Peter Blood lost patience for a moment. "My business, my lord, was
with his wounds, not with his politics."

A murmur from the galleries and even from the jury approved him.
It served only to drive his terrible judge into a deeper fury.

"Jesus God! Was there ever such an impudent villain in the world
as thou?" He swung, white-faced, to the jury. "I hope, gentlemen
of the jury, you take notice of the horrible carriage of this traitor
rogue, and withal you cannot but observe the spirit of this sort of
people, what a villainous and devilish one it is. Out of his own
mouth he has said enough to hang him a dozen times. Yet is there
more. Answer me this, sir: When you cozened Captain Hobart with
your lies concerning the station of this other traitor Pitt, what
was your business then?"

"To save him from being hanged without trial, as was threatened."

"What concern was it of yours whether or how the wretch was hanged?"

"Justice is the concern of every loyal subject, for an injustice
committed by one who holds the King's commission is in some sense
a dishonour to the King's majesty."

It was a shrewd, sharp thrust aimed at the jury, and it reveals,
I think, the alertness of the man's mind, his self-possession ever
steadiest in moments of dire peril. With any other jury it must
have made the impression that he hoped to make. It may even have
made its impression upon these poor pusillanimous sheep. But the