d favour of this High Court, the Prisoner hath been
brought to the bar before any issue joined in the cause. My
lord, I did at the first court exhibit a Charge against him,
containing the highest Treasons that ever was wrought upon the
theatre of England; That a king of England trusted to keep the
law, that had taken an oath so to do, that had tribute paid him
for that end, should be guilty of a wicked Design to subvert and
destroy our Laws, and introduce an Arbitrary and Tyrannical
Government, in defiance of the Parliament and their Authority,
set up his standard for War against his Parliament and People:
And I did humbly pray, in the behalf of the people of England,
that he might speedily be required to make an Answer to the
Charge. But my lord, instead of making any Answer, he did then
dispute the Authority of this High Court. Your lordship was
pleased to give him a further day to consider, and to put in his
Answer; which day being Yesterday, I did humbly move, that he
might be required to give a direct and positive Answer, either
by denying or confession of it; But, my lord, he was then
pleased for to demur to the Jurisdiction of the Court; which the
court did then over-rule, and commanded him to give a direct and
positive Answer. My lord, besides this great delay of justice, I
shall now humbly move your lordship for speedy Judgment against
him. My lord, I might press your lordship upon the whole, that
according to the known rules of the law of the land, That if a
Prisoner shall stand as contumacious in contempt, and shall not
put in an issuable plea, Guilty or not Guilty of the Charge
given against him, whereby he may come to a fair trial; that, as
by an implicit confession, it may be taken _pro confesso_, as it
hath been done to those who have deserved more favour than the
Prisoner at the bar has done. But, besides, my lord, I shall
humbly press your lordship upon the whole fact. The house of
commons, the supreme Authority and Jurisdiction of the kingdom,
they have declared, That it is notorious, that the matter of the
Charge is true, as it is in truth, my lord, as clear as crystal,
and as the sun that shines at noon-day: which if your lordship
and the Court be not satisfied in, I have notwithstanding, on
the people of England's behalf, several Witnesses to produce.
An