The Cecil Whig., 1841-12-04
TRIAL OF WARREN HASTINGS
BY T. q. MAcACLEY.

more dazzling to the eye, more gorgeous
with jewellery and cloth Of gold, more at
tractve to grown up children, than that
which was then exhibited at Westmins-
ter, but perhaps, there never was a spec
lacle SO well calculated to strike a highly
cultivated, IA rejecting, an imaginative
mind All the various kinds Of interest
which belong to the near and to the dis
tant, to the present and the past, were col
lccted on one spot, and in one hour. All
the talents and all the accomplishments
which are developed by liberty and civila-
zation were now displayed, with every
advantage that could be derived both
from co operation and from contrast
Every step in the proceedings carried the
mind either backward through many lrou-
hled centuries, TO the days when the riun-
dations of the constitution were laid; or
laraway, over boundlcss seas and deserts,
to dusliy nations living under strange stars
worshiRing strange gods, and writing
strange Characters from right to left. The
high court OF Parliament was to sit, &C.
cording to forms handed down from the
day of the Plantagcncts, on an English
man accused Of exercising tyranny over
the Lord Of the holy city Of Benares, and
the ladies Of the princcIy houses of
Dude.
The place was worthy Of such trial
II was the great hall of William Rulus,thc
hall which had rcsounded with accIama-
tons at the Inauguration Of thirty kings,
the hall which had witnessed the lust
sentence Of Bacon and the just absoluion
of Somers; the hall where the cloqucnce
oGStraliord had for moment awcd and
melted victorious party inaamcd with
just resentment, the hall where Charles
had confronted the High Cout of Justice,
with the placid courage which has half re-
deemed his fame. Neither military nor
civil pomp was wanting The avenues
were lined with grenadiors. The streets
were kept clear by cavalry. The peers,
robod IN gold and ccmine, were MARSHALL
ed by the heralds under Garter knr-at-
Arms. The judges, in their vestments of
state, attended to give advice on points of
law. Near a hundred and seventy lords,
three fougthS of the upper house as the
upper house then was, walked in solemn
order from their usual place of assem-
bling TO the tribunal. The Junior baron
present led the way-Lord IIcathfald.
recently ennoblcd for his memorable de-
fence Of Gibraltar; against the fleets and
armies of France and Spain. The long
procession was closed by the Duke Of
Norfolk, Earl Marshal of the Realm. By
the great dgnlarics, aud by the brothers
and sons OF the King Last Of all came the
Prince of Wales, conspicuous by his fine
person and noble bearing. The grey old
walls were hung with scarlet. The long
galleries were crowded by such an audi
cncc as has rarely excited the fears or the
emulation Of an orator. There were
gathered together. from all parts of a great
free, enlightened, and prosperous realm.
grace and female loneliness, wit and learn
ing, the representatives. of every science
and of every art. There were seated a.
round the Queen the fair haired Young
daughters OF the house of Brunswick
There the Ambassadors Of great Kings
and CommonWcalths gazed with admira-
ton on spectacle which no other coun-
Try in the world could present. There
Slddons IN the prime other majestic beau
t., looked with emotion OF a scene sur
prlsng all the limitations Of the stage
There the historian Of the Roman empire
thought of the days when Cicero plead
cd the cause Of Sicily against Verres; and !
when, before Senate which had still |
some show Of freedom. Tacitus thun-
dered against the oppressor of Africa
There were seen, side by side, the great
est painter and the greatest scholar of the |
age.
The spectacle had allurcd REYNOLDS
from the easel which has preserved to us
the thoughtful forchcads OF so many wri-
ters and statesmen, and the sweet smiles |
OF so many noble matrons. 1t had indu-
ccd Parr to suspend his labors in that
dark and profound mine, from which he |
had extracted treasure of eruditon--a
treasure too often buried in the earth, too
often paradcd with injudicious and inele-
giant osontatlon, but still precious, mas
sive, and splendid. There appeared the
vo.nptuous charm. Of her to whom the
heir Of the throne had in secret plighted
his faith. There, too, was she, the boau-
itUl mother of a beautiful race, the ST.
Cecilia, whose delicate features, lighted |
up by love and music, art has rescued
from the common decay! There were
the members Of that brilliant society which
quoted, criticised, and exchanged repair
tees, under the rich peacock hangings OF
Mrs. Montague. And there the ladies,
whose lips, more persuasive than those of
Fox himself, had carried the Wcstminis-
ter election against palace and treasury,
shone around Georgiana Duchess of De-
vonshife.
lhe sergcants made proclamation
Hastings advanced to the bar, and bent
his knee. The culp prit was indeed not