heavily punished in the King's Bench every day. This is neither more nor
less than a plain, barefaced cheat.

Now, my Lords, let us see how it is justified. To justify openly and
directly a cheat, to justify a fraud upon an individual, is reserved for
our times. But, good Heavens, what a justification have we here! Oh, my
Lords, consider into what a state Indian corruption has brought us in
this country, when any person can be found to come to the bar of the
House of Lords and say, "I did cheat, I did defraud; I did promise, and
gave my bond; I have now withdrawn it, but I will account for it to you
as to a gang of robbers concerned with me in the transaction. I confess
I robbed this man; but I have acted as trustee for the gang. Observe
what I have done for the gang. Come forward, Mr. Auriol, and prove what
handsome budgeros I gave the company: were not they elegantly painted,
beautifully gilt, charming and commodious? I made use of them as long
as I had occasion; and though they are little worse for wear, and would
hardly suffer the least percentage deduction from prime cost upon them,
I gave them to the company. Oh, I did not put the money into my own
pocket. I provided for myself and wore a suit of lace clothes, when I
was Jew bail for some of this company: it will turn, for it is hardly
the worse for wear, though I appeared two or three times, in different
characters, as bail for you on such and such an occasion. I therefore
set off these items against this money which I gained by swindling on
your account. It is true I also picked such a one's pocket of a watch;
here it is; I have worn it as long as it was convenient; now I give the
watch to the company, and let them send it to the pawnbroker for what it
will bring. Besides all this, I maintained aide-de-camps for you, and
gave them house-rent." (By the way, my Lords, what sort of aide-de-camps
were these? Who made him a military man, and to have such a legion of
aide-de-camps?) "But," says he, "I paid house-rent for them; that is, in
other words, I paid, at night-cellars and houses in Saint Giles's,
sixpence a week for some of the gang." (This, my Lords, is the real
spirit of the whole proceeding, and more especially of the last item in
it.) "Then," says he, "I was the gang's schoolmaster, and taught lessons
on their account. I founded a Mahometan school." (Your Lordships have
already heard something of this shameful affair, of this scene of
iniquity,--I think o