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<DATE>7-30-09</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<STC T="W">P3897</STC>
<STC T="T">E476_37</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99863333</BIBNO>
<VID>162515</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>ARTICLES
OF
IMPEACHMENT
OF
High-Trea&s;on,
EXHIBITED BY THE
Commons of <HI>ENGLAND,</HI>
IN A
FREE PARLIAMENT,</P>
<P>AGAINST
Lieutenant-General <HI>Oliver Crumwel</HI> E&s;quire,
Commi&s;&s;ary-General <HI>Henry Ireton</HI> E&s;quire,
Sir <HI>Hardre&s;&s;e Waller</HI> Knight and Colonel,
Colonel <HI>Pride,</HI> Colonel <HI>Hew&s;on,</HI> Colonel
<HI>Ewers,</HI> Co<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">ne<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Joyce, Hugh Peters</HI> Clerk, <HI>Wil|liam
Lenthal</HI> E&s;quire, Speaker, Sir <HI>Henry
Mildmay</HI> Knight, Sir <HI>Peter Wentworth</HI> Knight
of the Bath, <HI>Henry Martin, Cornelius Holland,</HI>
and <HI>Thomas Scot,</HI> E&s;quires, Members of the
Hou&s;e of Commons.</P>
<P>Imprinted at LONDON, 1648.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="treatise">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD>Articles of Impeachment of High-Trea&s;on,
exhibited by the Commons of England, in
a free Parliament, again&s;t Lieutenant-General Oliver
Crumwel E&s;quire, Commi&s;&s;ary-General Ireton <ABBR>E&s;q</ABBR> Sir
Hardre&s;&s;e Waller Knight and Colonel, Col. Hew&s;on, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>_WE the Commons and Freemen of <HI>England,</HI> taking into our
&s;ad and mo&s;t &s;erious con&s;iderations the bleeding and de&s;pe|rate
condition of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland</HI> at this pre&s;ent, and
the traiterous practices and unwearied endeavours of the
forementioned per&s;ons and their confederates, both in the Hou&s;e of Com|mons
and in the Army, to ob&s;truct and delay the &s;ettlement of a firm
and ble&s;&s;ed Peace, and perpetuate our War and De&s;olation, and bring us
and the&s;e two Kingdoms to &s;peedy and certain Ruine, to accompli&s;h their
own trea&s;onable and de&s;tructive de&s;ignes: We now at la&s;t nece&s;&s;itated,
after an over-tired patience, and fruitle&s;s &s;ilence, out of a Chri&s;tian
hopeful expectation of their Repentance and amendment, to exhibite
to both Hou&s;es of Parliament, and publi&s;h to the whole Kingdom, this
en&s;uing Impeachment of High-Trea&s;on again&s;t them, and every of
them; of which their own con&s;ciences and the world mu&s;t acknowledge
them and every of them to be deeply guilty: and we are, and always
&s;hall be ready to prove and make good again&s;t them, by legal and pre|gnant
te&s;timonies, in ca&s;e they &s;hall be &s;o impudent as to deny, and
plead <HI>Not guilty</HI> thereunto.</P>
<P>1 That the &s;aid <HI>Oliver Crumwel, Henry Ireton,</HI> Sir <HI>Hardre&s;&s;e Wal|ler,</HI>
Colonel <HI>Pride,</HI> Colonel <HI>Hew&s;on,</HI> Colonel <HI>Ewers,</HI> Cornet <HI>Joyce,
Hugh Peter, William Lenthal,</HI> Sir <HI>Henry Mildmay,</HI> Sir <HI>Peter Went|worth,</HI>
Sir <HI>Henry Martin, Cornelius Holland,</HI> and <HI>Thomas Scot,</HI> and
every of them, not having the fear of God before their eyes, nor
regarding the &s;olemn Oaths and Covenants lately taken by them
and every of them, for defence and pre&s;ervation of the Kings Maje|&s;ties
Per&s;on, His Crown and Dignitie, the Rights and Priviledges
of Parliaments, and Fundamental Government, Laws and Liber|ties
of this Realm; but &s;educed by the in&s;tigation of the devil, and
