THE BOOK WAS DRENCHED - OUDL Home

THE FIRST DEFENCE 5
stricken down religion, and was ruling at his own lust and
wantonness, was at last subdued in the field by his own
people, who had served a long term of slavery; how he was
thereupon put under guard, and when he gave no ground
5 whatever, by either word or action, to hope better things of
him, was finally by the highest council of the realm condemned
to die, and beheaded before his very palace gate. I
shall likewise relate (which will much conduce to the easing
men's minds of a great superstition) under what system of
10 laws, especially what laws of England, this judgment was
rendered and executed; and shall easily defend my valiant and
worthy countrymen, who have extremely well deserved of all
subjects and nations in the world, from the most wicked
calumnies of both domestic and foreign railers, and chiefly
15 from the reproaches of this utterly empty sophister, who sets
up to be captain and ringleader of all the rest. For what king's
majesty high enthroned ever shone so bright as did the
people's majesty of England, when, shaking off that age-old
superstition which had long prevailed, they overwhelmed
20 with judgment their very king (or rather him who from their
king had become their enemy), ensnared in his own laws him
who alone among men claimed by divine right to go unpunished,
and feared not to inflict upon this very culprit the same
capital punishment which he would have inflicted upon any
25 other.
Yet why do I proclaim as done by the people these actions,
which themselves almost utter a voice, and witness everywhere
the presence of God ? Who, as often as it hath seemed