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on account of the absence of civil public records for the Jews, questions of age were often difficult to determine. It is remarkable that Moses Ibn Tibbon was not called to testify. It is presumed that the cause was removed from Marseilles to Montpellier at his suggestion because of the greater reputation of the judges at this place. The Court in summing up showed the weakness of Samuel's case. He had no proof of the alleged first two marriages, and although the third was said to have been contracted at Marseilles and confirmed in a public deed, the witnesses were ignorant of the contents of the document they had signed. Samuel could produce no marriage contracts, nor any witnesses who had ever seen any of them. Samuel and his father were present at the marriage of Biongude to Isaac and did not protest against it, although, according to his allegation, it closely followed his third marriage to Bion

gude. And although Samuel was the scion of a distinguished family and Biongude was conspicuous as an heiress, there was no public knowledge of their marriage nor did any reputable witnesses come forward to prove it. The Court came to the conclusion that the charge was entirely false and that the motive that inspired Samuel was greed. He was at that time the husband of another woman, and he did not think of Biongude until, by her brother's death, she had be come an heiress. If he had been success ful in annulling her marriage with Isaac bar Simson, she would have been obliged to obtain a bill of divorce from him in order to be entirely free to be remarried lawfully to Isaac, and for this bill Samuel would have exacted a heavy price. This was the key to the situation and the Court touched the heart of the case when it decided, "Biongude needs no bill of divorce from Samuel."

EARLY CRIMINAL TRIALS. THE case of Lord Grey, 9 St. Tr. 127 IV. ( 1682) reveals a very serious domestic disturbance. Lord Grey was charged with a misdemeanor in debauching his sister-in-law, Lady Henrietta Berkeley, the eighteen-yearold daughter of the Earl of Berkeley. He was tried before Chief Justice Pemberton aiid*a jury. Sergeant Jeffreys was one of the counsel for the prosecution. The evi dence in support of the indictment, which was tendered mainly by the prisoner's mother-in-law, was to the effect that the young Lady Henrietta had been discovered sending messages to her brother-in-law, and this led to the production of some com

promising letters from Lord Grey. Lady Berkeley testified that when she charged Lord Grey with misconduct he was very penitent, and agreed to submit to any ban ishment that she might desire; but he sug gested that, lest suspicions should be aroused by any undue abruptness, he should be al lowed to make one more visit at the house. It was then claimed that he had taken ad vantage of this opportunity to arrange to have the young lady taken away from her home. At all events she disappeared, and her parents had been unable to find her. The evidence to connect the defendant with her disappearance was entirely circumstan