torney-general, on the death of Sir Geoffrey Palmer. He now rose to the highest rank as a practitioner, and was engaged in various causes of publie moment. During this period of his life, great complaint is made of prejudice and partiality against him, on the part of Sir Matthew Hale; and the character of that illustrious judge is spoken of with some severity. That his merits were exaggerated by party panegyric is probable, but that they were of a very exalted character there is no reason to doubt. His Lordship now resolved to marry, but he was at first less successful in his matrimonial than in his legal suits. After in vain proposing for the daughter of a rich usurer in Gray's Inn, for the widow of his dear friend Mr. Edward Palmer, "who was very rich," and negotiating a bargain for the daughter of a city knight, in all which proceedings he showed a most prudent attention to profit and loss, he effected a happy marriage with Lady Frances Pope, the daughter of the Earl of Down. On the retirement of the Lord Keeper Bridgman, who was not found sufficiently compliant for the purposes of the Court, as to the commission of martial law, and a proposed injunction' to restrain actions against the bankers, when the money in the Exchequer was arbitrarily seized by the Crown, and the consequent advancement of Sir Heneage Finch to be Lord Keeper, Sir Francis North was appointed Attorney-general, and in the year 1764 he succeeded Sir John Vaughan as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. The history of this portion of his forensic and judicial career embraces matter of much historical importance, as well as details of great interest with respect to particular suits, for which we must refer the reader to the work itself. Our space will not permit a full examination of them, and a mere cursory view would be altogether unsatisfactory and useless. He sanctioned and encouraged the exertion of court influence, by which his brother, Sir Dudley North, was forced upon the citizens of London as sheriff; and his subsequent deportment, when the city authorities had submitted to the extravagant demands of the Crown, is thus related by Evelyn in his Diary. "1683, June 18. I was present, and saw and heard the humble submission and petition of the Lord Mayor, sheriffs, and aldermen, on behalf of the city of London, on the quo warranto against their charter, which they delivered to his Majesty in the Presence-chamber. "It was delivered kneeling, and then the King and Council went into the Council-chamber, the Maior and his brethren attending in the Presence-chamber. After a short space they were called in, and my Lord Keeper made a speech to them, exaggerating the disorderly and riotous behaviour in the late election, and polling for Papillon and Du Bois after the Common-hall had been formally dissolved; with other misdemeanors, libells on the Government, &c. by which they had incurred his Majesty's high displeasure; and but for this submission, and under such articles as the King should require their obedience to, he would certainly enter judgment against them, which hitherto he had suspended. The things required were as follows: That they should neither elect Maior, Sheriff, Aldermen, Recorder, Common Serjeant, Towne Cleark, Coroner, or Steward of Southwark, without his Majesty's approbation; and that if they presented any his Majesty did not like, they should proceed in wonted manner to a second choice; if that was disapproved, his Majesty to nominate them and if within five daies they thought good to assent to this, all former miscarriages should be forgotten. And so they tamely parted with their so ancient privileges, after they had dined and been treated by the King. This was a signal and most remarkable period. What the consequences will prove, time will shew. Divers of the old and most learned lawyers and judges were of opinion that they could not forfeit their charter, but might be personally punished for their misdemeanors; but the plurality of the younger judges and rising men judged it otherwise." As a politician, indeed, he appears to have been prepared to go all lengths with the Court, except where the safety of the church was endangered. As Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, and in his subsequent situation as Chancellor, he displayed in his judicial capacity great learning, firmness and ability, and was remarkable for his desire to reform abuses in the courts in which he presided. On the death of the Earl of Nottingham, his Lordship reluctantly became Keeper of the Seals. It is rather singular, that the passages in the present work in which North mentions the elevation of his brother, and some subsequent passages, have not attracted attention during the late frequent discussions on the abuses of the Court of Chancery. "And therefore," says he, "I come now to his Lordship's last and highest step of preferment in his profession, which was the custody of the great seal of England. And for conformity of language I call this a