1:43:01
What do we hear?
1:43:04
Silence.
1:43:05
What does it betoken, this silence?
1:43:09
Nothing. This is silence pure and simple.
1:43:12
But let us take another case.
1:43:14
Suppose I were to take a dagger
from my sleeve...
1:43:16
...and make to kill the prisoner with it.
1:43:18
And my lordships there, instead of crying
out for me to stop, maintain their silence.
1:43:23
That would betoken!
1:43:25
It would betoken a willingness
that I should do it.
1:43:28
And under the law,
they would be guilty with me.
1:43:32
So silence can,
according to the circumstances...
1:43:36
...speak.
1:43:38
Let us consider now the circumstances
of the prisoner's silence.
1:43:43
The oath was put to loyal subjects
all over the country who all declared...
1:43:47
...His Grace's title to be just and good!
1:43:49
But when it came to the prisoner,
he refused!
1:43:53
He calls this "silence."
1:43:57
Yet, is there a man in this court....
1:44:00
Is there a man in this country...
1:44:03
...who does not know
Sir Thomas More's opinion of this title?
1:44:10
Yet, how can this be?
1:44:12
Because this silence betokened...
1:44:15
...nay, this silence was not silence at all,
but most eloquent denial!
1:44:23
Not so.
1:44:26
Not so, Master Secretary.
1:44:30
The maxim of the law is,
"Silence gives consent."
1:44:33
If, therefore, you wish to construe
what my silence betokened...
1:44:36
...you must construe that I consented,
not that I denied.
1:44:42
Is that in fact what the world
construes from it?
1:44:44
Do you pretend that is what you wish
the world to construe from it?
1:44:48
The world must construe
according to its wits.
1:44:51
This court must construe
according to the law.