Mr. BATHURST--Your lordships will, I hope, indulge me in a very few
words by way of reply, and after the length of evidence which has been
laid before the jury I will take up but little of your lordships'
time.

Gentlemen, you observe it has been proved to a demonstration that Mr.
Francis Blandy did die of poison. It is as clearly proved that he died
of the poison put into his water gruel upon the 5th of August, and
that the prisoner at the bar put it in. For so much appears, not only
from her own confession, but from a variety of other evidence. The
single question, therefore, for your consideration is, whether she did
it knowingly or ignorantly?

[Illustration: Miss Molly Blandy, taken from the life in Oxford Castle
(_From an Engraving in the Collection of Mr. A.M. Broadley_.)]

I admit that in some of the conversations which she has had at
different times with different persons she has said she did it without
knowing it to be poison, or believing it to be so. At the same time I
beg leave to observe (as you will find when their lordships sum up the
evidence to you) that she did not always make the same pretence.

Examine then, gentlemen, whether it is possible she could do it
ignorantly.

It has appeared in evidence that she owned she saw Mr. Cranstoun put
some powder into her father's tea in the month of August preceding,
that she had herself afterwards done the same; but she said she saw no
ill-effect from it, and therefore concluded it was not hurtful. Her