112 ECHOES OF OLD COUNTY LIFE. 



him of malversation of the parish money. My sister, 

 who happened to overhear the conversation, sent for me, 

 as I was enjoying a game of bowls on the bowling- 

 green. By the time I arrived upon the scene I found 

 Mr. Pursell shaking his fist in my father's face, and 

 applying the most abusive epithets to him. I hurried 

 up and told him if he "dared to insult my father I 

 would give him a deuced good horsewhipping." He 

 at onc3 turned his wrath on me, and finally I took 

 my hunting-whip and thrashed him without mercy, 

 while he strove all the time to hit me, but I was 

 far too active for him, and escaped his every onslaught. 

 He soon took himself off, and shortly afterwards 

 brought an action against my father and myself for 

 assault and battery. My father defended the action, 

 and his solicitor engaged the then well-known Serjeant 

 Storks and Mr. Byles (afterwards Mr. Justice Byles) 

 as Junior, who advised that we should plead guilty 

 and admit our liability for damages, and have a jury 

 under the Sheriff to assess them. 



The day of trial having come, we found Mr. Fitzroy 

 Kelly, afterwards Lord Chief Baron, and Mr. Roberts 

 arrayed against us. The Court was crowded to suffo- 

 cation. After the examination of the witnesses for the 

 plaintiff, Mr. Serjeant Storks said he did not intend to 

 call any witnesses, and thus prevented Mr. Kelly ad- 

 dressing the jury in reply. The serjeant made a most 

 humorous and telling speech, and the jury gave a 

 verdict " for the defendants ! " for, they said, it served 

 the rascal right, and every one of them would have 

 acted as I had done if they had been in my place. The 



