ented
man. He conceals it so well though--perhaps with the merciful view of
not astonishing ordinary people too much--that you would suppose him to
be one of the stupidest dogs alive.

The gentleman in the spectacles having concluded his judgment, and a few
minutes having been allowed to elapse, to afford time for the buzz of the
Court to subside, the registrar called on the next cause, which was 'the
office of the Judge promoted by Bumple against Sludberry.' A general
movement was visible in the Court, at this announcement, and the obliging
functionary with silver staff whispered us that 'there would be some fun
now, for this was a brawling case.'

We were not rendered much the wiser by this piece of information, till we
found by the opening speech of the counsel for the promoter, that, under
a half-obsolete statute of one of the Edwards, the court was empowered to
visit with the penalty of excommunication, any person who should be
proved guilty of the crime of 'brawling,' or 'smiting,' in any church, or
vestry adjoining thereto; and it appeared, by some eight-and-twenty
affidavits, which were duly referred to, that on a certain night, at a
certain vestry-meeting, in a certain parish particularly set forth,
Thomas Sludberry, the party appeared against in that suit, had made use
of, and applied to Michael Bumple, the promoter, the words 'You be
blowed;' and that, on the said Michael Bumple and others remonstrating
with the said Thomas Sludberry, on the impropriety of his conduct, the
said Thomas Sludberry repeated the aforesaid expression, 'You be blowed;'
and furthermore desired and requested to know, whether the said Michael
Bumple 'wanted anything for himself;' adding, 'that if the said Michael
Bumple did want anything for himself, he, the said Thomas Sludberry, was
the man to give it him;' at the same time making use of other heinous and
sinful expressions, all of which, Bumple submitted, came within the
intent and meaning of the Act; and therefore he, for the soul's health
and chastening of Sludberry, prayed for sentence of excommunication
against him accordingly.

Upon these facts a long argument was entered into, on both sides, to the
great edification of a number of persons interested in the parochial
squabbles, who crowded the court; and when some very long and grave
speeches had been made _pro_ and _con_, the red-faced gentleman in the
tortoise-shell spectacles took a review of the case, which occupied hal