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The Green Bag
quickly, more gayly, more attractively, a ready response in the general heart, but there is no better sort in circulation." since books are full of them. Queen There is a pathetic note marking the Mab tickles the parson's nose as he lies delineation of this odd bachelor-lawyer, asleep, with a tithe-pig's tail, and he in the hint Dickens gives us of his roman straightway dreams of another benefice; tic attachment to the memory of the she drives over the lawyer's fingers, girl he had doted on, at a hopeless, and he perforce must dream of fees! speechless distance, years before — the From the time whereof the memory of mother of his ward. His life and soul man runneth not to the contrary, law are wrapped up in the interests of his yers have therefore been a bright shin ward, who is beginning to look astonish ing mark for the shafts and sallies of the ingly like her mother. He shrewdly satirist. Even the patron saint of the detects the indifference of Edward's profession, Saint Ives, though he had love for her, and warns his generous so lived as to afterwards merit canoniza nature of its dangerous possibilities be tion in the eyes of posterity, could not fore it becomes too late. To those who escape this critical cannonading from his read this unfinished novel, it is easily contemporaries, but was libeled even perceptible that it is he who is to in the tomb and lampooned in an epitaph fathom the sardonic nature and purposes — simply because he was a lawyer who of Jasper, and is to be the Nemesis was honest : — Sanctus Ivo, who is finally to unmask Jasper's pre Advocatus non latro, tensions and crime and bring him to Res miranda populo. justice with the usual Dickens climax. The description of Rosa's visit to the The majority of Dickens' lawyers, lawyer's chambers after her flight from therefore, are really contemptible char Cloisterham to evade Jasper, and the acters — tricksters and pettifoggers, dinner there, is one of the most delight schemers and charlatans — and at best ful chapters in all Dickens — a fit com the author shows but a grudging tolera panion-piece to hang beside the picture tion for those high up in the profession. of the meeting between Dick Swiveller Even the Lord High Chancellor him and the Marchioness, in "Old Curi self has not escaped his excoriating lash. osity Shop." He seems to have believed in the old Some one has said that folly makes story which makes the Devil the law lawyers possible and necessary. Were yers' patron saint; and he makes use there no folly, there would be no law in one of his tales of the inscription yers. It is their unenviable lot to live, over the door of the queer old house of like moral cannibals, on the misfortunes Rochester in Kent, which places proc and weaknesses of their fellow-men. It tors and rogues in the same class: — is therefore but natural that they should Richard Watts, Esq., be made immortal themes of exhaustless by his Will, dated 22 Aug. 1759, satire and abuse. What a general bless founded this Charity ing have professional men not been to for Six Poor Travellers, who, not being Rogues or Proctors, the whole literary tribe! The priest's May receive gratis for one night love of ease and power, the lawyer's Lodging, Entertainment, and Fourpence each. cunning and dilatoriness, the physician's wise look and his blunders hidden by The reason for this antipathy to the grave, are subjects which must find wards lawyers lay perhaps in Dickens'
