Mr. Holyoake. There is no evidence to show that my audience were unable to distinguish decency and propriety. But it must be already clear enough to you, gentlemen of the jury, who have been employed during the past week determining violations of the law, that I am placed here for having been more honest than the law happens to allow. I am unaccustomed to address a jury, and I hope to avoid the charge of presumption or dogmatism. I have no wish to offend the prejudices of any man in this court, and have no interest in so doing, when his lordship is armed with the power of the law to punish it. But, while I profess respect for your opinions, I must entertain some for my own. There are those here who think religion proper, and that it alone can lead to general happiness--I do not, and I have had the same means of judging. You say your feelings are insulted--your opinions outraged; but what of mine? Mine, however honest, are rendered liable to punishment. I ask not equality of privileges in this respect; I seek not the power of punishing those who differ from me--nay, I should disdain its use. Christianity claims what she does not allow, although she says 'All men are brothers.' It is from no disrespect to the bar that I did not give my case into the hands of counsel, but because they are unable to enter into my motives. There is a magic circle out of which they will not step; they will argue only what is orthodox; and you would have had no opportunity from them of learning my true motives, or seeing the real bearings of this case.* * From what subsequently appeared in the _Cheltenham Free Press_, I learned that some of the bar took offence at these remarks; and one revenged himself by describing me, in the _Morning Chronicle_, as 'a wretched-looking creature, scarcely emerging from boyhood, whose wiry and dishevelled hair, "lip unconscious of the razor's edge," and dingy looks, gave him the appearance of The author of the paragraph which led to this day's proceedings applied to me the epithets of 'wretch,' 'miscreant,' 'monster'--represented me as one who discoursed 'devilism.' The _Gloucester Chronicle_ laboured to prove that I was a _malicious_ blasphemer, a low German student, is evidently, from his pronunciation and language, a most ignorant and illiterate character, and no doubt courted the present prosecution tor the sake of notoriety.'