elinor wyllys-2-第42章

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　circumstances　which　partially　remove　the　weight　of　this　obligation；　of　this　public　struggle　for　justice；　from　portions　of　the　community；　from　the　aged；　who　have　already　firmly　upheld　every　honourable　principle　through　a　long　course　of　years；　and　from　those　who　are　confined　by　their　natural　position　to　the　narrow　but　holy　circle　of　domestic　duties；　if　such　be　honourable　exemptions　from　bearing　the　brunt　of　the　battle；　it　is　only　to　open　the　front　rank　to　every　active　citizen；　laying　claim　to　manliness　and　honesty。　Such　I　conceive　to　be　the　obligation　imposed　upon　myself；　by　the　demand　of　the　plaintiff。　Upon　examination；　I　can　find　no　sufficient　evidence　to　support　this　claim；　it　becomes　therefore；　in　my　belief；　by　its　very　nature；　an　atrocious　outrage　alike　to　the　living　and　the　deadan　insulting　violation　of　natural　justice　and　the　law　of　the　land；　sufficient　to　rouse　every　justifiable　effort　in　resistance。

〃Whenever　attention　may　be　called　to　a　question；　of　a　character　audaciously　unprincipled；　even　when　quite　independent　of　personal　advantage　and　personal　feeling；　I　should　still　hope　that　duty　as　a　man；　duty　as　a　freeman；　would　have　sufficient　influence　over　my　actions；　to　urge　me　forward　in　opposition　to　its　unrighteous　demands；　just　so　far　as　common　sense　and　true　principle　shall　point　the　way。　Such　I　conceive　to　be　the　character　of　the　present　question；　were　there　no　pecuniary　interest；　no　individual　feeling　at　stake；　I　should　still　conceive　it　a　duty　to　hold　on　the　present　occasion　the　position　in　which　I　now　stand。

〃The　grounds　upon　which　this　opinion　as　to　the　character　of　the　case　has　been　formed；　the　grounds　upon　which　we　base　our　defence；　must　now　be　laid　before　you。〃

After　this　opening；　Harry　proceeded　with　an　outline　of　the　testimony　for　the　defence。　His　statement　was　very　clear　and　accurate　throughout；　but　as　it　contained　nothing　but　what　is　already　known　to　the　reader；　we　shall　omit　this　part　of　his　remarks。

