the history of the common law of england-第35部分

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cision　he　mistake　the　Law；　either　through　Partiality；　　Ignorance；　or　Inadvertency；　either　Party　may　require　him　to　seal　　a　Bill　of　Exception；　thereby　to　deduce　the　Error　of　the　Judge　（if　　any　were）　to　a　due　Ratification　or　Reversal　by　Writ　of　Error。　　　　　　Ninthly；　The　Excellency　of　this　open　Course　of　Evidence　to　　the　Jury　in　Presence　of　the　Judge；　Jury；　Parties　and　Council；　and　　even　of　the　adverse　Witnesses；　appears　in　these　Particulars：　　　　　　1st；　That　it　is　openly；　and　not　in　private　before　a　　Commissioner　or　Two；　and　a　couple　of　Clerks；　where　oftentimes　　Witnesses　will　deliver　that　which　they　will　be　ashamed　to　testify　　publickly。　　　　　　2dly；　That　it　is　Ore　Tenus　personally；　and　not　in　Writing；　　wherein　oftentimes；　yea　too　often；　a　crafty　Clerk；　Commissioner；　　or　Examiner；　will　make　a　Witness　speak　what　he　truly　never　meant；　　by　his　dressing　of　it　up　in　his　own　Terms；　Phrases；　and　　Expressions；　whereas　on　the　other　Hand；　many　times　the　very　　Manner　of　a　Witness's　delivering　his　Testimony　will　give　a　　probable　Indication　whether　he　speaks　truly　or　falsly。　and　by　　this　Means　also　he　has　Opportunity　to　correct；　amend；　or　explain　　his　Testimony　upon　further　Questioning　with　him；　which　he　can　　never　have　after　a　Deposition　is　set　down　in　Writing。　　　　　　3dly；　That　by　this　Course　of　personal　and　open　Examination；　　there　is　Opportunity　for　all　Persons　concern'd；　viz。　The　Judge；　　or　any　of　the　Jury；　or　Parties；　or　their　Council　or　Attornies；　to　　propound　occasional　Questions；　which　beats　and　boults　out　the　　Truth　much　better　than　when　the　Witness　only　delivers　a　formal　　Series　of　his　Knowledge　without　being　interrogated；　and　on　the　　other　Side；　preparatory；　limited；　and　formal　Interrogatories　in　　Writing；　preclude　this　Way　of　occasional　Interrogations；　and　the　　best　Method　of　searching　and　sifting　out　the　Truth　is　choak'd　and　　suppress'd。　　　　　　4thly；　Also　by　this　personal　Appearance　and　Testimony　of　　Witnesses；　there　is　Opportunity　of　confronting　the　adverse　　Witnesses；　of　observing　the　Contradiction　of　Witnesses　sometimes　　of　the　same　Side；　and　by　this　Means　great　Opportunities　are　　gained　for　the　true　and　clear　Discovery　of　the　Truth。　　　　　　5thly；　And　further；　The　very　Quality；　Carriage；　Age；　　Condition；　Education；　and　Place　of　Commorance　of　Witnesses；　is　by　　this　Means　plainly　and　evidently　set　forth　to　the　Court　and　the　　Jury；　whereby　the　Judge　and　Jurors　may　have　a　full　Information　of　　them；　and　the　Jurors；　as　they　see　Cause；　may　give　the　more　or　　less　Credit　to　their　Testimony；　for　the　Jurors　are　not　only　　Judges　of　the　Fact；　but　many　Times　of　the　Truth　of　Evidence；　and　　if　there　be　just　Cause　to　disbelieve　what　a　Witness　swears；　they　　are　not　bound　to　give　their　Verdict　according　to　the　Evidence　or　　Testimony　of　that　Witness；　and　they　may　sometimes　give　Credit　to　　one　Witness；　tho'　oppos'd　by　more　than　one。　And　indeed；　it　is　one　　of　the　Excellencies　of　this　Trial　above　the　Trial　by　Witnesses；　　that　altho'　the　Jury　ought　to　give　a　great　Regard　to　Witnesses　　and　their　Testimony；　yet　they　are　not　always　bound　by　it；　but　may　　either　upon　reasonable　Circumstances；　inducing　a　Blemish　upon　　their　Credibility；　tho；　otherwise　in　themselves　in　Strictness　of　　Law　they　are　to　be　heard；　pronounce　a　Verdict　contrary　to　such　　Testimonies；　the　Truth　whereof　they　have　just　Cause　to　suspect；　　and　may　and　do　often　pronounce　their　Verdict　upon　one　single　　Testimony；　which　Thing　the　Civil　Law　admits　not　of。　　　　　　