86 JUDICIAL CHARGE UPON THE 



chase offenders to their deserved fall, except you 

 first put them up and discover them, whereby they 

 may be brought to answer ; for your verdict is not 

 concluding to condemn, but it is necessary to charge, 

 and without it the court cannot proceed to con 

 demn. 



Considering therefore that ye are the eye of 

 justice, ye ought to be single, without partial affec 

 tion ; watchful, not asleep, or false asleep in wink 

 ing at offenders, and sharp-sighted to proceed with 

 understanding and discretion : for in a word, if you 

 shall not present unto the court all such offences, 

 as shall appear unto you either by evidence given 

 in, or otherwise, mark what I say, of your own 

 knowledge, which have been committed within the 

 verge, which is as it were the limits of your survey, 

 but shall smother and conceal any offence willingly, 

 then the guiltiness of others will cleave to your con 

 sciences before God ; and besides, you are answer 

 able in some degree to the king and his law for 

 such your default and suppression ; and therefore 

 take good regard unto it, you are to serve the king 

 and his people, you are to keep and observe your 

 oath, you are to acquit yourselves. 



But there is yet more cause why you should take 

 more special regard to your presentments, than any 

 other grand juries within the counties of this king 

 dom at large : for as it is a nearer degree and ap 

 proach unto the king, which is the fountain of jus 

 tice and government, to be the king s servant, than 

 to be the king s subject ; so this commission ordained 



