The Mirror Of Literature, Amusement, And Instruction | Page 9

took his departure through the adjoining room. I was not present at the
first of the levees which were held, and at which the attendance was
very distinguished; but a friend who was, spoke very highly of the
manner in which the Chancellor performed his noviciate. The
Archbishop of Canterbury came early, and was very kindly received: he
was followed by the Archbishop of York, and several other bishops,
whose attendance gave proof that, differ as they might from Lord

Brougham, they surely did not consider him an enemy to the Church *
* *. The most remarkable visiter of that evening was the Duke of
Wellington;--the crowd was astonished, and I dare say the Chancellor
himself was surprised, when his name was sent up--I doubt if they had
ever met in the same room before. Their political lives, with the
exception of the Catholic Question, were one unvarying course of
opposition, if not enmity. I suspect that for a time the Duke despised
the talk of the lawyer; and, on the other hand, Brougham had often
declared, that the respect which he entertained for military glory was
not very lofty. Some of his bitterest tirades were levelled at the Duke
personally. No one will deny that it was high-minded in the Duke to lay
aside resentment of every sort, and offer this mark of respect as well to
the man as the office. The Chancellor was flattered by the attention,
and shook the Duke by the hand very cordially * * *. Not the least
remarkable personage in the room was the Lord Advocate of Scotland.
Brougham and he are very old friends, and have been much engaged in
the same species of literature. Brougham was his predecessor in the
editorship of the Edinburgh Review--a fact which is not generally
known, but which is certain. Brougham was not the first editor, having
filled that office for a short time after Sidney Smith withdrew from the
situation. Jeffrey appeared extremely petit in his court-dress, and did
not seem very much at home: he was acquainted with but few of his
fellow visiters, and had too much good taste to occupy much of the
Chancellor's attention: they did not seem to hold any conversation
beyond the usual common-place inquiries * * *. After I had paid my
respects to the Chancellor, there came tripping up the Marquess of
Bristol, with a springy step, which he must surely have acquired at the
old court of France; for I am sure that no such movement could be
attained on English ground. The elasticity of this noble lord was such,
that when once put in motion, he continued to spring up and down in
the manner of the Chinese figures, which are hawked by the Italian
toy-venders. Had I been told that the head of the house of Newry was a
dancing-master, who had not yet learned the present modes, I should
certainly have believed the story without scruple, if I had met him
anywhere else. He had no sooner left the Chancellor, than he was laid
hold of by a fidgetty solicitor, who was the only member of his class in
the room, and who, I understand, is a sort of favourite of the Chancellor.

The obsequious grin, and the affected ease of this worthy, do not
convey any very favourable impression on his behalf. He was solicitor
for the Queen, and in this capacity formed an intimacy with her chief
counsel, which an ill-natured person would perhaps think makes him
now forget in some measure the great disparity betwixt their present
condition. The Chancellor gave no discouragement to his familiarity *
* *. A variety of lords, squires, generals, ossa innominata followed, for
whom the Chancellor cared perhaps about as much as I did. At length
Sir James Scarlett was announced, and the Chancellor left his place to
meet him. His welcome was very hearty. Brougham was doubtless
gratified by this token of respect from a man who was indisputably his
leader in the courts, and for whose forensic abilities it is known, that he
entertains, and has often expressed, the highest admiration. The
position of the two men was singular, and to the ex-attorney not very
enviable. Scarlett was in high practice before Brougham was even
called to the bar. He kept a head of him in their profession throughout;
and twice he had filled the first places at the bar, when the respective
attainments of these eminent persons were such, that if Brougham had
been placed before him, Scarlett would have had just ground of
complaint; and the bar would have unanimously decried the
appointment. Now, however, by one of those cross accidents which
will occur in the most fortunate lives, Scarlett was, with strict justice
and universal acquiescence, placed below his