Stirling peerage

INTRODUCTION. 39
produced as evidence, and moved that Mr Humphrys
might be judicially examined relative thereto. The
prayer of the motion having been granted, Mr Hum-
phrys was, on the 18th December, 1838, judicially
examined, when he emitted the declaration. Appendix,
No. VI.
On 22d of same month, an order was issued by the
Court, directing that the original letters should be
■exhibited to the clerk of Court, to be by him compared
with the excerpts of the same, produced in process, and
instructing him to report on such points thereanent, as
he should consider proper for the information of the
Court. This was executed accordingly, and on 3d
January, 1839, the report and additional productions,
Appendix, No. VII. were given in. These were
followed on 28th February, by a Supplemental Report
and Productions, Appendix, No. VIII.
The result of these latter proceedings was, that on
18th March, 1839, Mr Humphrys was served with an
indictment to stand trial for Forgery, before the
High Court of Justiciary, on the 3d day of April
following. On that occasion, his counsel having moved
for delay, the diet was continued till the 29th of the
same month. An accurate report of this cause celebre
will, it is presumed, be found in the succeeding pages.
From the various attendant circumstances — the com-
plex ingenuity displayed in the fabrication of the docu-
ments libelled on — the magnitude of the prisoner's
pretensions, and the extensive notoriety which they
had procured for him — no case for many years has
excited more interest or attracted greater attention.
The trial lasted five da,ys, during which time every
eranny of the Court was occupied by the rank and
foshion of Edinburgh. The number of ladies present