Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 297: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ewer re 9 ee eee ee ee 284: “in which the Royal Commissionérs are ‘called 8 JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. been in existence for two centuries and a half; and upon fo adjudicate in respect to the domain of | the present respected proprietor thereof has by his Monte d’Oro, the possession of which confers the style and title of Count. It likewise appears that the Royal Commissioners are to be called upon to adjudicate in respect to the estates bordering upon those of Monte d’Oro, and which were wont to be known by the collective title of the Patrimony of St. Bartholomew. No opposition is entered on the part of any persons at present holding divers por- tions of the lands about to be claimed for other individuals.” Here the Royal Procurator rose, and said, “I have been consulted by many of the persons now holding such portions of the lands of the two domains; and I have felt it my duty to recom- mend that they should leave the case in the hands of myself as the representative of the Crown, and in that of the Royal Commissioners. For in respect to the parties now appearing by counsel to claim those domains jointly or severally, it will be for us to consider whether their claim be good or not. If it be rejected, there is necessarily an end of the case; and those who now hold the lands will remain in undisputed possession of them. But if, on the other hand, the claim be made good,—then, by the mere fact of an adjudi- cation in that sense, the present holders of the lands become at once dispossessed thereof; and according to the terms of the Act of the French Legislature appointing the Royal Commission, the said holders must deliver up immediate and peace- able possession to the claimant or claimants whose rights shall have been confirmed by a judgment in their favour.” The senior of the two counsel whom Castelli had retained, now rose and addressed the Commis- eloners in the following manner :— “Gentlemen, as a necessary preliminary to the ease which is about to be submitted fo your con- sideration, it is for us to prove that the same claimant whom we shall presently put forward to the domain and lordship of Monte d’Oro, is like- wise ‘the claimant to the patrimony of St. Bar- tholomew. We will prove by incontestable docu- mentary evidence that at the time when those fatal incidents to which I need not more especially allude, occurred a century and a half back at the monastery of St. Bartholomew,—the entire patri- mony of that monastery was duly conveyed, as- signed, and made over by the Genoese authorities to the Count of Monte d’Oro. The keeper of the archives of the chancery at Bastia will presently be in attendance with a register, and with two other documents, which will prove the facts I am stating. Signor Castelli is likewise prepared to produce the exact copies of the entry in that register and of the conveyance-deeds, which after a long and tedious search he discovered amongst a number of mouldering documents in some obscure corner of his establishment. Those copies bear the attesting signatures and the seals of the regu- larly constituted authorities of the period to which I am alluding;—and that these signatures and seals are correct and genuine, will be proven to you by the registrar from Bastia, who has brought with him a number of other deeds and documents of the same period and with the same signatures and seals. It is necessary for me to mention that Signor Castelli’s law-agency establishment has character rendered himself worthy of the honour- able name transmitted to him by his ancestors. It would appear that for many years the Castellis —the progenitors of him who is now present— were the legal advisers and conveyancers for the Monte @’Oro family,—the connexion only ceasing when the last bearer of the proud title of Monte d'Oro met a sudden and violent death. I submit these particulars to you, gentlemen, in order to explain how it is that any documents connected with the Monte d’Oro family should have been found in the establishment of Signor Castelli. I now beg to call the registrar of Bastia, who will place before you the various evidences to which I have alluded,—and which, I feel convinced, will satisfy the Royal Commission as well as the learned gentleman representing the Crown, that the patri- mony of St. Bartholomew must merge into and become amalgamated with the domain of Monte d’Oro.” Here the barrister sate down; and my Corsican acquaintance whispered to me, “I told you that Castelli was a shrewd keen man of business, and knew perfectly well what he was about.” * But why does not the claimant to these estates make his appearance ?” IT asked. “I have looked around over the crowded assemblage;.and though I perceive a deep interest expressed on many a countenance, yet I fail to detect that peculiar anxiety of suspense which would serve to indicate the particular one who is now playing for so large a stake.” “Depend upon it,” responded the Corsican, in a whisper, “Castelli has good reasons and motives for everything that he does.” I know not how it was—but at that instant a strange suspicion struck me. This Corsican gen- tleman who had all along appeared to be so well acquainted with the matter,—might he not be the claimant who had so deep an interest in the ques- tion now at issue? I looked at him stealthily though earnestly: but his countenance was calm, aud afforded no indication to justify my suspicion, Still that suspicion was not destroyed within me; and on that very account I grew all the more in- terested in the case that was progressing. As I looked around, I now perceived a little old man making his way through the crowd, followed by a boy carrying a huge dingy volume with massive brazen clasps, and a large roll of musty parch- ments tied round with tape. The old gentleman, who was of most respectable appearance, ascended into the witness-box ; and on bowing to the Commis- sioner and the Procurator, his salutation was ac- knowledged by them with a sort of friendly familiarity which showed that he was an old ac- quaintance. , : This was the registrar of the Corsican chancery, or depds of archives, at Bastia—which fown, in the time of the Genoese rule, was the seat of the in- sular government and the capital of the island. Having been sworn, he produced the various evi- dences described by the learned counsel; and these were most carefully inspected by the Royal Com- missioners. Signor Castelli then handed up the deeds to which allusion had likewise been made: and these also underwent the most rigid scrutiny on the part of the Commissioners. The huge regis- eee ee GIOaks (C@)