Articles of Impeachment of High Treason

Articles of Impeachment of High-Treason, exhibited by the Commons of England, in a free Parliament, against Lieutenant-General Oliver Crumwel Esquire, Commissary-General Ireton Esq Sir Hardresse Waller Knight and Colonel, Col. Hewson, &c.

W E the Commons and Freemen of England, taking into our sad and most serious considerations the bleeding and desperate condition of England and Ireland at this present, and the traitorous practices and unwearied endeavors of the forementioned persons and their confederates, both in the House of Commons and in the Army, to obstruct and delay the settlement of a firm and blessed Peace, and perpetuate our War and Desolation, and bring us and these two Kingdoms to speedy and certain Ruin, to accomplish their own treasonable and destructive designs: We now at last necessitated, after an over-tired patience, and fruitless silence, out of a Christian hopeful expectation of their Repentance and amendment, to exhibit to both Houses of Parliament, and publish to the whole Kingdom, this ensuing Impeachment of High-Treason against them, and every of them; of which their own consciences and the world must acknowledge them and every of them to be deeply guilty: and we are, and always shall be ready to prove and make good against them, by legal and pregnant testimonies, in case they shall be so impudent as to deny, and plead Not guilty thereunto.

1 That the said Oliver Crumwel, Henry Ireton, Sir Hardresse Waller, Colonel Pride, Colonel Hewson, Colonel Ewers, Cornet Joyce, Hugh Peter, William Lenthal, Sir Henry Mildmay, Sir Peter Wentworth, Sir Henry Martin, Cornelius Holland, and Thomas Scot, and every of them, not having the fear of God before their eyes, nor regarding the solemn Oaths and Covenants lately taken by them and every of them, for defense and preservation of the Kings Majesty's Person, His Crown and Dignity, the Rights and Privileges of Parliaments, and Fundamental Government, Laws and Liberties of this Realm; but seduced by the instigation of the devil, and their own corrupt and ambitious lusts, Have, since the first day of January, 1646, at several times and places, seditiously, wickedly and traitorously conspired together, to alter and subvert the ancient Fundamental Government, Laws and Liberties of the Realm of England, with the Rights, Privileges, Freedom and Constitution of the Parliament of England, to • pose and destroy the King, and disinherit the Prince of Wales and the Kings posterity of the inheritance of the Crown of this Kingdom, and to dissolve this present Parliament, and to betray Ireland to the Popish Rebels, in case they cannot raise a party there to join with them in these their traitorous designs.

2 That for the more effectu • l and irresistible carrying on of these their heinous and execrable Treasons, they and every of them have since the time aforesaid, traitorously endeavored to get into their hands and power, and into the hands of their Confederates, all the P •… , Garrisons, Magazines, great Offices and Forces of this Kingdom, both by Sea and Land, and to engage the General, Thomas Lord Fairfax, and the Army under him, the Members of both Houses of Parliament, and the Sectaries, and others throughout all the Cities and Counties of this Realm, to aid and assist them in these their Treasons and traitorous designs, which they have in a great measure effected, and almost fully accomplished; and have likewise endeavored to raise a party both in Scotland and Ireland to join with them herein.

3 That all and every of the Impeached persons forementioned, in pursuit and accomplishment of their Treasons, have, since the time aforesaid, seditiously and traitorously maintained the Army against both Houses of Parliament, when voted to disband; kept them together in a Body, dissuaded and hindered such of them who were designed and going for the relief of Ireland against the Rebels, and other Forces raised by the Houses for that purpose, from going thither to relieve the Protestants there: Since which time, they have, and every of them, and their agents and confederates, traitorously and forcibly seized upon, removed, imprisoned, and secured under their custody and power, the Kings Majesty's Person, both at Holdenby & in the Isle of Wight, and at Hurst Castle, and at other places, without the privity or consent, and against the Authority, Votes, Instructions and Faith of both Houses of Parliament, with a traitorous intent to depose, murder and destroy His Person, to disinherit His Heirs and Posterity of the Crown of England, and alter or determine the Monarchical-Government of this Realm: which traitorous intentions they have declared in divers late Remonstrances and other printed Papers to all the world, and by their speeches and acts; and have likewise traitorously engaged the General, Council, and Officers of the Army, and some Members of the Commons House to join with them in this their detestable Treasons.

