Star.
London, England, 1823-01-27 00:00:00

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MID MANSFIELD'S WIG!

•
COURT OF REQUESTS.
WILLIAMS e. LAWRENCE.
This was a case which, by the parties concerned,
was considered of no small importance ; and which,
to the auditors, in- the course of its discussion, excited

no small merriment. •
Mr. Williams, who is-what is vulgarly called a
barber, but in more refined language is termed a peru-
quier, appeared in this Court a few days back, and
obtained a summons against the defendant, who is
clerk to Mr. Reeves, an attorney in Tottenham-court-
road, calling upon him to attend on a given day, to
spew cause why he should not pay a debt of thirty
nine shillings and eleven pence three farthings.
Mr. Williams, who spoke with a sort of lisping
squeak. garrulously addressed the Commissioner:—
" He had (he said) been a hair-dresser, man and boy,
for sixty eight years. Ile had served his time in the
Temple, where he had had the honour of making.
wigs fur some of the greatest men as ever lived—ot
all professions, and of all ranks—Judges, Barristers,
and commoners—Churchmen as well as Laymen—
illiterate men as well as literate men, and among the
latter he had to rank the immortal Dr. Johnson; but
of all the wigs he had ever set comb to, there was
none on which he so much prided himself as a full
state wig which he had made for Lord Mansfield:
it was one of the earliest proofs of his genius : it had
excited the warm commendations of his master, and
the envy of his shopmates ; but, above all, it had
pleased, nay, even delighted the Noble and Learned
Judge himself."—" Oh ! gemmen," exclaimed Mr.
Williams, " if you had known ss hat joy I felt when
I first saw his Noble Lordship on the bench with that'
wig on his head!" (lit an under-tone, but rubbing
his hands with ecstacyl. " Upon my say so, I was
fuddled for the three days after !"
The CO3MISSIONLIt.—What has the wig to do with the defend-
ant's debt?
Mr. Williams.—A great deal: that's this very bone of con-
tention,
The CoatsussioNra.—Doubtless; but you must come to the
marrow, if you can, as soon as possible.
Mr. Williams.—l will. Well, as I was saying—where did I
leave eff?-0h ! when I was fuddled—
The (.03131155105ER.-1 hope you have left off that habit now,
my good man.
Mr. Williams.—Upon my say so, I have, trust me; but as I
was a saying, to make a long story short, in course of time I
left my master in the Teniple, let up for myself, and did a great
stroke of business. Ay, I could tell you such a list of customers.
'There was— .
The COUMISSIONER.—Never mind; we don't want your list.
Go on.
Mr. Williams.—Well, then, at last I set up in Boswell-court,
44neeu-square. gawk mc! what alterations •I have seen in that
square, surely, in my time. I remember when I used to go to
shave old Lord—
The COMO.'
Tarr story. •
Mr. Willisms.—Well, I will. Where was I? 0:1! in Dos-
well.couri—(Costmisstosteu, aside—l wish you were there now.)
—Well, then, you must know, when Lord Mansfield (Goo rest
his soul!) died, his wig—the very, very wig I made—got back
to my old master's shop, and he kept it as a pattern for other
Judges wigs; add at last whO shaUltithe but my master himself.
Ay, It's what we Must all'iodert4.-. '• -
The Voitsttssundut.—Or/iiKOPOntssonOmd some to the end
of your story. • s - • •
Mr. Williams.—! will, I wilt Well, whkreleas I? Oh! in my
poor master's shop. Well, so when lie died, my mistress gave
me—for she knew, poor soul! hoW T loved it—this identical
wig; and I carried It home with its•moth delight as if it had
becu one of my children: •" Air; pOtoriatie things! they are all
gone before me.
The Costattssiosiert.—Come,ifYou don't cut this matter short
I 'ad send you after them.

