nce produced is the passage from Thomas Nash's "Epistle to the
Gentlemen of the Two Universities," prefixed to Greene's _Arcadia_,
1859, in which he upbraids somebody (not known to be Shakespeare) with
having left the "trade of Noverint" and busied himself with "whole
Hamlets" and "handfuls of tragical speeches." The knowledge of law shown
in the plays is very much what a universal observer must have picked up.
Lawyers always underestimate the legal knowledge of an intelligent
layman. Campbell died on the 23rd of June 1861. It has been well said of
him in explanation of his success, that he lived eighty years and
preserved his digestion unimpaired. He had a hard head, a splendid
constitution, tireless industry, a generally judicious temper. He was a
learned, though not a scientific lawyer, a faithful political adherent,
thoroughly honest as a judge, dutiful and happy as a husband. But there
was nothing admirable or heroic in his nature. On no great subject did
his principles rise above the commonplace of party, nor had he the
magnanimity which excuses rather than aggravates the faults of others.
His life was the triumph of steady determination unaided by a single
brilliant or attractive quality.

AUTHORITIES.--_Life of Lord Campbell, a Selection from his
Autobiography, Diary and Letters_, ed. by Hon. Mrs Hardcastle (1881);
E. Foss, _The Judges of England_ (1848-1864); W.H. Bennet, _Select
Biographical Sketches from Note-books of a Law Reporter_ (1867); E.
Manson, _Builders of our Law_ (ed. 1904); J.B. Atlay, _The Victorian
Chancellors_, vol. ii. (1908).

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Two of his later acts, allowing the defendant in an action for
libel to prove _veritas_, and giving a right of action to the
representatives of persons killed through negligence, also deserve
mention.

[2] Greville in his _Memoirs_ says that Campbell got this post on
condition that he should not expect the ordinary promotion to the
bench; a condition which, it if were so, he immediately violated by
claiming the vice-chancellorship on the death of Sir John Leach.
Pepys (Lord Cottenham) and Bickersteth (Lord Langdale) were both
promoted to the bench in preference to Campbell.

[3] "There can be no doubt that old Wynton was at the bottom of it
all, and persuaded Lord Grantley to urge it on for mere political
purposes."--Greville, iii. 351.

[4] See thereon J.B. Atlay, _The Victorian Chance