Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 17.pdf/28

 YOUR AFFECTIONATE FRIEND, JOHN MARCH

YOUR AFFECTIONATE FRIEND, JOHN MARCH BY L. C. HOWARD ONE would scarcely expect to find much of human interest upon the revolving bookcase which stands at the elbow of the busy lawyer. The Revised Statutes, the lat est almanac and Poor's Manual do not present a promising field to the eye of the literary bee, and he must be not only a busy, but a very ingenious bee, to extract from their dry pages anything of sweetness. However, on a certain book-case, standing between Desty's "Manual of Practice" and a Daily News Almanac, is a little brown book. One cover is loose, and the book is held together by rubber bands. A glance at the title page shows that it was "Printed for Mathew Walbanck and Richard Best, and are to be sold at Grayes-Inne Gate, 1655." When I asked for the history of this little book, its owner said, with a reminiscent smile: "Oh, yes; I bought that book when I was on my wedding trip. I found it in a little book-store in London, near the British Museum. I bought several books, and be fore the clerk wrapped them up for me, the proprietor of the shop came up and looked them over. When he saw that book, he said: 'I have had that little book in my shop thirty years, and I am almost sorry to see it go out of the shop.'" I took the book home and spent a golden Sunday afternoon with "March on Slander." From its yellowed pages, with their long s's and quaint capital W's, arose a fragrance, which, if not the "odor of sanctity," still seemed to convey a sense of the sweetness, kindliness and genuineness of the long dead author. According to the custom of the day, the book has an elaborate title, and the title page gives to the mental ear the key-note of the book, and is. in part, as follows:

"MARCH ON SLANDER. ACTIONS FOR SLANDER: OR

A Methodicall Collection, under certain Grounds and Heads, of what words are actionable in the Law, and what not. A Treatise of very great use and consequence to all men, especially in these times, wherein Actions for Slander are more common, and doe much more abound than in times past: And when the malice of men so much increases, well may their tongues want a Directory." It is difficult to make selections from this book, for the entire book is both quaint and interesting. The writer begins with an ingenuous statement of his motives, saying: "I do not undertake this work, with an intent to encourage men in giving ill and unworthy language, or to teach them a law less Dyalect, but (as my Lord Coke speakes) to direct and instruct them rightly to man age that which (though but a little mem ber) proves often the greatest good, or the greatest evil to most men. And withall to deterre men from words, which are but winde, (as hee further speakes) which subject men to actions, in which damages and costs are to bee recovered." A brief account is given of the history of the law of libel, which incidentally shows, by contrast, the progress which the world has made, in the intervening quarter of a millenary, toward perfect freedom and uni versal charity. Who can doubt, after read ing the following paragraph, that the great collective soul of the world is rapidly evolv ing toward perfection? It is true that