.

In this place let a contradiction be given to a baseless story, which
exalts Sir William Follett's reputation for intellectual readiness and
argumentative ability. The story runs, that early in the January of
1845, whilst George Stephenson, Dean Buckland, and Sir William Follett
were Sir Robert Peel's guests at Drayton Manor, Dean Buckland vanquished
the engineer in a discussion on a geological question. The next morning,
George Stephenson was walking in the gardens of Drayton Manor before
breakfast, when Sir William Follett accosted him, and sitting down in an
arbor asked for the facts of the argument. Having quickly 'picked up the
case,' the lawyer joined Sir Robert Peel's guests at breakfast, and
amused them by leading the dean back to the dispute of the previous day,
and overthrowing his fallacies by a skilful use of the same arguments
which the self-taught engineer had employed with such ill effect. "What
do you say, Mr. Stephenson?" asked Sir Robert Peel, enjoying the dean's
discomfiture. "Why," returned George Stephenson, "I only say this, that
of all the powers above and under earth, there seems to me no power so
great as the gift of the gab." This is the story. But there are facts
which contradict it. The only visit paid by George Stephenson to Drayton
Manor was made in the December of 1844, not the January of 1845. The
guests (invited for Dec. 14, 1844), were Lord Talbot, Lord Aylesford,
the Bishop of Lichfield, Dr. Buckland, Dr. Lyon Playfair, Professor
Owen, George Stephenson, Mr. Smith of Deanston, and Professor
Wheatstone. Sir William Follett was not of the party, and did not set
foot within Drayton Manor during George Stephenson's visit there. Of
this, Professor Wheatstone (who furnished the present writer with these
particulars), is certain. Moreover, it is not to be believed that Sir
William Follett, an overworked invalid (who died in the June of 1845 of
the pulmonary disease under which he had suffered for years), would sit
in an arbor before breakfast on a winter's morning to hold debate with
a companion on any subject. The story is a revival of an anecdote first
told long before George Stephenson was born.

In lists of legal _facetiae_ the habit of punning is not more noticeable
than the prevalent unamiability of the jests. Advocates are intellectual
gladiators, using their tongues as soldiers of fortune use their swords;
and when they speak, it is to vanquish an adversary. Antagonism is an
unavo