as publisher and proprietor, and Mr. E. W. Whittle, as printer.
Mr. Bradlaugh, who was not included in the prosecution until a
later stage of the proceedings, rendered us ungrudging assistance.
Mr. Lickfold, of the well-known legal firm of Lewis and Lewis,
was engaged to watch the case on behalf of Mr. Whittle. As for
my own defence, I resolved from the very first to conduct it myself,
a course for which I had excellent reasons, that were perfectly
justified by subsequent events. In the _Freethinker_ of July 30,
1882, I wrote:

"I have to defend a principle as well as myself. The most
skilful counsel might be half-hearted and over-prudent. Every
lawyer looks to himself as well as to his client. When Erskine
made his great speech at the end of last century in a famous
trial for treason, Thomas Paine said it was a splendid speech
for Mr. Erskine, but a very poor defence of the "Rights of Man."
If Freethought is attacked it must be defended, and the charge
of Blasphemy must be retorted on those who try to suppress
liberty in the name of God. For my part, I would rather be
convicted after my own defence than after another man's; and
before I leave the court, for whatever destination, I will make
the ears of bigotry tingle, and shame the hypocrites who profess
and disbelieve."

For whatever destination! Yes, I avow that from the moment I read
the summons I never had a doubt as to my fate. I knew that
prosecutions for Blasphemy had invariably succeeded. How, indeed,
could they possibly fail? I might by skill or luck get one jury
to disagree, but acquittal was hopeless; and the prosecution
could go on trying me until they found a jury sufficiently orthodox