The Sun.
London, England, 1803-06-09 00:00:00

the .most Avick4e'attnfibles-evt ottere,l. To srlienk
of the importance of—thlrratter to itp English Jury,
was wirecosriry :they perfietly•-krtew !tiiw•tb ap.

sled:ire it ; but,. it eharaCter was important to'the
i\letchant, hot'outh more so was it to a young stu-
nt:sr:led letnale.„ whose hopes of a respedable settle-
snent.in life,. by. means of marriage, depended upon
11,:r preserving an unsullied reputation.
The Plaintiff, -pa this case, was a young Lady, as
beautiful and accomplithe4 as' she was virtuous ;
she resided with her uncle, at Alton, in Hampshire,
respeCted and admired by ail who knew her. It
happened that a Mr. Rawlins, a Clergyman, attraCt_
ed by her beauty and manners, courted her, with
the honoutable view of obtaining her hand in mar-
riage ; she encouraged his addresses, and it was ge-
nerally believed that their union was on the eve of
taking place. The match, was, however, suddenly
broke oif, in consequence of the slander uttered by
the Defendant, Mrs.. Willis. This good lady, siTho
was a milliner in the Town of Alton, perhaps envi-
ous of the good fortune of Miss Seward, informed a
_ .

person of the name of Lovel, who ,was the friend of
Mr. Rawlins, that Miss Seward had had a child by
a'Gentleman of the name of Pelton, who had lodged
in her father's house. She added, that she had the
Ifila from the nurse Who attended her upon the occa.
casiou, and that she had seen Mr. Pelton take inde.
cent liberties and familiarities either in or upon the
bed. Mr. Lovel, of course, communicated this in-
telligence to hit. friend Mr. Rawlins, who.immedi-
ately, and very properly declined fulfilling his pro.
Mise of marriage to the lady ; in consequence of
whiCh, she had brought this anion, to repair the
injury she bad received by the loss of her marriage.

It Mrs.. Willis had any finmdation for the slander
she had uttered to the prejudice of this young lady,
she would have an opportunity of stating it to the
Jury. If, on the contrary, she was unable to state
{any authority or fact, in, justification of the slander,
the Jury, he trusted,' would give such damages as
would not only restore the Plaintiff to her former
sank among the virtuous part of society, but punish
the Defendant for the liceotinus abuse of her tongue
at tite expenee of her.peighbours.
It.was proved, that this yoimg lady was on the
point of being married to the Rev. Mr. Rawlins,
even Co the purchaseof the wedding-dress ; but that
the solemnization of the nuptials was interrupted by
the report circulated by -the Defendant. It was
proved that the Defendant had said that' Miss Se.
ward had had a child, and that she had been seen in-
dulging the most indecent familiarities with this Mr.
. Felton. It was also proved, that, when this slan-
der had had the effect of breaking .off her marriage,
the Defendant had been applied to, to give up her
authority. She appeared much confused ; she said
She did not know who the nurse was, and that, if it
was not a nurse .who hut told her so, 'it must have
been somebody else.
Mr. Rawlins was examined, and stated, that he
had declined marrying the Plaintiff, in consequence
of the aspersion on her charaEfer; but, it appeared,
he wholly disbelieved the report; that he still con.
timed his visits, and that it was his intention to
make her his bride, as soon as her charaCter should
have been cleared by the iterdiel of it Jury.
Aeveral witnesses were examined to Miss Sc.
ward's eharaCter, and, among the rest, the lady at
whose boarding school .she had been brought up ;
-they all described her at! n young lhdy of most vir-
tuous inclinations, and they were fully versuaded

that the report wa3 a ealtimny, invelited by the
Defendant to injure her reputation. (It appeared,
upon the evidence, that the Defeodant was a evo.
than in very moderate circumstances)
The case having been clearly made out on the part
of the Plaintiff;

1...r.5-rort addressed the Jury for the Defen.
dant. lie lamented that the cause should have
been brought befure the .present tribunal ; could
not conceive for what reason the witnesses had been
brittight up to London, ar `so considerable an ex-
.pence,- when the cause might have been tried at the
assizes for the county, where the Jury would have
been composed of persons 'Who must have had bet.
ter means of being acquainted with the chandler
(and conduel of the Plaintiff. lie observed, that it
had by no means been clearly mode out that the
Plaintiff had sustained any injury Whatever ; for it
appeared upon the evidence or Mr. Rawlins, he to.
tally disbelieved the fad, and had continued his ad.
dresies to the Plaintiff, with a view of making her
hisgwife as soon as this cause should be raver. Me
regretted that the Defendant should have given ut.
teranee to what, upon the evidence, 'now appealed
an untruth ; but there could be no doubt she had
heard, front some one whom she could not recol-
'eel, that Miss Seward had indulged in these fami.
. liarities with Mr. Pelton, which she had ascribed to
her ; that a pledge of love had been the consequence.
It could not possibly be supposed that this lady, -the
Defendant, could have invented such a slander; or
• have' circulated :it without having previously been
impressed with a cotividion that it had some founda-
tion ; if so, z shewas the more to be pitied, for hav-
ing herieirbeen imposed upon ; he' repeated, that
IVliss Seward had, in point of (aft, sustained no in.
jury whatever, and that neither her friends, nor her
intended bridegroom, thought the-worse of her. it
appeared the Defendant was a woman of very hum.
ble circumstances, and of course incapable of paying
large damages; ,he hoped; therefore, that the Jury,
if they should find it necessary to return a verdi&
for the Plaintiff, would give such moderate damages
As Would not .have the effeft of entirely, ruining the
-.Defendant.

_ .
:.The LORD CHIEF .13mtotl summed up the whole
of the evidence, obierving, thitt this was a case'of
extreme importance to the Plaintiff, and that upon
the result of it depended the happiness of an amia.
We young Lady, who appeared ED him to have. been
most-unjustly calumniated, in the tenderest point
that could aired an unmarried woman's feelings.
True it was, she had not by this foul slander lust
th affeaions cif the Gentleman who had courted
hot With a view to making her his partner for life ;
but the Defendant had done all in her power to ef.
feet a separation betwosto them, and she had at least.
succeeded in delaying her marriage, and placing her
for a COnsiderabk period in a state of anxiety and
distressof mind; for it was not to be :supposed that