Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-07-26
THE STUDY OF LAW.

The s1bjoined extract We take from the grafton
of YIN. NOyeS, Curtis delivered before the grad
Mating Lar Class of Hamilton college, n. y.
on tie 9TH INST
Tile reading of Ilny books sid he. IS not es-
scntial a small and Hel selected library IS bet
ter fora youngman than large one de becomes
familiar with It's volumes and loves them as he
loves his early friends Especially must he not
buy books on credit The debt viii nang dead
weight upon It, and It's anxiety will distract his
thoughts from his profession. Tins distraction
would be his rum as IaHyer. 0thello was not
more jealous of Desdemopa than the law is Of
her votaries She must have their whole hearts
or they viii hayesma lplace In her affections
In study each subject should be examined by
itself until the learning and reason connected
with it be exhausted In a word the young law
yer should study AaonoIogieqlIX NT4le elementa-
ry treAtises in connection with the titles IN the
latest digest ting to thesubiecb and the lead
ing cases which, have enuhciabcd the rules COVER
ming it, should be carefully studied first Re
ports should be taken up IN their inverse order,
beginning with the lntest, for the most recent
Is is frequently commentary upon the whole
body of cases on the same subject which have
proceeded 1t, and may oVerT1le or qualify them
In lieu ofthe ancient year books, and Plowden
and Dyer, the modern student may read the Sc
lection5 ofIeaiing cases in equity BY w lite and
Tudor; those of Mr.. Smith with the valuable
notes of Judge Hare and Mr.. Wallace; Holcom-
hes leading case IN commercial law, and especi-
ally the American leading cases. Particular
care should be bestowed upon the law ofreal
property. Its now too much neglected, though
it is full of interest, and intimately interviewer
with our Jurisprudence; and the study ofa book
ike Littletons Tenure5 and COke's Commenta=
ries and Reports is as good mental discipline rs
the study Of mathematics In order to attain
eminencs in the legal profession, some conside-
rable knowledge OF the Roman or civil lar is in
- Al. L
Common Law before the time of Bracton 4
knowledge of It contributes in a large degree 70
the accuracy and merits of judicial determine
tons, as well as to the usefulness and power OF
an advocate, for itisbased on the rules ofnatu-
raj justice. The administration of Laws and E
guilty by the same tribunals in our State, gives
increased Importance to the study of Equity Ju-
risprudence, in fireworks Of Fonblanqne Creally
written by Ballew,l Jeremy and Story. The
maritime law must not beneglected, even by
the country practitioner, subject as he is to be
called to the shores of ourinland lakes, or to our
commercial metropolis. The law of personal
property, commercial and insurance law, must,
ofcoursc, commando large.share ofthe students
attention. .s.-54.s
In speaking ofthe cultivation Of general liter
ature Mr. Noyes noticed the fact that Shakespeare
was lawyer of no mean capacity. He could
not have drawn the character of Swallow and
Dogberry with such singular success unless he
had been well read inthe Law. He states the
rule of legitinacy.a as held in the Year Book, 10
Henry III, and Henry " with perfect accur-
| acy in King John, TACT ], scene u. The Grave
Diggers dialogue in dIamlat is borrowed from
the argument Of counsel, and the language Of
the Court IN Hales VS.. Petit reported by Plow-
den q Plowden, p. 253). The grave question to
be settled was whether Sir James Hales drown
ed himself whilc he was alive 1t was decided
that he did, and Sir anthony Brown gave the
reason: "Sir James Ha1es vas dead, aud how
came he to his death2 It may be answered
by drowning And who drowned him? Sir
James Halcs. And when did he drown him p
In his life time; so that Sir James Hales being
alive caused Sir James Hales to die, and the act
ofthe living man was the death ofthe dead man"
Q E.
In the Merchant of Venice Shakespeare shows
the same intimacy with law.
| Mr.. Noyes continued with many kind words
of advice in regard to industry and honor in the
profession. ..serszr
lie closed by stating that the County in which
! Hamilton Gollegeis situated, has given to the
public service several State and one United States
Senators, three Attorney Generalsin succession,
two Circuit Judges, four Justices ofthe Supreme
Court three Judges of the Court OF Appeals, and
three Chef Justices.
- -7a7-5
a yILLAGE OF WoMgN.-rhe following account
appears in the Augsburgh Gazette