148 . COMPLIMENT 



It then came to my turn, when, addressing the bench, 

 I said that, as the prisoner had already suffered six weeks' 

 imprisonment, and had been sentenced to another, I 

 should beg leave to withdraw my prosecution, as my wish 

 was certainly to punish, but not to persecute ; and, as 

 the law had been enforced, and the liberty of the subject 

 vindicated, I was quite satisfied. 



The third followed my example, and the sergeant was 

 removed from the dock. 



My friend was almost bursting with rage at what he 

 called our pusillanimity, while I had won golden ojoinions 

 from the court and Recorder. The latter, rising, compli- 

 mented me very highly, saying he had never witnessed 

 in the whole of his legal career such an act of well-timed 

 forbearance, expressed with such earnest and kind con- 

 sideration, and begged to know my name, that he might 

 append it to a note he should make of so praiseworthy 

 and uncommon an occurrence. 



At this my friend appeared extremely mortified, which 

 he did not fail to express in very angry terms ; but in a 

 few days his own good sense prevailed, and the excellent 

 understandino; between us was restored, and never after- 

 wards jeopardized. 



I will conclude this diversified chapter with an occur- 

 rence of a different nature, but one that terminated before 

 a similar tribunal. 



The population among whom I resided included a 

 greater portion of that ancient people who are to be 

 found in almost every nation under the sun, tlian any 

 other city or town in the kingdom, London alone 

 excepted. Whether it be that the locality affords a more 



