The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1840-08-15
EXECUTION OF CHARLES |. OF
ENGLAND.


In Jesse's memoirs ofthe Court of Eng.
land during the reign Of the Steuarts, we
find the following description of the execu-
tion of that unfortunate monarch, Charles l.
"To return 10 the last moments of Charles
The scafTold had been covered with black
cloth, and coffin, lined with black velvet,
was in readiness to receive his remains
In the platform itself had been fixed iron
rings and staples; to which ropes had been
attached, by which it was intended to force
the king to the block, should he make the
least resistance. The persons who attend
ed him to the scafold, besides Bishop Jux-
on, were two of the gentlemen of his bed
chamber, Harrington and Herbert: The
former afterwards suffered so much from
the shock, that an illness ensued which
nearly cost him his life, The king him
self appeared cheerful, resigned, and happy.
Having put on his satin cap, he asked one
Of the executioners, both Of whom were
masked, if his hair was in the way. The
man requested him to push it under his cap.
As he was doing SO, with the assistance of
the bishop and the executioner, he turned
10 the former; II have a good cause"
he said, sand a gracious God on my
slde."
The Bishop: There is but one stage
more this stage is turbulent and trouble
some; it is short one; bat you may con-
slider it will soon carry you great way; il
will carry you from earth to heaven; and
there you will find great deal Of joy and
comfort.
The King. I 60 from corruptible
to an incorruptible crown, where no dis
turbance can be, no. disturbance in the
world
The Bishop. You are exchanged from
temporal crown; good exchange.
Observing one of the persons, who had
been admitted to the scaf1old, accidently
touching the axe with his cloak, the king
requested hm to be careful. Then again
enquiring of the executioner sis my hail
WE'LL" he took off his cloak, and delivering
it TO the bishop, exclaimed Significantly
"remember." To the cxecutioner he said
81 shall say but short prayers, and when
thrust out my hands" Looking at the
block, he said, "you must set it fast."-
The executoner replied it was fast. Be.
ing told it could not have been higher, he
said, "when put outm hands this way
then"
In the meantime, having divested him.
self of his cloak and doublet, and being in
his waistcoat, he again put on his cloak,
and lifting up his hands and eyes TO heaven,
and repeating few words to himself, (which
were inaudible 10 the bystanders, he knelt
down and laid his head on the block. The
executloner STOPPING to put his hail under
his cap, the king thinking him about to
strike, bid him sCait for the sign. After
short pause he stretched out his hands,
and the executioner at one blow severed
his head fIom his body. The head was
Immediately lifted up by the other heads
man and exhibited to the people. Be-
hold" he exclaimed, "the head of trai-
tor"
Thus, on the 3Oth Of January, I649, at
the age Of forty-nne, died King CHARLES
The dismal groan which rose at the mo-
ment Of his decapitation, from the dense
populace around, was never forgotten by
those who heard it. Certainly, by the
vast majority of the people of England, the
execution Of Charles was regarded as an
attrocious and barbarous murder. Philip
Henry, the famous divine, was witness TO
that memorable scene. He used to men
ton, writes his son, "tnat at TIE instant
when the blow was given, there was such
dismal, universal groan, among the thous-
ands Of people that were in sight, as it were
with one consent, as he never heard before,
and desired he might never hear the like
again" This fact is correbOrsted by the
testimony of an aged person, one Margaret