Poughkeepsie, in his " native " county of Dutchess. Benson, afterwards judge, was a very prominent lawyer of his time, noted for a thorough knowledge of the philosophic basis of law, and more deeply versed in technical information than any of his fellow practitioners. The young law student at once displayed the same methodical ways of study and living that characterized his entire life. His diligence was tireless and unconquerable; his character pure; his manner vivacious. He read Smollct's His tory, Rapin, Hale, Hume, Blackstone " again and again," as he records, and all " the old books of practice." During his period of apprenticeship Alex ander Hamilton had commenced the prac tice at the bar, and had already evidenced his commanding ability. He became the leader of the New York bar, and as Chan cellor Kent afterwards wrote, " being a very great favorite with the merchants of New York, he was employed in every important and every commercial case." Aaron Burr, subtile and cool, with his pointed arguments, small stature but impos ing manner, " rarely lost a case." Melancthon Smith, with keen and metaphysical trend of mind, and Hamilton's ablest oppon ent in debate, was also a successful practi tioner. Then there were Samuel Jones, Brokholst Livingstone, Edward Livingstone, younger brother of the Chancellor, Morgan Lewis, afterwards attorney - general, t and many others. Josiah Ogden Hoffman was younger, but soon made known his remark able talents. In the management of juries he was unexcelled by any other lawyer of his day. Kent was admitted to the bar of the Su preme Court in January, 1785, at Albany, and in the following April married Miss Elizabeth Bailey, daughter of Capt. John Bailey, of Dutchess County, and sister of Gen. Theodorous Bailey, formerly United States senator, and afterwards postmaster of New York City. In the letter to Thomas
Washington, previously mentioned, he writes, "I was twenty-one, and my wife sixteen, when we married, and that charming and lovely girl has been the idol and solace of my life, and is now with me in my office, unconscious that I am writing this concern ing her." And thus we find him starting on his career : young, healthy, happily married, without one cent of property, in debt four hundred dollars, but endowed with a capital of undoubted courage and sturdy persever ance, gifted with learning and eager for ad vancement. On the twelfth day of April of that year he entered into a partnership with Gilbert Livingston, who at that time enjoyed a large and well-established practice. The articles of co-partnership provided for a term of twelve years, and contained a clause giving the junior partner the right to remove from Dutchess at any time after six years. From 1785 to 1790 the Chancellor's let ters record little else than the nature and ex tent of his studies. In the beginning he devoted one hour each day to Greek, and another to Latin, but he " soon increased it to two for each tongue in the twenty-four hours." The business part of the day, to use his own words, he gave to law, while the evenings he allotted to English literature in company with his wife, whose " sound and vigorous mind " and " correct taste " he always delighted in and appreciated. A more bright or beautiful domestic life from its modest beginning to an unclouded end than that depicted in Kent's memoranda, and contemporaneous testimony, would not be easy to parallel. The working hours he divided as follows : In the morning he read Latin until 8.30, and Greek to 10 o'clock. The following hours he devoted to law or business until the afternoon, when he read French for two hours. His memoranda is interesting on this subject, as it betokens distinctly a keynote to his character. " This division of time has ripened with me into habit, and I adhere to it in a great degree still.
