the Court, the
Lord President ordered it should be read; but the king bid him
hold. Nevertheless, being commanded by the Lord President to
read it, the Clerk begun, and the Prisoner sat down again in his
chair, looking sometimes on the High Court, sometimes up to the
Galleries; and having risen again, and turned about to behold
the guards and spectators, sat down, looking very sternly, and
with a countenance not at all moved, till these words,
viz.:--'Charles Stuart to be a Tyrant and Traitor,' etc. were
read; at which he laughed, as he sat, in the face of the Court.

The Charge being read, the Lord President replied;

LORD PRESIDENT--Sir, You have now heard your Charge, containing
such matter as appears in it; you find, that in the close of it,
it is prayed to the Court, in the behalf of the commons of
England, that you answer to your Charge. The Court expects your
Answer.

KING--I would know by what power I am called hither; I was not
long ago in the Isle of Wight; how I came there, is a longer
story than I think it fit at this present time for me to speak
of; but there I entered into a Treaty with both houses of
Parliament, with as much public faith as it is possible to be
had of any people in the world. I treated there with a number of
honorable lords and gentlemen, and treated honestly and
uprightly; I cannot say but they did very nobly with me, we were
upon the conclusion of the Treaty. Now I would know by what
authority, I mean lawful; there are many unlawful authorities in
the world, thieves and robbers by the highways; but I would know
by what authority I was brought from thence, and carried from
place to place, and I know not what; and when I know what lawful
authority, I shall answer. Remember I am your king, your lawful
king, and what sins you bring upon your heads, and the judgment
of God upon this land; think well upon it, I say, think well
upon it, before you go further from one sin to a greater;
therefore let me know by what lawful authority I am seated
here, and I shall not be unwilling to answer. In the mean time,
I shall not betray my trust; I have a trust committed to me by
God, by old and lawful descent; I will not betray it, to answer
to a new unlawful authority; therefore resolve me that and you
shall hear more of me.

LORD PRESIDENT--If