Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 11.pdf/607

 568

the Irish nobility in their efforts to gain for Ireland the benefits of Magna Charta; John Marshall, who fought bravely under Eng land's banner in Bloody Mary's time; John Marshall, who fought at the battle of Edgehill in defense of King Charles; Bishop Keith of Scotland; and Lieut. -Genl. Thomas Grymes of Cromwell's army. His father, Col. Thomas Marshall, was a brave soldier in the Revolutionary war, and his mother was Mary Keith, a woman of great force of character and pleasing in mind, person, and manner. John Marshall was reared amid the solemnity and beauty of the unchangeable Blue Ridge mountains, and the lessons they taught and the spell they cast upon him in infancy and early youth remained forever with and about him. He was in turn cap tain in the army of the Revolution: member of the Virginia legislature; member of Con gress; secretary of war; secretary of state and third chief-justice of the United States, and declined, at one time and another, the offices of attorney-general, minister to France, and associate justice, which were offered him by Washington and John Adams. He went to William and Mary college and attended the law lectures of Professor, afterwards Chancellor, Wythe, and the lec tures on natural philosophy of President, afterwards Bishop, Madison. When he first appeared in Richmond to argue a case he sauntered about the streets in a plain linen round-about, looking like a country bumpkin; but once in court, it is said, he astonished the judge and the bar by his wonderful power of analysis. This anecdote is told of his appearance at this time. " He was one morning strolling through the streets of Richmond, attired in a plain linen round-about and shorts, with his hat under his arm, from which he was eating cherries, when he stopped in the porch of the Eagle hotel, indulged in some little pleasantry with the landlord, and then passed on. A

gentleman from the country then present, who had a case coming before the court of appeals, was referred by the landlord to Marshall, as the best advocate for him to employ, but the careless, languid air of the young lawyer had so prejudiced Mr. P., that he refused to engage him. On entering the court, Mr. P. was a second time referred by the clerk of the court to Mr. Marshall, and a second time he declined. At this mo ment entered Mr. V., a venerable looking gentleman with a powdered wig and black coat, whose dignified appearance made such an impression on Mr. P., that he at once engaged him. In the first case which came on, Marshall and Mr. V. each addressed the court. The vast inferiority of his ad vocate was so apparent that at the close of the case Mr. P. introduced himself to young Marshall, frankly stated the prejudice which had caused him, in opposition to advice, to employ Mr. V., that he extremely regretted his error, but knew not how to remedy it. He had come into the city with one hun dred dollars as his lawyer's fee, and had but five left, which, if Marshall chose, he would give him for assisting in the case. Marshall, pleased with the incident, accepted the offer, not however without a sly joke at the im portance of a powdered wig and a black coat." Frances W. Gilmer thus described his manner of speaking: "So great a mind, perhaps, like large bodies in the physical world, is with difficulty set in motion. That this is the case with Mr. Marshall is man ifest from his mode of entering on an argu ment, both in conversation and in public debate. It is difficult to rouse his faculties. He begins with reluctance, hesitation, and vacancy of eye. Presently his articulation becomes less broken, his eye more ficced, until finally his voice is full, clear and rapid, his manner bold and his whole face lighted up with mingled fires of genius and passion, and he pours forth the unbroken stream of eloquence, in a current, deep, majestic,