The pretended High Court of Juſtice VNBOWELLED: Being a Caveat for TRAYTORS, OR, TREASON CONDEMNED AND Truth Vindicated. With ſeverall Reaſons preſented to Oliver Cromwell, four days before the Maſſacring of his Majeſty proving the ſad ſentence paſſed upon his late Sacred Majeſty, the 27 of Ianuary 1648. unjuſt and contrary both to the Law of GOD and theſe Nations. Together with his Majeſties SPEECH to a precious Jewel then ſitting as one of his Judges, though formerly a ſervant to His Sacred Majeſtie.
Never Publiſh'd till this day of England's Redemption.
London, Printed for Thomas Hairman, 1660.
THis Court called the High Court of Juſtice, was erected in 48. and the better to carry on their deſign in cutting of the moſt loyal ſubjects, they began with the Head of the People his ſacred Majeſty, in the ſcarlet dy of whoſe blood they firſt dipt their cruel hands and hardened their hearts. The manner of his Tryal was as followeth. viz.
The Court being erected, the Counſellours were appointed to draw up the Charge againſt his Majeſty, was Dr. Doriſlaus, Mr. Aske, Mr. Iohn Cook Solicitor. Serj. Danby, Serj. at Arms. Mr. Brougton and Mr. Phelps Clerks to the Court. Col. Humphrey Sword-Bearer.
There were produced 35 Witneſſes who were ſworn in this pretended Court, to give evidence againſt the King, moſt of which were perſons of ſmall eſtimation, as a Cobler, a Tyler, a Painter, a Husbandman a Barber, a Feltmaker, a Weaver, a Glover, a Smith &c. not above 3 or 4 Gentlemen amongſt them.
Whereas the Commons of England in Parliament, have appointed them an High Court of Juſtice for the Tryal of Charles Stuart King of England before whom he had been three times convented, atnd at the firſt time a Charge of high Treaſon, and other crimes and miſdemeanors was read in the behalf of the Kingdom of England, &c. as in the〈◊〉which was read throughout.
2To which Charge, he the ſaid Charls Stuart was required to give his Anſwer, but he refuſed ſo to do; and ſo expreſt ſeveral paſſages at his Tryal in refuſing to anſwer. For all which Treaſons and Crimes, this Court doth adjudge, That the ſaid Charls Stuart, as a Tyrant, Traytor, Murtherer, and Publick enemy, ſhall be put to death, by ſevering his head from his body.
This Sentence (ſayes Bradſhaw the Preſident) now read and publiſhed is the Act, Sentence, Judgement and Reſolution of the whole Court. To which the Members of the Court ſtood up and aſſented to what he ſaid by holding up their hands.
The King offered to ſpeak, but he was inſtantly commanded to be taken away, and the Court broke up.
One thing worth obſervation is, that his Majeſty (being in the Court and) taking notice of Sir Henry Mildmay, ſaid, O you are a precious Jewell, he being formerly a ſervant to his Majeſty.
The true manner of proceeding to take off the Kings Head, according to the Sentence given as aforeſaid. Sir Hadreſs Waller, Colonel Dean, and Colonel Okey, were appointed to conſider of the Time and Place for the Execution of the King, according to his Sentence, given by the (pretended) High Court of Juſtice.
Painted Chamber, Monday January the 29th 1648. Upon Report made from the Committee for Conſidering of the Executing of the Judgement againſt the King, that the ſaid Committee have Reſolved, That the open ſtreet before Whitehal is a fit place: And the ſaid Commitee conceive it fit, That the King be there executed the morrow, the King having already notice thereof.
The Court approved thereof, and ordered a Warrent to be drawn to that purpoſe, which Warrent was according drawn and agreed to, and Ordered to be ingroſſed, which was done, and ſigned and ſealed accordingly, as followeth.
At the High Court of Juſtice for the Trying and Judging of Charls Stuart King of England, Jan. 29. 2648.
Whereas Charls Stuart King of England, is and ſtandeth convicted, Attained and Condemned of High Treaſon, and other Crimes, and Sentence on Saturday laſt was pronounced againſt him by this Court, to be put to Death, by the ſevering his head from his body, of which••••ce Execution yet remaineth to be done. Theſe are therefore〈…〉require you, to ſee the ſaid Sentence Executed in the open〈…〉•re Whitehall upon the morrow, being the 30. day of this inſtant3 Moneth of January, between the hours of Ten in the morning, and Five in the afternoon of the ſame day, with full effect; and for ſo doing, This ſhall be your ſufficient Warrant: and theſe are to require all Officers and Souldiers and other the good People of this Nation of England to be aſſiſtant unto you in this ſervice. Given under our hands and Seals.
