| 631 | 632 | 633 | 634 | 635 |
| 1 | 236 | 472 | 708 | 944 |
|
"
Hardquanonne, by the terms of the law, after confrontation followed by
identification, after the third reading of the declarations of your
accomplices, since confirmed by your recognition and confession, and
after your renewed avowal, you are about to be relieved from these
irons, and placed at the good pleasure of her Majesty to be hung as
plagiary."
"
Plagiary," said the serjeant of the coif. "That is to say, a buyer
and seller of children. Law of the Visigoths, seventh book, third
section, paragraph Usurpaverit, and Salic law, section the
forty-first, paragraph the second, and law of the Frisons, section the
twenty-first, Deplagio; and Alexander Nequam says,--
"'Qui pueros vendis, plagiarius est tibi nomen.'"
The sheriff placed the parchment on the table, laid down his spectacles,
took up the nosegay, and said,--
"End of la peine forte et dure. Hardquanonne, thank her Majesty."
By a sign the justice of the quorum set in motion the man dressed in
leather.
This man, who was the executioner's assistant, "groom of the gibbet,"
the old charters call him, went to the prisoner, took off the stones,
one by one, from his chest, and lifted the plate of iron up, exposing
633
Page
Quick Jump
|