1 The Brothers Karamazov
shouts! Oh! this has so much influence, it can so bias the
mind; but, gentlemen of the jury, can it bias your minds?
Remember, you have been given absolute power to bind and
to loose, but the greater the power, the more terrible its re-
sponsibility.
‘I do not draw back one iota from what I have said just
now, but suppose for one moment I agreed with the pros-
ecution that my luckless client had stained his hands with
his father’s blood. This is only hypothesis, I repeat; I nev-
er for one instant doubt of his innocence. But, so be it, I
assume that my client is guilty of parricide. Even so, hear
what I have to say. I have it in my heart to say something
more to you, for I feel that there must be a great conflict
in your hearts and minds.... Forgive my referring to your
hearts and minds, gentlemen of the jury, but I want to be
truthful and sincere to the end. Let us all be sincere!’
At this point the speech was interrupted by rather loud
applause. The last words, indeed, were pronounced with a
note of such sincerity that everyone felt that he really might
have something to say, and that what he was about to say
would be of the greatest consequence. But the President,
hearing the applause, in a loud voice threatened to clear the
court if such an incident were repeated. Every sound was
hushed and Fetyukovitch began in a voice full of feeling
quite unlike the tone he had used hitherto.