After　he　had　given　a　general　account　of　the　conduct　and　views　of　the　defendants；　Mr。　Ellsworth　proceeded　to　lay　the　legal　evidence　in　their　possession；　before　the　court。　The　first　point　examined；　was　the　testimony　they　had　received　as　to　the　death　of　William　Stanley。　The　wreck　of　the　Jefferson　was　easily　proved；　by　a　letter　from　the　captain　of　the　American　ship　Eagle；　who　had　spoken　the　Jefferson　the　morning　of　the　gale　in　which　she　was　lost；　and　having　safely　rode　out　the　storm　himself；　had　afterwards　seen　the　wreck。　This　letter　was　written　on　Captain　Green's　arrival　in　port；　and　was　in　answer　to　inquiries　of　Mr。　Wyllys；　besides　an　account　of　the　gale；　and　the　wreck　of　the　Jefferson；　it　contained　the　united　opinions　of　his　mates　and　himself；　that　no　one　could　have　escaped；　unless　under　very　extraordinary　circumstances；　as　the　vessel　herself　had　foundered；　and　no　boat　could　have　lived　in　such　a　tempest。　During　a　calm　which　had　followed　the　gale；　they　had　fallen　in　with　fragments　of　the　wreck；　some　of　which　had　been　used　in　repairing　their　own　vessel；　they　had　seen　several　dead　bodies；　and　had　taken　up　an　empty　boat；　and　several　other　objects；　but　nothing　which　threw　farther　light　on　the　subject。　William　Stanley's　name；　as　one　of　the　crew　of　the　Jefferson；　was　next　produced；　this　part　of　the　testimony　came　through　our　acquaintance；　Mr。　Hopkins；　who　had　been　the　owner　of　the　Jefferson。　Then　came　proofs　of　the　many　efforts　made　by　the　executors；　to　obtain　accounts　of　Mr。　Stanley's　son；　by　advertisements　to　sailors　and　shipmasters；　in　all　the　great　ports　of　the　country；　repeated　during　five　years；　many　letters　and　communications　were　also　produced；　all　strengthening　the　report　of　the　young　man's　death。　An　agent　had　been　employed　by　Mrs。　Stanley；　for　one　year；　with　no　other　object　than　that　of　searching　for　intelligence　of　her　step…son；　the　man　himself　was　dead；　but　his　letters　were　read；　and　sworn　to　by　his　wife。　Only　once　had　the　executors　obtained　a　faint　hope　of　the　young　man's　existence；　the　second…mate　of　a　whaler　reported　that　he　had　known　a　William　Stanley；　a　foremast　hand；　in　the　Pacific；　but　eventually　it　appeared；　that　the　man　alluded　to　was　much　older　than　Mr。　Stanley's　son；　and　his　name　was　SANLEY。　Nothing　could　be　more　clearly　proved；　than　the　efforts　of　the　executors　to　obtain　accurate　intelligence　as　to　the　young　man's　fate；　and　it　was　also　evident　from　the　reports　received；　that　they　could　have　had　no　good　reason　to　doubt　his　death。　The　next　points　examined；　included　the　person　and　conduct　of　the　plaintiff。　The　bad　character　of　the　plaintiff　was　made　to　appear　in　the　course　of　this　examination；　〃a　character　which　seems　at　least　to　have　always　clung　to　that　individual；　under　the　various　names　it　has　pleased　him　to　assume　at　different　times；〃　observed　Mr。　Ellsworth。　It　was　clearly　shown　that　he　was　considered　a　man　of　no　principles；　even　among　his　comrades。　The　personal　identity　was　fully　examined；　this　part　of　the　testimony　excited　intense　interest　among　the　audience；　while　even　the　court　seemed　to　listen　with　increased　attention。　The　opinions　of　the　different　witnesses　on　this　point　were　not　disputed；　the　general　resemblance　of　the　plaintiff　to　the　Stanleys　was　not　denied；　the　similarity　of　handwriting　was　also　admitted；　but　Mr。　Ellsworth　argued；　that　such　resemblances；　among　persons　who　were　in　no　way　related　to　each　other；　were　not　uncommon；　probably　every　individual　in　that　court…room　had　been　told　fifty　times；　that　he　was　like　A。；　B。；　or　C。　Occasionally；　such　resemblances　were　really　very　marked　indeed。　He　then　cited　the　instance　of　a　man　who　was　hanged　in　England；　on　this　very　ground　of　personal　identity；　sworn　to　by　many　individuals；　and　yet；　a　year　after；　it　was　discovered　that　the　real　criminal　was　living；　and　these　two　men；　so　strikingly　alike；　had　never　even　seen　each　other；　nor　were　they　in　any　manner　related　to　each　other。　But　who　could　say　whether　the　plaintiff　were　actually　so　much　like　William　Stanley？　It　was　not　certain　that　any　individual　in　that　room　had　seen　the　young　man　for　eighteen　years；　but　one　of　the　defendants　had　any　distinct　recollection　of　him；　even　at　that　time；　the　colour　of　the　hair；　and　a　general　resemblance　in　complexion　and　features；　might　well　be　the　amount　of　all　that　could　be　advanced　in　favour　of　the　likeness；　the　plaintiff　resembled　the　Stanleys；　father　and　son；　but　probably　a　hundred　other　men　might　be　picked　up　in　the　country；　in　whom　the　same　resemblance　might　be　foundmen　who　laid　no　claim　to　the　name　or　estate　of　Mr。　Stanley。　Similarity　of　handwriting　was　not　uncommon　either；　and　here　some　dozen　notes　and　letters　were　produced；　and　proved　to　a　certain　degree　that　this　assertion　was　correct；　in　several　cases　the　resemblance　was　very　great；　and　Mr。　Ellsworth　maintained；　that　with　the　documents　in　the　possession　of　the　sailor；　undeniably　written　by　young　Stanley；　any　common　writer；　devoid　of　honesty；　might　have　moulded　his　hand　by　practice　to　an　imitation　of　it；　sufficient　for　forgery。　So　much　for　the　resemblance；　he　would　now　point　out　the　difference　between　the　plaintiff　and　William　Stanley　in　two　points；　which；　if　clearly　proved；　must　convince　the　jury　that　identity　was　utterly　impossible；　a　pure　fiction；　a　gross　deception。　He　then　produced　the　portrait　of　William　Stanley；　after　acknowledging　that　there　was　some　general　resemblance；　he　suddenly　showed　the　difference　in　the　formation　of　the　hands；　fingers；　and　nails；　between　the　boy　and　the　plaintiff。　This　difference　was　indeed　striking；　for　Ellsworth　took　a　moment　to　point　it　out；　when　the　sailor　was　in　court；　and　engaged　in　putting　a　piece　of　tobacco　in　his　mouth；　and　his　hands　were　in　full　view。　For　a　second　he　seemed　out　of　countenance；　but　he　soon　resumed　the　confident　look　he　had　worn　throughout。　Mr。　Ellsworth　entered　very　minutely　into　this　fact；　showing　that　painters　usually　gave　a　correct　idea　of　the　hand；　when　it　was　introduced　in　a　portrait；　and　the　impossibility　of　the　natural　formation　of　the　hand　being　entirely　changed；　either　by　time　or　hard　work；　was　proved　by　the　testimony　of　anatomists。　The　family　physician　of　the　late　Mr。　Stanley　was　an　important　witness　at　this　stage　of　the　trial；　he　swore　to　the　fidelity　of　the　portrait；　and　confirmed　the　fact　of　the　particular　formation　of　William　Stanley's　limbs　when　a　boy；　he　thought　it　very　improbable　that　a　lad　of　his　frame　and　constitution　would　ever　become　as　heavy　and　robust　as　the　plaintiff。　He　was　asked　by　a　juror　if　he　thought　this　impossible？　〃No；　he　could　not　say　it　was　impossible。〃　The　difference　in　gait　was　then　examined。

