The Press.
London, England, 1858-08-07 00:00:00

I

the Bench. We think, too, that the writer has
shown considerable discrimination in the selec-
tion of points for special commendation where so
much is commendable, as well as in the few
qualifying remarks which candour has compelled
him to make. The "steady honesty of purpose,"
"the acuteness and rapidity of apprehension,"
to ordinary minds almost inconceivable, the
"keen, accurate appreciation of the facts of the
"actual case in hand, without [undue] regard to
"the trammels of previous decisions," the
playful smile, the potent frown,
To abash bold vice or hush pert folly down,
are not merely characteristic of the Lord jus-
tice, but especially and eminently so. And
while we cannot but admit with the writer that
in the use of "powers of sarcasm and ridicule
which have rarely been equalled," this gifted
personage has occasionally. exceeded the bounds
which perhaps he would in his cooler moments
" himself prescribe to a judge," we fully share
the feeling implied though not expressed in
the comment before us, that, if something would
be gained, much would also be lost by pruning
away the luxuriant off-shoots of so vigorous, so
racy a mind, and reducing the genial yet earnest
man, who alternately reminds us of SYDNEY
SMITH and of Dr. JOHNSON, to the ordinary
level of judicial gravity.
A word as to the peculiar diction of the
Lord Justice, which, though admirably exem-
plified by the quotations in the Law Magazine,
has, we think, been rather appreciated than
analyzed by the commentator. Our own im-
pression is, that Sir J. L. KNIGHT BRUCE has a
singular command of both elements of our lan-
guage—that classical erudition as well as the pon-
derous eloquence of our equity courts has trained
him to the skilful use of sesquipedal Latin de-
rivatives and elaborate Johnsonese periods,
while native wit and quickness of thought would
rather prompt him to speak pointedly and con-
cisely in short pithy Anglo-Saxon words. Hence
the variety of style, as the judge or the man pre-
dominates ; and hence the occasional quaintness
from the juxtaposition of terms happy in them-
selves, but which we instinctively feel to be in-
congruous.
Space forbids our pursuing this subject fur-
ther; but if our readers have never heard the
Lord Justice, they cannot do better than read the
truly characteristic judgments in " Barrow v.
Barrow " and the " Agapemone Case," from
which the contributor to the Law Magazine has
made copious extracts.
We have already expressed our belief that the
elevation of Sir J. L. KNIGHT BRUCE to the
Peerage would be a national benefit in the pre-
sent unsatisfactory state of the House of Lords
as a Court of Appeal. We will conclude our
remarks by pointing in support of this belief to
three important features in the Lord Justice's
character, two of which we shall illustrate from
the Essay before us, and the third by an extract
from a judgment which we ourselves had the
pleasure of hearing delivered.
First, then, Sir J. L. KNIGHT BRUCE is one of
the most indefatigable workers living—a most
important qualification to one who is to do double
duty as Judge of Appeal and a Peer of Parlia-
ment. Of this industry a single example may
suffice

In May IMO, Vice-Chancellor Wigram became, through
infirmity of eyesight, unable to sit, and in the month
dlowing the Vice-Chancellor of England fell ill. From
Molt time, until the rising of the court fur the long vacation,
Vitt-Chancellor Knight Bruce transacted single-banded
the whole business of the three Vice-Chancellors' Courts.
During this interval, when slower intellects must have
sunk beneath the labour, or at least have betrayed the irri-
tation due to an overwrought frame, Vice• Chancellor
knight Bruce rose to the emergency, and at the last sitting
of the court before the long vacation he was addressed by
the then Attorne2.General in words to the truth of which
our own memory bears willing testimony. They were as
follows Before the court rises fur the vacation I am
desirous of saying, on behalf of the bar, a few words. It is
now fur several weeks that the whole business of the Court
of Chancery, distributed among the three Vice-Chancellors,
bas been borne by your Honour alone. That business, at
ill times very heavy, at this season has been this year
greatly increased by the numerous applications which
have arisen under a Lew practice introduced into the
mart. lam requested by the bar to testify our respectful
admiration at the knowledge and ability with which this
masa of business has been disposed of', and to express our
amitotic for the unvarying and unwearied attention with
which your Honour has listened even to the youngest
among us. I need not add how gratifying it is to me to be
`wade the organ of this communication."
Secondly, we fully concur with the writer
of the Law Magazine in his hearty approval of