The happiest day that ever he spent: Sir Walter Ralegh stands trial for treason
How one day in court changed Ralegh's reputation forever
It is a curious fact that when Sir Walter Ralegh was finally executed – on 29 October 1618 – he had been legally dead for 15 years. Even by 17th-century standards, that was unusual. But then, not many people face the death penalty twice in court – particularly when found guilty the first time, as Ralegh was in November 1603.
Ralegh has, in some senses, b…
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