CHARLES I.

121

person that offered to stop the torrent by any c H k T.testimony in favor of the earl’s conduct. Lord uv.Falkfand alone, though known to be his enemy, i«amodestly desired the house to consider, whetherit would not better suit the gravity of their pro-ceedings, first to digest, by a committee, manyof those particulars, which had been mentioned,before they sent up an accusation against him.

It was ingenuously answered by Pym, that sucha delay might probably blast all their hopes, andput it out of their power to proceed any fartherin the prosecution : That when Strafford shouldlearn, that so many of his enormities were dis-covered , his. conscience would dictate his con-demnation ; and so great was his power and cre-dit, he would immediately procure the dissolutionof the parliament, or attempt some other despe-rate measure for his own preservation: That thecommons were only accusers, not judges; and itwas the province of the peers to determine, whe-ther such a complication of enormous crimes,in one person, did not amount to the highestcrime known by the law’. Without .farther de-bate, the impeachment was voted: Pym waschosen to carry it up to the lords: Most of thehouse accompanied him on so agreeable an errand:

And Strafford, who had just entered the houseof peers, and who little expected so speedy aprosecution, was immediately, upon this generalcharge, ordered into custody , with several symp-

’ Clarendon, vol i. p. 174,