The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-07-15
From The Literary World
The Chssr Justices Of ENGLAND

former tue REPRESENTATIVE verythng iha, contempt
tbe in the abuse of Judicial powrrthe two latter every
thing that is Trustworthy and nc &c ~ M highest
else. The readers Of English history are more familiar
with The shameless inguitss OF Jeii,eys han with The
clnsun male wisdom OF Lord Holt or The universal learn
ing Oh Lord Mansfield. Jefeys is particularly oil
historical character in spite lis dese, 81 the o5scuresi
infany Fortunately, however, his life "ponls moral
which is not without It's uses, and serves soH Of bea-
eon.light 10 dishonest Judges. who neither fear
God nor regard man, S,rcsgs his predecessor IN once
and equal ia yany appears 10 similar disadvantage on
Lord CampbelPs pages The accounts OF his abuses OF
power and Judicial brutality almost surpass Belief and
fully concluded by the narrative Of his Impeachment
ard disgrace
crrEg JUSTICE soRoGG5s OLD AGE.
His disgrace caused general Ioy IN Westminster jHall
and over all England for, Jehieys had not YET been
clothed in emIe, The name oil Scfoggs was the byword
TO express all that could be considered oashsome and
.He allowed small pension, retired al pw
ance, which he did not long enjoy. When cashiered,
finding no sympathy from his own profession, or from
any class OF the community he retired to country house
which he had purchased, called Weade Hail. Brent
wood. in Essex Even here his evil fame caused him TO
be Stunned. He considered by The gentry 10 be
wthou. religion and without honor; while the peasantry
who had heard some vague oil his having put peo
pie 10 DEATH believed that lie was murderer whispered
stories Of his having dealings with evil spirits and took
special care never TO the risk OF meeting him after
dark. His constitution was undermined by his dlssolue
habits, and IN old he was still solitary selfish bach
olOctober, 1858, he then expired, without relation or
friend 10 close his eyes He buried in the parish
church OF South WeaIete undertaken, the SEXTON and
the pason OF The parish alone attending the funeral He
left descendants; and he mus, either have been the
last OF his race, his coalera relations ashamed OF
their connexion with him. had changed their name for
since his death there has been no Scroggs IN Great
Britain Ireland. The word long used by
to shien children; and long our history Is studied
or our language rs spoken or read 1t Will call up The
image OF base and bloodymlnded villain. With honor
able principles and steady application he might have been
respected in his lifetime and left historical reputation
behind him. He was person Of very excellent and
nmble parts and he could both speak and write our
language better than any lawyer OF the seventeenth
to have been little aware OF the light in which
his judicial conIuct would be viewed Tor 1t is a
curious fact that the published parts Of The State trials
a, which he presided were all revised and reouched BY
himself; and his speeches. which fill us with amaZemeni
and horror lie expected would be regarded as proofs OF
such men in our generation is better for us to con.
template dull moral mediocri.y than proalgate eccen-
triclty, however brilliant y may be-
"Scroggs may be considered rs having been OF some
to his country by making the character OF wicked
judge igh,fully repulsive that he may have deferred
many from giving way 10 his bad propen>illes. Dean
Swift says: / have read somewhere OF an eastern
king who put Judge 10 death Tor niquous sentence,
and ordered his hide be stuffed into cushion, and
placed upon the tihuna fot The TO cit on who was
preferred his fathers Office. fancy such memorial
might not have been uuuseiul 10 son OF Sir William
ScIoggs and that both he anu hs would oen
wIiggl- IN their seals as long as the cushion lasted
Lord Campbell las laid out his principal strength on the
lives of Ho and Mansfield hi. and ali the worlds beau
ideals of luipes And commencing his work 10 Tie
leisure OF pro readers, devote the rest OF
space in this notice TO extracts from his biographies OF
those two grea; uininares ot the law
LORD HoLr's YOUTH.
Having prolonged OF his unlicensed rambes
ronnd the county, company with some associates n
reckless himself, unl Their purses were all utterly
exhausted, il determined, alter divers consultations
how proceed that they should part company, and Try
make way sitgiy each oy the exercise OF his IN
divdua wits Holt, pursuing his separate route, came
10 a6ili,- inn 0! sasgihg village and rnng ihe oes
face upon the matter, commended his horse 20 the allen
lions OF the hoslle and boldly bespoke The best supper
and bed the house ahoFted Stroling into The kct en-,
he observed there the daugh'r OF The lsndladya eirl q
about thirteen yeats of age-shiverng with nj OF toe
agne aud lDquiring OF her mother how long she had
been III, he told nearly yea, and hls1n spite =
ciaus al expense By which he poor widow declared
she had been half ruined Shaking bis head with much
gravity at The mention OF The doctors. be tade her be "a
der uither for she might assure heseH hSf
daughter should have another Mt linen, scfawi-
ing ies Greek chatacers upon scrap OF parchment,
and rolling II carefully up he directed that sbnnd Be
bound upon tie gs wrist, aud remain there I'LL she
well. BY good luck--or possibly from the eject OF
mainaiion-the ague returned no more-at least Gu-
ring week Tor which Holt remained iheir guest
At the end OF that time, having demanded his bill
with as much confidence ii his pockets were lined
with acobuses, the delighted hostess instead oil ask
ing payment, bewaed her inability TO pay HIM as she
ought Tor the wonderful cure be bad achieved aud her Ill
fortune in not having lighted on hun ten months sooner,
which would have saved her an outlay OF some forty
pounds. Her guest condescended, after much eneaty,
of against his weeks entertainment the valuable
service be bad rendered and wended mery on his
The sequel OF the story 10 relate that hen pfes
ding forty al the OF the
county, wreched, decrepit old indicted be-
fore him for wchcraf. and charged with being IN pos
session oil spell which gave her power 10 spread diseases
among the cattle, those that diseased The
chief justice desired that this formidable implement OF
Gerry might be handed mp him and there, envooped in
many folds OF dirty linen, he found the Identical piece OF
parchment with which he bad himself play ed the wizard
many years before The mystery was forthwl,
pounded TO the inry tageed with the story previously
told by the prisoners the poor creature instantly
Quilted and her guests long standing debt amply dis
charged.
!" He had been early destined to the profession OF the
law, having been entered on the books oil Grays Inn
when he was only ten years old His father then
treasurer Of that society, and entitled TO admit with
fee. Before he had completed his first years resi-
dence Oxford such his excuses, and such
the complaints which they called forth that Sir Thomas
thought the only chance OF saving him from utter ruin
was change OF scene, OF company, and OF pursuits Ac
cordingy he brought 10 London he was put under
the care OF sober attorney, and he required to keep
his terms with view 10 his beng called to the bar.
The experiment had the most brilliant success. His ref
ormaon was nj once complete; and without taking any
vow, like SIR Matthew Hale, against stage plays and
drinking, renouncng society 10 avoid Temptation, he
applied adenty TO the study OF the law, and his moral
conduct was altogether lfreproachabie"
HOLT THE PROPHET.
Holt having, some time after, committed another OF
this broths ood, called John Atkins 10 take hi. trial
sediOus language. the same Lacy called al the chief
justices house IN Bedford Row, and desired 10 see him
Servant. My Lord is unwell TO day, and cannot see
company Lacy, lin very solemn tone) 'AcquaintI
your master that must see him. for bring message Ia
k,rnf vr~n thu Lord (.pdf Tha, oh