4 That all and every of the said Conspirators and Traitors, perceiving themselves too weak and unable to engage the greater part of both Houses of Parliament to join with them in carrying on the Treasons forementioned, did therefore, in the months of May, June, July, August and September, in the year of our Lord 1647, invite the General, Officers and Soldiers of the Army against the Houses of Parliament, and engage them to march up in a mutinous manner against them, and by menaces and force compel them to retract sundry Votes and Ordinances for the Public safety, to suspend, imprison and eject divers of their eminent Members, upon false and frivolous Charges contrived and exhibited against them, in the Officers and Armies names; persuaded divers Members, upon a pretext of fear, after the fear was over, to desert the House, flee with them to the Army, and there to enter into a shameful Engagement to live and die with the Army in this Cause. After which, they and every of them marched up with the Army in a hostile and forcible manner against the Members of both Houses of Parliament which continued sitting according to their duties: and having forcibly driven away, imprisoned, and illegally suspended and ejected the greatest number of them and their confederates in the House, being an inconsiderate number, in the absence of most of the Members, repealed and nulled all Votes, Ordinances, and proceedings of both Houses, passed in them since the 26 of July, 1647, to the 6 of August following; enlarged the Generals Power and Commission, altered and weakened the Militia of London, and demolished the Works and Forts about it, impeached and imprisoned divers of the Officers and Aldermen of the City, under the pretext of levying a new War, (of which they and their confederates were really guilty) to deter them from aiding or assisting the honest and greatest part of both Houses, opposite to their Treasons and pernicious designs: and after that, passed some Votes of no more Addresses to the King, and engaged the General and Officers of the Army to concur with their faction in over-awing the House of Commons therein, and by placing a Garison of Foot and a party of Horse of the Army in White-hall and the Muse, forced the House of Peers to concur in those Votes, whereby they generally discontented the whole Kingdom, and traitorously raised a new and dangerous War therein, to the great danger and loss both of England and Ireland.

