preter, from the looks of the manager. How I looked, Heaven knows,' said Mr. Sheridan, 'but such a physiognomist there is no escaping. He sees a sworn interpreter in my looks; he sees the manner of taking an oath in my looks; he sees the Bason and the Ganges in my looks! As for himself, he only looks at the tops and bottoms of affidavits! In seven years he takes care never to look at these swearings, and then goes home one night and undoes the whole; though, when he has seen them, Sir Elijah seems to know less about them than when he had not.'" The termination of this speech has been most admired. "But justice is not this halt and miserable object! it is not the ineffective bauble of an Indian pagod! it is not the portentous phantom of despair! it is not, like any fabled monster, formed in the eclipse of reason, and found in some unhallowed grove of superstitious darkness and political dismay! No, my lords! "In the happy reverse of all these, I turn from this disgusting caricature to the real image! Justice I have now before me, august and pure, the abstract idea of all that would be perfect in the spirits and the aspirings of men !—where the mind rises, where the heart expands, where the countenance is ever placid and benign; where her favourite attitude is to stoop to the unfortunate, to hear their cry and to help them, to rescue and relieve, to succour and save; majestic from its mercy, venerable from its utility, uplifted without pride, firm without obduracy, beneficent in each preference, lovely though in her frown! "On that justice I rely; deliberate and sure, abstracted from all party purpose and political speculations-not in words, but on facts! You, my lords, who hear me, I conjure by those rights it is your best privilege to preserve; by that fame it is your best pleasure to inherit; by all those feelings which refer to the first term in the series of existence, the original compact of our nature-our controlling rank in the creation. This is the call on all to administer to truth and equity, as they would satisfy the laws and satisfy themselves, with the most exalted bliss possible or conceivable for our nature-the self-approving consciousness of virtue, when the condemnation we look for will be one of the most ample mercies accomplished for mankind since the creation of the world. "My lords, I have done." On the following day the House of Commons resolved that a committee should be appointed to prepare articles of impeachment against Warren Hastings. Edmund Burke. Welbore Ellis, Esq. A division took place upon the nomination of Mr. Francis, who had been a member of Council in India, had fought a duel with Hastings, and had been personally at variance with Hastings. He was rejected by a majority of 96 to 44. On the 25th of April there were laid upon the table the articles of impeachment which had been prepared by the committee; they were read a first time, and ordered to be taken into consideration on the 9th of May. On that day a division took place on the question whether the report should be received. Mr. Pitt, the prime minister, and his friends, either convinced of the necessity of yielding to the reiterated demands of the opposition, or unwilling to expose himself to the unpopularity of shielding Hastings, or, as it has been stated, jealous of the favour bestowed upon him by the king, joined the ranks of those to whom they were habitually opposed, and, by a majority of 175 to 89, the report was read a second time. Mr. Burke then rose and moved: "That Warren Hastings, Esq., be impeached of high crimes and misdemeanours upon the said articles." Mr. Frederic Montague next rose, and moved: "That Mr. Burke, in the name of the House of Commons and of all the Commons of England, do go to the bar of the House of Lords and impeach Warren Hastings, Esq., late Governor-General of Bengal, of high crimes and misdemeanours, and do acquaint the Lords that the Commons will, with all convenient speed, exhibit articles against him, and make good the same." The motion being agreed to, Mr. Burke, attended by the members of the House of Commons, appeared before the Lords at their bar, and solemnly impeached Mr. Hastings. A day was named, and, on Mr. Burke's report to the House of Commons, he moved that the committee already named be appointed managers of the trial, and that the House of Commons attend as a committee of the whole House. Assent to these motions was given, and each party prepared for the trial. On the 13th of February commenced, in Westminster Hall, this remarkable trial. Macaulay has, scene. with singular felicity, given us a graphic sketch of the He has associated with it the best historical recollections, and mingled them with the leading characters of the day. The author of "Evelina," who was present on the occasion, has described to us her own sensations, and furnished us even with the chitchat of "the ingenious, the chivalrous, the highsouled" Wyndham, as well as of Burke, and of many principal actors in the scene. She has, in less poetic language, placed before our eyes all that struck her fancy. We find her shuddering and drawing involuntarily back, when Burke, the head of the committee, made his solemn entry, holding a scroll in his hands, walking alone, his brow knit with corroding care and deep-labouring thought; trembling when Hastings was brought to the bar, and summoned by a loud voice, "Warren Hastings, come forth; answer to the charges brought against you, save your bail, or forfeit your recognisances." There stood the late Governor-General of Bengal. He moved on slowly, he made a low bow to the chancellor and to the court, he bowed again, and then, advancing to the bar, he leant his hands upon it and dropped upon his knees; but a voice in the same moment proclaiming he had leave to rise, he stood up almost instantaneously, and a third time profoundly bowed to the court. What an awful moment this for such a mana man fallen from such height of power to a situation so humiliating; from the most unlimited command of so large a portion of the Eastern world, to be cast at the feet of his enemies, of the great tribunal of his country, and of the nation at large, assembled thus in a body to try and to judge him. In the striking words of Macaulay, we may say "that neither the culprit nor his advocates attracted so much attention as his accusers. In the midst of the blaze of red drapery a space had been fitted up with green benches and tables for the Commons. The managers, with Burke at their head, appeared in full dress. The collectors of gossip did not fail to remark that even Fox, generally so regardless of his appearance, had paid to the illustrious tribunal the compliment of wearing a bag and sword. The box in which the managers stood contained an array of speakers such as perhaps had not appeared together since the great age of Athenian eloquence. There were Fox and Sheridan, the English Demosthenes and the English Hyperides. There was Burke, ignorant indeed or negligent of the art of adapting his reasonings and his style to the capacity and taste of his hearers, but in amplitude of comprehension and richness of imagination superior to every orator ancient or modern." He proceeds, in a splendid passage, which it would be criminal to mutilate by extracts, to delineate two of the master minds of their age, Wyndham and Earl Grey. The first day was passed in reading the charges against Hastings; this was done in so monotonous a tone that little interest was taken in the proceedings. From Madame D'Arblay we may draw our conclusion that, amongst the auditory assembled, there were many who looked upon the accused with eyes of pity and of respect, and that at the commencement of the trial he was rather the object of commiseration than of dislike. It was on the third day that Burke opened the charges; and during the four following days he occupied the attention of the House of Lords with what may be considered to be a general outline of the charges brought against Hastings. He delivered an eloquent |