to confront the President.

"Take off the irons," said the same, low, musical voice.

The man, thus unpleasantly introduced, was in the prime of life,
certainly not more than thirty-five or six years of age, and from his
bold and erect carriage, seemed (as was the fact) to have been bred a
soldier. Upon the order to take off the shackles being complied with,
he cast a look of acknowledgment toward the speaker.

"Master Nowell," said the President, "read the accusation."

The person addressed, who was the Clerk or Secretary, rose hereupon
from his seat near the centre of the table, and read "the
information," which it is unnecessary to give at length, charging the
prisoner with using most foul, scandalous, indecent, defamatory, and
unseemly invectives, reproaches, and passionate speeches, toward and
against the worshipful magistrates and godly ministers of the colony,
thereby contriving and designing to bring into contempt, all law,
order, religion, and good government, &c., and to subvert the
authority of the magistrates and undermine the wholesome influence of
the godly ministers, &c., to the disgrace and ruin of the colony and
scandal of true religion, &c.

When the paper had been read, the President demanded--"Are you guilty
or not?"

"I am as innocent as the worshipful Governor himself, and whoever
wrote those lies, is a villain and a foresworn knave," replied the
prisoner.