The Trial of Charles I

A contemporary account taken from the memoirs of Sir Thomas Herbers and Hohn Rushworth.

Taken from two main sources, John Rushworth's Historical Collection (circa 1659) and Sir Thomas Herbert's memoirs (circa 1678), this book will primarily be of interest to those who have a deep curiosity about this historic event, unprecedented in the history of European nations at that time. It chronicles - sometimes dramatically, sometimes poignantly - the king's imprisonment after his defeat in the civil war, the events and paliamentary debates leading up to the charges of high treason being brought against the king, and a virtual transcript of the trial itself - bringing into our living-rooms the spirited arguments between Charles and the president of the court, Lord Bradshaw.

We are witness to the king's last hours, his execution in Whitehall - preceeded by his short speech to those around the black-draped scaffold - and so to the poignant scene of his funeral at Windsor Castle. Rushworth was a lawyer/historian and one time clerk-assistant to the House of Commons, later secretary to General Lord Fairfax, and for a short time, to Oliver Cromwell. Herbert was appointed by Parliament to attend the king as Groom of the Bedchamber during the king's captivity and served him faithfully to the end.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 01. Introduction and Foreword
Chapter 02. From Carlsbrook to St. James Castle
Chapter 03. The Trial
Chapter 04. The Last Hours
Chapter 05. The Execution
Chapter 06. The Funeral
Chapter 07. Appendices and Footnotes

COMMENTARY
Reviews for Alcazar AudioWorks' production of The Trial of Charles I
The trial of Charles Stuart (Charles I) for treason against England had no precedent in Europe at the time. Three writers provide the accounts, including a transcript of the proceedings. History lovers will find a trove of precious Elizabethan language from the mid-1600s, a time when printed books barely existed. The eloquent prose comes to us via the skill of British narrator David Thorn. His narration conveys two features of the king one might not appreciate from the printed page, a heavy Scots accent and a stammer. Sometimes the legal discourses carry so much verbiage ("thereto," "heretofore," "whereas" . . . ) that they take on a humorous superfluity. The description of the separation of the king from his head has a linguistic delicacy incongruous with the act. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2011]
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