must, of necessity, involve so much mental luxury of a single brief was one which John anxiety, and subject him to so much physical Scott-for that was his then name-had not fatigue. Still he would preside. In the enjoyed all this time. At length, under purecourse of the proceedings every one saw how ly accidental circumstances, which it would unfit he physically was for the task. He take too much space to detail, he was employfainted several times on the bench; and at ed in a case; and though he had not been last, nature gave way to such an extent, that engaged above an hour or two before he was he was no longer able to maintain a sitting called on to address the jury on it, he so disposture. He was taken home; but he insist- tinguished himself by the clearness and ed every day, until the case was finished, on soundness of his views, and the vast stores of seeing the notes of the other judges. These profound legal knowledge which he brought he examined carefully, and made remarks to bear on the point at issue, that he was at on the various circumstances which transpir- once seen to be a man of no ordinary talents. ed in the court, as they appeared in those From that time, aided soon afterwards by his notes. He grew gradually worse, and for a brother, the late Lord Stowell, he rose from short time before his death, which took place one degree of distinction to another, until he in ten days after he had been taken out of the was made Attorney General, and eventually court, he was partially insensible. A few Lord High Chancellor of England. minutes before he expired, his reasoning pow- As a barrister, Mr. Scott was by no means ers returned to him. He conversed a short distinguished for anything showy. Elotime with his friends, and after a momentary quence, in the true acceptation of the term, pause, said, "Gentlemen of the jury, you was a thing which never fell from his lips. may retire." These were his last words- He never electrified an audience; he never he died in a few seconds after he had uttered touched the heart, or worked on the feelings. them. This circumstance shows how com- Indeed, he never sought to appeal to the paspletely the trial in question had engrossed sions. His great, indeed, his only object, was his thoughts, until seized by the temporary to convince the judgment by a lucid stateunconsciousness. And the case returned with his returning consciousness. At the momen: he gave utterance to the words quoted, he, no doubt, fancied himself sitting in the court, and addressing the jury.

ment of the facts, and a masterly exposition of the law of the case. And few men at the English bar have been more successful in these respects. His law and his logic_were always so good, and were brought so clearly Lord ELDON's name is not now very often before the minds of the jury, that it was imheard in public. Among the profession, how- possible, where he had the right side of the ever, it is still the subject of frequent conver- question, that any dexterity, however great, sation; and until within the last few years, on the part of the council on the opposite no man was better known, cither as a politi- side, could mystify the jury. In his speeches cian or lawyer, than his lordship. His his- there was little animation: his action was tory furnishes one of the many remarkable never violent. Still there was an earnestness instances of the distinction to which talent, in his tone and about his manner, which was without any adventitious aid, will raise a well adapted to produce a favorable impresmember of the English bar. It is worthy of sion on the minds of the jury. His style was observation, that the first important act of his plain, but generally terse; it was always life, was to do that which he was afterwards clear. He indulged in no flights of the immost forward to denounce. He eloped with agination: indeed, I have no idea that he his wife, and called in the aid of the celebrat- ever, even in his youthful days, could soar ed high priest of Hymen who has so long into the regions of fancy. He was a matterpresided in the temple of Gretna Green. Pen-of-fact, and matter-of-law man. He knew nyless himself, and his bride as portionless that here his strength lay, and he had the as the greatest fortune hater could wish-for wisdom not to step out of that path in which there are persons who pride themselves on alone he could distinguish himself. choosing wives without a farthing in the His political opinions were always of the world-both came, as most poor people in a most Uitra-Tory character. They were not certain rank of life do, to London, where, af- as: umed to serve a purpose. They were not ter much meditation as to what employment taken up with a view to promote his personal he should betake himself, to earn the means interests. A more sincere or conscientious of subsistence for himself and his wife, he man never, perhaps, appeared on the political determined to apply himself to the study of stage. He would not, I am satisfied, have the law. He did so with an intensity of ap. been induced to abandon his Toryism had plication, which, perhaps, has never been sur- Liberalism been then in the ascendant, for passed. From morn to night, and frequently any price which could have been offered him. from night to morr. to the bargain, did he, in a I have not a doubt that even at the time he dark garret, pore over the musty records of was the briefless John Scott, not knowing legal antiquity, scarcely seeing a human being, many a day where or how he was to get a or being seen by a fellow mortal for weeks at dinner, the most honorable and lucrative ofa time. When called to the bar, he of course fice any government could have at its disposemerged physically from the obscurity of his al, would not have proved a sufficient tempgarret, but professionally he was as obscure as tation to make him profess Liberalism. He before for several years, during which he had abhorred the bare idea: the very abstrac gone the northern circuit regularly. The tion was odious to him. And the ardor of

