e
fortunate, and probably--I may say certainly--more meritorious
countrymen. I do not indeed go so far as to say that this woman is in
collusion with those ferocious ruffians who have made these sacred
precincts of justice ring with their ribald and threatening scoff's. But
the persistence of these riotous interruptions, and the ease with which
their perpetrators have evaded arrest, have produced a strange impression
in my mind. (_Very impressively_.) However, gentlemen, that impression
I do not ask you to share; on the contrary, I warn you against it, just
as I warn you against being moved by the false sentiment uttered by this
woman, tinged as it was by the most revolutionary--nay, the most
bloodthirsty feeling. Dismiss all these non-essentials from your minds,
gentlemen, and consider the evidence only; and show this mistaken woman
the true majesty of English Law by acquitting her--if you are not
satisfied with the abundant, clear, and obviously unbiassed evidence, put
before you with that terseness and simplicity of diction which
distinguishes our noble civil force. The case is so free from intricacy,
gentlemen, that I need not call your attention to any of the details of
that evidence. You must either accept it as a whole and bring in a
verdict of guilty, or your verdict must be one which would be tantamount
to accusing the sergeant and constables of wilful and corrupt perjury;
and I may add, wanton perjury; as there could be no possible reason for
these officers departing from the strict line of truth. Gentlemen I
leave you to your deliberations.

_Foreman of Jury_. My lord, we have already made up our minds. Your
lordship need not leave the Court: we find the woman guilty.

_J. N_. (_gravely nodding his head_). It now remains for me to give
sentence. Prisoner at the bar, you have been convicted by a jury of your
countrymen--

_A Voice_. That's a lie! You convicted her: you were judge and jury
both.

_J. N_. (_in a fury_). Officer, you are a disgrace to your coat! Arrest
that man, I say. I would have had the Court cleared long ago, but that I
hoped that you would have arrested the ruffian if I gave him a chance of
repeating his--his crime.

[_The_ USHER _makes his usual promenade_.

_J. N_. You have been convicted by a jury of your countrymen of stealing
three loaves of bread; and I do not see how in the face of the evidence
they could have come to any other verdict. Convicted of such a se