Reminiscences of the French Bar. prised him in the very act of sin, I would cover him with my purple! It is now for you, my lords, to cover by your decree the sacred per son of the Bishop of Noyon." Gerbier, aware probably of his weak point, was wont to get two of the best lawyers to discuss the merits of his great causes in his presence. He then chose his topics and formed his plan, but trusted to the inspira tion of the moment for the language and the imagery. That the required aid might be constantly at hand, he had always an advo cate or two content to play the part of crammers in his cabinet. It was said that Gerbier, in a single cause, had received a fee of three hundred thousand francs. M. Duvaudier— an able advocate, though of inferior celebrity, whom the high society of Paris received on a footing of equality — had an aged client, a woman of quality, who, in the intoxication of success at the happy ter mination of a suit, conceived the idea of presenting a fee in a novel manner. She repaired first to a notary, by whom she caused the grant of an annuity of four thou sand francs a year to be prepared; then to a coachmaker's, where she ordered a hand some carriage; to a horse-dealer, of whom she purchased two superb horses; lastly, to a tailor, who, by a day named, was to make complete liveries for coachman, footman, and porter. On the day chosen by the lady, M. Du vaudier was summoned to the Palais for another suit. At its termination he was accosted by his servant, attired in livery, who informed him that Madame Duvaudier had given orders for the carriage to come for him. M. Duvaudier, a little surprised at the dress of his servant, decided, notwith standing, to follow him, expecting to learn the key to this enigma from his wife. On reaching the carriage, his surprise increased at finding the coachman similarly arrayed. The footman, on opening the door, begged,
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in Madame Duvaudier's name, that he would look at a paper which he would find under the cushion. This was the deed for the an nuity destined to maintain the equipage. Toward the close of 1789 the principal tribunals were broken up, and the order of advocates was suppressed. New courts were established, and suitors were permitted to appear by deputy, so that the public gained nothing beyond the substitution of a set of ignorant adventurers for a body of men dis tinguished by learning and integrity. A small proportion of the ancient bar continued the practice of their profession under its new titles, and amongst the most conspicuous was M. Berryer. A remarkable suit was instituted by the journeymen carriers against their masters for the amount of a certain percentage on their wages, retained during many years, as the masters alleged, to form a fund in case of sickness. The journeymen were represented by M. Berryer, who seems to have enter tained no very exalted opinion of the justice of their claim. But at the time in question it was a crime of the deepest dye to be a proprietor or a capitalist. Equal rights re quired unequal judgments; and Le Roy-Sermaise, a judge of the genuine democratic school, decided almost without hesitation for the journeymen. This worthy was once trying a cause be tween two peasants regarding the property in a field. The claimant produced a deed which had nothing to do with the question. The defendant relied on long possession ex clusively. " How long? " inquired the judge. "Why, citizen president, from father to son, eighty or ninety years at least." " In that case, my friend, you ought to be satisfied : each in his turn; it is now your adversary's." He ordered the claimant to be put into pos session without delay. We might go on indefinitely quoting from this interesting book, but time and space alike forbid any further extracts.
