admired for his conduct in either character. As a speaker, he was distinguished by wit, spirit, and intelligence; and, in his judicial capacity, his sentences, even in the most difficult cases, gave universal satisfaction. In private life, he was amiable and entertaining, and appears to have passed through life without creating an enemy, excepting Lord Thurlow, who entertained a great aversion towards him, and vainly endeavoured to obstruct his promotion. ADAM, (WILLIAM,) the son of an architect, was born at Leith, in 1746; and, after having received a liberal education, was called to the bar, and distinguished himself, both there and in parliament, by his superior abilities. During a debate in the house of commons, he took offence at some expressions uttered by Mr. Fox; and a duel taking place in consequence, he shot that statesman in the groin; but a reconciliation subsequently took place. About 1807, he was appointed lordlieutenant for Kinrosshire, chancellor and keeper of the great seal, and counsellor of state to the Prince of Wales in Scotland. In 1809, he defended the Duke of York against the charges brought against him in the house of commons, respecting Mrs. Clarke; and, in 1813, as counsel for the East India Company, declared his opinion that it was a corporation under a charter independent of any act of parliament. In 1815, he was appointed lord chief commissioner of the Scotch jury court; the duties of which office he discharged for many years with great ability. He was a man of great legal knowledge and oratorical skill, and was employed in almost all the election cases of importance that occurred during his time. MACDONALD, (Sir ARCHIBALD, Bart.) the son of a baronet, was born in 1746, and educated at Westminster School; at which, he used to observe, if he had learned any good, it was all whipped into him. In 1764, he was elected from thence to a studentship at Christchurch, Oxford; soon after which, he entered himself of the society of Lincoln's Inn. In 1768, he proceeded to the degree of B. A.; was called to the bar in 1770; took the degree of M. A. in 1772; in 1777, was elected member of parliament for Hindon, in Wiltshire; and, in 1778, he married a daughter of the Marquess of Stafford. In the same year of his marriage, to which he owed all his future advancement, he was made a king's counsel; and, in 1780, returned to parliament for Newcastle-underLyne, and appointed a Welsh judge. In 1783, he was appointed solicitor, and in 1788, attorney-general; and, in February, 1793, was raised to the chief baronship of the Exchequer, and sworn in a privy-counsellor. In 1813, he retired from the bench, with a pension and baronetcy, and died in May, 1826, leaving two sons and two daughters. As a lawyer, Sir Archibald was little distinguished; " and whilst in the court of Chancery," says his biographer in the Gentleman's Magazine," presented the singular spectacle of an attorney-general with an empty bag." He was, however, an able judge'; and the only drawback on his natural good qualities, both public and private, was his warmth of temper; the violence of which he displayed, one evening, in the house of commons, by accusing Lord North of being a lazy, indolent, evasive, shuffling, plausible, artful, mean, confident, cowardly, poor, pitiful. sneaking, and abject creature. ERSKINE, (HENRY,) brother of the late Lord Erskine, was born at Edinburgh in 1746, and called to the Scotch bar in 1768. In 1782, he was appointed lord-advocate of Scotland; and, shortly afterwards, became a member of parliament; which situations he lost on the demise of the Marquess of Rockingham, but was subsequently reinstated in both, and made a dean of the Faculty. In 1812, he retired from the bar, in consequence of ill health, and died, after much suffering, on the 8th of October, 1817. He was a man of great power and ability as an advocate; and was considered, for many years, the leader of the Scotch bar. In his profession," says the writer of a biographical sketch of his life, which appeared in the Morning Chronicle, "all his wit was argument, and each of his delightful illustrations a material step in his argument." In private life, he was much beloved; and at table, was a witty and cheerful companion. He wrote several 66 epigrams and bon-mots; among which partiality for the law, he came to the the following is the best: "On that high bench where Kenyon holds his seat, Englaud may boast that truth and justice meet; But in a northern court, where Pride commands the chair, Oppression holds the scales, and judgment's lost in dyr!" DALLAS, (Sir ROBERT,) was born about 1748; and, having been called to the bar, obtained considerable practice at nisi prius. He was one of the counsel for Warren Hastings, and was employed before committees on contested elections; his abilities in which gained him a silk gown. In 1802, he was returned as member for St. Michael's, in Cornwall; but resigned his seat on being appointed a Welsh judge, in 1805. He was, however, returned, afterwards, to the same parliament, for the district burghs of Kirkcaldy, Kinghorn, &c. In 1813, he was appointed one of the puisne judges of the court of Common Pleas; and, on the 5th of November, 1818, he was made chief-justice of the same court, and sworn in a privy-counsellor. In November, 1823, he resigned his situation, in consequence of ill health, and died in the December of the following year, leaving several children by his wife, who was a daughter of Colonel Jardine. He was a very amiable man, and much respected by the bar, who regretted his retirement from the bench, with reference to his character, both as a judge and a gentleman. As a senatorial speaker he did not often distinguish himself; but, on one occasion, made a very able