By W. IF. BavenJdll, Esq. 



169 



must acquaint you with hereafter. I pressed to have it otherwise; but I must 

 submitt to those that were to bee my judges. Though they were not soe inclined ; 

 yet. rather than to make a difference in this great service, were contented to 

 submitt. Wee sate not till the afternoone, where was a good appearance of the 

 Commissioners and Justices of [the] Peace; of the Grand Jury 32 appeared 

 whereof 23 were sworne. 



The exterior of the old Council House at Salisbury, survives to- 

 day in the engraving in Sir Richard Hoare's Modern Wiltshire 

 (Hundred of Sarum). Far less in size than the present structure, 

 so much the more imposing must have been the presence of six judges 

 in scarlet and ermine, 1 as they approached surrounded by Sheriff 

 Dove's retinae, and no doubt a military escort. 



In consequence of the "personal concernment" of the Lord Chief 

 Justice and Mr. Baron Nicholas ; and Lord Lisle not being a 

 Common Law Judge; Mr. Justice Wyndham, presided and delivered 

 the charge to the Grand Jury, on the afternoon of the 11th of April. 

 A letter of the 12th April, 1655, from a Mr. Nutley, some govern- 

 ment official, gives the following account of this : — 2 



" After his apology for this unexpected call to that service in regard to the 

 personall concernment of my lord chief Justice and Mr. Baron Nicholas in the 

 business he proceeded to declare the nature of the horrid and unheard-of crime in 

 question ; which as well by the common law, and the Statute laws both ancient 



all others in the like case offending - , in manifest violation, and contempt of the laws of England, 

 against the due obedience of them the said A B C D &c. to the said lord protector and government 

 of the said Commonwealth, against the publick peace, and against the force of the Statute in such 

 case made and provided &c. And also maliciously, devilishly, and traitorously conspiring, plotting, 

 compassing, and imagining the death destruction, and utter ruin of the said lord protector, and also 

 wickedly, rebelliously, and tiaitorously intending, proposing, plotting, and endeavouring, by all the 

 ways and means they could and might, to promote Charles Stuart, eldest son to"Charles the late 

 King of England, to he king and chief Magistrate of England, Scotland and Ireland, and of the do- 

 minions theremito belonging, they the said A B &c. together with the other two hundred rebels, 

 and traitors to the jurors unknown, being so assembled, armed, and arrayed, the 12th day of March 

 AD 1654 at New. Sarum in the County of Wilts aforesaid, the death, destruction and ruin of the said 

 lord protector falsely, devilishly, rebelliously, traitoiously, and of their set and forethought malice 

 did intend, compass, imagine, and endeavour to execute and procure ; and that they the said A B 

 &c. together with the said other two hundred rebels and traitors unto the said Jurors unknown, 

 being so assembled, armed, and arrayed as aforesaid, the 12th day of March in the year aforesaid at 

 New Sarum aforesaid and in other places within the aforesaid county, in further execution of their 

 wicked rebellious, and traitorous purposes, intention's, and imaginations aforesaid, wickedly, devilishly, 

 maliciously, traitorously, and as lalse traitors against the said lord protector and government afore- 

 said, did with loud voices proclaim, declare, publish, and promote, the said Charles Stewart eldest 

 son of the said late king, to be king and chief magistrate of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the 

 dominions thereunto belonging." [The indictment as finally settled probably ended at the words 

 " made and provided, &c."] 



1 It may be the Lord Commissioner Lisle was in some such gorgeous robe as 

 that of the Lord Chancellor of to-day. Those things were not forgotten then. 



2 3Th., 372. 



