Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century
History
Characters from the Histories & Memoirs of the Seventeenth Century
Great Britain -- Biography; Great Britain -- History -- Stuarts, 1603-1714
Money, of which he made little Account, though he got a great deal,
he soon became Master of the Family; and, being no Changling, he never
removed, but was true to his Friends, and they to him, to the last
Hour of his Life.
So much for his Person and Education. As for his Parts, none had them
more lively than he. Wit and Repartee, in an affected Rusticity, were
natural to him. He was ever ready, and never at a Loss; and none
came so near as he to be a Match for Serjeant _Mainard_. His great
Dexterity was in the Art of special Pleading, and he would lay Snares
that often caught his Superiors who were not aware of his Traps. And
he was so fond of Success for his Clients that, rather than fail, he
would set the Court hard with a Trick; for which he met sometimes with
a Reprimand, which he would wittily ward off, so that no one was much
offended with him. But _Hales_ could not bear his Irregularity of
Life; and for that, and Suspicion of his Tricks, used to bear hard
upon him in the Court. But no ill Usage from the Bench was too hard
for his Hold of Business, being such as scarce any could do but
himself. With all this, he had a Goodness of Nature and Disposition in
so great a Degree that he may be deservedly styled a _Philanthrope_.
He was a very _Silenus_ to the Boys, as, in this Place, I may term the
Students of the Law, to make them merry whenever they had a Mind to
it. He had nothing of rigid or austere in him. If any, near him at
the Bar, grumbled at his Stench, he ever converted the Complaint into
Content and Laughing with the Abundance of his Wit. As to his ordinary
Dealing, he was as honest as the driven Snow was white; and why not,
having no Regard for Money, or Desire to be rich? And, for good Nature
and Condescension, there was not his Fellow. I have seen him, for
Hours and half Hours together, before the Court sat, stand at the Bar,
with an Audience of Students over against him, putting of Cases, and
debating so as suited their Capacities, and encouraged their Industry.
And so in the _Temple_, he seldom moved without a Parcel of Youths
hanging about him, and he merry and jesting with them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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