Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/95

 cer, Mr. Blair, and Mr. Jefferson; all of them masters of the learning of their profession, and all of them, men of preeminent abilities.

It cannot be expected from Mr. Henry's legal pre- paration, that he was able to contend with these gentle- men on a mere question of law. He wanted that learn- ing, whose place no splendour of genius can supply to the lawyer; and he wanted those habits of steady and persevering application, without which that learning is not to be acquired. It is said indeed, that he was wo- fully deficient as a lawyer: so little acquainted with the fundamental principles of his profession, and so little skilled in that system of artificial reasoning on which the common law is built, as not to be able to see the remote bearings of the reported cases: and hence, it has been said, that it happened with him not unfrequently, whenever he did attempt to argue a question of law, to furnish authorities destructive to his own cause. Yet he never did and never could vanquish his aversion to the systematic study of the law. On questions turning on the laws of nations, and even on the maritime law, whose basis is natural reason and justice, his \igour of mind, made him occasionally, very great. One of my correspondents, for example, relates to me an instance of his appearing in the court of admiralty, under the regal government, in behalf of a Spanish captain, whose vessel and cargo had been libelled. A gentleman, who was present, and who was very well qualified to judge, was heard to declare, after the trial was over, that he never heard a more eloquent or argumentative speech in his life; that Mr. Henry was, on that occasion, greatly superior to Mr. Pendleton, Mr. Mason, or any other counsel who spoke to the subject; and that he was astonished how Mr. Henry could have acquired such a

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