The Sun.
London, England, 1818-07-18 00:00:00

lIEICIEORD ASSIZES.

• fiettitottn, JULY. 16.--The Home Cirmitiom-
menced to-day, at this town, betoie Mr. Justice
ABBoTt in the Nisi Prins Court, and Mr. Ser-
jean( Less in the Crown Court, Who goes the
Circuit for Lord ELLeseonouGa, his Lordship
being prevented by indisposition from .attend-
ing Assizes.—No case occurred of Itny pub-
lic interest.

CIVIL SIDE.
BREACH OF PROMISE OF MAitItIAGE.

HARDENN V. CAUSTON.

This was an action against the defendant for a
breach of pro►nise of marriage with the plaintiff,
end the case, which was tried by a special Jury,
excited universal interest train its peculiar cir-
cumstances. The da►nages were laid at 50001.
The plaintiff's case was conducted by Mr. GUR-
NEY a►►d Mr. CHITTY.

The leading circumstances proved in evidente
were these :—The plaintiff}', • who was represented
to be a young Lstiy of great personal attractions,
singular amiability of disposition, and possessing
an accomplished and well-cultivated mind, is the
daughter-of a respectable 'tradesman residing. at
Hatfield, in this comity ; an the defendant is a
Gentleman of independent fortune, lately retired
from the business of„a hinter, which he carried
,on in Finch-lane, Cornhill. The parties arc first
cousins by the maternal side ; and in the year
1807, the defendant, then about 30 years of age,
and time plaintiff about 21, commenced his court-
ship, having known each .other from the earliest
infancy. From that time down to the month of
May, 1817, a voluminous epistolary correspon-
dence was carried on between them, the tiefen-
dant professing throughout the whole the most de-
voted and tender attachment toWaFds the pluiatiff,
whose language, in reply, evinced on her pint
the warmest reciprocity of affection. The de-
fendant's promise of marriage, relied upon in the
plaintiff'S ease, wes expressed in these trims :
" I will marry you as soon as circumstances will
permit."
It appeared that the defendant's' family were
averse to the match, and took every occasion to
discourage the connexion, imputing the regard of
the plaintiff towards the defendant to sinister mo-
tives.' The defendant had gone the length of
proposing to marry the plaintiff in private, to
which she-consented; but although the wedding-
ring had been purchased, and the license obtain-
ed, and the half-brother of the plaintiff bad con-
sented to give her away, the contract was never
fulfilled. This-intitsmacy continued down to Alay,
1817, when the defendant wrote :to the plaintiff,•
announcing that' the best mode of terminating the
anxious stispertse which she bad always expressed.
Seise :to break '.off the .connexiorm,, and think am
more ht matrimony;•-and,he submitted the propo-.
sition to -her deliberate jedgmient, declaring -hie
owwintention of breaking off 'the match. The
defendant's ;father. was 'then living, the former
being in partnership with.. the latter as printers,
with a very profitable-business. In consequence
of the defendant's determination to break his pro-
mise, Mr. Painter, a professional friend of the
plaintiffts family was consulted, and at first he
wrote a friendly letter to time defendant, conjuring
him to consider again of his rash determination ;
but this letter having no effecr, time present action
was brought. Since the commencement of legal
proceedings, the defendant's,father died, leaving
him in possession of real and personal .property
estimated at 20,0001. These were time principal
circumstances proved in evidence, the Main ground
of time case being substantiated by a volume of
the defendant's letters,

Seriol' 'FADDY, with whom was Mr. Cu-
MYN, addressed the Jury with considerable inge-
nnity.and eloquence, in .mitigation of di wages.'
Mr. Justice ABBOTT summed tip the t.:rcutn-
stances of the case with great minuteness anti
impartiality.
The -Jury retired for about an hour, and on
their return, found a verdict for the plaintiff. Da-
mages—Four Thousand Pounds.