54 
MEJMOin OF JOHN HUNTER. 
t!ie pa])er lie had read before the Royal Society, led 
to his being brought as a uitness, and with respect 
to his appearance, it may be enough to quote the 
words of the learned Judge in his able charge to the 
■lury: “ For the piisoner you have had one gentle- 
man called, who is likewise of the faculty, and a 
very able man. I can hardly say what his opinion 
is, for he does tiot appear to have formed any opi- 
nion at all in the matter. He, at first, said be could 
not form an opinion whether the death was, or was 
not, occasioned by the poison, because he conceived 
it might be ascribed to other causes. I wdshed very 
much to have got a direct answer from Mr Hunter, 
if I could, as to what, upon the wdiole, was now the 
result of bis attention and application to the subject, 
and wdiat was his jiresent opinion ; but be says he 
can say nothing decisive.” 
This brief notice, how'ever, gives in fact but a 
most imperfect idea of Mr Hunter’s embarrassment, 
• and, as he was himself aware, apparent equivocation 
on this itnportant trial. The nature of his evidence 
was not only remarked hy the Jury and the Court, 
but became matter of general observation. It would 
almost appear that there was a difficulty of express- 
ing himself, arising not merely from a defect of lan- 
guage, but from a certain degree of inaccuracy and 
confusion of thought. As a man of genius, he un- 
questionably thought much and deeply, and that, 
too, on very abstruse’ subjects; but still there w'ere 
not wanting some who maintained that the san e 
