Page:Trial of john lilburne (IA trial john lilburne).djvu/62

 you, you knew of it long agoe; and the Court cannot, nor will not wait upon you.

L. Col. Lilb. By your favour, Sir, thus, then let me have a little time to consult with counsell.

L. Keble. I tell you, That if the matter bee proved, there needs no counsell.

L. Col. Lilb. Sir, I shall not much insist upon that, but the question is, whether the matter be treason in Law or no, and whether in Law it be tightly expressed in the Indictment, as to time and place, with other circumstances thereunto belonging; and I question the legality of the Indictment, and that ought in Law to be disputed before the matter of fact come to be spoken to.

L. Keble. ''Sir, you sayd at first, you would speak as a rationall and moderate man, and yet you will not bee answered. If matter of Law doe arise out of your fact, that we have told you again and again, you shall hnuehaue [sic] counsell and time.''

L. Col. Lilb. Sir, by your favour, it may be too late to desire counsell after the fact is proved. And besides, having legall exceptions against the Indictment, why should you run me upon the hazard of my life, by ticklish Nicities and Formalities; and as my prosecutor Mr. Prideaux saith,(but being interruptepd, cried out) Sir, I beseech you, doe but heare me.

L. Keble. Your distemper will break out, your heart is so full of boyling malice and venome, you cannot contain your selfe.

L. Col. Lilb. Mr. Prideaux is pleased to urge, tharthat [sic] the granting of me of my desire in reference to counsell, will be so inconvenient a president, as will destroy the Common-wealth, therefore to avoid the danger of such a destroying president, as he is pleased to call it, I desire to have some time assigned me to get my witnesses together, and then I shall, I doubt not, but convincingly shew you the hazard and destroying misciefemischiefe [sic] of that desperate president in denying men liberty to consult with counsell, when they are upon trials for their lives. For my owne judgement, my own conscience doth tell me, that it is my undoubted right by the Law of England, by the Law of God, and the Law of Reason; and if it bee totally denied me, I can but die, and upon that score, by the assistance of God, I am resolved to die.

L. Keble. You speak great words of your own judgement, your own conscience, your own zeale, and the like: And I tell you, our Consciences, and our Religion, and our Zeale, and our Righteousnesse, I hope shall appeare as much as yours: you would make your selfe Judge in your own cause, which you are