miferies which render life to me a burden. He lies full low, gored with wounds, and feftering in his own blood. But he lies in peace. He feels none of the miferies which rend my foul with agony and distraction, while I am fet up a fpectacle to all mankind, of the uncertainty of human affairs. So far from having it in my power to punish his murderer, I am not mafter of the means of fecuring my own life. So far from being in a condition to defend my kingdom from the violence of the ufurper, I am obliged to apply for foreign protection for my own perfon.

Fathers! Senators of Rome! the arbiters of nations! to you I fly for refuge from the murderous fury of Jugurtha. By your affection for your children; by your love for your country; by your own virtues; by the majefty of the Roman commonwealth; by all that is facred, and all that is dear to you, deliver a wretched prince from undeserved, unprovoked injury; and fave the kingdom of Numidia, which is your own property, from being the prey of violence, ufurpation, and cruelty!

SECTION III.

SALLUST.

The Apostle Paul's noble defence before Festus and Agrippa.

AGRIPPA faid unto Paul, thou art permitted to speak for thyfelf. Then Paul ftretched forth the hand and answered for himself.

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I fhall anfwer for myfelf this day before thee, concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews: efpecially, as I know thee to be expert in all cuftoms and queftions which are among the Jews. Wherefore I befeech thee to hear me patiently.

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation at Jerufalem, know all the Jews; who knew me from the beginning, (if they would teftify,) that after the ftraiteft fect of our religion, I lived a Pharifee. And now I ftand and am judged for the hope of the promife made by God to our fathers: to which promife, our twelve tribes, continually ferving God day and night, hope to come: and, for this hope's fake, king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

Why fhould it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God fhould raife the dead? I verily thought with myfelf that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of

Jefus of Nazareth: and this I did in Jerufalem. Many of the faints I fhut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priefts: and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I often punished them in every fynagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I perfecuted them even unto ftrange cities. But as I went to Damafcus, with authority and commiffion from the chief priefts, at midday, O king! I faw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the fun, fhining round about me, and them who journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice fpeaking to me, and faying, in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why perfecuteft thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I faid, who art thou, Lord? And he replied, I am Jefus whom thou perfecuteft. But rife, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared to thee for this purpose, to make thee a minifter, and a witness both of thefe things, which thou haft feen, and of those things in which I will appear to thee; delivering thee from the peo ple, and from the Gentiles, to whom I now fend thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; that they may receive forgive nefs of fins, and inheritance amongst them who are fanctified by faith that is in me.

Whereupon, O king Agrippa! I was not difobedient to the heavenly vifion; but fhowed firft to them of Damafcus, and at Jerufalem, and through all the coafts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they fhould repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. For these causes, the Jews caught me in the temple; and went about to kill me. Having, however, obtained help from God, I continue, to this day, witneffing both to fmall and great, faying no oth er things than thofe which the prophets and Mofes declared fhould come: that Chrift fhould fuffer; that he would be the first who should rife from the dead; and that he would fhow light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

And as he thus fpoke for himself, Feftus faid, with a loud voice, “Paul, thou art befide thyfelf; much learning hath made thee mad." But he replied, I am not mad, moft noble Feftus; but speak the words of truth and fobernefs. For the

king knoweth these things, before whom I also speak freely. I am perfuaded that none of these things are hidden from him for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, believeft thou the prophets? I know that thou believeit. Then Agrippa faid to Paul, " almost thou perfuadeft me to be a Christian." And Paul replied, "I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almoft, and altogether fuch as I am, except thefe bonds."*

SECTION IV.

ACTS XXVI.

Lord Mansfield's Speech in the House of Peers, 1770, on the Bill for preventing the delays of Justice, by claiming

MY LORDS,

the privilege of Parliament.

WHEN I Confiler the importance of this bill to your lordfhips, I am not furprised it has taken up fo much of your confideration. It is a bill, indeed, of no common magnitude; it is no less than to take away from two-thirds of the legiflative body of this great kingdom, certain privileges and immunities of which they have been long poffeffed. Perhaps there is no fituation the human mind can be placed in, that is fo difficult and fo trying, as when it is made a judge in its own cause. There is fomething implanted in the breaft of man fo attached to felf, fo tenacious of privileges once obtained, that in fuch a fituation, either to difcufs with impartiality, or decide with juftice, has ever been held the fummit of all human virtue. The bill now in queftion puts your lordfhips in this very predicament; and I doubt not but the wifdom of your decifion will convince the world, that where felf intereft and juftice are in oppofite icales, the latter will ever preponderate with your lordship.

