the eureka stockade-第30节

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yers；　then　he　tackled　with　some　more　tangible　solids。　　The　British　law；　the　boast　of　'urbis　et　orbis　terrarum'；　delivered　a　traitor　to　be　practised　upon　by　a　sanguinary　Jack　Ketch：I。；　to　hang　the　beggar　until　he　be　dead；　dead；　dead；　II。；　then　to　chop　the　carcase　in　quarters；　III。；　never　mind　the　stench；　each　piece　of　the　treacherous　flesh　must　remain　stuck　up　at　the　top　of　each　gate　of　the　town；　there　to　dry　in　spite　of　occasional　pecking　from　crows　and　vultures。　　The　whole　performance　to　impress　the　young　generation　with　the　fear　of　God　and　teach　them　to　honour　the　King。

I　soon　reconciled　myself　to　my　lot；　and　remembering　my　younger　days　at　school；　I　argued　thus：

Where　there　are　no　bricks；　there　are　no　walls：　　but；　walls　are　required　to　enclose　the　gates；　therefore；　in　Ballaarat　there　are　no　gates。　CorolariumHow　the　deuce　can　they　hang　up　my　hind…quarters　on　the　gates　of　Ballaarat　Township？　　Hence；　Toorak　must　possess　a　craft　which　passes　all　understanding　of　Traitors。

The　jury；　however；　appeared　frightened　at　this　powerful　thundering　from　Mr。　Ireland；　who　now　began　to　turn　the　law　towards　a　respectable　and　more　congenial　quarter；　and　proved；　that　if　the　prisoner　at　the　bar　had　burnt　down　all　the　brothels　not　kept　on　the　sly　in　Her　Majesty's　dominions；　he　would　be　a　Traitor；　yet；　if　he　had　left　one　single　brothel　standingsay；　in　the　Sandwich　Islandsfor　the　accommodation　of　any　of　Her　Majesty's　well…affected　subjects；　then　the　high　treason　was　not　highhigh　enough　and　up　to　the　mark；　that　is；　my　fore…quarter　could　not　be　legally　stuck　up　on　the　imaginary　gates　of　Ballaarat。

His　Honour　appeared　to　me；　to　assent　to　the　line　of　argument　of　the　Learned　Counsel；　who　concluded　a　very　lengthy　but　most　able　address；　by　calling　on　the　jury　to　put　an　end　by　their　verdict　to　the　continued　incarceration　of　the　man；　and　to　teach　the　government　that　they　could　not　escape　from　the　responsibilities　they　had　incurred　by　their　folly；　by　trying　to　obtain　a　verdict；　which　would　brand　the　subjects　of　Her　Majesty　in　this　Colony　with　disloyalty。

The　jury　now　appeared　to　me　to　be　ready　to　let　the　high　traitor　go　his　way　in　bodily　integrity。

Mr。　ASPINALL　then　rose　to　address　the　jury　on　behalf　of　the　prisoner。　His　speech　was　spirited；　cutting；　withering；　but　could　only　cover　the　falsehood；　and　NOT　bring　to　light　the　truth：　　hence　to　record　his　speech　here　cannot　possibly　serve　the　purpose　of　this　Book：　　hence　the　four　documents；　and　my　important　observation　on　them　in　the　following　chapter。




Chapter　LXXXIX。



Melior　Nunc　Lingua　Favere。


Document　I。

SUPREME　COURT　（Before　his　Honour　the　Chief　Justice；）

〃The　prisoner；　Raffaello；　on　his　trial　being　postponed；　wished　to　address　His　Honour。　　He　said　that　he　was　a　native　of　Rome；　and　hoped　that　the　same　good　feeling　would　be　shown　towards　him　in　this　colony　as　in　old　England。　If　his　witnesses　were　there；　he　would　be　able　to　leave　the　dock　at　that　moment。　　He　hoped　that　His　Honour　would　protect　him　by　seeing　that　his　witnesses　were　served　with　subpoenas。

