Memoirs Of Joseph Grimaldi

,204 MEMOIES OE JOSEPH GKIM.1LDI.

by insinuating that his acquaintance with me was disreputable,
and exert their abilities to make him appear ridiculous; there-
fore, on our way down, I hinted my fears, and begged him, for
God's sake, to keep his temper, to answer every question with
.calmness and propriety, and not to be irritated by any interro-
gatories of counsel; to which he answered, ' "Whatever were
your transactions previous to my acquaintance I know not;
but certainly I never observed anything improper in your
conduct; nor did I, till this unfortunate affair, hear anything
to your disadvantage: but admitting you to be the vilest
character on earth, I am bound, as a man and'a Christian,
to speak the truth; and I should consider myself highly
culpable if I withheld my testimony, when, by giving it, I
might prevent an innocent man from losing his life. I am
going to assert nothing but the truth, to do which can dis-
honour no man. I assure you I am too much impressed with
a sense of your unfortunate situation to be otherwise than
•serious; and I trust those who hear me will be properly satis-
fied, that I know my duty when giving testimony in a court
of justice, as well as when performing before an audience at
a public theatre.' These were Ms observations, and he fully
verified them.

"Mrs. Grimaldi was next called, and confirmed the testi-
mony of her husband in every particular.

"Mr. Dauncey, the counsel for the prosecution, in his open-
ing speech, had mentioned that I kept houses of a certain
description, and endeavoured to impress the minds of the jury
with a belief that no credit was to be given to any witness
who could visit or associate with me. He even said it Avas
material to consider whether I and my witnesses were not
guilty of a foul conspiracy to defeat justice; and in order to
lessen the effect of Mr. and Mrs. Grimaldi's evidence, they were
interrogated by the prosecutor's counsel as to their knowledge
,,of my keeping disorderly houses, which they most positively,
and with truth, denied.r him. Application was, how-to prove an alibi most satisfae-the kindness of the audience with so much gen-