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Page 9
_Bradshaw._ "You will be heard in your turn. Listen first to the court."
_The King._ "Sir, if you please, I wish to be heard. It is only a
word. An immediate decision."
_Bradshaw._ "Sir, you shall be heard at the proper time:--first,
you must listen to the court."
_The King._ "Sir, I desire,--what I have to say applies to what the
court is, I believe, about to pronounce; and it is difficult, sir, to
recall a precipitate verdict."
_Bradshaw._ "We shall hear you, sir, before judgment is pronounced.
Until then you ought to abstain from speaking."
Upon this assurance the king became more calm; he sat down, and Bradshaw
proceeded:
"Gentlemen--it is well known that the prisoner at your bar has now been
many times brought before this court to reply to a charge of treason,
and other high crimes, exhibited against him in the name of the English
people"----
"Not half the people," exclaimed the same voice that had spoken on
hearing the name of Fairfax, "where is the people?--where is its
consent?--Oliver Cromwell is a traitor."
The whole assembly seemed electrified!--all eyes turned towards the
gallery: "Down with the w----s," cried Axtell; "soldiers fire upon
them!"--It was lady Fairfax. A general confusion now arose; the
soldiers, though everywhere fierce and active, could with difficulty
repress it. Order being at length a little restored, Bradshaw again
insisted upon the king's obstinate refusal to reply to the charge; upon
the notoriety of the crimes imputed to him, and declared that the court,
though unanimous in its sentence, had nevertheless consented to hear the
prisoner's defence, provided that he would cease to question its
jurisdiction.
"I demand," said the king, "to be heard in the painted chamber, by both
Lords and Commons, upon a proposition which concerns the peace of the
kingdom and the liberty of my subjects much more nearly than my own
preservation."
A violent tumult now spread throughout the court, and the whole
assembly. Friends and enemies were all eager to divine for what purpose
the king had demanded this conference with the two houses, and what it
was his intention to propose to them.
Colonel Downs, a member of the court, expressed a wish that the king's
proposition should be heard.
"Since one of the members desires it," said Bradshaw, gravely, "the
court must retire;" and they immediately passed into a neighbouring
hall. * * *
In about half an hour the court returned, and Bradshaw informed the king
that his proposition was rejected.
Charles appeared to be subdued, and no longer insisted with any degree
of vigour.
"If you have nothing to add," said Bradshaw, "the court will proceed to
give sentence."
"I shall add nothing, sir," said the king; "and only request that what I
have said may be recorded." Without replying to this, Bradshaw informed
him that he was about to hear his sentence; but before he ordered it to
be read, he addressed to the king a long discourse, as a solemn apology
for the proceedings of parliament, enumerating all the evil deeds of the
king, and imputing to him alone all the misfortunes of the civil war,
since it was his tyranny that had made resistance as much a matter of
duty as of necessity. The orator's language was harsh and bitter, but
grave, pious, free from insult, and stamped with profound conviction,
though with a slight mixture of vindictive feeling. The king heard him
without offering any interruption, and with equal gravity. In
proportion, however, as the discourse drew towards a close, he became
visibly troubled; and as soon as Bradshaw was silent, he endeavoured to
speak: Bradshaw prevented him, and commanded the clerk to read the
sentence; this being done, he said, "This is the act, opinion, and
unanimous judgment of the court," and the whole court rose up in token
of assent: "Sir," said the king, abruptly, "will you hear one word?"
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