preferment; but in truth (and as bis Lordship understood) it was the decadence of all the joy and comfort of his life, and instead of a felicity, as commonly reputed, it was a disease like a consumption, which rendered him heartless and dispirited, till death came, which only could complete his cure." "By his acceptance of the great seal, he became, as before of the law, so now of equity, a chief or rather sole justice. And, more than that, he must be a director of the English affairs at court, as chief minister of state, with respect to legalities, for which he was thought responsible. So what with equity, politics, and law, the cares and anxieties of his Lordship's life were exceedingly increased: for either of these provinces brought too much upon the shoulders of any one man, who cordially and conscientiously espouseth the duty required of him, to be easily borne. "As for the business of the Chancery, our work will be short; because that province was easy to his lordship; except only when his time was retrenched, so that he could not sufficiently attend it. He had been a capital practiser there as solicitor and attorney-general, and in the front of business for many years; which made the whole tour of that court familiar to him. The greatest pain he endured, moved from a sense he had of the torment the suitors underwent by the excessive charges and delays of the court. For the easing of whom, he was always in thought, more or less to contrive ways and means of expedition, and retrenchment of charges. As the business of that court is more, and of greater value than that of any other court, so are the abuses more felt; and consequently, his lordship was more intense in his meditations to regulate them. And the truth is, a court, as that is, with officers and fees proper for a little business, such as the judiciary part anciently was, coming to possess almost all the justice of the nation, must needs appear troubled." "The business of his office was too great for one who thought he was bound to do it all well." With the aid of this statement, little sagacity is necessary to come at the root of many of the evils of the present state of the Court of Chancery. We hence have a man of powerful intellect, admirable skill and learning, and remarkable boldness and vigour, overpowered by the burthens of the office of Chancellor; and two positions are distinctly laid down-that either of the provinces committed to that great officer is too much upon the shoulders of any one man "to be easily borne," and that the court was constituted only for a little business." The bare statement of these propositions is sufficient without comment or illustration; and if they were true when North wrote, they must be at least equally so now, when the business of Chancery has so enormously increased.-The notes made by his Lordship, while he was keeper of the seals, have served our biographer as a sort of text, on which to hang his sketches of individuals and illustrations of political events. The rise of the brutal Jefferies, his conduct and character, are narrated and described; and although he was the antagonist of Lord Guildford, the representation is not exaggerated, if we judge of it by comparison with contemporaneous statements. Jenkins, Godolphin, Sunderland, several eminent lawyers, and the leading features of the politics of the latter part of the reign of Charles the Second, then pass under review. The Lord Keeper especially distinguished himself in the Council by his opposition to a motion of Jefferies for a general discharge of all persons convicted of recusancy. The following anecdote shows at once the respect which was felt by the King for his Lordship's character, and the manner in which places of the most serious responsibility were disposed of. Of the appointment of Sir Robert Wright to be a judge, the author thus speaks :— "He was of a good family, settled near Thetford in Suffolk; and when he was young he married one of the daughters of Dr. Wren, Bishop of Ely. He came up in his practice, together with his lordship; and they went the Norfolk circuit together. Wright had more business, for many circuits, than his lordship had. He was a comely person, airy, and flourishing, both in his habits and manner of living; and his relation, Wren, (being a powerful man in those parts,) set him in credit in the country; but, withal, he was so far from a lawyer, that he could not give an opinion on a written case, but used to bring such cases as came to him, to his friend Mr. North, and he wrote the opinion on a paper, and the lawyer copied it, and signed under the case, as if it had been his own. It ran so low with him, that, when Mr. North was at London, he sent up his cases to him, and had opinions returned by the post; and in the mean time he put off his clients upon pretence of taking more serious consideration. One cannot conceive that this man could get much by the law, nor did he; but, by favour he was elected treasurer to the chest at Chatham, and by his voluptuous, unthinking