’Mr. Questioning, Thou art here indicted by the name of Evil-Questioning, an intruder upon the town of Mansoul, for that thou art a Diabolonian by nature, and also a hater of the Prince Emmanuel, and one that hast studied the ruin of the town of Mansoul.  Thou art also here indicted for countenancing the King’s enemies, after wholesome laws made to the contrary:  for, 1.  Thou hast questioned the truth of her doctrine and state:  2.  In wishing that ten thousand doubters were in her:  3.  In receiving, in entertaining, and encouraging of her enemies, that came from their army unto thee.  What sayest thou to this indictment? art thou guilty or not guilty?’

‘My lord,’ quoth he, ’I know not the meaning of this indictment, forasmuch as I am not the man concerned in it; the man that standeth by this charge accused before this bench is called by the name of Evil-Questioning, which name I deny to be mine, mine being Honest-Inquiry.  The one indeed sounds like the other; but, I trow, your lordships know that between these two there is a wide difference; for I hope that a man, even in the worst of times, and that, too, amongst the worst of men, may make an honest inquiry after things, without running the danger of death.’

Then spake my Lord Willbewill, for he was one of the witnesses:  ’My lord, and you the honourable bench and magistrates of the town of Mansoul, you all have heard with your ears that the prisoner at the bar has denied his name, and so thinks to shift from the charge of the indictment.  But I know him to be the man concerned, and that his proper name is Evil-Questioning.  I have known him, my lord, above these thirty years, for he and I (a shame it is for me to speak it) were great acquaintance, when Diabolus, that tyrant, had the government of Mansoul; and I testify that he is a Diabolonian by nature, an enemy to our Prince, and a hater of the blessed town of Mansoul.  He has, in times of rebellion, been at and lain in my house, my lord, not so little as twenty nights together, and we did use to talk then, for the substance of talk, as he and his doubters have talked of late:  true, I have not seen him many a day.  I suppose that the coming of Emmanuel to Mansoul has made him change his lodgings, as this indictment has driven him to change his name; but this is the man, my lord.’

Then said the court unto him, ‘Hast thou any more to say?’

‘Yes,’ quoth the old gentleman, ’that I have; for all that as yet has been said against me, is but by the mouth of one witness; and it is not lawful for the famous town of Mansoul, at the mouth of one witness, to put any man to death.’