Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1850-09-05

assistant 10 the Register Oh Deeds ioI IN
county, TO whose chirography there was tn
one objection of iIlegibliiy- The ache i
not yet QUIT have heard MT. Webste
say-which so much writing caused him.
In September. 1902, he returned to Mr.
Thompson's office, in which he remained
till February, 1904. Mr.. Thompson was
respectable man, and an excellent lawyer
but he did not understand how to make tht
study Of law either agreeable or instructive
He put his students to. study after the Ole
fashion, that is, the hardest books first
Coke's Littleton was the book int those days
upon which pupils we're broken in-whict
is like teaching arithmetic by beginning
with differentiaI calculus. "a boy of 20, y
says Mr.. Webster, "wirh no previous
knowledge on such subjects, cannot under.
stand Coke. Il is folly to set him upon
such an author. There are propositions in
Coke so abstract, and d;s:isctiohz-ss nice,
and doctrines embracing SO many conditions
aud qualifications, that it requires an effort
not only Of mature rind. but of mind
both strong and mature, to understand him.
Why disgust and discourage boy by tell
ing him he must break into his profession
through such wall as this 7"
Mr.. Webster soon laid aside Coke till ga
more convenient season." and, in the mean
while, took up other more plain, easy and
intellible authors.
While not engaged in the study of law,
he occupied himself with the Latin classics.
He added greatly to what acquisitions ne
had made in the language while in college,
reading Sallust, Cesar, and Horace. Some
odes of the latter, which he translated into
English, were published.
But books were not at this time of his
life, as they never have been, Mr.. Webster's
sole study. He then was fond, and has
been through life, of the manly field sports,
fishing, shooting and riding. These brought
him into near communion with Nature and
himself; supplied him with the material
and opportunity for thought: made him
contemplative, logical and earnest At a
subsequent period of his life, he found that
the solitary rides he was wont TO indulge in
afforded him many an edifying day. The
great argument in the Dartmouth College
case was principally arranged in tour he
made from Boston to Barnstable and back.
John Adans's speech before the Philadel-
phia Convention in &c, was composed by
Mr.. Webster, while taking drive in N.
England chaise. His favorite sport of an
Cling gave him many favorable opportuni-
ty for composition. The address for Bunk
er Hill (for ins,ance) was all planned on,
even to many Of its best passages, in Harsh
pee Brooks the orator catching trout and
celebrating sentences at the same time.
A like fondness for solitary rsmbIes and
sequestered spots, is said to have character
Used Canning and Burke; who found their
fancies frightened and their philosophy in-
vigorased by this self-commoa,on. With
them, as with the Roman Lawgiver, Eye
Ella, avoiding crowds and busting life, was
to be met with only in solitude. So true is
it that the intellectual man is never less
alone than when alone; that to him his
mind kingdom is, u his own thoughts his
most agreeable and instructive companions.
In July, 1904, Mr.. Webster went to Bos-
ton, and, after some unsuccessful applica-
tions elsewhere, obtained admission as a
student in the office of the Hon. Christie
pher Gore, who had then Just returned from
England, and resumed the practice of law
1t was a most fortunate event for Mr.. Web
ster. MIR. Gore was no less distinguished
as lawyer shan as statesman and public
ist,-eminent in each character,-a was,
besides, one of the rare examples of the
highest intellectual qualities united with
sound, practical, keen common sense. He
knew mankind no less than books; and the
wisdom he derived from the study of both,
he could impart, in most impressive Ian
guage. With him Mr.. Webster enjoyed
the best opportunity thus far Of his life for
studying books, and men, and things; and
be made the best use of the opportunity
He attended the session Of the Supreme
Court which sat in August of this year,
constantly, and reported all its DECISIONS
He also reported the decisions of the Cir
cult Court Of the United States. He read
diligently and carefully the books, general
", Of the Common aud Municipal. Law,
and the best authorities on the Law Of Ma
tons, some of them for the third time, ac-
Complying these studies with . vast variety
of miscellaneous reading. His chief study,
however, was the Common Law, and more
especially that part of it which relates to
the science of Special Pleading. This,
one of the most ingenious and refined, and
at the same time instructive and useful
branches of the law, he pursued with deyo-
ton. Besides appropriating whatever he
could Of this par, of the science from Viner,
Bacon, and other books then in common
study, he waded through Saunders's Re-
ports-the old folio edition-and distracted
and put into English, out of the Latin aud
Norman-French, the pleadings in all the
reports. This undertaking, both as an ex-
ercise of the mind, aud as an acquisition
of useful learning, was great advantage
to him in his succeeding professional ca
reer.
An anecdote I haze heard Mr.. Webster
tell in relation to his first interview with a
gentlemen, then and afterwards distinguish
ed in the history of the country, it may not
be improper to relate here. remember
one day." says Mr.. Webster, "as l was
alone in the Office, man came in and asked
for Mr.. Gore. Mr.. Gore was out, and he
sat down to wait for him. He was dressed
in plain grey clothes. I wen. on with my
book, till be asked me what l was reading,
and coming along up to the table, took the
book and looked at it. sRoccus,' said he.