The only lawyer who can compete with Mr. Brougham in reputation and talent, is Mr. Scarlett, who is also a member of the house of commons, and one of the opposition party; but he is less conspicuous in parliament than Mr. Brougham, because he is more occupied in his profession, and seems to have little taste for the brilliant discussion of political questions. It is said that Mr. Scarlett is fond of the quirks and subtleties of the law; because, full of confidence in his own shrewdness, he enjoys a satisfaction in rendering doubtful and obscure points as clear to others as they are to himself. He is simple and unaffected, and possesses a highly cultivated mind. There is something persuasive and pleasing in his tone of voice and delivery. His action is graceful; but from his dislike of all kinds of display, his language is not sufficiently varied, and his speeches want the aid of art. He is one of those laconic advocates, to

The Queen had the Court against her, and not only the radical opposition, but also the whig interest in her favour. The latter were somewhat ashamed of defending a woman, whose conduct they did not dare to justify; and no sooner did the ministers withdraw their bill of pains and penalties, than the Queen, though she gained her cause, lost her most influential friends. "We have," said they, "defended, in the person of the oppressed Queen, the constitution, which was attacked, but we are not the defenders of profligacy." The acclamations of the rabble, likewise, became less frequent, because they had no object in view. The English populace, which is easily excited, cannot comprehend the silent respect due to misfortune. The Queen, while she was the tool of opposition, had a court; but when triumphant, she was deserted, and became a source of embarrassment even to her lowest partizans. She died almost forsaken, and the alarm of an insurrection alone induced the good people of London to look out at their windows when her remains passed through the metropolis!

whom may be applied what Voltaire said of the English generally, that they gain an hour or two every day by the good use they make of their time in conversation. Mr. Scarlett prefers a shortword to a long one, even when the long one, if it would not better interpret his idea, would at least add to the force and harmony of his style. He is not destitute of warmth and energy; but he rarely displays eloquence in the style of Burke, and he often begins a sentence better than he ends it.

Messrs. Brougham and Scarlett are employed chiefly at the northern assizes, and in the nisi prius courts, where it is the business of the counsel to detail the circumstances of the case, and to reply to the objections of his opponent. Mr. Scarlett is particularly clever in these replies. He is admirably dexterous in discovering the weak side of his assailant, and in making the most of the advantages which his own cause may present, It is most amusing to observe how he calls all his resources into requisition, and endeavours to surprise the counsel on the opposite side, if he should be for a moment off his guard. Sometimes he involves his hearers in a net-work of subtlety, and sometimes he seizes on any vague word, capable of bearing a meaning which suits his purpose, and makes it a weapon for assailing his antagonist. He evinces particular ingenuity in the cross-examination of witnesses. "You recollect having done so and so?" he says, and then, without being disconcerted by a positive denial, he will add, with

the tone and air of a man certain of the facts he is endeavouring to prove-" But try whether you cannot recollect it." The voice of Brougham inspires fear; but Scarlett fills the person whom he is addressing with a certain distrust of himself, and overpowers him by timid indecision. Scarlett may be said to be the most shrewd and subtle lawyer at the English bar, while Brougham is the most powerful speaker.

LETTER LIV.

TO M. PONCELET, PROFESSOR OF LAW.

Ir Ireland was formerly peopled by a colony from the east, it would be more difficult to prove that fact by the researches of antiquaries, than by the tradition of the truly Asiatic style which is preserved among Irish poets and Irish orators. There is, certainly, nothing Irish in the poetry or prose of Goldsmith and Swift. The eclogues of Collins, and the eloquence of Burke, take the lead in that school of brilliant declamation, which has produced the luxuriant imagery of Thomas Moore, and the emphatic diction of Curran, Grattan, and Phillips. In spite of the common traits of resemblance, which would warrant us in classing the above-men

tioned speakers together, there are traits of differ ence in their characters and genius, which produce real contrasts between them. Burke, in whom eloquence seemed to be a habit rather than an effort the natural language of an elevated mind, rather than a talent acquired by cultivation,Burke, whose rich imagination descended to the most ordinary details of life, rarely overstepped the limits of good taste. His style is unequal, but for the most part sublime, and he is by turns profound, impassioned, and various, without ever deviating from strict purity of style. Grattan, who was an excellent man, and a powerful defender of his unfortunate country, was more diffuse and less philosophic; but his fine speeches are frequently disfigured by mannered affectation, an abuse of antithesis, and continual epigrams, to which the genius of Burke very rarely stooped. Curran, to whom I here intend more particularly to allude, because he owed half his celebrity to the bar, which Grattan soon deserted for politics, -Curran, I repeat, was a brilliant orator, full of fancy and originality, but he was too fond of effect, and was frequently ridiculous by the whimsical flights of his bold imagination. Phillips, who has all the faults of his predecessors in an encreased degree, is merely witty when he attempts to be ingenious, and is extravagant or unintelligible, when he aims at the sublime.

Sheridan was not exempt from the defects of Irish speakers. I shall have occasion to mention him when I allude to English parliamentary elo

quence. At present I wish to direct tion exclusively to the bar.

your atten

Curran was born at Newmarket, a little town in the county of Cork, where his father had a trifling situation. For his mother, who was a woman of intelligent mind, he cherished the fondest filial affection, and to her early lessons he attributed all the talent he evinced in mature life. "My father," he used to say, 66 bequeathed to me only his illfavoured person; but, fortunately, my mother transmitted to me the treasures of her mind." He was fond of repeating her stories and clever sayings, and seemed to be exceedingly ambitious to resemble her. The following anecdote shews the taste for satirical humour, which he evinced even in his boyish years.

While Curran was very young, a puppet theatre was brought to Newmarket, and Punch soon caused the inhabitants to forget every other amusement of the town. Unfortunately, the manager of the show fell ill, and a bill was about to be posted up, announcing the suspension of the performances: but, at this critical juncture, Curran secretly presented himself to the master of the show, and offered to become the invisible organ of the drolleries of Punch. For several days, his performance was loudly applauded, and, encouraged by his success, he did not content himself with retailing common-place jokes. He made some allusions to political affairs, drew portraits of the principal beauties of the town, be trayed their love secrets, and satirized all his