and remarkable speech in favour of ministers, ending with these words:-"We are going to war," he said, "for Malta! but not for Malta only, but for Egypt! not for Egypt only, but for India! not for India only, but for the integrity and security of the British empire ! -for the cause of justice, faith, and freedom throughout the civilized world!" WILMOT, (JOHN EARDLEY,) son of the chief-justice, was born at Derby, in 1748, and received his education at Westminster and Oxford, where he obtained a fellowship of All Souls' College. He, at first, studied under Doctor (afterwards Bishop) Warburton, for the church; but afterwards, imbibing a war. bar; a step, which his father called, "quitting a bed of roses for a crown of thorns." In 1776, about five years after his call, he was returned to parliament for Tiverton, in Devonshire; and, taking part with the opposition, attacked the ministerial party in a pamphlet, denouncing the continuance of In 1781, he was appointed a master in Chancery; and, in 1782, was commissioned, in conjunction with others, to inquire into the distribution of the sums destined for the relief of the American loyalists. In the following year, he spoke on the subject in parliament; and, in reply to Mr. Fox's condemnation of the large sums expended on the American sufferers, declared "he would share with them his last shilling and his last loaf." In 1784, and the parliament which followed in 1790, he sat as member for Coventry, and supported the views of Mr. Pitt during every session. He was particularly hostile to the French revolution; and, by his exertions, obtained the distribution of a fund, under the sanction of parliament, in behalf of the emigrants from that country. In 1804, he retired altogether from public life; and, devoting himself to literary pursuits, published, shortly afterwards, a life of his father, and also of Bishop Hough. Previously to this, he had written A Treatise on the Laws and Customs of England; and, in the year of his death, which occurred in June, 1815, printed An Historical Review of the Commission relative to the American Loyalists. He was a man of the most upright and unimpeachable character, both public and private; and, in the former, was equally distinguished for his learning and eloquence. He was twice married: first, to the only daughter of S. Sainthell, Esq., by whom he had one son and four daughters, who survived him; and, secondly, in 1793, to Miss Haslam, by whom he had two children, who died in their infancy. FEARNE, (CHARLES,) was born in London, in 1749; and, after having completed his education at Westminster School, became a student of the Inner Temple, but with no intention, at the time, of being called to the bar. the death of his father, however, he On commenced practice as a chamber counsel, and conveyancer; and refused to accept his paternal legacy, saying, to his relations, who pressed him to receive him, "No; my father, by taking such uncommon pains with my education, no doubt meant it should be my whole dependance." His professional success, however, was, at first, frustrated by his taste for experimental philosophy; and it was not until after he had lost a considerable sum, by the failure of one of his speculations, that he was called to the bar, and devoted himself wholly to legal pursuits. In 1769, he published A Lexigraphical Chart of Landed Property; and, in 1772, his celebrated work, On Contingent Remainders and Executory Devises, which procured him both fame and fortune. He published, subsequently, Observations on the Statute of Inrollment of Bargains and Sales; and an Essay on Consciousness; but is said latterly to have neglected his profession, and to have amused himself with mechanical and philosophical studies, which involved him in pecuniary difficulties, and embittered the close of his life, which terminated on the 21st of January, 1794. Mr. Fearne was a man of an amiable and intelligent character; and, but for his thoughtlessness, and carelessness of his worldly interest, would, doubtless, have attained to the highest honours in his profession. As a legal writer, however, he takes his stand among the most eminent; and it is almost incredible, that a man, dying at the age of forty-five, should have left behind him such a profound and elaborate work as his Essay on Contingent Remainders. PIGOTT, (Sir ARTHUR,) the friend of the late Sir S. Romilly, and the instructor of several of our most eminent judges, was born in the year 1750; and, having received a learned education, was called to the bar about 1771. He commenced practice in the Island of Grenada, of which he became attorney-general; and, returning to England, attracted the notice of Lord North, who employed him as one of the commissioners for investigating the public accounts, and procured him a seat in parliament, and a silk gown. In 1784, he was appointed solicitorgeneral to the Prince of Wales; and, about the same time, became a very popular advocate at Westminster, and on the circuit. Having, however, in the course of a cause, attacked an attorney with undue severity, he was left, in the common law courts, without a brief, which induced him, in 1793, to remove into the court of Chancery, where he soon attained fame and practice. In 1802, on the death of Lord North, he became a follower of Mr. Fox; and, during the brief administration of that statesman, was knighted, and held the office of attorney-general. He subsequently became counsel to the Bank of England, and continued to attend court until within a few years of his death, which took place at East Bourn, in Sussex, on the 6th of September, 1819. As a lawyer, he was one of the most intelligent and profound of his day; and, as an advocate, was clear and impressive, having the rare