to the House of Commons with a regiment of horse
soldiers and a regiment of foot; and Colonel Pride, standing in the lobby
with a list of the members who were obnoxious to the army in his hand,
had them pointed out to him as they came through, and took them all into
custody. This proceeding was afterwards called by the people, for a
joke, PRIDE'S PURGE. Cromwell was in the North, at the head of his men,
at the time, but when he came home, approved of what had been done.

What with imprisoning some members and causing others to stay away, the
army had now reduced the House of Commons to some fifty or so. These
soon voted that it was treason in a king to make war against his
parliament and his people, and sent an ordinance up to the House of Lords
for the King's being tried as a traitor. The House of Lords, then
sixteen in number, to a man rejected it. Thereupon, the Commons made an
ordinance of their own, that they were the supreme government of the
country, and would bring the King to trial.

The King had been taken for security to a place called Hurst Castle: a
lonely house on a rock in the sea, connected with the coast of Hampshire
by a rough road two miles long at low water. Thence, he was ordered to
be removed to Windsor; thence, after being but rudely used there, and
having none but soldiers to wait upon him at table, he was brought up to
St. James's Palace in London, and told that his trial was appointed for
next day.

On Saturday, the twentieth of January, one thousand six hundred and forty-
nine, this memorable trial began. The House of Commons had settled that
one hundred and thirty-five persons should form the Court, and these were
taken from the House itself, from among the officers of the army, and
from among the lawyers and citizens. JOHN BRADSHAW, serjeant-at-law, was
appointed president. The place was Westminster Hall. At the upper end,
in a red velvet chair, sat the president, with his hat (lined with plates
of iron for his protection) on his head. The rest of the Court sat on
side benches, also wearing their hats. The King's seat was covered with
velvet, like that of the president, and was opposite to it. He was
brought from St. James's to Whitehall, and from Whitehall he came by
water to his trial.

When he came in, he looked round very steadily on the Court, and on the
great number of spectators, and then sat down: presently he got up and
looked round again. On the indictment 'agains