their own corrupt and ambitious lu&s;ts, Have, &s;ince the fir&s;t day of
<HI>January,</HI> 1646, at &s;everal times and places, &s;editiou&s;ly, wickedly and
traiterou&s;ly con&s;pired together, to alter and &s;ubvert the ancient Fun|damental
Government, Laws and Liberties of the Realm of <HI>Eng|land,</HI>
<PB N="4" REF="3">
with the Rights, Priviledges, Freedom and Con&s;titution of
the Parliament of <HI>England,</HI> to <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="missing" EXTENT="1 letter">po&s;e and de&s;troy the King, and
di&s;inherite the Prince of <HI>Wales</HI> and the Kings po&s;teritie of the inhe|ritance
of the Crown of this Kingdom, and to di&s;&s;olve this pre&s;ent
Parliament, and to betray <HI>Ireland</HI> to the Popi&s;h Rebels, in ca&s;e they
cannot rai&s;e a partie there to joyn with them in the&s;e their traiterous
de&s;ignes.</P>
<P>2 That for the more effectu<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">l and irre&s;i&s;tible carrying on of the&s;e
their hainous and execrable Trea&s;ons, they and every of them have
&s;ince the time afore&s;aid, traiterou&s;ly endeavoured to get into their
hands and power, and into the hands of their Confederates, all the
P<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1+ letters">, Gari&s;ons, Magazines, great Offices and Forces of this King|dom,
both by Sea and Land, and to engage the General, <HI>Thomas</HI>
Lord <HI>Fairfax,</HI> and the Armie under him, the Members of both Hou|&s;es
of Parliament, and the Sectaries, and others thorowout all the
Cities and Counties of this Realm, to aid and a&s;&s;i&s;t them in the&s;e
their Trea&s;ons and traiterous de&s;ignes, which they have in a great
mea&s;ure effected, and almo&s;t fully accompli&s;hed; and have likewi&s;e
endeavoured to rai&s;e a partie both in <HI>Scotland</HI> and <HI>Ireland</HI> to joyn
with them herein.</P>
<P>3 That all and every of the Impeached per&s;ons forementioned, in
pur&s;uit and accompli&s;hment of their Trea&s;ons, have, &s;ince the time
afore&s;aid, &s;editiou&s;ly and traiterou&s;ly maintained the Armie again&s;t
both Hou&s;es of Parliament, when voted to disband; kept them
together in a Bodie, di&s;&s;waded and hindred &s;uch of them who were
de&s;igned and going for the relief of <HI>Ireland</HI> again&s;t the Rebels, and
other Forces rai&s;ed by the Hou&s;es for that purpo&s;e, from going thi|ther
to relieve the Prote&s;tants there: Since which time, they have,
and every of them, and their agents and confederates, traiterou&s;ly
and forcibly &s;eized upon, removed, impri&s;oned, and &s;ecured under
their cu&s;todie and power, the Kings Maje&s;ties Per&s;on, both at <HI>Hol|denby</HI>
&amp; in the I&s;le of <HI>Wight,</HI> and at <HI>Hur&s;t</HI> Ca&s;tle, and at other places,
without the privitie or con&s;ent, and again&s;t the Authoritie, Votes,
In&s;tructions and Faith of both Hou&s;es of Parliament, with a trai|terous
intent to depo&s;e, murther and de&s;troy His Per&s;on, to di&s;inhe|rite
His Heirs and Po&s;teritie of the Crown of <HI>England,</HI> and alter or
determine the Monarchical-Government of this Realm: which
traiterous intentions they have declared in divers late Remon&s;tran|ces
and other printed Papers to all the world, and by their &s;peeches
and acts; and have likewi&s;e traiterou&s;ly engaged the General, Coun|cel,
<PB N="5" REF="3">
and Officers of the Armie, and &s;ome Members of the Commons
Hou&s;e to joyn with them in this their dete&s;table Trea&s;ons.</P>
<P>4 That all and every of the &s;aid Con&s;pirators and Traitors, per|ceiving