To Colonel Francis Hacker, Colonel Hunks, and Lieutenant Colonel Phray, and to every of them. Sealed and Subſcribed by,
John Bradſhaw Preſident. Thomas Gray. Oliver Cromwell. Edward Whaley. John Danvers. Mich. Liveſay. John Boucher. Hen. Ireton. Tho. Maleverer. John Blackeſton. John Hutchiſon. William Goffe Tho. Pride. Henry Smith. Vincent Potter. William Conſtable. Rich. Ingoldsby. Will. Cawley. John Bark ſtead. Iſaac Ewer. Va. •Walton. Peter Temple. Tho. Harriſon. Joh. Hewſon. Per. Pelham. Richard Dean. Rob. Tichburn. Hump. Edwsard. Dan. Blagrave. Owen Roe. Will. Purifoye. Adrian Scroop James Templer. Aug. Garland. Edmon. Ludlow. Hen. Martin. Joh. Alured. Rob. Lilburn. Will. Say. Anthony Stapley. Gregory Norton. Tho. Chaloner. Tho. Wogan. Simon Meyne. Tho. Horton. Ioh. Jones. Ioh. Mor. Hadreſs Waller. Gilbert Millington. Ch. Fleetwood. Iohn Venn. Greg. Clement. Ioh. Downs. Tho. Waite. Tho. Scot. Iohn Carew. Miles Corbet.
In all Fifty eight, Ordered, That the Scaffold on which the King is to be executed, be covered with black.
The Warrant for executing the King being accordingly delivered to thoſe parties to whom the ſame was directed, Execution was done upon him according to the Tenour thereof about two a clock in the afternoon, of the ſaid 30. of January 1648.
The Fatall day of the ſaid Execution, being Tueſday January the 30. 1648. His Majeſty continued in Prayer all the morning, and receives the Sacrament. Juſt at ten a Clock before noon, he was conveyed on foot on foot from St. James's Palace to Whitehall, guarded by a Regiment of Foot Souldiers, part before, part behinde, with Colours flying, and Drums beating, his private guard of Partizans about him, and Dr. Juxon Biſhop of London, next to him on one ſide, and Colonel Tomlinſon on the other; being come to Whitehall, he continued in his Cabinet Chamber at his Devotions, refuſing to dine, onely about 12 a clock he eat a bit of Bread, and drank a glaſſe of Claret wine; from from thence he was conveyed into the Banquetting houſe, and the great window inlarged, out of which he aſcends the Scaffold, the rails4 being hung round, and the floor covered with black; His Executioners diſguiſed with Vizards, yet was his Majeſty not affrighted: He ſhewed more care of the people living, then of himſelf dying: for looking round about upon the people, whom the thick Guards of Souldiers kept a diſtance off, and ſeeing he could not be heard by them, omitting (probably) what he purpoſed to have ſpoken to them, therefore turning to the Officers and Actors by him, he delivered himſelf in a ſhort (but excellent) Speech, which being ended, he meekly went to Prayers, and after ſome heavenly diſcourſe between him and the Biſhop, having prepared himſelf, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, mildly praying to himſelf, he ſtooping down to the block as to a Prayer-deske, and moſt humbly bowed his generous Neck to God, to be cut of by the V•zarded Executioner, which was ſodainly done at one blow. Thus fell King Charls, and thus all Britain with him.
MAy it pleaſe your honour, I cannot but write theſe few lines unto you, concerning the Parliaments dealing with the Kings Majeſty, whom although they have condemned to death, yet I hope will never put their Judgment to execution, but look back to their former promiſes and Engagements, which they have made to God, his Majeſty and this Nation, with their hands lift up to the moſt high God, that all the world ſhould ſee that they intended nothing againſt his Majeſty, but his evil Counſel, for the Liberty of the Goſpel and the freedom of the people, and that they would make him a glorious King, &c. Now I beſeech you conſider the practiſe of Joſhua (that glorious type of Chriſt) to the Gibeonites Ioſhua 9.14, 15, 18, 19, 20. And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counſel at the mouth of the Lord, And Joſhua made peace with them, and made a League with them to let them live, And the Princes of the Congregation, ſwear unto them, &c. And6 the children of Iſrael ſmote them not, becauſe the Princes of the congregation had ſworn unto them by the Lord God of Iſrael; And all the congregation murmured againſt the Princes, But all the Princes ſaid unto all the congregation, We have ſworn unto them by the Lord God of Iſrael, Now therefore we may not touch them, this will we do to them, we will even let them live, leaſt wrath be upon us, becauſe of the Oath which we ſwore unto them. And the Princes ſaid unto them, let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the Congregation, &c, Yet the Lord had commanded that they ſhould be utterly cut off and deſtroyed, as Deut. 7.1.2.16. When the Lord thy God ſhall bring thee into the Land whether thou goeſt to poſſeſſe it, and hath caſt out many Nations before thee &c. ſeven Nations greater and mightier then thou. And when the Lord thy God ſhall deliver them before thee, thou ſhalt ſmite them and utterly deſtroy them, thou ſhalt make no Covenant with them nor ſhew mercy unto them and thou ſhalt conſume all the people which the Lord thy God ſhall deliver thee, thine eye ſhall have no pitty upon them, neither ſhalt thou ſerve their gods, for that will be a ſnare unto thee, &c.
