of his mind expanding with his hopes, the high offices of Solicitor and Attorney General, which bound the view of some men, seemed to him but as legal apprenticeships, imposed by custom, before he could attain to that dignity which was to give him precedence of every lay subject in the kingdom, not of the blood royal,

The character of Chancellor Thurlow seemed to be developed in his countenance by an outline at once bold, haughty, and commanding. His manner as an orator was dignified; his periods were short, and full of pith; his voice sonorous and impressive. Force, both in manner and expression, was his lordship's forte, His eloquence was bold, explict, decisive, inflexible; he delivered his arguments in tones of thunder; confident and daring, he rushed, like Achilles, into the field, and dealt destruction around his adversaries, more by the strength of his arm, the deep tones of his voice, and the lightning of his eye, than by any peculiarity of genius, or elevated powers of oratory.

The most brilliant display of eloquence which his lordship is supposed ever to have made, was on the occasion of the Regency Question in 1788. He had a strong personal attachment to his sovereign; and this feeling seemed to impart to his usual vehemence a degree of sublimity to which it did not often approach. What could be more noble or affecting than his memorable exclamation, "When I forsake my king in the hour of his distress, MAY MY GOD FORSAKE ME!" "Next to my king," said his lordship, "I reverence the Prince of Wales; nor do I believe that there is a peer in this assembly who entertains a higher

pray that the crown brow as undisturbed

opinion of his heart or head. may, in succession, sit upon his and as ornamental as it has upon that of his father. I love him, and perchance he will not thank me for my love; but I want not thanks. In the step that I would this night encourage by my exemple, I inwardly feel that I am doing my duty; and am, however I may be represented, serving at the same time my prince. I am consulting not his temporary, but his lasting, interest. I consider the Regency but as a secondary object, when I reflect on the Crown that shall be his hereafter. Though I should wish to possess his esteem, I will not aim at conciliating it, as some have done, by giving my countenance to the miserable endeavour which is now made."

ELOQUENCE OF SILENCE.

Ambassadors were sent to Rome from the cities of Greece, to complain of injuries done them by Philip, King of Macedon; and when the affair was discussed in the senate, betwixt Demetrius the son of Philip, and the ambassadors, Demetrius was so overcome with the truth of their representations, that he could make no defence, but-blushed exceedingly. The senate, less moved by the eloquence of the ambassadors, than by the still more eloquent silence of Demetrius dismissed the complaint.

A "FIERCE DEMOCRACY."

Sir Walter Ralegh, in his History of the World, relates, that "the people of Capua had promised to yield up the town to Hannibal, and to meet him on the way

to it with so many of their nobility; but they were unable to maintain any such negociation without the advice of the senate, and the senate mainly opposed it. The people therefore were incensed against the senate, as having occasioned them to disappoint their new friend; and withal, since by their promise they had discovered themselves, they feared lest their own senate, together with the Romans, should hold them in a stricter subjection than before. This fear being ready to break into some outrage, an ambitious nobleman, called Pacuvius Calavius, made use of it to serve his own ambition thus. He discoursed unto the senate as they sat in council about these motions troubling their city, and said, "that he himself had both married a Roman lady, and given his daughter in marriage to a Roman. But that the danger of forsaking the Roman party was not now the greatest; for that the people were violently bent to murder all the senate, and after to join themselves with Hannibal, who would countenance the fact, and save themselves harmless." This he spoke as a man well known to be beloved, by the people, and privy unto their designs. Having thoroughly terrified the senate, by laying open the danger hanging over them, he promised them, nevertheless, to deliver them all, and to set things in quiet, if they would freely put themselves into his hands, offering his oath (or any other assurance they should demand) for his faithful meaning. They all agreed. Then shutting up the court, and placing a guard of his own followers about it, that none might enter or issue forth without his leave, he called the people to assemble, and speaking as much evil of the senate as he knew they would be glad to hear, he told them, "that these wicked go

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vernors were surprised by his policy, and all 'fast, ready to abide what sentence they would lay upon them. Only thus much he advised them (as a thing which necessity required), that they should choose a new senate, before they satisfied their anger upon the old." So rehearsing to them the names of two or three senators, he asked what their judgment was of these? All cried out that they were worthy of death. "Choose, then," said he, "first of all, some new ones into their places." Here upon the multitude, unprovided for such an election, was silent, until at last some one or other ventured to name whom he though fit.

The men so named were generally disliked by the whole assembly, either for some fault, baseness, or deficiency, or else because they were unknown, and therefore held unworthy. The difficulty of this new election appearing more and more, whilst more were yet to be chosen, (the fittest men to be substituted having been named among the first, and not thought fit enough) Pacuvius entreated, and easily prevailed with the people, that the present senate might be spared in hopes of amendment hereafter (which doubtless would be); having thus obtained pardon for all offences past. Henceforth, not only the people, as in former times, honoured Pacuvius, and esteemed him their patron, but the senators also were governed by him, as a person to whom they acknowledged themselves indebted for the safety of their lives.

VENETIAN PLEADING.

The Venetian dialect, in which all pleadings in Venice are carried on, is very unfavourable to elocu

tion; and the manner of the pleaders is so uncivilized, that they appear more like furious demoniacs, then men endeavouring by sound reason to convince the Judges and the audience of the justice of their client's

cause.

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Mr. Sharp, who travelled in Italy about fifty years ago, thus describes Venetian pleading. Every advocate mounts into a small pulpit, a little elevated above the audience, where he opens his harangue with some gentleness, but does not long contain himself within those limits; his voice soon cracks, and what is very remarkable, the beginning of most sentences, while he is under any agitation, and seeming enthusiasm in pleading, is at a pitch above his natural voice, so as to occasion a wonderful discord: then if he means to be very emphatical, he strikes the pulpit with his hands five or six times together as quick as thought, stamping at the same time so as to make the great room resound with this species of oratory; at length, in the fury of his argument, he descends from the pulpit, runs about pleading upon the floor, returns in a violent passion back again to the pulpit, thwacks it with his hands more than at first, and continues in this rage running up and down the pulpit several times, until he has finished his harangue. They seem to be in a continual danger of dropping their wigs from their heads; and it sometimes happens. The audience smile now and then at this extravagant behaviour. There may be some few who speak with more dignity; but the advocates I saw were all men of eminence in their profession."