them&s;elves too weak and unable to engage the greater part
of both Hou&s;es of Parliament to joyn with them in carrying on
the Trea&s;ons forementioned, did therefore, in the months of <HI>May,
June, July, Augu&s;t</HI> and <HI>September,</HI> in the yeer of our Lord 1647, in|vite
the General, Officers and Souldiers of the Armie again&s;t the
Hou&s;es of Parliament, and engage them to march up in a mutinous
manner again&s;t them, and by menaces and force compel them to re|tract
&s;undry Votes and Ordinances for the Publike &s;afetie, to &s;u&s;|pend,
impri&s;on and eject divers of their eminent Members, upon
fal&s;e and frivolous Charges contrived and exhibited again&s;t them, in
the Officers and Armies names; per&s;waded divers Members, upon
a pretext of fear, after the fear was over, to de&s;ert the Hou&s;e, flee with
them to the Armie, and there to enter into a &s;hameful Engagement
to live and die with the Armie in this Cau&s;e. After which, they
and every of them marched up with the Armie in a ho&s;tile and for|cible
manner again&s;t the Members of both Hou&s;es of Parliament
which continued &s;itting according to their duties: and having for|cibly
driven away, impri&s;oned, and illegally &s;u&s;pended and ejected
the greate&s;t number of them and their confederates in the Hou&s;e,
being an incon&s;iderate number, in the ab&s;ence of mo&s;t of the Mem|bers,
repealed and nulled all Votes, Ordinances, and proceedings of
both Hou&s;es, pa&s;&s;ed in them &s;ince the 26 of <HI>July,</HI> 1647, to the 6 of
<HI>Augu&s;t</HI> following; enlarged the Generals Power and Commi&s;&s;ion,
altered and weakned the <HI>Militia</HI> of <HI>London,</HI> and demoli&s;hed the
Works and Forts about it, impeached and impri&s;oned divers of the
Officers and Aldermen of the Citie, under the pretext of levying a
new War, (of which they and their confederates were really guil|ty)
to deter them from aiding or a&s;&s;i&s;ting the hone&s;t and greate&s;t
part of both Hou&s;es, oppo&s;ite to their Trea&s;ons and pernicious de|&s;ignes:
and after that, pa&s;&s;ed &s;ome Votes of no more Addre&s;&s;es to
the King, and engaged the General and Officers of the Armie to
concur with their faction in over-awing the Hou&s;e of Commons
therein, and by placing a Gari&s;on of Foot and a party of Hor&s;e
of the Armie in <HI>White-hall</HI> and the <HI>Mu&s;e,</HI> forced the Hou&s;e of Peers
to concur in tho&s;e Votes, whereby they generally di&s;contented the
whole Kingdom, and traiterou&s;ly rai&s;ed a new and dangerous War
<PB N="6" REF="4">
therein, to the great danger and lo&s;s both of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland.</HI></P>
<P>5. That after the guards and forces of this Army by rea&s;on of
the&s;e new commotions rai&s;ed by the means afore&s;aid, were re|moved
from the Hou&s;es, and they and their members re&s;tored
to their honor, freedom and Priviledge, the &s;aid Hou&s;es for a &s;pee|dy
&s;ettlement of the Kingdoms peace, and ending the&s;e unnatu|rall
wars voting a per&s;onall Treaty with the King in the I&s;le of
Wight; and &s;ending Commi&s;&s;ioners to that purpo&s;e thither, who
entered into an actuall Treaty with the King upon the Propo&s;iti|ons
of both Hou&s;es, extraordinarily advantageous both to the
Hou&s;es and whole Kingdom of England and Ireland, to mo&s;t of
which his Maje&s;ty gave his full and free con&s;ent. The &s;aid confe|derates
every of them who wickedly oppo&s;ed, but were unable
to prevent the Treaty in the Hou&s;e where they were overvoted,
in pur&s;uance of their former Trea&s;ons and de&s;ignes, per&s;waded