way of life, he ran in debt, and used frequently to ease himself upon his friend North, by borrowing money at times. The debt, at length, grew so considerable, that his lordship thought fit to pay off his other debts, and take in the mortgage of his estate which he held charged with 15001. Afterwards, and not many years before he put in for judge's place, he borrowed of Sir Walter Plummer 5001. upon an original mortgage of the same estate, and made an affidavit that it was clear from all incumbrances; which affidavit Sir Walter Plummer afterwards brought to his lordship, even while the mortgage was in his hands, which amazed him; but he took his money and assigned to Sir Walter Plummer. One would think that this was a competent knowledge of that man's character. But he, being upon the brink of utter ruin, applied to Jefferies to rescue him by getting him made a judge. When the time came, and his lordship was with the king, consulting about a fit person, the king said,― My lord, what think you of Serjeant Wright? Why may not he be the man? His lordship answered, that he knew him but too well, and was satisfied he was the most unfit person in England to be made a judge.' Then,' said the king, it must not be;' and so it went off at that time. But Wright still by his friend Jefferies pushed his point; and, in the interim, worked all he could, by bitter tears, and the most importunate applications, (but for no other reason than that, if he failed now, he was utterly ruined') to gain his lordship to yield that he might be a judge: but to no purpose; his lordship was inflexible, and though he wished the poor man well on account of old acquaintance, he would not gratify him at the cost of his own breach of duty, or rather, in that respect, perjury. The king took his time more than once, to speak to his Lord Keeper, saying, as before, Why may not Wright be a judge?' And at last, Is it impossible, my Lord?* His lordship seeing the king's pangs, (for it was plain that this man by the secret court clan was determined to be preferred; for he was a creature of Jefferies, and a tool that would do any thing; and they wanted only the formality of my lord keeper's concurrence, to whom the king positively would have due respect paid,) took the freedom to say, that the making a judge was his Majesty's pleasure, and not his choice; that he was bound to put the seal as he commanded; for, of that, his Majesty was to judge and finally determine. He could but do his duty by informing his Majesty of what he knew to be true; and particularly of this man, whom he personally knew to be a dunce, and no lawyer, not worth a great, having spent his estate by debauched living; of no truth nor honesty, but guilty of wilful perjury to gain the borrowing of a sum of money: And then he opened more at large the matter of the affidavit. And now,' said the lord keeper, 'I have done my duty to your Majesty, and am ready to obey your Majesty's commands in case it be your pleasure that this man shall be a judge.' 'My lord,' said the king, 'I thank you;' and went away; and soon after the warrant came, and he was instated." Lord Guildford continued to hold the seals until his death in the year 1685. After the accession of James, his influence at Court considerably declined, as he was too firm a friend of the Established Church to be disposed to fall in with the projects of that monarch. It is a striking proof of the solidity of his character, that during the course of his life as a minister he never interfered in foreign affairs. He was as well trained by habit as led by the inquiring bent of his mind, to form no opinion without satisfactory data and ample deliberation: and here he considered himself not sufficiently qualified by knowledge and experience to decide. This conduct forms a marked contrast to the presumptuous forwardness of pretenders in politics, who commonly deem questions of this nature so peculiarly easy of comprehension, that the occasional reading of a newspaper will enable a child to dispose of them. Of the soundness of his views as to the state of the country, and his clear foresight of impending events, a remarkable instance is given in his prophetic advice to James the Second. "He minded him of the uncontrollable influence of an universal discontent; that no branch of his affairs, especially those of his colligible revenues would move with any content to him. People would go on continually exaggerating each other's discontents, and mutual encouragements would take place therein, and among persons that should appear fair to him; and neither he nor any of his ministers would discover any such their secret practices and engagements; and if there happened any advantages to cover attempts, all would burst out in a flame as if a mine fired under him. And although the Duke of Monmouth was gone, there was a P. of O. on the other side of the water. And as to his army, his lordship said, that upon an universal discontent he would find it a broken reed; that the people would