Trial of Charles I

A contemporary account taken from the memoirs of Sir Thomas Herbers and Hohn Rushworth.

Taken from two main sources, John Rushworth''s Historical Collection (circa 1659) and Sir Thomas Herbert''s memoirs (circa 1678), this book will primarily be of interest to those who have a deep curiosity about this historic event, unprecedented in the history of European nations at that time. It chronicles—sometimes dramatically, sometimes poignantly—the king''s imprisonment after his defeat in the civil war, the events and parliamentary debates leading up to the charges of high treason being brought against the king, and a virtual transcript of the trial itself, bringing to life the spirited arguments between Charles and the president of the court, Lord Bradshaw. We are witness to the king''s last hours, his execution in Whitehall—preceded by his short speech to those around the black-draped scaffold—and so to the poignant scene of his funeral at Windsor Castle.

Rushworth was a lawyer/historian and one-time clerk-assistant to the House of Commons, later secretary to General Lord Fairfax, and for a short time to Oliver Cromwell. Herbert was appointed by Parliament to attend the king as groom of the bedchamber during the king''s captivity and served him faithfully to the end.