Henry blasted the Anglican clergy as greedy and self-centered. He charged that they had violated the basic tenets of Scripture by serving "mammon" instead of God. And he accused them of being "rapacious harpies" who would, had they the power, "snatch from the hearth of their honest parishioner his last hoe-cake, from the widow and her orphan children her last milch cow!"
The parsons present stormed out in protest during Henry's hourlong harangue. But it was evident to most in the courtroom that day that Henry had galvanized the audience. He closed by telling the jurors they were under no obligation to award any damages to Reverend Maury, but if they should do so, it should be but a "farthing."
Lyons concluded the trial by defending the honor of the clergy and the King, and reminding the jury of the colony's obligation to its clergy based on its own original law.
The jury deliberated for only a few moments. Soon, they were back - and they awarded Reverend Maury one penny.
Neither Judge Henry nor the sheriff could contain the tumult that ensued as courtroom spectators seized young Henry up on their shoulders and triumphantly carried him out into the daylight. In spite of the crowd's adoration and enthusiasm, Henry was sensitive to the consequences of his tactics. He sought out Reverend Maury and apologized for any affront to the clergyman's character. Maury recalled later, quite bitterly, that Henry alluded to personal aspirations, rather than conviction, being his motive for taking the case. Whether this is true or not, no one knows for sure.
Henry's law practice and popularity soared, and by 1765, he jumped at the opportunity to seek elected office. Eschewing the normal route of starting at the county level, Henry sought, in his first race, election to the House of Burgesses. And he was successful, becoming a colonial legislator in his late twenties.
Now, he stood before the House of Burgesses, proposing 6 resolutions for their consideration. No doubt feeling the dissatisfaction of his richer and more experienced colleagues, Patrick Henry began his remarks calmly and deliberately. Laying out the colonial case in careful and increasingly dramatic fashion, Henry explained how parliamentary taxation by London usurped the right of the American people to govern and tax themselves. He then introduced his resolutions.
The first four essentially summarized Virginia's already established position on the issue, albeit with sharper language. They read:
