Hate. My lord, I have heard him say, that peace, though in a way of unrighteousness, is better than trouble with truth.
Clerk. Where did you hear him say this?
Hate. I heard him say it in Folly-yard, at the house of one Mr. Simple, next door to the sign of the Self-deceiver. Yea, he hath said this to my knowledge twenty times in that place.
Clerk. We may spare further witness; this evidence is plain and full. Set him by, gaoler, and set Mr. No-Truth to the bar. Mr. No-Truth, thou art here indicted by the name of No-Truth, (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul,) for that thou hast always, to the dishonour of Shaddai, and the endangering of the utter ruin of the famous town of Mansoul, set thyself to deface, and utterly to spoil, all the remainders of the law and image of Shaddai that have been found in Mansoul after her deep apostasy from her king to Diabolus, the envious tyrant. What sayest thou, art thou guilty of this indictment, or not?
No. Not guilty, my lord.
Then the witnesses were called, and Mr. Know-All did first give in his evidence against him.
Know. My lord, this man was at the pulling down of the image of Shaddai; yea, this is he that did it with his own hands. I myself stood by and saw him do it, and he did it at the commandment of Diabolus. Yea, this Mr. No-Truth did more than this, he did also set up the horned image of the beast Diabolus in the same place. This also is he that, at the bidding of Diabolus, did rend and tear, and cause to be consumed, all that he could of the remainders of the law of the King, even whatever he could lay his hands on in Mansoul.
Clerk. Who saw him do this besides yourself?
Hate. I did, my lord, and so did many more besides; for this was not done by stealth, or in a corner, but in the open view of all; yea, he chose himself to do it publicly, for he delighted in the doing of it.
Clerk. Mr. No-Truth, how could you have the face to plead not guilty, when you were so manifestly the doer of all this wickedness?