his charge at the trial: 'You, and we all, are sensible of the great
difficulties and hazards that is now both against the king's person, and
against all Protestants, and our religion too; which will hardly maintain
itself, when they have destroyed the men; but let 'em know that many
thousands will lose their religion with their lives, for we will not be
Papists, let the Jesuits press what they will, (who are the foundations of
all this mischief,) in making proselytes by telling them, Do what
wickedness you will, it's no sin, but we can save you; and if you omit
what we command, we can damn you. Excuse if I am a little warm, when
perils are so many, their murders so secret, that we cannot discover the
murder of that gentleman whom we all knew so well, when things are
transacted so closely, and our king in so great danger, and our religion
at stake. 'Tis better to be warm here than in Smithfield. When a Papist
once hath made a man a heretic, there is no scruple to murder him. Whoever
is not of their persuasion are heretics, and whoever are heretics may be
murdered if the pope commands it; for which they may become saints in
heaven; this is that they have practised. If there had been nothing of
this in this kingdom, or other parts of the world, it would be a hard
thing to impose it upon them; but they ought not to complain when so many
instances are against them. Therefore discharge your consciences as you
ought to do; if guilty, let him take the reward of his crime, and you
shall do well to begin with this man, for perchance it may be a terror to
the rest. Unless they think they can be saved by dying in the Roman faith,
though with such pernicious and traitorous words and designs as these are,
let such go to Heaven by themselves. I hope I shall never go to that
Heaven, where men are made saints for killing kings.'

The flimsy logic and cool-blooded cruelty of this charge are too obvious
to require mention. According to the chief justice, no Papist could
complain that he was hanged for treason because some members of his church
had massacred the Protestants on Bartholomew's day. The recommendation 'to
begin with this man, that it may be a terror to the rest,' marks well the
character of the judge, and the temper of the jury that could advance or
approve such a detestable doctrine.

Stayley was convicted and thus sentenced: 'You shall return to prison,
from thence shall be drawn to the place of execution, where you shall b