The Prince and the Pauper, Chapter 15 summary

What happens

1. Tom receives foreign ambassadors, struggles with royal duties, and dreads eating before a watching crowd.
2. A passing mob catches his attention, and he orders three prisoners bound for execution brought before him.
3. Learning that the accused poisoner faces boiling alive, Tom grants hanging instead and asks Hertford to change the law.
4. Tom questions the evidence and frees the man after recognizing that his rescue of Giles Witt establishes his innocence.
5. Tom questions the witchcraft charges against a woman and her daughter, challenging both the evidence and the law.
6. He pardons them, but still hopes to witness their supposed power; removing their stockings produces no storm.

In this chapter

What to notice

Tom asks what directly supports the charge. His questions expose gaps in the case, although he still gives weight to medical claims and superstition.

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