272 SMALL DAMAGES. 



The trial came off at the next 

 ensuing summer assizes, at Winchester, 

 before Mr. Justice Gazelee, a Portsmouth 

 man. We had engaged the leading coun- 

 sel on the circuit. The case was called 

 on, and the court was crowded After 

 the usual argument by counsel on both 

 sides, and the examination of witnesses, 

 the judge summed up; and adverting to 

 the trivial nature of the case, and dwell- 

 ing with emphasis on the provocation 

 given by the plaintiff's calling the de- 

 fendant a smock-faced boy, his lordship 

 told the jury, the smallest coin in the 

 King's dominions would be sufficient 

 remuneration. The jury, without retiring, 

 returned a verdict, damages sixpence. I 

 was standing in an elevated position, di- 

 rectly opposite the judge, and at the 

 moment threw a sixpence on the green 

 cloth, round which the counsellers sat, 

 which elicited a loud laugh from the 

 whole court. We then celebrated our 