his youthful Toryism suffered no diminution gy, is called "a good shot." No doubt or as he advanced in years. It rather increas- misgiving ever crossed his mind when he ed with every successive step he took in life. saw one or more birds within reach of the Many were the political charges he witness- contents of his fowling-piece. On such occaed in his friends. He saw others shaping sions, he invariably made up his mind at once their creed so as best to quadrate with their to fire. His feathered victims never observed own interests: his principles, ay, and his anything doubtful or hesitating about him. conduct too, were always the same. Though His lordship's maxim as a judge before adevery one else, from the king on the throne verted to, of "slow and sure. was a glorious down to the humblest subject in the land, had one for the chancery lawyers. He was, out abandoned Toryism, Lord Eldon would have of sight, the best friend they ever had. Sir clung to it with all the tenacity and with all Charles Wetherell, Sir William Horne, and the fondness with which he would have clung the other leading counsel in the equity courts, to lite. Had it found a restingplace nowhere are under everlasting obligations of the greatelse, it would have been a welcome and fond- est magnitude to him. And if they have a ly-cherished inmate in his breast. However particle of gratitude, or the slightest sense of much men may differ froin his lordship as to honor in their bosoms, they will erect a stathe soundness of his political creed, no one tue to his memory when he has crossed the could, for a moment, doubt his sincerity;" bourne" of Shakspeare-a bourne from and no one could withhold his admiration of which no lawyer or judge, any more than the undeviating consistency he has evinced "traveller," ever returns. He played into through a long and most eventful public life. their hands at a fine rate; and yet he never I have spoken of Lord Eldon's great legal seemed to be aware of it. Often would counattainments when practising at the bar as sel of the first rank charge their clients forty plain John Scott. When elevated to the or fifty guineas for having risen in their seats Lord Chancellorship, they shone with pecu- to remind him that he had a certain case beliar lustre. No man, perhaps, who ever sat fore him, and to express a hope-which hope, in a court of law, ever examined a case more however, if one could imagine it in such cirthoroughly in all its bearings, and no man's cumstances to have been sincere, stood no decisions ever gave more universal satisfac- chance of being one hour sooner realised on tion. The only ground of complaint that ev- that account-to express a hope that he would er existed against him as a judge, was the do something in it at his earliest convenience. great length of time he took before giving This the counsel called moving in the case: his judgments. When a case was once put the poor clients only found it was moving, in into the Court of Chancery, when he presid- so far as it moved some handsome sum out of ed in it, it was quite uncertain whether it their pockets. Lord Eldon was a judge quite would be decided in the lifetime of either of after the lawyers' own hearts: he was the the parties, supposing that they were to live man for enabling them, as some of themselves for upwards of a quarter of a century. In used jocularly to say, to pocket "refreshers." most instances, the delay arose from the He was the only person on whom I ever saw slowness of the progress towards that stage Sir Charles Wetherell deign to bestow a of the case in which it came before him for smile or a look of benignity. Lord Eldon decision. He seems to have acted on the had a perfect horror at the bare idea of remaxim, in his judicial capacity of Lord Chan- forming the Court of Chancery. He held cellor, of "slow and sure." His doubts on that its constitution and practice were perfecalmost every case which came before him tion itself. When any attack was made in were of almost interminable duration. It Parliament by Michael Angelo Taylor, or sometimes seemed as if he would never make others, he literally used to shed tears; and up his mind at all. The result often was, that both the litigants were ruined in fortune by the expenses, as well as broken in spirit by the anxiety, consequent on the procrasti

on one occasion he actually intimated his decided intention of resigning, should even a committee of inquiry into its alleged abuses be granted. To attack himself personally was nothing compared with an attack on the It is a curious fact, and one which furnish- court in which he presided. The first was a es another to the already innumerable proofs trivial sin: the latter was an unpardonable of the anomalous constitution of the human offence.

nation.

mind, that although Lord Eldon was so invet- Lord Eldon's sterling integrity of purpose erate a doubter on the bench, no man was ev-insured the attachment of all who knew him. er more prompt in his decisions in political Among his greatest personal friends was the matters, or in those which daily occur in the late king, George the Fourth. That soverordinary relations of life. In such cases, in- eign, it will be remembered, made him a magstead of taking years to make up his mind, nificent present, as a proof of his private he required not a moment. He saw what he friendship, immediately after the noble earl conceived to be a right view of the matter ceased to be Lord Chancellor through a the instant it was presented to his mind. The change of ministry. His late Majesty, howghosts of many thousands of pheasants-if ever, used, when Prince Regent, to have many departed pheasants have ghosts-can bear harmless jokes at his lordship's expense. testimony to this. Lord Eldon always was, One of the best of these-at any rate, the and is still, notwithstanding his being in his best of several which have been communieighty-fifth year, what, in sporting phraseolo- cated to me-was played off on him soon af

"I wonder what's the nature of the business about which he wishes to consult me; because if it's not of immediate importance, I could see him some other time on the subject," said Lord Eldon.

