ound his
soul, and if the other way it would confound his body."[458] Finally and
chiefly, he had spoken treasonable words in the Tower to Rich, the
solicitor-general. Rich had endeavoured to persuade him, as Cranmer had
endeavoured in his previous difficulty at Lambeth, that it was his duty as
a subject to obey the law of the land. "Supposing it was enacted by act of
parliament," the solicitor-general had said, "that I, Richard Rich, should
be king, and that it should be treason to deny it, what would be the
offence if you, Sir Thomas More, were to say that I was king?" More had
answered that, in his conscience, he would be bound by the act of
parliament, and would be obliged to accept Rich as king. He would put
another case, however. "Suppose it should be enacted by parliament, _quod
Deus non esset Deus_, and that opposing the act should be treason, if it
were asked of him, Richard Rich, whether he would say _Quod Deus non erat
Deus_, according to this statute, and if he were to say No, would he not
offend?" Rich had replied, "Certainly, because it is impossible, _quod Deus
non esset Deus_; but why, Master More, can you not accept the king as chief
Head of the Church of England, just as you would that I should be made
king, in which case you agree that you would be obliged to acknowledge me
as king?" "To which More, persevering in his treasons, had answered to
Rich, that the cases were not similar, because the king could be made by
parliament and deprived by parliament;[459] but in the first case the
subject could not be obliged, because his consent could not be given for
that in parliament."

[Sidenote: The chancellor urges him to submit.]

This was the substance of the indictment. As soon as it was read, the
lord chancellor rose, and told the prisoner that he saw how grievously
he had offended the king; it was not too late to ask for mercy, however,
which his Majesty desired to show.

[Sidenote: He trusts, however, to remain in his opinion till death.]

[Sidenote: The jury find a verdict of guilty.]

"My lord," More replied, "I have great cause to thank your honour for
your courtesy, but I beseech Almighty God that I may continue in the
mind that I am in through His grace unto death." To the charges against
him he pleaded "not guilty," and answered them at length. He could not
say indeed that the facts were not true; for although he denied that he
had "practised" against the supremacy, he could not say that he h