5. That after the guards and forces of this Army by reason of these new commotions raised by the means aforesaid, were removed from the Houses, and they and their members restored to their honor, freedom and Privilege, the said Houses for a speedy settlement of the Kingdoms peace, and ending these unnatural wars voting a personal Treaty with the King in the Isle of Wight; and sending Commissioners to that purpose thither, who entered into an actual Treaty with the King upon the Propositions of both Houses, extraordinarily advantageous both to the Houses and whole Kingdom of England and Ireland, to most of which his Majesty gave his full and free consent. The said confederates every of them who wickedly opposed, but were unable to prevent the Treaty in the House where they were overvoted, in pursuance of their former Treasons and designs, persuaded and engaged the General, and Council of War on the 20 of November last, to present a treasonable and seditious Remonstrance, (of the said Conspirators own contriving) to be presented to the House of Commons by the said Col. Ewers in the name of the General and his General Council of Officers, of purpose to enforce the Houses to break of the Treaty with the King, contrary to their Faith and engagement to the King and Kingdom, before it was expired, and to bring the King to speedy justice and execution, to disinherit him and his posterity of the Crown, to alter the ancient frame and Government of the Kingdom, to dissolve this present Parliament and instead thereof, and of all future Parliaments to set up a new Representative or General Council, without either King, Lord's, Knights, Citizens, or Burgesses, only elected to carry on their Treasonable designs to perfection, which being laid aside by the votes of the said House, till the Treaty was concluded. Thereupon the said impeached Conspirators, and every of them caused another Treasonable Declaration to be published in the name of the General, and Council of the Army; charging the faithful Members; who dissenting from them in the House and would not break off the Treaty, with breach of Trust, and threatening forcibly to exclude and bring them to trial by a mere Arbitrary and usurped Tiranicall power, and inviting all their Confederates in the House to desert it and join with them and the Council of war and Army, who would both own, acknowledge and adhere to them as the true House of Commons, though inconsiderable for their Number; and thereupon contrary to the House of Commons express order, traitorously procured the General, Officers and Army to march up to Westminster to overawe the House of Commons, in their debates and votes touching the satisfactorinesse of the Kings Answers there in debate, which being carried against them, by plurality of voices in the said House upon the Question on Tuesday the 5 of December instant, thereupon the said Confederates, and every of them on Wednesday and Thursday following being the 6 & 7. of this instant December caused strong guards of Horse and Foot to beset both Houses of Parliament to apprehend and keep out the dissenting members who voted against them, And the said Sir Hardresse Waller, Coll. Pride, Coll. Hewson, and Cornet Joyce, did violently seise upon, imprison and keep from the said House, the Lord Wainmar, Sir Robert Harlow, and Sir Robert Pie and about forty other eminent Members, and pulled out Mr. Edward Stephens, and Coll. Birch, from the very doors of the said House, as they were going to discharge their duties and detained them prisoners in the Queens court, refusing to deliver them, though the House sent their Sergeant twice to release them; after which they were in scorn and contempt to the House, by the said conspirators means carried prisoners into a victualing house called Hell, and there shut up in a Room all night, without beds, or accommodation, on the 7 of December carried prisoners to Whitehall with strong guards, upon them, and from thence to the Kings head and swan in the strand, and there detained, and above an hundred other members since forcibly excluded and driven away from the House, and they and their consederrtes have since the imprisonment, and seclusion of the said members to carry on their said Treasons and designs, with some color of authority repealed sundry votes of the said House when full and free, concerning the Kings removal and the Treaty, and Treasonably and forcibly usurped the name and power of the House of Commons to them and their faction, to put an end to this present Parliament and to the Monarch, Parliaments, Government, laws and privileges of this Kingdom and to depose, destroy, and disinherit the King and his posterity.

All which respective oharges of high Treason we the Commons of England are and shall always be ready to make good and prove in a Legal way in this present Parliament, as soon as it shall be restored to a condition of Freedom, and from the force that is now upon it, and humbly pray that the said Traitors and every of them may be forthwith apprehended, secured and brought to Trial, before they ruin King, Parliament, and the Kingdoms of England and Ireland, and enslave them to their Tyrannie.

And because we confidently believe that the General, and most of the other Officers and the common Soldiers of the Army, have been overreacht and seduced by these Arch-traitors, under fair pretences of public Justice, and Settlement of the Kingdom, to assist and join with them in pursuance of their treasonable designs, and have acted therein out of honest intentions; we shall become humble suitors to both Houses in their behalf, upon the acknowledgement of their error, deserting of these confederate Traitors, and yielding them up to Public Justice, and returning to their former obedience to the Parliaments commands, and withdrawing from the City and Houses, that they will pass by all their former oversights (though they have eclipsed all their former glorious successes) and take a speedy and effectual course for the satisfaction of all their arrears: And for this end, we shall in all brotherly love and Christian affection, speak our very hearts and souls unto them, in the words of Moses to those Israelites which joined with Corah, Dathan and Abiram in their Insurrection against Moses and Aaron, much like to those, in adhering to these Traitors against both Houses and the Kingdom, Numb. 15. 26, 27. Depart, we pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins. So they got them up from the tabernacles of Corah, Dathan and Abiram on every side. Which if they shall refuse, upon this our brotherly request, we shall then with grief of heart be enforced to declare their Commissions forfeited, and their persons unfit to be employed and entrusted for the future; and can neither in conscience, duty, honor, or point of safety, contribute any thing towards their future subsistence, but look upon them in the selfsame manner as we do upon these impeached Traitors.

All which we humbly submit to the grave and serious consideration of the Houses of Parliament, and the whole Kingdom.