LOVE. 193 erected for the purpose, as was the custom in those times for state criminals, when Mr. Attorney-general Prideux, June 20, 1651, read the following indictment against him for high treason " That he, the said Christopher Love, as a traitor " and an enemy of this commonwealth and free state of Eng- " land, and out of a traitorous and wicked design to stir up " anew and bloody war, and to raise insurrections, seditions, " and rebellions within this nation, bath, at several times in " the years 1648, 1649, 1650, and 1651, in London, and at " other places within the commonwealth of England, together " with the persons mentioned above, traitorously arid malici- " ously combined, confederated, complotted, contrived, and " endeavoured to stir and raise up forces against the present " government of this nation, since the same hath been settled " in a commonwealth and free state, and for the subversion " and alteration of the same : that he bath traitorously and " maliciously declared and published Charles Stuart, eldest " son of the late king, to be king of England, without con- " sent of parliament : that he bath traitorously and maliciously " invited and assisted the Scots to invade this commonwealth of England : that the saidChristopher Love, at divers times " between March e9, 1650, and June 1, 1651, in London " and other places, bath traitorouslyand maliciously main- " tained correspondence and intelligence by letters and " messages with the said Charles Stuart, and with the queen his mother, and with sundry of his council : and that he " bath likewise holden correspondence with divers persons of " the Scots' nation, and bath assisted them with money, " arms, and other supplies, in the present war against the " parliament, to the hazard of the public peace, and in breach " of the laws of the land.". To this charge Mr. Love, after demurring upon the juris- diction of the court, pleaded not guilty. The witnesses brought against him were eight of his confederates, above mentioned. Mr. Jackson, afterwards an ejected noncon- forinist,t was summoned, but he refused to be sworn, or to give evidence, because he believed Mr. Love to be a good man. He said, " I fear I should have a hell in my conscience to my dying day, if I should speak any thing circumstantially prejudicial to his life." The court reminded him of his obligation to the public, and that the very existence and Love's Trial, p. 1, 2. + No less than eight of the ministersconcerned in this plot acreejected after the restoration.-Palmer's Noncon. Mean.
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