Lord Eldon’s brother, Sir William Scott, had a strange matrimonial experience. His brother eloped with a man’s daughter, and thus entered the wedded state somewhat illegally. Sir William may be said to have entered it, in the true sense of the word, legally—that is, as a result of his legal status. He and Lord Ellenborough presided at the Old Bailey at the trial of the young Marquis of Sligo for having, while in the Mediterranean, lured into his yacht two of the King’s sailors, for which offence he was fined £5,000, and sentenced to four months’ imprisonment in Newgate. Throughout the trial his mother sat in the court, hoping that her presence would rouse in the bench or the jury feelings favourable to her son. When the above sentence was pronounced, Sir William accompanied it by a long moral jobation on the duties of a citizen. The Marchioness sent a paper full of satirical thanks to Sir William for his good advice to her son. Sir William read it as he sat on the bench, and, having looked towards the lady, received from her a glance and a smile which sealed his fate. Within four months he was tied fast (on April 10, 1813) to a voluble, shrill termagant, who rendered him miserable and contemptible. He removed to his wife’s house in Grafton Street, and, ever economical in his domestic expenses, brought with him his own door-plate from Doctor’s Commons, and placed it under the pre-existing plate of Lady Sligo. Jekyll, the punster of the day, condoled with Sir William at having to ’knock under.’ Sir William had the plates transposed. ’You see, I don’t knock under now,’ he said to Jekyll. ’Not now,’ replied the punster; ’now you knock up.’ This was said with reference to his advanced age. Lord Erskine, another famous judge, when dining one day at the house of Sir Ralph Payne, afterwards Lord Lavington, found himself so indisposed as to be obliged to retire after dinner to another room. When he returned to the company, Lady Payne asked how he found himself. Erskine took out a piece of paper and wrote on it: ’’Tis true I am ill, but I cannot complain, For he never knew pleasure who never knew Payne.’