[Milton-L] Treason law

[Carol Barton]

Yes. But I did mean to say, too, that even so, "compassing" is still 
not merely thinking. A student might, for example, think, "I'd really 
like to kill him!" about his teacher--but to be guilty of 
"compassing," he would have to take some overt action that 
demonstrates a real intent, rather than merely engaging in an idle 
daydream (of which no one else would be aware until and unless he 
acted on it in some fashion). A number of children were recently 
caught in a conspiracy to kill their teacher--they had made plans, 
assembled an execution squad, and so on. That's hardly the same thing 
as getting a bad grade and thinking "Oooooh, I'd love to strangle that 
teacher!"