Former Ages Never Heard of, Floating text 9 – Floating text 10
The Kings Speech made upon the Scaffold at White-Hall, Jan. 30. 1648.
I Shall be very little heard of any body here, I shall therefore speak a word unto you here; indeed I could hold my peace very well, if I did not think that holding my peace would make som men think that I did submit to the guilt as well as to the punishment; but I think it is my duty to God first, and to my Countrey, for to clear my self both as an honest man, and a good Christian. I shall begin first with my innocency, in troth, I think it not very needfull for me to insist long upon this, for all the world knowes I never did begin a War with the two Houses of Parliament, and I call God to witnesse, to whom I must shortly make an account, that I never did intend for to incroach upon their priviledges, they began upon me, it was the Militia they began upon, they confest that the Militia was mine, but they thought it fit for to have it from me; and to be short, if any body will look to the dates of Commissions, both theirs and mine and likewise to the Declarations, will see cleerly that they began these unhappy troubles, not I, so that as for the guilt of these enormous Crimes that are laid against me, I hope in God that God will clear me of it, I will not, I am in charity; God forbid that I should lay it upon the two Houses of Parl. there is no necessity of either, I hope they are free of this guilt; for I doe beleeve that ill instruments between them and me, ha's been the cause of all this bloodshed; so that by way of speaking, as I find my selfe clear of this, I hope (and pray God) that they may too: yet for all this, God forbid that I should be so ill a Christian, as not to say that Gods judgements are just, upon me, many times he does pay justice by an unjust sentence, that is ordinary; I will onelyonly say this. That an unjust Sentence that I suffered to take effect, is punished now by an unjust Sentence upon me; that is, so far I have said, to shew you that I am an innocent man.
Now for to shew you that I am a good Christian, I hope there is a good man (pointing to Dr Juckson) that will bear me witnesse that I have forgiven all the world, and those in particular that have been the chief causers of my death, who they are God knowes, I doe not desire to know, I pray God forgive them. But this is not all, my charity must goe further, I wish that they may repent, for indeed they have committed a great sin in that particular, I pray God with Saint Stephen, that this be not laid to their charge; nay, not onelyonly so, but that they may take the right way to the peace of the Kingdome: So (Sirs) I doe wish with all my soule, and I doe hope (there is some here will carry it further) that they may endeavour the peace of the Kingdome.
Now (Sirs) I must shew you how you are out of the way, and will put you in a way; first, you are out of the way, for certainly all the way you ever have had yet as I could find by any thing, is in the way of Conquest, certainly this is in an ill way, for Conquest (Sir) in my opinion is never just, except there be a good just Cause, either for matter of wrong, or just Title, and then if you goe beyond it, that makes it unjust at the end that was just at first: But if it be onelyonly matter of Conquest, then it is a great Robbery, as a Pirate said to Alexander, That He was the great Robber, he was but a petty Robber; and so, Sirs, I doe think the way you are in, is much out of the way. Now Sir, for to put you in the way, believe it, you will never doe right, nor God will never prosper you, untill you give God his due, the King his due, (that is, my Successors) and the people their due, I am as much for them as any of you: You must give God his due, by regulating rightly his Church (according to his Scriptures) which is now out of order, for to set you in a way particularly now I cannot, but onelyonly this, a Nationall Synod freely called, freely debating among themselves, must settle this; when that every Opinion is freely and cleerly heard.
For the King indeed I will not, the Lawes of the Land will cleerly instruct you for that; therefore, because it concernes my owne particular, I only give you a touch of it.
For the people, and truly I desire their liberty and freedome as much as any body whomsoever; but I must tell you, that their Liberty and their Freedome consists in having of Government; those Lawes, by which their life and their goods may be most their owne. It is not for having share in Government (Sir) that is nothing pertaining to them, a Subject and a Soveraign are clean different things, and therefore until they doe that, I mean, that you doe put the people in that Liberty as I say, certainly they will never enjoy themselves.
Sirs, it was for this that now I am come here: If I would have given way to an Arbitrary way, for to have all Lawes changed according to the power of the Sword, I needed not to have come here; and therefore I tell you (and I pray God it be not laid to your charge) That I am the Martyr of the people.
