Page:Trial of john lilburne (IA trial john lilburne).djvu/60

 ''derest Law in the world of a mans life. I say againe, that no such tryalls for life, is to be found in the world: as in England--- [sic]in any place but in England. A mans life may be taken away upon two or three Witnesses, but in England two or three witnesses do not do it; for there is two Juries besides, and you have 24 men returned, you have 21 men upon their Oaths and Consciences that have found you guilty; and yet when you have don that, it is not enough by the Law of England, but you are also to have 12 rationall vnderstanding men of your Neighbours to heare all over againe, and to passe upon your life. This is not used in any Law in the world but in England, which hath the righteousest and mercifullest Law in the world, and this we sit here to maintaine, and let all the world know it, that according to the rules thereof we have proceeded against you.''

Iudge Michel. Mr. Lilburne, you were speaking of the Lawes being in other Tongues, those that we try you by, are in English, and we proceed in English against you, and therefore you have no cause to complain of that.

L. Col. Lilb. By your speeches you seem to bind me up to a single plea. Truly I conceive that is not equitable by the law of God and the Lawes of Reason: No mans life is to be destroyed by nicities and formalities; yet contrary to your solemne promises, you take all advantage against me by them, (and make my ignorance in the ticklish formalities of the law, to be the means onf my own destruction,) although before I pleaded you ingaged unto me you would take no advantage by my ignorance in your formalities, and my mistakes in them, should be no disadvantage unto me, and yet now I have pleaded, you seem to hold me close to a single plea. Truly, Sir, I think that is not just nor faire so to break your promises, and by faire words to smooth me on into nets and snares, and to make use of my willingnesse to be tried by the Law of England, to drill me on to my own destruction: Truly, Sir, had I ever thought or believed, I should have been denied counsell, I would have died before ever I would in any manner have pleaded to your charge, or have yeelded to your smooth insinuations.

Iustice Iermin. ''Those men that know the Lawes of England, know well, that it taketh away no mans life but upon clean proofe, and upon manifest contempts of the Law: The Law is, Whosoever shall goe such a way in a Court as evidently gives affront to the Law, that such one takes away his owne life; The facts that you are charged with, if they had taken effect, would have taken away the innocent lives of many. Therefore you are now before us charged with the fact, and every mans consciences knowes whether he committed the thing charged upon him, or no, and your selfe does know whether you be guilty of that you are accused of, or no. But the Court must not spend any fur-''