UDAL. 17 the only iniquity to which Udal was exposed. Thejudges would not allow the jury to determine any thing but the fact, of his being the author of the book, without examining is intention, or the import of his words. In order to prove the fact, they did not produce asingle witness to the court : they only read the testimony of two or three persons absent. They would not allowUdal to produce any exculpatory evidence, saying, it was not permitted against the crown. His refusing to swear that he was not the author of the book, was employed against him as the strongest proof of his guilt. Notwithstanding these multiplied iniquities, the verdict of thejury was brought against him. For, ks the queen was extremely bent upon his prosecution, it was impossible he could escape.". Mr. Udal was,convicted at the slimmer assizes, 1590, but did not receive sentence till the Lent following. In the mean time, pardon was offered him, if he would sign the following recantation, dated February, 1591 : " I, John Udal, have been heretofore, by due course of " law, convicted of felony, for penning or setting forth a " certain book, called. 4 The Demonstration of Discipline ;' " wherein false, slanderous, and seditious matters are " contained against her majesty's prerogative royal, her " crown and dignity, and against her laws and government, " ecclesiastical and temporal, by law established under her " highness, and tending to the erecting a new form of " government, contrary to her laws. All which points, I " do now, by the grace of God, perceive to be very " dangerous to thepea& of this realm and church, seditious " in the commonwealth, and infinitely offensive to the " queen's most excellent majesty. So as thereby, now seeing " the grievousness of my offence, I do most humbly, on " my knees, before and in this presence, submit myself to " the mercy of her highness, being most sorry that I have " so deeply and worthily incurred her majesty's indignation " against me; promising, if it shall please God to move her " royal heart to have compassion on me, a most sorrowful, " convicted person, that I will, for ever hereafter, forsake all " undutiful and dangerous courses, and demean myself "dutifully and peaceably ; for I acknowledge her laws to be " both lawful andgodly, and to beobeyedby every subject."+ No arguments or threatenings of the judges could prevail upon Mr. Udal to sign the above recantation. He could Home's Hist. of Eng. vol. v. p. 845, 846. 1 Strype's Annals, vol. iv, p. 26, 87.-Baker's MS. Collet:. vol. xv.p. 45. Vol,. am.
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