Exclusive of my uncle and myself, there was only one
person who seemed inclined to favour the culprit. -- He was a young
man, well dressed, and, from the manner in which he cross-examined
the evidence, we took it for granted, that he was a
student in one of the inns of court. -- He freely checked the
justice for some uncharitable inferences he made to the prejudice
of the prisoner, and even ventured to dispute with his worship on
certain points of law.
My uncle, provoked at the unconnected and dubious answers of
Clinker, who seemed in danger of falling a sacrifice to his own
simplicity, exclaimed, 'In the name of God, if you are innocent,
say so.' 'No (cried he) God forbid that I should call myself
innocent, while my conscience is burthened with sin.' 'What then,
you did commit this robbery?' resumed his master. 'No, sure (said
he) blessed be the Lord, I'm free of that guilt.'
Here the justice interposed, observing, that the man seemed
inclined to make a discovery by turning king's evidence, and
desired the clerk to take his confession; upon which Humphry
declared, that he looked upon confession to be a popish fraud,
invented by the whore of Babylon.
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