his own purposes, is entitled to the most disdainful disapprobation
that the human mind can form."

Some of the orthodox Tory journals censured Lord Coleridge for
these scathing remarks, but his lordship is not easily frightened
by anonymous critics, and it is probable that, if he ever has to
try another case like ours, he may denounce the prosecutors in still
stronger language if their motives are so obviously sinister as were
those of Sir Henry Tyler.

There was a great crowd of people outside the Mansion House on
Tuesday morning, May 11, and we were lustily cheered as we entered.
Long before the Lord Mayor, Sir Whittaker Ellis, took his seat on the
Bench, every inch of standing space in the Justice Room was occupied.
Mr. Bradlaugh took a seat near Mr. Lickfold and frequently tendered
us hints and advice. Mr. Ramsey, Mr. Whittle, and I took our places
in the dock as our names were called out by Mr. Gresham, the chief
clerk of the court. Our summons alleged that we unlawfully did publish,
or caused to be published, certain blasphemous libels in a newspaper
called the _Freethinker_, dated the 28th of May, 1882.

Mr. Maloney, who appeared for the prosecution, seemed fully impressed
with the gravity of his position, and when he rose he had the air of
a man who bore the responsibility of defending in his single person
the honor, if not the very existence, of our national religion. His
first proceeding was very characteristic of a gentleman with such a
noble task. He attempted to hand in as evidence against us several
numbers of the _Freethinker_ not mentioned in the summons, and these
would have been at once admitted by the Lord Mayor, who was apparently
used to accepting evidence in an extremely free and easy fashion,