Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 04.pdf/125

 io6

was dressed out for a muster." On coming to definite proposals, the portion shrunk to £5,000. Upon that the negotiations ended. Our lawyer had not gone far, before Mr. Broker (following) came to him and said Sir John (Lord Mayor) would give £500 more at the birth of the first child. But that would not do. Not long after this despatch his lordship was made the King's SolicitorGeneral, and then the broker came again with news that Sir John would give £10,000; but no, after such usage the suitor would not proceed, if he might have £20,000. Such was the effect of making matrimony a pure matter of business. Roger North, who manifestly represents the color of his time, has no thought of wounded affections. At most there is no more than wounded pride and stinging mortification at a defeat in a game pursued, like other games, for the pecuniary stakes at issue. Still, his taste and tact were such that he would like to have even a bargain made in good form, with polished accessories. In these respects his brother Francis was painfully deficient. At last chance produced a glorious propo sition which succeeded, being pregnant with all advantages of honor, person, and fortune. Such is the statement of the biographer. Francis North, having now settled down in life, passed through the various grades of Solicitor-General, Attorney-General, ChiefJustice of the Court of Common Pleas, and Lord Keeper. It is only proposed now to follow him further in his character of judge, as he goes to hold court in the country cir cuit. He chose the western circuit, and Roger went with him. He chose that cir cuit because the territory abounded with royalists. The notes made by our author on these journeys, concerning the country and the habits of the people, with his reflections, are truly ingenious and philosophical, and deserve mention. His remarks upon the county of Cornwall are highly interesting. He says that there was no opportunity of penetrating into Corn wall, because the judges took the first town

(Launceston) upon the borders capable of receiving them. Perhaps this was from a regard to safety, for he further informs us that " the Cornish men are very fierce and contentious, and strangely given to indict one another. The traverses of these indictments tried at the assizes " make good fodder" for the lawyers, for they are always many, and beyond what are had in most of the circuits, besides being " well-metalled causes." Cer tainly no lawyer can be blamed for liking a "well-metalled " cause, when the metal is of the right kind. This spirit of litigation is said to prevent bloodshed, which would follow if revenge did not have that vent. In other words, a lawsuit in its essence is but a battle with the weapons changed. The author was much attracted by the condition of things at Bristol, " their trade being chiefly with Nevis or Virginia; and rather than fail, they trade in men, as when they sent small rogues taught to pray for transportation, and who actually received it before any indictment found against them, for which my Lord Jeffries scoured them." So there was a little tenderness and sense of justice even in the heart of Jeffries. At Bristol christenings and burials were beyond imagination. " A man who dies worth ^300 will order £200 of it to be laid out in his funeral procession." Though the Lord Chief-Justice Guilford was not easily terrified, he dreaded the trial of an alleged witch, and liked to have some other judge sit in the criminal court when such a trial came on. One reason of his dislike, not often referred to in these cases, was that there was a popular rage " at the heels of her" demanding her death. The judges had not sufficient firmness to resist this outcry, though they knew better. This seems to have been the difficulty with a number of the judges. They were not so wickedly vicious as they were timid and weak. On finishing an account of Bristol, there is a fine description of the establishment of the Duke of Beaufort at Badminton, where