358 ARRAIGNMENTS OF BLUNT, DAVERS, &c; 



High Admiral, the lord Chamherlain, Mr. Secretary, 

 the lord Chief Justice of England, Mr. Chancellor of 

 the exchequer, Mr. Secretary Herbert, with divers 

 of the judges, the commissioners sitting in the court 

 of the Queen s Bench, there were arraigned and tried 

 by a jury both of aldermen of London, and other 

 gentlemen of good credit and sort, Sir Christopher 

 Blunt, Sir Charles Davers, Sir John Davis, Sir Gilly 

 Merick, and Henry Cuffe. The three first where 

 of, before they pleaded, asked this question of the 

 judges : Whether they might not confess the indict 

 ment in part, and plead not guilty to it in the other 

 part ? But being resolved by the judges, that their 

 pleading must be general ; they pleaded Not guilty, 

 as did likewise the other two, without any such 

 question asked. The reason of that question was, 

 as they confessed, in respect of the clause laid in the 

 indictment ; That they intended and compassed the 

 death and destruction of the queen s majesty : unto 

 whose person, although they confessed at the bar, as 

 they had done in their examinations, that their mean 

 ing was to come to her in such strength, as they 

 should not be resisted, and to require of her divers 

 conditions and alterations of government, such as in 

 their confessions are expressed, nevertheless they 

 protested, they intended no personal harm to herself. 

 Whereupon as at the arraignment of the two earls, 

 so then again the judges delivered the rule of the law; 

 that the wisdom and foresight of the laws of this 

 land maketh this judgment. That the subject that 

 rebelleth or riseth in forcible manner to over-rule the 



