Explain to her that we have to go by
precedents, and that I believe this one to be new.
There's your law of
precedents; there's your utility of traditions; there's the story of your obstinate survival of old beliefs never bottomed on the earth, and now not even hovering in the air!
"There are
precedents, I may mention Schwarzenberg."
These, under the name of
precedents, they produce as authorities to justify the most iniquitous opinions; and the judges never fail of directing accordingly.
And for this method we plead many
precedents. First, this is an art well known to, and much practised by, our tragick poets, who seldom fail to prepare their audience for the reception of their principal characters.
Reform therefore, without bravery, or scandal of former times and persons; but yet set it down to thyself, as well to create good
precedents, as to follow them.
The next proceedings were of a public and avowable nature, and strictly followed the customary
precedents on such occasions.
And there, with his noble friend and relative Lord Decimus, was William Barnacle, who had made the ever-famous coalition with Tudor Stiltstalking, and who always kept ready his own particular recipe for How not to do it; sometimes tapping the Speaker, and drawing it fresh out of him, with a 'First, I will beg you, sir, to inform the House what
Precedent we have for the course into which the honourable gentleman would precipitate us;' sometimes asking the honourable gentleman to favour him with his own version of the
Precedent; sometimes telling the honourable gentleman that he
Acting, as was their wont, in strict accordance with
precedent, the highest Circles of the realm were meeting in solemn conclave, as they had met on the first hour of the first day of the year 1000, and also on the first hour of the first day of the year 0.
Yet, with all this scope of
precedent, I now enter upon the same task for the brief Constitutional term of four years under great and peculiar difficulty.
"We shall keep our readers informed as to the progress of this enterprise, which has no
precedent in the annals of exploration."
They are unfettered by
precedent in the administration of justice.