EARL OF SOMERSET. 229 



jesty s commandment requireth my obedience, and 

 your trust giveth me assurance. 



I will put the case, which I wish ; that Somerset 

 should make a clear confession of his offences, before 

 he be produced to trial. 



In this case it seemeth your majesty will have a 

 new consult; the points whereof will be, 1. Whether 

 your majesty will stay the trial, and so save them 

 both from the stage, and that public ignominy. 2. Or 

 whether you will, or may fitly by law, have the trial 

 proceed, and stay or reprieve the judgment, which 

 saveth the lands from forfeiture, and the blood from 

 corruption. 3. Or whether you will have both trial 

 and judgment proceed, and save the blood only, not 

 from corrupting, but from spilling. 



These be the depths of your majesty s mercy 

 which I may not enter into : but for honour and re 

 putation they have these grounds : 



That the blood of Overbury is already revenged 

 by divers executions. 



That confession and penitency are the footstools 

 of mercy ; adding this circumstance likewise, that 

 the former offenders did none of them make a clear 

 confession. 



That the great downfal of so great persons 

 carrieth in itself a heavy judgment, and a kind 

 of civil death, although their lives should not be 

 taken. 



All which may satisfy honour for sparing their 

 lives. But if your majesty s mercy should extend 

 to the first degree, which is the highest, of sparing 



