To be read aloud !


Source= the 1st trial Indictment  by Sir Edward Philips, Knight.
(true speech audio)

To this Indictment they all pleaded, Not guilty; and put themselves upon God and the Country.

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Then did Sir Edward Philips, Kt. his Majesty's Serjeant at Law; open the Indictment to this effect, as followeth.

The matter that is now to be offer'd to you my Lords the Commissioners, and to the Trial of you the Knights and Gentlemen of the Jury, is Matter of Treason; but of such Horror, and
monstrous Nature, that before now,

     The Tongue of Man never deliver'd,
     The Ear of Man never heard,
     The Heart of Man never conceited,
     Nor the Malice of hellish or earthly Devil ever practised.

For, if it be abominable to murder the least;
If to touch God's Anointed be to oppose themselves against God;
If (by Blood) to subvert Princes, States and Kingdoms, be hateful to God and Man, as all true Christians must acknowledge:
Then, how much more than too too monstrous shall all Christian Hearts judge the Horror of this Treason; to murder and subvert

     Such a King,
     Such a Queen,
     Such a Prince,
     Such a Progeny,
     Such a State,
     Such a Government,
     So complete and absolute,

That God approves,
The World admires,
All true English Hearts honour and reverence,
The Pope and his Disciples only envies and maligns?

The Proceeding wherein, is properly to be divided into three general Heads.

     First, Matter of Declaration.
     Secondly, Matter of Aggravation.
     Thirdly, Matter of Probation.

My self am limited to deal only with the Matter of Declaration, and that is contain'd within the Compass of the Indictment only.
For the other two, I am to leave to him to whose Place it belongeth.
The Substance of which Declaration consisteth in four Parts.

     First, In the Persons and Qualities of the Conspirators.
     Secondly, In the Matter conspired.
     Thirdly, In the Mean and Manner of the Proceeding and Execution of the Conspiracy.
     And fourthly, Of the End and Purpose why it was so conspired.

As concerning the first, being the Persons ; they were, Garnet, Gerrard, Tesmond, Jesuits not then taken. Thomas Winter, Guy Fawkes, Robert Keyes, Thomas Bates, Everard Digby,
Ambrose Rookwood, John Grant, Robert Winter, at the Bar. Robert Catesby, Thomas Percy, John Wright, Christopher Wright, slain in Rebellion. Francis Tresham, lately dead. All
grounded Romanists and corrupted Scholars of so irreligious and traitorous a School.
As concerning the second, which is the Matter conspired; it was,

                                 First, To deprive the King of his Crown.
                                 Secondly, To murder the King, the Queen, and the Prince.
                                 Thirdly, To stir Rebellion and Sedition in the Kingdom.
                                 Fourthly, To bring a miserable Destruction amongst the Subjects.
                                 Fifthly, To change, alter, and subvert the Religion here established.
                                 Sixthly, To ruinate the State of the Commonwealth, and to bring in Strangers to invade it.
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