time they ever saw him so well dressed." So, sir, you see that to try the bird, the spur must touch his blood. Yet, after all, if it had not been for the inspiration of the punch, I might have continued a mute to this hour; so for the honour of the art, let us have another glass." I. pp. 41-47.

Now this is certainly lively and good humoured; but it is not, according to our notions, by any means the best style of wit, or of talk, that we have met with. It is too smart, snappish, and theatrical-and much more like the practiced briskness of an actor of all work, or an itinerant lecturer on heads, than the polite and unobtrusive pleasantry of an agreeable companion. We suspect, indeed, from various passages in these volumes, that the Irish standard of good conversation is radically different from the English; and that a tone of exhibition and effect is still tolerated in that country, which could not be long endured in good society in this. A great proportion of the colloquial anecdotes in this work, confirm us in this belief-and nothing more than the encomium bestowed on Mr Curran's own conversation, as abounding in those magical transitions from the most comic turns of thought to the deepest pathos, and for ever bringing a tear into the eye before the smile was off the lip.' In our more frigid and fastidious country, we really have no idea of a man talking pathetically in good company, and still less of good company sitting and crying to him. Nay, it is not even very consonant with our notions, that a gentleman should be most comical.'

As to the taste and character of Mr Curran's oratory, we may have occasion to say a word or two hereafter.-At present, it is only proper to remark, that besides the public exercitations. alluded to in the passage just quoted, he appears to have gone through the most persevering and laborious processes of private study, with a view to its improvement-not only accustoming himself to debate imaginary cases alone with the most anxious attention, but, reciting perpetually before a mirror,' to acquire a graceful gesticulation, and studiously imitating the tone and manner of the most celebrated speakers. The authors from whom he chiefly borrowed the matter of these solitary declamations, were Junius and Lord Bolingbroke—and the poet he most passionately admired was Thomson. He also used to declaim occasionally from Milton--but, in his maturer age, came to think less highly of that great poet. One of his favourite exercises was the funeral oration of Antony over the body of Cæsar, as it is given by Shakespeare; the frequent recitation of which he used to recommend to his young friends at the Bar, to the latest period of his life.

He was called to the Bar in 1775, in his 25th year-having rather imprudently married two years before-and very soon attained to independence and distinction. There is a very clever little disquisition introduced here by the author, on the very different, and almost opposite taste in eloquence which has prevailed at the Bar of England and Ireland respectively;-the one being in general cold and correct, unimpassioned and technical; the other discursive, rhetorical, and embellished and encumbered with flights of fancy and appeals to the passions. These peculiarities the author imputes chiefly to the difference in the national character and general temperament of the two races, and to the unsubdued and unrectified prevalence of all that is characteristic of their country in those classes out of which the Juries of Ireland are usually selected. He ascribes them also, in part, to the circumstance of almost all the barristers of distinguished ability having been introduced, very early in life, to the fierce and tumultuary arena of the Irish House of Commons -the Government being naturally desirous of recruiting their ranks with as many efficient combatants as possible from persons residing in the metropolis-and Opposition looking, of course, to the same great seminary for the antagonists with whom they were to be confronted. We cannot say that either of these solutions is to us very satisfactory. There was heat enough certainly, and to spare, in the Irish Parliament; but the barristers who came there had generally kindled with their own fire, before repairing to that fountain. They had formed their manner, in short, and distinguished themselves by their ardour, before they were invited to display it in that assembly;-and it would be quite as plausible to refer the intemperate warmth of the Parliamentary debates to the infusion of hot-headed gladiators from the Bar, as to ascribe the general over-zeal of the profession to the fever some of them might have caught in the Senate. In England, we believe, this effect has never been ob served-and in Ireland it has outlived its supposed causes-the Bar of that country being still as rhetorical and impassioned as ever, though its Legislature has long ceased to have an existence, As to the effects of temperament and national character, we confess we are still more sceptical-at least when considered as the main causes of the phenomenon in question. Professional peculiarities, in short, we are persuaded, are to be referred much more to the circumstances of the profession, than to the national character of those who exercise it; and the more redundant eloquence of the Irish bar, is better explained, probably, by the smaller quantity of business in their courts, than by the greater vivacity of their fancy, or the warmth of their

hearts. We in Scotland have also a forensic eloquence of our own-more speculative, discursive, and ambitious than that of England-but less poetical and passionate than that of Ireland; and the peculiarity might be plausibly ascribed, here also, to the imputed character of the nation, as distinguished for logical acuteness and intrepid questioning of authority, rather than for richness of imagination, or promptitude of feeling. We do not mean to deny the existence or the operation of these causes-but we think the effect is produced chiefly by others of a more vulgar description. The small number of Courts and Judges in Eng land-compared to its great wealth, population, and business has made brevity and despatch not only important but indispensable qualifications in an advocate in great practice, since it would be physically impossible either for him or for the Courts to get through their business without them. All mere ornamental speaking, therefore, is not only severely discountenanced, but absolutely debarred; and the most technical, direct and authoritative views of the case alone can be listened to. But judicial time, to use the language of Bentham, is not of the same high value, either in Ireland or in Scotland; and the pleaders of those countries have consequently given way to that universal love of long speaking, which can never be repressed by any thing but the absolute impossibility of indulging it-while their prolixity has taken a different character, not so much from the temperament of the speakers, as from the difference of the audiences they have generally had to address.-In Ireland, the greater part of their tediousness is bestowed on Juries -and their vein, consequently, has been more popular.—With us in Scotland, the advocate has to speak chiefly to the Judges -and naturally endeavours, therefore, to make that impression by subtlety, or compass of reasoning, which he would in vain attempt, either by pathos, poetry, or jocularity.— Professional speakers, in short, we are persuaded, will always speak as long as they can be listened to.-The quantity of their eloquence, therefore, will depend on the time that can be afforded for its display-and its quality on the nature of the audience to which it is addressed.

