Tiiey  had  hardly  entered  before  the  students  of  both  societies,
exasperated  at  the  unexpected  attack,  rallied  for  a  defence  of
their  property.  The  band  wiiich  had  entered  the  room  was  at
once  inqjrisoned  in  it,  and  finally  disarmed  and  conducted  to


1799-1830.]  COLLEGE    LIFE.  ]  1

their  several  homes.  Mr.  Choate  was  then  lihrarian  of  the
society  whose  property  was  invaded,  and  as  a  result  of  the
proceedings  in  which  he  bore  some  share,  found  himself  with
several  fellow-students,  summoned  the  next  day  before  a  pliant
justice  of  the  peace,  who  bound  them  all  over  to  take  their
trial  before  a  superior  court  on  the  charge  of  riot.  Their
accusers  were  also  arraigned  before  another  justice,  and  bound
over  to  answer  to  the  same  tribunal.  To  the  court  they
went  at  Haverhill.  The  most  eminent  lawyers  in  the  State
then  practised  in  Grafton  County.  The  case  never  came  to  a
hearing,  the  Grand  Jury  finding  no  bill  against  the  parties,
but  the  appearance  of  the  court,  —  Chief  Justice  Richardson,
Judge  Bell,  and  Judge  Woodbury  upon  the  bench,  —  and  the
eminent  legal  ability  of  the  bar,  where  were  such  lawyers  as
George  Sullivan,  Jeremiah  Mason,  Jeremiah  Smith,  Kichard
Fletcher,  Ichabod  Bartlett,  Ezekiel  Webster,  and  Joseph  Bell,
might  be  presumed  to  impress  a  mind  much  less  susceptible  of
such  influences  than  was  Mr.  Choate's.
In  the  mean  time,  Mr.  Webster  made  his  great  argument
for  the  college,  on  the  10th  of  March,  1818.  All  these  cir-
cumstances, and  perhaps  especially  the  laurels  won  by  Mr.
