He is rather short, not so much
healthy-looking as wide awake. 'What's up?' is his motto. This colony
will sober him down, and then he will attend more to 'what's to be done.'
His complexion bears the stamp of one born of a good family, but you can read
in the white of his eyes, in the colouring of his cheeks, in the paleness
of his lips, that his heart is for violence. When he gets a pair
of solid whiskers, he may pass for a Scotchman, for he has already a nose
as if moulded in Scotland. He speaks the English language correctly,
and when not prompted by the audacity of his heart, shows good sense,
delicate feelings, a pleasing way of conversation. His honour was impeached
by Vern, who never came up to the scratch, though; witness, Mr. John Campbell,
of 'The Age' office.
When a man is dead, there and then he is himself the horrible evidence
of corruption; but, as long as he lives there is hopes for fair play,
and hear his evidence on the resurrection of life: hence the moral courage
to assert the truth, shuts out the physical strength for blather to shampoo
the lie; and an honest upright man of education and a Christian leaves
'duelering' to fools.
M`Gill is not wicked in heart, though he may not yet have settled-principles.
If this world be such a puzzle even for grey-heads, who have seen enough of it,
what then must it be for one, come out of College and learning life
on the gold-fields? Hence, if I say that he helped with others to draw
the chestnuts out of the Eureka Stockade, for some old Fox, I cannot
offend him. - Who was the accursed old Fox? Patience, there is a God. -
When I was in gaol, I was not vexed at hearing him at liberty and happy:
I could not possibly wish my misery to any one; but his boast on Ballaarat
that his friend Dr. Kenworthy had procured him a 'written free pardon'
did smother me with bitterness.
Chapter LI.
Tota Domus Duo Sunt, Iidem Parentque Jubentque!
A confusion ensued which baffles description; marching, counter-marching,
orders given by everybody, attended to by nobody. This blustering concern,
when brought forward on the stage at the State Trials, appeared so much
to the heart's content of his Honour, of his and my learned friend Mr. Ireland,
that I must offer it here, 'nolens volens', for the confirmation of the
Cracker-of-high-treason-indictments' approbation.
Thomas Allen examined. - (See Report of the Nigger-Rebel State Trial,
in 'The Age', February 24th, 1855.)
"This witness was so very deaf that the Attorney-General
had actually to bawl out (oh!
