have advanced, go much farther than my publication; mine is a mere supposition of an individual receiving a personal injury from a tyrant; but the authorities which have advanced justify every individual in slaying a tyrant, without the consideration of individual or personal injury. The strictest moralist, if he be consistent and honest, cannot object to my proposition: if he does. he supports immorality and oppression, and consequently lays a false claim to the title of moralist.

I might have adduced a greater number of authorities, from the authors called profane, but I shall stop here, and draw your attention to the books of Holy Writ, to the Sacred Volume itself, for similar authorities, after which, I shall feel assured, that your oath will not allow you to find me guilty of an incitement to murder, or of a malicious intention, in publishing those observations on tyrants: even if I am to be looked upon as a principal in the act of publication. The first case of tyranny mentioned in the Bible (if we except the tyranny of the Devil in deceiving Eve) is that of Cain over Abel. I do not mention this case so much as an authority to support my argument, as to impress your minds with the odious nature of tyranny. Abel fell a victim to the tyrannical disposition of Cain, and Jehovah displays most pointedly his abhorrence of the character of Cain, by the curse which he pronounced upon him. It is also the opinion of some commentators, that the giants, which are said by their wickedness to have brought the deluge on the earth, were nothing more than giants in tyranny and wickedness, men of tyrannical dispositions. The first instance of the slaying of tyrants mentioned in the Bible, is the case of Simeon and Levi, the sons of Jacob, slaying Hamor, and Shechem, because the latter violated the laws of hospitality on the person of their sister: and the sons of Jacob justify themselves on this ground, against the remonstrance of their father: Jehovah does not complain of their conduct in this instance, therefore we are bound to infer that it was approved. The next instance is, that of Moses slaying the Egyptian for an act of . individual oppression, and it is here evident, that the circumstance was approved by the great Jehovah; because, we find Moses called to be an instrument in his hand to punish the tyrant of Pharaoh, and to rescue the Israelites from their bondage. The Mosaic law, as given

by Jehovah himself, reprehends and punishes tyranny of every kind with the greatest severity: but the most pointed instances of the approbation of Jehovah to the slaying of tyrants are to be found in the book of Judges. The first case is that of Ehud slaying Eglon. In the third chapter we find the story as follows: "And the Children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the King of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon, and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the City of Palm Trees. So the Children of Israel served Eglon the King of Moab eighteen years. But when the Children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed: and by him the Children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon, the King of Moab. But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. And he brought the present unto Eglon, King of Moab, and Eglon was a very fat man. And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present: but he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O King: who said, Keep silence, and all that stood by him went out from him. And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a mes sage from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat; and Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: and the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came."

Gentlemen of the Jury, have I need to quote another authority? Read first this story of Ehud and Eglon, then the extract in the Information, and say, Whether it be an incitement to murder? or, Whether it be a moral precept supported by the best authorities? but I will go further: The next instance, in the book of Judges, is that of Jael and Sisera, it is in the fourth chapter, as follows: "Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin, the King of Hazor, and the

house of Heber the Kenite: and Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn into me; fear not: and when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. And he said unto her Give me, I pray thee a little water to drink, for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink and covered him. Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No; then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground, for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died, And behold as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew you the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.'

The assassination of Sisera by Jael, is celebrated in the Song of Deborah and Barak, in much the same strain as the ode of Sir William Jones on the destruction of the Athenian tyrant: it says, "Blessed above women shall be the wife of Heber the Kenite, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. He asked water, and she gave him milk: she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workman's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples, at her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots? Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned an answer to herself. Have they not speed? Have they not divided the prey, to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, à prey of divers colours of needle-work, of divers colours of needle-work on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil? So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might." Is this enough, Gentlemen of the Jury, or shall I go further? I will go further, but be brief.

Samson looked upon the Philistines as tyrants and common enemies, and killed them indiscriminately. In this book of Judges, we also find, that the tyranny of the Benjamites, for their inhospitable treatment of the Levite and his concubine, is most severely punished. Again, in the book of Samuel, we find that the sons of Eli, from their wickedness and tyranny, were slain in the battle, and the ark of God captured by the Philistines. The horrid assassination of Agag by Samuel, is another strong instance of Jehovah's hatred of tyranny. Jehovah punished Saul for his tyranny; and David too, who, in other instances, was called the man after his own heart, was punished for his tyranny in the case of Uriah, and Bathsheba his wife. Rehoboam lost the greater part of his kingdom for his tyrannical rule: and Elijah denounced the tyranny of Ahab and Jezebel over Naboth; in short, all the Jewish Prophets uniformly denounced tyranny in the name of Jehovah, and threatened the tyrants with the vengeance of their God.

There is another case in point, in the slaying of Athaliah, the female tyrant, mentioned in the eleventh chapter of the Second book of Kings. She, like our present ministers, set up the cry of Treason! Treason! but her power was gone, and she met the becoming faté of all tyrants, by immediate death without trial or judgment. In the Apocryphal books of the Old Testament, I might mention the fame which Judith gained for slaying the tyrant Holofornes: and many other similar instances. might be adduced, but, I trust, I have done quite enough to shew you Gentlemen of the Jury, that the doctrine laid down in the alledged libel is by no means a novelty, but, that it stands supported by all moral and divine writers.

I shall now, Gentlemen, proceed to explain myself on the second head, which charges the majority of the present ministers with being tyrants, and which I expect will be the main point pressed upon your attention by the Solicitor General in his reply, and by the learned Judge in his summing up, although I shall have nothing to fear, if the case be fairly and impartially stated, and if by you, Gentlemen of the Jury, it be fairly and fully considered, which doubtless will be the case when a woman stands before you and I trust that you will not allow any false colouring of the case to weigh a feather in your minds

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this day, from whatever quarter it may come. I will read to you the second head, and then offer a few observations on it. The language is so plain as to render comment unnecessary, and I shall not pretend to say that its meaning is doubtful in the least instance. The second head is thus: "With respect to the plot and measures in "which those men, whom you call Cato Street Conspirators were seduced and involved by our ministers and "their agents, they have my decided disapprobation, But, as I consider that the majority of the present "ministers, are tyrants, and enemies to the interests and "welfare of the people of this country, so also am I bold "to confess, that if any man who has suffered unjustly "under their administration, should be so far indifferent "about his own life as to slay any one or more of them, I "would tune my lyre to sing his praises. I consider it to "be a want of virtue and true courage, that makes a man "seek companions to perform such an act. It is a proof, "that he calls upon others to do that, which he has not "resolution to do single-handed, and in seeking men "that will co-operate with him, he is sure to fall in with "the most vicious of mankind, and to mar all the good "he might have done as an individual. I condemn an "association for such purposes."

The first point in this head turns upon those unfortunate men who became a prey to the present ministers, under the denomination of Cato-Street Conspirators; in fact, you will observe by examaning the letter of the Reverend William Wait of Bristol to Mr. Carlile, (which is essential that you should examine it, and see in what manner this alledged libel, which forms part of an answer to that Reverend Gentleman, was called for) that the whole of this subject was forced upon his attention, and that he was in daty bound to answer the queries of that Reverend Gentleman in the manner he has done. The alledged libel states, that those men where seduced and involved in that horrible affair by the ministers. Gentlemen, I have no evidence to lay before you to prove this assertion, but since this article was written, it has been all but proved, by the bills of indictment which have been found against Franklin or Fletcher. This circumstance, Gentlemen, you are doubtless well acquainted with, through the medium of the public papers, and, if I durst, I would put some of the evidence in the witness-box to shew how