t laid to your charge), that I am the martyr of the
people."

Having added, at the suggestion of Dr. Juxon, "I die a Christian according
to the profession of the church of England, as I found it left me by my
father," he said, addressing himself to the prelate, "I have on my side a
good cause, and a gracious God."

BISHOP.--There is but one stage more; it is turbulent and troublesome, but
a short one. It will carry you from earth to heaven, and there you will
find joy and comfort.

KING.--I go from a corruptible to an incorruptible Crown.

BISHOP.--You exchange an earthly for an eternal crown--a good exchange.

Being ready, he bent his neck on the block, and after a short pause,
stretched out his hand as a signal. At that instant the axe descended; the
head rolled from the body; and a deep groan burst from the multitude of the
spectators. But they had no leisure to testify their feelings; two troops
of horse dispersed them in different directions.[1]

[Footnote 1: Herbert, 189-194. Warwick, 344. Nalson, Trial of Charles
Stuart. The royal corpse, having been embalmed, was after some days
delivered to the earl of Richmond for private interment at Windsor. That
nobleman, accompanied by the marquess of Hertford, the earls of Southampton
and Lindsey, Dr. Juxon, and a few of the king's attendants, deposited it in
a vault in the choir of St. George's chapel, which already contained the
remains of Henry VIII. and of his third queen, Jane Seymour.--Herbert, 203.
Blencowe, Sydney Papers, 64. Notwithstanding such authority, the assertion
of Clarendon that the place could not be discovered threw some doubt upon
the subject. But in 1813 it chanced that the workmen made an aperture in a
vault corresponding in situation, and occupied by three coffins; and the
prince-regent ordered an investigation to ascertain the truth. One of the
coffins, in conformity with the account of Herbert, was of lead, with a
leaden scroll in which were cut the words "King Charles." In the upper lid
of this an opening was made; and when the cerecloth and unctuous
matter were removed, the features of the face, as far as they could be
distinguished, bore a strong resemblance to the portraits of Charles I.
To complete the proof, the head was found to have been separated from the
trunk by some sharp instrument, which had cut through the fourth, vertebra
of the neck.--See "An Account of what appeared on opening the coffin of
King Charles I. by Sir Henry Half