were brought before their enemies, and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord Hate-good: Their indictment was one and the fame in fubstance, though fomewhat varying in form; the contents whereof was this: "That they were enemies to, and difturbers of "their trade That they had made commotions "and divifions in the town, and had won a party to "their own moft dangerous opinions, in contempt "of the law of their prince.' Then Faithful began to answer, That he had only fet himself against that which had fet itself against Him that is higher than the highest. And, faid he, as for disturbance, I make none, being my. felf a man of peace; the parties that were won to us, were won by beholding our truth and innocence, and they are only turned from the worfe to the better. And as to the king you talk of, fince he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord, I defy him and all his angels. Then proclamation was made, That they that had aught to say for their lord the king against the prisoner at the bar, should forthwith appear, and give in their evidence. So there came in three witneffes, to wit, Envy, Superftition, and Picktbank : They were then asked, if they knew the prisoner at the bar; and what they had to fay for their lord the king against him. Then ftood forth Envy, and faid to this effect: My lord, I have known this man a long time, and will atteft upon my oath before this honourable bench, That he is Judge. Hold-Give him his oath. So they fware him: Then he said, my lord, this man, notwithstanding his plausible name, is one of the vilest men in our country; he neither regardeth prince nor people, law nor cuftom; but doth all that he can to poffefs all men with certain of his difloyal notions, which he in the general calls principles of faith and holiness. And, in particular, I heard him once myself affirm, that chriftianity and the customs of our town, of Vanity, were diametrically oppofite, and could not be reconciled. By which faying, my lord, he doth at once, not only condemn all our laudable doings, but us in the doing of them. Judge. Then did the judge fay to him, Haft thou any more to say? Envy. My lord, I could fay much more, only I would not be tedious to the court. Yet if need be, when the other gentlemen have given in their evidence, rather than any thing fhall be wanting that will dispatch him, I will enlarge my teftimony against him. So he was bid to ftand by. Then they called Superftition, and bid him look upon the prisoner; they alfo afked, what he could fay for their lord the king against him? Then they fware him; so he began : Super. My Lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I defire to have further knowledge of him; however this I know, That he is a very peftilent fellow, from fome difcourfe that the other day I had with him, in this town; for then talking with him, I heard him fay, That our religion was naught, and fuch by which a man could by no means please God. Which faying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows what neceffarily thence will follow, to wit, that we ftill do worship in vain, are yet in our fins, and finally fhall be damned: and this is that which I have to fay. Then was Pick-thank sworn, and bid fay what he knew in the behalf of their lord the king, against the prisoner at the bar. Pick. My lord, and you gentlemen all; this fellow I have known of a long time, and have heard him fpeak things that ought not to be spoken; for he hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken contemptibly of his honourable friends whose names are, the Lord Old Man, the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Defire of Vain Glory, my old Lord Lechery, Sir Having Greedy, with all the reft of our nobility; and he hath faid moreover, That if all men were of his mind, if poffible, there is not one of these noblemen fhould have any longer a being in this town. Befides, he hath not been afraid to rail on you, my lord, who are now appointed to be his judge, calling you an ungodly villain, with many other fuch-like vilifying terms, with which he hath befpattered moft of the gentry of our town. When this Pick-thank had told his tale, the judge directed his speech to the prifoner at the bar, faying, Thou renegade, heretic, and traitor, haft thou heard what these honeft gentlemen have witnessed against thee? Faith. May I fpeak a few words in my own defence? Judge. Sirrah, firrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be flain immediately upon the place; yet that all men may see our gentlenefs towards thee, let us see what thou haft to say. Faith. 1. I fay then, in answer to what Mr. Envy hath spoken, I never faid ought but this, That what rule or laws, or custom, or people, were flat against the word of God, are diametrically oppofite to chriftianity. If I have faid amiss in this, convince me of my |