sorry I cannot find that he ever noticed his countryman Thomson, or that he ever desired to be introduced to the author of the Rambler. In truth, he was so overwhelmed by professional and official business, that, when he could escape from it for a brief interval, he preferred repose, with less intellectual society, to gladiatorial contests with the rising wits of the age. He continued gratefully attached to those who had been kind to him. in his juvenile days, and he still used often to visit the first Lord Foley on a Saturday in the country, and remain with him till the Monday morning, when business called him back to town. "On a brother barrister interrogating him how he could spend his time where so little pleasantry or liveliness prevailed,' It is enough, said he, if I contribute by my visits to the entertainment of my fast friends; or, if I fail in that, I am sure to contribute by lassitude to the repose of my own faculties.''

If he did not foster any young poet, he deserves the credit of discovering and turning to public usefulness the genius of Blackstone as a jurist. The professorship of civil law in the University of Oxford being vacant, he recommended this extraordinary man, then quite unknown, as decidedly the fittest person to fill it. The Duke of Newcastle promised him the appointment; but, ever eager for a dirty job rather than for the public good, he thought it right to probe a little the political principles of the candidate, and to ascertain how far he could be relied upon as a party tool, and, more suo, he thus addressed Mr. Blackstone when presented to him: "Sir, I can rely on your friend Mr. Murray's judgment as to your giving law-lectures in a good style, so as to benefit the students; and I dare say I may safely rely upon you, whenever anything in the political hemisphere is agitated in that University, you will, sir, exert yourself in our behalf." The answer was, "Your Grace may be assured that I will discharge my duty in giving lawlectures to the best of my poor abilities." Ay, ay," replied his Grace, hastily, "and your duty in the other branch, too." Blackstone made a hesitating bow, and, a few days after, had the mortification to find, from the 1 Holliday, 131.

Gazette, that Jenner, utterly ignorant of the law, civil, canon, and common, but considered the best electioncering agent in the whole University, was appointed to expound the Pandects, which he had never read, and could not construe.

Murray behaved with spirit and judgment; for he advised Blackstone to settle at Oxford, and to read law. lectures to such students as were disposed to attend him The plan had splendid success, and, happily, soon after suggested to the mind of Mr. Viner the establishment of a professorship for the Common Law of England in the University of Oxford. To this we owe the immortal Commentaries of Blackstone, which, when they were given to the world, drew forth the following high tribute of approbation from him to whose judicious patronage they were to be traced. A brother peer having asked him, as a friend, what books he would recommend for his son, who was determined to be a lawyer, the Chief Justice replied,—

"My good Lord, till of late I could never with any satisfaction to myself answer such a question; but since the publication of Mr. Blackstone's Commentaries I can. never be at a loss. There your son will find analytical reasoning, diffused in a pleasing and perspicuous style. There he may inhale imperceptibly the first principles on which our excellent laws are founded; and there he may become acquainted with an uncouth crabbed author, Coke upon Littleton, who has disgusted and disheartened many a Tyro, but who cannot fail to please in the modern attire in which he is now decked out."

Murray had been Solicitor General for the unexampled period of twelve years, and grumbled at his bad luck in so long holding a subordinate office. Not only was the chief responsibility of legal business thrown upon him, but, while the Attorney General was politically a mere cipher, he himself was relied upon as the most efficient defender of the policy of the Government in the House of Commons. An event now happened which many thought would at once place Murray in the situation of Prime Minister-the sudden death of Mr. Pelham. Who was to succeed him? The Duke of Newcastle, notwithstanding his immense borough patronage and his low

talent for intrigue, was pronounced by George II. as fit only to be "master of the ceremonies at a small German court;" and the nation, aware of his frivolity and his absurdities, concurred in this opinion. Pitt and Henry Fox were both men of splendid abilities, but they were both disliked by the King, and neither of them then had a sufficient aristocratic connection or popular reputation to be able to storm the Cabinet. Murray, even in Pelham's lifetime, had been virtually the leader of the Lower House, and there would have been little change in the aspect of proceedings of that assembly if he had been put at the head of the Treasury. He was very agreeable to the King, and he was generally respected by the nation. A serious objection to him arose in some quarters from the suspicion of Jacobitism-not that any one believed he would betray his trust and try to bring in the Pretender, but some thinking men were afraid of his acting upon arbitrary principles of government, and many condemned him for the duplicity of which they believed he had been guilty. From personal reasons, Pitt and Fox, who still held office, both opposed his advancement; and even Lord Hardwicke, the Chancellor, viewed him with an eye of jealousy.' Had Murray himself really desired the elevation, and made a bold effort to obtain it, all these difficulties would probably have been overcome, and our party history at the conclusion of this and the commencement of the succeeding reign. would have taken a very different turn; but, from a prudent dread of the vicissitudes of ministerial life, and from a high feeling that his destiny called him to reform the jurisprudence of his country, he sincerely and ardently desired to be placed on the bench,-and the special object of his ambition was to be Chief Justice of England, with a peerage. Horace Walpole, indeed sarcastically says "he was always waiving what he was always courting;" but all impartial observers declare that he invariably refused to go out of his profession for any promotion.

The consequence was, that the Duke of Newcastle, the person most incompetent, and, therefore, least exciting jealousy of all who had been thought of on this

1 Walpole's Memoirs, vol i. p. 329.

occasion, became Prime Minister, to the astonishment of the whole nation,-from the King on the throne to his Grace's own lacqueys, who had often been jeered at by brother lacqueys in the lobby of the House of Lords while, addressed by their masters' titles, they discussed their masters' characters.

Murray at last gained a step in professional rank, being appointed Attorney General, on the elevation of Sir Dudley Ryder to the bench. At the same time, he undertook the arduous duty of being Government leader in the House of Commons, which he would probably have declined had he forseen that Pitt, dissatisfied with this arrangement, was again to resign his office, and to go into hot opposition.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

CONTINUATION OF THE LIFE OF LORD MANSFIELD TILL HE WAS MADE LORD CHIEF JUSTICE OF

S

THE KING'S BENCH.

OON after Mr. Murray had been placed in his new position, he had the offer of professional advancement. Sir John Strange. the Master of the Rolls, died; and as the holder of this office may sit in the House of Commons, the Duke of Newcastle was willing to confer it upon his champion there. To the Chancellor's letter proposing this arrangement the following answer was received:

"Clermont, Saturday, one o'clock. 'My dear Lord :-I have the honor of your Lordship's letter, & am most truly concerned for poor St John Strange, whom I honored & loved extremely for his many excellent publick qualities, and most amiable private ones. I scarce know any man, with whom I had so little acquaintance, that I should more regret.

"I am much obliged to you for your laying_your thoughts before me in so kind & full a manner. There is every consideration which can come in question upon this occasion, stated in the plainest and most impartial light. To be sure it ought to be offered to the Attorney General. Common justice & proper regard require it & therefore I hope y Lordship will sound him upon it, this evening. I shall take no notice to him of it, directly or indirectly. It is fit that your Lordship shoa have the whole transaction of this affair, & I shall approve whatever you do in it, as he likes best; I cannot at all guess what he would do. For the King's service, it is, I think, to be wished that he should remain where he is; but, his health is not quite good, and this is a very honorable station, consistent with his seat, figure, and use in

as.