blessedness It is true the waters of Jordan run somewhat rough and surly betwixt the Wilderness and our passage into Canaan but let us rest upon the Ark my Lord the Ark Christ Jesus that will carry us through and above all those waves to that Rock of ages which no flood nor waves can reach unto
this your Clorious King Did you by Oaths your God and Countrie mock Pretend a Crown and yet prepare a Block Did you that swore you 'd Mount Charles higher yet Intend the Scaffold for His Olivet Was this Hail Master Did you bow the knee That you might murther Him with Loyaltie Alas two Deaths what cruelty was this The Ax design'd you might have spar'd the Kiss London did'st thou Thy Princes Life betray What could thy Sables vent no other way Or else did'st thou bemoan His Cross then ah Why would'st thou be the cursed Golgotha Thou once hadst Men Plate Arme a Treasurie To bind thy King and hast thou none to free Dull blast thou should'st before thy Head did fall Have had at least thy Spirits Animal Did You Ye Nobles envie Charles His Crown Jove being fal'n the Punie-gods must down Your Raies of Honor are eclip'st in Night The Sun is set from whence You drew your Light Religion Vail's her self and Mourns that She Is forc'd to own such horrid Villanie The Church and State do shake the Building must Expect to fall whose Prop is turn'd to Dust But cease from Tears Charles is of light bereav'n And snuft on Earth to shine more bright in Heav'n FINIS Englands Black Tribunall THE SECOND PART Set forth in the DYEING SPEECHES And manner of Putting to Death of viz. Earl of Strafford Archbishop of Canterbury Duke of Hamilton Earl of Holland Lord Capell Earl of Derby Sir Alex. Carew Sir John Hotham Capt. John Hotham Mr. Nath. Tompkins Mr. Chaloner Coll. Jo. Moris Cor. Blackburn Coll. Andrews Sir Henry Hide Coll. Gerrard Mr. Peter Vowell Coll. Penruddock Capt. Hugh Grove Sir Hen. Slingsby Doctor Jo. Hewit London Printed 1660. The Earl of Straffords Speech or the conclusion of his Defence before the Lord High Steward and the rest of the Lords sitting in Westminster Hall April 12. 1641. Together with his Speech on the Scaffold immediately before his Execution on Tower-Hill May 12. 1641. MY Lords There yet remains another Treason that I should be guilty of the endeavouring to subvert the fundamental Lawes of the Land that they should now be Treason together that is not Treason in any one part of Treason accumulative that so when all will not do it is woven up with others it should seem very strange Under favour my Lords I do not conceive that there is either Statute Law nor Common-Law that doth declare the endeavouring to subvert the fundamentall Laws to be high treason For neither Statute Law nor Common-Law written that ever I could hear of declareth it so And yet I have been diligent to enquire as I believe you think it doth not concern me to do It is hard to be questioned for life and honour upon a Law that cannot be shown There is a rule which I have learned from Sir Edward Cooke De non apparentibus non existentibus eadem ratio Jesu where hath this fire lain all this while so many hundreds of years without any smoak to discover it till it thus burst out to consume me and my children extreme hard in my opinion that punishment should precede promulgation of Law punished by a Law subsequent to the Acts done Take it into your considerations for certainly it is now better to be under no Law at all but the will of men then to conform our selves under the protection of a Law as we think and then be punished for a crime that doth precede the Law what man can be safe if that be once admitted My Lords it is hard in another respect that there should be no token set upon this offence by which we should know it no admonition by which we should be aware of it If a man passe down the Thames in a Boat and it be split upon an Anchor and no booy be set as a token that there is an Anchor there that party that owes the Anchor by the Maritine Lawes shall give satisfaction for the dammage done but if it were marked out I must come upon my own peril Now where is a mark upon this crime Where is the token this is high treason If it be under water and not above water no humane providence can availe nor prevent my destruction Lay aside all humane wisdom and let us rest upon divine Revelation if you will condemn before you forewarn the danger Oh my Lords may your Lordships be pleased to give that regard unto the Peerage of England as never to suffer our selves to be put on those nice points upon such contractive interpretations and these are where Laws are not clear or known If there must be a tryal of wits I do humbly beseech you the subject and matter may be somewhat else then the lives and honours of Peers My Lords we find that the primitive times in the progression of the plain Doctrine of the Apostles they brought the Books of Curious Arts and burned them And so likewise as I do conceive it will be wisdom and providence in your Lordships for your posterity and the whole Kingdom to cast from you into the fire these bloody and most mysterious Volumes of constructive and Arbitrary Treason and to break your selves to the plain Letters of the Law and Statute that telleth us where the crime is and by telling what is and what is not shews us how to avoid it And let us not be ambitious to be more wise and learned in the killing Arts then our forefathers were It is now full two hundred and forty years since ever any man was touched for this alledged crime to this height before my self we have lived happily to our selves at home and we have lived gloriously to the world abroad Let us rest contented with that our fathers left us and not awaken those sleepy Lions to our own destructions by raking up a few musty Records that have lyen so many ages by the walls quite forgotten and neglected May your Lordships be Nobly pleased to adde this to those other mis-fortunes befallen me for my sins not for my Treasons that a president should be derived from me of that disadvantage as this will be in the consequent to the whole Kingdom I beseech you seriously to consider it and let not my particular cause be looked upon as you do though you wound me in my interest in the Common-wealth and therefore those Gentlemen say that they speak for the Common-wealth yet in this particular I indeed speak for it and the inconveniencies and mischiefes that will heavily fall upon us for as it is in the first of Henry the fourth no man will after know what to do or say for fear Do not put my Lords so great difficulties upon the Ministers of State that men of wisdome honour and vertue may not with cheerfulnesse and safety be imployed for the publick if you weigh and measure them by grains and scruples the publick affaires of the Kingdome will be laid wast and no man will meddle with them that hath honours issues or