Historature, or History & Literature

           During the reading of the section from “The Moderate, No. 28”, it is interesting to not only follow the well-written prose but witness how the legal system may have worked in the past in England. Analyzing this section of writing will explore not only the language but the history contained within it. This section is all about the trial of King Charles I or England on the first day where he appears in court to discuss the charges against him.

            The words used in this section are interesting; such as using the word “oyez”, which is the French word for “hear ye” even though they are in England. The phrase that “oyez made thrice” is an interesting way to say that someone called for attention of the public three times. This was the most interesting piece of the language usage in the writing. The format of speech was also intriguing as the person’s name would appear followed by a period and quote of what they said.

            The prose that describes the actions of the several different people was another interesting aspect. When the King entered to discuss the accusations of the trial, no one removed their hats, which is usually an indication of a higher status, when one removes their hat for another. It was indicated in the writing that when the King knocked the head off his cane, placing it in his pocket was conceived as “ominous”, which seems like an odd observation. Perhaps it was some sort of superstition in England’s past.

            It was pointed out that as the King was accused of being “a tyrant, a traitor, a murderer, and a public enemy of the commonwealth”. Then the King asked for them to explain why he was there as he was the lawful King and what authority they had in calling him there. It is interesting to read this in analyzing how the Kings of England may have acted in the past and how they handled their rule. Reading through the paragraphs stated by the King, it seems that the Kings always thought they had ultimate power and that they were led by God.

            It is evident that the country of England is heavily religious. God is often mentioned throughout the writing by both parties. The King tells the accusers that they must answer to God for their sin in accusing their lawful king. At the end of the trial, Mr. Peters quotes the Bible to make a point.

            This writing is interesting for a literary standpoint but it is similarly intriguing due to the historical content. Since this is a document from Parliament, one has to wonder whether this is a verbatim account or if it was creatively enhanced later to make the document more well written and educated. It would be worth looking into the history of the document to see if it in had been changed in any way from its original composition. As with any other piece of writing, the content may have been changed throughout time.