Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 07.pdf/407

 372

THACKERAY'S LEGAL CAREER. NOTWITHSTANDING the supposed the bar as a special pleader, but who, later, antagonism between literature and law, was called to the bar at the Inner Temple, it is a somewhat curious circumstance that and who survived his illustrious pupil. His so many of our literary immortals have been chambers were at No. 1 Hare Court. This connected with the legal profession. Glanc court has just undergone a complete trans ing backwards we instantly recall such formation, the western side having been names as those of Fielding, Burke, Cowper, demolished and a brand new set of chambers Moore, Scott, Jeffrey, Macaulay, Talfourd, erected. No. 1 has, however, not as yet Dickens and many others, all more or less come under the spoiler's hand; it still exists intimately associated with law. In our own as in Thackeray's pupil-days, and there we day this tradition has been continued by can imagine him going fairly regularly in such men as the late Robert Louis Steven 1832, fancying all the while that, like his son, Mr. Lewis Morris, Mr. F. C. Burnand, hero Pendennis, he was " reading hard for Mr. Rider Haggard, Mr. Stanley Weyman, the bar." The novelty of going to a pleader's Mr. Anstey Guthrie, Mr. " Anthony Hope," chambers soon wears off, even with the most and other popular writers. In view of this, enthusiastic of law's votaries, and in Thack it was therefore only in accordance with the eray's case this soon became apparent, as we find him after a very short experience of fitness of things that we should find Thack eray also among the lawyers. True, he Taprell's chambers, writing thus : " This never practiced, but his Temple career counts lawyer's preparatory education is certainly for much, as to it we owe that vivid and de one of the most cold-blooded, prejudiced lightful sketch of the bar student's life of a pieces of invention that ever a man was slave couple of generations ago, to be found in to ... a fellow should properly do and think else than law "; and again, " The sun the pages of " Pendennis." Several writers who have touched on this won't shine into Taprell's chambers, and the part of Thackeray's career have not been high stools don't blossom and bring forth buds ... I do so long for the fresh air, very accurate in their account of it. Mr. Lau and fresh butter I would say, only it isn't rence Hutton, whose " Literary Landmarks of London " is a remarkable tribute to the romantic." Despite this expression of lassi potency of literary genius, informs us that tude, his term of pupilage was not altogether Thackeray was called to the bar in 1834, without interest. We get a pleasant glimpse while Mr. Loftie, in his pleasantly written of the occupation in the sundry humorous and charmingly illustrated " Inns of Court sketches of the "Dumb-Crambo Junior" and Chancery," says that it was in 1830. order with which he embellished some of his Neither writer is correct, as a reference to a letters and books, in which direction his Law List, or to the " Law Times " of the 3d legal knowledge for a long time found its June, 1848, would have shown. The true only outlet. Several of these sketches, which can be seen in " Thackerayana," are date was the 26th May, 1848. After leaving Cambridge, Thackeray os highly amusing. About the same period Thackeray appears cillated a good deal between law, literature, and art. He, however, did make a begin- I to have had residential chambers at 10 ning in 1832 to acquire a knowledge of the I Crown Office Row, with his friend Tom Tay law, for in that year he entered the chambers lor. 10 Crown Office Row has now disap of William Taprell, then practicing under peared, but a pleasant memory of it remains