of the monarch. Whilst again protesting his claim to defend the liberties of his subjects, the King 27 requested that he be granted a hearing "before any sentence be passed". He asked that he be heard before the Lords and Commons in the Painted Chamber. Bradshaw stated that the King had delayed justice for many days by refusing to plead. But at that moment there was an outcry from amongst the Commissioners. An adjournment was called. In the private meeting that followed one of the Commissioners, John Downes, urged that the King's offer should be accepted. Led by Cromwell, most of the Commissioners refused. They returned to the Hall, leaving Downes outside. Later, at the trial of the regicides after the Restoration, other participants asserted that they had stood up for the King. But clearly very few did so. The belated attempt at compromise failed. Charles was brought back into the Hall 28 . He was told that his request for a meeting with the Lords and Commons had been rejected. Bradshaw proceeded to pronounce sentence. He declared that a King was "but an officer in trust, established by history and the coronation oath for the protection of the people". He made some rather ill-considered comparisons between King Charles and Caligula 29 . He returned, at the end, to the assertion that monarchy, as in England understood, was a contract and a bargain between the King and his people was reciprocal. "If this bond be once broken, farewell sovereignty!" 30 . The speech by Bradshaw, which lasted forty minutes, concluded with the finding of the Court that the King was guilty. The Clerk was directed to read the sentence of death. When he had concluded, all of the Commissioners rose to their feet to signify their concurrence in the act 31 . The King who was then, in the theory of the law, already dead for legal purposes, demanded a last word. Bradshaw declined to allow it. The guards began to take the prisoner away. The King sought to speak. He w...
