70 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



Mr. Scarlett's appearance, that from me " hope withering fled, and 

 mercy sighed farewell.'''' The trial proceeded, affording as much 

 amusement to a large audience as any theatrical farce. The 

 boors who appeared in support of the allegation were superbly 

 ignorant and highly uncouth, and their cross-examination by 

 Brougham was beautiful ! The fellow who struck me, a sort of 

 " near London giant " I can't liken him to the straightforward 

 labourer of more rural districts, having been very confused in 

 his evidence, as well as contradictory, was asked by Brougham, on 

 his delaying to answer a question, " Come, sir, perhaps you can 

 tell the jury while this was passing whether you stood on your 

 head or your heels ?" The man hesitated to answer this, and, 

 after scratching his head vigorously, replied, to the infinite amuse- 

 ment of the court, " that a didn't know." Brougham said, " I 

 thought so " ; Lord Tenterden put aside his pen and stared at 

 the witness, and Brougham I think sat down. Now, though this 

 seemed the reply of an idiot, or a man so confused that he did 

 not know what he was saying, in justice to all parties I must 

 declare that the man was actually on his head or his back a great 

 part of the time, and not on his heels ; for he was one of those 

 dragged over the sill of the barn-door, and, because he would not 

 let go his fork or shovel, he was detained on his back among the 

 manure, as a sort of place whence he could achieve no harm ; he 

 had, therefore, a valid reason to hesitate, as well as for the reply 

 which he rendered in his cross-examination. Witness after 

 witness for the prosecution afforded amusement to the court on 

 account of their size and stolid stupidity, and I remember Sir 

 George Seymour whispering to me " that we seemed to have 

 forgathered with a race of giants." One of my witnesses, who 

 had volunteered his testimony, and which fact had become known 

 to Mr. Scarlett, caught it severely. This was Mr. Cauty, the 

 auctioneer. Mr. Scarlett, having obtained the admission that 

 he had recently volunteered an appearance in my favour, as he 

 could tell no more than any one else, told the jury " he could not 

 account for the fact of his learned friend's having placed that 

 witness before them (looking full at Mr. Cauty's hair, which was 