In troth Sirs, I shall not trouble you much longer; for I will onelyonly say this to you, that in truth, I could have desired some little time longer, because that I would have put this that I have said in a little more order, and a little better digested then I have done, and therefore I hope you will excuse Me.
I have delivered my conscience, I pray God, that you do take those courses that are best for the good of the kingdom, and your own Salvation.
The Biship of London minding him to say somthing concerning his Religion.
King. I thank you very heartily (my Lord) for that, I had almost forgotten it. In troth Sirs, my Conscience in Religion, I think, is very well known to all the world, and therefore I declare before you all, That I die a Christian, according to the profession of the Church of England, as I found it left me by my Father, and this honest man I thinke will witnesse it.
Then turning to the Officers, said, Sirr, excuse me for this same, I have a good cause, and I have a gracious God, I will say no more. Then turning to Col. Hacker, he said, Take care that they doe not put me to paine, and Sir, this and it please you. But then a Gentleman coming neer the Ax, the King said, take heed of the Ax, pray take heed of the Ax. Then the King speaking to the Executioner, said, I shall say but very short prayers, and when I thrust out my hands — Then the King called to Dr Iuxon for his night cap, and having put it on, he said to the Executioner, does my haire trouble you, who desired him to put it all under his Cap, which the King did accordingly, by the help of the Executioner and the Bishop, then the King turning to Dr Juxon, said, I have a good Cause, and a gracious God on my side.
Dr Jaxon, There is but one stage more, this stage is turbulent and troublesome, it is a short one, but you may consider it will soone carry you a very great way, from Earth to Heaven, and there you shall find a great deale of cordiall joy and comfort.
King. I goe from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown, where no disturbanc can be
Doct. You are exchanged from a temporall to an eternall Crown, a good exchange.
Then the King took off his Cloak and his George, giving his George to Dr. Juckson, saying Remember, 'tis thought for the Prince, and some other small Ceremonies past, after which, the King stooping down, laid his neck upon the blocke, after a very little pause, stretched forth his hands, the Executionr at one blow severed his head from his Body, his Body was put in a Coffin covered with black Velvet, and removed to his Lodging Chamber at White-Hall.
An Act prohibiting the Proclaiming of any person to be King of England, &c.
VVHereas Charls Stuart King of England, being for the notorious Treasons, Tyrannies, and Murthers, committed by him in the late unnaturall and civill Wars condemned to death, whereupon, after execution of the same, severall pretences may be made, and Title set on foote unto the Kingly Office, to the apparent hazzard of the Publick Peace. For the prevention thereof, Be it Enacted and Ordained by this present Parliament, and by the Authority of the same, That no person or persons whatsoever doe presume to Proclaime, Declare, Publish, or any way promote Charls Stuart, Son of the said Charls, commonly called Prince of Wales, or any other person to be King or chief Magistrate of England or of Ireland, or of any the Dominions belonging to them, or any of them, by colour of Inheritance, Succession, Election, or any other claim whatsoever, without the free consent of the people in Parliam: first had, and signified by a particular Act or Ordinance for that purpose, any Law, Statute, Vsage, or Custome to the contrary notwithstanding. And be it further Enacted and Ordained, and it is hereby Enacted and Ordained, that whosoever shall contrary to this Act, Proclaim, Declare, Publish, or any way promote the said Charls-Stuart the Son, or any other person to be King, or chief Magistrate of England, or of Ireland, or of any the Dominions belonging to them, or to either of them, without the said consent in Parliament, signified as aforesaid, shall be deemed and adjudged a Traytor to the Common-wealth, and shall suffer the pains of death, and such other punishments as belong to the Crime of High Treason. And all Officers, as well Civill as Military, and all other well-affected persons, are hereby authorized and required forthwith to apprehend all such Offenders, and to bring them in safe custody to the next Justice of the Peace, that they be proceeded against accordingly.
H. Scobel, Cler. Parl. D. Com.
Dk. Hambleton, E: of Cambridg, E: of Holland, and Lord Capell be headed Mar: 9. 1649 And their speeches on the scaffold