lly resounded in his ears.[**]

* Burnet's History of his Own Times.

** Clement Walker's History of Independency.

The morning of the fatal day he rose early, and calling Herbert, one of
his attendants, he bade him employ more than usual care in dressing him,
and preparing him for so great and joyful a solemnity. Bishop Juxon,
a man endowed with the same mild and steady virtues by which the king
himself was so much distinguished, assisted him in his devotions, and
paid the last melancholy duties to his friend and sovereign.

The street before Whitehall was the place destined for the execution;
for it was intended, by choosing that very place, in sight of his own
palace, to display more evidently the triumph of popular justice over
royal majesty. When the king came upon the scaffold, he found it so
surrounded with soldiers, that he could not expect to be heard by any
of the people: he addressed, therefore, his discourse to the few persons
who were about him; particularly Colonel Tomlinson, to whose care he had
lately been committed, and upon whom, as upon many others, his amiable
deportment had wrought an entire conversion. He justified his own
innocence in the late fatal wars; and observed, that he had not taken
arms till after the parliament had enlisted forces; nor had he any other
object in his warlike operations, than to preserve that authority entire
which his predecessors had transmitted to him. He threw not, however,
the blame upon the parliament, but was more inclined to think, that ill
instruments had interposed, and raised in them fears and jealousies
with regard to his intentions. Though innocent towards his people, he
acknowledged the equity of his execution in the eyes of his Maker; and
observed, that an unjust sentence which he had suffered to take effect,
was now punished by an unjust sentence upon himself. He forgave all his
enemies, even the chief instruments of his death; but exhorted them and
the whole nation to return to the ways of peace, by paying obedience
to their lawful sovereign, his son and successor. When he was preparing
himself for the block, Bishop Juxon called to him: "There is, sir, but
one stage more, which, though turbulent and troublesome, is yet a very
short one. Consider, it will soon carry you a great way; it will carry
you from earth to heaven; and there you shall find, to your great joy,
the prize to which you hasten, a crown of glory." "I go," replied
the king, "fr