English Civil War – The Treason Act of the Commonwealth An Act declaring what offences shall be adjudged Treason, July 17th 1649. Folio 6pp unbound good condition. The first Treason Act under the Commonwealth whereby it is declared that anyone writing, printing or openly declaring that the government is ‘tyranical, usurped or unlawful or that the commons in parliament assembled are not the supreme authority of this nation, or shall plot, contrive or endeavour to stir up or raise force against the government...’ shall be adjudged guilty of High Treason. This is an interesting document as it fails to condemn communication with the exiled King Charles II which no doubt it should have done, and also that it is issued in the name of the ‘Keepers of the Liberty of England’. This was a strange interim body drawn from Parliament which was the effective supreme power at the time. Its very existence showed the fragile nature of the governing powers after the demise of the Monarchy. It didn’t last that long.