proponunt multa dictu pulcra, sed ab usu remota. Jurisconsulti autem, suæ quisque patriæ legum (vel etiam Romanarum, aut Pontificiarum) placitis obnoxii et addicti, judicio sincero non utuntur, sed tanquam e vinculis sermocinantur. Certe cognitio ista ad viros civiles proprie spectat; qui optime norunt quid ferat societas humana, quid salus populi, quid æquitas naturalis, quid gentium mores, quid rerumpublicarum formæ diversæ ; ideoque possint de legibus et præceptis, tam æquitatis naturalis quam politices, decernere.”

Lawyers have in their reforms a tendency to palliate, instead of tracing the evil to its source, and eradicating it. They are unmindful of the observation, "That he who, in the cure of politic or of natural disorders, shall rest himself content with second causes, without setting forth in diligent travel to search for the original source of evil, resembles the slothful husbandman, who moweth down the heads of noisome weeds when he should carefully pull up the roots, and the work is ever to do again." Lawyers constantly assume that the principle of the law is right. In the year 1800 Sir Samuel Romilly proposed to alter the law of bankruptcy, by which a creditor has an arbitrary power to withhold his consent to the allowance of the certificate, because the law was founded on an erroneous principle. The Bill was rejected in the Lords, upon a motion by Lord Eldon and Lord Redesdale, that "the requisite number and value of signatures should be reduced from four-fifths to three-fifths." In May, 1827, the Solicitor-General submitted a Bill to Parliament to alter the law for arrest on mesne process to the sum of £20, when Sir Samuel Romilly proposed that the law by which privately stealing was punishable by death should be altered, because it was framed upon an erroneous principle; but the Commons of England were advised, by the opinion of Sir John Sylvester, Recorder of London, and Mr Newman Knowlys, the Common Sergeant, "that the proposal to diminish the punishment was fraught with mischief, but that whether any and what alteration should be made as to the amount of the value of the goods stolen might deserve some consideration."

Such are the reforms of lawyers.

The Duke of Wellington is an experienced statesman, and brings an unprejudiced mind to the subject. He has a natural interest in the welfare of a country he has done so much to protect, and, above all, he has at heart the interests of humanity. It will never be forgotten that when in the flush of victory he cast his eyes over the field of Waterloo his first exclamation was, "Oh, my poor soldiers !"

66 Yet much remains

...

To conquer still: peace hath her victories

No less renown'd than war."

B. M.

CCXLIII.

THE FLEET, Dec. 9, 1837. ALFRED M......, a prisoner here, says that one night his father B...... observed that the theatres were closed; and yet, said Alfred, there is one theatre, which is always open here, Orpheus's theatre of birds and beasts! alluding to a favorite quotation of the father from Lord Bacon's Works. Mrs Basil laughed immoderately,—the father looked very grave over the wit!

Young JOHN PARKES forged pretty largely on Fry and Chapman, who up to the time of his death offered £500 reward for his apprehension. Mr A. M...... considered that he did not destroy himself; MRS J. PARKES had written a Letter, addressed to LONDON about a day or two before, saying that they were going to return to London forthwith. He lived in a style of extraordinary splendor at WIMBLEDON; MRS PROCTOR Was astonished at the array of liveried servants, plate, carriage and horses, etc. He made an extravagant dash.

By the way Charles M......, informed me the other night that, when he was for 10 months with Badams at Birmingham, he never saw him touch a glass of wine; and yet he took to

drinking after his failure, and Charles once saw him dreadfully drunk. He says that he kept 20 hunters, and though he stopped payment, denies that he was ever a bankrupt.

Joseph Parkes once had chambers in the Temple, was in great difficulties, and then occupied apartments in the Fleet.

