sprisions, if the offender
flies.

If any offender stand mute of obstinacy,* or challenge preremp-torily
more of the jurors than by law he may, being first warned of the
consequence thereof, the court shall proceed as if he had confessed the
charge,**

* 3E. I.e. 12.

** Whether the judgment of penance lay at Common law. See 2
Inst. 178.2. H. P. C. 321. 4 Bl. 322. It was given on
standing mute: but on challenging more than the legal
number, whether that sentence, or sentence of death is to be
given, seems doubtful. 2 H. P. C. 316. Quaere, whether it
would not be better to consider the supernumerary challenge
as merely void, and to proceed in the trial. Quaere too, in
case of silence.

Pardon and privilege of clergy shall henceforth be abolished, that none
may be induced to injure through hope of impunity. But if the verdict be
against the defendant, and the court, before whom the offence is
heard and determined, shall doubt that it may be untrue for defect of
testimony, or other cause, they may direct a new trial to be had.*

* 'Cum Clericus sic de crimine convictus degradetur, non
sequitur aliapoe-na pro uno delicto, vel pluribus ante
degradationem perpetratis. Satis enim sufficit ei pro pcena
degradatio, quse est magna capitis diminutio, nisi forte
convictus fuerit de apostatia, quia hinc primo degradetur,
et postea per manum laicalem comburetur, secundum quod
accidit in concilio Oxoni celebrato a bonas memoriae S.
Cantuaren. Archiepiscopo de quodam diacono, qui seapos-
tatavit pro quadam Judaea; qui cum esset per episcopum
degradatus, statim fuit igni traditus per manum laicalem.'
Bract. L. 3. c. 9. Sec. 2. 'Et mesme eel jugement (i. e. qui
ils soient ars) eye n't sorcers et sorceresses, et sodomites
et mescreauntz apertement atteyntz.' Britt. c. 9.
'Christiani autem Apostatae, sortilegii, et hujusmodi
detractari debent et comburi.' Fleta, L. 1. c. 37. Sec. 2. see
3 Inst. 39; 12 Rep. 92; 1 H. P. C. 393. The extent of the
clerical privilege at the Common law, 1. As to the crimes,
seems very obscure and uncertain. It extended to no case
where the judgment was not of life or limb. Note in 2. H. P.
C. 326. This, therefore, excluded it in trespass, petty
larceny, or killing _se defendendo_. In high treason against
the person of the King, it seems not to ha