THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT, OCTOBER 15, 1884



— _—-»m —m— a— —■_—■_— — m — — — — — — » Anecdotes of English Judges. — Lord Mansfield, the prince of courtesy, was in the habit of reading newspapers and answering letters in court. Lord Eldon did so too ; and Lord Abinger would do it ostentatiously and offensively, to mark his contempt for tbe advo- cate. Lord Clare, who bad a life-long feud with Curran, beginning with a duel, once brought a Newfoundland dog into a court, and gave it his exclusive attention whilst Curran was speaking. The counsel paused. " Pro- ceed, Mr Curran ; pray proceed," said tbe Lord Chaucellor, baking up, with his band on tbe head of bis canine companion. "Iwill pro- ceed, my lord, when your lordships have con- cluded your consultation." Anecdotes abouad of Chief Justice Willes's gallantry, not to say profligacy, which we canuot venture to repro- duce ; and Bostwell reports a conversation with Johnson, in 1773, whicb appears to bave been suggested by some judical irregularity. "On the same evening, he would not allow tbat tbe private life of a judge, in Englaud, was required to be so strictly decorous as I supposed. 'Why, then, sir,' said I, ' according to your account, an English judge must live like a gentleman." Johnson: "Yes, sir, if he can.'" Wben Lord Northiugton (Heniy) was Master of tbe Rolls, he requested leave of the king to discontinue the evening sitting of his court-; and on being called on for a reason, replied, "Because, please your Majesty, I am always drunk after dinner."* Withiu the memory of the senior members of the profession, the Court of Exchequer was stated to be composed of .one judge, who was ft gemleman and no lawyer; a second, wbo was a lawyer and no gentleman ; a third who was neither ; aud a fourth who was both. Tbia description, in which, strict accuracy may have been sacrificed to antithesis, recals Charles Lamb's jocular remark on bis four friends of the Lake school — that one would tell a lie but would not pick a pocket ; another would pick a pocket, but would not tell a lie: a third would do neither; and a fourth would do botb — selecting, of course, the professed moralist for tbe climax. 