.—For Goes sake, do come to the end of

must, atlk , IL
11r. Williams.-I>~taetia Tel. you put Me out. Well, as I was
a saying. I kept this here wig as the apple of my eye ; when, as
ill lock woulst have it, that !ere. Lawr.ence came to my shop,
and often asked me to lend It to hilt to act with in a play—l think
he calledit Shycock, or Shyloek, for ke said he was to play the
Judge. I lung refused, but ke ovei-pe—rsuaded me, and on an un-
lucky day-I let him have it, and have never (weeping and, wiping
his little eyes with his white apron) seen it since.
The Dawittasossea.—And su you have summoned him for the

price of this wig? -
Williams.—You have lan bit the nail on the head.
The C03131154WN5a.-I%'ell, Mr. Lawrence, what have, you to
say to this?
Mr. Lawrence (with great pomposity).—Why, Sir, I have a
great drat to say.
The C.ommtssunnts.—Well then, Sir, I desire you will say as
little as you can, fur there are a great many persons waiting here
whose time is very precious.
Mr. I.awrense.—Not more precious than mine, I presume,
Sir. I submit that this case is in the nature of an action of no.
yet., to recover. the possession of this wig; and, this admitted,
Sir, I have humbly to contend, that the plaintiff must be non.
suited ; for, Sir, you will not find one word of or concerning a
wig in his declaration. The plaintiff, must. not travel out of
his record.
Co:

.....ssionts.-IThat record?
• Dlr. I.awrence.—The record in Court.
Comossursen..-L-Wehave no record.
Mr. Lawrence.—You have a summons, on which T attend to
defend myself ; and that is, to all intents and purposes, de facto,
as well as de j•sre, a record, similar to, and of the eassnce uf,
record in the Court above. ,
Cotssisstonsa.—Sir, we are not guided by the precedents of
Courts above here. Our jUlisdiction awl our powers arc defined,
by particular Acts of Parliament.
Mr. Lawr:tarle.-Str, I contend, according td the common
law of these reidnire that Tarn right.
Comirsswinth.-1 say; according to the rules of common
sense, you ;Ire Wrong. •'"
Mr. Lawrence.-airs I have cases.
The Costmissiones.—.Sir, .1. desire you will confine yourself

to this cases
Dlr. Lawrence.--What says Kitty upon the nature of these
pleadings?
The Coststlsssoxsa.---Ani pray who is Kitty?
Mr. Lawrenee.—Tbe most eminent pkader oldie present day
The Costssissiousis.—✓:sever heard Oa woman being a spe-

dal pleader.
Mr. Lawrence.—I le is.not a woman, Sir; he is a man,
and a great man, Sir—and a man, Sir--
The Coststisstotnek.—.De you mean' Mr. Chitty
Mr: Lawrence.— mean trite Gentleman you call Chitty, And
most erroneously w call him ; for you *ought to know that the
Ch in Italian sounds like an English K ; alai Mr. Kitty, by lineal
descent, is an 'ltalian. It is a judger error to spe:l his name
With a y final;. h baght to be and then it would properly
sound Kitten. . .
The Cossissisoncra.--4 'shotild rather take Mr. Chitty's autho-
rity foe tills than yours. ". • .
, Mrs, Lawrence, cln atiger).Slf, do Tea contradict me ? •
The Commissossa.=-Sir I will. bring .this case to a short
Issue. Did you boil**, ibd man's wig?:
Lmittedee.-4 disll.• • • ,
ThoCeitstnissoseit.—.Do•ynotecanCe return is:
Mr. Lawrente.it is.destteyak.-
The Voitittasteestsa—Dow destroyed ?, • • •
ydrj LawMice.4-als,was burnt bT,atcl4ie .
The taissismiroots.—Who burnt It.l,
Me.slatsvrenee.-0,1 did, in perfonning.the part a the .fieefgein
Shakspeare's inimitable Play of the Merchant of *like. • While
ti,ointeot eat the Pleadings Partin, the candle caught tit:: curls,
sod' I witlitfifFecalty escaped having my eyes burnt out.
The plaintiff here uttered an ejaculation of meutal suffering,
something between a groan-and a curse.
The Coatsassumra.—Well then, Sir, I have only to tell yon,
you see responsible for the property thus entrusted to your caro,-
oed,.witliout farther comment, I order and adjudge that you