Part 43 (1/2)

CHAPTER XIV

_Counsellor Ventilate and the law: Raptures excited by the panegyric of Blackstone: Dialogues legal and political, with characteristic traits_

Meantime the appointed intervieeen entleman was characterized by those manners, and opinions, which the profession of the law is so eminently calculated to produce He had a broad brazen stare, a curl of contempt on his upper-lip, and a somewhat short supercilious nose His head was habitually turned upward, his eye in the contrary direction, as if on the watch in expectation to detect soe, and his half-openedjaw seemed to say, 'What an immense fool is every man I meet!'

His whole manner and aspect appeared to denote that he was in a continual revery; and that he i a witness, interrogating an idiot, or detailing cases and precedents, to shew the subtlety hich he could mislead and confound his hearers A split-hair distinction without a difference gave him rapture; and whenever it happened to puzzle, which was but too often, he raised his left shoulder and gave a he his conviction that he was indisputably the greatest lawyer in the world! And, if the greatest lawyer, he was as certainly, according to his own creed, the greatest man! For the rest of mankind, if put in competition with lawyers, ere they? What but poor, silly, ihted to th to which he could drawl out a reply Was there a ly? He would surpass him

When his turn came, nine should not suffice He would be more dull, contradictory, and intolerable, than his rival by an hour, at least

He would repeat precedents, twist sentences, le his own intellect that his hearers had no way of getting rid of the pain he excited; except by falling a-sleep, or deter not to listen It must be owned however he had soave the one of the retainers of government, he had a seat in the House of Commons: where he used to rise in his place and address the Speaker, with no less logic, love of justice, and legislative wisdo in the courts

It was in vain that he exposed hi body, not less witty than virtuous Of shaain rise in his place, totally forgetful of past flagellation, and again and again convince Mr

Speaker and the honorablethem all as profound reasoners as hiet up and do his duty, and sit down and receive his own applause

To mention shame in this case was indeed absurd How should a man blush at reproof which he cannot comprehend? His skull was so admirably fortified, by nature, that it was equally iu artillery of wit Let the cannon roar: he heard it not He was abstractedly conte those obscure depths in which he remained for ever seated; and where he had visions innu

One favourite and never-failing object, on these occasions, was to instruct the house in law And here the devil, who is himself a kind of lawyer, for he devours his best friends, the devil I say chose these opportunities to vent his choicest malice He did not set a lawyer to confound a lawyer: that were but a stale device He humbled him out of the mouths of men who had occasionally read law-books, it is true: but who had read them without a lawyers' obliquity; and had enquired as the simple unadulterated intention of their authors

Nohich in all its stages has a quibble in either eye, that ood or may mean ill, is every where, except in a Court of Justice, capable of a good interpretation This is not a rule without an exception: but inintentionally beneficial in its principle

For this beneficent vital-spark every body, but a lawyer, is in search; and it is what every body, but a lawyer, is delighted to find No wonder therefore that a lawyer should meet discomfiture, and confusion, when he pretends to discuss the abstract nature of justice, in any place except in these aforesaid Courts of Justice

Thus it happened that Mr Ventilate was, on all such occasions, confounded in that honorable house, of which he was an honorable member: which indeed, e remember ere his opponents, was less miraculous than the irations--of Vishnoo

Much of the conceit and ridicule of the character of Mr Ventilate was apparent, even to reat practice, and had the reputation of a sound lawyer: which signifies a man who has patience to read reports, and a facility at quoting them Beside, I was in haste; and rather inclined to leap over an obstacle than to go round it

Accordingly our arrangements were made, and the next day I attended at his chambers; with a firm and as I supposed not to be shaken deterreatest lawyers the world ever beheld

The first book I was advised to read, as a historical introduction to and compendium of laas Blackstone's Commentaries This author had acquired too norant of his faan and continued to read him with all the prepossession that an author hilish laws, and the Constitution of Britain, gave entle, and on the perplexities introduced into our statute-law by such 'ill-judging and unlearned legislators,' and his praise of the capacity they would acquire for ad justice, to which sacred function they are so often called, were this ignorance renity to the study I was about to pursue

Then the account given of Servius Sulpicius! who, according to my learned author, 'left behind hi!' Hoonderfully did it move my admiration! I previously knew that in most countries, which are denominated civilized, laas voluined that one man could himself compile a hundred and fourscore volumes! And, as it seems, could compile them at his leisure too: for his chief business was that of oratory! Beside which it lives on record that, being a firable senator! But it appears that Sulpicius could devour laith greater ease than Milo, or perhaps even than Cacus himself, could oxen

Neither was it recorded that this prodigy of legal learning began young And should I then despair of equalling hiet me into one of my trances and, had he compiled as many thousands of volumes, I should scarcely have suspected that I could not compile as fast as he

As I read on, how did I deplore the quarrel between Vicarius and his opponents: or, in other words, between the pandects and the conorance that had nearly been the result! How rejoice in the institution of those renowned hot-beds of law, the Inns of Court: by the aid of which, had not the rage for enacting laws kept pace with the rage for studying thedom would in tiht indeed have becoret that I had not studied coe!

How sympathetic with uishes the criterions of right and wrong; which teaches to establish the one, and prevent, punish, or redress the other; which employs in its theory the noblest faculties of the soul, and exerts in its practice the cardinal virtues of the heart: a science, which is universal in its use and extent, acco the whole community; that a science like this should ever have been deemed unnecessary to be studied in a university, is a matter of astonishment and concern!'

How did I bless the memory of Mr Viner, who had found a re an Oxford professorshi+p; and how proue's end! What were four and twenty volumes in folio? Coiurateful was that to h one of the 'gentle the search' Neither was I to be nu those 'many persons ofout; and continue ever dark and puzzled during the re itself so luminous, there was no fear of that withassertion 'Such knowledge as is necessary for a judge is hardly to be acquired by the lucubrations of twenty years!'

But this to be sure enius, they were unknown