362 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. " That in the painted chamber, on one of the days of the king's trial, Peters kneeled down and prayed for a blessing; and amongst other things, he said, 0 Lord, what a mercy is it to see this great city fall down before us !' -That he was upon the scaffold a little before the execution, and then whispered toTench, the carpenter, who thereupon did there knock and fasten four staples, pulling a cord out of his pocket.-That after the king was murdered, Peters said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.'-That a while after the execution, he said, I rejoice to think of that day ; for to me it seemed like the great and last day of judgment, when the saints shall judge the world.' This is a full account of all the charges which even his enemies bring against him ; but whether these things prove him guilty of the most horrid crimes that any man could beguilty of," is left with the reader to judge. Most of the foregoing particulars, as every reader will easily perceive, fell far short of high treason. Though it is said, that to all these particulars, he made not one word ofanswer, except in cant and impertinence ; t yet, when the witnesses were pro- duced to find him guilty of having been,one of the king's judges, their evidence completely failed,' and they could only prove that he was present on the occasion, when he used some indiscreet language. When the court attempted to prove' that he was upon the scaffold the day on which the king suffered, heproduced witness deposing that he was sick on that day, and confined to his own house. What Mr. Peters observed in his etvii defence, was little more than a protestation,of his own innocence. He said. that the war commenced before he came to England ; that since his arrival, he had endeavoured to promote sound religion, good learning, and the employment of the poor; and that, forthe better attainment of these ends, he had espoused the interest ofthe parliament. He then added, " I had neither malice nor mischief in my heart against the king. I had so much respect to his majesty, particularly at Windsor, that I propounded to. him my thoughts three ways, to preserve him from danger, which were good, as he was pleased to signify; though they did not succeed. As for malice, I had none in me."3 Whitlocke observes, that; ii upon a con- ference between the king and Mr. Peters, the king desiring one of his own chaplains might be permitted to come to Kennet's Chronicle, p. 277, 278. t Ibid. 3 Trial of Regicides, p. 30, 153-183. Edit. 1660.
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