Page:Select Essays in Anglo-American Legal History, Volume 1.djvu/856

 842 V. BENCH AND BAR In 1796 I began my career of official life. It came upon me entirely unsolicited & unexpected. In Feby 1796 Gov- ernor Jay wrote me a letter stating that the office of Master in Chancery was vacant, & wished to know confidentially whether I would accept. I wrote a very respectful but very laconic answer. It was " That I was content to accept of the office if appointed." The same day I received the ap- pointment, & was astonished to learn that there were 16 pro- fessed applicants all disappointed. This office gave me the monopoly of the business of that office, for there was but one other master in N York. The office kept me very busy in petty details and outdoor concerns, but was profitable. In March 1797 I was appointed Recorder of N. York. This was done at Albany, & without my knowledge that the office was even vacant or expected to be. The first I heard of it was the appointed announced in the papers. This was very gratifying to me, because it was a judicial office. I thought that it would relieve me from the drudgery of practice & gave me a way of displaying what I knew ; & of being useful entirely to my taste. I pursued my studies with increased appetite & enlarged my law library very much. But I was encumbered with office business, for the governor allowed me to retain the other office also, & with these joint duties & counsel business in the Sup. Court, I made a great deal of money that year. In Feby 1798 I was offered by Gov Jay & accepted the office of youngest Judge of the Supreme Court. This was the summit of my ambition. My object was to return back to Poughkeepsie, & resume my studies, & ride the circuits, & inhale country air, & enjoy otium cum dignitate. I never dreamed of volumes of reports & written opinions. Such things were not then thought of. I retired back to P in the Spring of 1798 & in that Summer rode all over, the Western wilderness & was delighted. I returned home and began my Greek & Latin, & French, & English, & law classics as formerly, & made wonderful progress in books that year. In 1799 I was obliged to remove to Albany, in that I might not be too much from home, <§• there I remained stationary for £^ years. When I came to the bench there