Page:The Life of Mr. Richard Savage - Johnson (1727).djvu/29

 Being thus cast out of all possible Hopes of making any farther Defence by Law for his Life, he was carry'd back to the Prison, where the Indulgence which he had before obtained from the Keeper, of being excused from having any Irons, could no longer with Safety, be allowed him, but he and Mr. Gregory were fetter'd with near fifty Pounds Weight a-piece. On the Monday following, at the Conclusion of the Sessions, he was carry'd down to the Court to receive Sentence, as usual, previous to which he made the following Speech.

T is now, my Lord, too late, to offer any thing by way of Defence, or Vindication; nor can we expect ought from your Lordships, in this Court, but the Sentence which the Law requires you as Judges, to pronounce against Men of our calamitous Condition. But we are also perswaded, that as meer Men, and out of this Seat of rigorous Justice, you are susceptive of the tender Passions, and too humane, not to commiserate the unhappy Situation of those, whom the Law sometimes perhaps exacts  from you to pronounce upon. No doubt you distinguish between Offences, which arise out of Premeditation, and a Disposition habituated to Vice or Immorality, and Transgressions, which are the unhappy