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Show 68 A Charge, in the KingJ Bettcb, ~tgainfl Owen. And again, in the Manner, and Boldnefs, of the prefe:n Caf~, New and almofr unheard of, till this Man. O f what mmd he~~ ' 1 know not bwt I take him as he was, and as he fianden, nchoawr,g ed·. For Hi'g h Treafon '·I·s not wri· tten 1· n I ce; Tha t w h en the Bodjrelenteth, the Impr1(tuniliou~d go away- . . In dais Caufe the Evidence It felf, w1ll fpend httle Time: Ttm.e therefore, will be befi: fpent,in opening, fully, the Nature of th~~ Treafon with the Circumfi:ances thereof; Becaufe the Ex ample, IS more then the Ma11. I think good, therefore, by way oflnducemenr and Declaration, in this Gaufe, to open unto the Court, Ju-ry, and Hearer~, five Things. . . The fide is, the Clemency, of the King; Becaufe, It ts Newes~ and a kind ofRarety, to have a proceeding, in this place, upon 'freafon: And per~aps, i! may be f!larvelled by _fome, w?y ~fter, fo long an Intermtffio~, It iho~ld light upon thts Fellow • Bemg a perfon,but conte~ puble; A ktnd of venemous fly; And a Hang by of the Seminanes. . . The Second is the Nature of th1s Treafon, as concernmg the Fall· which of ail kinds, of compafiing the Kings Dear h, l hold to b~ the m~fi: perillous; And as much differin!? from ot~er C<:>n· f piracies, as the liftin~ up of a 1 co? f!ands, agatnft the Kmg,(Jike the Giant Briareu1 ) dtffers, from hfung up one, or a few Hands. The Third Poi~t, that I will fpeak unto, is, the Dollrine, or opinion; Which is the _Groun~ ~f this Treafon; Wherein, I will not argut, or fpeak, hke a Divtne, or S_choller; But, as a ~?n, bred in a Civill Life: And to fpeak plamly, I hold the Optmon to b~ fuch, that deferveth, rather, Detefiation, then Contefra~ tion. ,/F. h. h ~ The Fourth Point, is the Degree, of this Mans OJJ ence; w Ic 1~ more prelu~ptuous, then I have known, any other, to have f~llen into, in this kind: And hath, a greater Overflow, of M.cltce, and Tredfon.. . And Fifthly, 1 will remove fomewhat, that may feem to quahfie and extenuate this Mans offence; in that, he hath not affir. m~d, fimply; Tha; it is lawfull to ~ill th_e ~(ing, but cond~tio?al. Iy; that if the K_ing be.Excommtm~cate, !t JS lawfull t~ lull h1m; which m~keth httle Dtfference, either 1n Law, or Penll. For the Kings clemency, I have faid it, of late, upon a good Occafion; And I frill fpeak it, with comfort: I haYe now, ferved his Maje.ftie, Soll~citer, and Atturney, e~gh~ ~ears, and b~tter: yet, this i11 the firfi ume, that ever I ~ve 1n Evtdence, agamfi a Tr11y· /()r~ at this B~trr, or any ~ther. There h_ath. not wanted Matter, in that Party, of the S1lhJd1!, whenc~ t~1s k1nd of Offence floweth, to irritate the King : He hath been untatcd, by the Powder-T~ea-fon, which might have turned ]1adgement, into Fury: He hath l been irritated, by wicked, and monfrrous, Libel!; Irritated, by a generalllnfolency, :and prefumptioo, in the rt~pi.fls, throughout I, the. L. and; And yet~ I fee, his Majefly keepeth c~Jars Rule: Nil malo, .A Clmg~ in theKing.t Bench, .tgainft Owen~ . € 9 / m-a-lo-,-q-,ta_m_ttJ_J_effiejmiles f';, & m~mci •. He leetveth thent, to be li]ze _.........., _ the1J1filves; And he remameth, hke Hnnfelf; And firivetb toO· vercome EvilJ, with Goodnefs. A frrange thing Bloudy Opi-nions, ~loudy I?ocrri~es, Bloudy Examples, and ;et the Govern-ntent, fbll, unfrained with Bloud. As for this owen, that is brought in queftion, though his P~rfon be, in his Condition, contempti-ble; yet we fee, by mtferable Exampler; That thefe Wret-ches, which are but the Scum of the Earth, have been able to ltir Earth·qJJa/zes, by MurtheringfJfPrinces: And, ifit were in ~afe of Contagion; (A: th~s is a Contagion, oft he Heart, and Soul;) A R.askall~ n:ay brmg 1n a Plague, into the Citty, as well as a great Man: So 1t Is not the Ptrfon, but the Mlftter, th~tis to be confi~ dered. For the Trca{en it fdf, which is the fecond Point, my Defire is; to open it, in the Depth thereof, if it were poffible, But it is bot~ · tomelelfe: And. fo the Civill Law faith: ConjHr4tionu, omniHm proditiomun, odiojijfimte, & perniciojiJJimce. i\gainfl: Hofi:ile Invafi~ ons, and the Adherence of subjetJr, to Enemies, I(ings can arm; Rebellions, mufi go over, the Bodies, of many good Stfbje{Js) be ... fore they can hurt the King: but Confpiracies, againll: die Perfons of Kings are like ihunder. holt.t, that !hike upon the fuddain, hardly to be avoyded: Major metur 0, jingulk, (faith he,) qHam ab univerjir. There is no Preparation againfi them. And tbat Pre .. paration, which may be, of Guard, orCufiody, is a perpetuaH Mifery. And therefore, they that have written, of the Privi~ ledges of Amha.f!adours, and of the Amplit*dt of Safe·C"ndHfJs, have defined; That if an Ambajfadour) or a Man, that commetb in, upon the highefi: {afe·Conducl!, do pracrife, Matter of Sedition, in a State, yet, by the Law of Nations, he m:1ght to be remanded: But, if he confpires againfi the Life of a Prince, by violence, or Poyfon, he is to be jufriced: ffl!!ia odium eft omni Privilegio Maj1u. Nay, even amongfr Enemies, and in the mofi deadly Wars, yet, neverthelelfe, Confpiracy, and Afiailinate of P.rinces, hath been accounted villanous) and execrable. The Manners, of CNnJPiring, and coHJpdjfing the Kings Death, are many : But it is mofi apparent, that amongfi: all the refr, this furmounteth. Firfr, becaufe it is grounded, upon pretenced Religion; which is a Trumpet, that enflameth the Heart, and Poweu of a Man, with Daring, and R.~folution, more than any Thing elfe .. Secondly, itis the Hard ell: to be avoided ; For when a particular C01':fpiracy, is plotted, or At~empted , ~gainfr a King, by fome one, or fome few c onfpiratouu, It meets With a Numb~r <?f Im pediments. (;ommonly, he that hath the Head to devife It, hath not the Heart to tindertake it: And the Perf on, that is ufed,fometime faileth inC our age, fometime failet~ in opport~t~ifJ/ometim~s is touehed with Kemorce. But to pub hili, and mamtain, that It may be law full, for any Man living,to attempt the Life of a King; this Doctrine, is a Venomous Sop; Or, as a Legio~t of Malign spi* rits |
