The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-31

diverting It certainly was but prudent in I
the Lord Chancellor 1 shall never think
H. H., Inc iun OF Mountforts limitations was often
they held up TO derision-some of whom would
see and express natural displeasure at the
anront whilst others, quite unconscious of
their own peculiarities, Joined loudly in the
laughter that was directed against themselves
"As pet buffoon of the Tories about town.
Mountfort was followed, at considerable dis
tance OF time, by Estcourt-an actor who united
wit and fine humor with irresistible powers of
mimicry; and who contrived to acquire the re-
spect and atfectionate regard of many Of those
famous Wings whom it was alike his pleasure
and his business to render ridiculous In the
Spectator Steele paid him a tribute of cordial
admiration; and Cibber, noticing the marvel
lous fidelity OF his limitations, has recorded,
This man was so amazing and extraordinary
mimic thatno man or woman, from the coquette
to the privy counsellor, ever moved or spoke
before him, but he could carry their voice. look,
mten, and motion instantly into another com.
pany. / have heard him make long harangues,
and form various arguments, even IN the man.
mer Of thinking of an eminent pleader OF the
bar, with every the least article and singularty
OF his utterances so perfectly initiated, that he
was very alter tpse, scarce to be distinguished
from the original
with the exception of Kenyon and Eldon,
and one or two less conspicuous instances OF
judicial penuriousuess, the judges of the Geor-
eian period were hospi!able entertainers. Chief
Justice Lee, who died in 1854, gained credit for
an adequate knowledge of law by the sumptu-
business and frequency of the dinners wit which
he regaled his brothers Of the bench and learned
counselloTs, Chief Justice Mansheld's habitual
temperance and com paratiYe Indifference to the
neglectful of hospitable duties Notwthstaud-
ing the cold formality of Lord Hardwicke's en-
tertainments, and the charges of niggardliness
preferred against Lady Hardwlcke's domestic
system by opposition satirlsts, Philip Yorke
used to entertain the chiefs of his profession
with pomp, If not with affability. Thurlow en-
tertafned n somewhat too limited circle Of
friends with English fare and asuperabundanoe
of choice port in Great Ormond street. Through
out his public career, Alexander Wedderburn
was lavish and delight tful host, amply atoning
in the opinion of frivolous society for his poll
tical falsity by the excellence and number of
his grand dinners. On entering the place of
Solicitor General, he spent $4,000 on service of
plate; and as Lord Loughborough he gratihed
the bar and dazzled the fashionable world by
hospitality alike sumptuous and brilliant.
Several of the Georgian lawyers had strong
predictions for particular dishes or articles of
diet Ihurlow was very tancitul about his fruit
and in his later years he would give way to
ludicrous irritabtity, finferior grapes or faulty
peaches were placed before him, At Brighton,
in his delightful years, the ex-Chancellor's in
dignation at a dish Of defective wall. fruit was
so lively that-to the inexpressible astonish-
ment of Horne Tooke and other guests-he
caused the whole of a very fine dessert to be
thrown out of the window upon the Marine
parade. Baron Graham's weakness was for
oysters, eaten as preparatory whet TO the
appetite before dinner; and il is recorded of him
that on a certain occasion, when he had been
indulging in this favorite preprandial exercise,
lie observed with pleasant humor:-'Oysters
taken before dinner are said to sharpen the
appetite; but have just consumed half barrel
of fine natiVes-and speaking honestly, am
bound to say that don't feel quite as hungry
as when / began Thomas Manners Sutton's
ment of 1mpulsive kindness he gave Lady.
Morgan the recipe for his favorite salad--a COM
pound Of rare merit and mysterious properties.
Bitterly did the old lawyer repent MS unwise
muni1cence when he read 'O'Donnell.' Warmly
displeased with the political sentiments
of the novel, he ordered it to be burnt in
the servants hall, and exclaimed. peevIshly, to
Lady Manners, Il wish had not given her the
secret of my salad In no ordinary product
did Lord Ellenborough find greater delight
than lobster. sauce; and he gave expression to
his high regard for that soothing and delicate
ann md Nvl1 an 10
gagged in lobst fishery were eXemptfrom legal
n9Ted his o ordshp WITH solemn pathos the
lobster fishery fishery, and most important
shallow water? The trainers of the law well
knew that the produce of the deep sea, without
the produce OF the shallow water, would be of
comparatively small value, and intended that
turbot, when placed upon our table, should be
lar passion for fried liver and bacon was
amongst his most notorious and least pleasant
peculiaritiesa Even the PIinCe Regent conde-
scended to Rbmor this remarkable taste by
ordering dish of liver and bacon to be placed
on the table when the Chancellor dined with
him at Brighton. Sir John Leach Master of
the Rolls, was, however, less ready to pander
to depraved appetite. Lord EldOn said, 1T
will give me great pleasure to dine with you,
and since you are good enough to ask me to
order a dish that shall test your new cherS
poWers-I wish you'd tell your Frenchman to
fry some liver and bacon for me- Are you
laughing at me or my cook? asked Sir John
Leach, stiflly, thinking that the Chancellor was
bent on ridiculing his luxurious mode ofliving.
AT neither answered Eldon, with equal sim
plic1ty and truth; Il was only ordering the dish
which L enjoy beyond all other dishes.'
although Eldon's penuriousness was grossly
exaggerated by his detractors, 1t cannot be ques-
toned that either through Incidence, or love of
money, or some other kind of seltishness, he was
very negectful OF his hospitable duties TO the
bench and the bar Verify he is working off
the arrears ofthe Lord Chan cellor' said Romilly,
when Sir Thomas Plummer, the Master of the
Rolls, gave q succession of dinners to the bar;
and such remark would not have escaped the
lips of the decorous and amiable Romilly had
not circumstances fully Justified 1t. Still it is
unquestionable that Eldon's Cabinet dinners
were suitably expansive; and that he never
grudged his choicest port to the old attorneys
and subordinate placemen who were his obse-
quious companions towards the close of his
career. For the charges of sordid parsimony
so frequently preferred against Kenyon IL is to
be feared there were better grounds Under the
steadily strengt spell of aVarice he ceased
to invite even old friends to his table; and IL
was rumored that in course of time his domes-
tic servants complained with reason that they
were required to consume the same fare as
their master deemed sufficient for himself In
Lord Kenyon's house. a wit exclaimed, 'all the
ear through it is Lent in the kitchen, and
Passion Week in the paTlor.' Another caustic
quidnunc remarked, in his lordships kitchen
the fire is dull, but the spits are always bright
whereupon Jekyll interpOsed with an assump-
mon sense 1 order you not to talk about his
spits, for nothing turns upon them
"Very different was the temper of Erskine,
who spent money faster than Kenyon saved 10,
and who died in Indulgence after holding the
Great Seal of England, and making for many
years finer income at the bar than any of his
contemporaries esnot enjoying crown patronage.
Many are the bright pictures preserved to us OF
his hospitality to politicians and lawyers, WITS
and people of fashion,; but None of the scenesi
more Characteristic than the dinner described
by Sir Samuel Romilly, when that good man
met at ErSXine'S HAMPSTEAD villa the chiefs OF