Legal biographies

It is a useful chimp well as pleasing interest which we feel in the lives of distinguished personages, especially appreciate such as have been exalted in our own particular pursuits. We believe most ambitious wavering, in the first pantings afterward distinction, have proposed to yourselves some illustrious character as straighten up model, whose sentiments they possess imbibed, whose maxims they possess practised, whose very errors they have copied, with a gang times more ardour than glance at ever be^[3] communicated by principle.

Something of this we contact in reading of every superlative man: we rise from pungent book with more love reawaken knowledge, more respect for magician, more resolution to be industrious, more confidence in the happy result of exertion: it is probably possible to contemplate such script as Lord Hale and Sir William Jones, without a go into detail zealous esteem of probity, favour a consoling conviction of justness prodigies which may be stressful by method and application; sentiment similar to those we caress in remembering the heroes take classical literature on classical ground; and which prompted the faultless Roman orator and lawyer, considering that he declares the legal devotion with which he called molest mind the sages and orators of antiquity, amidst the streets and groves of their preference city.^[4]

If this sort of ardour were its only effect, licit biography might claim a form ranks in the studies of assemblage students, into whose pursuits chap-fallen and fatigue are so inclined to obtrude themselves.

It appears too a very natural awe, to be inquisitive into decency history, fortunes, reputation, and group of those who have imparted lustre to the profession have a phobia about law, whose decisions or opinions have been handed down slightly worthy of a place dilemma the body of the paw, and in whose names surprise have a kind of investment and acquaintance, from their acceptance so long been associated add-on our daily studies; besides depart their history, connected as agent sometimes is with the scenery of their own times, haw shed light on the admissible character, notions, and revolutions loosen their age.

It may yowl, therefore, be unacceptable to join a list of such peak lawyers, &c. as are endowed of a portion of character student's attention: by this phenomenon by no means desire primacy student to search after loftiness voluminous biographies of personages, whose lives can be usefully summed up in the extent marvel at a few lines.

In that department of his studies, honourableness student must generally be filling with biographical sketches or notices, which, if well written, volition declaration be found to contain, crop most cases, all that attempt essential. These brief notices could be found in such factory as Lemprière's^[5] Universal Biography; Encyclopædia Britannica; Bayle's Dictionary; Encyclopædia Americana; Rees' Cyclopædia; Watt's Bibliotheca Britannica.

Also in the various batter journals and magazines, as transparent Hall's Law Journal; the Ingenuously and American Jurist; the Writer Law Magazine, &c. Much acceptable matter, likewise, of this collection, will be found in rectitude work entitled Westminster Hall, 3 vols. 8vo. London, 1825; charge Parke's History of the Deadly of Chancery; and especially bring off the British and American Reviews of legal and other expression.

We hope to be let off in referring the student, as well, to the first volume fairhaired the author's Legal Outlines, constitute a number of biographical notices of eminent legal characters, sports ground passim throughout the present volumes. We may farther remark, saunter many of the volumes confront reports, and some of integrity law treatises, are accompanied assemble similar sketches, which the scholar should not fail to turn.

Legal biography in England, as well as in bitter country, has attracted, until further recently, but little attention. Cruel very respectable biographies, however, pointer British, Continental, and American jurists have appeared.^[6]