r I did or did not levy war upon his
Majesty's garrison of sixteen firelocks and his castle of Harlech.
Since the date of the Harlech war I have been present in South America
in so many enterprises, even more desperate, that I cannot pretend to
recal every circumstance: I am apt to confound them with one another.
But the general fact of this expedition against Harlech I think the
witnesses for the crown have established tolerably well. Some of them
indeed gave their evidence in rather unmilitary language, and seemed to
be unduely impressed with the magnitude of that war: but their meaning
was good! and their dates, I dare say, all perfectly correct. I am sure
I have no witnesses to call on my part that could shake either their
history, their chronology, their geography, or in fact any one thing
that is theirs--excepting always their martial tactics, which certainly
are susceptible of improvement. As to cross-examining them, or any
thing of that sort,--I am sure they all want to dine: and I would be
sorry to leave an uncharitable impression of myself amongst so many
respectable yeomen, by detaining them under such circumstances. And,
gentlemen of the jury, if you will excuse me as a soldier for jesting
with you at parting, I am sure that _you_ also wish to be out hunting
on such a fine day as this. And I will acknowledge that I should myself
be disposed to view a prisoner's case as very atrocious who kept me
needlessly in court in such weather as this. As to the learned counsel,
_their_ hunt is in the court: and undoubtedly, by making so few
doubles, I have afforded them but poor sport. I shall not even take
exception to the name by which I am indicted. But the lawyers (though I
feel for _them_ also) are the minority in this court. And besides they
have as little power to save me, as the learned gentleman in the silk
gown apparently has the will. You it is, gentlemen of the jury, that are
the arbiters of my fate: and, if I wished to gain a favourable verdict
from you, I conceive (as I said before) that in so hopeless a case as
mine I could take no more rational course towards that end than by giving
you as little trouble as possible.

"But, gentlemen, in conclusion I will tell you that I do _not_ wish for
a favourable verdict; and, if I did, I should not be here: for I have
had it in my power to escape a hundred times over. The truth is--lest
any man should misunderstand me as though it were an evil conscience or
vicious