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 The English Law Courts.

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of Oxford. Having narrowly escaped the clutches of Bonaparte (then at war with Italy) at Florence, he spent some time at Venice, Vienna and Dresden, and then returned home. In 1805 he went back to Cambridge and after having conquered a passing fancy for the army, devoted himself to academic work and graduated as senior wrangler and Smith Prizeman in 1808. In the same year he joined the Queen's Temple. In 1811 he was called to the Bar. For several years he had nothing to do; and even after he be came known, his sym pathy with the vision ary views, as they were then deemed, of Bentham retarded his LORD LANGprofessional success. But Bickersteth grad DALE. ually overcame his Henry Bickersteth, difficulties. In 1820, Lord Langdale, was Sir John Copley, af terwards Lord Lyndborn on June 18, hurst, then Attorney1783, at Kirkby Lonsdale, where his General, requested his assistance in draft father practiced med icine. He was edu ing a bill for the re form of the Court cated at the grammar of Chancer}'. Four school of his native LORD JUSTICE FRY. years later he gave town, and afterwards valuable evidence be studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, — then as now fore a Commission on law reform. In 1827 one of the most famous medical colleges he took silk and attached himself definitely in the world — in order to qualify him for to the Rolls Court, refusing, it is said, on one entering on his father's business. A brief ex occasion, a fee of three thousand guineas to perience of practice as a leech at Kirkby go into the Court of Exchequer. The case in Lonsdale was sufficient to satisfy Bicker- which this tempting fee was rejected was steth's ambitions in this direction, however; Small v. Attwood. The English Bar has he abandoned medicine and entered Cains certainly never had a more conscientious College, Cambridge, in 1802, with a scholar member than Bickersteth. He refused the ship on the Hewitt foundation. His health post of judge of the new Court of Bank broke down under his studies, and he was ruptcy in 183 1, because he disapproved oi forced to take rest in the form of a tour in its creation. He declined Lord Lyndhurst's Italy as attendant to the family of the Earl invitation to become a Baron of the Ex ward II. expelled them, and the place was deputed to the custody of the Rolls. The Master of the Rolls is now a judge of the Court of Appeal, and his old jurisdiction over patents is transferred to the High Court. But he is still keeper of the Records, and has power to amend clerical errors in patent grants. He usually presides in the Court of Appeal, but in point of legal precedence comes after the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief-Justice of England. We pro ceed now to sketch the forensic and judi cial careers of a few of the greatest Mas ters of the Rolls.