Self Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and PerseveranceSmiles, Samuel
Philosophy
Self Help; with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance
Smiles, Samuel
Conduct of life
Lord Lyndhurst’s father was a portrait painter, and that of St. Leonards
a perfumer and hairdresser in Burlington Street. Young Edward Sugden was
originally an errand-boy in the office of the late Mr. Groom, of
Henrietta Street, Cavendish Square, a certificated conveyancer; and it
was there that the future Lord Chancellor of Ireland obtained his first
notions of law. The origin of the late Lord Tenterden was perhaps the
humblest of all, nor was he ashamed of it; for he felt that the industry,
study, and application, by means of which he achieved his eminent
position, were entirely due to himself. It is related of him, that on
one occasion he took his son Charles to a little shed, then standing
opposite the western front of Canterbury Cathedral, and pointing it out
to him, said, “Charles, you see this little shop; I have brought you here
on purpose to show it you. In that shop your grandfather used to shave
for a penny: that is the proudest reflection of my life.” When a boy,
Lord Tenterden was a singer in the Cathedral, and it is a curious
circumstance that his destination in life was changed by a
disappointment. When he and Mr. Justice Richards were going the Home
Circuit together, they went to service in the cathedral; and on Richards
commending the voice of a singing man in the choir, Lord Tenterden said,
“Ah! that is the only man I ever envied! When at school in this town, we
were candidates for a chorister’s place, and he obtained it.”
Not less remarkable was the rise to the same distinguished office of Lord
Chief Justice, of the rugged Kenyon and the robust Ellenborough; nor was
he a less notable man who recently held the same office—the astute Lord
Campbell, late Lord Chancellor of England, son of a parish minister in
Fifeshire. For many years he worked hard as a reporter for the press,
while diligently preparing himself for the practice of his profession.
It is said of him, that at the beginning of his career, he was accustomed
to walk from county town to county town when on circuit, being as yet too
poor to afford the luxury of posting. But step by step he rose slowly
but surely to that eminence and distinction which ever follow a career of
industry honourably and energetically pursued, in the legal, as in every
other profession.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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