• Privileges have been granted to legiflators in all ages, and in all countries. The practice is founded in wifdom; and, indeed, it is peculiarly effential to the conftitution of this country, that the members of both houfes fhould be free in

* How happy was this great Apostle, even in the most perilous circumstances! Though under bonds and oppression, his mind was free, and raised above every fear of man. With what dignity and composure does he defend himself, and the noble cause he had espoused; whilst he displays the most compassionate and generous feelings for those who were strangers to the sublime religion by which he was animated!

their perfons, in cafes of civil fuits for there may come a time when the fafety and welfare of this whole empire, may depend upon their attendance in parliament. I am far from advifing any measure that would in future endanger the state; but the bill before your lordships has, I am confident, no fuch tendency; for it exprefsly fecures the perfons of members of either house in all civil fuits. This being the cafe, I confess, when I fee many noble lords, for whofe judgment, I have a very great refpect, ftanding up to oppofe a bill which is calculated merely to facilitate the recovery of just and legal debts, I am aftonished and amazed. They, I doubt not, oppose the bill upon public principles: I would not wifh to infinuate, that private interest had the leaft weight in their determination.

The bill has been frequently propofed, and as frequently has mifcarried: but it was always loft in the lower houfe. Little did I think, when it had paffed the commons, that it poffibly could have met with fuch oppofition here. Shall it be faid, that you, my lords, the grand council of the nation, the highest judicial and legislative body of the realm, endeavour to evade, by privilege, thofe very laws which you enforce on your fellow fubjects? Forbid it justice! I am fure, were the noble lords as well acquainted as I am, with but half the difficulties and delays occafioned in the courts of juftice, under pretence of privilege, they would not, nay, they could not, oppose the bill.

I have waited with patience to hear what arguments might be urged against the bill; but I have waited in vain; the truth is, there is no argument that can weigh against it. The juftice and expediency of the bill are fuch as render it felf-evident.It is a propofition of that nature, that can neither be weakened by argument, nor entangled with fophiftry. Much, indeed, has been faid by fome noble lords, on the wisdom of our antestors, and how differently they thought from us. They not only decreed, that privilege fhould prevent all civil fuits from proceeding during the fitting of parliament, but likewife granted protection to the very fervants of members. I fhall fay nothing on the wifdom of our ancestors: it might perhaps appear invidious: that is not neceffary in the present cafe. I fhall only fay, that the noble lords, who flatter themselves with the weight of that reflection, fhould remember, that, as sircumstances alter, things themselves fhould alter. Formerly,

it was not so fashionable either for masters or fervants to run in debt, as it is at prefent. Formerly we were not that great commercial nation we are at prefent; nor formerly were merchants and manufacturers members of parliament, as at prefent.

The cafe is now very different; both merchants and manufacturers are, with great propriety, elected members of the lower house. Commerce having thus got into the legiflative body of the kingdom, privilege must be done away. We all know, that the very foul and effence of trade are regular payments; and fad experience teaches us, that there are men, who will not make their regular payments without the compulfive power of the laws. The laws then ought to be equally open to all. Any exemption to particular men, or particular ranks of men, is, in a free and commercial country, a folecism of the groffeft nature.

But I will not trouble your lordships with arguments for that, which is fufficiently evident without any. I fhall only fay a few words to fome noble lords, who foresee much inconveniency, from the perfons of their fervants being liable to be arrefted. One noble lord obferves, That the coachman of a peer may be arrested, while he is driving his master to the House, and that, confequently, he will not be able to attend his duty in parliament. If this were actually to happen, there are fo many methods by which the member might ftill get to the Houfe, that I can hardly think the noble lord is serious in his objection. Another noble peer faid, That, by this bill, one might lose his most valuable and honeft fervants. This I hold to be a contradiction in terms: for he can neither be a valuable fervant, nor an honeft man who gets into debt which he is neither able nor willing to pay, till compelled by the law. If my fervant by unforefeen accidents, has got into debt, and I ftill with to retain him, I certainly would pay the demand. But upon no principle of liberal legiflation whatever, can my fervant have a title to fet his creditors at defiance, while, for forty fhillings only, the honeft tradesman may be torn from his family, and locked up in a gaol. It is monftrous injuftice! I flatter myfelf, however, the determi nation of this day will entirely put an end to all fuch partial proceedings for the future, by paffing into a law the bill now under your lordfhips' confideration.