The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-24 00:00:00

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igentlewoman for that; but was ho ever called so ? Wit-
ness—l have heard others call him so " money a time."
—(Roars of laughter.)
This closed the plaintiff's case.
Mr. Sergeant Wuriries then addressed the jury for the
defence. He raid after the doleful appeal which had
been made to their sympathies by his Learned Friend
on the part of his youthful, broken-hearted, love-sick
swain, he hardly knew how to address himself to the case
en the part of the defendant. So numerous and so hu-
morous were the facts that they reminded him of the
once celebrated cat in a tripe shop—he hardly knew
where to begin.—(Laughter.) Barring the evidence
of the plaintiff's son, which came from a most sus-
picious and interested quarter, this was the most meagre
case over presented to a jury. This was about the
third time in the history of cases of this kind in which a
man had been booby enough to bring such an action.
, Had they ever before, in the whole course of their lives,
heard of a man, 67 years of age—nearly three score
years and ten—bringing such en action against a woman
of 57? What injury had the plaintiff sustained? How
was he damaged? It was clear that he was all but a
pauper. Surely the plaintiff did not come into court to
complain that he could not be a pensioner on an old
woman for the remainder of his life? He (the Learned
Sergeant) was strongly reminded when the son came into
the witness-box of what old Sam Weller said to his son
in " Pickwick":—" Sam," said he, "if there be a weak-
ness that I have in this world, it is my affection ft r
widdies, and especially if they happen to have a little
blunt at the bottom." The plaintiff had a great pen-
chant for " widdies," whether they kept the White Bear
at Manchester, or lived quiet at Bury, so long as " there
was a little blunt at the bottom." He could fancy the
plaintiff preparing himself for his first visit after tl e
widdy " was recommended" to him, pulling the grey hairs
out of his nose and tying his choker tight round his
neck, to puff the wrinkles out of his cheeks; and after-
wards going to visit her in her garden. They bad read
of Romeo and Juliet, and of youthful passion springing
up in a moment; but in this case, an old man of 67, to
whom a widow had been recommended by a doctor, just
as he would recommend his medicine, had in some two
months perfected his suit, and they found his son talk-
ing to his prospective mother-in-law, and promising to
be " a dutiful son" as early as November. The plaintiff
had evidently lost no time. Ilis Learned Friend had
treated the letter which had been put in as a spark cal-
culated to fan into a flame the plaintiff's brilliant fancy.
He (the Learned Sergeant) did not see it in that light.
It began " Waterhead Mill." As his brother Murphy
observed, that was a cooler to begin with.—(Laugh-
ter.) [The Learned Sergeant then read the letter.]
Much as they might approve of the closing sentiment of
the letter, he certainly never read a less amorous one.
Then came the evidence of the scene in which the plain..
tiff's son expressed his anxiety to be a dutiful son-in-
law to the defendant. Ms Learned Friend had introduced
the plaintiff's son as a " fruit merchant," but he (the
Learned Sergeant) was fond of plain language. The
plaintiff's son was what they called in London a
" costermonger." He dealt "in taties, tarnips, yuppies,
and sparagrass."—(Loud laughter.) The whole pro-
ceeding had been of the moat business-like nature. Then
came the conclusion :
" Love they say is growing old,
Arithmetically cold,
Sells his favours now for gold."
The plaintiff began at the final meeting not with " I
hope, dearest Maria."—(Laughter.) He did not
address her, " Light of my life, charm of my soul, and
delight of my eye"—(Continued laughter)—but he
said, " I hope, Mrs. Cass, you have changed your mind ?"
" Oh, no, I have not." " Very well, then," he says, "I
tender the ring—(Laughter)—if you don't marry me, I
have a son to come into the witness-box, and I will bring
an action for breach of promisebf marriage against you."
Did they suppose the plaintiff cared twopence about this
widow ? His Learned Friend said, this was not one of
those cases in which " affection could be said to be like a
rose nipped in its bud." A rose nipped in its bud I—an1—an
o:d worn out stump:—(Loud laughter.)
" I am cold, I am worse,
I want a nurse
I want sweet wedlock's pleasure."
The plaintiff wanted this old lady's society on purpose to
keep his back warm—(Roars of laughter)—and he
wanted the old lady's purse to keep his stomach warm.
Burns had said—
" Oh gie me the lass that has acres of charms,
Oh gie me the lass with the weel stocked farms."
This history of the courtship of " the Widdy Cass"
would henceforth be memorable. The plaintiff's name
' would live in old song.
" Did you hear of the Widdy Malone,
Ok-hone
_ _ _

She lived in the town of Athlone
Alone.

She bother'd the hearts
Of the swains in them parts
So lovely was Widdy Malone.
'Till ono Mr. O'Brien, of Clare,
How quare

Put his arms round her waist,
Gave ten kisses at laste,
And says he,
You are my Molly Malone."

—(Roars of laughter.) He would now "ask them if it
were not a waste of time further to consider this matter?
Was there a man among them who did not despise
the man who came into court with such a case as this ?
The plaintiff was called " Old Flockev," which, in Lou-
don dialect, meant " Old Silky," and was indicative cf
the man's character, and of the whet dliug buriness•like
way in which he had :et about winning me defendant's
acres. He tiusted the jury would teach him a lesson,
and how rightly to estimate his conouct, by giving him
as damages the smallest coin of the realm.
His LORDSHIP summed up.

The jury retired, and, after an absence of a few mi-
nutes, returned with a verdict tor the plaintiff—Da-
mages, une farthing..

The defendant's Counsel wished his Lordship to cer-
tify as to the costs, but this was opposed by Mr. Watson.
Ills LORDSHIP said be would consider, before neeiding
upon the application. On the following morning he cer-
tified in favour of the defendant, and each party will, of
course, have to pay their own costs.