The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-11 00:00:00

LORD BRODGRAIL-TME ORATOR.

(PRow • COSILISPONDOIT.
Lord Brougham's mind was prismatic by nature :
it presented many aspects. Art seconded what
mature contemplated. In the outset of his career
it was doubtful whether his pursuit would have
been that of a man of science or of literature, of a
practical statesman or a theoretical politician ; of
a writer on philosophy or a frequenter of the
forum ; whether in fact he would be a
student in the laboratory or the library, or a
debater in the public assembly. Without dis-
regarding his claims, or rather his efforts, to be
considered a man of science or a scholar, Lord
Brougham has certainly been beat known amongst
his contemporaries as an orator, and it is in this
light that we desire to give a brief sketch of the
deceased peer.
It has been said that Lord Brougham, like others
who have been transferred from the popular to the
hereditary branch of the legislature, lost much of his
force as an orator by the change. The cold shade of
the Howe of Lords damped the ardour of his fire.
What would have produced a powerful effect
amongst the representatives of the people
fell chilly on the ears of men whose habit of mind
is eminently opposed to anything like enthusiasm.
To appreciate Lord Brougham as an orator, it has
been said you should have heard Henry Brougham,
the opponent of Canning, of Castlereagh, and of
Peel. There must be j ustioe in this remark , because no
man was so popular as a speaker or created so much
enthusiasm amongst an audience as Mr. Brougham,
and it is unquestionably true that, after he became
Lord Chancellor, his oratorical splendour was
somewhat obscured. To persons who heard the
learned lord on the woolsack, or on the opposition
side of the House of Peers, and asked, " What is
there in Lord Brougham that acquired for him
his great reputation as an orator I" the re-
mark in answer was somewhat like that
of 2Eschines when speaking of Demosthenes, • ' Vim
should have heard himself "—that is to say, you
should have heard him in the House of Commons.
To us, we confess, Lord Brougham displayed
in his oratory too much of its art. The
orator is no doubt made, though not to the
absolute extent indicated in the classical dictum
to that effect ; but, as in other arts,
so in that of the public speaker, it is the
highest effort of genius to conceAl the art.
This Lord Brougham wanted. He apttars to base
modelled his style upon that of I.e..mosthents,
whose great oration he translated. Cicero he um
in the habit of frequently quoting, indeed, and
with the writings of the great Roman orator he
was intimately acquainted, but it was the great
Athenian who shook the arsenal and fulmined
over Greece," that he took for his model. The
imitation is apparent in all his great speeches.
There was a strength, a muscularity and
ruggedness in Lord Brougham's style such
AS is to be found in the speeches of
Demosthenes, but in the Greek the force was
natural, or had, at least, the appearance of
nature, whilst in the Briton the getting up
is too obvious. Lord Brougham's periods
are too long. They would have run any
man of less native vivacity and vigour out
of breath. They are intersected with dashes and
interrupted by breaks. They are gnarled and
twisted like the roots of a giant tree. He certainly
carried his hearer along, but with much tin-
necessary jolting. His power of reply was re-
markable. No man was more fertile in resources
and no man had command over a wider field of
illustration. Ho criticised unmercifully. His
power ey. ~sso stopendere nese was terrific both in
the literal and applied sense of the words. Some-
times he transgressed beyond the limits of
fair indignation, and was scurrile when he shmild
have been severe. He used language towards
Canning and Peel which would have been better
unsaid. He was no less remarkable fur turning
an opponent's arguments into ridicule. The last
occasion in which be showed his wonderful power of
this kind was in the discussion on the second or
third reading of the bill for the repeal of the corn
laws in the House of Peers. It was delivered
about half-past 2 in the morning Lid unhappily
has never been fully reported. Indeed, it would
have been almost impossible to have done so.
Never was the truth illustrated with so much
brilliancy and gaiety. The protectionists were
never so handled—never so mauled—not
that the cannon of weighty argument was
brought to bear on the falling fortress of Pro-
tection ; the light arms of ridicule and pr-
siflage were alone employed on that occa-
sion. The present Earl Grey was so ebullient
that he could scarcely keep his seat from laughter,
and he was but a type of the other peers.
Lord Brougham was undoubtedly a great speaker,
but, as we have indicated, his defect was artifi-
ciality. Men far his inferiors in every respect
often produced greater effect simply by more
naturalness and the opinion of sincerity
that naturalness begets. He missed as an
orator what he attempted to find as a
savant, " the relation between the harmonic line
and curves of different orders." His person and
gptillle:irtieakin;swusegereraLtac,isedni raerabtlyfacilteddusf,o:Tlhcsseis peculiar

It would be difficult perhaps to'
a•:,ign to him
the place he is likely to hold in the 4.3timation of
posterity as one of the great orators England.
There are but few who will refuse to fet 1 that,

Men are we, and must grieve when ew c. the shade
Of that which once was &reit bath pnuctl away.

