and besmeared them with mud, and put them in a cage, where all the people of the fair might come and jeer at them.
But Christian and Faithful bore their punishment meekly, and made no answer to those who reviled them. Their very faces showed the goodness of their hearts; and since it could not be proved that they had done any harm, there were several of the townsfolk who began to speak well of them.
This put the magistrate and the rest of those at the fair into greater rage than before; and they declared that the pilgrims should suffer death.
So they put chains upon them and made their feet fast in the stocks. And a time was set when they should be tried before the judge of that country, who acted in the name of the king.
The day at last came, and the two prisoners were brought into court. The name of the judge was Sir Hategood; and he sat upon the bench with a jury of twelve picked men before him.
"You are charged," said he, "of being enemies to our town, the disturbers of our fair, and plotters against our king, who is the great Beelzebub. What have you to say in your defense?"
