King Charls HIS SPEECH
Made upon the Scaffold at
Whitehall-Gate, immediately before his Execution.
ABout ten in the Morning the King was brought from St. James's walking on foot through the Park, with a Regiment of Foot, part before and part behinde him, with Colours flying, Drums beating, his private Guard of Partizans, with some of his Gentlemen before, and some behinde bareheaded, D. JUXON [Page 4] next behinde him, and Col: Thomlinson (who had the charge of him) talking with the King bareheaded from the Park, up the stairs into the Gallery, and so into the It is observd, The King desired to have the use of the Cabinet, and the little room next it, where there was a Trap-door. Cabinet-Chamber, where he used to lie, where he continued at his Devotion, refusing to dine (having before taken the Sacrament) only about an hour before he came forth, he drank a glass of Claret wine, and eat a piece of bread about twelve at noon.
From thence he was accompanied by Dr. Iuxon, Col: Thomlinson, and other Officers, formerly appointed to attend him, and the private Guard of Partizans, with Musketiers on each side, through the Banqueting-house adjoyning, to which the It was near (if not in) the very place where the first blood in the beginning of the late troubles was shed when the Kings Cavaliers fell upon the Citizens, killed one, and wounded about [...]o others. 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 Troops of Horse placed on the one side the Scaffold towards Kings-street, and on the other side towards Charing [Page 5] Cross, and the multitudes of people that came to be Spectators, very great.
The King being come upon the Scaffold, look'd very earnestly on the Block, and asked Col: Hacker if there were no higher; and the spake thus (directing his speech chiefly to Col: Thomlinson)
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 wel, 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 countrey, for to clear my self both as an honest man, and a good King, and a good Christian. I shall begin first with my Innocency, In troth I think it not very needful for me to insist long upon this, for all the world knows that I never did begin a 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 for to incroach upon [Page 6] their Priviledges, they began upon me, it is 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, of their Commissions and mine, and likewise to the Declarations, wil see clearly that they began these unhappy troubles, not I; so that as 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 Parliament, there is no necessity of either, I hope they are free of this guilt; for I do 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 finde 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 Gods Judgements are just upon me: Many times he does pay Justice by an unjust Sentence, that is ordinary; I will onely say this, That an unjust [Page 7] Sentence Strafford. that I suffered for 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 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 onely so, but that they may take the right way to the Peace of the Kingdom, for my charity commands me not onely to forgive particular men, but my charity commands me to endeavor 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) [Page 8] that they may endeavor the Peace of the Kingdom. Now (Sirs) I must shew you both 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 finde by any thing, is in the way of Conquest; certainly this is 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 go beyond it, the fist 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 Pirat said to Alexander, that He was the great Robber, he was but a petty Robber; and so, Sir, I do think the way that you are in, is much out of the way. Now Sir, for to put you in the way, believe it you will never do right, nor God will never prosper you, until 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 [Page 9] must give God his due, by regulating rightly his Church (according to his Scripture) which is now out of order: For to set you in a way particularly now I cannot, but onely this, A National 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, (then turning to a Gentleman that touched the Ax, said, Hurt not the Ax that may hurt me Meaning if he did blunt the edg.. For the King:) The Laws of the Land will clearly instruct you for that; therefore, because it concerns My Own particular, I onely 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 their 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 (Sir) [Page 10] that is nothing pertaining to them. 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 Onely 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.
[Page 11]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.
Will Your Majesty (though it may be very well known Your Majesties Affections to Religion, yet it may be expected, that You should) say somewhat for the Worlds satisfaction.
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 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 [Page 12] say no more.’ Then turning to Colonel Hacker, he said, ‘Take care that they do not put Me to pain, 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 Doctor Iuxon for His Night-Cap, 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 Doctor Iuxon said, ‘I have a good Cause, and a gracious God on my side.’
There is but one Stage more. This Stage is turbulent and troublesome; 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 finde [Page 13] a great deal of Cordial, Joy, and Comfort.
I go from a corruptible, to an incorruptible Crown; where no disturbance can be, no disturbance in the World.
You are exchanged from a Temporal to an eternal Crown; a good exchange.
The King then said to the Executioner, is My Hair well: Then the King took off His Cloak and His George, giving His George to Doctor Iuxon, saying, ‘Remember It is thought for to give it to the Prince. —’ Then the King put off His Dublet, and being in His Wastecoat, put His Cloak on again; then looking upon the block, said to the Executioner, ‘You must set it fast.’
It is fast Sir.
It might have been a little higher.
It can be no higher Sir.
When I put out my hands this way
then —.
After that having said two or three words (as he stood) to Himself with hands and eyes lift up, Immediately stooping down, laid His Neck upon the Block: And then the Executioner again putting his Hair under his Cap, the King said, Thinking he had bin going to strike. ‘Stay for the signe.’
Yes, I will, and it please Your Majesty.
And after a very little pawse, the King stretching forth his hands, The Executioner at one blow, severed his head from his Body.
That when the Kings head was cut off the Executioner held it up, and shewed it to the Spectators.
And his Body was put in a Coffin, covered with black Velvet, for that purpose.
The Kings Body now lies in His Lodging Chamber in Whitehall.