that they had concurred by their advice in all those measures which were now imputed to his majesty; that in the eye of the law, they alone were responsible, and therefore they alone were guilty, and exposed to punishment for every blameable action of the prince, who, according to the constitution, could do no wrong; and they insisted on redeeming with their own heads the precious life of their royal master. This magnanimous effort of loyalty, though it produced no impression on the obdurate minds of the regicides, will, however, honourably transmit the names of these truly noblemen to the remotest posterity.

The people remained in silence and consternation; the soldiers incessantly plied with fanatical exhortations, were wrought up to a degree of bloody fury.

Three days were allowed the king between the sentence and his execution; he chiefly employed them in pious readings and meditations. All his family that remained in England, and which consist ed only of the princess Elizabeth, born in 1635, and the duke of Gloucester, born in 1641, were allowed access to him. After many pious consolations and advices, the king charged the princess to tell the queen, that his conjugal fidelity and tenderness towards her, had had the same duration. Then holding the young duke on his knee, he said, "Now

they will cut off thy father's head." At these words, the child looked very stedfastly upon him. "Mark, child, what I say, they will cut off my “head, and perhaps make thee a king; but mark "what I say, thou must not be a king, as long as "thy brothers, Charles and James are alive. They " will cut off thy brothers' heads when they can "catch them; and thy head too they will cut off "at last! Therefore, I charge thee, do not be made "a king by them." The duke, sighing, replied, "I will be torn in pieces first." This answer, so

resolute from a child of such tender years, filled the king's eyes with tears of joy and admiration.

Every night during this interval, the king slept sound as usual, though the noise of workmen employed in framing the scaffold, continually resounded in his ears. The morning of the fatal day (January 30th) he rose early, called Herbert, one of his attendants, and bade him employ more than usual care in dressing him for so great and joyful a solemnity. The virtuous bishop Juxon assisted him in his devotions, and paid the last melancholy duties to his friend and sovereign.

The street before Whitehall, in sight of the palace, was the place chosen for the execution, to display more evidently, the triumph of what was called 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, what he meant to say to the few persons who were about him, and particularly to 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.

Though innocent towards his people, he acknow ledged the equity of his execution in the eyes of God, 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, 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 addressed him in these words: "There is, sir, but one stage more, which though very short, will 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, "from a corruptible, to an incorruptible crown." At one blow was his head severed from his body. A man in a visor perform. ed the office of executioner; another, in a like disguise, held up to the spectators the head streaming with blood, and cried aloud, "This is the head of 66 a traitor."

It is impossible to describe the grief, indignation, and stupor which took place throughout the whole nation, on the report of this fatal execution. In proportion to the delusions which had formerly animated them against him, was the sincerity of their return to duty and affection; and each re proached himself, either with active disloyalty towards him, or with indolent defence of his op pressed cause. Those very pulpits which had formerly thundered out the most violent imprecations and anathemas against him, were now bedewed with unsuborned tears. "It is most certain," as says Clarendon, "that in that very hour when he "was thus wickedly murdered, he had as great a "share in the hearts and affections of his subjects "in general, was as much beloved, esteemed, and longed for by them, as any of his predecessors "had ever been."

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A fresh instance of Cromwell's hypocrisy was displayed the very day of the king's death. General Fairfaix, who had purposely absented himself from the trial, had used all the interest which he yet retained, to rescue the king from the hands of his murderers. Cromwell and Ireton informed of this intention, endeavoured to convince him, that the Lord had rejected the king; and they exhorted him to seek by prayer some direction from heaven on this important occasion; but they concealed from him that they had already signed the warrant for the execution. Harrison was appointed to join in

prayer with the unwary general. By agreement, he prolonged his doleful cant, till intelligence arrived that the fatal blow was struck. He then rose from his knees, and insisted with Fairfax, that this event was a miraculous answer from heaven to

their supplications. It being remarked that the king, the moment before he stretched out his neck to the executioner, had said to Juxon, with a very earnest accent, the single word, remember: great mysteries were supposed to be concealed under that expression; and the suspicious generals, vehemently insisted with the bishop, that he should inform them of the king's meaning. Juxon told them, that the king, having frequently charged him to inculcate on his son, the forgiveness of his murderers, had taken this opportunity in the last moment of his life, when his commands, he supposed, would be regarded as sacred and inviolable, to reiterate that desire.

The dissolution of the English monarchy soon followed the death of the monarch. The peers having sent down some votes to the lower house, (February 7th,) the latter deigned not to take the least notice of them, and in a few days, passed a vote that they would make no more addresses to the house of peers, nor receive any from them; and that that house being useless and dangerous, was to be abolished. A like vote passed with regard to the monarchy; and it is remarkable that a zealous republican, in the debate on this question, confessed, that if they desired a king, the last was as proper as any gentleman in England.

The regicides, impudently calling themselves the commons, ordered a new great seal to be engraved, on which that assembly was represented, with this legend; "On the first year of freedom, by God's "blessing, restored 1648. The forms of all public acts were changed from the king's name to that

of "The keepers of the liberties of England;" and it was declared high treason to proclaim, or any otherwise acknowledge Charles Stuart, commonly call ed prince of Wales.

It was intended by those wretches, it is said, to bind the princess Elizabeth apprentice to a button maker; the duke of Gloucester was to be taught some other mechanical employment; but the princess soon died of grief, and the duke was sent beyond sea by Cromwell.

The king's statue in the exchange was thrown down, and the following words were inscribed on the pedestal; " EXIT TYRANNUS, REGUM ULTIMUS,' The tyrant, the last of the kings is gone.

The duke of Hamilton, the earl of Holland, and lord Capel, were soon after tried by a new high court of justice, condemned for treason, and executed.

Charles died in the 49th year of his age, and the 24th of his reign; he left six children; Charles, born in 1630; James, duke of York, born in 1633; Henry, duke of Gloucester, born in 1641; Mary, princess of Orange, born in 1631; Elizabeth, born in 1633; and Henrietta, afterwards duchess of Orleans, born in 1644.

This unfortunate prince, considered first as a man, was endowed to such an eminent degree with all the qualifications, the most essential in private life, that it may be said of him without any exaggeration, that he was the worthiest gentleman, the best husband, the best father, the best friend, the best master, and the best christian in his three kingdoms. He was of a middling stature, robust and well proportioned; his features were regular and agreeable, though ever marked with a deep impression of melancholy. As to his kingly virtues, he certainly possessed many. To very good sense, and enlightened understanding, he united a great