8.-CHARLES I. (PART II.) 1. The Parliament was now divided into two Thence he escaped to the Isle of Wight; but being forced to take refuge in Carisbrooke Castle,2 he was there closely watched. 2. The Parliament, in which the Presbyterians had most power, now began to fear Cromwell, and to suspect him of planning the death of the King. 1648 3. Cromwell sent Colonel Pride, with a number of troopers, to surround the House of Commons, and to prevent any from entering who A.D. did not favour his designs. Two hundred Presbyterians were therefore turned away, and only about forty Independents were allowed to enter. This was called "Pride's Purge." Those that re mained voted thanks to Cromwell, and resolved on the death of the King. 4. Out of this scanty House, with some persons from the army, was formed the High Court of Justice, for the trial of the King. Before this Court the King was brought, and was accused of acts of tyranny of raising taxes without the consent of Parliament, and of making war on his subjects. 5. After a trial of seven days, he was condemned to death. He was beheaded in front of Whitehall3 Palace, before a crowd of people, on a cold winter day, when the ground was covered Jan. 30, with snow. His bleeding head was held A.D. up by the headsman, who called out, "This is the head of a traitor." 1649 6. Charles was fine-looking, and skilled in all knightly arts. He was a well-meaning prince; but he was led astray by his father's views about the right of kings to govern as they pleased. He was not strong enough in will to think and act for himself; but his greatest fault was that he did not keep faith with his subjects. 7. Of Charles's sons, two, Charles and James, became King in turn. One of his daughters, Elizabeth, died in Carisbrooke Castle of a broken heart after her father's execution; another, Mary, married the Prince of Orange, and was the mother of William the Third. 8. Notes of Progress.-During this reign the Irish linen manufacture was established. Letters were sent by a weekly post. Coffee was now first used in England. a-stray', wrong. de-signs', plans. faith, promises. [head. heads-man, man who cut off the knight-ly arts, military exercises. sus-pect' him, think him guilty. 1 Hampton Court.-A palace near | 2 miles west of Newport, in the Isle of the village of Hampton on the Thames, Wight. 15 miles above London. 3 Whitehall.-In London, near the 2 Carisbrooke.-Avillage and castle Houses of Parliament. 9.-DEATH OF KING CHARLES I. 1. The war between the King and the Parliament lasted three years, and it ended in the flight of Charles, who rode out of Oxford in the dawn of an April morning, and gave himself up to the Scots, then in a camp at Newark, on the river Trent. By the Scots, after a while, he was handed over to the Presbyterians, who were the milder party of the English Parliament, and who certainly had no intention of putting him to death. 2. The King was then 'confined in various castles, while the Presbyterians and the Independents struggled hard for the upper hand in Parliament and for the disposal of the King's person. In this contest the Independents won, because they consisted of the chief army men, among whom Oliver Cromwell was certainly the greatest. 3. This man, who had drilled a famous regiment, called from their valour Ironsides, had been the chief means of winning for the Parliament the Battle of Marston Moor, and had been raised to high position in the army. Stern and resolute, Oliver took a step which removed all his enemies from the House 1648 A.D. of Commons. He placed dragoons and pikemen at the door, and arrested every Presbyterian who tried to go in. When this had been done, the Independent members resolved to bring the King out of prison and to try him publicly for going to war with his own people. 4. Calling themselves the High Court of Justice, they desired the drums and trumpets to sound, and the heralds to proclaim the trial that was about to be held. With a hammer they broke the Great Seal of England, on which the figure of the King was engraved. Having been brought up from Windsor, Charles was put in a sedan-chair and carried into Westminster Hall, where the judges sat dressed in black. Before the bench stood a table with the mace and sword displayed. The King came in with his hat on, and, sitting down in a velvet chair, stared darkly and proudly at them. 5. Then the trial began. When a famous lawyer rose to state the charge, Charles called out, "Hold!" and gave him a sharp tap on the shoulder with a gold-headed cane. At that moment the gold knob dropped off, and a quick eye might have seen the King grow pale for an instant, as the thought crossed his brain that this was a bad omen. But he soon recovered, and broke into a laugh when he heard the reading of the accusation. 6. It was usual for him to stammer in speaking; but now, under the excitement of so strange a scene, he spoke in a clear and flowing voice, objecting to the authority of the court, and especially complaining of the absence of the Peers of England. For When the King seven days this work went on. entered the place of trial on the eighth day, he saw at a single glance that all the members on the bench were dressed in red. On that day he received sentence of death. 7. Rising two hours before dawn on the appointed day, the King put on an extra shirt, because it was CHARLES I. ON HIS WAY TO EXECUTION. cold; and, after taking particular pains with his dress, he called in Bishop Juxon to pray with him. They remained in private for an hour; after which an officer knocked at the door, and with a pale face |