Die Martis 7ᵒ Decemb. 1680.  
ORdered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled, That the Thanks of this House be given to the Lord High Steward, for his Speech this day to the Lord Viscount of Stafford in Westminster Hall, at what time his Lordship Pronounced the Judgement of this House against him. And his Lordship is hereby desired to Print and Publish the same.  
Jo. Browne, Cleric' Parliamentor'.   

THE SPEECH OF THE Lord High Steward, IN WESTMINSTER HALL., At the time of his Pronouncing the JUDGEMENT OF THE House of Peers, Against The Lord Viscount Stafford, The Seventh of December, 1680.  
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
DIEV ET MON DROIT   royal blazon or coat of arms 
LONDON, Printed by the Assigns of John Bill, Thomas Newcomb, and Henry Hills, Printers to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1680.   

THE SPEECH OF THE Ld High Steward, IN Westminster Hall, at the time of his Pronouncing the Judgement of the House of Peers against the Lord Viscount Stafford, the Seventh of December, 1680.  
My Lord Viscount Stafford,  
THat which your Lordship hath said in Arrest of Judgement, hath been found by my Lords, upon due Consideration had of it, to be of no moment at all. It is no Essential part of any Trial, that the Prisoner should hold up his Hand at the Bar; there is no Record ever made of it when it is done; the only use of it is to show the Court who the Prisoner is, and when that is apparent, the Court does often proceed against him, though he refuse to hold up his Hand at the Bar; therefore the omission of that Ceremony in this Case is no legal Exception, as all the Judges have declared.  
And as to the Provisoes in the Statute of the 13th Year of this King, thei● Lordships do find that they are in no sort applicable to this Case, forasmuch as the Proceed against your Lordship are not grounded upon that Statute, but upon the Statute of the 25 E. 3. And yet if the Proceed had been upon the latter Statute, the Provisoes therein could have done your Lordship no service at all.  
My Part therefore which remains is a very sad one: for I never yet gave Sentence of Death upon any man, and am extremely sorry that I must begin with your Lordship.  
Who would have thought that a Person of your Quality, of so Noble an Extraction, of so considerable Estate and Fortune, so eminent a Sufferer in the late ill Times, so Interested in the Preservation of the Government, so much obliged to the Moderation of it, and so personally obliged to the King and His Royal Father for their particular Favours to you, should ever have entered into so Infernal a Conspiracy, as to contrive the Murder of the King, the Ruin of the State, the Subversion of Religion, and, as much as in you lay, the Destruction of all the Souls and Bodies in three Christian Nations.  
And yet the Impeachment of the House of Commons amounts to no less a Charge, and of this Charge their Lordships have found you Guilty.  
That there hath been a General and Desperate Conspiracy of the Papists, and that the Death of the King hath been all along one chief part of the Conspirators Design, is now apparent beyond all possibility of Doubting.  
What was the meaning of all those Treatises which were Published about two years since against the Oath of Allegiance, in a time when no man dreamt of such a Controversy? What was the meaning of Father Conyers' Sermon upon the same Subject, but only because there was a Demonstration of Zeal, as they call it, intended against the Person of the King? which the scruples arising from that Oath did somewhat hinder.  
To what purpose were all the Correspondencies with Foreign Nations? The Collections of Money among the Fathers abroad and at home? What was the meaning of their Governing themselves here by such Advices as came frequently from Paris, and Saint Omers? And how shall we expound that Letter which came from Ireland, to assure the Fathers here, that all things were in a readiness there too, as soon as the Blow should be given?  
Does any man now begin to doubt how London came to be Burnt? Or by what ways and means poor Justice Godfrey fell? And is it not apparent by these Instances, that such is the frantic Zeal of some Biggotted Papists, that they resolve, No means to Advance the Catholic Cause shall be left unattempted, though it be by Fire and Sword?  
My Lord, As the Plot in General is most manifest, so your Lordship's part in it hath been too too plain. What you did at Paris, and continued to do at tixal in Staffordshire, shows a settled purpose of mind against the King; and what you said at London touching Honest Will, shows you were acquainted with that Conspiracy against the King's Life which was carrying on here too: And in all this there was a great Degree of Malice; for your Lordship at one time called the King Heretic and Traitor to God; and at another time you Reviled him for misplacing his Bounty, and rewarding none but Traitors and Rebels.  
And thus you see that which the Wise man forewarned you of is come upon you, Curse not the King, no not in thy heart, for the Birds of the Air shall reveal, and that which hath Wings will declare the matter.  
Three things I shall presume to recommend to your Lordship's consideration. In the first place, Your Lordship now sees how it hath pleased God to leave you so far to yourself, that you are fallen into the Snare, and into the Pit, into that very Pit which you were digging for others. Consider therefore, that God Almighty never yet left any man, who did not first leave Him.  
In the next place, Think a little better of it than hitherto you have done, what kind of Religion that is in which the Blind Guides have been able to lead you on into so much ruin and destruction as is now like to befall you.  
In the last place, I pray your Lordship to consider, That true Repentance is never too late. A Devour Penitential Sorrow, joined with an humble and hearty Confession, is of Mighty power and efficacy both with God and man.  
There have been some of late, who have refused to give God the Glory of his Justice by acknowledging the Crimes for which they were Condemned; Nay, who have been taught to believe, that 'tis a mortal sin to Confess that Crime in Public, for which they have been Absolved in Private; and so have not dared to give God that Glory which otherwise they would have done.  
God forbidden your Lordship should rest upon Forms, God forbidden your Lordship should be found among the number of those poor mistaken Souls whom the first thing that undeceives, is Death itself.  
Perhaps your Lordship may not much Esteem the Prayers of those whom you have long been taught to miscall Heretics; But whether you do or no, I am to assure your Lordship, That all my Lords here, even they that have Condemned you, will never cease to pray for you, that the End of your life may be Christian and Pious, how Tragical soever the Means are that must bring you thither.  
And now my Lord, this is the last time that I can call you My Lord; for the next words I am to speak will Attaint you.  
The Judgement of the Law is, And this Court doth Award, That  
YOu go to the Place from whence you came; from thence you must be drawn upon a Hurdle to the Place of Execution, When you come there, you must be Hanged up by the Neck, but not till you are dead; for you must be cut down alive; your Privy Members must be cut off, and your Bowels ripped up before your face, and thrown into the Fire; Then your Head must be severed from your Body, and your Body divided into four Quarters; and these must be at the disposal of the King.  
And God Almighty be merciful to your Soul.   

After the Sentence pronounced, the Lord High Steward told the Prisoner, That the House of Lords, in consideration of his Quality, do intent to move the King to Pardon all the rest of the Execution of this Sentence, except only the taking off his Head.   
FINIS.