Принц и нищий
In Prison
Anotherwasamanwhohadbeenaccusedofstealingahorse;hesaidtheproofhadfailed,andhehadimaginedthathewassafefromthehalter;butno—hewashardlyfreebeforehewasarraignedforkillingadeerintheKing’spark;thiswasprovedagainsthim,andnowhewasonhiswaytothegallows.Therewasatradesman’sapprenticewhosecaseparticularlydistressedtheKing;thisyouthsaidhefoundahawk,oneevening,thathadescapedfromitsowner,andhetookithomewithhim,imagininghimselfentitledtoit;butthecourtconvictedhimofstealingit,andsentencedhimtodeath.
TheKingwasfuriousovertheseinhumanities,andwantedHendontobreakjailandflywithhimtoWestminster,sothathecouldmounthisthroneandholdouthissceptreinmercyovertheseunfortunatepeopleandsavetheirlives."Poorchild,"sighedHendon,"thesewoefultaleshavebroughthismaladyuponhimagain;alack,butforthisevilhap,hewouldhavebeenwellinalittletime."
Amongtheseprisonerswasanoldlawyer—amanwithastrongfaceandadauntlessmien.Threeyearspast,hehadwrittenapamphletagainsttheLordChancellor,accusinghimofinjustice,andhadbeenpunishedforitbythelossofhisearsinthepillory,anddegradationfromthebar,andinadditionhadbeenfined3,000poundsandsentencedtoimprisonmentforlife.Latelyhehadrepeatedhisoffence;andinconsequencewasnowundersentencetolosewhatremainedofhisears,payafineof5,000pounds,bebrandedonbothcheeks,andremaininprisonforlife