〃His　Honour　was　not　responsible　for　this。　　Prisoner's　attorney　was　the　party；　and　he　must　speak　to　him。　　It　is　the　business　of　your　attorney　to　get　these　witnesses。〃

The　following　advertisement　appeared　in　'The　Age'；　February　24th；　1855；　immediately　above　the　leading　article　of　said　day：…


Document　II。

State　Trials。

〃The　trial　of　Raffaello　has　been　postponed　on　account　of　the　absence　of　Dr。　Alfred　Carr；　Mr。　Gordon；　of　the　store　of　Gordon　and　M‘Callum；　and　other　witnesses　for　the　defence。　　It　is　earnestly　requested　that　they　will　be　in　attendance　on　Monday　morning　at　latest。

〃J。　　MACPHERSON　GRANT；　〃Solicitor　for　the　defence。〃


The　following　letter；　and　comment　on　it；　appeared　in　'The　Age'；　March　16th；　1855：…


Document　III。

。。。〃I　was；　Mr。　Editor；　present　at　Ballaarat　on　the　memorable　morning　of　the　3rd　December；　and　in　the　pursuit　of　my　usual　avocation；　happened　to　meet　Raffaello；　now　one　of　the　state　prisoners；　on　the　Redhill；　he　being　then　in　search　of　Dr。　Carr's　hospital。。。　　We　were　directed　the　hospital；　and　soon　returned　to　the　Eureka；　Raffaello　bringing　Dr。　Carr's　surgical　instruments。　　We　entered　the　stockade；　and　saw　many　lying　almost　dead　for　want　of　assistance　and　from　loss　of　blood；　caused　by　gun…shot　and　bayonet　wounds。　　I　did　not　remain　long　in　the　stockade；　fearing　if　found　there　at　that　time　I　would　be　arrested。　　I　made　my　escape；　but　poor　Raffaello；　who　remained　rendering　an　act　of　mercy　to　the　dying；　would　not　leave。　He　might；　during　that　time；　have　easily　made　his　escape；　if　he　wished　to　do　so；　and　I　am　sure；　ran　no　inconsiderable　risk　of　being　shot；　through　the　constant　explosion　of　fire…arms　left　in　the　stockade　by　the　diggers　in　their　retreat。

〃J。B。〃


〃Melbourne；　15th　March；　1854。

〃The　writer　of　the　above　states；　in　a　private　note；　that　he　wishes　his　name　kept　secret；　but　we　trust　that　his　intimacy　with　the　Camp　officials　will　not　prevent　him　from　coming　forward　to　save　the　life　of　a　fellow　creature；　when　the　blood…hounds　of　the　government　are　yelling　with　anxiety　to　fasten　their　fangs　upon　their　victims。〃Ed。　A。

'The　Age'　who　certainly　never　got　drunk　yet　on　Toorak　small…beer；　had　an　able　leading　article；　headed；　'The　State　Trials'see　January　15th　concluding；　〃If　they　be　found　guilty；　then　Heaven　help　the　poor　State　Prisoners。〃　　Now　turn　the　medal；　and　'The　Age'　of　March　26thalways　the　same　year；　1855that　is；　the　day　after　my　acquittal；　gives　copy　of　a　Bill　of　the　'LAST　PERFORMANCE；　or；　the　Plotters　Outwitted。'


Document　IV。

〃To…day；　the　familiar　farce　of　'STATE　PROSECUTIONS；　or；　the　Plotters　Outwitted；'　will　be　again　performed；　and　positively　for　the　last　time；　on　which　occasion　that　first…rate　performer；　Mr。　W。　F。　Stawell；　will　（by　special　desire　of　a　distinguished　personage）　repeat　his　well…known　impersonation　of　Tartuffe；　with　all　the　speeches；　the　mock　gravity；　etc。；　which　have　given　such　immense　satisfaction　to　the　public　on　former　occasions。　　This　eminent　low　comedian　will　be　ably　supported　by　Messrs。　Goodenough　and　Peters；　so　famous　for　their　successful　impersonations　of　gold…diggers；　and　it　is　expected　that　they　will　both　appear　in　full　diggers'　costume；　such　as　they　wore　on　the　day　when　they　knelt　before　the　'Southern　Cross；'　and　swore　to　protect　their　rights　and　liberties。　　The　whole　will　be　under　the　direction　of　that　capital　stage　manager；　Mr。　R。　Barry；　who　will　take　occasion　to　repeat　his　celebrated　epilogue；　in　which　he　willif　the　audience　demand　itintroduce　again　his　finely　melodramatic　apostrophe　to　the　thunder。

