Articles of Impeachment of King Charles I
That the said Charles Stuart, being admitted King of England, and therein trusted with a limited Power to govern by, and according to the Laws of the Land, and not otherwise, and by his Trust, Oath and Office, being obliged to use the Power committed to him for the Good and Benefit of the People, and for the Preservation of their Rights and Liberties, yet nevertheless out of a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his Will, and to overthrow the Rights and Liberties of the People, yea to take away and make void the foundations thereof, and of all redress and remedy of misgovernment, which by the Fundamental Constitutions of this Kingdom were reserved on the peoples behalf in the Right and Power of frequent and successive Parliaments, or National Meetings in Council, He the said Charles Stuart, for accomplishment of such his wicked designs, and for the protecting of himself and his adherents in his and their wicked practices, to the same ends hath traitorously and maliciously levyed War against the present Parliament and the people therein represented, particularly upon or about the thirtieth day of June, in the Year of our Lord 1642, at Beverley in the County of York, and upon or about the 24th day of August in the same year, at the County of the Town of Nottingham, where and when he set up his Standard of War, and also on or about the 23rd day of October in the same year, at Edgehill or Keynton Field in the County of Warwick, and upon or about the 30th day of November in the same year at Brentford in the County of Middlesex, and upon or about the 30th day of August in the year of our Lord 1643, at Caversham Bridge near Reading in the County of Berks, and upon or about the 30th day of October in the year last mentioned, at or near the City of Gloucester, and upon or about the 30th day of November in the year last mentioned, at Newbury in the County of Berks, and upon or about the 31st day of July in the year of our Lord 1644, at Copredy Bridge in the County of Oxon, and upon or about the 30th day of September in the year last mentioned, at Bodmin and other places near adjacent, in the County of Cornwall, and upon or about the 30th day of November in the year last mentioned at Newbury aforesaid, and upon or about the 8th day of June in the year of our Lord 1645, at the Town of Leicester, and also upon the 14th day of the same month in the same year, at Naseby-Field in the County of Northampton. At which several times and places, or most of them, and at many other places in this land, at several other times within the years aforementioned, and in the year of our Lord 1646 he the said Charles Stuart hath caused and procured many thousands of the free people of this Nation to be slain, and by divisions, parties, and insurrections within this Land, by invasions from foreign parts, endeavoured and procured by him, and by many other ways and means, he, the said Charles Stuart, hath not only maintained and carried on the said War both by Land and Sea, during the years beforementioned, but also hath renewed, or caused to be renewed, the said War against the Parliament and good people of this Nation in this present year 1648 in the Counties of Kent, Essex, Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, and many other Counties and places in England and Wales, and also by Sea. And particularly he, the said Charles Stuart, hath for that purpose given commission to his Son the Prince, and others, whereby, besides multitudes of other persons, many such as were by the Parliament instructed and employed for the safety of the Nation (being by him or his Agents corrupted to the betraying of their Trust, and revolting from the Parliament) have had entertainment and commission for the continuing and renewing of War and Hostility against the said Parliament and people as aforesaid. By which cruel and unnatural Wars, by him the said Charles Stuart, levyed, continued, and renewed as aforesaid, much innocent blood of the free people of this Nation hath been spilt, many Families have been undone, the public Treasure wasted and exhausted, Trade obstructed and miserably decayed, vast expense and damage to the Nation incurred, and many parts of this Land spoiled, some of them even to desolation. And for further prosecution of his said evil designs, He, the said Charles Stuart, doth still continue his commissions to the said Prince, and other Rebels and Revolters both English and Foreigners, and to the Earl of Ormond, and to the Irish Rebels and Revolters associated with him, from whom further invasions upon this Land are threatened, upon the procurement, and on the behalf of the said Charles Stuart.
All which wicked designs, Wars, and evil practices of him the said Charles Stuart, have been, and are carried on for the advancement and upholding of a personal interest of Will, Power, and pretended Prerogative to himself and his family, against the public interest, common right, liberty, justice, and peace of the people of this Nation, by and from whom he was instructed as aforesaid.
By all which it appeareth that the said Charles Stuart hath been, and is the occasioner, author, and continuer of the said unnatural, cruel, and bloody Wars, and therein guilty of all the treasons, murders, rapines, burnings, spoils, desolations, damages, and mischiefs, to this nation, acted and committed in the said Wars, or occasioned thereby.