The Prince and the Pauper Mark Twain (readict books .TXT) đ
- Author: Mark Twain
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Tom now ordered that the woman and the girl be removed from the presence for a little time; then addressed himself to the under-sheriff, sayingâ â
âGood sir, what is this manâs offence?â
The officer knelt, and answeredâ â
âSo please your Majesty, he hath taken the life of a subject by poison.â
Tomâs compassion for the prisoner, and admiration of him as the daring rescuer of a drowning boy, experienced a most damaging shock.
âThe thing was proven upon him?â he asked.
âMost clearly, sire.â
Tom sighed, and saidâ â
âTake him awayâ âhe hath earned his death. âTis a pity, for he was a brave heartâ ânaâ âna, I mean he hath the look of it!â
The prisoner clasped his hands together with sudden energy, and wrung them despairingly, at the same time appealing imploringly to the âkingâ in broken and terrified phrasesâ â
âO my lord the king, anâ thou canst pity the lost, have pity upon me! I am innocentâ âneither hath that wherewith I am charged been more than but lamely provedâ âyet I speak not of that; the judgment is gone forth against me and may not suffer alteration; yet in mine extremity I beg a boon, for my doom is more than I can bear. A grace, a grace, my lord the king! in thy royal compassion grant my prayerâ âgive commandment that I be hanged!â
Tom was amazed. This was not the outcome he had looked for.
âOdds my life, a strange boon! Was it not the fate intended thee?â
âO good my liege, not so! It is ordered that I be boiled alive!â
The hideous surprise of these words almost made Tom spring from his chair. As soon as he could recover his wits he cried outâ â
âHave thy wish, poor soul! anâ thou had poisoned a hundred men thou shouldst not suffer so miserable a death.â
The prisoner bowed his face to the ground and burst into passionate expressions of gratitudeâ âending withâ â
âIf ever thou shouldst know misfortuneâ âwhich God forefend!â âmay thy goodness to me this day be remembered and requited!â
Tom turned to the Earl of Hertford, and saidâ â
âMy lord, is it believable that there was warrant for this manâs ferocious doom?â
âIt is the law, your Graceâ âfor poisoners. In Germany coiners be boiled to death in oilâ ânot cast in of a sudden, but by a rope let down into the oil by degrees, and slowly; first the feet, then the legs, thenâ ââ
âO prithee no more, my lord, I cannot bear it!â cried Tom, covering his eyes with his hands to shut out the picture. âI beseech your good lordship that order be taken to change this lawâ âoh, let no more poor creatures be visited with its tortures.â
The Earlâs face showed profound gratification, for he was a man of merciful and generous impulsesâ âa thing not very common with his class in that fierce age. He saidâ â
âThese your Graceâs noble words have sealed its doom. History will remember it to the honor of your royal house.â
The under-sheriff was about to remove his prisoner; Tom gave him a sign to wait; then he saidâ â
âGood sir, I would look into this matter further. The man has said his deed was but lamely proved. Tell me what thou knowest.â
âIf the kingâs grace please, it did appear upon the trial that this man entered into a house in the hamlet of Islington where one lay sickâ âthree witnesses say it was at ten of the clock in the morning, and two say it was some minutes laterâ âthe sick man being alone at the time, and sleepingâ âand presently the man came forth again and went his way. The sick man died within the hour, being torn with spasms and retchings.â
âDid any see the poison given? Was poison found?â
âMarry, no, my liege.â
âThen how doth one know there was poison given at all?â
âPlease your Majesty, the doctors testified that none die with such symptoms but by poison.â
Weighty evidence, this, in that simple age. Tom recognized its formidable nature, and saidâ â
âThe doctor knoweth his tradeâ âbelike they were right. The matter hath an ill-look for this poor man.â
âYet was not this all, your Majesty; there is more and worse. Many testified that a witch, since gone from the village, none know whither, did foretell, and speak it privately in their ears, that the sick man would die by poisonâ âand more, that a stranger would give itâ âa stranger with brown hair and clothed in a worn and common garb; and surely this prisoner doth answer woundily to the bill. Please your Majesty to give the circumstance that solemn weight which is its due, seeing it was foretold.â
This was an argument of tremendous force in that superstitious day. Tom felt that the thing was settled; if evidence was worth anything, this poor fellowâs guilt was proved. Still he offered the prisoner a chance, sayingâ â
âIf thou canst say aught in thy behalf, speak.â
âNought that will avail, my king. I am innocent, yet cannot I make it appear. I have no friends, else might I show that I was not in Islington that day; so also might I show that at that hour they name I was above a league away, seeing I was at Wapping Old Stairs; yea more, my king, for I could show, that whilst they say I was taking life, I was saving it. A drowning boyâ ââ
âPeace! Sheriff, name the day the deed was done!â
âAt ten in the morning, or some minutes later, the first day of the New Year, most illustriousâ ââ
âLet the prisoner go freeâ âit is the kingâs will!â
Another blush followed this unregal outburst, and he covered his indecorum as well as he could by addingâ â
âIt enrageth me that a man should be hanged upon such idle, harebrained evidence!â
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