Tenthly；　Another　Excellency　of　this　Trial　is　this；　That　the　　Judge　is　always　present　at　the　Time　of　the　Evidence　given　in　it：　　Herein　he　is　able　in　Matters　of　Law　emerging　upon　the　Evidence　to　　direct　them；　and　also；　in　Matters　of　Fact；　to　give　them　a　great　　Light　and　Assistance　by　his　weighing　the　Evidence　before　them；　　and　observing　where　the　Question　and　Knot　of　the　Business　lies；　　and　by　shewing　them　his　Opinion　even　in　Matter　of　Fact；　which　is　　a　great　Advantage　and　Light　to　Lay…Men：　And　thus；　as　the　Jury　　assists　the　Judge　in　determining　the　Matter　of　Fact；　so　the　Judge　　assists　the　Jury　in　determining　Points　of　Law；　and　also　very　much　　in　investigating　and　enlightning　the　Matter　of　Fact；　whereof　the　　Jury　are　Judges。　　　　　　Eleventhly；　When　the　Evidence　is　fully　given；　the　Jurors　　withdraw　to　a　private　Place；　and　are　kept　from　all　Speech　with　　either　of　the　Parties　till　their　Verdict　is　delivered　up；　and　　from　receiving　any　Evidence　other　than　in　open　Court；　where　it　　may　be　search'd　into；　discuss'd　and　examin'd。　In　this　Recess　of　　the　Jury　they　are　to　consider　their　Evidence；　and　if　any　Writings　　under　Seal　were　given　in　Evidence；　they　are　to　have　with　them；　　they　are　to　weigh　the　Credibility　of　Witnesses；　and　the　Force　and　　Efficacy　of　their　Testimonies；　wherein　（as　I　before　said）　they　　are　not　precisely　bound　to　the　Rules　of　the　Civil　Law；　viz。　To　　have　two　Witnesses　to　prove　every　Fact；　unless　it　be　in　Cases　of　　Treason；　nor　to　reject　one　Witness　because　he　is　single；　or　　always　to　believe　Two　Witnesses　if　the　Probability　of　the　Fact　　does　upon　other　Circumstances　reasonably　encounter　them；　for　the　　Trial　is　not　here　simply　by　Witnesses；　but　by　Jury；　nay；　it　may　　so　fall　out；　that　the　Jury　upon　their　own　Knowledge　may　know　a　　Thing　to　be　false　that　a　Witness　swore　to　be　true；　or　may　know　a　　Witness　to　be　incompetent　or　incredible；　tho'　nothing　be　objected　　against　him；　and　may　give　their　Verdict　accordingly。　　　　　　Twelfthly；　When　the　whole　Twelve　Men　are　agreed；　then；　and　　not　till　then；　is　their　Verdict　to　be　received；　and　therefore　the　　Majority　of　Assentors　does　not　conclude　the　Minority；　as　is　done　　in　some　Countries　where　Trials　by　Jury　are　admitted：　But　if　any　　one　of　the　Twelve　dissent；　it　is　no　Verdict；　nor　ought　to　be　　received。　It　is　true；　That　in　ancient　Times；　as　Hen。　2　and　Hen。　　3's　Time；　yea；　and　by　Fleta　in　the　Beginning　of　Edw。　I's　Time；　if　　the　Jurors　dissented；　sometimes　there　was　added　a　Number　equal　to　　the　greater　Party；　and　they　were　then　to　give　up　their　Verdict　by　　Twelve　of　the　old　Jurors；　and　the　Jurors　so　added；　but　this　　Method　has　been　long　Time　antiquated；　notwithstanding　the　　Practice　in　Bracton's　Time；　lib。　4。　cap。　9。　and　Fleta；　lib。　4。　　cap。　9。　for　at　this　Day　the　entire　Number　first　empanell'd　and　　sworn　are　to　give　up　an　unanimous　Verdict；　otherwise　it　is　none。　　And　indeed　this　gives　a　great　Weight；　Value　and　Credit　to　such　a　　Verdict；　wherein　Twelve　Men　must　unanimously　agree　in　a　Matter　of　　Fact；　and　none　dissent；　though　it　must　be　agreed；　that　an　　ignorant　Parcel　of　Men　are　sometimes　governed　by　a　few　that　are　　more　knowing；　or　of　greater　Interest　or　Reputation　than　the　rest。　　　　　　