s
people, and revile them not. Purge thy City of its uncleanness and
idolatry, and thy Court of its corruption. Profane not the Sabbath"--

"I see how it is," interrupted Archee with a scream; "the man hath been
driven stark wud by your Majesty's Book of Sports."

"A book devised by the devil," cried Hugh Calveley, catching at the
suggestion; "and which ought to be publicly burnt by the hangman,
instead of being read in the churches. How much, mischief hath that
book done! How many abominations hath it occasioned! And, alas! how much
persecution hath it caused; for have not many just men, and sincere
preachers of the Word, been prosecuted in thy Court, misnamed of
justice, and known, O King! as the Star-Chamber; suffering stripes and
imprisonment for refusing to read thy mischievous proclamation to their
flocks."

"I knew it!--I knew it!" screamed Archee, delighted with the effect he
had produced. "Take heed, sirrah," he cried to the Puritan, "that ye
make not acquaintance wi' 'that Court misnamed of justice' yer ain
sell."

"He is liker to be arraigned at our court styled the King's Bench, and
hanged, drawn, and quartered afterwards," roared James, far more enraged
at the disrespectful mention made of his manifesto, than by anything
that had previously occurred. "The man is not sae doited as we supposed
him."

"He is not sane enough to keep his neck from the halter," rejoined
Archee. "Your Majesty should spare him, since you are indirectly the
cause of his malady."

"Intercede not for me," cried Hugh Calveley. "I would not accept any
grace at the tyrant's hands. Let him hew me in pieces, and my blood
shall cry out for vengeance upon his head."

"By our halidame! a dangerous traitor!" exclaimed James.

"Hear me, O King!" thundered the Puritan. "For the third and last time I
lift up my voice to warn thee. Visions have appeared to me in the night,
and mysterious voices have whispered in mine ear. They have revealed to
me strange and terrible things--but not more strange and terrible than
true. They have told me how thy posterity shall suffer for the injustice
thou doest to thy people. They have shown me a scaffold which a King
shall mount--and a block whereon a royal head shall be laid. But it
shall be better for that unfortunate monarch, though he be brought to
judgment by his people, than for him who shall be brought to judgment by
his God. Yet more. I have seen in my visions two Kings in exile: one of
whom s