"I do not know what it is," answered Sheridan; " but I know it is of the most pressing kind: for he has repeatedly said so to me.

"It's very odd that he has not returned; it's full ten minutes since he left us," observed Lord Eldon, moving back his chair, and giving what Sheridan called an "immense " yawn.

ter his elevation to the chancellorship. That | "I'm surprised-quite surprised, that he was in the early part of the present century, has not been with us before now," observed when the Prince was in the meridian of life, Sheridan. and passionately fond of fun and frolic. Having previously instructed all the subordinate performers in the parts they were to play, the Prince and Sheridan one evening engag. ed a hackney-coach, and went down to the House of Lords to await the rising of their lordships. The House having risen, the Prince desired one of his servants, whom he had brought with him for the purpose, to intimate to his lordship, as he quitted his robing-room, that he was waiting in his carriage opposite Westminster Abbey for him. Lord Eldon, having informed the servant that he would be with the Prince presently, hurried down stairs immediately afterwards, and "Perhaps I had better go out and see was with him nearly as soon as the servant whether I can learn anything of him." himself. The night was unusually dark, and "I should feel particularly obliged to you the streets were then but very imperfectly if you would, Mr. Sheridan," answered his lighted. These circumstances, added to that of lordship. having just left the brilliantly lighted House Sheridan took up his hat and quitted the of Lords, very naturally account for his lord-apartment. ship stepping into the vehicle without discovering that instead of the Prince's own carriage, it was only a common hackney coach. On going inside, Lord Eldon found Sheridan with the Prince. The latter mentioned to his lordship, that he was anxious to get his opinion and advice on some matter of personal importance to himself; and that for certain reasons, which he mentioned, they would go to some neighboring hotel, instead of to the palace, to talk over the matter.

"Most certainly, your Highness; wherever your Highness pleases," said his lordship, with that thorough devotion to royalty for which the noble lord ever was through life, and still is, distinguished.

After what the coachmen call a three or four minutes' ride, Lord Eldon found the coach stop, and a few moments afterwards he was conducted by the Prince and Sheridan into a handsome apartment up one pair of stairs. The Prince, in the first place, asked a few common-place questions of the Lord Chancellor, as to the proceedings in the House that evening, and then introduced some other topics of general conversation. "Eldon," said the Prince, suddenly stopping short in the midst of a rather lively confabulation; "Eldon, I'm sure you'll excuse me fer a few minutes."

"O, most certainly, your Highness." "Sheridan will amuse you with something or other till I return,” said the Prince, rising from his seat, and quitting the room as he spoke.

Sheridan forthwith called his singularly excellent conversational powers into full play, in order to prevent Lord Eldon from suspecting that any trick was about to be practised on him.

Only about ten minutes, however, had elapsed, when his lordship, notwithstanding the wit of Sheridan, began to express a long ing for home. "I wish," said he, "the Prince were returned, as I have some matters to attend to of pressing emergency at home."

VOL. III.

22

His lordship was now alone in his glory, but was not suffered to remain long in his solitary state. A remarkably ugly-looking female, about forty years of age, entered the room about half a minute after Sheridan had left it, and advancing towards his lordship, inquired, with something between a grin and a smile, how he did.

"How do you do?" growled his lordship, looking at the damsel, with a most marked expression of sternness and astonishment, in the face.

66

Your friends have left you, dear," said the nymph, seating herself on a chair beside his lordship, and looking him, in her most coaxing manner, in the face.

He suddenly pushed back his chair, and without uttering a word, stared at her hard as if he had meant to say, "Who are you?"

"Perhaps you'll take my company instead of that of your friends who have left you," observed the female, suddenly seating herself on his knee.

"Get out, get out, you hussey!" exclaimed his lordship, forcibly jerking her off his knee, and starting to his feet. He rang the bell that instant, with tremendous violence. The waiter made his appearance, and manifested the most provoking coolness.

"Get me a coach this moment, sir, that I may get out of this house immediately," said his lordship, in indignant accents.

"Yes, sir," said the waiter, with the same provoking nonchalance as before. "Yes, sir; only, you are aware, sir, you have to pay, in the first place, for the use of the room."

"For the what?" said his lordship, evidently confounded as he was enraged.

"For the use of the room, sir," answered the waiter, with the same coolness as before. "I have not used the room," said his lordship, sternly.

"That is your own fault," observed the other: "you have been in it, and that's all the

same to us."

Oh, bard divine, Anacreon! flourish; And may the meadow's purple bloom "Eighteen-pence! only eighteen-pence!" Thine hallowed shrine for ever cherish. said the driver, holding out the one-and-six* The house in question was a well-known one, pence in his hand, and looking at it with an but was, with the other houses in the same street, affected air of supreme contempt. "Vell, pulled down several years ago. The present Chan. who ever heard of such a think? Only eigh-dos Street is quite different in fame, as well as in teen-pence for driving the Lord Chancellor appearance, from the old Chandos Street.

