January 1649
[6 January 1648-9.]
Whereas it is notorious, That Charles Stuart, the now King of
England, not content with those many Encroachments 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 Liberties of this Nation, and
in their place to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical Government, and that besides all other evil ways and means to bring this
Design to pass, he hath prosecuted it with Fire and Sword,
Levied and maintained a cruel War in the Land, against the
Parliament and Kingdom, whereby the Country hath been miser
ably wasted, the Publick Treasure Exhausted, Trade decayed,
thousands of People murdered, and infinite 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 distempers of the Kingdom, did forbear to proceed Judicially against him; but found by sad Experience, that
such their Remissness served only to encourage him and his
Complices in the continuance of their evil practices, and in raising of new Commotions Rebellions and Invasions; for prevention
therefore of the like or greater Inconveniences, and to the end no
Chief Officer or Magistrate whatsoever may hereafter presume
traiterously and maliciously to imagine or contrive the Enslaving
or Destroying of the English Nation, and to expect Impunity
for so doing, Be it Ordained and Enacted by the Commons in
Parliament, and it is hereby Ordained and Enacted by Authority
thereof, That Thomas Lord Fairfax, Oliver Cromwell, Henry
Ireton, Esquires, Sir Hardress Waller, Knight, Philip Skippon,
Valentine Wauton, Thomas Harrison, Edward Whalley, Thomas
Pride, Isaac Ewer, Richard Ingoldsby, Henry Mildmay, Esquires
Sir Thomas Honywood, Thomas Lord Grey of Groby, Philip Lord
Lisle, William Lord Mounson, Sir John Danvers, Sir Thomas
Maleverer Baronet, Sir John Bourchier, Sir James Harrington,
Sir William Allanson, Sir Henry Mildmay, Sir Thomas Wroth,
Knights, Sir William Masham, Sir John Barrington, Sir William
Brereton, Baronets, Robert Wallop, William Heveningham,
Esquires, Isaac Pennington, Thomas Atkins, Rowland Wilson
Alderman of the City of London, Sir Peter Wentworth, Knight
of the Bath, Henry Martin, William Purefoy, Godfrey Bosvile,
John Trenchard, Herbert Morley, John Berkstead, Matthew
Tomlinson, John Blackiston, Gilbert Millington, Esquires, Sir
William Constable, Baronet, Edmond Ludlow, John Lambert,
John Hutchinson, Esquires, Sir Arthur Hesilrige, Sir Michael
Livesey, Baronets, Richard Salwey, Humphry Salwey, Robert
Tichbourn, Owen Roe, Robert Manwaring, Robert Lilbourn,
Adrian Scroop, Richard Deare, John Okey, Robert Overton,
John Huson, John Desborough, William Goff, Robert Duckenfield, Cornelius Holland, John (fn. *) Carey, Esquires, Sir William
Armyn, Baronet, John Jones, Esquire, Miles Corbet, Francis
Allen, Thomas Lister, Benjamin Weston, Perigrin Pelham,
John Gourdon, Esquires, Francis Thorp, Serjeant at Law, John
Nutt, Thomas Chaloner, Algernon Sidney, John Anlaby, John
Moore, Richard Darley, William Say, Joh. (fn. †) Aldred, John
Fagg, James Nelthorp, Esquires, Sir William Roberts, Knight,
Francis Lastells, Alexander Rigby, Henry Smith, Edmond
Wild, James Challoner, Josias Berners, Dennis Bond, Humphrey Edwards, Gregory Clement, John Fry, Thomas Wogan,
Esquires, Sir Gregory Norton, Baronet, John Bradshaw, Serjeant
at Law, Edmond Harvey, John Dove, John Ven, Esquires, John
Fowks, Alderman of the City of London, Thomas Scot, Esquire,
Thomas Andrews, Alderman of the City of London, William
Cawley, Abraham Burrell, Anthony Stapeley, Roger Gratwick,
John Downs, Thomas Horton, Thomas Hammond, George
Fenwick, Esquires, Robert Nicholas, Serjeant at Law, Robert
Reynolds, John Lisle, Nicholas Love, Vincent Potter, Esquires,
Sir Gilbert Dickering, Baronet, John Weaver, Roger Hill, John
Lenthall, Esquires, Sir Edward Banton, John Corbet, Thomas
Blunt, Thomas Boon, Augustine Garland, Augustine Skinner,
John Dixwell, George Fleetwood, Simon Meyne, James Temple
Peter Temple, Daniel Blagrave, Esquires, Sir Peter Temple,
Knight and Baronet, Thomas Wayte, John Brown, John Lowry,
Esquires, Shall be, and are hereby Appointed and Required
to be Commissioners and Judges, for the Hearing, Trying,
and Adjudging of the said Charles Stuart. And the said
Commissioners or any Twenty or more of them, shall be
and are hereby Authorized and Constituted an High Court
of Justice to meet and sit at such convenient time and place
as by the said Commissioners or the major part of twenty
or more of them under their Hands and Seals, shall be
appointed and notified by publick Proclamation in the great
Hall or Palace-Yard at Westminster, and to adjourn from time to
time, and from place to place, as the said High Court or major
part thereof meeting shall hold fit; and to take order for the
charging of him the said Charles Stuart with the Crimes and
Treasons abovementioned; and for the receiving of his Personal
Answer thereunto, and for the examination of Witnesses upon
Oath, which the Court hath hereby Authority to administer, or
otherwise, and taking any other Evidence concerning the same,
and thereupon, or in default of such Answer, to proceed to final
Sentence, according to Justice, and the merit of the Cause, and
such final Sentence to execute or cause to be executed speedily
and impartially. And the said Court is hereby Authorized and
required to appoint and direct all such Officers, Attendants and
other circumstances as they or the major part of them shall in
any sort Judge necessary or useful for the orderly and good
managing of the premises. And Thomas Lord Fairfax the
General, and all Officers and Soldiers under his command, and
all Officers of Justice, and other well affected persons are hereby
Authorized and required to be aiding and assisting unto the said
Court in the due Execution of the Trust hereby committed
Provided, That this Act, and the Authority hereby granted; do
continue in force, for the space of one Month from the making
hereof, and no longer