and a gross offence against public justice. But you, gentlemen, are
men of sense, and upon your oaths; you will therefore totally
disregard whatever you have heard out of this place. You are sworn to
give a true verdict between the king and the prisoner at the bar,
according to the evidence now laid before you. It is upon that we (who
appear for the public) rest our cause. If, upon that evidence, she
appears to be innocent, in God's name let her be acquitted; but if,
upon that evidence, she appears to be guilty, I am sure you will do
justice to the public, and acquit your own consciences.

PRISONER--It is said I gave it my father to make him fond of me. There
was no occasion for that--but to make him fond of Cranstoun.




Charge to the Jury.


[Sidenote: Mr. Baron Legge]

MR. BARON LEGGE[13]--Gentlemen of the jury, Mary Blandy, the prisoner
at the bar, stands indicted before you for the murder of Francis
Blandy, her late father, by mixing poison in tea and water gruel,
which she had prepared for him, to which she has pleaded that she is
not guilty.

In the first place, gentlemen, I would take notice to you of a very
improper and a very scandalous behaviour towards the prisoner by
certain people who have taken upon themselves very unjustifiably to