〃With　such　a　programme；　what　but　an　exceedingly　successful　farce　can　be　anticipated？　　A　little　overdone　by　excessive　repetition；　it　may　be　said；　but　still　an　admirable　farce；　and；　as　we　have　said；　this　is　positively　the　last　performance。　　Therefore；　let　it　go　on；　or　as　Jack　Falstaff　says；　'play　out　the　play。'〃


Of　course；　I　leave　it　to　my　good　reader　to　guess；　whether　after　four　long　months　in　gaol；　which　ruined　my　health　for　ever；　I　did　laugh　or　curse　on　reading　the　above。

Concerning　the　four　documents　above；　so　far　so　good　for　the　present；　and　the　Farce　will　be　produced　on　the　stage　of　'Teatro'　Argentina；　Roma；　by　Great…works。　　The　importance　of　the　following　observation；　however；　is　obvious　to　any　reader　who　took　the　proper　trouble　to　understand　the　text　of　the　first　chapter　of　this　book。

Why　Dr。　A。　Carr；　Sub…inspector　Carter；　Messrs。　Gordon　and　Binney　were　not　present　as　witnesses　on　my　trial；　was；　and　is　still；　a　MYSTERY　to　me。

'Sunt　tempora　nostra！　nam　perdidi　spem：　　Melior　nunc　lingua　favere。'




Chapter　XC。



Peccator　Videbit　Et　Irascetur；　Dentibus　Suis　Fremet　Et　Tabescet：　Desiderium　Peccatorum　Peribit。


AT　the　end　of　Mr。　Aspinall's　able　oration；　the　jury　appeared　to　me；　to　be　decidedly　willing　to　let　me　go；　with　an　admonition　to　sin　no　more：　because　Mr。　Aspinall　took　the　same　line　of　defence　as　Mr。　Michie；　the　counsel　in　the　trial　of　John　Manning；　that　is；　he　confessed　to　the　riot；　but　laughed　at　the　treason。　　However　rashly　the　diggers　had　acted　in　taking　up　arms；　however　higgledy…piggledy　had　been　the　management　of　the　stockade；　yet　they　were　justified　in　resisting　unconstitutional　force　by　force。

His　Honour　tried　the　patience　of　the　jury；　well　knowing　by　experience；　that　twelve　true…born　Britons　can　always　afford　to　put　up　with　a　good　long　yarn。

The　jury　retired　at　nine　o'clock。　　My　first　thought　was　directed　to　the　Lord　my　God　and　my　Redeemer。　　Then　naturally　enough；　to　sustain　my　courage；　I　was　among　my　dear　friends　at　Rome　and　London。

To　remain　in　the　felon's　dock　whilst　your　JURY　consult　on　your　fate；　is　a　sensation　very　peculiar　in　its　kind。　　To　be　or　not　to　be；　that　is　the　actual　matter…of…fact　question。　　Three　letters　making　up　the　most　important　monosyllable　in　the　language；　which　if　pronounced　is　life；　if　omitted　is　death：　　an　awkward　position　for　an　innocent　man　especially。

The　jury；　after　twenty　minutes　past　nine；　were　again　in　the　jury…box。　I　was　satisfied　by　their　countenances　that　'the　People'　were　victorious。

The　Clerk　of　the　Court：　　〃Gentlemen　of　the　Jury；　have　you　considered　your　verdict？〃

Foreman：　　〃We　have。〃

The　Clerk：　　〃Do　you　find　the　prisoner　at　the　bar　G