Part 82 (2/2)

Mr. Adolphus, in an able and ingenious address to the Jury, contended that the indictment must fail, inasmuch as the evidence did not satisfy the allegation in the indictment, that the defendant had sold the body for lucre and gain. Now there was no proof whatever that it had been sold, which might have easily been made out, if the fact was so, by summoning Mr. Brooks, the anatomist. The real fact was, that the body had been stolen by other persons from the defendant's house, and the defendant had been driven to the miserable s.h.i.+fts proved in evidence, in order to conceal the misfortune, and prevent the loss of his lucrative situation in the gaol.

No witnesses to facts were called for the defendant; but several persons gave him a good character for honesty and industry.

The Jury, under the learned Judge's directions, found the defendant Guilty.

~192~~ The Squire having perused this appalling account of human depravity, expressed himself in energetic terms of indignation against the miscreant, who to the acute miseries of maternal affliction at the premature loss of a son, and by such a death! could add the bitter anguish of consigning his cold remains, unseen by any earthly spirit of sympathy, to the knife of the dissector, in breach of every law moral and divine! In the warmth of his kindly feelings, the Squire would have uttered a curse, had he not been prevented by the entrance of his old friend, Sir Felix O'Grady. The two friends received their quondam acquaintance with much cordiality. ”Cuish la mevchree! exclaimed the Baronet, shaking heartily the hands of Tom and Bob; ”and how have you done these many long days past?”--This inquiry having been satisfactorily answered, Sir Felix explained the object of his visit:--”Aunts of all sorts, or any sort, or no sort at all at all,”

said he, ”are cursed bad things, sure enough; as somebody in the play says.”

This abrupt commencement excited the risible feelings of Dashall and his Cousin, which were further stimulated by Sir Felix seriously appealing to their commiseration, under the pressure of misfortune,--”for this same respectable maiden lady, Mrs. Judith Macgilligan, my venerable aunt as aforesaid, has recently imported her antiquated piece of virginity from her native mountains near Belfast, and having had my address pat enough, the worse luck, the sowl, with an affected anxiety for my welfare, must take up her residence, while in town, in the same house with her dutiful nephew, that she may have the opportunity of watching over him in his erratic pursuits, as she says, with maternal solicitude; that is, in other words, to spy into all my actions, and bore me everlastingly with her intolerable company. It was but the blessed morning of yesterday that she took a fancy to exhibit her beautiful person at the lounge in Bond-street;--by-the-bye, this same paragon of perfection has pa.s.sed her grand climacteric, being on the wrong side of sixty;--is as thin as a lath and as tall as a May-pole;--speaks an indescribable language of the mongrel kind, between Irish and Scotch, of which she is profuse to admiration; and forgetting the antiquity of her person, prides herself on the antiquity of her ancestry so much, that she is said to bear a strong resemblance to her grandmother, judging from the full-length portrait (painted seventy years ago,) of that worthy progenitor of our family, who was a descendent, lineally, from O'Brien king of Ulster, that she copies her dress on all public occasions, to the great amus.e.m.e.nt and edification of the spectators; and in these venerable habiliments she promenaded Bond-street, hanging on my arm;--by the Powers, till I felt ashamed of my precious charge, for all the world was abroad, and my reverend aunt was the universal magnet of attraction.”

”Well, and you find yourself comfortable,” said Dashall,--”we have all of us foibles, and why expect your aunt to be exempted from them?--Have you any thing in expectance,--is she rich?”

~193~~ ”Twenty thousand pounds, twice told,” replied Sir Felix, ”sterling money of Great Britain, in which I have a reversionary interest.”

”Why then,” said Tallyho, ”you cannot do better than contribute all in your power to her ease and pleasure; and in exercising this commendable duty, you will gain present satisfaction, and may justly antic.i.p.ate future benefit.”

”And,” added Dashall, ”if my Cousin or myself can by any means further your object, in contributing towards the full attainment of your aunt's amus.e.m.e.nt while she remains in town, you may command our services.”

”By the powers of fortune,” exclaimed the Baronet, ”you have just given me the opportunity I was wis.h.i.+ng for; that is, I had a favour to ask, but which I could not find courage enough to do, notwithstanding my native a.s.surance, until now. You must know, then, that on Easter Monday, the ill.u.s.trious Judith Macgilligan, descendant lineally from O'Brien king of Ulster, means to honour the Civic entertainment with her sublime presence, and grace the Ball at the Mansion-house in a dress resembling that of her grandmother the princess, worn seventy years ago. Now, my dear friends, having pledged yourselves to contribute all in your power towards the pleasure of my venerable aunt, which of you will be her partner for the evening?”

