1538.]
THE EXETER CONSPIRACY.
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the King, did openly declare to the Lord Montague, 'I trust once to have a fair day upon those knaves which rule about the King; and I trust to see a merry world one day.'
'And, furthermore persevering in his malicious intention, he did say, 'Knaves rule about the King;' and then stretching his arm, and shaking his clenched fist, spoke the following words: 'I trust to give them a buffet one day.'
Sir Geoffrey Pole was in all cases the witness. The words were proved. It was enough. Dec. 3.A verdict of guilty was returned; and the marquis was sentenced to die.
If the proof of language of no darker complexion was sufficient to secure a condemnation, the charges against Lord Montague left him no shadow of a hope. Montague had expressed freely to his miserable brother his approbation of Reginald's proceedings. He had discussed the chances of the impending struggle and the resources of which they could dispose. He had spoken bitterly of the King; he had expressed a fear that when, the world 'came to strypes,' as come it would, 'there would be a lack of honest men,' with other such language, plainly indicative of his disposition. However justly, indeed, we may now accuse the equity which placed men on their trial for treason for impatient expressions, there can be no uncertainty that, in the event of an invasion, or of a rebellion with any promise of success in it, both Montague and Exeter would have