"You have been taxed by the world with the defence of the most heathenish and blasphemous opinions; which I list not to repeat because Christian ears cannot endure to hear them, nor the authors and maintainers of them be suffered to live in any Christian commonwealth.... You shall do well before you go out of the world, to give satisfaction therein, and not to die with these imputations on you. Let not any devil persuade you to think there is no eternity in heaven. For if you think thus you shall find eternity in hell-fire. In the first accusation of my Lord Cobham I observed his manner of speaking: I protest before the living God I am persuaded he spoke nothing but the truth! You wrote that he should not in any case confess anything to a preacher, telling him an example of my Lord Essex, that noble Earl that is gone. Who if he had not been carried away with others had lived in honour to this day among us. He confessed his offences, and obtained mercy of the Lord; for I am verily persuaded in my heart he died a worthy servant of God. Your conceit of not confessing anything is very inhuman and wicked. In this world is the time of confessing that we may be absolved at the day of judgment. You have shewed a fearful sign of denying God in advising a man not to confess the truth. It now comes in my mind why you may not have your accuser come face to face; for such an one is easily brought to retract, when he seeth there is no hope of his own life. It is dangerous that any traitors should have access to or conference with, one another. When they see themselves must die, they will think it best to have their fellow live that he may commit the like treason again, and so in some sort seek revenge. "Now it resteth to pronounce the judgment which I wish you had not been this day to have received of me. "For if the fear of God in you had been answerable to your other great parts you might have lived to have been a singular good subject. I never saw the like trial, and hope I shall never see the like again. "But since you have been found guilty of these horrible treasons, the judgment of this court is, that you shall be had from hence to the place whence you came, there to remain until the day of execution; and from thence you shall be drawn upon an hurdle through the open streets to the place of execution, there to be hanged and cut down alive; and your body shall be opened, your heart and bowels plucked out, and your privy members cut off, and thrown into the fire before your eyes; then your head to be stricken off from your body, and your body shall be divided into four quarters, to be disposed of at the King's pleasure; and God have mercy upon your soul!" CHAPTER XVI THE KING'S FARCE Comments on Ralegh's fall--In the prison at Winchester--Ralegh begs mercy--His attitude explained--The King's own farce-- Ralegh removed to London.