times to hear free and independent advocates, and did not think that now and then a dash at the judge and jury was at all amiss. But really Mr. Clarke had raised his voice to such a Hunt-ing pitch, he had almost imagined himself in Spafield, or Smithfield at least. With respect to Mr. Meara's deposition about selling tubs, he did not think his "Tale of a Tub" could have much weight. He begged to call the attention of the jury to the evidence of Mrs. Salter; and notwithstanding that she had been well salted in her cross-examination, he would request them to contrast it with that of Margaret Lee, and "Look on this picture, and on that." The jury would recollect the evidence of Gorman, who proved, that both before and after the marriage was alleged to have taken place, Margaret Lee used to dine with Mr. Watson's servants, called him master, and, in short, instead of his having respected her as Mrs. Watson, he treated her as one of the very Lees" of society. His lordship summed up the remainder of the evidence, and concluded by congratulating the court and the jury that this trial was so nearly closed, for, from its great length, he feared it would have become a "Watson's Sheet Almanack,” and detain them the whole year.

Giving judgment in another case in the Court of Common Pleas, in Dublin, his lordship observed, that it was insufficient for the defendant in a writ of right to say, "he claimed by descent." "That," continued, his lordship, "would be a shrewd answer for a sweep who had got into your house by coming down the chimney: Pray, sir, how did you get into my house?' I got in by descent. Facilis descensus averni; and this would be an easy and a Sweeping way of getting in."

KING'S EVIDENCE.

During a trial at the Carlow Assizes in 1819, on au indictment against Dennis Nowlan and Edward Furlong, for stealing thirty pounds of tobacco, the following confessions were extracted from James Ferris, an accomplice in the robbery, who was admitted king's evidence. He was cross-examined by Mr. Green.

Q. Witness, how many gaols have you been in? A. Only two, and not more than once in each. Q. How many robberies have you been at altogether?-A. Together! (laughing) why, sure I could not be at more than one at a time.

Q. You certainly have knocked me down by that answer. (Loud laughing in court.) Come, now, tell us how many you have been at?-A. I never put them down; for I never thought it would come to my turn to give an account of them.

Q. By virtue of your oath, sir, will you swear that you have not been at fifteen?—A. I would not (witness laughing)!

Q. Would you swear that you have not been at twenty-A. I would not (still laughing) !

Q. Do you recollect robbing the widow Byrne, in the county of Wicklow ?—A. The widow Byrne, who is she? May be, it is big Nell you mean. Oh ! I only took a trifle of whiskey from her, that's all. Q. Was it day or night? A-(Laughing) Why it was night, to be sure.

Q. Did you not rob the poor woman of evere article in the house; even her bed-clothes, and thy clothes off her back?-A. I took clothes, but they where not on her back.

Q. Do you recollect stealing two flitches of bacon from Doran, the Wexford carman?-A. Faith I do, and a pig's head besides! (Loud laughing in court.)

Q. Do you recollect robbing John Keogh, in the county of Wicklow, and taking every article in his house?-A. You're wrong there; I did not take every thing; I only took his money, and a few other things! (Witness and the auditory laughing immoderately)

Q. Why, you're a mighty good-humoured fellow ? A. There is not a better humoured fellow in the county-there may be honester !

The prisoners were acquitted, to the evident satisfaction of a very crowded court.

James Ferris, the approver, was then indicted for the robbery. He pleaded guilty; and the Clerk of the Crown put the usual question to the prisoner, "What have you to say why sentence of death and execution shall not be pronounced against you?" The fellow pleaded the benefit of the statute, and laughed in his face.

GARRICK AT LAW.

The following jeu d'esprit, from the pen of David Garrick, was sent by him to Mr. Counsellor Hotchkin, at a time when Garrick was involved in a law suit respecting the possession of a house at Hampton.

David Garrick to Mr. Hotchkin, his counsellor and friend.

On your care must depend the success of my suit, The possession I mean of the house in dispute ;

Remember, my friend, an attorney's my foe,
And the worst of his tribe, tho' the best are so so;
In law, as in life, 1 well know 'tis a rule,

That the knave should be ever too hard for the fool;
To this rule one exception your client implores,
That the fool may for once kick the knave out of doors.

SWIFT AND BETTESWORTH.

Dean Swift having taken a strong dislike to Sergeant Bettesworth, revenged himself by the following lines in one of his poems:

So at the bar the booby Bettesworth,

Tho' half-a-crown out-pays his sweat's worth,
Who knows in law, nor text, nor margent,
Calls Singleton his brother Sergeant.

The poem was sent to Bettesworth, when he was in company with some of his friends. He read it aloud, till he had finished the lines relating to himself. He then flung it down with great violence, trembled and turned pale. After some pause, his rage for a while depriving him of utterance, he took out his penknife, and swore he would cut off the dean's ears with it. Soon after he went to seek the dean at his house; and not finding him at home, followed him to a friend's, where he had an interview with him. Upon entering the room, Swift desired to know his commands. "Sir," says he, "I am Sergeant Bet-tesworth;" in his usual pompous way of pronouncing his name in three distinct syllables. Of what regiment, pray?" says Swift. 'O, Mr. Dean, we know your powers of raillery; you know me well enough, that I am one of his majesty's sergeants at law."

"What then, sir?" Why then, sir, I am come to demand of you, whether you are the author of this poem, (producing it) and the villainous lines on me?” at the same time reading them aloud with great vehemence of emphasis, and much gesticulation. "Sir," said Swift," it was a piece of advice given me in my early days by Lord Somers, never to own or disown any writing laid to my charge; because, if I did this in some cases, whatever I did not disown afterwards would infallibly be imputed to me as mine. Now, sir, I take this to have been a very wise maxim, and as such have followed it ever since; and I believe it will hardly be in the power of all your rhetoric, as great a master as you are of it, to make me swerve from that rule." Bettesworth replied, "Well, since you will give me no satisfaction in this affair, let me tell you, that your gown is alone your protection," and then left the room.

The sergeant continuing to utter violent threats against the Dean, there was an association formed and signed by all the principal inhabitants in the neighbourhood, to stand by and support their general benefactor, against any one who should attempt to offer the least injury to his person or fortune. Besides, the public indignation became so strong against the sergeant, that although he had made a considerable figure at the bar, he now lost his business, and was seldom employed in any suit afterwards.

THE GUNPOWDER PLOT.

On the trial of Guy Fawkes and his associates for the Gunpowder Plot, Sir Edward Phillips, his Majesty's