582
THE GREEN BAG
improvidence, but which the better in formed ever regard as a felicitous con summation, essential to the development of genius. He married a young woman of good family, but of no fortune. It seems essential to rapid and continuous movement toward eminence at the Bar, that the young lawyer, like the terrapin, "must have a coal of fire on his back." I use this figure of speech to typify merely the ardent and stimulating effect of judi cious matrimony, and, of course, exclude altogether the incinerating or scarifying thought the mind of malevolence might suggest. His wife having died just before he attained the Lord Chancellorship, he recorded on her tombstone that she was the most faithful and most affectionate of women. Later in life he remarried, and this time a Miss Sarah Buck, who, as her maiden name might import, was not alto gether so manageable (?) To this infelici tous alliance Sheridan applied the lines of Dryden, "When men like Erskine go astray, • The stars are more at fault than they."
While stationed at Minorca, in affection ate association with the wife of his youth, he entered on the systematic study of English literature. It is probable that no two years were ever better spent toward enhancing native gifts of eloquence. He read largely in prose, but, said Lord Brougham, " he was more familiar with Shakespeare than almost any man of his age, and Milton he had nearly by heart. The works of Dryden and Pope were read and committed to memory, with the avidity of a refined and well-formed taste." It may be interesting to recall that my honored predecessor in the station I hold, Judge John Erskine, was of the same family of the great advocate of whom we speak. In early manhood he too had been a sailor, and had spent several years before the mast. When he first held court at Savannah, where then, as now, certain
member of the Bar, at intervals, are con cerned with questions of Admiralty, the proctors in a particular case attempted to elucidate to the new Judge the rigging and tackle of a ship. He listened patiently and deferentially, while, with much detail, they explained all about the masts, the running rigging, etc. Finally they pro posed a short recess, and the old sailor quietly remarked, "Gentlemen, I presume you will retire to 'splice the mainbrace'; "Be quite sure that you do not 'bowse the jib.' ' I perceive that the Admiralty, as contended yesterday by our eminent brother from New Orleans, Mr Farrar, has so extended its jurisdiction that these expressions, at least, are not wholly mis understood. It is said by some that mere accident directed Erskine's attention to the Par. He had been in the army about six years. Stationed in a country town, where the Assizes were being held, he strolled into court one day and Lord Mansfield, who presided, observing his uniform, asked his name. Finding that he was the boy whom he had ten years before assisted in going to sea, the young officer was at once invited to a seat on the Bench. His Lord ship stated the principal points of the case on trial. Erskine listened with the liveliest interest. The counsel were ve'erans, but it occurred to him how much more clearly and forcibly he could have presented cer tain points, and urged them on tre minds of the jury. Lord Mansfield invite 1 him to dinner and was delighted with his charm ing conversation. Erskine, at the close of the evening, trembling with commingled apprehension and hope, asked the famous jurist the momentous question, " Is it impossible for me to become a lawyer?" The» Chief Justice did not wholly discourage him. His mother, who was a woman of strong character, eagerly encouraged his elevated ambition. After two years of study, in July, 1778, when 28 years of age, he was admitted to that profession, of