merit of compressing his case into a small compass, without exhibiting any deficiency in argument. As a senator, he distinguished himself on many important occasions, particularly on the impeachment of Warren Hastings and Lord Melville; in the latter case, assisting his friend, the late Mr. Whitbread, with great ability, in the quality of one of the managers of the commons. He had been married upwards of forty years, and left a widow; and, in private life, is represented as having been an amiable and polite man. RUNNINGTON, (CHARLES,) was born in Hertfordshire, in August, 1751; and, after a private education, was, in 1768, placed under Mr. Morgan, a special pleader, whom he materially assisted in his digest of the Laws of England. In 1778, he was called to the bar; and, in 1787, was made serjeant at law; and, soon after, deputy judge of the Marshalsea court. He was subsequently elevated to the rank of king's serjeant; in 1813, was elected recorder of Colchester; but the mayor, who swore him in, not being mayor, de jure, Serjeant Runnington was obliged to resign. In 1815, he was appointed chief commissioner of the court for the relief of Insolvent Debtors, which he resigned in 1819; and, two years after, died at Brighton, on the 18th of January, 1821. As a lawyer and a pleader, Serjeant Runnington had se- MACNALLY, (LEONARD,) was born could clean: he wanted one thumb, the PLUMER, (Sir THOMAS,) was born college, had the reputation of being one of the best scholars amongst the under-graduates. LAWRENCE, (FRENCH,) was born at Bristol, about 1755, and commenced his education at the grammar-school of that town, whence he was removed to Winchester College; and, subsequently, to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he obtained a fellowship, and graduated M. A. in 1781, and in October, 1787, took the degree of D. C. L. Having, in the mean time, been admitted a practitioner at Doctors' Commons, he soon rose to great eminence as a civilian; and, by his literary talents, as a political writer, attracted the notice of Mr. Burke, through whose influence, he was retained as one of the counsel against Warren Hastings, and returned afterwards to parliament for the borough of Peterborough. He subsequently became regius professor of civil law in the University of Oxford, chancellor of that diocese, and judge of the Cinque Ports, and died of consumption, in 1809. Dr. Lawrence possessed a profound and extensive knowledge of his profession : his abilities, however, were more solid than shining; and, in parliament, he had no pretensions to the fame of oratory, although his speeches were always characterized by good sense. Mr. Whitbread, during the debates on the orders in council, took occasion to say, "Now Dr. Lawrence is dead, I am sure there is no one in this house but will do justice to his memory; let us acknowledge, with one common voice, that we have lost a man whose like we shall not soon see again." He was much attached to Mr. Burke, who left him his executor, and an edition of whose works he had a great share in editing. Dr. Lawrence was one of the authors of the Probationary Odes; and wrote a volume of Remarks on the Apocalypse, besides a few articles in the Annual Register. LENS, (JOHN,) the son of a landsteward, at Norwich, born on the 2nd of January, 1756, was educated at the grammar-school of his native city; and, on one occasion, while bathing, was saved from drowning, by one of his school-fellows. Having removed to Eton, he was transferred to St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1775, where he attained the degree of B. A. in 1779; and, soon after, became fourth wrangler, as well as first chancellor's medallist. Having become a student of Lincoln's Inn, he was called to the bar in 1781, in which year he proceeded M. A., and commenced practice, in the court of King's Bench, as a barrister. He gradually rose into reputation on the western circuit, from which he retired, in 1817, and was presented, on the occasion, with a silver inkstand, by his professional brethren. Having attained the dignity of serjeant, he practised in the Common Pleas, and being made a lay fellow of Downing College, was appointed counsel of Cambridge University. He soon after became a king's serjeant: and, subsequently, succeeded to the office of king's ancient serjeant, the highest rank at the bar, after that of the king's attorney or solicitor-general. During the illness of Lord Ellenborough, Mr. Lens acted as a judge, on the western circuit; and gave general satisfaction, by his performance of the duties belonging to that important character. Towards the last two or three years of his life, he was attacked by a malady that obliged him to undergo a severe surgical operation, which gave an irrecoverable shock to his constitution, and he died on the 6th of August, 1825, at Ryde, in the sixty-ninth year of his age. So much was he esteemed at Cambridge, that on being chosen university counsel, he was warmly solicited, by all parties, to become their representative in parliament; but he uniformly declined complying with their request, from a diffidence in his powers; a ground, upon which, it is said, he more than once refused a judgeship; though it has been erroneously stated, that he suffered from a disappointed ambition, in not attaining that honour. In early life, he was an admirer of the principles of Fox, to which he always adhered with the strictest consistency. He is said to have been offered, by the Prince Regent, the office of attorney-general, and, subsequently, that of chief-justice of Chester; in both cases with a promise that he should pledge himself to no particular line of conduct; but he modestly declined the proffered elevation. His speeches had no pretension to |