He had plotted to kill
the King. He was found guilty of treason by Parliament and
condemned to be dragged at the heels of horses for being a traitor
to his knightly vows, hanged by the neck for his murders, cut down
before consciousness left him to have his entrails cut out for
committing his crimes during the holy week of Easter, and his head
cut off and his body divided into four parts for plotting against
the King's life. The head was placed on the Tower of London and
his body sections were placed in public view at various other
locations in England. This came to be known as "hanging, drawing,
and quartering". Prior to this the penalty had been imprisonment,
usually followed by ransom.
Trial by combat is now limited to certain claims of enfeoffment of
large land holding and is barred for land held in socage, burgage,
or by marriage. Assize is the usual manner of trial, but
compurgation remains in the borough court long after it becomes
obsolete in the royal courts. Defendants no longer request assizes
but are automatically put to them.
Numerous statutes protect the integrity of the courts and King's
offices by double and treble damages and imprisonment for offenses
such as bribery, false informers, conspiracy to falsely move or
maintain pleas, champerty [covenant between a litigant and another
for the other to have a part or profit in the award in return for
maintaining the suit], conflict of interest by court officers
taking part in a quarrel pending in court or working any fraud
whereby common right may be delayed or disturbed.
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