n, "I can refer your lordship to a _high_ authority behind me,
who was once intended for the church, though in my opinion he was fitter
for the steeple."

There is a celebrated reply of Mr. Curran to a remark of Lord Clare, who
curtly exclaimed at one of his legal positions, "O! if that be law, Mr.
Curran, I may burn my law books!" "Better _read_ them, my lord," was the
sarcastic and appropriate rejoinder.

A Good Example.--Chamillart, comptroller-general of the finances in the
reign of Louis XIV., had been a celebrated pleader. He once lost a cause in
which he was concerned, through his excessive fondness for billiards. His
client called on him the day after in extreme affliction, and told him
that, if he had made use of a document which had been put into his hands,
but which he had neglected to examine, a verdict must have been given in
his favour. Chamillart read it, and found it of decisive importance to his
cause. "You sued the defendant," said he, "for 20,000 livres. You have
failed by my inadvertence. It is my duty to do you justice. Call on me in
two days." In the meantime Chamillart procured the money, and paid it to
his client, on no other condition than that he should keep the transaction
secret.

Legal Point.--A few years ago it happened that a cargo of ice was imported
into this country from Norway. Not having such an article in the Custom
house schedules, application was made to the Treasury and to the Board of
Trade; and, after some little delay, it was decided that the ice should be
entered as "_dry_ goods;" but the whole cargo had melted before the doubt
was cleared up!

Lord Brougham tells the following story. It is a curious instance of the
elucidation of facts in court.--During the assizes, in a case of assault
and battery, where a stone had been thrown by the defendant, the following
clear and conclusive evidence was drawn out of a Yorkshireman.--"Did you
see the defendant throw the stone?" "I saw a stone, and I'ze pretty sure
the defendant throwed it." "Was it a large stone?" "I should say it wur a
largeish stone." "What was its size?" "I should say a sizeable stone."
"Can't you answer definitely how big it was?" "I should say it wur a stone
of some bigness." "Can't you give the jury some idea of the stone?" "Why,
as near as I recollect, it wur something of a stone." "Can't you compare it
to some other object?" "Why, if I wur to compare it, so as to give some
notion of the stone, I shoul