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The Green Bag

MEN OF SCIENCE AND THE LAW

A CHIEF MILWAUKEE JUSTICE RYAN'S friend PRAYER of the

(From the Law Journal) THE late Sir George Darwin, though Green Bag asks us to print the he was never a practising member prayer composed by Chief Justice Ryan of the profession, may be numbered of Wisconsin and found among his among the distinguished men who have papers after his death. The prayer can brought law and science into closer con truly be said to rival the Prayer Book nection. The second wrangler and itself in beauty of diction. As printed Smith's prizeman at Cambridge in 1868 by the Living Church it is as follows: — the year in which Lord Moulton was "0 God of all truth, knowledge, and judg senior wrangler — he was called to the ment, without Whom nothing is true, or wise, bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1872. There or just; Look down with mercy upon Thy ser have been other eminent men of science vants whom Thou sufferest to sit in earthly whose connection with the law was seats of judgment to administer Thy justice to Thy people. Enlighten their ignorance and in much more active. To mention but two spire them with Thy judgments. Grant them honored names in the modern annals of grace truly and impartially to administer to Thy science, Sir William Grove, after a dis justice and to maintain Thy truth to the glory tinguished career at the bar, became a of Thy name. And of Thy infinite mercy so judge of the Queen's Bench Division, direct and dispose my heart that I may this day fulfil all my duty in Thy fear and fall into and Lord Armstrong practised for sev no error of judgment. Give me grace to hear eral years as a solicitor at Newcastle- patiently, to consider diligently, to understand upon-Tyne before he founded the great rightly and to decide justly. Grant me due sense of humility, that I may not be misled by works at Elswick. my wilfulness, vanity or egotism. Of myself I The bar narrowly missed the distinc humbly acknowledge my own unfitness and tion of adding Lord Kelvin to its roll of unworthiness in Thy sight and without Thy distinguished men. His biography shows gracious guidance I can do nothing right. Have that while he was at Cambridge he had mercy upon me, a poor, weak, frail sinner, grop serious thoughts of joining the bar. ing in the dark: and give me grace so to judge "I think," he wrote, "I could reconcile others now, that I may not myself be judged when Thou comest to judge the world with Thy myself to the bar, though it would be a truth. Grant my prayer, I beseech Thee, for great shock to my feelings at present to the love of Thy son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. have to make up my mind to cut mathe Amen." matics, which I am afraid I should have It is interesting to note, comments the to if I wished to get on at the bar." Living Church, that Chief Justice Ryan's Though he never became a member of present successor, Chief Justice John B. the bar, yet he became a not unfamiliar Winslow, is an active churchman and figure in the courts. Those who re chancellor of the Protestant Episcopal member Lord Kelvin as the most famous of all the expert witnesses in patent diocese of Milwaukee. cases realize how great a lawyer was probably lost in the scientist, just as Magistrate. — "If I let you off this time will those who know how to appreciate Lord you promise me to take the pledge?" Delightful Prisoner (excitedly). — "Oi will, Moulton's attainments are wont to say that a great scientist has been lost in yer Honor, an' drink yer health." — London Tit-Bits. the lawyer. The Editor will be glad to receive for this department anything hkely to entcrtam the readers of the Gretn Bag in the way of legal antiquities, facetix, and anecdotes.