State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
History
State Trials, Political and Social. Volume 2 (of 2)
Trials -- Great Britain
LORD CHIEF-BARON--My lord, what say you to it, that you told
his father that he was a discreet man, and he needed not to
fear his engagement in any such thing?
LORD HOWARD--My lord, if I took it right my lord Anglesey's
testimony did branch itself into two parts, one of his own
knowledge, and the other by hearsay; as to what he said of his
own knowledge, when I waited upon my lord of Bedford, and
endeavoured to comfort him concerning his son, I believe I said
the words my lord Anglesey has given an account of, as near as
I can remember, that I looked upon his lordship as a man of
that honour, that I hoped he might be secure, that he had not
entangled himself in anything of that nature. My lord, I can
hardly be provoked to make my own defence, lest this noble lord
should suffer, so willing I am to serve my lord, who knows I
cannot want affection for him. My lord, I do confess I did say
it; for your lordship well knows under what circumstances we
were: I was at that time to outface the thing, both for myself
and my party, and I did not intend to come into this place, and
act this part. God knows how it is brought upon me, and with
what unwillingness I do sustain it; but my duty to God, the
king, and my country requires it; but I must confess I am very
sorry to carry it on thus far. My lord, I do confess I did say
so, and if I had been to visit my lord Pemberton, I should have
said so. There is none of those that know my lord Russell, but
would speak of my lord Russell, from those topics of honour,
modesty and integrity, his whole life deserves it. And I must
confess that I did frequently say, there was nothing of truth
in this, and I wish this may be for my lord's advantage. My
lord, will you spare me one thing more, because that leans hard
upon my reputation; and if the jury believe that I ought not to
be believed, for I do think the religion of an oath is not tied
to a place, but receives its obligation from the appeal we
therein make to God, and, I think, if I called God and angels
to witness to a falsehood, I ought not to be believed now; but
I will tell you as to that; your lordship knows that every man
that was committed, was committed for a design of murdering the
king; now I did lay hold on that part, for I was to carry my
knife close between the paring and the apple; and I did say
that if I were an enemy to my lord Russell, and to the Duke of
Monmouth, and were called to be a witness, I must have declared
in the presence of God and man, that I did not believe either
of them had any design to murder the king. I have said this,
because I would not walk under the character of a person that
would be perjured at the expense of so noble a person's life,
and my own soul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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