and ingaged the Generall, and Councell of War on the 20 of <HI>No|vember</HI>
la&s;t, to pre&s;ent a trea&s;onable and &s;editious Remon&s;trance,
(of the &s;aid Con&s;pirators own contriving) to be pre&s;ented to the
Hou&s;e of Commons by the &s;aid Col. <HI>Ewers</HI> in the name of the Ge|nerall
and his Generall Councell of Officers, of purpo&s;e to inforce
the Hou&s;es to break of the Treaty with the King, contrary to their
Faith and ingagement to the King and Kingdom, before it was
expired, and to bring the King to &s;peedy ju&s;tice and execution, to
di&s;inherit him and his po&s;terity of the Crown, to alter the ancient
frame and Government of the Kingdom, to di&s;&s;olve this pre&s;ent
Parliament and in &s;tead thereof, and of all future Parliaments
to &s;et up a new Repre&s;entative or Generall Councell, without ei|ther
King, Lords, Knights, Citizens, or Burge&s;&s;es, only elected
to carry on their Trea&s;onable de&s;ignes to perfection, which being
laid a&s;ide by the votes of the &s;aid Hou&s;e, till the Treaty was con|cluded.
Thereupon the &s;aid impeached Con&s;pirators, and every
of them cau&s;ed another Trea&s;onable Declaration to be publi&s;hed
in the name of the Generall, and Councel of the Army; charg|ing
the faithfull Members; who di&s;&s;enting from them in the
Hou&s;e and would not break off the Treaty, with breach of Tru&s;t,
and threatning forcibly to exclude and bring them to triall by a
meer Arbitrary and u&s;urped Tiranicall power, and inviting all their
Confederates in the Hou&s;e to de&s;ert it and joyn with them and
the Councell of war and Army, who would both own, acknow|ledge
<PB N="7" REF="4">
and adhere to them as the true Hou&s;e of Commons, though
incon&s;iderable for their Number; and thereupon contrary to the
Hou&s;e of Commons expre&s;&s;e order, trayterou&s;ly procured the Ge|nerall,
Officers and Army to march up to We&s;tmin&s;ter to over|awe
the Hou&s;e of Commons, in their debates and votes touch|ing
the &s;atisfactorine&s;&s;e of the Kings An&s;wers there in debate,
which being carried again&s;t them, by plurality of voyces in the
&s;aid Hou&s;e upon the Que&s;tion on Tue&s;day the 5 of <HI>December</HI> in|&s;tant,
thereupon the &s;aid Confederates, and every of them on
Wedne&s;day and Thur&s;day following being the 6 &amp; 7. of this in&s;tant
December cau&s;ed &s;trong guards of Hor&s;e and Foot to be&s;et both
Hou&s;es of Parliament to apprehend and keep out the di&s;&s;enting
members who voted again&s;t them, And the &s;aid Sir <HI>Hardre&s;&s;e Wal|ler,</HI>
Coll. <HI>Pride,</HI> Coll. <HI>Hew&s;on,</HI> and Cornet <HI>Joyce,</HI> did violently
&s;ei&s;e upon, impri&s;on and keep from the &s;aid Hou&s;e, the Lord
<HI>Wainmar,</HI> Sir <HI>Robert Harlow,</HI> and Sir <HI>Robert Pie</HI> and about forty
other eminent Members, and pulled out Mr. <HI>Edward Stephens,</HI> and
Coll. <HI>Birch,</HI> from the very doores of the &s;aid Hou&s;e, as they were
going to di&s;charge their duties and detained them pri&s;oners in
the Queens court, refu&s;ing to deliver them, though the Hou&s;e
&s;ent their Sergeant twi&s;e to relea&s;e them; after which they were
in &s;corn and contempt to the Hou&s;e, by the &s;aid con&s;pirators means
carried pri&s;oners into a victualing hou&s;e called Hell, and there &s;hut
up in a Room all night, without beds, or accommodation, on the
7 of <HI>December</HI> carried pri&s;oners to Whitehall with &s;trong guards,
upon them, and from thence to the Kings head and &s;wan in the
&s;trand, and there detained, and above an hundred other members
&s;ince forcibly excluded and driven away from the Hou&s;e, and they
