'He passed the bounds of flaming space, But it was the light of the body only that was extinguished, 'the celestial light shone inward,' and enabled him to 'justify the ways of God to man.' The result of his thinking was, nevertheless, not the same as Mr. Paine's. The mysterious incarnation of our blessed Saviour, which the Age of Reason blasphemes in words so wholly unfit for the mouth of a Christian, or for the ear of a court of justice, that I dare not, and will not, give them utterance-Milton made the grand conclusion of Paradise Lost the rest of his finished labours, and the ultimate hope, expectation, and glory of the world: 'A virgin is his mother, but His Sire, The power of the Most High; He shall ascend The throne hereditary, and bound His reign With earth's wide bounds, His glory with the heavens.' The immortal poet having thus put into the mouth of the angel the prophecy of man's redemption, follows it with the solemn and beautiful admonition, addressed in the poem to our great first parent, but intended as an address to his posterity throughout all generations : 'This having learned, thou hast attained the sum Or works of God in heaven, air, earth, or sea, Thus you find all that is great, or wise, or splendid, or illustrious, among created beings-all the minds gifted beyond ordinary nature, if not inspired by their universal author for the advancement and dignity of the world, though divided by distant ages, and by the clashing opinions distinguishing them from one another, yet joining, as it were, in one sublime chorus to celebrate the truths of Christianity, and laying upon its holy altars the never-failing offerings of their immortal wisdom. R ICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN was born at Dublin in September 1751, and was educated there, and afterwards at Harrow. In his educational career he was looked upon as an 'impene trable dunce.' He eloped with Miss Linley, an accomplished singer, and was secretly married to her in France, and again the ceremony was repeated by licence on his return to England in 1773. Between 1775 and 1779 he produced a series of sparkling comedies, of which the School for Scandal' is best known, ranking as one of the finest wit-comedies in the language. His maiden speech was delivered in the House on the 20th of November 1780, when he was listened to with every mark of respect; but his appearance did not entirely satisfy his friends. In February 1783, Mr. Sheridan first came into direct contact with Mr. Pitt, who was then Chancellor of the Exchequer. Sheridan's begum speech has always been famous as an extraordinary exhibition of eloquence. It was delivered in the House of Commons in 1787, in connection with the case of Warren Hastings. When the House of Commons resolved to impeach Warren Hastings, Sheridan was chosen as one of the managers. He was called upon to reproduce, as far as possible, his splendid oration of the preceding year. Mr. Sheridan always lived and acted without any regular system for the government of his conduct; and for the last few years of his public life he seldom spoke in Parliament. He terminated his political career with a splendid proof of eloquence. This was in 1812, when the overtures for peace which had then recently been made by France were the subject of discussion. Sheridan died in poverty and disgrace, deserted by all save one or two of his old friends, on Sunday, July 7, 1816, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. CONCLUSION OF THE SUMMING UP THE EVIDENCE ON THE SECOND OR BEGUM CHARGE AGAINST WARREN HASTINGS.1 If I could not prove, my Lords, that those acts of Mr. Middleton were in reality the acts of Mr. Hastings, I should not trouble your Lordships by combating them; but as this part of his criminality can be incontestably ascertained, I appeal to the assembled legislators of this realm to say whether these acts were justifiable on the score of policy. I appeal to all the august presidents in the courts of British justice, and to all the learned ornaments of the profession, to decide whether these acts were reconcilable to justice. I appeal to the reverend assemblage of prelates, feeling for the general interests of humanity and for the honour of the religion to which they belong, to determine whether these acts of Mr. Hastings and Mr. Middleton were such as a Christian ought to perform, or a man to avow. My Lords, with the ministers of the nabob [Bahar Ally Cawn and Jewar Ally Cawn] was confined in the same prison that arch-rebel Sumshire Khan, against whom so much criminality has been charged by the counsel for the prisoner. We hear, however, of no inquiry having been made concerning his treason, though so many were held respecting the treasures of the others. With all his guilt, he was not so far noticed as to be deprived of his food, to be complimented with fetters, or even to have the satisfaction of being scourged, but was cruelly 1 Delivered before the House of Lords, sitting as a High Court of Parliament, June 1788. liberated from a dungeon, and ignominiously let loose on his parole ! [Here Mr. Sheridan read the following order from Mr. Middleton to Lieutenant Rutledge in relation to the begums' ministers, dated 28th January 1782: - 'SIR, When this note is delivered to you by Hoolas Roy, I have to desire that you order the two prisoners to be put in irons, keeping them from all food, etc., agreeably to my instructions of yesterday. NATH. MIDDLETON.'] The begums' ministers, on the contrary, to extort from them the disclosure of the place which concealed the treasures, were, according to the evidence of Mr. Holt, after being fettered and imprisoned, led out on a scaffold; and this array of terrors proving unavailing, the meek-tempered Middleton, as a dernier ressort, menaced them with a confinement in the fortress of Chunargar. Thus, my Lords, was a British garrison made the climax of cruelties! To English arms, to English officers, around whose banners humanity has ever entwined her most glorious wreath, how will this sound? It was in this fort, where the British flag was flying, that these helpless prisoners were doomed to deeper dungeons, heavier chains, and severer punishments. Where that flag was displayed which was wont to cheer the depressed, and to dilate the subdued heart of misery, these venerable but unfortunate men were fated to encounter every aggravation of horror and distress. It moreover appears that they were both cruelly flogged, though one was above seventy years of age. Being charged with disaffection, they vindicated their innocence.-'Tell us where are the remaining treasures,' was the reply. It is only treachery to your immediate sovereigns, and you will then be fit associates for the representatives of British faith and British justice in India!' O Faith! O Justice! I conjure you by your sacred names to depart for a moment from this place, though it be your peculiar residence; nor hear your names profaned by such a sacrilegious combination as that which I am now compelled to repeat; where all the fair forms of nature and |