｛〃spoken　the　Jefferson〃　=　passed　and　communicated　with｝

〃There　is　yet　another　point　to　be　examined；〃　said　Ellsworth；　〃similar　in　nature；　but　still　more　decided　in　its　bearing。〃　He　then　brought　forward　all　the　testimony　that　had　been　collected；　as　to　the　temper　and　capacity　of　William　Stanley；　it　was　clearly　proved；　chiefly　by　the　young　man's　tutors　and　companions；　that　he　was　morose　and　stubborn　in　disposition；　and　dull　in　intellect。　So　far　this　point　was　easily　settled；　but　it　was　difficult　to　place　the　opposite　facts；　of　the　cleverness　and　better　temper　of　the　plaintiff；　as　clearly　before　the　court　as　they　had　appeared　to　the　defendants。　Any　one　who　had　seen　him　under　the　same　circumstances　as　Mr。　Wyllys　and　Hazlehurst；　during　the　last　three　months；　would　have　been　convinced　of　this　difference；　but　in　the　court…room　it　was　not　so　easy　to　place　the　matter　beyond　dispute；　although　two　witnesses　gave　their　opinions　on　this　point；　under　oath；　and　Ellsworth　did　all　he　could；　by　attracting　attention　to　the　plaintiff；　to　his　manner　and　expression；　but　he　was　not　quite　satisfied　with　the　result　of　his　own　endeavours。

〃Let　us　now　look　at　the　conduct　of　this　individual；　we　shall　find　it；　I　think；　quite　inconsistent　with　that　any　man　of　plain；　good　sense；　would　have　supposed　the　most　easy　and　natural　course　under　the　circumstances；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　entirely　consistent　throughout；　in　being　strongly　marked　with　the　stamp　of　improbability；　in　its　general　aspect；　and　in　its　details。〃　After　a　review　of　the　plaintiff's　course；　as　it　stood　in　his　own　statement；　he　proceeded　to　investigate　his　conduct　during　the　last　three　months；　maintaining；　that　had　he　really　been　William　Stanley；　he　would　have　presented　himself　long　since　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　unsupported　by　Mr。　Clapp；　he　would　not　have　found　it　necessary　to　visit　Greatwood；　and　examine　the　house　and　place　so　thoroughly；　before　submitting　to　an　examination；　he　would　not　have　waited　to　be　examined；　he　would　voluntarily　have　told　his　own　story　in　a　manner　to　produce　undeniable　conviction。　For　instance；　but　a　few　weeks　since；　when；　if　we　may　believe　his　story；　that　pocket…book　came　into　his　possession　again；　had　he　gone　to　Mr。　Wyllys；　shown　it；　and　merely　told　him　accurately；　from　whom；　when；　and　where　he　had　first　received　it；　he　would　have　been　immediately　recognized　as　the　individual　he　claims　to　be。　Had　he　been　William　Stanley；　he　could　have　told　those　simple　facts；　he　would　have　told　them；　while　they　were　facts　which　it　was　impossible　that　an　impostor　should　know；　since　they　were　confined　entirely　to　Mr。　Wyllys　and　his　friend's　sonMr。　Wyllys　himself　having　given　the　pocket…book　to　William　Stanley　when　they　were　alone　together。　He　appealed　to　every　man　there　present；　wha