▁procedure ▁as ▁a ▁normal ▁murder ▁trial ). ▁Second ▁and ▁more ▁important ly , ▁he ▁could ▁demand ▁that ▁the ▁court ▁provide ▁him ▁with ▁two ▁defence ▁coun s els ▁that ▁would ▁argue ▁his ▁case ▁for ▁him , ▁instead ▁of ▁having ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁his ▁own ▁defence . ▁Had field ▁chose ▁Thomas ▁Er sk ine ▁as ▁his ▁chief ▁coun sel . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁Er sk ine ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁the ▁best ▁lawyer ▁in ▁England . ▁ ▁Despite ▁attempts ▁by ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁to ▁emphas ise ▁the ▁standard ▁strict ▁criteria ▁for ▁mad ness , ▁Er sk ine ▁succeeded ▁in ▁convin cing ▁the ▁judge ▁and ▁j ury ▁that ▁Had field ▁had ▁only ▁appeared ▁to ▁make ▁an ▁attempt ▁on ▁the ▁King ’ s ▁life ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁get ▁himself ▁killed , ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁his ▁del us ional ▁belief ▁that ▁he ▁must ▁die ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁others . ▁ ▁The ▁ver dict ▁of ▁not ▁guilty ▁was ▁secured . ▁ ▁Sur pr ising ly , ▁this ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁trial ▁did ▁not ▁bring ▁about ▁a ▁public ▁out rage , ▁possibly ▁since ▁no ▁harm ▁had ▁actually ▁come ▁to ▁the ▁King . ▁However , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁V ag ran cy ▁Act s ▁of ▁ 1 7 1 4 ▁and ▁ 1 7 4 4 , ▁Had field ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁held ▁until ▁he ▁had ▁recovered ▁his ▁mind ▁and ▁the ▁concern ▁was ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁released ▁in ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁luc id ity ▁and ▁make ▁another ▁attempt ▁on ▁the ▁ ▁King ’ s ▁life ▁at