Before the High Court of JUSTICIARY, and E DI NAŠ URG H: Printed for J. BELL, at Addifon's Head, Edinburgh; MDCCLXXIV. M PRE FAC E. Y original intention was to publish only fome few remarkable and leading cafes, which I had either argued, or attended to particularly. But it having been fuggefted, that I fhould extend my obfervation to a much greater number of criminal cafes, I was foon convinced it would be proper to do fo. In this country but few trials have been printed; no treatise of merit has yet appeared on its criminal law; and it is irksome to fearch the record of the court of jufticiary, the only fource from which a knowledge of this law can be derived: I was perfuaded, therefore, that fuch a collection would contribute not a little to the advancement of jurifprudence, and be useful alfo to many gentlemen not bred to the law, who are called upon by the conftitution to serve as jurymen. Besides, I was apt to believe it would be acceptable to many, not prompted either by profeffion or duty, to perufe it. Combats and struggles of all forts afford entertainment to mankind. Hence many amuse themselves with civil cafes when a multiplicity of hard words do not put thefe beyond their comprehenfion. If fo, criminal cafes, few of which are unintelligible to any person of education, may justly claim a more general attention: for no fum of money, no portion of land, can give rise to a judicial contest, equally interesting with that in which the life or liberty of a man is at stake. In confequence of these confiderations, I relinquished my first fcheme, and refolved to adopt a number of criminal cafes. As the work grew, fo did my defire of rendering it complete. Hence this collection, inftead of being mifcellaneous, as was at firft intended, is almost wholly occupied by cafes that are all of one class: it correfponds not, therefore, exactly with the title; a defect that may perhaps be fupplied by another volume, if this one meet with a favourable reception.-From the fame motive, I travelled through |