Cromwell tries to use the silence of Sir Thomas More against him in the trial, but More responds by stating the law: "Not so, Master Secretary, the maxim is qui tacet consentire. The maxim of the law is Silence gives consent. If, therefore, you wish to construe what my silence betokened, you must construe that I consented, not that I denied."" (pg. 152) After hearing this, there is no doubt that Cromwell realizes that More is correct, and in fact innocent, but Cromwell must disobey his own belief and continue on with the will of Henry. More is inevitably doomed to death when there is an evil, life-less man such as Cromwell fighting against him. .
Richard Rich, almost a protégé of Cromwell, is young and naive. He is still formulating his own morals, so when a man such as Cromwell can offer him power and wealth in exchange for loyalty to the King, Rich's morals are shaped however Cromwell wishes them to be. Cromwell offers Rich gifts to begin getting him to help Cromwell.
Cromwell: Well, congratulations!.
Rich: On what?.
Cromwell: I think you'd make a good Collector of Revenues for York Diocese.
Rich: Is it in your gift?.
Cromwell: It will be.
Rich: What do I have to do for it?.
Cromwell: Nothing. It isn't like that, Rich. There are no rules. With rewards and penalties "so much wickedness purchases so much worldly prospering ". (pg 73).
Beginning with Collector of Revenues, Rich gets a taste of what it is like to have money and valuable possessions, as apposed to his former lifestyle of job-searching in rags for clothes. Finally, Rich is made Duke of York, only a short while before the trial of Sir Thomas More is set to begin. Now he is in total control of Cromwell, and will twist and add to the words of More to make him appear guilty in court. During the trial, Rich is called out as a witness against More. Rich recalls what happened when he went into the Tower to collect More's books.