“John Bradshaw, Tho. Grey, Oliver Cromwell, Edward Whaley, Michael Livesey, John Okey, John Danvers, John Bourcher, Henry Ireton, Tho. Maleverer, John Blackiston, John Hutchinson, William Goffe, Tho. Pride, Peter Temple, Tho. Harrison, John Huson, Henry Smith, Peregrine Pelham, Simon Meyne, Tho. Horton, John Jones, John More, Hardress Waller, Gilbert Millington, George Fleetwood, John Alured, Robert Lilburn, William Say, Anthony Stapeley, Richard Deane, Robert Tichburne, Humphry Edwards, Daniel Blagrave, Owen Roe, William Purefoy, Adrian Scroope, James Temple, Augustine Garland, Edmond Ludlow, Henry Martin, Vincent Potter, William Constable, Richard Ingoldsby, William Cawley, John Barkstead, Isaac Ewers, John Dixwell, Valentine Walton, Gregory Norton, Tho. Chaloner, Tho. Wogan, John Ven, Gregory Clement, John Downs, Tho. Wayte, Tho. Scot, John Carew, Miles Corbet.
“To Col. Francis Hacker, Col. Huncks, and Lieut. Col. Phray; and to every of them.”
Tuesday, January 30.
This Day his Majesty was brought from St. James’s about 10 in the Morning, walking on foot through the Park, with a Regiment of Foot for his Guard, with Colours flying, Drums beating, his private Guard of Partizans, with some of his Gentlemen Before, and some behind, bare-headed; Dr Juxton, late Bishop of London, next behind him, and Col. Thomlinson (who had the charge of him) to the Gallery in Whitehall, and so into the Cabinet-Chamber, where he used to lie, where he continued at his Devotion, refusing to dine, (having before taken the Sacrament,) only about 12 at Noon he drank a Glass of Claret Wine, and eat a piece of Bread. From thence he was accompanied by Dr Juxton, Col. Thomlinson, Col. Hacker, and the Guards before-mentioned, through the Banquetting-House, adjoining to which the Scaffold was erected, between Whitehall-Gate, and the Gate leading into the Gallery from St James’s. The Scaffold was hung round with black, and the Floor covered with black, and the Ax and Block laid in the middle of the Scaffold. There were divers Companies of Foot and Horse on every side the Scaffold, and the Multitudes of People that came to be Spectators were very great. The King making a pass upon the Scaffold, look’d very earnestly on the Block, and asked Col. Hacker if there were no higher; and then spake thus, directing his Speech to the Gentlemen on the Scaffold.
King. 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 some 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 Country, for to clear my self both as an honest Man, a good King, and a good Christian. I shall begin first with my Innocency: In truth, I think it not very needful for me to insist long upon this, for all the World knows I never did begin the War with the two Houses of Parliament; and I call God to witness (to whom I must shortly make an account) that I never did intend to incroach upon their Privileges. They began upon me: It is the Militia they began upon; they confest that the Militia was mine, but they thought it fit to have it from me: And to be short, if any Body will look but to the Dates of the Commissions, their Commissions and mine, and likewise to the Declarations, will see clearly that they began these unhappy Troubles, not I. So that as to 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’m in Charity: God forbid that I should lay it upon the two Houses of Parliament; there is no necessity of either, I hope they are free of this guilt: for I believe that ill Instruments between them and me, has been the chief Cause of all this Bloodshed; so that by way of speaking, as I find my self 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 God’s Judgments are just upon me; many times he does pay Justice by an unjust Sentence, that is ordinary: I only say this, that an unjust Sentence (meaning Strafford) 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 (pointing to Dr Juxton) a good Man that will bear me witness. That I have forgiven all the world, and even those in particular that have been the chief Causers of my death; who they are God knows, I do not desire to know, I pray God forgive them. But this is not all, my Charity must go further; I wish that they may repent: for indeed they have committed a great Sin in that particular; I pray God with St Stephen, that this be not laid to their Charge; nay not only so, but that they may take the right way to the peace of the Kingdom, for Charity commands me not only to forgive particular Men, but my Charity commands me to endeavour to the last gasp the peace of the Kingdom. So, Sirs, I do wish with all my Soul, and I do hope there is some here will carry it further, that they may endeavour the peace of the Kingdom. Now, Sirs, I must shew you both how you are out of the way, and I will put you in the 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 an ill way; for Conquest, Sirs, 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 go beyond it, the first quarrel that you have to it, that makes it unjust at the end, that was just at first: But if it be only matter of Conquest, then it is a great Robbery. As a Pirate said to Alexander the Great, That he was the great Robber, he was but a petty Robber: and so, Sirs, I do think the way you are in, is much out of the way. Now, Sirs, for to put you in the way; believe it, you will never do right, nor God will never prosper you, until you give him 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 only this. A National Synod freely called, freely debating among themselves, must settle this, when that every opinion is freely and clearly heard. For the King indeed I will not (then turning to a Gentleman that touched the Ax, he said, Hurt not the Ax that may hurt me.) As for the King, the Laws of the Land will clearly instruct you for that; therefore because it concerns my own particular, I will only give you a touch of it. For the People: And truly I desire their Liberty and Freedom, as much as any Body whomsoever; but I must tell you, That their Liberty and Freedom consists in having of Government, those Laws by which their Life and their Goods may be most their own. It is not for having share in Government (Sirs) that is nothing pertaining to them. A Subject and a Soveraign are clean different things; and therefore until they do that, I mean, That you do 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 Laws 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 hold you much longer: For I will only 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, than I have done; and therefore I hope you will excuse me. I have delivered my Conscience, I pray God that you take these Courses that are best for the good of the Kingdom and your own Salvation.
Dr Juxton. Will your Majesty, though it may be very well known your Majesty’s Affections to Religion; yet it may be expected that you should say somewhat for the World’s satisfaction in that particular.
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 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 (meaning the Bishop) I think will witness it. Then turning to the Officers, said, Sirs, 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 they do not put me to pain—and Sir, this and it please you—But then a Gentleman coming near 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 then thrust out my hands. Then the King called to Dr Juxton for his Nightcap; and having put it on, he said to the Executioner, Does my hair 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 Juxton, said, I have a good Cause, and a gracious God on my side.
Dr Juxton. There is but one Stage more: This Stage is turbulent and troublesom. It is a short one. But you may consider, it will soon carry you a very great way; it will carry you from Earth to Heaven, and there you shall find to your great joy the Prize; you haste to a Crown of Glory.
King. I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown, where no disturbance can be.
Dr Juxton. You are exchanged from a temporal to an eternal Crown, a good exchange.