92 JUDICIAL CHARGE UPON THE 



punishment of the error of conscience, but the re 

 pressing of the peril of the estate. This is the true 

 spirit of these laws, and therefore I will place them 

 under my second division, which is of offences that 

 concern the king and his estate, to which now I come. 



THESE offences therefore respect either the safety 

 of the king s person, or the safety of his estate and 

 kingdom, which though they cannot be dissevered 

 in deed, yet they may be distinguished in speech. 

 First then, if any have conspired against the life of 

 the king, which God have in his custody ! or of the 

 queen s majesty, or of the most noble prince their 

 eldest son ; the very compassing and inward imagi 

 nation thereof is high treason, if it can be proved 

 by any fact that is overt : for in the case of so sudden, 

 dark, and pernicious, and peremptory attempts, it 

 were too late for the law to take a blow before it 

 gives ; and this high treason of all other is most 

 heinous, of which you shall inquire, though I hope 

 there be no cause. 



There is another capital offence that hath an 

 affinity with this, whereof you here within the verge 

 are most properly to inquire ; the king s privy-coun 

 cil are as the principal watch over the safety of the 

 king, so as their safety is a portion of his : if there 

 fore any of the king s servants within his cheque-roll, 

 for to them only the law extends, have conspired the 

 death of any the king s privy-council, this is felony, 

 and thereof you shall inquire. 



And since we are now in that branch of the 