Hlc tic ATE SCHOOL. —OII Saturday Miss Burdett
Coutts presented the prizes to the successful boys of this
school, after the conclusion of the athletic spores. There
west several hundred persons in the field, besides the 300
boys themselves.
THE CONVICT MICHAEL BARRETT.—Last eveuiug
the Governor of Newest& received an official oommucier,-
tion from the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment respite's for seven days the execution of the convict
Michael Barrett, now under sentence of &fah there for
the murders caused
be made for it.
the Clerkenwell explosion. To-
morrow had been the daLirippointed for the execution,
and preparations were t. The prisoner,
since his conviction, is understood to bave behaved with
much propriety. Being a Roman catholic, he has been
attended by a priest of that persuasion from day to day,
and has not therefore come within the ministrations of the
Ordinary of Menet'. A day or two after matinee the Fenian
convict& Burke and Shaw, were removed from Newgate, to
the great relief of those charged with the responsible duty
of guarding the prison, but the vigilance of the authorities,
instead of being relaxed in consequence, maybe said to have
been increased, if possible, while Barrett remains there
under sentence. Day and night the gaol is surrounded and
patrolled, as it has been for months past, by a picked
body of the city police, armed with cutleries and revolvers,
no two of whom are ever out of sight of each other, not to
mention the special arrangements inside for its greater Inca.
rity. Newgate, indeed, may be said to be a fortress of
itself, and but for the subtle tharacteristht of the Fenian
organisation and the affair at Clerkenwell, preceded, as it
was, by the rescue at Manchester and the escape of Fenian
prisoners from custody in Ireland, it would never, probably,
have entered into the minds of the authorities to guard a
place so impregnable of itself. Be that as it may, the city
police, charged with the special duty of protecting the pH.
son, have never for a moment allowed such considerations
to weaken their sense of responsibility, or to relax their
vigilance, and those who have had occasion, from day to
day, to observe them en duty during the recent protracted
trials mast have been struck by their untie ing zeal and de-
votion. Now that the trials are over, not to enter into
details, it is but due to the sheriffs and under-sheriffs to
state that the precautions they took from day to day to
protect the court-house, inside and out, wire as complete
lire they Could possibly be, though known to only a few
beyond themselves, and those few only were aware of the
consequent security from possible danger of outrage with
which everyone having business in court, great and small,
Wes hedged round.— Times.—lndependently of the doubts
have been raised respecting the cogency of the evi-
dence on which Barrett was convicted, the validity of the
restriction oe legal grounds was called in question by the
prboner's counsel. Mr. Greene objected at the trial
that he was deoied permission to inspect the jury pima,
end was, thereby precluded from exercising the eight
of challenging the array. An application was mad,
t,etadays winos to the Attorney•rral to grant hie
tto enable the primair t apply to the Court al
's Bench to quash the coovietiolt. After due deli-
„lbilliadon, the Attorney-General conveyed an inewation to
%le prisot.er's attorneys, Messrs. Lewis and Co., that bs
to hoar eribeel in rapport of the srplisationt
2:atienbind dal Mr. Greens has beam ins: ratted to
eup.port it this day.
A. THE ROYAL HINIPITAL EON DIBILUISS. Or TEI
CHEST, OITY-moan.—Tl36 number of patients under West-
me4tatoi
whsle this ltmptblBs
weredunewringaiesthlpast week assolutted
1,0

SECOND EDITION.I

LAW IN'rELLIGENCE.-CTHIS DAY.)

BAIL COURT.
mtxr. at Nia&Prhs. —(Before Mr. Justice Batmen and
a Otwareas .107.)
PARSONS P. PARMUS.

Ti.j4 VA an action brought by the plaintiff, Miss
jija,iida Parsons, against thedefendant, who was her great
updr, residing at Darlington, to recover the sum of
•J!!. for services rendered to the defendant as an'
evanueuais and companion. There was also a count for,
elai..ler. The defendant pleaded several pleas, denying
tit. liability.
Digby Seymour, Q.C., and Mr. Steel were counsel
!or the plaintiff ; Mr. Serjeant Robinson and Mr. Bailey
for the defendant.
It appeared that the defendant, who was an old gentle-'
rat, 76 years of age, required in January, 1866, some one'
;,. be in constant attendance upon him, and to act as his
and engaged the defendant for that purpose,
01 in return for which services she was to receive her
mard and lodging and 25/. a year pocket money, and to be
t.eared ash's daughter. She accordingly went to Darlington
stayed there for a considerable time performing those
:Atka till her health began to fail her, and she found
,he could not accompany him in the phaeton in all
evithers, and told him so, whereupon he gave her a
;orinal month's notice to leave, and before that time ex-
; teed peremptorily expelled her from his service, and
her, before his housekeeper, of being dishonest.
At the conclusion of the plaintiff's case Mr. Digby
yinour and Mr. Serjeant Robinson adjourned into the
I,..,rned judge's room and came to an arrangetcent that a
v. r,l,et should be entered for the plaintiff, damages Mil.,
m 1 a full retraotation of any expressions of the defendant
the plaintiff might have thought conveyed an imps.
n of dishonesty.