Ye never knew

The crimes for which we come to weep:

Penance is not for you,

Blessed wanderers of the upper deep.

LXXXI. THE FORGED DEED.

MISS EDGEWORTH.

[Maria Edgeworth was born in Oxford county, England, in 1767, and died in 1849. She was one of the most excellent writers of her time; her works being distinguished for their good sense, their sound moral tone, their accurate discrimination in the drawing.of character, and their happy blending of humor and pathos. She did much for the cause of education, and the training of youthful minds.

The following lesson is from one of her novels called Patronage. Sir Robert Percy is in possession of an estate, which he had formerly recovered of his cousin, Lewis Percy, because the latter had lost his title deeds. In time the deeds are found, and Lewis Percy sues for the property, and his son, Alfred Percy, a young lawyer, is his counsel. At the trial, Sir Robert Percy produces a forged deed, and brings forward an old man, to swear falsely in support of it. This deed purports to have been drawn by Sir John Percy, the grandfather of both parties, and is called a deed of revocation; that is, a deed revoking, or setting aside, a previous conveyance under which Lewis Percy held his estate.]

WILLIAM CLERKE, the only surviving witness to the deed of revocation produced by Sir Robert Percy, was the person on whose evidence the cause principally rested. He was now summoned to appear, and room was made for him. He was upwards of eighty years of age: he came slowly into court, and stood supporting himself upon his staff, his head covered with thin gray hairs, his countenance placid and smiling, and his whole appearance so respectable, so venerable, as to prepossess immediately the jury and the court in his favor.

Alfred Percy could scarcely believe it possible that such a man as this could be induced to support a forgery. After being sworn, he was desired to sit down, which he did, bowing respectfully to the court. Sir Robert Percy's counsel proceeded to examine him as to the points they desired to establish.

"Your name is William Clerke is it not?"

"My name is William Clerke," answered the old man, in a feeble voice.

"Did you ever see this paper before?" showing him the deed.

"I did. I was present when Sir John Percy signed it. He bade me witness it, that is, write my name at the bottom, which I did, and then he said, 'Take notice, William Clerke: this is

a deed revoking the deed by which I made over my Hampshire estate to my youngest grandson, Lewis Percy

The witness was going on, but the counsel interrupted. "You saw Sir John Percy sign this deed; you are sure of that?"

"I am sure of that."

"Is this Sir John Percy's signature?"

"It is; the very same I saw him write; and here is my own name, that he bade me put just there."

"You can swear that this is your handwriting?"

"I can I do."

"Do you recollect what time Sir John Percy signed this deed?"

"Yes; about three or four days before his death."

“Very well, that is all we want of you, Mr. Clerke."

Alfred Percy desired that Clerke should be detained that he might cross-examine him. The defendants went on, produced their evidence, examined all their witnesses, and established all they desired.

Then it came Alfred's turn to cross-examine the witnesses that had been produced by his adversary.

When William Clerke reappeared, Alfred regarding him steadfastly, the old man's countenance changed a little; but still he looked prepared to stand a cross-examination. In spite of all his efforts, however, he trembled.

"Your name is William Clerke, and this," said Alfred, pointing to the witness's signature, "is your handwriting?" "Yes, I say it is."

"You can write then?" putting a pen into his hand; "be so good as to write a few words in the presence of the court." He took the pen, but after making some fruitless attempts, replied, "I am too old to write. I have not been able to write my name these many years. Indeed, sir, indeed you are too hard upon one like me. God knows," said he, looking up to heaven, some thought with feeling, some suspected with hypocrisy-"God knows, sir, I speak the truth, and nothing but the

truth. Have you any more questions to put to me? I am ready to tell all I know. What interest have I to conceal any thing?" continued he, his voice gaining strength and confidence as he went on repeating the lesson which he had been taught. It was a long, a long while ago, he said, since it all had happened; but, thank Heaven, his memory had been spared him, and he remembered all that had passed, the same as if it was but yesterday. He recollected how Sir John looked, where he sat, what he said when he signed this deed; and, moreover, he had often before heard of a dislike Sir John had taken to his younger grandson, ay, to that young gentleman's father, looking at Alfred: "And I was very sorry to hear it, very sorry there should be any dispute in the family, for I loved them all," said he, wiping his eyes; "ay, I loved them all alike, from the time they were in their cradles. I remember, too, once, Sir John said to me, 'William Clerke,' says he, 'you are a faithful lad for I was a lad once

Alfred had judiciously allowed the witness to go on as far as he pleased with his story, in the expectation that some exaggeration and contradiction would appear; but the judge now interrupted the old man, observing that this was nothing to the purpose, that he must not take up the time of the court with idle tales, but that, if he had any thing more to give in evidence respecting the deed, he should relate it.

The judge was thought to be severe; and the old man, after glancing his eye on the jury, bowed with an air of resignation, and an appearance of difficulty, which excited their compassion. "We may let him go now, my lord, may we not?" said Sir Robert Percy's counsel.

"With the permission of his lordship, I will ask one other question," said Alfred.

Now, it should be observed that after the first examination of this witness, Alfred had heard him say to Mr. Sharpe,* "They forgot to bring out what I had to say about the seal." To which Sharpe had replied, "Enough without it."

* Mr. Sharpe was Sir Robert Percy's attorney.

Alfred had examined the seal, and had observed that there was something underneath it: through a small hole in the parchment, he saw something between the parchment and the sealing wax.

"You were present, I think you say, Mr. Clerke, not only when this deed was signed, but when it was sealed?"

"I was, sir,” cried Clerke, eager to bring out this part of the evidence, as it had been prepared for him by Sir Robert: "I surely was; and I remember it particularly, because of a little remarkable circumstance. Sir John, God bless him! — I think I see him now- My lord, under this seal," continued the old man, addressing himself to the judge, and putting his shrivelled finger upon the seal "under this very seal Sir John put a sixpence, and he called upon me to observe him doing it; for, my lord, it is my opinion he thought then of what might come to pass - he had a sort of foreboding of this day. And now, my lord, order them, if you please, to break the seal break it before them all and if there is not the sixpence under it, why, this deed is not Sir John's, and this is none of my writing, and,” cried he, lifting up his hands and eyes, “I am a liar and perjured.”

There was a profound silence. The seal was broken: the sixpence appeared. It was handed in triumph by Sir Robert Percy's counsel to the jury and to the judge. There seemed to be no longer a doubt remaining in the minds of the jury, and a murmur of congratulation among the partisans of Sir Robert seemed to anticipate the verdict.

""Tis all over, I fear," whispered Alfred's associate counsel to him; "you have done all that could be done; but they have sworn through every thing: it is all over with us."

"Not yet," said Alfred. Every eye turned upon him, some from pity, some from curiosity to see how he bore his defeat. At length, when there was silence, he begged to be permitted to look at the sixpence. The judge ordered that it should be shown to him. He held it to the light to examine the date of the coin; he discovered a faint impression of a head on the