And, curiously enough, these pleasant sallies nearly all had allusion to those tragic nine years of penal servitude through which Davitt has passed.

Mr.Dunbar Barton, one of the Orange lawyers, had spoken of himself as likely to spend the remainder of his days in penal servitude.

Mr.Davitt put the threat gently aside, with the assurance that the hon.

and learned gentleman would probably be one day on the bench, and that he would advise him not to try to reach the bench by the dock.

The same gentleman had expressed a doubt whether any constitutional lawyer would hold that he was guilty either of treason or treason felony, if he took up arms against Home Rule after it had been passed by both Houses of Parliament.
"Would," said Mr.Davitt, with quiet pathos, "I had met such a constitutional authority in the shape of a judge twenty-three long years ago." [Sidenote: A vulgar and caddish interruption.] And, finally, what contributed to the marvellous effect of this speech was its temper and one interruption.