CHANCELLOR

No question sir he was of no religion; But (upon false grounds, by some Courtiers laid) Hath oft be herd to mock and jest at all. All is confirmed that you have herd before, And amplified with many horrors more. How speeds your Majesty? My Lord, my purpose is to guard all these, So safely from the sighed of any other: That in my doublet I will have them sowed; Without discovering them to mine own eyes, Till need, or opportunity requires. The duke is come my Lord: Would we might hear some of it. What carded was that? He won them with his gold. He sought for gold, and Empire. That bit (my Lord) upon my life, It bitterly replied, and does amaze him. Stay, I will invert (For shortness sake) the form of our proceedings, And out of all the points, the process holds, Collect five principal, with which we charge you. With whose blood? Call in my Lord La Fin. I suppose my Lord, You have not stood within; without the ear Of what hath here been urged against the Duke; If you have herd it, and upon your knowledge Can witness all is true, upon your soul; Utter your knowledge. Witchcraft can never taint and honest mind. What rests now To be decreed gainst this great prisoner? A mighty merit, and a monstrous cri , Are here concurrent; what by witnesses; His letters and instructions, we have proved Himself confesses, and excuseth all With witchcraft, and the only act of thought. For witchcraft I esteem it a mere strength Of rage in him conceived gainst his accuser; Who being examinde hath denied it all; Suppose it true, it made him false; But wills And worthy minds, witchcraft can never force. And for his thoughts that brake not into deeds; Time was the cause, not will; the minds free act In treason still is Judged as outward fact. If his deserts have had a wealthy share, In saving of our land from civil furies: Manlius had so that fast the Capitol; Yet for his after traitorous factions, They threw him headlong from the place he saved. My definite sentence then, does this import: That we must quench the wildfire with his blood, In which it was so traitorously inflamed; Unless with it, we seek to incense the land, The King can have no refuge for his life, If his be quit: this was it that made Lewis eleventh renounce his countrymen, And call the valiant Scots out of their kingdom, To use their greater virtues, and their faiths, Then his own subjects, in his royal Guard: What then conclude your censures? I am bore, What would you have me do? Well, good my Lord commend your soul to him, And to his mercy, think of that, I pray. This asked in time (my Lord) while he besought it, And ere he had made his severity known, Had (with much joy to him) I know been granted; I fear his frenzy, Never saw I man of such a spirit so amazed at death. Desire you then, To speak with any man? It must be read my Lord, no remedy. I my Lord; Your majesty hath used your utmost means, Both by your own persuasions, and his friends To bring him to submission, and confess (With some sign of repentance) his foul fault: Yet still he stands prefract and insolent. You have in love and care of his recovery Been half in labour to produce a course, And resolution, what were fit for him. And since so amply it concerns your crown , You must by law cut of, what by your grace, You cannot bring into the state of safety, I wonder at the prisoners so long stay, The prisoner comes. My Lord Laffin forbear your sighed a while, It may incense the prisoner: who will know, By your attendance never us, that your hand, Was chief in his discovery; which as yet, I think he does not doubt, But to bind his hands I hold it passing needful, I would not that, for any possible danger, That can be wrought, by his unarmed hands, And therefore in his own form bring him in, I my Lord And I must now entreat you to deliver, Your order up, the king demands it of you. We'll now my Lord we'll take our latest leaves, Beseeching heaven to take as clear from you, All sense of torment in your willing death: All love and thought of what you must leave here, As when you shall aspi e-heauens highest sphere, First you conferred with one, called Picote, At Orleans born, and into Flanders fled, To hold intelligence by him with the Archduke, And for two voyages to that effect, Bestowed on him, five hundred, fifty crowns. My Lord, our liberal sufferance of your speech, Hath made it late; and for this Session, We will dismiss you; take him back my Lord. Exit Vit. & Byron. Draw then his sentence, formally, and send him; And so all treasons in his death attend him. Exeunt. Go on.