and their con&s;ederrtes have &s;ince the impri&s;onment, and &s;eclu&s;ion
of the &s;aid members to carry on their &s;aid Trea&s;ons and de&s;ignes,
with &s;ome colour of authority repealed &s;undry votes of the &s;aid
Hou&s;e when full and free, concerning the Kings removall and the
Treaty, and Trea&s;onably and forceably u&s;urped the name and
power of the Hou&s;e of Commons to them and their faction, to put
an end to this pre&s;ent Parliament and to the Monarch, Parliaments,
Government, laws and priviledges of this Kingdom and to depo&s;e,
de&s;troy, and di&s;inherit the King and his po&s;terity.</P>
<P>All which re&s;pective oharges of high Trea&s;on we the Commons of
England are and &s;hall always be ready to make good and prove in a
<PB N="8" REF="5">
Legal way in this pre&s;ent Parliament, as &s;oon as it &s;hall be re&s;tored
to a condition of Freedom, and from the force that is now upon it,
and humbly pray that the &s;aid Traitors and every of them may be
forthwith apprehended, &s;ecured and brought to Trial, before they
ruine King, Parliament, and the Kingdoms of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ire|land,</HI>
and en&s;lave them to their Tyrannie.</P>
<P>And becau&s;e we confidently believe that the General, and mo&s;t of the
other Officers and the common Souldiers of the Army, have been over|reacht
and &s;educed by the&s;e Arch-traitors, under fair pretences of pub|like
Ju&s;tice, and Settlement of the Kingdom, to a&s;&s;i&s;t and joyn with
them in pur&s;uance of their trea&s;onable de&s;ignes, and have acted therein
out of hone&s;t intentions; we &s;hall become humble &s;uiters to both Hou&s;es
in their behalf, upon the acknowledgement of their errour, de&s;erting of
the&s;e confederate Traitors, and yeelding them up to Publike Ju&s;tice,
and returning to their former obedience to the Parliaments commands,
and withdrawing from the City and Hou&s;es, that they will pa&s;s by all
their former over&s;ights (though they have eclip&s;ed all their former
glorious &s;ucce&s;&s;es) and take a &s;peedy and effectual cour&s;e for the &s;ati&s;|faction
of all their arrears: And for this end, we &s;hall in all brotherly
love and Chri&s;tian affection, &s;peak our very hearts and &s;ouls unto them,
in the words of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to tho&s;e I&s;raelites which joyned with <HI>Corah,
Dathan</HI> and <HI>Abiram</HI> in their In&s;urrection again&s;t <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI>
much like to tho&s;e, in adhering to the&s;e Traitors again&s;t both Hou&s;es
and the Kingdom, <HI>Numb. 15. 26, 27. Depart, we pray you, from
the tents of the&s;e wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, le&s;t
you be con&s;umed in all their &s;ins. So they got them up from the
tabernacles of</HI> Corah, Dathan <HI>and</HI> Abiram <HI>on every &s;ide.</HI> Which if
they &s;hall refu&s;e, upon this our brotherly reque&s;t, we &s;hall then with
grief of heart be enforced to declare their Commi&s;&s;ions forfeited, and
their per&s;ons unfit to be employed and intru&s;ted for the future; and can
neither in con&s;cience, duty, honour, or point of &s;afety, contribute any
thing towards their future &s;ub&s;i&s;tence, but look upon them in the &s;elf|&s;ame
manner as we do upon the&s;e impeached Traitors.</P>
<P>All which we humbly &s;ubmit to the grave and &s;erious con&s;i|deration
of the Hou&s;es of Parliament, and the whole
Kingdom.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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