used
by my brother Downright on this memorable occasion was no other than the
notes which the chief-justice himself had taken on one of the arguments
in the case in question, and that, seeing the names and title of the
cause, besides finding it no easy matter to read his own writing, that
high officer of the crown had, very naturally, supposed that all was
right. As to the rest of the bench, they were in too great a hurry to
go to dinner, to stop and read affidavits, and the case was instantly
disposed of, by the following decision:

"Regina versus Noah Poke, etc. Ordered, that the culprit be considered
non compos mentis, and that he be discharged, on finding security to
keep the peace for the remainder of his natural life."

An officer was instantly dispatched to the great square with this
reprieve, and the court rose. I delayed a little in order to enter into
the necessary recognizances in behalf of Noah, taking up at the same
time the bonds given the previous night, for his appearance to answer
to the indictments. These forms being duly complied with, my brother
Downright and myself repaired to the place of execution, in order to
congratulate our client--the former justly elated with his success,
which he assured me was not a little to the credit of his own education.

We found Noah surprisingly relieved by his liberation from the hands
of the Philistines; nor was he at all backwards in expressing his
satisfaction at the unexpected turn things had taken. According to his
account of the matter, he did not set a higher value on his head than
another; still, it was convenient to have one; had it been necessary to
part with it, he made no doubt he should have submitted to do so like a
man, referring to the fortitude with which he had borne the amputation
of his cauda, as a proof of his resolution; for his part, he should take
very good care how he accused any one with having a memory, or anything
else, again, and he now saw the excellence of those wise provisions of
the laws, which cut up a criminal in order to prevent the repetition of
his offences; he did not intend to stay much longer on shore, believing
he should be less in the way of temptation on board the Walrus than
among the monikins; and, as for his own people, he was sure of soon
catching them on board again, for they had now been off their pork
twenty-four hours, and nuts were but poor grub for foremast hands, after
all; philosophers might say what they pl