BIRDS' NESTS. 231 



the most natural course that you could have 

 pursued, would have been to have told Mr. 

 Morris the whole truth; and had you then been 

 brought before us, we should have taken your 

 youth into consideration, and probably have 

 inflicted only a trifling penalty. Instead, how^- 

 ever, of telling the truth, you endeavoured to 

 shift the blame from yourself to some one else, 

 thereby proving that you knew you had done 

 wrong; and not content with this falsehood, 

 you did all in your power, though without 

 any effect, to injure the character of a man 

 who, for truth, honesty and integrity, is on a 

 par with any one in this hall. Taking into 

 account, therefore, your evident consciousness 

 that what you were doing was wrong, your 

 falsehoods, and your malicious spirit towards 

 Mr. Morris, we think we should not do right 

 were we not to pass on you a severe sentence, 

 which is, that you pay a fine of 3/., or be im- 

 prisoned for two months. I shall make it my 



