He seems to have been a member of one in particular, which must have communicated no ordinary satisfaction, as he has sketched a concise delineation of the individuals of whom it was composed, which is here introduced, to exercise the acuteness of those who may be disposed to appropriate the several descriptions and portraits. The first was a Barrister; a man of singular acuteness, great vigour of intellect, extensive knowledge of modern languages, particularly of French, a very subtle disputant, and never perhaps exceeded in conversation talents. In the time of Louis XIV. it was notorious that the great wits of the day, bestowed a portion of their morning hours, in preparing themselves to shine in the parties they were to meet in the evening, by making themselves familiar with such subjects as were likely to be introduced, by contriving such verbal artifices as might afford them the opportunity of introducing new jests, puns, jeux des mots, and so forth. Our legal friend laboured under a somewhat similar imputation, but be this as it may, his talents were of the very highest order, and though perhaps in many of his opinions, and more particularly in those concerning politics, he did not coincide with any one member of the Symposium, he was greatly acceptable to all, from the vivacity of his communications, the easy flow of his eloquence, his diversified narratives, and urbanity of manners. He qualified himself for professional distinction by severe application, and he long and patiently endured the “_res angusti domi_,” with the hope of progressively making his way to more lucrative business. But this seemed still to linger at a distance; he was, however, too high-spirited to be easily turned aside from his purpose, and too confident in his own natural and acquired attainments, to despair of finally accomplishing his object. Two things occurred, which attracted the public attention towards him, and made him the object of more general attention and curiosity. He undertook to be the advocate of the French Revolution in its primordial state, and produced a work upon the subject, which became the fertile parent of disputation, replies, rejoinders, and commentaries. He also read public lectures on legal subjects, which were numerously attended, and exhibited unequivocal demonstration of his abilities. He might probably not have been obliged to court the office which he afterwards and honourably filled, but for the pertinacity of his political opinions, and his strenuous opposition, on all occasions, to the measures of government.