Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-21
Ths Loves OfLawysrs

ina Loves or Lawyers
A study Of the lives of great law
yers, in respect to their love affairs,
shows that the ermine has not been
efectual in Warding of the darts of
Cupid; for, as q writer in the Albany
Lac Journal observes, the members
Of the profession seem always to have
been peculiarly impossible, and the
story Of the Loves of the lawyers. I"
as told by JeafresOn, and as traced in
Lord Campbell's "Lives" and other
legal biographies, is full Of tragic and
comic interest.
Inthe love affairs Of Sir Thomas
More the great man showed his mag
nanimity. Mr. John Colt, Of Essex,
had two daughters, whose honest and
sweet conversation and virtuou5 edu-
catiCn enticed Sir Thomas not a little.
HIS affection inclined him to the
younger and better favored; but be-
cause ne thought Ii would be e grief
to the elder 10 have the younger pre-
ierTed before her, the good man mar
ried the elder. They lived happily,
had four children, then she died.
Then be married a hard-favOred,
practical widow, who, when he was
shut up in the tower, cOunseled him
to yield TO the King and regain his
''right fair house at Chelsea" Sir
Thomas reply is fragrant after three
centuries. SIS not this house as near
Heaven IS my owns"
When one is told that Coke despised
science and literature, and made but
one Joke, and that poor one, in the
whole course Of his life, it really does
one good to learn that he had q terma-
CANT wife. She was the widow of Sir
William HattOn, daughter of Sir
Thomas Cecil, granddaughter of Lord
Burleigh, and cousin Of Francis Bacon,
who, by the way, was COke's rival for
her hand. The nuptials were private
" Celebrated, without license or pub
LEGATION, and all the parties escaped
accommodation only by begging
pardon and pleading ignorance. Their
married life was q perpetual squabble
in public and in private. The wife
lived in great state aud Tevelry in the
palace, which was Sir Christopher
HattOn's, and Coke pleaded causes and
wrote books.
The famous black-Ietter lawyer,
Sergeant Hill, who was very absent
minded, committed an error on the
morning Of his marriagetto Miss Med
lycOtt, chat perhaps lsySat the bottom
of a good deal Of subsequent domestic
unhappiness. He became absorbed in
business with some clients, and failed
to put in an appearance until the bride
had been waiting for him an hOur,and
be went back to consultation immedi-
1Hn1r- afravs tho aarlrronurT Madame
kept her own name, which she was
authorized by act OF Parliament, to do.
Mrs. MedlyCOtt was not singular in
using her own name after marriage.
Lady HattOn never dropped her own
name after her marriage with Coke.
Lord Campbell married Baroness
Strathden, who always carried her
own name. This once caused a Curl
Gus Misrepresentation. During an Off
cial Journey with her husband, she
once slept at lodgings which he had
frequently occupied when he was
upon the circuit. The next morning
the landlady sought him, and thus
expOstulated: ''Sir John, / am a lone
widow, and live by my good name.
II is not in my humble place to be too
curious about the ladies brought to
my lodgings by my patrons. 1t is not
in me to make remarks II a council /
lOr's lady changes her complexion and
the color of her eyes every assiZes. /
But, Sir John, a gentleman ought not
to bring a lady 70 q lone widows |
lodgings, unless, 50 long as he Occu-
pies the apartments, he makes all hon.
Orable professions that the lady is his
wife, and as such, gives her the use Of /
his name"
Lord Eidon's brother, William, Lord /
StOWell, prudent in pecuniary matters, |
was not fortunate in his love affairs. /
A widOwer, at the age Of siXty-nine, /
he met his doom in the person of the I
beautiful but high-tempered widow Of /
the Marquis of Sligo, daughter Of Ad- |
mirsl Howe. The place was the /
court room, the occasion Of the trial Of 1
her son, before Lord EllenbOrOugh /
and Sir William, for enticing and /
pressing two Of the Kings seamen |
4 gtO his yacht. The accused was
hes, Tiy hned and imprisoned, and, In
addit ion, Sir William gave him a pa
terDal lecture on the duties aud re-
sDoDsibiJties Of men In high station.
The March iOness, who had sat by her
am throughout the trial, at its cOnclu-
sion. wrote in pencil and sent up to
Sir William g few words Of thanks for
his kindness and consideration toward
her son. acc ompanied by the wish that
ne erring youth could always have
The advantage Of such wise counsel.
This hint, with q smile from the
bright ewes Of the beautiful termagent,
sealed Sir Williams fate. Within
four months he led her to the altar.
The match so displeased his brother
Edon that he would not attend the
wedding, doubtless thinking that,
however prudent it may be to run
away with young woman, II Is the
hight Of folly to be run away with by
an old one. No end Of epigrsms and |
other Jokes were made on the occasion
by Jekyll and the other testers Of the (
bar, and society was in a convulsion |
Of unerriment at the affair. The bride
tormsnted the old man with ingenious
malice. be was q gentleman Of the ,
old school, and one OF her fsvorite re-
sorts to mOrtify him was to reproach
I'm before company with nl-breed-
NO; At the end Of five years death
anne 10 terminate his suberings-by
.aking his VIE
There Is one touching incident Q
he me of William Writ. In his
Younger days ne was victim to that
,sssi6n Tor intoxicating drinks which
Gems peculiarly the bane Of our pro-
ossiOn. Amazed TO beautiful ana
IeeOuplished young woman, ne had
made and broken repeated pledges OF
,mendment, and she, after patiently |
M t-indIv enduring his disgracetul
,sbit had AT length dismissed him,
issming him incOrTigible. Their next
oeefipg. after his dismissal, was in
,1SIie Erect In the city OF Richmond.
William Writ lay drunk and asleep
= fbe sidewalk, on a hot summer
ev. the rays Of the sun pouring down
: ~ uncovered head and the lies
: -.--Ij,g over his swollen features.
! ~ Young lady approached In her
~ ser attention was attracted Dy
q aBecfaele. strange 70 her eyes, Dut