Thirteenthly；　But　if　there　be　Matter　of　Law　that　carries　in　　it　any　Difficulty；　the　Jury　may；　to　deliver　themselves　from　the　　Danger　of　an　Attaint；　find　it　specially；　that　so　it　may　be　　decided　in　that　Court　where　the　Verdict　is　returnable；　and　if　the　　Judge　overrule　the　Point　of　Law　contrary　to　Law；　whereby　the　Jury　　are　perswaded　to　find　a　general　Verdict　（which　yet　they　are　not　　bound　to　do；　if　they　doubt　it；）　then　the　Judge；　upon　the　Request　　of　the　Party　desiring　it；　is　bound　by　Law　in　convenient　Time　to　　seal　a　Bill　of　Exceptions；　containing　the　whole　Matter　excepted　　to；　that　so　the　Party　grieved；　by　such　Indiscretion　or　Error　of　　the　Judge；　may　have　Relief　by　Writ　of　Error　on　the　Statute　of　　Westminster　2。　　　　　　Fourteenthly；　Altho'　upon　general　Verdicts　given　at　the　Bar　　in　the　Courts　at　Westminster；　the　Judgment　is　given　within　Four　　Days；　in　Presumption　that　there　cannot　be　any　considerable　　Surprise　in　so　solemn　a　Trial；　or　at　least　it　may　be　soon　espied；　　yet　upon　Trials　by　Nisi　prius　in　the　Country；　the　Judgment　is　not　　given　presently　by　the　Judge　of　Nisi　prius；　unless　in　Cases　of　　Quare　Impedits：　But　the　Verdict　is　returned　after　Trial　into　that　　Court　from　whence　the　Cause　issued；　that　thereby；　if　any　Surprise　　happened　either　through　much　Business　of　the　Court；　or　through　　Inadvertency　of　the　Attorney　or　Council；　or　through　any　　Miscarriage　of　the　Jury；　or　through　any　other　Casualty；　the　Party　　may　have　his　Redress　in　that　Court　from　whence　the　Record　issued。　　　　　　And　thus　stands　this　excellent　Order　of　Trial　by　Jury；　which　　is　far　beyond　the　Trial　by　Witnesses　according　to　the　Proceedings　　of　the　Civil　Law；　and　of　the　Courts　of　Equity；　both　for　the　　Certainty；　the　Dispatch；　and　the　Cheapness　thereof：　It　has　all　　the　Helps　to　investigate　the　Truth　that　the　Civil　Law　has；　and　　many　more。　For　as　to　Certainty；　　　　　　　　1st；　It　has　the　Testimony　of　Witnesses；　as　well　as　the　Civil　　Law　and　Equity　Courts。　　　　　　2dly；　It　has　this　Testimony　in　a　much　more　advantageous　Way　　than　those　Courts　for　Discovery　of　Truth。　　　　　　3dly；　It　has　the　Advantage　of　the　Judge's　Observation；　　Attention；　and　Assistance；　in　Point　of　Law　by　way　of　Decision；　　and　in　Point　of　Fact　by　way　of　Direction　to　the　Jury。　　　　　　4thly；　It　has　the　Advantage　of　the　Jury；　and　of　their　being　　de　Vicineto；　who　oftentimes　know　the　Witnesses　and　the　Parties：　　And；　　　　　　5thly；　It　has　the　unanimous　Suffrage　and　Opinion　of　Twelve　　Men；　which　carries　in　itself　a　much　greater　Weight　and　　Preponderation　to　discover　the　Truth　of　a　Fact；　than　any　other　　Trial　whatsoever。　　　　　　　　And　as　this　Method　is　more　certain；　so　it　is　much　more　　expeditious　and　cheap；　for　oftentimes　the　Session　of　one　　Commission　for　the　Examination　of　Witnesses　for　one　Cause　in　the　　Ecclesiastical　Courts；　or　Courts　of　Equity；　lasts　as　long　as　a　　whole　Session　of　Nisi　prius；　where　a　Hundred　Causes　are　examined　　and　tried。　　　　　　And　thus　much　concerning　Trials　in　Civil　Causes。　As　for　　Trials　in　Causes　Criminal；　they　have　this　further　Advantage；　That　　regularly　the　Accusation；　as　preparatory　to　the　Trial；　is　by　a　　Grand　Jury：　So　that　as　no　Man's　Interest；　according　to　the　Course　　of　the　Common　Law；　is　to　be　tried　or　determined　without　the　Oaths　　of　a　Jury　of　twelve　Men；　so　no　Man's　Life　is　to　be　tried　but　by　　the　Oaths　of　Twelve　Men；　and　by　the　Preparatory　Accusation　or　　Indictment　by　Twelve　Men　or　more　precedent　to　his　Trial；　unless　　it　be　in　the　Case　of　an　Appeal　at　the　Suit　of　the　Party。