Bolton Street, June 10th, 1788.
My Lord,
I have been this morning at the trial: it was Sheridan's third
day. It was near one o'clock before he began. There was nothing
very striking or brilliant in his oratory: he continued for
about an hour and a quarter, and then retired. Mr. Adam assisted
him in the reading parts; and continued reading after he
retired. Presently he made a lame apology for him, saying that
he had a very trifling ---- without specifying what, whether
illness, agitation, or want of due preparation. Mr. Fox soon
afterwards made a more complete apology for him, and the Court
adjourned; but till what time I have not heard.
I was gratified with the sight as an object of curiosity, but
not as affording either pleasure or entertainment. It would seem
preposterous to me, if upon any charge against the Government of
Ireland, the Lord-Lieutenant's, or his secretary's _private_ and
_separate_ letters were to be subjected in a Court of Justice to
all the acrimonious, malevolent and palpably strained comments
that forty of the ablest men of an opposite party could put upon
them, particularly without having an equal number of persons of
a similar description in point of talents and political weight
to defend them. And yet this seems to be the case in the
instance of the present tribunal; for the letters read and
commented upon to-day, were chiefly of the above description:
the letters absolutely official were very little dwelt upon.
Your Excellency's most faithful and affectionate servant,
S. Bernard.
Lord Bulkeley, whose talents in the way of pleasant gossip appear to
such advantage in this correspondence, regards the trial as a nine
hours' wonder. We get the true colour of contemporary opinion out of
communications of this intimate and easy class.