grow upon it or wear it out by their intermixed conversation. Men naturally fall in with parties and their interests among whom they live, and they will not have the reproaches of their women and pot companions, without falling into harmony with them. That it was utterly impossible to bring the people to a reconciliation with his persuasion; and that the more they were urged or even showed it, the worse they would be. And that the sectaries were false and treacherous, and would infallibly, at a pinch, whatever countenances they showed him to the contrary, not only desert his party, but turn against him; for they never were nor would be friends, really, to the royal family; and their peculiar way and means of working was by fraud." Sir Dudley North, whose life is the second in the series, was educated in London. He showed at an early period a bold and active disposition. An anecdote of his conduct at school exhibits with no inconsiderable force his steadiness of determination and mercantile regard for the preservation of the balance between the Debtor and Creditor sides of his accounts, for which we must refer to the work itself. After his retirement from busy life, he passed his time in the attentive discharge of the social duties which devolved on him, in the enjoyment of conversation, in which he took great delight, and in the study and practice of mechanics, in which he possessed considerable skill. He died in December 1691. The life of Dr. North is necessarily less diversified by events than the lives of his brothers. He was educated at St. Edmund's Bury, in Suffolk, in the school of a steady and earnest cavalier. Thence he removed to Jesus College, Cambridge. He was early distinguished for his learning and ability. His principal defects of character appear to have originated in want of physical vigour and animal spirits, and not in any evil disposition or intellectual feebleness. "Natural timidity" is mentioned as the most prominent, and several singular instances are related. From these he appears to have been of that temperament, which in our time is oddly enough styled nervous. His first preferment was to a benefice in Wales. He was afterwards Clerk of the Closet to Charles the Second, and ultimately Master of Trinity College. His college life was passed in unintermitting study, and in the scrupulous discharge of his moral and religious duties. Although his progress was rendered slow by excessive care in composition, he had projected and partly written several works of considerable extent, when he was interrupted by illness. He remained a valetudinarian until his death in 1683. In obedience to his positive injunction, all his manuscripts were destroyed by his brother, the Lord Keeper, who was his executor. The candid and unreserved history which is given of his habits, pursuits, virtues, and failings, is highly interesting, and presents many valuable practical lessons to all who from choice or chance may pursue the same course of life. Of this work altogether it may be truly said, that it combines in an unusual manner the various attractions of biography. The time during which the personages flourished of whom it treats, was one of stirring interest; the personages themselves were of sufficient rank to excite curiosity, and of sufficient substantial merit to rouse and gratify a rational spirit of inquiry; and the biographer had abundant opportunities of amassing materials for his work. Of these he has fully availed himself. The common fault of life-writers is, that they are too general. They deal in statements too broad to mark individuality. There are some, it is true, who have fallen into an opposite extreme, but this is the more common and the more injurious defect. North has preserved a happy medium. He has written naturally and freely, and has thus done much more than would have been effected by greater caution and labour. In no respect is the truth of his delineation more evident than in the family likeness of the brothers; and the reader, who has been accustomed to the examination of intellectual portraits, will find some entertainment in discovering the particular features of fraternal resemblance, and in tracing the conduct of men of similar character in different situations, and under different circumstances. BRUTUS AFTER PHILIPPI. He sat beneath a rock, A little brook ran by, 'Twas after Philippi's battle-shock, He sat beneath the shade, And talk'd of Rome enslaved, The struggle he for her weal had made, The peril he had braved. His friends were offer'd up, His hope had pass'd away, And his Country deep had drunk the cup Of lawless wrath that day. He look'd upon the sky, The stars were shining bright: "O thou great Jove, in thy majesty, Avenge the Roman right "O spare my Country, spare!" He said, and sorely sigh'd, As he counted the names, to his followers there, Of friends who that day died. His foes were drawing nigh, "We'll fly, my friends, with speed, We'll fly, my friends, in this hour of need, "Though Fortune hath betray'd, |