He was now before the bar of his country, and might be understood to be on trial before Lord Meadowbank as an offender; yet he was sure that every impartial jury would bring in a verdict of Not Proven.

He did not now think it necessary to enter into the reasons of his long silence.

Perhaps caprice might have a consider able share in it.

He had now to say, however, that the merits of these works, if they had any, and their faults, were entirely imputable to himself.

(Long and loud cheering.) He was afraid to think on what he had done.