The plaintiff’s attorney had put his brief into the hands of the young barrister; the defendant had retained a more experienced advocate, one well versed in the theory of the law, and, what is far more to the purpose, deeply skilled in the ways of the world, and the practice of courts--one who had the professionally desirable art of mystifying a jury, and of persuading twelve men out of their senses--one who would be sure of every cause he undertook, were it not for the summing up of the judge--one who, by means of a loud voice and swaggering manner, was a terror to nine-tenths of the simpletons who entered the witness’ box--one who never cross-examined a female witness without making her blush, or terrifying her to tears--one who could talk very solemnly about “our holy religion,” and could convert into a joke the clearest principles of morality, or the deepest sufferings of humanity. It was a great amusement to the country people and the county magistrates to hear this very clever man; and poor old Richard Smith was very much alarmed when he found what a dexterous and terrific adversary was employed against him, and he expressed his fears to his own attorney, who comforted him by saying, “Had your cause been a bad one, I would have retained Mr. ----.” After one or two causes had been disposed of, that of Smith _versus_ Martindale was called. Then, for the first time, and in his native town, did Horatio Markham open his lips in a court of justice. Notwithstanding the profound and anxious silence which prevailed in the court, scarcely one-half of the persons there could hear distinctly the commencement of his speech; but by degrees he gained confidence, and his voice was more audible. The audience, however, was not very highly pleased with what he said. Many thought that he stated the case much too feebly. Some thought that he was afraid of the defendant’s counsel; and others thought he was fearful of offending the defendant himself. The Hon. Philip Martindale, who was on the bench, listened with but slight attention to the speech; and when it was finished, honoured it with a contemptuous sneer. This sneer was reflected in most courtly style by the gentlemen who sat on either side of him; the high-sheriff was one, and a clerical magistrate was the other. Witnesses were then called to prove the case. From them it appeared very clear that the Hon. Philip Martindale had, upon very defective evidence, and against very credible evidence, committed Richard Smith to jail as a poacher; and the said Hon. Philip Martindale had also with great severity, not to say cruelty, struck the said Richard Smith, in order, as the defendant had said, to punish the old man for his insolence. What this insolence was, would not have appeared to the court, had it not been for the dexterity of the defendant’s counsel, in cross-examining one of the plaintiff’s witnesses.