The Sun. — 1819-12-27 (London, England)

WINKWORTEI.  This was an action to recover compensation in damages for a Breach of Promise of Marriage.  The "action Was originally brought in the" Court of King's Bench, kit the defendant had suffered judizioersi to go by default. . Mr. ADpi-PHUS rose to Address the Jury on the art of the plaintiff. They were, he said, assembled for the purpose of inquiring what de= usages ought to be 'assessed in the present case. It was a. "subject which, though not uncommon, was still, very fortunately, neither so frequent as to hi stale from repetition, nor so uninteresting as to•deaden the sis tit of inquiry.- They were to determine what damages a young and .vittuous woman was to receive at their hands for being kept by constant, warm, and frequently renewed promises; in expertation'of mutriniony ; and then, without any cause givenasn.her part—without any reason assigned .on the other---wit hunt the slightest pretence for such conduct, rejected, thrown back upon society as a slighted woman, with her peace for ever broken, .her hopes blasted, her heart withered, and left to langoisii under all the painfol feelings 'that Were the natural and unavoidable consequences 'of her situation. The intoortaot facts of the case, as he should state hem, being ad.itted on the record, rendered.it utinecessary that be should, go, into any great length of proof. -It was not decried ihar promises of matrimony- were made by the defendant---.that he so tar acted upon. them as to make,: preparetionkfor the event—and that subseverrly, without any reason 'assigner:, without a shadoW ' of preteoee,..he sod:let-1K broke off .he engAgeme..t, and f-nleted i to raa'rimon,.4 connexion tvidi another person. Ti,ere was no s,,bject which regtrrrrd more carts tins and serious consider'sitiois• on the part of a Jut y than this, nor was less eaution necessary 09 khe- part of those who addressed them. To treat it as a•matter only pecuni'al consideration—as a mere affirir of business, in which feeling or sentiineot waa to have no share, from . which every thing 'connected with the heart should be -ex; chided, this would be to descend from its real importance. It tvouirl, on the other hand; be equally iniudiciotis7—it would he. unworthy of any. person, placed is his situation,' to attempt to in-' serest the' jodgment thrfwg.h the ittliaetire_ of the iina'ginatiou, by • the empty. 11,i;fera rhetorie, by the language •:.f 'leclaiwitioW, or by romantic aplieal to sliOitr,:' 7)uSding love. A cat)l address to their reason, to the sense' which, as lath rs, 314litotilers', as men, they most entertain of such an' iiijury,Was all'he should 'attempt. It was, in his Hand, the most indielons 'way :of so_ "pealiog io aYauryonder circumstances of 'this kind. But fholigh reason should govern, it nett, ii; he expected that the interference' .erffeelitrgcOuld be etareci shut nut. It was not necessary, for the purptises ofJutice„ that they should enter into all the romantic .misery of situation in which a young female must be placed whose' heart has been interested—Wbose hopes have been raised to prospects Ofliappiness by the promises of one to 'whom her nosuspecting innocence has given, core fidenee—whb'haS been led to think that the day cif» their union Was at 'hand," and then suddenly castOff,''plOnged'into the agottieoif despair, and field' ntrto the scorn of the world ai'an object Os Worthy of that connexion fo"wliich `site had bOuud.. ed her prospects in life. Here was a youngWottan filled with pleasing and virtuous anticipations; all at once, and Without cause, thrOWn into the froien region of bitter contempt, to bewisil that most ,painful 'Of all slights; Which' fem.aleorforgei:Wifti ,most difficulty—which, in truth, they' never cease to remember. Sirch was the effect it Its < upon her mind that had it not beers for the•vigilance of her friends, sits would ha a succeeded in terminating by suicide hated'iLxisrence. She irai obliged to leave the country, and was sent to some distance, to avoid the shame of being point... ed.at as a 'person rejected and scorned by the man •whom all that knew them .16oked upon as her future husband." But change 'of place Would not change her feelings ; could not cure th.e wound so wantonly and cruelly inflicted: She still bore about her the pain of ,rejection, of withered hopes, of remembered love ; the sense of riled contempt, and the recollection of-perfidious promises. 'Where could a person in her situation. seek for consolation Not in the society of friends whOm she tonarb.e ashamed to meet—not in the anticipation of a new attachinent, for an indignity' like this, withoet carise,or excuse, would naturally, in her mind, give every profession,; however sincere, the colour of a falsehood. She would naturally suspect that every man was like him by whom she was so cruelly deceived. Under these circumstances, he looked to the Jury for large., and liberal damages. sls Englishmen, as•fathers and brothers, he called upou them to say what they would award to a _young woman upon whom so much pain had been inflicted with. out .cause or excuse. , • • Mrs. Compton,—l am the mother of the Plait). tiff in this action ; she. was one and twenty last. !lay;; the Defendant paid his addresses to her rather more than .two ycars ago;, at that time my daughter was living with me; I am a widow, and carry on-the farm that .was my husband's ; the defendant wrwe to my daughter, :and Isaw the letter; I thought him a very-respectable young man, rind had no objection to, her receiving his addresses; I; knew that my daughter received many letters,; he came often to my house ; his addresses were perfectly sanctioned by the ; he never made any .complaint of my daughter's conduct ; lie said. he • should: .make her his wife as soon as he was in business; my daoghter. aml he continued -acqoainted, upon those terms for. a • year and a half ; at the end of• that, time he called upon my daughter, and. I understood he wished to break off the match; I asked him the reason, and he said,he had no, reason, and might again visit my dasighter ; lie .has since married another person. The effect produced upon my daughter was very serious ; she was very much krill she could not be left by herself; her mind was so' distracted that I less afraid she would make Away with'herself; she was obliged to leave that part'of the country; and now  lives in Lonclon-i the ring produced was given by the defendant .to my daughter. Cross-examined by Mr.