When the time
was come, they were brought before their
enemies and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord Hategood. Their
indictment was one and the same in substance, though somewhat
varying in form, the contents whereof were this: --
'That they were enemies to and disturbers of their trade; that
they had made commotions and divisions in the town, and had won
a party to their own most dangerous opinions, in contempt of the
law of their prince.'
Now, Faithful, play the man, speak for thy God:
Fear not the wickeds' malice; nor their rod!
Speak boldly, man, the truth is on thy side:
Die for it, and to life in triumph ride.
Then Faithful began to answer, that he had only set himself
against that which hath set itself against Him that is higher
than the highest. And, said he, as for disturbance, I make none,
being myself 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 worse to the better. And as to the king you talk
of, since he is Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord, I defy him and
all his angels.
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