Concerning His Actions During the Late Troubles, Part 1 – Part 3
THE CASE OF Oliver St. Iohn, Eſq. Concerning his Actions During the late Troubles.
THE CASE OF Oliver St. Iohn, Eſq.
Concerning the King's death.
1. IT is ſaid, Cromwell at the time of the King's Triall, both before and after His Death, often lay with me in the ſame Bed, or in my Lodgings.
This denied: For Cromwell having been all the Summer in the Warrs in Wales, and other where, came to London about the time that the King was brought from the Iſle of Wight, my Wiſe then was at Lincolns Inne, and ſo continued all the time of the Triall, and after the King's Death, never lay out of my Chambers, in which, there is but one Bed ſave for Servants; and that Cromwell never lay with me, or in my Lodgings after his return to London.
2. That I had a hand in a Book, written by Mr. Sadler in Juſtification of the King's Death.
This denied: I never ſaw more then one Book alledged to be Mr. Sadlers, & remember not the Contents of it, but had no hand in it, nor ever knew thereof, nor what was in it, untill I found it Printed.
The truth hereof, I believe Mr. Sadler will affirm.
3. That Mr. Thurloe, late Secretary to Oliver, related to ſome of the Army that my ſelfe and Cromwel adviſed the King's Death.
This denied; or that I ever adviſed it with Cromwel, or any other perſon whatſoever. This was neer twelve years agoe, at which time, Thurloe as I believe was not acquainted with the Army, he was then my private Servant, and not Cromwel's untill five years after, not being recommended by me to him; and he had been out of my ſervice neer two years before he was in Cromwel's; And Thurloe being charged with the relation, I refer my ſelfe to his Teſtimony; and deny, that any perſon is able to charge me with it.
But in anſwer to theſe Rumours, and all others of this nature;
1. I clearly and confidently affirm', that I never knew of any intention to try Him for his life, or of any one thing that tended thereto, other waies then as Common newes when all others upon the notoriety of the action, knew the ſame; as of his removall from Homby, or to any other place, the treaties between him and the Army, His removall from the Iſle of VVight; nor of any intent to try Him, nor of the matter, or manner of his Triall, or Execution, or any thing conducing thereunto.
2. That in theſe times, upon all occaſions, I manifeſted my diſlike, and diſ-ſatisfaction; and this, if the Houſe think fit, will be made good by many witneſſes.
3. That I was not then of the Houſe of Commons, for being made a Judge in October 1648. I ſat not again untill June 1651. ſo that having nothing to do in the Houſe, where the Commiſſion iſſued, and declaring my ſelfe openly againſt it; It is hard, theſe times conſidered, when the danger was more in ſhewing diſlike, than conſent, That I ſhould be thought to give private adviſe, and the rather, becauſe I was of no High Court of Juſtice, nor Commiſſioner of Oyer and Terminer, nor in any Circuit executed any, upon the late diſtractions.
2. As to the altering of the Government, to a Common-wealth.
This is denied: nor is any particular, as I hear, vouched to make ſo much as a colour for it; many can witneſſe my declared Judgment, both before and after, to be for King, Lords, and Commons: The then pretended Houſe, commanded the Judges aſſiſtance and opinions, for alteration of the Government, I refuſed to give adviſe, alwayes manifeſted my diſlike of taking away the Houſe of Peers, and of ſecluding the Members in 1648. nor was then of the Houſe of Commons.
3. That he was the dark Lanthorn, and privy Councellour, in ſetting up, and managing affairs in the late Oliver Protector's time;
This wholly denied, and the contrary true, and many witneſſes of my manifeſting my diſlike. Beſides that no colour of proof is made, Theſe circumſtances will further clear it.
1. In October I fell ſick ſo dangerouſly, that, from that time untill the end of May, my friends expected death; I think in December, or January he was ſett up, when I was at the worſt.
2. He named me one of the Councell, and ſummoned me to ſit in that which was called the Other Houſe. I never would come to his Councell, or ſit in the other Houſe. He made me one of the Commiſſioners of the Treaſury: I never intermedled, or received Salary, either as a Councellor or Commiſſioner; I, nor any of my Relations, ever had one penny advantage by him, or by his means, directly or indirectly, ſave the continuance of my place as a Judge. And in the pretended Parliament 1656. when the Petition and Advice was made, my relations then, that the Houſe forbore to ſit all that Parliament, few others abſenting themſelves.
3. As ſoon as the Term was ended, I ever went down into the Country, and came not up untill the beginning of the Term following; ſeldome ſaw him, ſave before or after the Term to take leave; but followed my Calling.
4. Contracted diſpleaſure from the Army, as a party diſaffected to his Protectorſhip and way. And as for managing of private advice by Mr. Thurlow, This wholly denyed; having bred him from a youth in my ſervice, he out of reſpect once or twice in a quarter of a year viſited me.