Yet durſt not Joſhua deſtroy them becauſe of his oath, &c. And afterwards the Lord brought three years ſamine in the dayes of David for Sauls Bloody houſe. In ſlaying the Gibeonites; And would not be appeaſed but by ſarisfying the Gibeonites which was done by hanging ſeven of Sauls Sons, 2 Sam. 21.1. to the 6.
And King. 2.6.13. to the 23. there is a Remarkable paſſage of mercy Captives in time of miſery where the King of Iſrael ſaid unto Eliſha the Prophet concerning the Syreans taken p•iſoners, my father ſhall I ſmite them, ſhall I ſmite them, And be anſwered thou ſhalt not ſmite them, wouldſt thou ſmite them, whom thou haſt taken captive with thy ſword. And with thy bow, ſet bread and water before them that they may eat & drink. And go to their maſter, & he prepared great proviſion for them, and when they had eaten and drank he ſent them Away, and they went to their maſter, I could have wiſht it had been ſo done to the poor Scots that were brought here to London, ſee the Armies of Syria came no more into the Land of Iſrael, ſee what kindneſs, and mercy wrought upon them, this is the way to pleaſe God and purchaſe peace and love, and unite the Nations, And not to render evil for evil but to follow that which is good, Deut. 32.35. to me ſaith the Lord belongeth vengeance and recompence, and Prov. 25.21. If thine enemy be hungry give him bread to eat, and if he be thirſty give him water to6 drink for thou ſhalt heap up coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord ſhall reward thee; compare with Rom. 12.17. to the 21. Recompence to no man evil for evil provide things honeſt in the ſight of all men if it be poſſible as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men, dearly beloved, avenge not your ſelves, but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written vengeance is mine. I will repay it ſaith the Lord, therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him, if he thirſt give him drink for in ſo doing thou ſhall heap coals of fire on his head, be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good, &c.
Again when the Lord ſaith, Ecol. 5.4.5. when thou voweſt a vow unto God, as you have done many times, defer not to pay it for he hath no pleaſure in fools, pay that which thou haſt vowed; Better is it that thou wouldſt not vow, then that thou ſhouldſt vow and not pay, &c. Conſider theſe things I could not but commit to your honours conſideration, and the Lord give you underſtanding and a heart to do according to the engagements, that the wrath of the Lord break not forth againſt this poor bleeding Nation to the utter ruine and deſtruction thereof, for breach of vows and Covenants, for I fear becauſe of oathes the Land mourneth, And Jer. 48.10. curſed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully, And Nehemiah 5.9. to the 15. the Prophet rebuked the Nobles and the Rulers for their uſury oppreſſion exhorting them to reſtore their evil gotten goods, as verſ. 11. which they promiſed to do, verſe 12. upon which the Prophet ſhook his lap and ſaid ſo God ſhake out every man from his houſe, and from his Labour that performeth this promiſe, even thus be he ſhaken out, and emptied and all the Congregation ſaid Amen, and praiſed the Lord, and the people did according to this promiſe, &c.
But ſo have not you come ſhort of this to the diſhonour to God, and the ſhame and reproach of this Nation, and inſtead of performing that promiſes you flew upon the ſpoil like Saul-Sam. 1.15.13. to the 19. &c. And I believe God hath, and will ſhake many of you until ye repent for the Lord is overturning, As Eze. 21.27. I will overturn overturn, overturn it, and it ſhall he no more until he come whoſe right it is, and I will give it him, thus committing you to the moſt bleſſed guidance of the Almighty God I reſt your honours and the Nations faithful Servant.
This lettet was delivered to the Lord Gen. Cromwel but never any anſwer given.
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