May milky fountains issue forth,
And stream in whiteness round thy slum-
bers,

And luscious wine refresh the earth-
Such wine as once inspired thy numbers!

way than in anxious, harassing thought, was sitting in her drawing-room, after the removal of her untasted breakfast, when Sir Henry Milner was announced: she had not anticipated his visit, and her manner exhibited a startled and painful embarrassment, which might have excited his surprise, were it not

That if a joy can reach the grave,
Thou, loved one! may'st enjoy the treas- evident, from his deportment, that his own

ure;

Thou, who to life such rapture gave,

And to fond love thy fondest measure!
Antipater Sidonius ex Anthol.

FAMILY INTERFERENCE.*

R. S. F.

A TALE FOR YOUNG MARRIED PEOPLE.

BY MRS. ABDY.

mind was pre-occupied by some weighty affair. He had scarcely exchanged a dozen words with Caroline, when a double knock resounded at the door. Caroline turned alternately red and pale, half rose, and then sat down again; for her creative and disturbed fancy conjured up to her the vision of Mrs. Clifford, who, she imagined, had employed a spy to watch the entrance of Sir Henry, and was now coming to reproach and insult her. She was not, however, called to any such trial; for the door opened, and the harmless, sentimental Anna Morris was announced.

Caroline received her with as much rapture as if she had been a benevolent fairy; although, under any other circumstances, she would rather have dreaded the infliction of her visit, for Anna seemed in her most dieaway mood, had the traces of tears in her eyes, and bore a beautifully-embroidered and highly-scented pocket handkerchief in one hand, and "the Art of Living on Two Hundred a Year" in the other.

CAROLINE retired to her chamber; a Bible, presented to her by Lucy, lay on the toilette: she always read a chapter every night in it. On the present night she read several; but Caroline was reading the Bible regularly through, and was now engaged in an historical part, which bore no reference to her pe- Sir Henry soon communicated the reason culiar situation, and, consequently, she deriv- of his visit at so early an hour; he was about ed little comfort from her employment. Ca- to bid all his friends farewell, for perhaps a roline had never been accustomed to look for long period. He had been engaged for some and gather, at pleasure, the texts and passa- months to be married to a young lady, who ges which alluded to her own circumstances was now with her brother at Florence on acand feelings; she read the Scriptures, but she count of the ill-health of the latter; he had did not search them; it is therefore not sur- expected their speedy return, but yesterday prising that her profit should be comparative- had received a letter, informing him that a ly small. She lay awake during the night, longer stay was thought indispensable for the slept for an hour towards morning, and awoke gentleman, and inviting him to join them with that feverish, irritating sense of deep in- there; he should endeavor, he smilingly addjury, natural to those who have been suffer-ed, to prevail on his fair friend and her brothing from unjust accusation. Caroline. how-er to allow the marriage to be solemnized at ever, did not feel a moment's regret for the Florence; and as all places were much the unbecoming violence which she had evinced same to him, he imagined he must bribe them towards Mrs. Clifford,—a circumstance to consent, by promising to remain abroad which, of itself, showed how much of reli- with his wife till the health of her brother gious principle she had yet to learn. Expe- should be re-established. Caroline could rienced Christians, I am willing to allow, may hardly restrain her delight at this intelligence occasionally be off their guard; may, under within reasonable bounds; it offered at once the influence of strong excitement and pro- an exoneration to her fame, and a terminavocation, give way to passionate expressions; tion to her difficulties; she wished Sir Henry but they will, ere long, deeply repent of their every happiness in her prettiest manner, (earconduct, and they will lay their repentance nestly hoping all the time that she might ne at the footstool of their Creator in prayer. ver see him again,) and listened to the sound The children of the world, however, so far of his descending footsteps with so radiant a from feeling compunction for their violence, smile and dancing an eye, that the most suswill rather commend themselves for their picious of observers would have acquitted her proper self respect: the spirit of the disobe- of entertaining any peculiar predilection in dient prophet will be theirs, who, when ask- his favor. Her heart lightened by the events ed, "Doest thou well to be angry?" could re- of the morning, she listened patiently to a ply even to the interrogation of Omnipotence, long tirade from Anna Morris, who, wrapped "I do well to be angry, even unto death." in the richest of silks and the most delicate Caroline, pale, feverish, and restless, unable to read, or to employ herself in any other

* Continued from p. 95.

of ermines, expressed her wonder "how mamma could think she wanted anything be. yond the mere necessaries of life;" and even lent her a patient hearing when, for the fiftieth time, she opened the little treasury of