es of ill-repute,
which I cannot recollect now, and could not render into English were I
to recall them, should, upon complaint of the person aggrieved, and
upon proof of the offence by the evidence of worthy and truth-speaking
witnesses, be amerced in such penalty, not exceeding a certain sum, as
in the estimation of the presiding magistrate should be held to be a
proper compensation for the injury to his reputation suffered by the
plaintiff. When the clerk drew breath at the end of the long-winded
clause, I inquired if the law in question made no counter-provision
for cases which might occur where, the abusive term being richly
deserved, it could be no crime to apply it. The schoolmaster, who,
despite his patched habiliments, was a clever fellow, at once answered
my question in the negative, and justified the omission of any such
provision by contraverting the position I had advanced upon moral
grounds. This he did in a speech of some length, and with remarkable
ingenuity and good sense; proving--to the satisfaction of his
fellow-townsmen at least--that to taunt a malefactor openly with his
misdeeds, was not the way to reform him, while it was a sure mode of
producing a contrary result; and winding up with an assurance, that
the law was a good law, and perfect in all its parts; and that if I
had suffered wrong, I might obtain at their hands redress as readily
and with as much facility as my antagonist.

I had nothing to reply to this, and the proceedings went on in due
form. Without being sworn, the plaintiff was called upon to state his
case, which he did with an elaborate circumlocution altogether without
a parallel in my experience. He detailed the whole history of his
life--from his birth, in Wolfenbuettel, up to his seven years' service
in the army; then followed his whole military career; and after that,
his service under the _weg_-inspector, which was rewarded at length by
the gratification of his honest ambition, in his appointment as
supernumerary deputy road inspector of the district. He enlarged upon
the service he had rendered to, and the honours he had received from,
his country; and then put it to his judges to decide whether, as a
public officer, a soldier, and a man of honour, he could submit to be
stigmatised as a schurke, without appealing to the laws of his
Fatherland to vindicate his character. Of course it was not to be
thought of. He then detailed the circumstances of the assault I had
made upon