Explanation:

- Option 1: The offence

- The court generally takes cognizance of the offence itself. This means the court acknowledges that an unlawful act may have been committed.

- Option 2: The offender

- While the court does consider the offender, it does not solely take cognizance of them. The court's primary focus initially is on the offence.

- Option 3: The offenders if there are more than one

- Similar to Option 2, the court may consider multiple offenders involved, but the primary act of taking cognizance is regarding the offence.

- Option 4: All of the above

- This suggests the court simultaneously considers the offence and all offenders when taking cognizance. However, it's primarily focused on the offence.

Option 1: The offence is the correct answer.