62. Proceedings against ANTHONY BABINGTON, CHIDIOCK TITCH- BURNE, THOMAS SALISBURY, ROBERT BARNEWELL, JOHN SAVAGE, HENRY DONN, and JOHN BALLARD, at Westminster, 63. The Trial of EDWARD ABINGTON, CHARLES TILNEY, EDWARD JONES, JOHN TRAVERS, JOHN CHARNOCK, JEROME BEL- LAMY, and ROBERT GAGE, at Westminster, for High Treason €1. Proceedings against MARY Queen of SCOTS; for being concerned in a Conspiracy against Queen E izabeth; with things previous thereto, and Evidence against the QUEEN of Scors. From the Hardwicke Pa-, 65. The Arraignment of WILLIAM DAVISON (Secretary of State to Queen 1 67. The Arraignment of Sir RICHARD KNIGHTLY, and Others, in the Star- Chamber, for maintaining seditious Persons, Books, and Libels 71. Proceedings in Parliament against JOHN Earl of GOWRIE, ALEXANDER RUTHVEN his Brother, HENRY RUTHVEN, HUGH MONCRIEF, and PETER EVIOT, for High Treason GOWRIE'S CONSPIRACIE: A Discovrse of the vnnatvrall and vyle Con- spiracie, attempted against the King's Maiesties Person, at Sanct- 72. The Arraignment and Judgment of Captain THOMAS LEE, at the Sessions- house near Newgate, for High Treason. 73. The Trial of Sir CHRISTOPHER BLUNT, Sir CHARLES DAVERS, PREFACES, &c. xix MR. SALMON'S PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION OF THE STATE TRIALS, IN FOUR VOLUMES FOLIO: PRINTED IN THE YEAR 1719. SINCE 'tis observable that the best and bravest of mankind are far from being exempted from Criminal Prosecutions, and that potent malice, or prevailing faction, have too often attempted the most consummate merit; that Learning which shews how life, honour, and innocence are to be defended, when they shall happen to be injuriously attack'd, will not, 'tis presum'd, be thought inferior to that, which instructs us how to defend our less important rights.-And as the Common Law is nothing else but immemorial Custom, and the custom and methods of Trial, and bringing offenders to Punishment, is no inconsiderable branch of that law; and since these, as other Customs, are only to be collected from former Precedents, 'tis something strange, that amongst the numerous Authors of Reports and Institutes, not one has hitherto thought fit to make any considerable Collection of this kind, or thorowly to methodize or digest this sort of Learning: nor can any probable reason be assign'd for this neglect, unless they have been deterr'd by the vast trouble and expence it must have been to any private undertaker. As to the Crown Law already extant, 'tis so far from being a compleat Direction, even in the most ordinary Trials, that it affords little more than some imperfect Hints of what the Authors intended. And as to the Doctrine of Impeachments, Trials of Peers by Commission, or in Parliament, Bills of Attainder, and the Customs and Usage of Parliaments, in relation to these Matters: this is a Learning that remains entirely untouch'd, and is only to be collected from Precedents of this nature. The Undertakers of this Work therefore have spar'd no pains or expence to procure whatever is valuable of this kind: they have had recourse to every library public and private, where they had intimation there was any thing worth inserting; and they have for some time since offer'd large encouragement to those who should contribute either Manuscripts or printed Trials, towards rendering the Design compleat. And having at length finish'd their Collection, they have added a Table to the whole, wherein all the various Learning the Work contains is reduc'd under proper Heads. And that which before lay dispers'd in many Volumes, very difficult to be obtain'd, and several valuable Manuscripts that have been perfectly buried in private hands, are here brought to light; and so dispos'd, that the studious Reader may make himself master of the subject, with much less labour and expence than has hitherto been requisite. And as to the Manuscripts, such care has been taken to avoid all mistakes, that the Judges and Counsel, who were concern'd in such Trials, and are still living, have been attended with their respective Arguments, and have been pleased so far to encourage the Undertaking, as to correct whatever was amiss. |