Up, and did take my Wife, with a Party of Friends, to the Old Bailey, my
Wife having a great Longing to see a Prisoner tried, especially for
Murder, and little Pleasure as she do take, poor Wretch, I could not
find in my Heart to deny her this. Got our Places in the Gallery, cost
me 10s., which did begrudge, and do think it a Scandal to the City to
have Money taken at the Old Bailey Doors, as at a Play, yet it do serve
to keep the Company choice. And, good Lack! to see the Assemblage of
great Folks about us, we sitting close by SIR JESSAMIE SPINKES, and my
LORD POUNCETT, and two or three other Lords on the Bench by my Lords the
Judges, and the Aldermen, did make the Place look as fine almost as the
Opera. But in Truth it was as good as a Play, if not better, to hear the
Barristers speak to the Jury, especially the Counsel for the Prisoners,
making believe to be mightily concerned for their Clients, though most
observable Rogues, and arguing in their Behalf through Thick and Thin,
and striving as hard as they could to prove the Black, that did come out
in Evidence against them, White; and pleading their Cause as though they
were injured Innocents, with smiting of the Breast, and turning up of
the Eyes, more natural than I remember I did ever see any Actor. But
methinks they did go a little too far when, cross-examining the
Witnesses, they strove to entangle them in their Talk, and confound
them, trying to make them blunder, so as to mislead the Jury, which do
seem to me only telling a Lie by the Witness his Mouth. And then to hear
them labour to destroy the Witnesses' Credit, and make their Oath
suspected; and them, however honest, seem Perjurers; and to think that
they do practise all this Wickedness only for the Lucre of their Fees!
Among the Prisoners some of the most horrid Ruffians that methinks I
ever did see, and some, when found guilty and sentenced even to
Transportation, skipping out of the Dock, and snapping their Fingers,
which did remind me of the Saying, "Merry as Thieves." But others
looking mighty dismal, and when the Evidence did tell against them,
turning pale and shivering, and we had Eye-Glasses we took with us on
Purpose, and through our Eye-Glasses did watch the Quivering of their
Features, which, Heaven forgive us! we did take Delight in. Using
Eye-Glasses did the more make it seem as if I were at a Play, and what
did jump with the Notion was the Bunches of Rue on the Dock in Front of
the Prisoners, seeming almost like Nosegays, which glad I am that my
Wife and our other Ladies had not with them, for so taken were they with
the ranting Barristers and hang-Gallows Ruffians, that I do verily
believe they would have flung their Posies to them if they had. Strange
that we do make such Account of Criminals, and will sit for Hours to see
how it goes with a Villain, when we would not spare five Minutes to the
Cause of many an honest Man. But for one good Reason I did take Pleasure
in the Old Bailey, which was the Fairness of the Trials, and the
Patience of the Judge, and Justness of his summing up, which do cause me
mightily to reverence our Law, and to hear and see was pretty.
[Illustration: _A PROMENADE CONCERTE._