The Prince and the Pauper · Chapter
XXIII: The Prince a Prisoner explained
Prince Edward, still mistaken for a commoner, is accused of stealing a pig and brought before a justice.
What happens
Prince Edward, still mistaken for a commoner, is accused of stealing a pig and brought before a justice. Miles Hendon advises him to submit to the law. The woman who accused him initially values the pig at three shillings and eightpence, but when the judge explains that theft above thirteenpence ha'penny carries a death sentence, she revises the value to eightpence to save the boy. Hendon overhears the constable coercing the woman into selling the pig cheaply by threatening to expose her false oath. The judge sentences Edward to a short imprisonment and public flogging. Edward rebels at the thought of entering a common jail, but Hendon urges patience and trust.
Themes in this chapter
Justice and Injustice
The chapter highlights the arbitrary and harsh nature of the legal system, where a theft of a pig could lead to hanging, and where the constable manipulates the woman to his own advantage.
Compassion and Empathy
The judge shows compassion by allowing the woman to revise the pig's value to save the boy from execution, and the woman herself is horrified at the prospect of hanging the lad.
Power and Corruption
The constable abuses his authority to coerce the woman into selling her pig cheaply, revealing corruption within the justice system.
Characters to notice
- Edward VI
Wrongly accused of theft, Edward struggles to maintain his royal composure but is persuaded by Hendon to submit to the law.
- Miles Hendon
Hendon advises the king to be patient and trust in him; he overhears the constable's coercion and remains vigilant.
- Henry VIII
Mentioned as 'old Harry that's just dead' in reference to coinage from the previous reign.
Key passages
“Reflect, Sire—your laws are the wholesome breath of your own royalty; shall their source resist them, yet require the branches to respect them?”
Consider, Your Majesty, that your own laws are the lifeblood of your reign; if you, the source of those laws, refuse to obey them, how can you expect your subjects to do so?
Hendon persuades Edward to submit to the law by appealing to his sense of royal responsibility.
“What dost thou hold this property to be worth?”
How much do you say this item is worth?
The judge asks the woman to state the value of the pig, setting the stage for the legal dilemma.
“Doubtless it is allowable to revise the value, since it is not yet writ upon the record.”
It is certainly permitted to change the stated value, as it has not yet been officially recorded.
The judge offers a way to avoid the death penalty by allowing the woman to lower the pig's value.