The pause of a moment was succeeded by a hearty laugh; Tallyho had no objections to the hand, as a partner at the ball, of Miss Judith Macgilligan, even should she choose to array herself after the manner of the princess her grandmother. But Dashall observing that as no masque b.a.l.l.s were given at the Mansion-house, it would be necessary that Miss Macgilligan should forego her intention of appearing otherwise than in modern costume. Sir Felix undertook to arrange this point with his relative, and in the name and on behalf of Squire Tallyho, of Belville-hall, to engage the distinguished honour of her hand at the ensuing Mansion-house Ball. This important affair having been satisfactorily adjusted, it was proposed by Dashall that, as his Cousin and the Baronet had neither of them ever been present at the Epping Hunt on Easter Monday, they should form themselves into a triumvirate for the purpose of enjoying that pleasure on the morrow. The Squire having in town ~194~~ two hunters from his own stud, embraced the proposition with the avidity of a true sportsman, and Sir Felix declining the offer of one of these fleet-footed coursers, it was agreed they should be under the guidance of Tom and Bob, and that Sir Felix should accompany them, mounted on his own sober gelding, early in the morning, to the field of Nimrod, from which they purposed to return to town in sufficient time to witness other holiday sports, before dressing for the entertainment at the Mansion-house.

These preliminaries settled, and Sir Felix agreeing to take a pot-luck dinner with his two friends, the trio resolved on a morning lounge of observation, and sallying forth, took their way along Piccadilly accordingly.

Although it was Sunday morning, this street presented, with the exception of the shops being closed, nearly the same appearance of bustle as on any other day; the number of pedestrians was not apparently less, and of equestrians and carriage-occupants, an increase; the two latter description of the ton, actually or would-be, pa.s.sing onwards to the general Sunday rendezvous, Hyde-Park, where Real Life in London is amusingly diversified; and where may be seen frequently, amongst the promiscuous promenaders of the Mall, a prince of the blood-royal undistinguishable by external ornament from any of the most humble in the moving panorama; while an endless succession of carriages, in which are seated, what England beyond any other country may proudly boast of, some of the most beautiful women in the world, present the observer with an enlivening theme of admiration; and, together with the mounted exhibiters, from the man of fas.h.i.+on on the ”pampered, prancing steed,”

to the youth of hebdomadary emanc.i.p.ation on ”the hacked Bucephalus of Rotten Row,” form an a.s.semblage at once ludicrous and interesting.

Having circ.u.mambulated the ”Ring,” our triumvirate returned by the gate in Piccadilly, and crossing from thence to Const.i.tution-hill, Dashall pointed out to his companions the seat, as now fixed upon (on the summit of the Green Park) of a Military Pillar, intended to be raised in commemoration of the many victories achieved by British valour in the last war. ”This plan, if properly carried into effect by the erection (said Dashall) of a column equal in splendor of execution ~195~~ with the glory it is meant to record, will be the greatest ornament of the metropolis.”

”If again,” added the Squire, ”it does not prove like some other recent projections, a Castle in the air!”{1}

1 Tallyho probably alludes to the long meditated Monument in memory of the late Princess Charlotte, towards the memory of which a very large sum of money was raised by public subscription.

Without any other occurrence worthy of remark, the perambulators reached home, and enjoyed the comfortable quietude of an excellent domestic dinner, without interruption. Every arrangement having been made for the amus.e.m.e.nts of next day, the party broke up, Sir Felix returning to his lodgings, to gladden the heart of Miss Judith Macgilligan with the antic.i.p.ation of conquest; and Dashall and Tallyho retiring to early repose, that they might encounter the business of the morning with recruited renovation.--Next day

The feathered songster chanticleer Had wound his bugle horn, And told the early villager The coming of the morn;--

When the Baronet made his appearance ”on a milk-white steed,” before the mansion of Dashall. In a few moments the friendly trio were a.s.sembled in the breakfast-parlour, and partook of a hasty repast while the coursers from the Belville-stud, destined to perform a prominent part in the forthcoming adventures of the day, were getting in readiness. The preparations were soon completed,--the hunters, two n.o.ble animals, were brought to the door,

Each ”with neck like a rainbow, erecting his crest, Paniper'd, prancing and pleas'd, his head touching his breast.”

”Saddle White Surrey for the field to-morrow,”

was the order of Richard,” said the Baronet; ”but had he been in possession of such a horse as either of these, 'White Surrey' might have gone to the devil.”

”I'll warrant them both, sound, wind and limb, and gentle to boot,”

said the Squire,--”Come then, if you wish to be well-mounted, and would really look like a ”baron bold,” seat yourself fearlessly on either, and bear yourself through the streets of London with the dignity ~196~~ befitting a true, magnanimous and puissant knight of Munster!”--This address had the desired effect,--it implied a doubt of the Baronet's courage, and he seated himself on the ”gallant steed” immediately.--Tom and Bob at same time betook themselves, the former to the other ”high mettled racer,” and the latter to the una.s.suming rejected Rosinante of Sir Felix. A trifling delay, however, occurred; the stirrups of the Baronet's charger were too short, and he alighted while the groom repaired the defect.

Now see him mounted once again Upon his nimble steed; Full slowly pacing o'er the stones, With caution and good heed.

Whether, like the Calenderer's horse under the its guidance of the celebrated John Gilpin, the disdainful steed now in the management of Sir Felix, ”wondered what thing he'd got upon his back,” we are not competent to decide; but he certainly in his progress ”o'er the stones” manifested frequent impatience of restraint. These symptoms of contumaciousness were nevertheless borne by the Baronet without complaint,--

Till finding soon a smoother road Beneath its well-shod feet, The snorting beast began to trot, Which galled him in his seat.

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