CCXLIV. INTREPIDITY OF A MOTHER.

On Tuesday-morning between ten and eleven o'clock, the wife of a policeman, named CANNON, living in the Stowage, DEPTFORD, missed her little boy, aged four years, and on going into the yard, which adjoins the river, discovered him struggling in the water. She instantly plunged in after him, having an infant three months old in her arms, and just as the poor little fellow was going down for the last time, caught him round the body, and kept his head above water. The greatest fears were entertained for the life of the mother, and her two children, as the tide carried them with rapidity under the head of a barge, when by an extraordinary effort and presence of mind, the heroic woman placed her left leg across the mooring chain, and remained in that perilous situation, until rescued by the captain and crew of a collier; they were brought on shore, particularly the infant, in a most exhausted state, amidst the cheers of several persons, and were congratulated on their providential escape from a watery grave. Dec. 13, 1837.

CCXLV. Sir R. Wilson, Lavalette, Lords Eldon and Stowell.

THE FLEET-PRISON, Dec. 14, 1837. A few days ago Mr Thos Boxer, 46 Lothbury, drank tea with me, and told a pleasant story of Sir Robert Wilson. He had met him at a

political dinner, where 400 were present; he believes that Sir Francis Burdett was in the chair. It was not long after the affair of Lavalette. SIR R. W. gave the history of it. It was perfectly well understood that the French King intended so to manage the matter as to get all the parties cast for death. Lady Wilson was told the circumstance, and was in great distress; she, as a last effort, waited on the Prince Regent, fell on her knees before him, and entreated his personal interference. He was deeply impressed with the desire to serve her, bid her rise, take her seat, and be comforted, for her husband's life was safe, sat down, and wrote a Letter addressed to the King of France himself, giving to her a strict injunction to deliver the Letter in person to the King himself. Sir Robert stated the great difficulty which LADY WILSON had to get at the King himself; she was bandied about from Minister to Minister, from Officer to Officer, from Servant to Servant, and at last carried her point through the English Ambassador. The Letter took effect on the King; he changed, or caused to be changed, the form of proceedings, by which the lives in jeopardy were spared. Sir Robert added that he was thus indebted to George IV for the preservation of his life on that occasion. He told the story in so pathetic a way, that he fetched tears from almost every eye.

This day MR T. RODD called on me. I told to him that Lord Eldon, whether as Trustee or otherwise, had got into a Chancery-Suit, (W. H. Clark says that he was in one about 40 years ago.) Lord Stowell, probably with the intention of evading Legacy-Duty, got a friend to purchase £30,000 worth of Stock in his own name; he always went with this friend to receive the Dividends, as he could not receive them himself. Lord Stowell has not mentioned this sum in his Will; it has been entirely forgotten; a serious difficulty has arisen; the party refuses to give up the money; a Chancery-Suit is resorted to, perhaps an Act of Parliament may be necessary. MR CHAMBERS says that he could have stopped £25,000 under

similar circumstances, which he gave up without any demur; and there were several other instances in his personal experience.

Mr Rodd went to Lord Stowell's house to catalogue some books for him with reference to a sale. The noble Lord, while he was at work, received a Letter from his steward in the country; being blind, it was read out to him by an attendant; among other matters it stated that John Noakes, a tenant, was unable to pay his rent, and wanted time; he had sold some land on a previous occasion to make up his rent, had always shewn punctuality when he could command the means, as the steward stated, but he had experienced losses and crosses and bad times; the steward humbly begged to back the application; the flinty-hearted Lord was not at all moved, though his eyes were in the grave, and one foot also; he muttered out something that the rent was due, and ought to be and must be paid! Lord Eldon came in, and Lord Stowell observed that he should sell his law-books, as he could make no further use of them; Lord E. considered it a bad time to sell, and Lord S. gave up the point. He died four years afterwards, and the Executors sold them through MESSRS SOTHEBY, who failed before any money was paid over to the Executor; they have as yet paid only 2s. in the pound, and little more is expected!

MR CHAMBERS by a Petition to the House of Commons in a matter respecting the bankrupt-laws, as if personally interested in the question, and arguing from his own case, but really intending to benefit a particular individual, effected the alteration at which he aimed; he was repaid, he said, for all his imprisonment, when the man, whom he thus relieved, came to thank him, accompanied by his seven daughters.

The Assignees of Mr Chambers, and Mayhew the Solicitor, used for months to call weekly once or twice on Mrs Chambers