But though we cannot admit that the causes assigned by this author are the main or fundamental causes of the peculiarity of Irish oratory, we are far from denying that there is much in it of a national character, and indicating something extraordinary either in the temper of the people, or in the state of society a mong them. There is, in particular, a much greater Irascibility, with its usual concomitants of coarseness and personality, and a much more Theatrical tone, or a taste for forced and exaggerat

6

ed sentiments, than would be tolerated on this side of the channel. Of the former attribute, the continual, and, we must say, most indecent altercations that are recorded in these volumes between the Bench and the Bar, are certainly the most flagrant and offensive examples. In some cases the Judges were perhaps the aggressors-but the violence and indecorum is almost wholly on the side of the Counsel; and the excess and intemperance of their replies generally goes far beyond anything for which an apology can be found in the provocation that had been given. A very striking instance occurs in an early part of Mr Curran's history, where he is said to have observed, upon an opinion delivered by Judge Robinson, that he had never met with the law as laid down by his Lordship in any book in his library; and, upon his Lordship rejoining, somewhat scornfully, that he suspected his library was very small,' the offended barrister, in allusion to the known fact of the Judge having recently published some anonymous pamphlets, thought fit to reply, that his library might be small, but he thanked heaven that, among his books, there were none of the wretched productions of the frantic pamphleteers of the day. I find it more instructive, my lord, to study good works than to compose bad ones; my books may be few, but the title-pages give me the writers' names-my shelf is not disgraced by any of such rank absurdity that their very authors are ashamed to own them.' (p. 122.) On another occasion, when he was proceeding in an argument with his characteristic impetuosity, the presiding Judge having called to the Sheriff to be ready to take into custody any one who should disturb the decorum of the Court, the sensitive counsellor at once applying the notice to himself, is reported to have broken out into the following incredible apostrophe Do, Mr Sheriff,' replied Mr Curran, go and get ready my dungeon; prepare a bed of straw for me; and upon that bed I shall to-night repose with more tranquillity than I should enjoy were I sitting upon that bench with a consciousness that I disgraced it.'-Even his reply to Lord Clare, when interrupted by him in an argument before the Privy Coun cil, seems to us much more petulant than severe. His Lordship, it seems, had admonished him that he was wandering from the question; and Mr C. after some general observations, replied, I am aware, my lords, that truth is to be sought only by slow and painful progress: I know also that error is in its nature flippant and compendious; it hops with airy and fastidious levity over proofs and arguments, and perches upon assertion, which it calls conclusion. To Lord Clare, however, Mr C. had every possible temptation to be intractable and impertinent. But even to his best friends, when placed on the seat of judgment, he could not always forbear a similar petulance. Lord Avonmore was al

ways most kind and indulgent to him-but was sometimes in the habit it seems of checking his wanderings, and sometimes of too impatiently anticipating his conclusions. Upon one of these occasions, and in the middle of a solemn argument, we are call'ed on to admire the following piece of vulgar and farcical stupidity, as a specimen of Mr C.'s most judicious pleasantry." Perhaps, my Lord, I am straying; but you must impute it to the extreme agitation of my mind. I have just witnessed so dreadful a circumstance, that my imagination has not yet recovered from the shock."-His lordship was now all attention." On my way to court, my lord, as I passed by one of the markets, I observed a butcher proceeding to slaughter a calf. Just as his hand was raised, a lovely little child approached him unperceived, and, terrible to relate-I still see the life-blood gushing out-the poor child's bosom was under his hand, when he plunged his knife into-into "--" Into the bosom of the child!" cried out the judge, with much emotion-" Into the neck of the calf, my lord; but your lordship sometimes anticipates.

But this is not quite fair.-There is no more such nonsense in the book-nor any other Iricism so discreditable to the taste either of its hero or its author. There are plenty of traits, however, that make one blush for the degradation, and shudder at the government of that magnificent country.-One of the most striking is supplied by an event in the early part of Mr C.'s professional history, and one to which he is here said to have been indebted for his first celebrity. A nobleman of great weight and influence in the country-we gladly suppress his name, though it is given in the book-had a mistress, whose brother being a Catholic, had, for some offence been sentenced to ecclesiastical penance-and the young woman solicited her keeper to use his influence with the priest to obtain a remission. His Lordship went accordingly to the cabin of the aged pastor, who came bareheaded to the door with his missal in his hand; and after hearing the application, respectfully answered, that the sentence having been imposed by the Bishop, could only be relaxed by the same authority-and that he had no right or power to interfere with it. The noble mediator on this struck the old man! and drove him with repeated blows from his presence. The priest then brought his action of damages-but for a long time could find no advocate hardy enough to undertake his cause; and when young Curran at last made offer of his services, he was blamed and pitied by all his prudent friends for his romantic and Quixotic rashness. These facts speak volumes as to the utter perversion of moral feeling that is produced by unjust laws, and the habits to which they give rise. No nation is so brave or so generous as the Irish, and yet an Irish nobleman could be guilty of the brutality of striking an aged