JET. 43.] ON QUEEN CAROLINE. 431 



deliverance ; and I moved for and obtained, as her 

 Attorney-General, a rule for a criminal information.""* 

 She was very anxious to make the affidavit to the 

 falsehood of the charges usual in all such applications 

 to the court, but upon precedents being searched, 

 it was found that a Queen-Consort makes no such 

 affidavit, but has the prerogative of moving by her 

 Attorney-General, and no affidavit could be received. 

 Her death happened before the trial, which took place 

 at Lancaster, Mr Justice Holroyd presiding, and I was 

 of course the counsel for the prosecution; Blacow 

 defending himself in a long and rambling abuse of 



o o o 



everybody as well as the Queen, in answer to my 

 speech of less than ten minutes, which was as follows : 



"May it please your Lordship, gentlemen of the 

 jury, It is my painful duty to bring before you the 

 particulars of this case ; it is yours to try it ; and my 

 part shall be performed in a very short time indeed ; 

 for I have little, if anything, more to do than merely 

 to read what I will not characterise by words of my 

 own ; but I will leave to you, and I may leave to 

 every man whose judgment is not perverted and 

 whose heart is not corrupt, to affix the proper descrip- 

 tion to the writing, and his fitting character to the 

 author. I will read to you what the defendant com- 

 posed and printed ; and 1 need do no more. You have 

 heard from my learned friend, and if you still have any 

 doubt, it will soon be removed, to whom the following 

 passage applies. Of the late Queen it is that the passage 

 is written and published. It is in these words : 



" 'The term " cowardly/ 7 which they have now laid 

 to my charge, I think you will do me the justice to 



* See Speeches, i. 280 et seq. 



