57 



The motives assigned to the accused are three in number. 

 The first, which attributes to them the use of human blood, is 

 a gratuitous assertion, of which no shadow of proof is advanced. 

 Intelligent Jews admit that there are "mysteries" connected 

 with their religion in modern times, and known only to the 

 initiated; but so there are in freemasonry, with which human 

 blood has nothing to do. The charge that they would throw 

 contempt on the crucifixion is equally unsupported ; and that 

 which refers to the materials of their medicines is contrary 

 to known fact. The Jews do not, and never did, as a class, 

 pretend to possess magical powers; for their skill in the heal- 

 ing art, during the middle ages, was the application of natural 

 principles by cultivated and benevolent minds, superior to those 

 of the persons among whom they lived. Referring to the 

 motives assigned to the Jews, Bishop Meury remarks, « the 

 reasons are so shameful and frivolous, that I disdain to men- 

 tion them." 



In an age of enlightenment, when civilization and humanity 

 are transforming a large portion of our species, so that a spu- 

 rious mercy is often found disturbing the scales of justice, we 

 are reluctant to believe that the passions of our nature ever 

 developed themselves as suggested. Yet the truth is, that the 



safsfy claims on the ground of fraud; the sympathy is naturally roused in favour of 

 the weaker party. The grossest fraud on the part of the insurer, say in a life insn 

 ranee, » sometimes shown J and the counsel, on the part of his representatives, openly 

 appeals to the jury to apply the case to themselves, and consider the hardship The 

 tu quoque principle is at once felt; the verdict is given in the face of evidence and 

 m mne cases out of ten is received in the court with cheers ! It would be an endless 

 task to g,ve all the known examp.es of this great general principle. A woman was 

 prosecuted at Liverpool for child-murder, and the jury retired to their room; when 

 one of them plainly announced, in a broad Lancashire dialect, that he did not know 

 or care whether she was guilty or not, but he knew « she maun na be anged ' - It 

 was sworn in evidence before a Carmarthenshire jury, that a man had killed his 

 ne.ghbours ass, partly by beating it with a stake, and partly bv throwing it into a 

 river to which he dragged it. The jury acquitted him of the ac"t ! and on his Lord- 

 sh,p expressmg some surprise at the verdict, the foreman gravelr replied-" Ah m v 

 Lord, von don't know what trouble we have with these donkeys!! ' 



